At the beginning of the meeting, the present were addressed by Mr Silvano Hrelja, Chairperson of the Labour, Retirement System and Social Partnership Committee, H.E. Mr Poul Erik Dam Kristensen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark and Director of the regional office Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Mr Zoran Pusić, Co-president of the Igman Initiative in Croatia.

The meeting gathered representatives of the relevant parliamentary bodies and executive organs from this field from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Committee on Labour, Family, Social Issues and Persons with Disabilities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. The Igman Initiative for more than three years has been working on improvement of interparliamentary cooperation and other cooperation among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia, with the use of the Nordic cooperation model, and it enjoys the full support of the Nordic countries embassies in these countries as well as the support of the very Nordic Alliance. One of the first fields that has been addressed in that sense is free movement of labour force between the countries signatories of the Dayton Agreement.

Participants of the thematic meeting think that, in addition to representatives of governments, parliaments and representatives of the Igman Initiative, the project should also include employees and representatives of trade unions. The meeting covered the topic of improving the legislation in protecting labour and social rights of workers-migrants, which are violated at the shadow labour market.

Within the presentation of views of representatives of the relevant parliamentary committees, MP Mr Novica Stanić said that what make Montenegro exception among regional countries was the great employment of foreign work force, particularly work force from the neighbouring countries. He informed the present that as of 1 April of the current year a new Law on Foreigners entered into force, regulating the field of residence, mobility and work of foreigners in Montenegro. The Law did not prohibit the employment of foreigners, but determined that the jobs should be primarily offered to domestic work force. In cases when there are no requested profiles, employment of foreigners is allowed, MP Stanić said.

The place for holding the next meeting of the Igman Initiative will be subsequently determined.