Miljanić: The current government has shown the political will for a final confrontation with corruption and organized crime

The current Government has shown the political will for a final reckoning with corruption and organized crime, said ministar without portfolio Zoran Miljanić.

Today, he spoke with members of the Council of Europe Department for Economic Crime and Cooperation team, who, as announced by the Government, introduced him to the Project for Combating Economic Crime within the Horizontal Program for the Western Balkans and Turkey.

This project is co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Miljanić, the statement added, informed the guests about the anti-corruption initiatives implemented by the 43rd Government.

He said that the National Council for the fight against corruption consists of ministers, prosecutors, heads of institutions in charge of fighting corruption, and representatives of the NGO sector, and that all of them are involved in the drafting of the Strategy for the fight against corruption, which will be the first document of its kind. in Montenegro.

"This government has shown the political will for a final showdown with corruption and organized crime," said Miljanić.

He pointed out that due to the obstruction of individuals from the system, the state started from the highest level to solve the long-term ecocide on Morača, which threatened the Bolje sestre water source, i.e. the water supply of the Montenegrin coast.

"The endangerment of water sources is an example of obstruction and corruption in institutions that, to the detriment of the public interest, have threatened the water supply of the coast and tourism, which is today the most important economic branch in Montenegro," said Miljanić, adding that corruption in Montenegro has been labeled an endemic phenomenon by partner countries. , which is all the more reason for the energetic and synchronized actions of the institutions, which will oppose this scourge.

Council of Europe representatives informed Miljanić that the project aims to support the efforts of Montenegrin institutions in the development of policies, legislation and capacities for effective prevention and fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in accordance with the standards of the Council of Europe and the legal acquis of the European Union.

In order to achieve this in the most efficient way, it is stated, the main priorities in the relevant areas are identified within the project, and it is about adapting to the needs and institutions of the project users.

"The third phase of the Project to fight economic crime in Montenegro will last four years and envisages long-term cooperation in the field of strengthening efficiency and effectiveness in the field of fighting corruption and money laundering. The representatives of the Council of Europe expressed their willingness to support the National Council for the Fight against Corruption in the preparation anti-corruption strategy, which should be completed by the end of 2023," the statement concludes.