- Montenegro as a candidate country cherishes European values, and also contributes itself to the community of European nations - it was concluded at the meeting of President of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr Ivan Brajović and Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Mr Aivo Orav.
In the light of Montenegro’s progress within the EU integration process, the interlocutors spoke on the need for preserving the freedom of expression and openness of the media, as one of the basic pre-conditions in that process.
Ambassador Orav emphasised the importance of this segment in Chapter 23, and communicated the position of EU officials, supported by all member states, that the media, including the Public Broadcaster, must be independent and free from any political influences and pressures of any kind.
The President of the Parliament of Montenegro stressed that Montenegro, as the most advanced country in the EU accession process, was devoted to achieving the highest standards in all segments, including the media freedom. He agreed that the Public Broadcaster, given its importance in informing and educating the citizens of Montenegro, must be free of pressures, but also aware of its responsibility towards the citizens who finance it - so that it can report and educate in a professional and objective manner.
In support of the further professionalization of the Public Service, President Brajović said that the budget funds for the next year were planned in a significantly higher amount than in 2017.
The meeting was attended by UK Ambassador Ms Alison Kemp and Italian Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco.
