(L-R) Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro; Luc Frieden, Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Gilles Roth, Luxembourg's Minister of Finance;
Credit: © SIP / Jean-Christophe Verhaegen
On Monday 29 January 2024, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, paid a working visit to Luxembourg.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden welcomed his Montenegrin counterpart for a meeting at Senningen Castle. One of the key points discussed was the process of accession of Montenegro to the European Union (EU).
Prime Minister Frieden thanked Montenegro for its alignment with the common foreign and security policy of the EU, particularly in terms of restrictive measures. In a tense geopolitical context, the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans region was highlighted. He also noted that it is essential that the prospect of EU membership is real for the Balkan countries in order to guarantee peace in Europe.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister stressed that "the realisation of Montenegro's accession to the European Union is a strategic objective benefiting from the full support of Luxembourg. For our two countries, integration into the European market offers unique opportunities and, above all, prospects to improve the lives of our citizens."
He also congratulated the Prime Minister of Montenegro for the efforts to bring the country into compliance with the Community acquis, particularly in terms of the rule of law, and encouraged continued developments in this direction, particularly for judicial reform.
With more than 10,000 Luxembourgish citizens estimated to be of Montenegrin origin and nearly 3,000 Montenegrins residing in Luxembourg, relations between the two countries are considered to be "excellent".
As part of bilateral relations, the two prime ministers signed a double taxation agreement, also in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth. This agreement aims to remove obstacles to cross-border investments and facilitate more fluid and equitable economic relations between the two countries.
The Montenegrin Prime Minister also received a welcome from the President of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament), Claude Wiseler, and met members of the parliamentary bureau and the parliamentary committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Cooperation, Foreign Trade and the Greater Region.
