On Tuesday 22 June 2021, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel received his Montenegrin counterpart, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, for a working meeting at the headquarters of Luxembourg's Ministry of State.
The Prime Ministers first took stock of bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Montenegro. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel noted that the Montenegrin community is large and well integrated in Luxembourg. The recent launch of direct flights between the two countries is expected to strengthen these links.
Discussions then focused on the European integration of Montenegro, which is the most advanced candidate country in terms of the negotiation process; after eight years of accession negotiations, all 33 screened chapters have been opened.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel reiterated Luxembourg's support for Montenegro's accession to the European Union (EU): “I see that an increasing number of Montenegrin citizens support the country's accession to the EU. Luxembourg has always supported the EU's enlargement policy, based on the Copenhagen criteria. My country will continue to support Montenegro to comply with the acquis communautaire, inter alia through training courses organized by the Luxembourg branch of the European Institute of Public Administration”.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister concluded that “accession to the EU implies responsibilities and reforms, in particular in the fields of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, fundamental rights, but also in the fight against organised crime. With the continuation of reforms, Montenegro will be able to count on the support of Luxembourg during the current accession negotiations".
