Montenegro is the locomotive that pulls the Western Balkans towards the EU, President Nataša Pirc Musar said today after talks with Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović at Brdo pri Kranj . Milatović is convinced that his country’s membership in the EU would be an important signal to the entire region. The two leaders agreed that the two countries cooperate well on several levels.
It is crucial that Slovenia is the voice and promoter of Montenegro
On this occasion, Pirc Musar reiterated that the Western Balkans needs more, not less, EU . As she vividly illustrated, Podgorica is a locomotive that pulls the entire region in this direction and is “first in line” to join the union.
She also highlighted the importance of the Brdo Brioni process on this route, which will be hosted by Podgorica next year. Economic cooperation is good, and the president also singled out Montenegro as a partner in the field of security. Namely, the two countries cooperate both at the center for cyber capabilities based in Podgorica and within the NATO mission in Latvia.
That Slovenia is a friend and ally of Montenegro was also emphasized by Milatović, who recalled that Slovenia was the first to open an embassy after Podgorica declared independence.
According to him, EU expansion to Montenegro would be a good signal to other countries as well, because it would show that the enlargement process is alive. According to Milatović, it is crucial in this process that Slovenia is the voice and promoter of Montenegro.
Milatović remains optimistic that Montenegro could join the EU before 2030, assuring that Podgorica will remain on that path despite parties that opposed membership in the past but now cooperate with the government.
He will conclude the visit with a conversation with the Prime Minister
After the talks in Gorenje, the Montenegrin president will meet separately in Ljubljana with Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and Speaker of the National Assembly Urško Klakočar Zupančič . He will conclude his visit on Tuesday with a conversation with Prime Minister Robert Golob .
During his visit, he is expected to meet with the Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković , Montenegrin students and representatives of the diaspora in Slovenia, as well as entrepreneurs, according to his office.
Jakov Milatović has been in office since May, after defeating long-time president and prime minister Milo Đukanović in the elections . His party , Movement Europe Now (PES), which he founded last June together with the new Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, rose to the head of the country and government in a good year, and he also leads the capital.
For Milatović, this is the fourth visit abroad, after he first visited Brussels at the end of May, in accordance with the announcement, to express his commitment to the European path. He then visited the neighbor and largest economic partner Serbia in July, and Croatia in September.
In Slovenia, it is only a few days after the formation of the new Montenegrin coalition government, led by PES leader Spajić, who formed it after many difficulties four months after the early elections and with the support of the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian parties, who won the Speaker of the Parliament with the promise of entering the government in a year. The opposition accuses the new government of being anti-Montenegrin, anti-European and pro-Russian, and the new parliament speaker Andrija Mandić from the New Serbian Democracy party receives the most criticism .
Source : Metro Play
