During his visit to Croatia, the Vice-President of the Parliament, Mr. Branko Radulović, professor PhD, met with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Neven Mimica; the Deputy Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Ms. Dragica Zgrebec; the Chairman of the Finance and Central Budget Committee, Mr. Srđan Gjurković, and members Mr. Ivan Šuker, Mr. Ivo Jelušić, Ms. Nadica Jelašić, and Ms. Nevenka Bečić, and the Chairman of the European Integration Committee, Mr. Daniel Mondekar, as well as with the members of the Committee, Ms. Melita Mulić, Mr. Damir Mateljan and Mr. Radoš Jozo.  

At the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Croatia, Mr. Neven Mimica, the Vice-President Radulović expressed his pleasure over the resolution of bilateral issues between Croatia and Slovenia. In that regard, the Vice-President Radulović pointed out that the open issues between Croatia and Montenegro, especially the issue of Prevlaka, should be resolved peacefully and definitively in the first stages of the EU accession, and not in the end of EU accession process of Montenegro.

The Deputy Prime Minister Mimica supported the suggestion of the Vice-President Radulović that the issue of Prevlaka should be resolved in a quality manner with mutual consent and valorisation of all potentials of that region, whether it is the source of oil and gas or its tourism and maritime potentials. He also pointed out that the EU integration process was significant to Croatia, which, as an EU member, would be the loudest advocate of the further extension to the region, especially when Montenegro is concerned.

Intensifying of the previous cooperation was envisaged through the joint realisation of the infrastructure facilities in the coastal area, as well as through further cooperation in the area of utilisation of the EU funds, especially in the area of IPA programme of cross-border cooperation of Montenegro and Croatia.

During the meetings in the Croatian Parliament, the Vice-President Radulović pointed out that the strengthening of cooperation between the two parliaments should be worked on, and cooperation between the committees should be especially intensified, being of the opinion that in that manner all the issues would be resolved in a faster and more quality bilateral manner, without the involvement of a third party. He especially pointed out that all open issues should be resolved in a permanent and quality manner. He also suggested that the possibility of extension of the highway that goes through Konavle, and then through coastal area bypasses around coastal cities in Montenegro to the border with Albania should be considered. The representatives of the Croatian Parliament agreed with that idea, pointing out that the highway should also represent the tourism interest of all three countries.

The Vice-President Radulović said that Montenegro is currently in the process of creating a new architecture regarding the relation of legislative and executive powers in the accession negotiations, as well as the possibility of inclusion of the civil sector in the work of the Parliament, so that the entire process may have a wide social consensus and so that the decisions of the Parliament of Montenegro may have an economic and social, and not just political responsibility.

Both parties exchanged their opinions and experiences regarding the EU membership negotiations as well as harmonisation of national legislation with the European legislation, concluding that a strong partnership is in the common interest of both countries and so the representatives of the Croatian Parliament expressed readiness to support and assist Montenegro on its EU integration path.