The agreements Montenegro signed with the United Arab Emirates on March 28, 2025—including the Agreement on Economic Cooperation and the Agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Tourism and Real Estate Development—are fully aligned with the Constitution of Montenegro and the obligations arising from the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union.
Legal analyses conducted prior to the signing clearly show that the agreements do not contain any discriminatory provisions, comply with principles of transparency and competition, and follow public procurement procedures prescribed by law, which are already harmonized with Directive 2014/24/EU. Their implementation will remain within the framework of domestic legislation that is in line with EU law and subject to oversight by both domestic and European institutions.
Moreover, each specific project stemming from these agreements will undergo regular procedures, with no exemptions from the legal obligations Montenegro has as an EU candidate country. The mere existence of a legal framework for strategic cooperation with third countries, as long as it aligns with European standards, cannot jeopardize Montenegro’s European path. On the contrary, economic empowerment through transparent investments strengthens the capacity for implementing European reforms, which is in the spirit of both the SAA and the Growth Plan.
EU membership remains the Government’s key foreign policy priority, and the entire administration is fully committed to fulfilling the demanding tasks required for closing negotiation chapters and implementing reforms. Now that we are finally seeing the end of a twelve-year journey toward the EU, it is unrealistic to believe we would agree to anything that could compromise that path.
Sensationalist narratives without legal grounding neither inform the public nor strengthen institutions. If there are indeed legitimate concerns about the legality of the signed agreements, the rule of law provides clear mechanisms—criminal charges and institutional proceedings. Anything else is mere political theatre.
The rule of law and trust in institutions are the foundation of Montenegro’s European path. Therefore, instead of incendiary rhetoric and baseless accusations, we call on all interested parties to use legal instruments if they believe there are any irregularities. Otherwise, it would be both responsible and fair to refrain from public targeting and insinuations not grounded in fact.