100.000 euros from reserve for Berlin Process gathering: Montenegro hosts ministerial meeting

The meeting of heads of diplomacy, as part of the Montenegrin chairmanship of the Berlin Process, will be held in Pržno on September 30 and October 1, and the Government has allocated 100 thousand euros from the budget reserve for the organization of that meeting.

This is stated in the proposal for redirecting funds from the current budget reserve, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted to the Government. The Government adopted the proposal on August 10th.

In addition to the foreign ministers of the countries that are part of the Berlin Process, it has been announced that the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will participate in the meeting. Kaya Callas and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Amer Kapetanović, as well as the Secretary General of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) Vladimir Obradovic.

The program also foresees the submission of reports and conclusions of the Civil Society Forum, hosted by Kosovo, and the Gender Equality Forum, previously held in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meeting is also expected to adopt a declaration on good neighborly relations, which, according to the document, should offer answers to the current challenges facing the Western Balkans and set principles of cooperation based on mutual respect.

The meeting will, as usual, be opened by a gala dinner hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ervin Ibrahimovic, where ministers and heads of delegations will give an overview of the future of the Berlin Process after Montenegro eventually becomes a member of the EU.

The plenary session is scheduled for October 1, when ministers and representatives of the EU and regional organizations will be informed of the conclusions adopted during the forums organized as part of the Montenegrin presidency.

"Based on these conclusions, final documents and a declaration will be prepared for the Berlin Process Leaders' Summit, which is planned for October 22nd, at the level of the prime ministers of the participating states," the document states.

For the implementation of all planned activities - from organizational, logistical and technical preparations for hosting the ministerial meeting, to the training and engagement of liaison officers for each invited delegation, both during the ministerial meeting and during the leaders' summit - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the redirection of 100.000 euros from the current budget reserve.

The document specifically states the obligation of diplomatic and consular missions of Montenegro in neighboring countries and EU member states to organize ceremonial receptions on the occasion of events held during the Montenegrin presidency, such as the Civil Society Forum in Pristina, the Gender Equality Forum in Sarajevo, the meeting of ministers of justice and ministers responsible for the anti-corruption initiative in Tirana, the Connectivity Forum in Tirana, as well as the Forum of Heads of Border Police in Skopje.

The Ministry of Finance, as stated in the document, has approved the proposal for the redirection of funds.

This year, Montenegro chairs the Berlin Process for the first time, which brings together the governments of the Western Balkans, nine EU member states, and the United Kingdom, and which has been shaping the political, economic, and security trends of the region for more than a decade, with the strong support of regional organizations and Germany as the initiator of this initiative.

"Montenegro's presidency is an important moment for our country, but also for the entire Western Balkans, especially in the context of enlargement policy, security challenges and the need for deeper regional cooperation," the Government said earlier.

The Berlin Process was established in 2014 as a platform for strengthening regional cooperation and bringing the Western Balkan countries closer to the EU. In addition to the six Western Balkan countries: Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia, this format also includes Germany, other partner countries and the EU.

Senior officials from the Western Balkans Six (WB6) and their counterparts in the host countries of the Berlin Process meet at least once a year for a summit and preparatory ministerial meetings. The process also involves EU institutions, international financial institutions and civil society, youth and businesses in the region. It provides high-level political support and a broad reach and visibility for regional cooperation initiatives and relevant policies, as well as EU connectivity projects in the region.