International activity of the Parliament of Montenegro reflects in particularly developed forms of active bilateral cooperation that the Parliament exercises directly and through friendship groups.
As a part of direct bilateral cooperation, and with the aim of achieving interests and priorities in concreate relations, parliamentary visits at all levels in the Parliament are organised, as well as talks with foreign delegations and parliamentarians, including bilateral visits of MPs and delegations of the Parliament of Montenegro.
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 for achieving cooperation, and they contribute to improvement and networking of contacts of MPs with representatives of other states, achievement of interests and priorities in overall bilateral relations and represent an additional mechanism in establishing more productive cooperation of parliamentarians. As a unique form of bilateral parliamentary cooperation, activities within the friendship groups are a confirmation of good relations among states and represent the important continuation of the official diplomacy.
Friendship groups of the Parliament of Montenegro with certain countries are composed of a number of MPs, and they opt for a special interparliamentary friendship group on the basis of having knowledge of certain country, region and language. The composition of interparliamentary friendship groups reflects multi-party structure of the Parliament of Montenegro, and members are appointed by the Committee on International Relations and Emigrants of the Parliament of Montenegro. 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 friendship groups. During the 25th Convocation, the Parliament of Montenegro has formed 26 friendship groups for cooperation with parliaments of other states, and there are initiatives for establishing new ones.
With the aim of achieving interests and priorities in the overall bilateral relations, the Parliament of Montenegro achieves a significant interparliamentary cooperation through activities of friendship groups. Formed with the aim of establishing and maintaining international relations with certain states, friendship groups give a special focus to interparliamentary cooperation. They are primarily established with the intention of developing close relations and cooperation among states and parliaments, exchanging of opinions during official visits on the basis of reciprocity for cooperation, and contributing to promotion of the country together with development of friendship among states.
Devotion to parliamentary diplomacy, as the most effective and best manner for establishing and strengthening ties with regional European and world countries, has been additionally strengthened by formation of friendship groups. Activities within this type of international cooperation contribute in long term to positioning of our Parliament. Believing that the parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy represent important segments of activities which contribute to acceleration of processes of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, the Parliament of Montenegro encourages the intensifying of parliamentary cooperation with countries it has formed friendship groups with. Continuity of building good relations and cooperation among states but also development and strengthening of those, Montenegrin Parliament additionally affirms by openness for formation of new friendship groups. The importance and potential for improvement of development of international relations and cooperation, as well as cooperation at regional and global level within friendship groups gives a special contribution to parliamentary cooperation.