The European Political Community Summit in Tirana is a good opportunity to promote Montenegro, in front of 50 European leaders, as the most advanced candidate country for membership in the European Union (EU), said Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović.
"I am very pleased to be attending the sixth Summit of the European Political Community. This is the first time that the summit is being held in one of the Western Balkan countries, which further increases the significance of this event. As you know, this is an extremely important platform, especially for us, countries that are not yet members of the European Union, because this is an opportunity for an open discussion with EU members on strengthening European unity," Milatović told reporters ahead of the summit.
He said that the topic of today's summit is "New Europe in a New World", which means that they will discuss ways to make Europe even stronger.
"This is also an opportunity to promote Montenegro as the most advanced candidate country for membership, in front of 50 leaders from the European continent who are here today. I would like to emphasize once again how important today's summit is for Montenegro in that context," Milatović emphasized.
In addition to attending the Summit's plenary session, he will co-chair the roundtable "Strengthening European Competitiveness and Security through Innovation and Resilience" with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob.
"The European Political Community aims to encourage political dialogue and cooperation in resolving issues of common interest: strengthening the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent," Milatović's office announced, recalling that previous Summit meetings were held in Prague, Chisinau, Granada, London and Budapest.
When asked by a journalist from Croatia whether there was a currency problem on the path to joining the EU, Milatović replied that Montenegro has been using the euro for a long time, reports the MINA agency.
"It is also part of a negotiation chapter that we have with the EU, but it is certainly one of the smallest challenges on our European path," said Milatović.
Asked if there was any new information regarding the agreement between Ukraine and Montenegro, Milatović reiterated that it was "on the government's side."
"You know that President (Volodymyr) Zelensky could have come to Montenegro on Saturday, after today's summit in Tirana. However, the Prime Minister had prior commitments, so all of that was left for another occasion," Milatović said.
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