In the margin of the 2998th session of the Council of the European Union “Foreign Affairs” (Feb. 22, Brussels, Belgium), today, this Tuesday February 23rd, 2010 from around 08:45am local time, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, H.E. Mr. Milan Roćen — accompanied by T.Exc. Mr. Vesko Garčević, Montenegrin Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Department for EU and NATO, Mrs. Slavica Milačić, incumbent Ambassador and Head of Mission of Montenegro to the European Communities, and Mr. Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, Ambassador-Designate to replace Mrs. Milačić — attended the first EU-Montenegro Ministerial Political Dialogue Meeting under the new Treaty of Lisbon rules, which has been in effect since December 1st, 2009. Upon request of the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, H.E. Mrs. Catherine Ashton, the meeting was chaired by the Spanish EU Presidency in the person of its Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ángel Lossada. On behalf of the European Commission (EC), Mr. Michael Leigh, Director-General of the EC’s Enlargement Directorate General (DG Enlargement), also attended the meeting, aimed at examining the latest events in the EU and Montenegro and their mutual relationship, as well as the development of the overall situation in the Western Balkans and various issues related to the EC’s Questionnaire on which the Commission will base its avis regarding Montenegro’s accession application and the future actions to be taken by the country.

During the concluding joint press-point given by Messrs. Lossada, Roćen and Leigh at around 10:45am local time following their talks, all three agreed that significant progresses have been made in 2009 in the reforms implemented by Montenegro to meet European standards, but that there was still a way to go to fulfil the EU’s requirements.

Spanish Secretary of State Lossada emphasized that today’s meeting was substantial, detailed and very productive, stressing both that 2009 has been a very important year for EU-Montenegro relations and that “significant progresses” were made in the adoption of the acquis communautaire. He also highlighted the agreement on EU visa-free travel for Montenegrin citizens endorsed on November 30 last (in force since December 19, 2009), and the correct application by Montenegro of other current agreements, before going on to say that he strongly hoped the ratification process of the EU Association and Stabilisation Agreement (ASA) with Montenegro, signed in 2007, would be shortly completed [1], in order to give the EU “a new more intense framework for relations” and to enable it to hold a Council of Association with Montenegro in June.

Foreign Minister Roćen, as for him, praised that “Montenegro was acknowledged as a solid partner for the stability of the Western Balkans” adding that, with the coming into effect of the new Lisbon Treaty, “there is now no question about the enlargement” of the EU towards this region. He recognised however that “we have advanced towards our goals in 2010 but we still have a difficult path to travel.”

Finally, Director-General for Enlargement Leigh agreed that “there have been real progresses, but there is still room for work” in areas such as the fight against organised crime and corruption, protection of human rights and press freedom. He stressed that Montenegro has responded to the EC’s Questionnaire very well, and confirmed Brussels was currently reviewing its responses in order to issue a “complete, fair, balanced and objective” avis. Without giving any specific dates, the EC’s representative explained that once the avis has been issued, the Twenty-Seven will evaluate the situation and decide whether or not to grant Montenegro the EU candidate status.

Following is the audio record in English of the declarations by Montenegrin’s Foreign Minister Roćen (via interpreter) and Director-General for Enlargement Leigh during the concluding joint press-point, in Brussels, Belgium, February 23:

Departed for Brussels the day before yesterday, Foreign Minister Roćen held a number of separate meetings on Monday February 22nd, notably with Mrs. Catherine Ashton (United Kingdom), High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Štefan Füle (Czech Republic), European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Mr. Eduard Kukan (Slovakia), Head of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with South-East Europe (DSEE), and Mr. Charles Tannock (United Kingdom), Member of the European Parliament (EP) and EP Permanent Rapporteur on Montenegro.

Generally speaking, Montenegro received the support and encouragement of all European Officials who acknowledged the clear progresses achieved in 2009 by the country and the extensive work accomplished by the Government of Podgorica on the path towards EU membership, demonstrating that Montenegro is called to play, in the coming years, a central role in all the regional strategies of Western Balkans’ stabilisation. Alternatively, High Representative Ashton and Enlargement Commissioner Füle announced their imminent visit to Montenegro.