Podgorica, (MINA) - Montenegrin citizens strongly support the country’s European path, while 75 percent believe that future EU membership will bring concrete benefits, according to data from the spring survey conducted by the EU every six months as part of the Eurobarometer program.

Minister of European Affairs (MEA) Maida Gorcevic said that the results confirm the strong pro-European sentiment among the citizens and the growing European awareness in Montenegro.

She said that she was particularly pleased by the fact that 75 percent of citizens believe that Montenegro’s future EUmembership will bring concrete benefits to the country.

“This confirms that citizens understand the importance of the European path and that they see European integration as a process that directly improves quality of life, strengthens institutions and opens up new development opportunities for Montenegro”, Gorcevic pointed out, the MEA announced.

According to her, it is particularly significant that 68 percent of Montenegrin citizens express their commitment to the EU, while the EU institutions enjoy the considerable public trust in the country.

Gorcevic assessed that public support shows that Montenegro’s European path represents a clear social and national choice, especially considering that as many as 65 percent believe that Montenegro is moving in the right direction.

“Trust in the judiciary in Montenegro stands at 49% today, which represents an increase of 29 percentage points compared to the previous survey and the best result among the candidate countries in the region. Although we still have a lot of work to do, it is important that citizens recognize the progress made in the areas that are key to the successful completion of the negotiation process”, concluded Gorcevic.