Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić 7 June 2019 held talks with Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srđan Darmanović, who was on an official visit to Croatia.
The two ministers underscored the very good bilateral relations, which Croatia and Montenegro are constantly working on in the spirit of good neighbourliness and cooperation, expressing willingness to seek bilateral solutions to outstanding issues.
Croatia and Montenegro successfully cooperate in a number of areas such as culture, defence and the protection of minorities. Pejčinović Burić and Darmanović underlined the need to further advance economic cooperation, notably in the areas of energy, transport, infrastructure and tourism.
The two officials stressed the importance of their respective countries’ cooperation within NATO, adding that it contributed to peace and stability in the region as well.
Croatia and Montenegro’s cooperation within the Adriatic Trilateral contributes to stability and security in this part of Europe and provides a framework for cooperation in areas such as environmental protection, sea protection and other topics of mutual interest.
The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation in Southeast Europe and the European prospects of its countries. Pejčinović Burić reiterated Croatia’s full support for Montenegro’s EU accession, underlining the importance of meeting all of the criteria as well as Croatia’s willingness to continue supporting the process by offering expert assistance.
In regard to Croatia’s pending Council of the EU presidency, Pejčinović Burić and Darmanović discussed organizing an EU-SEE summit dedicated to the enlargement perspective. The summit will be an opportunity for a dialogue on the future road map of the Southeast European countries, in accordance with their individual ambitions and achievements.