Statement of Prime Minister Edi Rama in a joint press conference with his Montenegrin counterpart:
Our dear neighbour, Montenegro, will become the 29th NATO member, and Albania has done everything possible to support Montenegro in this achievement. It is a historic achievement not only for Montenegro but also for our region. With the accession of Montenegro in NATO, the entire coastline of the Ionian and Adriatic side becomes a NATO area.
I am very encouraged that our friend and Prime Minister of Montenegro, together with other forces of this ruling coalition, has given a serious push forward to the relations with Albanians here in Montenegro, in terms of fulfilling their legitimate representation rights, their administrative, economic, cultural rights, and for a better involvement in society. We have not only welcomed the agreement reached between the ruling coalition parties, and particularly the agreement with the Albanian political factor, but we are convinced that further encouragement of this relationship is a very important factor for the stability of Montenegro.
Just as we are thankful because this is a discussion that we have opened since some time now, during my first visit here in Podgorica, on the steps taken so far towards a broad agreement with concrete deadlines and democratic dialogue with the Albanian factor, considering the adoption of the spatial plan of the municipality of Ulcinj and the approval of amendments and additions to organize the territory, in order to open the way for the establishment of the Municipality of Tuzi as an independent municipality.
Many thanks for your sympathy. Be assured that Albanians understand this sympathy also as an obligation to be a strong contributors to the path of Montenegro as a NATO member and towards full integration into the European Union.
I don’t want to repeat what has been said about a common set of jobs that we have identified in our calendar, but I want to underline once again that we have decided to organize a joint meeting of the two governments in Shkoder in October, as the beginning of a new relationship cycle and a new effort to intensify relations in order to improve the economic and social life of our citizens, by using our common potentials which are great, and especially by giving the cross-border area a greater common attention in view of economic growth and of an improved quality of social life.
There is no question that we remain dear neighbours and close to each other, and that our clearly defined road to be abreast in the coalition of countries of the free and democratic world, is a road of no return where we are determined to carry forward this relationship which is strategic, in view of the future of the children here in Montenegro and a little further, in Albania.
Many thanks! Many thanks for the hospitality because we really feel like we are in Albania when we come to Montenegro.
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Albania and Montenegro, the two neighbouring countries with excellent relationship, are fully committed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and stability in the region. Prime Minister Edi Rama paid an official visit to Montenegro. The Prime Ministers Rama and Markovic had an initial tête-à-tête meeting, followed by a plenary meeting between delegations. They pledged to work together on joint projects in infrastructure, energy, tourism. The two prime ministers agreed to hold in October a joint meeting of the two governments in Shkoder. At the conclusion of talks, in the presence of the two Prime Ministers, Minister Bushati and counterpart Srđan Darmanović signed a cooperation agreement in the field of healthcare.
