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31. 10. 2011 15:34

Montenegro is interested in Czech experience with the EU

Vojtěch Belling, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, met the delegation of the National Council for European Integration of Montenegro led by its chairman Nebojša Medojević. Both countries discussed on 24th October their experience with the pre-accession negotiations process, and the Czech Republic presented its findings concerning first years of the membership in the Union.

Montenegro has obtained candidate status in December 2010 and has continued in endeavour to discuss accession chapters as quickly as possible. As first of them, chapters 23 and 24 concerning judiciary and fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security were opened. Montenegrins are aware of limits e.g. in administrative capacities, and so they strive for maximal effectiveness in fulfilling requirements of the European acquis.

The Czech representatives pointed out that it was necessary to thoroughly harmonize the national legal rules with the requirements of the Union law. They recommended a close cooperation of the executive and the legislative in order to efficiently handle this demanding task. The relations between administrative institutions should be adjusted clearly and transparently with respect to the competencies and responsibilities demarcation. Further, it is essential to communicate with the EU Member States, and persuade them of the positives brought about by EU accession of Montenegro. The dialogue with the European Commission and other European institutions is also to be emphasized.

The members of the Montenegrin delegation, including the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on International Relations and European Integration Prof. Miodrag Vuković, discussed not only examples of succesful negotiations, but problematic points in the course of accession talks too. They were also interested in experience from the first years of Czech membership in the EU. In the end, Vojtěch Belling, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, assured the partners that the Czech Republic supports the accession of Montenegro to the European Union and emphasized the readiness to provide necessary assistance to the Montenegrin administration in its pre-accession effort.

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