President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Ivan Brajović, took part in a meeting with the heads and representatives of political groups in the European Parliament within the Summit of the President of the European Parliament. It was a great opportunity to participate in the discussion with policy makers in the European Parliament about the individual status and achievements of the Western Balkan countries in integration processes, as well as finding solutions to the challenges they faced. The participants of the meeting confirmed that, faced with the new changed circumstances, the issue of enlargement has been of strategic importance so as not to increase political instability in the region and the return to the topics of the past.
At the meeting with members of the Working Group for the Western Balkans of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), chaired by the MP Mr Tonino Picula, the modalities of support of the European Parliament to the Western Balkans had been discussed, as well as specific policies of particular importance to inter-parliamentary cooperation.
- These meetings are an example of the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, which should lead to the acceleration of a not very dynamic process, Mr Picula stressed, the Chairperson in Office of this body of the European Parliament.
President Brajović emphasised that Montenegro has been achieving continuous progress and has constantly strengthened inter-parliamentary dialogue, both with the European Parliament and the Member States, and with the parliaments of the neighbouring countries. In his speech he stressed his conviction that the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries would be more clearly defined in 2020, with clear deadlines and guidelines.
- Support to Montenegro, as the most successful of the countries in the negotiation process, will be a strong positive signal to other countries in the region - President Brajović said, among other things.
The President of the Parliament assessed last week's visit to our country by the European Parliament rapporteur for Montenegro and the Chairperson of the AFET committee, Mr Tonino Picula, and the planned visit to Podgorica by the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr Olivér Várhelyi in early February, as a positive step towards a common goal, which was the European perspective of Montenegro and the Western Balkans.
MP groups of the European Parliament and the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)
