“Absolute priority in accession activities remains the fulfillment of the remaining interim benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24 and the application of the Action Plan to address main EC recommendations. In the past period, and particularly having in mind the intensive legislative work of the Parliament of Montenegro at the end of 2021, significant results have been achieved which we will present to our European partners within the upcoming Stabilization and Association Committee “, said the Chief negotiator, Zorka Kordić during the online meeting with the newly appointed Head of the Unit for Montenegro and Serbia in the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Michael Miller.
Kordic expressed the expectation that during this year, and especially during the French presidency, an intensive political dialogue with EU institutions and member states will continue, empowered by the New Methodology, in order to present Montenegro’s results in certain areas.
She congratulated her interlocutor on taking office and expressed confidence that quality cooperation with the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations will continue to the mutual satisfaction.
Miller emphasized that, after many years of work in EU institutions and diplomatic experience, he is pleased to lead Unit D2 for Montenegro and Serbia, and that he considers the continuation of excellent relations between Brussels and Podgorica to be the leading goal of his engagement.
He assessed that the emphasis should now be on fulfilling the remaining interim benchmarks in the chapters of the rule of law and the implementation of the Action Plan for addressing most important recommendations from the EC Annual Report for Montenegro. He pointed out that the upcoming meetings of the Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security and the Stabilization and Association Committee would be a great opportunity for the Montenegrin side to present the results achieved since the last Intergovernmental Conference held in December.
“The Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations remains a main interlocutor and ally of the Government of Montenegro when it comes to joining the European Union,” Miller said.
GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO
SECTOR FOR INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE EU AND THE EU ACCESSION PROCESS
