Romania is and will remain a supporter of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, Foreign Affairs minister Luminita Odobescu said on Monday in a joint statement with her Montenegrin counterpart Filip Ivanovic.

„We welcome the commitment of the Podgorica government to give an impetus to the reform process, which has resulted in decisions with a positive impact on the European path. We encourage you to continue at this pace that will certainly allow accession negotiations to move forward. The European path is worth every effort, and Romania is ready to share its experience in the field of European integration with our friends in Montenegro,” said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

She said that the Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance, where political and security developments have direct implications for the security and prosperity of the whole of Europe.

The two signed the Action Plan on cooperation between the Romanian and Montenegrin foreign ministries for the period 2024-2025. According to Luminita Odobescu, it establishes „milestones of progress at bilateral level and future objectives”.

The Romanian minister recalled that a bust of national poet Mihai Eminescu will be unveiled this month in Podgorica and a street called „Craiova” will be inaugurated there.

„Montenegro and Romania have traditional friendly relations and are committed to develop them in the future through continuous progress. This commitment has also been reflected in the Action Plan for cooperation,” said Filip Ivanovic.

„Montenegro appreciates Romania’s active role as a promoter of the European perspective for the countries of the Western Balkans and its strong support for the concept of development based on individual merits,” the minister said.

AGERPRES