Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro, headed by chairpersons of the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants and the Security and Defence Committee - Mr Andrija Nikolić and Mr Obrad Mišo Stanišić, is taking part in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP/CSDP), which is being held in Vienna on 11 and 12 October, within Austrian Presidency of the EU Council.
The Inter-Parliamentary Conference was opened by Mr Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the Austrian National Council and Ms Inge Posch-Gruska, President of the Austrian Federal Council, while the opening remarks were delivered by: Mr David McAllister, Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, Mr Andreas Schieder, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Austrian National Council and Mr Reinhard Eugen Bösch, Chairperson of the Defence Committee of the Austrian National Council, while Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, addressed via live video connection.
On day one of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, the participants discussed about “Security, Migration and Control of External Borders”. Mr Obrad Mišo Stanišić, Chairperson of the Security and Defence Committee, also spoke on this topic. In his address he stressed that Montenegro, as a reliable partner of the EU, has undertaken all necessary measures in order to deal successfully with a possible wave of illegal migration, emphasising that building of cooperation among all European states was particularly important, so to reduce risks of mass migration on a minimum.
Mr Stanišić said that already in 2015 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Plan of action in case of a large influx of migrants, harmonised with international standards, which includes locations of possible border crossings in Montenegro, logistics centres, records, human resources, accommodation capacities, health and social protection, legal assistance, transport and security issues.
Chairperson of the Security and Defence Committee Mr Obrad Mišo Stanišić concluded that Montenegro was approaching the problem of the migrant crisis as proven humane and solidary country, ready to accept refugees in line with its possibilities, stressing that during the nineties it showed that it can be a safe haven for people in distress, providing shelter for about 150,000 refugees.
Day two of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference will be devoted to the topic “The European contribution to the improvement of the political and humanitarian situation in Syria” and “The EU perspective for the Western Balkans”. Chairperson of the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants Mr Andrija Nikolić will speak on the latter.
Aside from chairpersons of committees Mr Stanišić and Mr Nikolić, the delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro was composed of parliamentarians Mr Dragutin Papović, member of the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants, and Mr Milorad Vuletić, member of the Security and Defence Committee.
