[WATCH] Malta ‘following EU footsteps’ in working with Montenegro

Malta ‘following EU footsteps’ in working with Montenegro • Video by Raphael Farrugia

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat feels “confident” working with Montenegro, as a country that was also working with the European Union.

“If the European Union and its institutions are working with Montenegro, I don’t see why we should not,” Muscat told a press conference he was addressing with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanović.

Djukanović is in Malta for a brief visit, during which the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding in the health sector, paving the way for student exchanges and collaboration in medical education.

The not-for-profit Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) last year awarded Djukanović the 2015 person of the year award for ‘organised crime and corruption’.

According to the OCCRP, whilst he recently helped his country in its bid to join NATO and is on track to join the European Union, “he has built one of the most dedicated kleptocracies and organized crime havens in the world”.

He had been ‘nominated for the award’ by the Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector (MANS), a civil society organization based in Montenegro.

Whilst Djukanović dismissed the report as allegations “coming from political opponents”, Muscat said he acknowledged that each EU member state “had its difficulties which needed to be addressed”.

“I know that, for example, certain sections of the media are critical of our work with Azerbaijan,” the Maltese prime minister said, referring to ongoing collaboration with Azerbaijani state-owned energy company SOCAR.

SOCAR has a 20% shareholding in Electrogas, the consortium that has been contracted by the government to construct a new gas power station.

“Only yesterday, [EU Vice President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič] presided over a ceremony of a pipeline network project that will transfer Azerbaijan’s natural gas to Europe,” Muscat said. “I don’t see why we should miss out on these opportunities if the EU and other European countries are working with these jurisdictions.”

Djukanović however brushed off the OCCRP report, calling the allegations “preposterous” and “fun time for some writers”.

“I don’t think that people who place their trust in us are stupid. There are the political opponents who want to undermine their competition … and that competition is us,” he said.

Djukanović has either been President or Prime Minister of Montenegro for some 25 years.

Last December, the EU opened two new chapters in the accession negotiations with Montenegro.

EUobserver reported that with chapters 14 and 15, on transport and energy, Montenegro has now opened 22 of the 35 chapters of the acquis, the corpus of EU legislation candidate countries have to adopt. Two have been already closed, on science and research, and on culture and education.

The country was also invited to join NATO early December.

During the press conference, Djukanović spoke of Montenegro’s aspiration in becoming an EU member and said that, since becoming an independent country 10 years ago, the country “underwent intensive economic and democratic development.”

Malta, Muscat said, was actively supporting Montenegro’s bid for EU accession.