Brussels, 15/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European leaders called on Montenegro to continue its reform efforts when the country's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic visited Brussels on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 April.
“Montenegro must step up its efforts on legislative reforms and on their effective implementation”, said European Council President Donald Tusk. “This also covers the crucial area of the rule of law. Particular attention should be paid to the development of solid antecedents in this area, including in the fight against corruption”, Tusk added.
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn also called for progress. “The accession negotiations are on the right track, but crucial challenges remain. Serious efforts must still be made in the areas of the rule of law, freedom of the media and economic reforms”, Hahn tweeted.
Djukanovic stated that he was confident that progress towards the EU will be achieved through complete reforms. He said that his country had amended its constitution, adopted new laws, and set up new institutions. “We are working on the development of administrative and institutional capacities and on building a track record”. He also underlined Montenegro's economic development and said that his country was paying special attention to the issue of the rule of law.
Tusk hailed Montenegro's complete alignment with all the EU's foreign policy positions.
Montenegro has thus far opened 18 accession negotiation chapters with the EU and Djukanovic announced that his country was preparing its position on 5 additional chapters which could be opened quickly. He stated that is was not a question of speed but of quality of the reforms.
Hahn reiterated that a meeting will be held in Brussels on 21 April with the prime ministers of the Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) to discuss energy and transport network issues (see EUROPE 11284). Hahn will visit Montenegro in May. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)