First day of the visit of the planned monitoring of co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to Montenegro, was implemented on 8 July 2013, in the Parliament of Montenegro, with numerous meetings of Ms Nursuna Memecan (Turkey) and Mr Kimmo Sasi, in the presence of the Secretary of the Committee, Ms Sylvie Affholder, with the representatives of the political parties in the Parliament of Montenegro. 

The co-rapporteurs were received by the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr Ranko Krivokapić, and they also met with the representatives of the political parties in the Parliament of Montenegro:

- Mr Željko Šturanović, Vice President of DPS; Mr Milutin Simović, Head of the MPs Group; and Mr Tarzan Milošević, political director of DPS;

- Mr Halil Duković, Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms; and Ms Ljiljana Đurašković, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee;  

- Mr Rifat Rastoder, Vice President of SDP; Ms Draginja Vuksanović, PhD, MP; and Mr Miro Stanić, Secretary of the SDP MPs Group;

- Mr Almer Kalač, Head of MPs Group of Bosniak Party; Ms Ljerka Dragičević, member of HGI; Mr Andrija Popović, President of the Liberal Party; Mr Fatmir Gjeka, President of the Democratic Party; and Mr Genci Nimanbegu, President of FORCA;

- Mr Goran Danilović, Deputy President of the Democratic Front; and Mr Dušan Slijepčević;

- Mr Srđan Milić, President of SNP; Ms Snežana Jonica, MP from SNP to the Parliament;

- Mr Mladen Bojanić, Vice President of Positive Montenegro; Mr Goran Tuponja, Secretary General of Positive Montenegro and MP in the Parliament; and Ms Ana Ponoš, from the Sector for International Cooperation of Positive Montenegro.

Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe consisting of the following: Mr Zoran Vukčević PhD, Ms Draginja Vuksanović PhD, Mr Predrag Sekulić PhD, Mr Damir Šehović MA, Mr Mladen Bojanić, and Ms Snežana Jonica met with the co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at a Working Lunch, hosted by the Head of Delegation Mr Zoran Vukčević PhD.

Previously, the co-rapporteurs met with representatives of NGO sector at the premises of Council of Europe Regional Office for protection of national minorities for SEE. The co-rapporteurs ended their first day of visit with a Working Dinner with representatives of international organisations based in Montenegro.

Topics of conversation at the meetings in the Parliament of Montenegro included the key areas which are in the focus of interest of the monitoring procedure:

-       ending judiciary reform and amending the Constitution,

-       capacity of political parties to reach the necessary compromise,

-     ensuring that the rights of all minorities, including LGBT persons, are respected and implemented,

-       the situation of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians,

-       combating corruption and organised crime and strengthening oversight bodies,

-       situation in the media and working environment provided for the journalists,

-       legal status of displaced and internally displaced persons, as well as finding a permanent solution for them, based on the voluntary return or local integration.

Montenegro is in the process of two-year monitoring by the Council of Europe. In June 2012, the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe adopted the Resolution 1890 “Compliance with the duties and obligations of Montenegro” defining basic obligations and guidelines in which direction Montenegro should act in the following period, and which activities and measures should it undertake in order to promote democratic processes and democratic values in Montenegro.

This is one of the two planned visits of co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to Montenegro during 2013, in July and October.