20 July 2018 - Representatives of Montenegro were in Macedonia for the past few days, and by this occasion, they met with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Macedonia Oliver Spasovski.
During this occasion, one of the representatives of Montenegro, the Minister of the Interior of Montenegro Mevludin Nuhodžić, congratulated the officials and citizens of the country due to the recent invitation to join NATO and the beginning of negotiations with the European Union. On this occasion, Minister Nuhodžić said that Macedonia can count on the strong and friendly support of Montenegro in these processes, and expressed the belief that Montenegrin experience in these fields will be useful. The invitation to Macedonia to start negotiations on joining NATO is of particular importance in terms of regional security, Minister Nuhodžić pointed out, adding that the benefits of membership in this organisation are also visible in other fields, especially economically, through a record number of visits of tourists during the past year and significant investments.
The ministers assessed that the cooperation between the two internal affairs ministries is of high quality, especially in the area of police affairs, both on a bilateral and regional level. Ministers have said that the fight against organised crime, illegal migration and terrorism, as well as other forms of serious crime, remain a priority of regional efforts, and in the following period, the focus of intensified cooperation will be on fulfilling the criteria in Chapter 24 of the negotiation process with the European Union. The ministers also praised the joint police activities that have been implemented for several years in a row during the summer tourist season, through the presence of police officers from Macedonia who contribute to strengthening friendly relations, but also to the prevention of all forms of crime.
This meeting was also an opportunity for ministers Nuhodžić and Spasovski to sign an agreement between the two governments in the field of combating trafficking in human beings, with the aim of strengthening national mechanisms for more efficient response to the challenges in this field.
