Montenegro, Hungary Dive Into Strategic Deals On Infrastructure And IT Co-Op

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. Prime Minister of North Macedonia Milojko Spajić and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán signed bilateral agreements in Budapest that lay the foundation for cooperation on key strategic and capital development projects crucial for Montenegro's long-term progress, Trend reports.

The two heads of government signed the Agreement on cooperation in infrastructure development and the Agreement on cooperation in telecommunication, information technology, and law enforcement, setting the stage for transformative initiatives aimed at improving quality of life, fostering economic growth, and fully utilizing Montenegro's national potential.

The accords delineate collaborative efforts in the domains of project selection, capital acquisition, and adherence to regulatory and ecological benchmarks. Through this synergistic collaboration with an EU member state, Montenegro is strategically poised to tackle entrenched developmental impediments, especially in the realms of infrastructure enhancement and rail system modernization.

Over the preceding biennium, we have engaged in rigorous efforts to cultivate stakeholder confidence and achieve a threshold conducive to the establishment of intergovernmental accords with EU member states. We have fortified bilateral engagements to achieve this landmark juncture in Montenegrin-Hungarian collaboration. With the current accords, we have established a foundational framework for actionable initiatives to be deployed in the forthcoming year, bolstering our economic advancement and elevating the living standards for the entire populace. Crucially, we have secured the unequivocal backing of a sovereign entity within the European Union framework – Hungary – in this strategic initiative, articulated Prime Minister Spajić.

He underscored that the development of thoroughfares and the enhancement of rail infrastructure are pivotal imperatives for Montenegro, facilitating essential regional and European interconnectivity and unleashing the comprehensive capabilities of the Port of Bar.

In addition to the foundational frameworks, the accords delineate collaborative synergies in the domains of telecommunications, information technology, and law enforcement enhancement between the two administrations.

Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán highlighted that the agreements represent more than economic cooperation – they reflect a deep level of mutual trust and a foundation for even closer collaboration in the future. He announced the establishment of a Joint Economic Commission that will oversee the implementation of these agreements and promote ties between public institutions as well as between the private sectors of both countries.

Infrastructure development is the most important aspect of our cooperation. For Hungary, establishing trade routes that include Montenegro is a key objective-one that promises significant economic benefits for both our nations, stated Prime Minister Orbán.

He reiterated Hungary's unwavering endorsement of Montenegro's European Union integration trajectory, underscoring a collective ambition to finalize accession dialogues by the year 2026. In alignment with this initiative, Hungary will extend specialized support and facilitate scholarship opportunities for Montenegrin scholars seeking to enhance their academic and experiential competencies within the Hungarian educational framework.

Montenegro has effectively achieved the requisite milestones in its EU accession trajectory, and I am confident in its capability to expedite the closure of each negotiating chapter with remarkable efficiency. Hungary will continue to be a steadfast ally of Montenegro, not solely during the negotiation continuum but also throughout the nascent stages of EU integration, which we acknowledge as an especially arduous period, stated Orbán.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Montenegro's Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović, Minister of Transport Maja Vukićević, and Minister of Public Works Majda Adžović.

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