June 14, 2018 - Minister of Defence of Montenegro, Predrag Boskovic, attended the “Eurosatory 2018”, Defence and Security International Exhibition, which took place in Paris, France from June 11 to 15.
During his stay in Paris, Boskovic had an official meeting with the French Minister of Defence, Florence Parly. The main topic of this meeting was the modalities for improving the cooperation of two countries, Montenegro and France, in the field of Defence, as well as to exchange the views on contemporary security challenges.
“Montenegro will remain committed to strengthening cooperation with its allies, as part of a family of countries whose relations are based on trust and mutual support. I would like to point out the role of our country as a pro-Western presenter, as well as to note the importance of the support given by the French Republic to Montenegro in the reform of the defence system, the current cooperation in the field of aviation and naval forces, armaments, French language learning, missions and codifications,” noted Boskovic.
The Minister of Defence also said that Montenegro highly appreciates the visible presence of France in the Western Balkans region, stressing that this region cannot be stable without a clear Euro-Atlantic vision, in the same way as Europe cannot be safe without full integration of the Western Balkans. He also noted that only joint efforts can compete with security challenges, and also confirmed Montenegro’s readiness to participate in international missions and operations in order to contribute to the global security scene to preserve peace and stability. Boskovic informed Minister Parly that Montenegro is intensively working on the modernization of military equipment, which will enable Montenegrin army to be equal with its allies in facing the modern security threats. He concluded that Montenegro has chosen the system of collective defence as its future and that this country opted for continuous investment in the defense system, in order to strengthen the interoperability of its forces.
Minister Parly thanked her Montenegrin counterpart for the visit, expressing satisfaction with the progress achieved and reforms made in the defence system of Montenegro, with the expectation that other countries in the region will follow this example of international cooperation. She emphasised that Montenegro was recognised as a credible ally and that Montenegro's full membership will contribute to the stability of the international community. The French Minister has specifically focused on contemporary security risks and threats, and also stressed that allies must hold together in order to safely preserve the values that democratic societies cherish. She said that France would continue to support Montenegro in order to strengthen its capacities in the area of defence and security systems.
The two officials agreed that there is room for intensifying defence cooperation between the two countries and expressed readiness to strengthen relations in the coming period.
