Krivokapić, Von der Leyen: Montenegro remains unreservedly and consistently committed to its European path

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić met today with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who ended her working visit to our country with a meeting with the Montenegrin Prime Minister.

At a meeting in Villa Gorica, PM Krivokapić expressed gratitude to President von der Leyen for the friendship, solidarity and financial assistance that the European Union has unreservedly provided to Montenegro in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including donations of a significant number of vaccines and valuable medical equipment, thanks to which Montenegro vaccinated 50.4 percent of adult Montenegrin citizens with the first dose.

Prime Minister Krivokapić assessed that the Government of Montenegro has set the process of European integration as the main and strategic foreign policy priority.

We see our future exclusively in the European Union, with strong reforms in the area of the rule of law. In this regard, we will take all necessary steps to meet the expectations of our citizens, among whom, after the election of a new government, support for EU membership is growing daily, and at this time exceeds the figure of 75 percent. Equally, as a fully-fledged NATO member, which shares the values of the Alliance, we want full stability in the Western Balkans, said Prime Minister Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister underlined that Montenegro remains fully committed to reform activities and meeting the interim benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24.

In the context of future infrastructure projects and the support of the European Commission, PM Krivokapić pointed out that the Government, with its responsible policy in the field of public financial management and rescheduling of loans for the construction of the first section of the Bar-Boljare motorway, has already created preconditions for intensifying cooperation with European banks and providing fiscal space for new projects, which will enable non-refundable EU support through the Western Balkan Investment Framework. In this sense, the priority areas in this part remain projects in the field of transport.

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of the European Green Deal, which Montenegro wholeheartedly supports through its own strategic documents, but also through the recent revitalisation of the idea of an ecological state of Montenegro.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the visit to the Western Balkans is very important for her because of her personal impression of our region. She pointed out that Montenegro has made great progress on its European path, and that it is important to continue in that direction. What we have in common is that we share dreams, vision, soul and desire to achieve results. We are convinced of your commitment to the common market, said von der Leyen.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Krivokapić reiterated that the European Union has no alternative for Montenegro, and that he is convinced that the fate of the region must also be European, and that our country will intensively contribute to that as a leader in the EU integration process, adding that Montenegro will continue to fully comply with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, which clearly shows our geostrategic orientation, and that our country remains unreservedly and consistently committed to its European path.