Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Paul Hilbers, has announced his satisfaction with the state of Montenegro’s economy, emphasizing the positive direction of Montenegro’s development, particularly in terms of the resilience of the system to previous economic shocks.
He met with a delegation from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank (CBCG), led by Finance Minister Novica Vuković, who are participating in meetings of the Belgian-Dutch Constituency of the IMF and World Bank (WB) in Chișinău, Moldova.
The theme of the meetings, as reported by the Ministry of Finance, is to ensure strong growth in an environment full of uncertainty.
Speakers at the sessions included senior representatives from the IMF and WB, as well as representatives from member countries of the Constituency, who this year placed special emphasis on green transition, enhancing labor productivity, energy efficiency, regional cooperation, and EU integration as key factors in shaping policies aimed at sustainable growth and development.
Additionally, the Montenegrin delegation held a series of bilateral meetings focused on implementing an agenda to address challenges facing Montenegro’s economy, primarily in the context of sustainable public finances and the importance of further improving the regulatory framework.
In Chișinău, Vuković also met with IMF Deputy Director Kenji Okamura, who emphasized closing commitments arising from the EU integration process to stimulate growth, increase investment efficiency, and reduce the income gap between Montenegrin citizens and the EU average.
During this occasion, Vuković highlighted the significance of obtaining IBAR and submitting the SEPA application as two key early integration measures that will contribute directly to achieving the goal emphasized by Okamura.
Participants at the meeting jointly acknowledged that the efforts made in recent months to strengthen fiscal and financial stability will yield results, both in the EU integration process and in enhancing resilience and stability.
