Frequent and fruitful cooperation with the Republic of France, as one of the key EU countries, is particularly important to Montenegro in its final phase of European integration, Chairperson of the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants Mr Andrija Nikolić said at the meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of France to Montenegro H.E. Ms Christine Toudic Gaborit.

Chairperson of the Committee Mr Nikolić said that Montenegro, being committed to its further development, strengthening of institutions and harmonisation of legislation with the EU acqui, must also work on informing its most important partners on what has been done in our country, therefore parliamentarians should give a special contribution to this end.

Expressing satisfaction with the new EU enlargement strategy to the Western Balkans, Chairperson of the Committee Mr Nikolić stressed that perspective of European unity would be significantly threatened if there were no new enlargements, so the Strategy had revived and revitalised this idea.

Ambassador Toudic, stressing that there was a great space for cooperation between the two countries, primarily at the parliamentary level, highlighted that the Republic of France was particularly interested for developments in the Western Balkans because it believed that the stability of Europe depended on the stability of the regional countries. Ms Toudic said that in the upcoming period France would put a special focus on networking of young people from the region, and in that sense, talked with Chairperson Nikolić about ideas aimed at regional integration of young people.

They jointly concluded that it was important to establish more intensive contacts between Committee on Foreign Affairs of the French Parliament and Committee on International Relations and Emigrants of the Parliament of Montenegro.