Official visit of the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to Montenegro

The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, paid an official visit to Montenegro, during which he met with representatives of Montenegrin institutions to discuss strengthening cooperation in internal security, migration management, border control, the fight against organised crime, and the rule of law.

This was his second visit to the region, following his participation in the Western Balkans ministerial meeting held in October last year.

The visit confirms the European Union's strong commitment to further enhancing partnerships with the countries of the Western Balkans and providing support to Montenegro on its European integration path and in strengthening its security capacities.

"The countries of the Western Balkans are our neighbours. If we wish to preserve the stability and order of the European area, we must maintain exceptionally high-quality relations with our neighbours. Thanks to close cooperation, a 95 per cent reduction in irregular migration has been recorded over the past three years. This shows that our commitment to effective border management and operational cooperation is delivering results. Montenegro and Albania, as leading countries in the European Union accession process, make a direct contribution to our common security," Commissioner Brunner stated.

During his stay in Montenegro, Commissioner Brunner met with the Deputy Prime Minister for Security, Defence, the Fight against Crime and Internal Policy, Aleksa Bečić; the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Filip Ivanović; the Minister of the Interior, Danilo Šaranović; and the Director of the Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović. The discussions focused on current security challenges, migration management, alignment of visa policy, combating smuggling, and improving operational cooperation with European Union agencies.

The Commissioner also participated in airborne surveillance of the state border with Albania and Kosovo using unmanned aerial vehicles. He additionally met with members of the Montenegrin border police and officers of Frontex.