All parties in the Montenegrin parliament advocate the idea of membership in the European Union, said Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić.
He is in Paris, during an official visit to France, at the invitation of the President of the National Assembly, Jael Bron-Pive, visited the French Senate and held a meeting with the Vice President of that chamber, Loic Herve, the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces, Cédric Perrin, as well as members of the France-Montenegro friendship group and its President, Marta de Sidrac.
"We are not just a geographical part of Europe, but we are working hard to achieve European standards," Mandić emphasized, as announced by his cabinet.
He assessed that Montenegro had made a "historical leap forward in comparison to previous years" in the past year, especially compared to the situation ten years ago. However, he cited the fight against organized crime as the biggest challenge.
"By prosecuting the former president of the Supreme Court, several police directors, several former ministers and the president of the Commercial Court - people whose task was precisely to fight organized crime, and who, unfortunately, did the opposite, we have shown our state's determination to deal with this scourge," said Mandić.
He expressed special gratitude, as announced, to the services of partner countries, whose cooperation "was crucial in uncovering criminal activities" through the Sky application. He said that Montenegro is today "working dedicatedly to free itself from crime" and can clearly send a message to the European Union that it is ready for membership.
Mandić also said that the Parliament had adopted "a large number of laws in the past period, more than many previous convocations during the entire four-year mandate". He particularly highlighted the success in the election of judges to the Constitutional Court, "which required a two-thirds majority in parliament, which was successfully achieved". He also said that "salaries and pensions have been doubled", which, as he said, "also makes Montenegro a leader in the region".
"All these activities have brought us a positive IBAR report and the closure of three negotiation chapters. I am certain that we will fulfill all obligations on the path to the EU," said Mandić, expressing his belief that neighboring countries will also "find the strength to overcome their problems" so that the entire region can progress together on the European path.
Mandić's office announced that the president of the France-Montenegro Friendship Group in the French Senate, Senator Marta de Sidrac, praised the "significant progress that Montenegro has made in the process of joining" the European Union, emphasizing that Montenegro is the country that has made the most progress among the candidate countries.
"We are closely following your European path and we are very pleased with the progress you have made. Montenegro has truly advanced the most in the integration process," she said.
Speaking about economic cooperation, she expressed hope that the number of French companies operating in Montenegro would increase significantly.
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