07 October 2018 - The support of European partners for faster accession of Montenegro to the European Union, based on the results of the reforms that are being implemented, would represent convincing evidence to others in the region that the European future of the Western Balkans is real and achievable, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin noted at a meeting of heads of state and government of the countries of the Western Balkans, which took place in Geneva earlier this week.
"It is very important for the European future, stability, and prosperity of the entire region that Montenegro, as a country that has made the most progress in embracing European rules and standards, receives adequate support and becomes a full member of the European Union in the short term," said Prime Minister Pažin.
The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that there is a deep sense of responsibility in Montenegro for the role of the forerunner of the European integration process at a time when almost all the countries in the region are facing serious challenges to their stability and the perspective of European development.
"In Montenegro, we have no doubts about whether the EU is the best civilisation framework for achieving our development ambitions and a vision of a higher quality of life for our citizens. We also consider that the European Union must not neglect the Western Balkans if it wants to fulfill its historic mission of building a united Europe on the foundations of peace and prosperity," he pointed out.
He emphasised that any neglect of the Western Balkans by the European Union encourages the impact of destructive geopolitical ambitions, populism and political demagogy threatening to seriously jeopardise the European future of the region.
The Deputy Prime Minister underscored that Montenegro has fully coordinated its foreign policy with the European Union and that for a long time it has taken over and successfully fulfilled all the obligations in the field of common European foreign and security policy.
