Membership in the European Union, credible alliance in NATO, intensification and improvement of bilateral cooperation with the countries of the region, strengthening of mechanisms of economic diplomacy and professionalization of the diplomatic service - all these are the goals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This was announced by Minister Đorđe Radulović as part of the "I sign" video campaign implemented by the Government on the occasion of one hundred days of work.
In the previous hundred days, as he said, in addition to the intensification of bilateral ties with neighbors, allies and partners, intensive contacts were also established with representatives of European institutions, where, as he points out, full support for Montenegro's membership in the EU was clearly and unequivocally confirmed.
"We are proud to point out the fact that the first foreign visits were made to Berlin and Budapest. It is a clear message that we are ready to intensify our foreign policy activities and continue towards the political West, where we believe we belong," said Radulović.
He reminded that during his visit to Germany, an online meeting between Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was confirmed and later held, and he assessed that it was an extraordinary success of our diplomacy.
"Visits were made to Hungary and Germany. Montenegro was visited by the foreign ministers of North Macedonia and Slovakia. "Meetings were held with almost all the ambassadors of the countries that have diplomatic and consular representations in Montenegro," said Radulović.
One of the burning issues in the world, including in our country, is vaccination against the coronavirus. On that line, as he pointed out, there is daily communication not only with European partners, but with all countries with the aim of continuous provision of vaccines.
Radulović said that during the pandemic, the alliance in NATO was further strengthened, and that the Alliance showed solidarity and unity with donations in the midst of the crisis.
"NATO donated 20 respirators to Montenegro as well as consumables for respirators. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, it was agreed in principle that NATO will pay 400.000 euros in aid for the purchase of magnetic resonance imaging and X-rays for the General Hospital in Berane. The total value of the aid is around 700.000 euros," said Radulović.
As he said, according to the current situation, over 50 percent of the heads of diplomatic and consular missions were political appointments, although the Law on Foreign Affairs clearly states that non-career diplomats can make up to 30 percent of the diplomatic network.
"We are breaking up with that bad practice, and building responsible and professional diplomacy - diplomacy in the service of all our citizens," said Radulović.
In the coming period, as he announced, the path to the European Union will be continued even faster and more safely, whose membership, according to the latest polls, is desired by about 80 percent of citizens.
"We will develop close relations with all our neighbors with whom we share the past, but also what is much more important - a common European future, based on mutual respect and the principles of sovereignty and independence," Radulović said.
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