Romanian president Klaus Iohannis visited Montenegro on Wednesday, October 23, and lauded the country’s pro-EU outlook, reconfirming Romania’s support for Montenegro’s EU integration.
During his visit, Iohannis was received by Montenegrin counterpart Jakov Milatović. The two presidents discussed ways to strengthen ties between their two countries at the Blue Palace (Cetinje), the official residence of the Montenegrin president. They paid special importance to supporting entrepreneurs.
Klaus Iohannis emphasized that for Romanians, Montenegro is a familiar and well-regarded country, with many Romanians visiting as tourists or exploring business opportunities. He also noted the increasing cooperation in recent times, particularly regarding Montenegro’s European integration efforts.
Iohannis expressed hope that Montenegro’s EU accession path would be completed as soon as possible.
“Romania supports and will continue to firmly support the process of European Union enlargement with partners from the Western Balkans and candidate states from the Eastern neighborhood. We are convinced that this policy is the best investment in the stability, prosperity, and democratic consolidation of Europe,” he said.
The occasion marked the first visit of a Romanian president since Montenegro declared independence from Serbia in 2006.
Montenegro, part of NATO since 2017, is an important ally in the process of building “a common space of resilience against disinformation and hostile propaganda campaigns by the Russian Federation. Our region needs strong states with consolidated democracies,” Iohannis concluded.
(Photo source: presidency.ro)