Mitrović: We must find a way to almost double Montenegro's economic activity to be at the EU average

With Montenegro's European path and ambition to become a member of the European Union (EU) by 2028, economists and the business community warn that deeper internal reforms and a faster removal of administrative barriers are necessary for the full effect of European integration.

This section particularly refers to foreign investors, or international companies in Montenegro, which together generate around 21% of Montenegrin gross domestic product (GDP) and employ almost 6.000 people.

The Foreign Investors Council says that, although progress is being recorded, the number of key reforms being implemented still lags behind expectations, and that the business environment will be one of the crucial factors for attracting new investments in the coming period.

The President of the Foreign Investors Council, Branko Mitrović, tells Television Vijesti that it is in the state's interest to break down business barriers, because in this way it facilitates the operations of all companies, both existing and new, that it counts on.

"Now the focus is absolutely justified on EU accession. We see that the entire state apparatus is directed in that direction. We see that unity, we appreciate all the things that are happening. These are very positive steps. We just need to have one thing in mind. The very act of Montenegro's entry into the EU will be a new beginning. We are entering, yes, a large family of European states, but that will then be a new beginning for attracting investors. Let's not forget that Montenegro, with its gross national product, simply the number of inhabitants, or purchasing power parity, is somewhere around 54 percent of the EU average. So we have to find a way to almost double Montenegro's economic activity in the future in order to be at the EU average. So, a big initial game ahead of us and the advice of foreign investors will absolutely be available to all existing investors, but also to key decision-makers in Montenegro, so a partnership, so that together we move towards that goal," Mitrović told Television Vijesti.