Podgorica, (MINA) – EU membership is Montenegro’s main foreign policy goal, Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandic has announced, emphasizing that the country has learnt numerous lessons, but that much work still lies ahead.

According to the press release from his office, Mandic met with President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos in Strasbourg, at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of the Council of Europe (CoE).

“The best solution for all of us is EU membership. The EU serves as a key unifying factor that will enable us to focus on economic development and fostering the best possible relations with member states”, Mandic pointed out.

He recalled that Montenegro’s new government aims to achieve concrete results during its mandate, citing judicial reform as an example, which have already yielded significant results.

“We have appointed new prosecutors and judges, enabling a strong fight against organized crime and corruption. Our priority remains the establishment of strong and independent institutions”, said Mandic.

Roussopoulos emphasized that Montenegro is already part of Europe, as it is a member of the Council of Europe.

“You should be proud of what you have accomplished so far, and we are very grateful to Montenegro for its contribution to the Council of Europe”, Roussopoulos said.