Mr. Mladen Draga?evi:

Honourable Chairman of the committee, Deputy Healy-Rae, esteemed Members of the Oireachtas, ladies and gentlemen, I come to Dublin in response to the kind invitation the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, Mr. Michael Healy-Rae, sent to the ambassador of Montenegro to the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency, Mr. Borislav Banovi. Unfortunately, the ambassador, due to previous commitments, could not be here today, but I am endowed to present assurances of his highest consideration.

I am grateful for this opportunity to speak today in the admired Houses of the Oireachtas on topics related to the European Union, in this, on various aspects, highly dynamic and important moment of its existence. The focus of the discussion will be on the process of European enlargement, accession or unification - the terminology shifts, depending on which side of the continent the narrator stands.

The documents disseminated with the kind assistance of the committee secretariat contain more detailed information on the current status of the European integration process of Montenegro and highlight the main recent achievements of the economic policy in my country. Before I inform the committee of the main activities, plans and expectations related to the integration process in Podgorica, allow me to bring the attention of the committee to the latest official standpoints of Brussels. On 6 February this year, the European Commission adopted the strategy for a credible enlargement perspective for, and enhanced EU engagement with, the western Balkans. Luckily, the main message of this document is much simpler than its title – the European perspective of the western Balkan countries is clear and undoubted.

EU enlargement remains one of the crucial pillars of the broader strategy for strengthening the Union until 2025. What is also important for us in Montenegro, as the leader of European integration process in the Balkans, is reiterated confirmation that enlargement is and will remain a process based on individual merits of the candidates, and based solely on the objective progress made – the so called "regatta principle". On the other hand, the EU strategy states that the countries in the region must undertake profound and deep reforms in key areas: the rule of law, governance and the economy, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption and organised crime.

The 2018 European Commission report on Montenegro of 17 April this year mirrors, in more detail, the principal recommendations in the mentioned EU strategy for the western Balkans. According to Brussels, there is a need to strengthen transparency, stakeholders' participation and capacity to implement reforms. Coherence of the policy-making system should be ensured through co-ordinated policy development. Among the positive remarks on the achievements in the country mentioned in the document, but also repeated by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, last week in Podgorica, is that Montenegro fully complies, without exception, with the positions, declarations and statements of the European Union when it comes to joint foreign and security policy issues. The continued efforts of Montenegro in the promotion of regional co-operation and good neighbourly relations towards the creation of a stable and secure region have been perpetually recognised. We cherish and continuously promote the standpoint that open issues and disputes among the countries in the Balkans should be resolved within the region, in a democratic and transparent manner, in close co-operation with our EU partners and in accordance with established European standards and procedures.

Since 2010, when Montenegro gained official candidate status for membership of the EU, and more decisively from June 2012, when we started our membership negotiations with the Union, the state institutions have been permanently working on the accomplishment of planned, needed reforms, in order to bring the negotiation process to an end and become the next member of the EU. Montenegro has opened 30 negotiating chapters, temporarily closing three. During the ongoing Bulgarian European Council Presidency, we expect to open the remaining chapters, and enter the new, continued phase of closing the chapters with accomplished, agreed benchmarks. Welcoming the remarks and suggestions of partner EU institutions, the Government of Montenegro has set up clear economic development plans, relying on a set of measures to strengthen the macroeconomic fiscal and financial stability of the country, and to finalise the restructuring of the country's economy, thus raising competitiveness and increasing potential for economic growth. GDP increase in 2017 has been over 4%. Forecasted growth for the period of 2018 to 2020 is approximately 2.8%. The unemployment rate in the last quarter of 2017 was 17%. Our aim is to bring the public debt under 60% of GDP by 2020. GDP per capita, the highest in the region, is estimated at a level of around 45% of the EU average.

It is of particular importance that stable economic growth is followed by firm respect of the rule of law. The reforms in fighting corruption and organised crime are giving increasing results. We are in our third year of implementation of a new set of judicial laws. A centralised commercial court was established and reform of the misdemeanour system has been implemented. The special state prosecution department is raising the number of its indictments. Each case of organised crime and corruption also launches a financial investigation. Concrete figures are shown in the circulated documents. At the same time, we are well aware that we need to further our efforts to promote a stable track record in the functioning of the respective institutions and mechanisms, with emphases on the areas of trafficking of human beings and money laundering. The legislative and operational mechanisms in these areas are being adjusted to the actual need for more tangible results. Particular attention is being provided to the establishment of a societal environment for full media independence, freedom and professionalism. The Government has initiated changes of key legislation in this area, and we believe that we will, in partnership with our European partners and internal actors, create an improved environment for a stronger and proper role of media in our society, as one of the main pillars of democracy.

Along our road - I would avoid saying European, but our EU road - the Government of Montenegro is accentuating our focus not on dates, but on the quality of implementation of the reforms. Numerous activities strengthening the economy and rule of law and modernising public administration aim, first of all, to raise the standards of living of our citizens. The results of the EU accession process follow and the most important are to come. It is crucial that the results are felt by the people in the country. Marks by the administrators who are reading forms and making notes on the progress are welcomed. Concluding my address, I once again stress our awareness that the rest of our EU path will not be relaxed, as our road to NATO membership was not laid back. We are determined to finish this historic step successfully as well. In our endeavours, we particularly appreciate and remember good intentions and useful support coming from our friends from the EU. This support means even more when it comes from the smaller countries, which have gone through similar challenges on their way to a brighter future. I thank the committee for its attention. I hope we will have the opportunity during the envisaged questions-and-answers session to exchange views on the potential for bilateral co-operation between our friendly countries in particular areas, apart from the EU integration process.