- Ireland is strongly advocating for Montenegro’s EU membership and believes that the leadership of the European institutions will keep an affirmative view towards the enlargement policy, said the non-resident Ambassador of Ireland Mr Pat Kelly at today’s meeting with Chairperson of the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants Mr Andrija Nikolić.

Mr Nikolić welcomed the assessment by Ambassador Kelly that it was realistic to expect for Montenegro to become a member of the European family in the middle of the next decade, as well as the fact that, traditionally, Ireland had been supporting the regatta principle.

The interlocutors agreed that there was significant room for improvement of bilateral cooperation between Montenegro and Ireland and voiced expectations that in the upcoming period there would be an exchange of visits of the top state officials of the two countries.

They also voiced mutual interest in the intensifying of parliamentary cooperation at the level of working bodies in charge of foreign affairs.

Mr Nikolić and Mr Kelly also exchanged opinions on the current political moment in the European Union as well as the enlargement perspective for the Western Balkans. The interlocutors agreed that the enlargement process could and should be done in parallel with the EU internal reform process.

At the end of the farewell visit by the Irish Ambassador, the Chairperson of the Committee voiced his gratitude to the Ambassador for his constructive contribution to the improvement of bilateral relations between Montenegro and Ireland.