Božinović: We would like Montenegro to meet all conditions and become a member of the EU

We would like Montenegro to meet all the conditions and become a member of the European Union (EU), said the Deputy Prime Minister of the Croatian Government and Minister of the Interior of that country, Davor Božinović.

Radio Tivat reports that on the occasion of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Božinović was in Tivat yesterday.

The media outlet reports that Božinović and his wife attended mass on the island of Our Lady of Mercy, where they also met with the President of the Municipality of Tivat, Željko Komnenović, and the Vice President of the Municipality of Tivat, Jovan Brinić.

Božinović told Radio Tivat that he comes to Tivat regularly every year.

"I'm here once a year for sure, and last time I was on St. Tryphon's Day. I usually go to Kotor, and then I stop by Tivat. Not only Tivat, but the entire Boka has been built up. There are nice construction developments there, and on the other hand, you can see that the trend in Europe and the world is increasingly against concreting, because what remains should remain natural beauty, the environment, which needs to be preserved. A balance needs to be found and I hope it will be found here too," said Boži.

Radio Tivat: It was announced at the Summit that Montenegro is the next member state of the European Union. How do you see the relations between Montenegro and Croatia and how do you comment on the situation related to the Jadran training ship? President Milanović said during his last visit to Montenegro that the Jadran ship does not represent an obstacle in relations between Montenegro and Croatia.

"This is a phase in our relations, in which I hope that open issues, which have been there for years, will be resolved. There is now a greater level of motivation, as was the case in our case. We had to resolve some things in relations with neighbors who were already in the EU, and as far as Croatia's position is concerned, of course we would like Montenegro to meet all the conditions and become a member of the European Union. There are interstate contacts, commissions led by the ministries of foreign affairs, so I hope that a solution will be found that everyone can be satisfied with," said Božinović.

Radio Tivat: You spoke with Don Ivo Ćorić, who is the parish priest of both this sanctuary and Krtola. Both you and Vanda Babić Galić are originally from Tivat, so members of the Croatian minority in Tivat have worthy representatives in the Croatian Government. Is there any plan or program in the talks between Montenegro and Croatia, perhaps related to European funds, based on which the community could expect support for the purpose of preserving cultural heritage, given that Boka Kotorska carries more than 60 percent of the cultural heritage of Montenegro?

"This is something we are very aware of. When we look at this sanctuary, and in the afternoon we will also visit Our Lady of the Rocks, and the old town of Kotor, practically such a Christian Catholic heritage is something that is rare, not only in this region, but also beyond. We help as much as the Croatian government can. This is also part of the cultural policy of Montenegro, which will certainly realize more and more over time how much the Bay of Kotor actually is a cultural heritage, but also the community that is indigenous here, when I talk about Croats, is actually a legitimation for the modern Montenegrin state and tomorrow, we hope, a member of the European Union," Božinović told Radio Tivat.