Gansen Bečiću: Germany recognizes and appreciates that you are at the center of the reform process in the fight against organized crime and corruption

Bečić stated that the foreign policy of the current Government of Montenegro is based on three key pillars: contributing to regional stability, responsible NATO membership, and full commitment to European Union membership. A particular success at the beginning of the mandate was obtaining IBAR in chapters 23 and 24, which marked a turning point for energizing the process, and we hope to soon close the remaining negotiation chapters, on which we are actively working, with most obligations from the Montenegrin side already fulfilled, said the Deputy Prime Minister. The international trust and cooperation of Montenegro's security sector are at a historic high. Regarding personnel reform in the security sector, Bečić said it is being implemented through three key areas: strengthening the personnel system and hiring young professionals, preserving and motivating existing staff, and conducting integrity checks. He also highlighted that in June, the Ministers of Defense of Montenegro and Germany, Dragan Krapović and Boris Pistorius, signed an Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on cooperation regarding the procurement of military and defense equipment, training, and services, the first of its kind that Germany has signed with a country, which will allow Montenegro to continue strengthening its capacities. Edgar Alfred Gansen conveyed that Montenegro has full support from Germany, not only politically but also practically: support is unquestionable, including in the current process recognized by the European Commission related to reforms and achievements in the fight against organized crime and corruption, and we know and appreciate that you are at the center of this process, Gansen said. Bečić especially emphasized the importance of German support in the context of Montenegro's upcoming presidency of the Berlin Process, especially during the final phase of European integration, assessing that Germany's continuous support is an important incentive for reforms and Montenegro's European perspective.