“We respect Montenegro’s foreign policy commitments, as well as its choice of political and development path,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
As announced by the Public Relations Office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, he met with the head of Chinese diplomacy in Cetinje.
As reported, Yi is the first Chinese foreign minister to visit Montenegro.
“The meeting was held in the year in which the two countries celebrate 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the meeting, further improvement of political dialogue, economic cooperation, infrastructure projects, trade and tourism, as well as current regional and global issues were discussed. President Milatović emphasized that relations between Montenegro and China have progressed significantly over the past two decades, especially in the field of economy, and that there is room for their further improvement, while respecting international standards,” the statement said.
photo: Office for Public Relations of the President of Montenegro
Special attention, it is added, is paid to infrastructure projects in Montenegro in the implementation of which Chinese companies participate.
“The President pointed out the significant presence of Chinese contractors in the construction of key road infrastructure, emphasizing that cooperation, which previously took place predominantly through bilateral arrangements, is now also developing through international tender procedures. In this context, the construction of the second section of the Bar Boljare highway, from Mateševo to Andrijevica, which is financed by a European Union grant and a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, was also discussed,” the statement said.
Milatović’s Office added that one of the topics was trade, which has increased significantly in recent years.
China, as they state, is Montenegro’s largest foreign trade partner in Asia.
They added that they discussed the possibilities of increasing the volume of trade, especially through better placement of Montenegrin products on the Chinese market.
“The interlocutors also pointed to significant potential in the field of tourism cooperation, given the growth in the number of Chinese tourists. During the conversation, President Milatović presented four key foreign policy priorities of Montenegro, emphasizing that they represent the basis for the development of relations with international partners,” the statement reads.
photo: Office for Public Relations of the President of Montenegro
The first priority, as it says, is credible membership in NATO, of which Montenegro has been a member since 2017. The second is membership in the European Union, as the most important strategic goal of our country.
“Montenegro is the most advanced candidate for membership in the European Union and now is the right time to become its next member. We are working intensively to achieve that goal, in order to complete the accession process by 2028,” said Milatović.
As the third priority, Milatović singled out regional cooperation and commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Western Balkans, while as the fourth he listed commitment to the United Nations, an international order based on law and the development of cooperation with all UN member states.
“President Milatović emphasized that Montenegro wants to continue developing open, stable and predictable relations with China, in accordance with its foreign policy priorities and international obligations,” it said.
According to the statement, Yi said that the cooperation between China and Montenegro represents a good example of relations between countries regardless of their size.
“China believes that all countries are equal, regardless of their size. We respect Montenegro’s foreign policy commitments, as well as its choice of political and development path. We build our cooperation on the principles of mutual respect and equality,” Wang Yi emphasized, thanking Milatović for Montenegro’s consistent support for the one-China policy.
He pointed to successful cooperation in the field of infrastructure, including the implementation of the second section of the highway, which he expressed his expectation would be completed with quality and within the scheduled deadlines.
“He also recalled the results of cooperation in the field of energy, including ecological reconstruction and the construction of wind farms, as well as the potential for further increasing the number of Chinese tourists in Montenegro. Speaking about Montenegro’s European perspective, Wang Yi expressed a positive attitude towards its accession to the European Union, emphasizing that China and the EU have a long-standing strategic partnership,” the statement said.
As reported, Yi also said that China supports peace and stability in the Western Balkans, and expects Montenegro to continue to play a positive role in preserving regional stability and cooperation.
photo: Office for Public Relations of the President of Montenegro
“The interlocutors also exchanged opinions on current global challenges, confirming the importance of dialogue, international law and cooperation. On the eve of the bilateral meeting, President Milatović and Minister Wang Yi visited the photo exhibition ’20 Years of Friendship and Cooperation between Montenegro and the People’s Republic of China’, dedicated to the most important events and projects that have marked the relations between the two countries since 2006,” it states.
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