The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Srđan Darmanović, assessed that "domestic reasons", as well as events within the Union itself, are responsible for the delay in Montenegro's path to the European Union.
He pointed out that in the first half of 2019, for the first time in the past seven years, Montenegro did not open or temporarily close any chapter, although it completed all obligations related to the eight-competition.
"Is the reason within us? Yes, it is always within us. If not, we would be a member of the EU. If we had completed what we needed to do, if we had become a society that was fully aligned with the principles and system of "aki communitarians", we would probably be a member of the Union", said Darmanović at the session of the Committee for International Relations and Emigrants.
Answering the questions of the members of the Committee, what is the cause of the stagnation in the enlargement policy and whether the reason is domestic problems or EU policy, he clarified that the Western Balkans region has not regressed in reforms in the current year, nor is the situation worse than in the last or the previous year. year, but that the attention of the European Union was focused on current events within the Union.
Montenegro's priorities in the negotiation process, as he said, relate to the opening of the remaining chapter - competition, as well as achieving internal readiness for the temporary closure of one set of chapters in the near future.
Member of the Democratic Front (DF) Jovan Vučurović assessed that the real reason why there is no progress in the country on the road to European integration is because Montenegro is "notorious for corruption and organized crime because of the current president Milo Đukanović and the criminal regime".
He said that he has knowledge that the tacit balance clause has been activated, because nothing is being done in the field of the rule of law in Montenegro.
"The balance clause has not been activated. This is the first time I have heard that there was a tacit balance clause," Darmanović said.
Vučurović, as a confirmation that there is no progress in chapters 23 and 24, stated that no one was prosecuted because of the "Snimak", "Prosecution" affair, and when "the President of the Supreme Court gives false information about her financial situation".
"There is no one to prosecute affairs in this country because the top of the government, the prosecution and the judiciary are corrupt. People who are corrupt cannot deal with the fight against corruption," Vučurović said.
Miodrag Lekić (DEMOS) pointed out that special attention should be paid to the issue of Prevlaka, which is constantly postponed.
"If the minister informs us that the "status quo" is the policy of Montenegro, that there is no intention of a bilateral dialogue with Croatia... a solution should be found or arbitration should be sought," said Lekić.
Darmanović replied that the temporary regime between the two countries is functioning well, and that the issue must be opened and resolved at some point:
"There is an internal agreement of both countries that maybe something should be tried bilaterally, and if not, that it be transferred to international arbitration or a court".
"If we were to look for some objective reason why Montenegro is not progressing faster and closing chapters faster, it is certainly due to the European administration. They are the ones who dictate the process", said Committee member Dragutin Papović (DPS).
He pointed out that in many chapters we have completed benchmarks or readiness to open the remaining chapter of competition, but that the EU adjusts the speed of that process in accordance with its interests and larger tasks.
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