Nišić and the Western Balkans labor ministers in Berlin under the auspices of Montenegro's chairmanship of the Berlin Process

The labor ministers of the Western Balkan countries will meet in Berlin next week, sending a strong message of unity, stability, and the region's readiness to jointly create concrete solutions to labor market and social policy challenges through the Berlin Process.

As part of Montenegro's chairmanship of the Berlin Process, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue Naida Nišić will be in Berlin from Monday, on the occasion of the Western Balkans Conference: Advancing Employment and Social Policy Together, which is organized in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Germany.

Nišić, together with German Federal Minister Bärbel Bas, will address the introductory part of the meeting, while during the panel Identification of Common Solutions: Social Dialogue as a Driver of Sustainable Economic Development, he will talk about the reforms that Montenegro is implementing in the field of social dialogue, collective bargaining and harmonisation with European standards.

"The conference will bring together six ministers of labor and employment of the Western Balkan countries, high-ranking representatives of the European Commission, international organizations, social partners and experts, making Berlin the central venue for regional dialogue on the future of the labor market, social policy and European integration of the region," the Ministry said in a statement.

The work plan of this event includes the improvement of active labor market policies, protection of labor rights, occupational safety and health, strengthening social dialogue, cooperation of labor inspectorates, as well as the exchange of experiences and good practices among the countries of the region, in accordance with European Union (EU) standards.

As the chair of the Berlin Process, Montenegro confirms its strong commitment to regional cooperation, European reforms and the building of a common space of stability, development and social security.

It is under the presidency of Montenegro that the first joint Work Plan for Employment and Social Policy of the Western Balkans countries will be officially presented and approved, which represents one of the most important regional documents in the field of labor and social dialogue within the Berlin Process, developed by all six participating countries with the support of the German labor ministry.

"During its chairmanship of the Berlin Process, Montenegro will continue to promote dialogue, connecting the region and European values, with a clear ambition to turn reform processes into concrete results for the citizens of the Western Balkans," the statement concludes.