DPM Ivanović meets with President of Estonia: Excellent relations and strong support for Montenegro’s EU path

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović met today with President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis, who is paying an official visit to Montenegro.

During the meeting, it was jointly assessed that Montenegro and Estonia enjoy excellent bilateral relations, grounded in friendship, shared Euro-Atlantic values, and Estonia’s longstanding support for Montenegro’s European and reform agenda. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening these relations and enhancing cooperation across a range of areas of mutual interest.

President Karis expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and said he was pleased to visit Montenegro for the first time. He emphasized that Estonia values its partnership with Montenegro and remains firmly committed to providing expert support, particularly in the fields of EU integration, cybersecurity, and digitalization. He underlined Estonia’s strong advocacy for EU enlargement and noted that Montenegro is considered the most advanced candidate in the accession process.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović reaffirmed Montenegro’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly through public administration reform, digitalization, and the enhancement of overall institutional efficiency. He highlighted Estonia as a model of successful and agile digital transformation, noting that its experience is highly relevant and valuable for Montenegro.

He stressed that the Government is focused on building a public administration that is secure, efficient, citizen-oriented, and easily accessible to all.

Both sides agreed that there is significant potential to further intensify cooperation, particularly in the areas of tourism, cybersecurity, education, and knowledge exchange. They also discussed the possibility of organizing a business forum or a meeting of chambers of commerce as a concrete step towards strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

The two officials exchanged views on current developments in Montenegro’s EU accession process. Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović informed President Karis in detail about key reforms and achieved results, including the positive IBAR, highlighting that Montenegro is the first candidate country to receive this milestone—marking a historic step forward.

He expressed special appreciation for Estonia’s consistent support for the EU enlargement policy and emphasized that Montenegro has, for several years, been fully aligned with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, thereby reaffirming its role as a reliable and responsible partner.

President Karis conveyed Estonia’s readiness to send experts and provide assistance to Montenegro in line with its needs, both in the context of EU integration and other areas of mutual interest.

Both parties agreed on the importance of deepening tourism cooperation and promoting greater tourist exchange between the two countries.

Special emphasis was placed on the importance of student and academic staff exchange, as well as on strengthening cooperation in the fields of education and innovation. The key role of Estonia’s e-Governance Academy was also recognized, with which Montenegro already maintains meaningful cooperation in the areas of digital transformation and cybersecurity.

The meeting concluded with the shared view that Estonia is a valuable partner to Montenegro on its European and digital journey, and that there is a strong foundation for further deepening the comprehensive bilateral cooperation in the spirit of mutual understanding and friendship.