Nikolovski: I believe that in the near future, Montenegro will be a new member country of the Open Balkan

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of North Macedonia Ljupco Nikolovski had spoken today in Podgorica with the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Vladimir Jokovic about the cooperation between the two countries and the benefits of the "Open Balkans" initiative, the Macedonian Ministry announced.

Minister Nikolovski presented the advantages of the "Open Balkan" initiative to the interlocutors.

"I believe that in the near future, Montenegro will be a new member country of the 'Open Balkan' and that the citizens of Montenegro will feel the benefits that the citizens of North Macedonia, Albania, and Serbia now have," Nikolovski said.

He added that through the "Open Balkan", member countries continuously helped each other in supplying food, electricity, or energy resources.

"Trade is growing, and the time for all administrative customs and inspection procedures is shortened. We create new initiatives, create joint activities, spread and respect our cultural values, but also motivate young people to gather, get to know each other, and respect them", Nikolovski said.

Nikolovski also pointed out that North Macedonia was ready to help Montenegro in a stronger withdrawal of funds from EU funds, conveying its experiences on the success of the IPARD 2 program.

"North Macedonia and Montenegro do not have open issues, but they have a huge space to increase cooperation, communication, and delivery of results to citizens. That's why today we talked with Prime Minister Abazovic and Minister Jokovic about two topics, the champion role of North Macedonia in the use of IPARD 2 funds in the amount of 60 million euros, i.e. 98 percent of the entire budget and with more than 2,000 realized contracts,” Nikolovski said.

Abazovic emphasized that Nikolovski's visit was an additional incentive for closer cooperation between Montenegro and North Macedonia, especially in the sector of agriculture and food production.

"Besides tourism and energy, agriculture has the most significant potential for expansion. Our goal is to make the most of this opportunity in the coming period," Abazovic said.

Montenegrin Minister of Agriculture Vladimir Jokovic, who initiated the meeting, thanked Nikolovski for sharing his experience.

"Northern Macedonia is a regional example of the use of EU funds for the development of agriculture and the stimulation of production. Montenegro wants to adopt and apply Macedonian good practices. We are grateful to our Macedonian friends for their willingness to support us," Jokovic said.