Slovak President met with President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović

During the 18th Central Europe Summit, Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič met with President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović. “I am very happy that you have accepted my invitation to the 18th Central Europe Summit in Bratislava, so shortly after your re-election as President of Montenegro,” the President said at the beginning of the talks.

The Slovak President expressed his conviction that the 18th Central Europe Summit would be an ample forum to discuss various topical issues in the region and that it would contribute towards the effort to identify common denominators of our priorities regarding the future course of Europe in the post-crisis period.

“I appreciate the excellence of bilateral relations between Slovakia and Montenegro. Our nations are linked through similar fates of history and the proximity of our languages, but also through our common future in European integration structures” Ivan Gašparovič said during the bilateral talks. According to Ivan Gašparovič, we share interest in intensifying mutual relations in the economic, commercial and investment spheres, cooperation in the fields of education and culture, and closer links between the citizens of our two countries.

Ivan Gašparovič stated that Slovakia was a long-standing supporter of Montenegro on its path towards the EU and NATO. “We stand ready to provide concrete support to the processes of reforms and integration in your country, whether through bilateral development aid, experience sharing, or through common implementation of projects,” Ivan Gašparovič said.

Montenegro will soon complete the first step following the opening of accession negotiations with the EU. The country opened and has provisionally closed first two chapters (Science and Research; Education and Culture). Of no lesser importance is the intensive work on the preparation of action plans for Chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security).

“We believe that Montenegro will also be in the position to open Chapters 23 and 24 by the end of 2013. This is necessary in order to maintain the dynamics of you country’s negotiation process,” the Slovak President said.

Filip Vujanović thanked the Slovak Republic for having supported the ambition of Montenegro to join the EU and NATO. “For us, integration is strategically important and we therefore highly value your assistance and support,” he emphasised.

Concerning the ambition to join the North Atlantic Alliance, Vujanović said that “the main task ahead of us is to persuade our own citizens of the advantages of NATO membership and, here, we are grateful for your experience.”

Further during the talks, Ivan Gašparovič stated that the level of our economic relations was way below the high level of political relations, as well as below the economic potential of the two countries. Although mutual trade in 2011-2012 increased 2.5 times, its volume in absolute terms (€23m in 2012) was hardly satisfactory.

“I am glad that the visit of Prime Minister Djukanović in Slovakia in April 2013 provided an impetus to deepen our mutual economic cooperation. The expected launch of the work of a mixed commission for economic cooperation this autumn is a clear proof of that,” the Slovak president noted.

Filip Vujanović remarked that as far as economic cooperation was concerned, Montenegro was particularly interested in the energy sector, specifically in the construction of small and medium-sized power plants. As he added, “I think that the good communication between our respective governments in the economic sphere sends a good signal to strengthen our mutual economic relations.”

According to Filip Vujanović, it is good that “cooperation in the field of tourism is also advancing.”

In the close of the discussion, the President of Montenegro congratulated the Slovak Republic on the successes it had achieved during the 20 years of independence.