Following the discussion on chances for enlargement of the European Union and NATO to the Western Balkan, the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was also discussed as well as security cooperation in the region with special reference to joint activities in the field of military cooperation and border management.

During the seminar, successful implementation of planned activities of Montenegro on its path to European integrations was noted, while participants of the meeting and representatives of NATO headquarters from Brussels particularly welcomed an exceptional progress of Montenegro in terms of fulfilling criteria for NATO membership.

Head of the standing delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Mr Mevludin Nuhodžić stressed that Montenegro has been fully committed to implementation of reforms in the field of rule of law, considering that those were closely connected to negotiation process with the European Union, and adding that all relevant institutions have been working jointly on implementing plans and tasks established by action plans for negotiation chapters 23 and 24.   

In addition, he said that support of public to Euro-Atlantic path of Montenegro had a positive trend, voicing assurance that, given the activities undertaken and intensified communication with citizens, the support to membership to the NATO Alliance would increase in the period to come.  

During the continuation, Mr Nuhodžić informed the participants of the gathering on activities implemented in the field of reform of intelligence and security sector, saying that those activities would be continued through adoption of new legislative regulations regarding the establishment of fundaments of the intelligence and security sector – considering that the concerned represented a step forward in light of providing normative preconditions for unifying capacities and harmonised acting of all segments in that field, which should result in full functionality of the sector and fight against crime and corruption.

At the end, Mr Nuhodžić referred to reforms implemented in the field of defence as well as budgetary allocations for that sector, stressing the importance of allocating means for modernisation of the Military of Montenegro, adding that it was important to find a model for continuous investing in that segment.

“Membership to NATO is a guarantee of stability both for Montenegro and Western Balkans countries, and thus, only by our joint work and full devotion to Euro Atlantic values, we can achieve the progress in every field. All of this gives a right to Montenegro to expect, in the following NATO summit, to be invited for membership”, Mr Nuhodžić concluded.

The gathering is organised by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.