Milatovic: Better to be part of Open than closed Balkans

The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, stated that the issue of joining the "Open Balkan" initiative would be addressed by the future government and parliament of Montenegro and that it was better to be a part of the Open Balkans rather than closed Balkans, Danas reports.

"The idea of the European Union emerged as an idea of regional economic cooperation between the Benelux countries, Germany, France, and Italy. And here in the Balkans, we often forget the importance of our regional economic integration when we talk about European integration. Improving relations and regional cooperation is something I have always advocated for as an economist," Milatovic said, speaking about the "Open Balkan" initiative.

He emphasized that EU membership is the priority of all priorities.

"As long as it is our main goal, I don't see a problem with simultaneously improving regional economic cooperation. Moreover, I think it is an integral part of our EU integration," Milatovic emphasized.

When asked if he knows the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and if Vucic congratulated him after the presidential election in Montenegro, Milatovic said he had not had the opportunity to meet him in person.

"I am grateful for the congratulations I received from him after the presidential election. We also had a telephone conversation that was conducted in a friendly and respectful tone. We both expressed our readiness to work on improving cooperation and solving issues that burden the region," Milatovic said.