The conference addressed the following topics: “Challenges in relations with the EU and accession negotiations”, “How to keep and maintain economic attractiveness in the time of crises” and “Mobility of students in small European countries - obstacles and opportunities”.

The Conference was chaired by Mr Laurent Nouvion, President of the National Council of the Principality of Monaco, the host parliament of this year’s conference.

In his addressing to participants of the conference, Vice President of the Parliament Mr Suljo Mustafić voiced pleasure over the previous course of Montenegro’s negotiations on EU membership and results achieved by the negotiating team.   

- As a result of devoted and  thorough approach to this process, today Montenegro may be proud of the fact that 20 negotiation chapters have been already opened, of which two temporarily closed, and opening of the remaining chapters is likely to happen in the near future, Mr Mustafić said

Speaking on maintenance and improvement of the future economic attractiveness, Vice President Mustafić emphasised that, regarding this issue, Montenegro saw its chance in European and Euro-Atlantic integration.       

-Economic development of Montenegro depends on foreign investments, but also on the responsible relation towards our own resources, Membership to the EU and NATO, as well as participating in their cooperation framework, present the excellent preconditions for new investments and high-quality projects.  Thus, we expect the continuation of the successful accession process to the EU in the following period, and already in December - an invitation for membership in NATO Alliance, Mr Mustafić stressed.

With regard to the topic on the mobility of students, Vice President Mustafić invited his counterpart from small European countries, to develop their bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks, with the aim of further development of cooperation in the education field.

At the end, the Joint Declaration was adopted, containing key aspects and conclusions from the Conference.

The Conference of Presidents of the Parliaments is held every year in a different state and it gathers parliament speakers of nine small European states that have less than a million inhabitants including Montenegro, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Cyprus, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Malta, the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of San Marino.

Aside from Vice President Mustafić and host of the Conference, the following also took part in this year’s conference: Mr Vicenç Mateu Zamora, President of the Parliament of the Principality of Andorra, Mr Yiannakis L. Omirou, President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Albert Frick,  President of the Parliament of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Mr Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Speaker of the Parliament of Iceland as well as representatives of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Republic of San Marino.