Members of the Committee on European Integration today have met with European Parliament's Rapporteur for Montenegro Mr Tonino Picula, who is on the first visit to Montenegro since assuming that position in October last year.
The meeting was marked as especially important, given the current situation regarding the enlargement policy, and Montenegro’s accession process. In the conversation with the European Parliament, special emphasis was placed on the current political situation in Montenegro and on the further role of the legislative power as a key actor in further adoption of European values and improving the quality of citizens’ life.
Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Mr Slaven Radunović stressed that the goal of the negotiation process is the proper implementation of key reforms in Montenegro, and that in further negotiations with the EU, Montenegro should be evaluated on the basis of the real situation and concrete results achieved, without neglecting key challenges which dominantly refer to the rule of law. According to him, these are the main expectations of the new negotiation methodology.
MEP Tonino Picula stressed that consensus on key issues for the well-being of society is crucial to the success of a community. He recalled one of the basic postulates of the European Union "united in diversity", and concluded that the EU as a community has its own internal problems, that it is successful and open but also unfinished, for which it sees a chance in enlargement - the enlargement policy, in his words, represents a chance for both the Union and the accession countries.
The parliamentarians discussed key challenges for democracy and the rule of law in Montenegro, Montenegro's progress in the European integration process, as well as the work and role of the Committee on European Integration. The importance of continued and constructive cooperation with representatives of the European Parliament and the Commission, and the continuation of the Committee's work on the basis of consensus, numerous initiatives and meetings with government representatives on key negotiation chapters, were stressed.
At the meeting, it was concluded that parliamentarism, as an indispensable part of political life, is the embodiment of a community that has perspective and should be the birthplace of articulating different interests and attitudes. Finally, the interlocutors voiced hoped that greater efforts will be made by the new European Commission regarding EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkan countries.
The meeting was attended by MPs Mr Slaven Radunović, Mr Adrijan Vuksanović, Ms Daliborka Pejović, Mr Mihajlo Anđušić, Ms Sanja Pavićević, Ms Žana Filipović, Mr Ranko Krivokapić, Branko Radulović, i Neđeljko Rudović.
