Official visit to Montenegro
Dear Mr Ivanovic,
Dear Filip,
First of all, I would like to thank you for your warm welcome here in Podgorica.
Our two countries have always enjoyed close ties. And the purpose of my visit is precisely to strengthen them.
These links are, first of all human. Belgium hosts a community of 3,000 Montenegrins, but also a growing number of Belgians are coming here, to discover your beautiful nature, your cultural heritage and, of course, your gastronomy.
Our links are also economic. There is the involvement of Besix, which has been contributing to the development of the Lustica Bay project since 2013, and we have decided to build even stronger trade links.
And, of course, our links are also political. Belgium recognised Montenegro's independence just twenty days after your country declared it in 2006. Since 2017, we have been allies within NATO. And there are many diplomatic contacts between our two countries. But it's been far too long since a high-level Belgian representative visited Montenegro.
Our meeting comes at an important moment for both our countries.
For Montenegro first of all, with the recent installation, at the end of October, of a new government that is openly pro-European and pro-transatlantic. A position that Belgium, as a founding member of the European Union and NATO, fully supports.
For Belgium, too, as we prepare to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in just a few weeks. It will be an opportunity to shape and guide the European agenda. By the way, our last Presidency was in 2010 - when your country officially received the status of candidate country. And our next will be in 2037.
Filip and I may no longer be Ministers by then – who knows - but our two countries will certainly remain allies.
Our meeting comes at a time of significant global turbulence. And we had the chance to discuss a number of important international issues.
The first, of course: Russia's aggression against Ukraine. More than a year and a half after Russian’s aggression against Ukraine, we are united in our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Their courage and resilience inspire and strengthen us in the defense of our common European values.
From the very first day of the invasion, Belgium has been actively supporting Ukraine, in military, humanitarian, diplomatic, legal and economic ways.
Belgium recently announced a new 1.7 billion euro Ukraine Fund, that we will use both to support the Ukrainian self-defense effort and to provide direct assist to the population.
We are the first country to use the windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Our commitment is total. And I am aware of yours. I would therefore like to publicly welcome Montenegro's total alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, including its support for EU sanctions against Russia. By working together and staying united, we can make sure that Ukraine is in a strong position at the negotiating table.
Of course, we also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The scenes of human suffering, destruction and civilians taken hostage are terrifying and unbearable.
From the very first day of the conflict, Belgium has condemned the terrorist barbarity of Hamas and called for the unconditional release of the Israeli hostages. Our country has also called for strict compliance with international law, and particularly international humanitarian law, by all parties involved. Belgium has, together with Montenegro and many other partners, also voted in favor of this at the UN asking for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and the protection of the civil population. We urge a return to dialogues aimed at achieving a lasting peace.
We also discussed the European future of Montenegro. An amazing eighty percent of Montenegrins is pro-Europe. They are impatiently waiting to join the EU. We know it and we feel it: Montenegro carries Europe in its bones and in its heart!
Montenegro has always been a frontrunner. Of all the countries in the region, you are the one that has opened the most negotiating chapters.
Belgium fully supports your European ambitions, as well as those of all the countries of the Western Balkans. The European Commission is on the same page and has recently announced a new 6 billion euro growth plan for the Western Balkans.
To keep moving towards accession, it is important that reforms continue. Belgium's position has always been clear: strict and fair conditionality applies to all candidate countries. This means no shortcuts. Your country, like the others, will be assessed on its own merits.
I'm obviously thinking of strengthening the rule of law, justice, fundamental rights and the fight against organised crime and corruption.
All these reforms are necessary steps for progress in the overall technical negotiations, and before accession chapters can be formally closed.
I know your government is ambitious in driving these changes. We welcome your public commitments and look forward to seeing initial results. I will have the chance to discuss this further with the Minister for European Affairs and, of course, with your President.
In parallel with our efforts regarding enlargement, it is important to think about how we’ll manage and structure a larger Union.
This is why Belgium will seize the opportunity of its Presidency to put on the table the necessary reflection on the organization of an enlarged Union.
How can decisions be taken with more members? How can we ensure that Community policies benefit all the Member States? And how can we rethink the European budget in these conditions?
The answers to these questions will require a great deal of work.
But if the enlargement of the Union is well prepared, it strengthen us collectively. And we need to set the course now to make it a success.
Dear Filip,
Thank you for your welcome and our meeting. I came away with the deep conviction that our two countries, which I knew to be close allies, are also close friends. And that we will continue, in the months and years to come, to strengthen this strong bond that unites us.
Thank you very much for your attention.
