Foreign Minister Zaharieva Met with Montenegro's President, Prime Minister

Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister for Justice Reform and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva met with Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Dusko Markovic on 1^st of September during her two-day visit to Podgorica.

The visit is part of the Balkan tour of minister Zaharieva.

"Montenegro can be a good example in the region. At each meeting with Europe's political leaders, our Prime Minister, Mr Boyko Borissov, says how important is the enlargement to the Western Balkans," Xaharieva said during her talks with Ptresident Vujanovic. "It is important to show young people that there are prospects for good life here, so that they would not leave their countries."

President Vujanovic thanked Bulgaria for the unreserved support for Montenegro's accession to NATO and added that they rely on Bulgaria also in the forthcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

"Prime Minister Borissov is right: we should use every opportunity to improve relations and economies in the region." A very good example for the other countries was the treaty with Macedonia, which Borisov signed with Prime Minister Zaev, " Vujanovic said.

"We must demonstrate that we can solve our outstanding questions on our own, and this is one example of this," Zaharieva noted.

The Bulgarian Deputy PM and the Montenegrin head of State discussed a number of issues on the international agenda, as well as the current political situation in the region in the light of the European perspective of the candidate countries.

PM Markovic briefed Zaharieva on the action that his cabinet was taking to stabilize the country's economy, overcome the financial problems and attract more investments in infrastructure and energy. He highlighted that Montenegro's accession to NATO would attract even more investors. Zaharieva supported his words, noting that nobody would develop a business in a country which is considered as insecure.

"I want to convey greetings from Prime Minister Borissov. I had numerous fruitful meetings with your ministers, and I expect our excellent relations to become even more practical," Zaharieva said. She congratulated the Montenegrin Government on the speed of opening the negotiating chapters and the fulfillment of the technical criteria for joining the European Union.

Zaharieva and Markovic agreed to support the organization of a bilateral business forum so that Bulgarian companies can get acquainted with the opportunities for investment in Montenegro. Markovic invited his coounterpart Borissov to visit Podgorica.

Minister Zacharieva's two-day visit also included meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Zoran Pazin, with European Affairs Minister Alexander Andrija Pejovic and Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic.

At the meeting with Zoran Pazin, they discussed the judicial reform in Montenegro, which to a certain extent overlaps with the organization model of the Bulgarian judiciary. The Judicial Council in Montenegro, however, does not have an independent inspectorate, and disciplinary proceedings are examined by a specialized commission of Council members. Zaharieva and Pazin agreed on organizing an experience-sharing meeting between the judicial councils of the two countries, after the Bulgarian new Supreme Judicial Council is elected.

European Integration Minister Andrija Pejovic briefed Zaharieva on the state of the negotiating chapters and on the expectations for the European Commission's report on the state of the rule of law in Montenegro, due in November 2017, on which the opening of three more negotiating chapters before the end of the year depends.