Marović: It is time for substantial reforms in Montenegro

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs Jovana Marović participated in a roundtable in the French Senate, as part of the Balkan Dialogues initiative. It is time after 10 years of negotiations to intensify substantial reforms in Montenegro in order to unblock the process of European integration, especially in the area of the rule of law where concrete reforms are still expected, Marović said.

She expressed hope that the EU would recognise the efforts made in the region, and that accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia will open soon, which would send a strong encouraging message to the Western Balkans.

It is a special pleasure to discuss the European future of the Western Balkans today as we celebrate Europe Day. Paris is the right place to remind ourselves of the values on which the European Union is founded, Marović said.

At the event in Paris entitled "Re-thinking the Western Balkans EU Integration in the New Geopolitical Context", Marović spoke at the panel "The impact of the war in Ukraine on the process of European integration".

She said that Russia's aggression against Ukraine was a wake-up call for the whole of Europe, and especially for the Western Balkans, where the current circumstances have confirmed that the European path is the only guarantor of prosperity and security in the region.

The goal of the event in Paris is to define and propose priorities for European integration of the region and to examine the role of external actors.

The event discussed the region's energy security and dependence, the growing influence of authoritarian foreign and domestic actors, as well as how the Ukrainian crisis and Russian aggression will affect regional development and the European perspective of the region.

The event brought together representatives of state institutions and research centers from the Western Balkans, representatives of French, EU and American institutions, experts from international think tanks and academies in order to lay the groundwork for a dynamic and constructive discussion on these topics and to help increase and deepening understanding, while building trust between representatives of the various geopolitical interests present in the region today.

This event is organised by the BFPE Foundation for Responsible Society, the Atlantic Council and VoisinageS with support of Open Society Foundation, French Senate and The Balkan Trust for Democracy.