Strategic economic partnership with the United States is of immense importance for the desired development of Montenegro’s economy, the message conveyed from the meeting between Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O’Brien.
The economic dialogues, which commenced today, will contribute to intensifying cooperation and attracting more investments from the United States.
“For Montenegro, this is one of the key moments, marking the beginning of fulfilling our promise that Montenegro will become the Singapore of Europe. The focus was on the economy, which was the main topic of our meeting. Montenegro, without the American economy, which amounts to 25 trillion euros, will hardly be able to achieve all these ambitious goals we have set for ourselves. These discussions are the beginning, after which we expect American companies to be much more interested in investing,” stated the Prime Minister, adding:
“The growth plan is one of the most important things for Montenegro, presented this year, as our market, through economic integration, will grow from 500,000 to half a billion. This is a message to investors. We have prepared a large number of reforms that we will implement to align ourselves with the single European market. This is closely monitored in Washington, as well as our European path. I presented our plans to have another Intergovernmental Conference during the Belgian EU presidency, which will open the possibility of closing chapters this year.”
The first step towards this goal could be membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), followed by numerous reforms aimed at removing business barriers.
It was jointly emphasized that for Montenegro’s further European perspective, it is important for all branches of government to adhere to the program and remain consistent in delivering the results that are part of the agreement.
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs also highlighted the importance of the Growth Plan in terms of strengthening the interest of investors from the United States, emphasizing that economic meetings are very important in showcasing Montenegro’s potential.
He underscored that Montenegro will have strong support from the United States on its EU path and that it is important to effectively conclude this process.
“With this government, there is now a real chance to move towards deeper integration, not only towards the EU but also transatlantic integration. It is a great honor for me, representing the United States, to speak about this important relationship. I have spoken with Prime Minister Marković and Minister Novović, and the fact that they are operating at full capacity is a great achievement of this government and indicates the dedication that this country has to live up to European values,” stated O’Brien.
During the meeting, there were discussions about the planned dynamics of road infrastructure development, the opportunities offered by the Port of Bar, and the need to improve Montenegrin airports.
It was noted that there is ample room for much better cooperation in the field of tourism.
The excellent cooperation within NATO was also emphasized, where Montenegro is a strong and reliable partner.
