The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) has urged members of Parliament not to support the Cooperation Agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in its current form.
CDT Executive Director Dragan Koprivica stated that the agreement contains provisions that directly threaten democratic standards, the rule of law, and Montenegro’s obligations within the European integration process.
“At the same time, we fully support the efforts of our colleagues from civil society, activists, and the citizens of Ulcinj, who have been dedicatedly pointing out the harmful aspects of this agreement, insisting on transparency, accountability, and the protection of the public interest,” Koprivica said in a statement.
Koprivica added that the agreement announces large-scale investments in tourism and real estate, but in a way that bypasses public procurement laws, exempts projects from tender procedures, and allocates state resources without competition. This is contrary to European market competition rules and transparency principles.
“This opens the door to arbitrary allocation of benefits, corruption, and the possible entry of questionable capital – all things that a modern European state must have institutional safeguards against,” Koprivica warned.
According to him, CDT has been advocating for the introduction of a screening mechanism for foreign direct investments (FDI), a tool used throughout the European Union (EU) to verify whether foreign investments could threaten national security, economic sovereignty, critical infrastructure, democratic institutions, and public order.
The EU introduced a joint framework in this area in 2019, and both member states and candidates for membership have been urged to adopt similar mechanisms to prevent undesirable, unvetted, or politically motivated investments.
“The Government of Montenegro itself recently announced the beginning of the creation of an FDI screening mechanism, in cooperation with the EU and international partners, a step that CDT supports. However, this UAE agreement goes in the opposite direction: it would ‘freeze’ the possibility of subjecting these investors to any independent checks. Moreover, it opens the door for ‘third parties’ – unknown partners nominated by another country – to be included without any control,” Koprivica explained.
He argued that suspending control over investments in strategic resources and areas, such as Velika Plaža, poses a serious threat to security, sovereignty, and the integrity of Montenegro’s economy.
The EU, through a letter from Commissioner Marta Kos, warned that the implementation of the agreement with the UAE could conflict with EU rules, especially in the areas of public procurement, equal treatment, transparency, and competition. In this context, adopting this agreement would signal that Montenegro is abandoning alignment with European values, precisely at a time when the government is pushing for accelerated EU membership.
Montenegro, Koprivica emphasized, is currently in a unique position: as the most advanced country in EU negotiations, it is becoming a test case for how the region can align major non-European investments with EU rules.
“Unlike in previous years, it is now clear that every significant investment will be viewed through the lens of screening, transparency, and compliance with European standards. Progress in establishing a formal mechanism will be an important signal of Montenegro’s seriousness in fulfilling this important commitment,” Koprivica said.
The CDT has therefore called on Parliament members not to support this agreement but to demand its reconsideration and adjustment by the government, removing clauses that they claim undermine laws, avoid competition, and allow political favoritism of certain investors.
“This is not a question of being for or against any foreign investment, but a question of the rules by which we build Montenegro. If these rules are not based on European principles of the rule of law, transparency, and protection of the public interest, then they will be the rules of privileges, deals, and the long-term loss of sovereignty,” concluded Koprivica.
