Spajić - Eichhorst: Montenegro is a cohesive factor in the region, you have our support

Alignment of the foreign and security policy of Montenegro with the policy of the European Union is an important aspect of the accession process and confirmation of Montenegro's full commitment to the integration path, it was said at the meeting of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić with Director for Europe at the European External Action Service, Angelina Eichhorst.

The interlocutors exchanged opinions on the progress in meeting the benchmarks for closing the negotiation chapters and agreed that there is momentum in the European Union enlargement policy that Montenegro and the countries of the Western Balkans could use.

Montenegro is ready to tackle the biggest challenges in terms of meeting the benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24. In the previous period, the Government and Parliament showed determination to make the most important decisions efficiently and with the necessary majority, said the Prime Minister.

Angelina Eichhorst, Director for Europe at the European External Action Service, said that positive impulses coming from Montenegro are already recognized in Brussels, and that in this sense it is necessary to complete the activities related to the unblocking of the judiciary in order to create conditions for strengthening the rule of law and further progress towards the European Union. In this context, the Prime Minister informed her about the voting for the election of the missing members of the Judicial Council. "Soon we expect new positive news from the Assembly," he said.

At the meeting, it was assessed that there is room for strengthening cooperation between Montenegro and the European Union in the field of combating hybrid threats, and it was assessed that the Regional Cyber Security Center based in Podgorica will play an important role in building the system's resilience to such influences. The improvement of cooperation in the field of defense was assessed as important, and the importance of Montenegro's membership in NATO was highlighted.

The interlocutors also exchanged opinions on the current situation in the region and assessed as important that Montenegro, as a cohesive factor, continues to contribute to the preservation of stability and cooperation in the Western Balkans.

We support Montenegro and wish you success in fulfilling your Government's program, Eichhorst told Prime Minister Spajić, who is on his first working visit to Brussels.