Democracy Workshops

Cetinje Parliamentary Forum is the autochthonous regional initiative of parliamentary cooperation of South East European countries on their way towards the EU, and an important form of encouragement and promotion of parliamentary dialogue between the countries of the region.

CPF was designed and launched by the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro in cooperation with the Parliament of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in February 2004. CPF is the initiative that encourages and promotes parliamentary dialogue between the countries of the region. Recommendations of the EU’s Thessaloniki summit outlined the best path towards Euro-Atlantic integration through regional cooperation of the Western Balkans countries. The idea to institute CPF, as the broadest form of parliamentary cooperation, was born in order to establish parliamentary cooperation between the countries in the region. The Government of Montenegro, OSCE and the UK government financially supported this initiative. The aim of CPF is to promote cooperation, transfer knowledge and experience and strengthen relations in order to maintain continuity in terms of closer parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy in the region, to improve bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as bring together representatives of legislative institutions in the countries that share common historical and cultural heritage, and the European perspective. Through years of its existence CPF gathered over 500 MPs from the region and partner countries members of the European Union, who discussed in an open and straightforward the current issues in the region related to foreign policy, education, culture, economy, security, etc.

Montenegro has been recognized as a factor of stability in the region, a country that nurtures and promotes regional cooperation and good- neighbourly relations and a country that is fully committed in establishing and developing cooperation at international level.

Taking into account all the specificities of national parliaments, they represent the best link between the European and national level at transposing standards, which makes parliamentary diplomacy a very important component of international politics of a country as a whole.

The dedication of the Parliament of Montenegro to parliamentary diplomacy is manifested through active participation in the meetings, which are organized within the regional initiatives, participating in the proceedings of parliamentary assemblies of international organizations, such as IPU, OSCE, NATO and Council of Europe, then, participating in the meetings that are organized within the semi-annual presiding over EU, and other forms of parliamentary gatherings.

Through participation in regional initiatives, the Parliament of Montenegro has shown its remarkably good cooperation with legislative bodies of countries in the region by giving support during the proceedings of parliamentary assemblies of international organizations.

The Parliament of Montenegro is a member of numerous regional initiatives, in which also participate regional parliamentary representatives of Western Balkans, as well as member states of EU, among which are the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), Central European initiative (CEI), ADRIATIC-IONIAN INITIATIVE (AII).

During its presiding, the Parliament of Montenegro has organized many parliamentary gatherings, among which were the Parliamentary committee CEI-PD (April, 2010), Parliamentary assembly CEI-PD (November, 2010), Summit of the presidents of the parliaments SEECP (June, 2011). Since Montenegro has finished presiding, the following country to preside was the Republic of Serbia, that during its presiding has affirmed some of the ideas in the field of parliamentary cooperation. After its presiding over Central European initiative, the presiding has been taken over by FYR Macedonia.

The meetings within regional initiatives are being monitored equally at the level of MPs' , as well as at the level of national coordinators of Central European initiative, Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Cetinje parliamentary forum. In 2012, the Initial meeting of the presidents of the committees for international affairs of the region of Southeastern Europe was held, during which were presented the existing models of parliamentary cooperation of Nordic, Baltic and of Benelux countries, and during which were generally considered the possibilities for these actual models to be the base for the eventually specified activities of countries of the region of Southeastern Europe, through establishing a new parliamentary regional initiative.

Cetinje Parliamentary Forum (CPF): is the autochthonous regional initiative of parliamentary cooperation of the Southeast Europe countries on their way towards the EU. The Forum was initiated by the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Parliament of the former State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, in February 2004. The Forum aims at the strengthening of the parliamentary cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experiences and as a result, the overall improvement of bilateral and multilateral ties among countries of the region.

Since April 2009, six meetings of the Cetinje Parliamentary Forum were held, where parliamentarians from the region and partner countries, European Union members, together with representatives of governments, international organisations and civic sector discussed the current issues in the region in the field of foreign policy, education, culture, economy, security and other.

◊ 25 – 27 April 2010 – IX Cetinje Parliamentary Forum and the meeting of the Central European Initiative Parliamentary Dimension, titled “The Parliament’s Role in Combating Corruption and Organised Crime“, were held with the financial support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The Conference was attended by representatives of 13 countries, CEI-PD members as well as representatives of relevant international organisations, and it was opened by President of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr. Ranko Krivokapić.

◊ 21 and 22 June 2010 – X Cetinje Parliamentary Forum, with the financial support of OSCE and UNDP, was held on the topic “Women, Peace and Security – United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325“. After the Forum, the third OSCE Regional meeting of women parliamentarians was held on the theme “Regional Overview of the Implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325”. Apart from countries participants of the CPF, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, UNDP and DCAF, RCC, UNIFEM, OMiK/ Kosovo and CEENGI.

◊ 7 and 8 November 2010 - XI Cetinje Parliamentary Forum, in cooperation with the UNDP Office in Podgorica and the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), was held on the theme “The Parliament’s Role in the System of Export and Import of Arms“. In addition to representatives of Montenegrin institutions and members of the Defence and Security Committee, the Forum was attended by members of defence and security committees of Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia.

◊ 5 and 6 May 2011 - The XII Cetinje Parliamentary Forum on the topic ”Parliamentary Oversight of the Defence and Security Sector“ was organised by the Parliament of Montenegro in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC). Participants of the Forum concluded, among else, that it was necessary to strengthen the parliament’s role and make it proactive, as well as the role of its working bodies in the process of oversight of defence and security sector.

◊ 2 and 3 February 2012 –The XIII Cetinje Parliamentary Forum was held on the topic XI Cetinje Parliamentary Forum “The Parliament’s Role in the System of Export and Import of Arms“XII Cetinje Parliamentary Forum “Parliamentary Oversight of the Defence and Security Sector“Performance Report of ohe 24th Convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro.

“Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development”, in cooperation with the Konrad-AdenauerStiftung (KAS) and the NGO “Green Home”. Participants of the Forum were representatives of the parliaments of Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia, Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Montenegro, Office for the Southeast Europe of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps.

◊ 16 October 2012 – XIV Cetinje Parliamentary Forum was held on the theme “The Western Balkans towards Euro-Atlantic Integration”. The Forum was attended by more than 160 representatives of delegations of NATO PA member states, among which were countries of the region, as well as important guests. The work of the Forum was divided into three sessions dedicated to the topics: “Perspectives for NATO Enlargement in the Western Balkans: Options”, “European Union Membership: Still a Magnet for the Western Balkans?” and “Political Developments and the Way Ahead in Serbia”.

Standing delegations of the Parliament of Montenegro actively participate in the work of parliamentary dimensions of international organisations, primarily of the Organization for security and co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe, NATO and Interparliamentary union. The committed participation of parliamentary delegations that was shown through the participation, in terms of adopting important documents that are binding for the member states and the associate members (to NATO PA), and also the completed projects and organized visits, are the best acknowledgement of the successfully achieved cooperation, respectively, previously established cooperation, and as a result bears a guarantee and the promotion of the values that are nurtured by interantional organisations.

Parliamentary diplomacy, is especially manifested through the mechanism of Parliamentary frinedship groups, which surely represents an actual opportunity for the national parliaments to primarily improve not only the parliamntary cooperation, but also the overall cooperation of both sides in different spheres.

After Montenegro was granted candidate country status for EU membership, in December 17th, 2010, and taking into account that they fulfilled the condition, which enables the members of the Parliament of Montenegro, to participate as observers in the meetings in which are gathered representatives of national parliaments of member states of EU, that are organized during semi-annual rotating presiding over EU.

It is important to accentuate the importance of the possibility of active participation of representatives of the Parliament of Montenegro in the before-mentioned meetings, most of all for achieving regular political dialogue of Montenegrin MPs' with their colleagues from the national parliaments of EU (the person presiding, EU trio, but also other member states).

The first meetings in which have participated the delegations of the Parliament of Montenegro, were organized within the presiding of Hungary over EU, and later, the parliamentary delegations continued with their active participation in meetings that were organized withing the presiding of Poland, Denmark, Cyprus and Iceland.

Participation in meetings which are organized within the parliamentary dimension of semi-annual presidency over EU, have a special significance also because of the possibility of acquaintance with key economic, social, external-political and other issues referring to the viability of the functioning of the EU, as well as the establishment and improvement of parliamentary diplomacy with the EU member states and the possibility of participating in the discussion referring to these issues. Of all meetings which are held during the presiding, the meetings that can be singled out are meetings of the Committee Chairmen for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the Member States of the EU (COSAC), meetings of Committee Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs (COFACC), Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign And Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as well as the Conference of the European Integration Parliamentary Committees (COSAP) and the Economic Forum.

Friendship Groups

Friendship groups are a form of parliamentary cooperation of the Parliament of Montenegro and parliaments of other countries, which aims to improve the parliamentary and overall cooperation of Montenegro with those countries. Parliamentary friendship groups are formed on the basis of mutually expressed interests in cooperation of two sides.

In line with Article 42 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro, the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants cooperates and exchanges experiences with relevant working bodies of other parliaments and international institutions, by establishing joint bodies and friendship groups, undertaking joint actions and harmonising standards on issues of common interest.

Committee on International Relations and Emigrants founded the following Friendship Groups:

FRIENDSHIP GROUP WITH THE FRENCH SENAT