Tomović for "Vijesti": There have been no shortage of activities related to the Agreement between the Government and the UAE, ASK opinions soon

Activities related to the consideration and analysis of the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not been lacking, Mladen Tomović, member of the Council of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK), announced today for "Vijesti".

He said this after the Civic Movement URA submitted a request to ASK today for an opinion on the agreement the Government signed with the UAE.

"In addition to submitting external initiatives by political entities or other interested parties, the Agency carries out numerous activities in order to fulfill its legal competences ex officio, and in that context, activities related to the review and analysis of the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the UAE have not been omitted. As a member of the Council, I initiated last week towards the Acting (acting) Director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption Dušan Drakić that the Agency ex officio analyze the relevant general acts and initiate proceedings within its competence in relation to the Bills on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the United Arab Emirates and other similar agreements that will be subject to consideration before the Parliament of Montenegro and Montenegrin MPs," Tomović emphasized.

He also said that he expects ASK to publish its opinions on the aforementioned general acts as soon as possible before their adoption by the Parliament of Montenegro.

"I believe that investments in the Montenegrin economy are necessary and essential for the further development of Montenegro, but that the creation of an investment legal framework through the adoption of general legal acts such as the Agreement in question, as well as other related agreements, should be the subject of a broader institutional consensus and prior analysis by the competent institutions, in order to create the most optimal legal framework, without any possible corruption risks and with full protection of the public interest," Tomović told "Vijesti".

He added that it is indisputable that it is the sovereign right of the Government of Montenegro to create economic policy and create the preconditions for attracting foreign investments, but as he said, in all these affairs, emphasis must be placed on the public interest, which must be above the individual private interest of any investor and with full protection from the possible consequences of failure to implement contracted obligations or the implementation of activities contrary to contracted conditions.

"Also, it is highly desirable that the protection of state interests in the event of possible disputes, in addition to diplomatic relations at the level of two states, should ultimately be defined through the international arbitration process," said Tomović.