Abazović hosts ECFR representatives: The fight against corruption will also reduce tensions in society

Without a stronger fight against organised crime and corruption, which can only be provided by the reformed Prosecutor's Office and judiciary, Montenegro cannot get out of the problems it has been in for decades, nor can it successfully overcome transitional processes in order to democratize society, said Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović at the meeting with representatives of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Abazović hosted today ECFR representatives, among which were Executive Editor of Le Monde Sylvie Kauffmann, a former member of the European Parliament and President of the International Institute for Peace Hannes Swoboda, Croatia's former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić, Vice Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group Jim O'Brien and other ECFR officials.

Asked about the election of a new Prosecutorial Council, Abazović said that he hoped that the Prosecutorial Council would be elected as soon as possible, because with such a Prosecutor's Office it is not possible to deliver any concrete results in priority chapters of the EU accession process.

We see Montenegro as a part of the Western world and we are doing everything in our power to become the first next member of the European Union as soon as possible. Therefore, in addition to the fight against organised crime and corruption, it is necessary to wage a resolute fight against growing nationalism and all those who are "infected with the virus of the 1990s", because such retrograde policies cannot produce new value. However, we must also be aware that dirty capital and interests are almost always behind nationalism, so an effective fight against corruption would significantly help lower tensions in our society, Abazović explained.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with maintaining foreign policy priorities and strengthening Montenegro's pro-Western course, but also pointed out the need to "create and strengthen bridges between all sincere pro-Western actors in Montenegrin society, as a basis for successful completion of European integration and certain EU membership".