At the annual meeting of the ministers of agriculture of South-Eastern Europe held in Macedonia, deputy prime minister and minister of agriculture and rural development in the Government of Montenegro, Milutin Simović, told the stability in the Balkans represents a fundamental principle for any further progress of the Balkan countries.
According to him, the Balkans should be perceived not as a problem or a hurdle, but as a chance and as a new energy, especially when it comes to connecting, freedom of movement and goods, capital and people, energy, agriculture, human resources, new transport routes and logistics centers. The Balkan countries need to use their joint forces and prove they can be the heartbeat of Europe.
“We must act decisively on our road to the European and Euro-Atlantic integrations, as well as in meeting the requirements. There’s no way back, we must succeed. We have achieved and invested a lot, but we need to be even more resolute and courageous, because soon we are to face some key challenges,” Simović said.
Speaking about agriculture as a complex sector vulnerable to instability, Minister Simović said that it is necessary to work together towards raising competitiveness in this area, aligning agricultural policies with common European agricultural policy and strengthening capacities for withdrawing generous European pre-accession funds. He also called for a genuine commitment to the implementation of the CEFTA free trade agreement.
The meeting in Macedonia was organized by the Permanent Working Group for Regional Rural Development (SWG) in the Southeast Europe, and hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Macedonia.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, an agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture and rural development between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be signed.
