PM Zdravko Krivokapić meets with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić in Strasbourg. The meeting noted that Montenegro and the Council of Europe share the same priorities in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and that they remain reliable partners in preserving these values.

All efforts towards these goals, with the wholehearted support of the Council of Europe, contribute to the strengthening of democratic processes and institutions and Montenegro's fulfillment of obligations - both those arising from membership in the Council of Europe and progress towards membership in the European Union, which is our strategic goal, the Prime Minister said.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić expressed her satisfaction with the meeting with the Montenegrin delegation led by Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić and expressed the expectation that the Government of Montenegro will continue constructive cooperation with numerous expert bodies of the Council of Europe in order to contribute to the achievement of basic goals. The Secretary General expressed satisfaction with the intention of the Government of Montenegro to sign Protocol 16 to the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which will strengthen the dialogue between national courts and the European Court of Human Rights.

The officials agreed that the protocol will contribute to strengthening the authority of national courts, strengthening citizens' trust in them, improving the quality of their decisions, and thus strengthening the rule of law. The meeting also emphasised the importance of the achieved results in the fight against organised crime, noting that cases of corruption and organised crime can be fully processed only by decisive action of security structures and by strengthening the independence of the judiciary.

Prime Minister Krivokapić pointed out that freedom of the media, freedom of expression and protection of journalists is a pillar of a democratic society, and informed the Secretary General about the planned changes in criminal legislation. Secretary General Pejčinović Burić added that assistance mechanisms of the Council of Europe are available to Montenegro, that it encourages the initiation of a constructive dialogue in the parliament, and emphasised the importance of synchronized action of all three branches of government.

In that context, the officials expressed the expectation that Montenegro will show consistency with European practice and norms in this area.