Montenegro

UNDP Representatives’ visit to Montenegrin High-level Officials

Montenegro Expects Stronger Cooperation with UN

Mr. Mizsei conveyed to Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović UNDP's great satisfaction over the fact that Montenegro has become an independent state through a democratic, fair and transparent process and accepted as such by EU and the international community. He also emphasized that the Government as a partner has been critical in the development of UNDP Office in Montenegro and primarily thanks to their commitment and hard work, UNDP local Office has developed  into a really strong country office supporting the Government in implementation of sustainable development policies.

Prime Minister Đukanović expressed his gratitude to Mr. Mizsei on his personal contribution to the development of the relations between the Government and its bodies and UNDP and also he uttered the Montenegrin interest and expectation that the cooperation with UNDP would not only continue but also be intensified, in line with the new circumstances related to the country’s regained independence.

The cooperation should specifically be with relation to the designing and implementation of documents on long-term development programs and the engagement of UN institutions in the key areas of state administration reform, the rule of right and implementation of justice, as well as in the wide application of the concept of balanced and sustainable development and care for environmental preservation and improvement in Montenegro as the Ecological State. Prime Minister also recalled that the Government of Montenegro has put particular efforts toward the realization of the idea of ecological construction of a building where representatives of all UN agencies in Montenegro would be situated.

Mr. Mizsei supported and hailed the determination of the Government and other institutions to observe the UN Charter and implement all the documents signed during previous state arrangements. He also welcomed the determination of the Government and other bodies to work on the realization of goals and tasks which stem from the Millennium Declaration.

Sustainable Development a Motif for Investors

Mr. Mizsei congratulated to President of the Republic of Montenegro Mr. Filip Vujanović on Montenegro's achieving independence through a peaceful and democratic process, becoming in this way the 192nd United Nations Member State. UNDP Director for Europe and the CIS underlined that UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan's participation in the Flag Raising Ceremony was a clear sign of UN's respect for Montenegro as well as commitment towards helping the states which achieve their independence through a democratic and transparent process.

President Vujanović and Mr. Mizsei agreed that the positive cooperation between Montenegro and UNDP made certain the continuation and intensification of numerous projects planned for the coming period. They also ascertained that the UN building project in Podgorica had a special significance, as it should be the first UN building in the world constructed according to ecological principles.
 
Mr. Mizsei reminded that the realization of sustainable development projects and environmental protection projects was not only a good way to make the state recognizable but also a powerful motif for investments into the country.

Great Support of UNDP toward Integrations

President of Montenegrin Parliament Mr. Ranko Krivokapić pointed out that good cooperation between Montenegro and UNDP helped in raising of ecological awareness in Montenegro and increasing of attentiveness to Montenegro’s natural potentials and needs. Mr. Mizsei said that the Montenegrin Parliament showed readiness to assume a responsible attitude toward Montenegrin citizens’ best interests. The interlocutors agreed that practical implementation of sustainable development standards made Montenegro a unique ecological state in Europe.

Mr. Mizsei also said that the Montenegrin Parliament now has specific and fundamental role in the process of Montenegro’s European integrations, especially in the process of implementation of European standards in domestic legislature and bringing European values to Montenegrin citizens. UNDP will, he added, continue to support these processes, and the confirmation is the recent signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Montenegrin Parliament in order to support the citizens’ participation through elected Parliament representatives.

Ecological State as Recognizable Characteristic

Mr. Mizsei said the previous cooperation of UNDP with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Montenegro was extremely satisfactory as the Ministry has been a crucial country partner for coordination with UN system. Also, the challenge of putting all the United Nations agencies under one roof could not be met without generous support and crucial aid from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Municipality of Podgorica.

Minister Vlahović also expressed his pleasure with the previous cooperation between Montenegrin institutions and UNDP and he emphasized the importance of projects implemented in strategic domains of sustainable development and environmental protection, tourism, as well as in other domains important for Montenegrin society development in accordance with international obligations and European integration perspective. The need for encouraging the coherency of sustainable development strategy, as well as further affirmation of Montenegro as ecological state represent a recognizable characteristic of its identity, said Mr. Vlahović.

The next grand challenge of future cooperation between the Ministry and the UNDP will be support in improving of the Ministry’s capacities to report on international Conventions, Treaties and other commitments including the Millennium Declaration, said Mr. Mizsei, recalling that in this regard a Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed.