President of the Parliament of Montenegro and President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Mr Ranko Krivokapić is paying an official visit to Finland, at the invitation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Mr Eero Heinäluoma.

The Speaker Heinäluoma congratulated President Krivokapić on election as the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, pointing out that the President Krivokapić deserved to be the head of the largest parliamentary assembly of the world by his many years of engagement in the OSCE.

Stating priorities of his presidency over the Parliamentary Assembly, President Krivokapić especially pointed out Finland as the place where OSCE was practically funded, as well that 40 years since the signing of the Helsinki Final Act it was necessary to have a clear vision of the OSCE role in new international circumstances.

 “With its cooperation policy Montenegro has played an important role in establishing stability and trust among Western Balkans countries”, Mr Krivokapić said.

He emphasised that with values of civil and multicultural society which also had to be fundamental European values, Montenegro wanted to be a part of common European home.

Mr Krivokapić passed to his interlocutor that Montenegrin Parliament had been permanently improving its overall work and capacities, pointing out that adoption of constitutional amendments in the judiciary field with wide consensus in the Parliament was the evidence of full devotion of Montenegro to strengthening the rule of law, thus it expected soon the opening of key negotiation chapters with the EU in this field. 

Speaker Heinäluoma stated experiences relating the role of Finland Parliament in the issues falling under joint competence of EU policy, emphasising that the Parliament was fully included in all phases of creation of those policies.

Presidents agreed that the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries would be additionally strengthen in the following period, and it was also necessary to deepen economic cooperation. 

President Krivokapić also met the Chairperson of the Committee on Future Ms Päivi Lipponen, which deals within the Parliament with conceptualising of strategic state policies in certain fields.

In the Parliament of Finland, President Krivokapić spoke on current activities and long-term plans of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly with the Head of the Delegation of Finland Parliament to OSCE PA Mr Ilkka Kanerva.

President Krivokapić will continue his visit to Finland tomorrow, when he will meet the President of Finland Mr Sauli Niinistö.