Minister Kodheli receives Montenegrin counterpart Bošković

: Published: Tuesday, 21 March 2017 16:45

Today Defence Minister, Mrs. Kodheli, received the Defence Minister of Montenegro, Mr. Predrag Bošković.
After welcoming Minister Bošković in our country, Mrs. Kodheli considered this visit as an excellent opportunity to reconfirm that Montenegro will soon officially become a full member in NATO.
Minister Kodheli greeted the Albanians of Montenegro, who she considered as a lasting bridge between the two countries, and underlined that the common future is NATO and the European Union.

Defence Minister of Montenegro, Mr. Predrag Bošković thanked Minister Kodheli for the invitation and also for her work and support for Montenegro membership in NATO.

Below is the full statement of Minister Kodheli and her Montenegrin counterpart, as well as answers to journalists' questions:

Remarks by Defence Minister Mrs. Kodheli

Good afternoon to everyone! I am very much honored today to have invited a friend in Tirana, the Defence Minister of Montenegro, Mr. Predrag Bošković.
His visit is an excellent opportunity to reconfirm to my friend from Montenegro, our special pleasure that a neighbouring country such as Montenegro will soon officially become a full NATO member. I would like to remind that Albania was among the first countries to ratify in the Assembly the accession instruments of the Republic of Montenegro to Washington Treaty.
As Minister of Defence of the Republic of Albania, I feel very well that your efforts, Mr. Minister, reforms you implemented, the will and strength which you showed to stand next to European values, has already been awarded.
Hence, today I share with you my special appreciation for the neighbouring and friendly people of Montenegro who never gave up from the aspiration of Euro-Atlantic integration.
I would also like to cordially greet the Albanians of Montenegro, that eternal bridge and powerful tie between our two countries. Their contribution to any kind of success of our neighbouring country is a contribution already recorded in history.

Dear Predrag,
The common future of the Balkan countries is NATO and the European Union. Undoubtedly, it is the only way to meet our common challenges, the challenges that are increasing, especially in the field of defence and security. Albania condemns any kind of interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, every kind of influence on decisions of sovereign nations, every kind of intentions for destabilization of Balkans and removal of our region from the single path, the path of values, our European way. Our peoples have already chosen their path, this way is in everyone's eyes and it is a path of no return.

Meanwhile, I wish you every success in your work, in your future, not only to work together now, by representing Montenegro as a country with full rights in NATO, but working together in support of mutual cooperation, which, without the slightest doubt, will be a constant cooperation.

I cordially thank you for accepting my invitation and wish you will spend a very nice day in our capital, Tirana.

Remark of the Minister of Defence of Montenegro, Predrag Bošković

First I want to thank Mrs. Minister for this wonderful visit we are having today here in Tirana. And also my first visit as Defence Minister is here in Tirana, because when it comes to stability and peace in the region, Albania and Montenegro share common values as neighbouring countries.

On this occasion, I would also like to thank you Mrs. Minister and Albania for the support you have given to us for integration and membership into NATO. I am well informed about your contribution as Minister to help Montenegro become a NATO member; about the support you have given to us and for everything you have done, once more I would like to express my gratitude.
Montenegro is a country that shares the same values and the only destination of our country is towards EU integration and the NATO alliance. We also want to make use of the experience of countries that are NATO members. We also want to share our values and our experience as a country which aspires to join NATO and EU.

Today in our joint meeting we noticed the common interest of both countries for peace and security in the region, which is the common interest of our two countries. And we will do everything to ensure the maintenance of peace and security in our region. Although there is a tendency to disturb peace and stability in the region, with joint efforts we can confront it. Also we will continue our path, the path we have chosen before and after the elections of 2016. Once again I want to thank you for the support you have given to us, also for all your support and efforts for our integration in the Alliance. We are neighbouring countries which will continue to cooperate more intensively, because we share the same values and the future of both countries is EU.
To this end, our countries, our governments should focus on the progress of the economies of both countries. .
Once again I make use of this opportunity to thank you for your support and for everything you've done as Minister of Defence. Thank you and let’s have a nice trip in the road we have started.

Ministers respond to reporters' questions:
In Montenegro there is the bad incident that happened before the elections, a failed assassination attempt against Prime Minister Djukanovic; also in Kosovo the situation concerning Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and the establishment of the army is not good. In Macedonia we have a threshold coup, in Albania the situation is not very good as well. Realistically for both Ministers, how true is this fear of Russia and how willingly is the region to cooperate with NATO to prevent such pressure that Russia wants to make in the Balkans?

Minister Kodheli: The Atlantic Alliance is a political-military alliance, which operates based on the protection of its member’s values; meanwhile it has not been and will not be afraid of the open-door policy. This is illustrated by the fact why Montenegro nowadays is quite close to its accession to the bosom of this great family.
The more Balkan countries will be part of this Alliance, an Alliance that protects values, the better it will be for the peace and security of each of us. That said, I believe that anyone who wants to interfere and disturb the security situation that is already balanced in the Balkans, and when I say now I have in mind the Balkans of 20 years ago that was very troubled, I believe that they will get the answer they deserve. Balkans remains a very important corner of Europe, this is also indicated by the fact that the most enduring mission of NATO is exactly in the Balkans, KFOR. It will continue to own and maintain well-defined tasks and responsibilities in order to maintain stability in the region.
This mission is not enough. Our joint work is attached to this mission and makes the region beyond all its problems and domestic policy that consumes a safe area, not only from the attacks coming from the East, but certainly from the attacks that come from the South. We will continue on this path because our Euro-Atlantic road, the road of the countries which adhere or are part of the Euro-Atlantic structures is a path of no return.

Montenegrin Minister Bošković: When it comes to Russian influence the fact that Russian security forces are trying to interfere violently in the elections and deal with the issue of Montenegrin institutional systems is irrefutable. I am convinced that the prosecutor of the case very soon will bring the case to trial.
It is irrefutable the fact that we are suffering from the influence of this new concept of hybrid brotherhood and often public opinion is misinformed in order to create public confusion and divert investigations. However, we are ready and we will try and we will work to resolve this issue.
What worries us is really the region, which has always been a problem and there has been instability problems throughout its history as we know it. This visit today precisely focuses on how the region should work. And certain people, such as authorities, like Mrs. Kodheli and I who are responsible for this issue should convey messages about how to work together to maintain stability and peace in the region.
It is we who live in this region not Russians, we live here and we are very much interested to avoid conflicts in the region. Just today we confirm the fact that we are interested in maintaining peace and stability and help the economic progress in the region through the progress of both countries. I am convinced that all these things will happen, and we are always ready to make them happen.