Montenegro and Croatia are two friendly countries working closely together on issues of mutual interest and demarcation on the Prevlaka peninsula is not an outstanding political issue, foreign minister Srdjan Darmanovic told Croatian Hina news agency.
“Demarcation on Prevlaka is not an outstanding political issue for us,” said Darmanovic.
We have the 2002 Protocol on the Temporary Regime, which has been implemented without major problems,” he added.
“The two countries discuss this issue openly, constructively, in a friendly atmosphere. If we fail to come up with a mutually acceptable solution ourselves, we will define the way for joint participation before international institutions,” he said.
Darmanovic welcomed the recent launch of Adriatic trilateral initiative – Croatia, Albania and Montenegro – aimed at strengthening cooperation in integration processes and security issues.
“Croatia has launched this initiative. Primarily it is about the need to deepen and enrich cooperation between the three Adriatic countries, present and future members of NATO, which share common values and have excellent relations, with the specific activities and projects that will contribute to the stability, security and economic prosperity of the region,” says Darmanovic. He emphasised that after the initial meeting recently in Split, the Adriatic trilateral initiative became a formal regional cooperation mechanism.
In the area of security cooperation, it was agreed to focus on the fight against terrorism and radicalism, and to promote UNDP programme on preventing pollution of the Adriatic Sea and coastal areas, said Darmanovic.
“Participants also accepted the Croatian proposal to act together before European Commission in the energy sector and ask adding the Adriatic-Ionic gas pipeline to the list of projects of common interest, which favours the use of EU funds,” the minister said.
