Montenegrin President Visits Tbilisi

President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović arrived on a two-day trip in Tbilisi, where he already met Georgian counterpart Salome Zurabishvili. 

This was the first visit of a Montenegrin President since the two states established diplomatic relations in 2007. At the Presidential Palace in Tbilisi, the two officials discussed the geopolitical situation of Georgia and Montenegro, as well as European and Euro-Atlantic integration, as reported by the Georgian President’s press service. 

After the meeting, the two presidents held a joint press conference. President Zurabishvili said they both concluded that more involvement of the EU is necessary in Western Balkans and the Caucasus regions. 

In this context, President Zurabishvili noted the EU-mediated April 19 deal in Georgia “was important,” but added that “for the near future, it may be even more important for the EU to pay more attention in its foreign policy” to the two regions. 

Taking note of Montenegro joining NATO in 2017, as well as its ongoing talks on EU accession, President Zurabishvili stressed the importance of Montenegro to sharing its experience with Georgia. 

President Đukanović in his address highlighted the “decline” of EU interest in continuing with the enlargement policy, but added that the 2021 EU-Western Balkans Summit was a “new breath of optimism” for pursuing more intensive cooperation with the 27-member bloc.

Also, the Montenegrin President stressed he sees a “great opportunity” for developing bilateral cooperation between Georgia and Montenegro, including in economic and cultural ties.

President Đukanović is also set to meet Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. 

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