Spajić and Koopman at the Investment Conference in Portonovi: Montenegro Is the Next EU Member, the Time to Invest Is Now

The message that now is the time to invest in Montenegro marked the opening panel of the EU-Montenegro Investment Conference, titled “The Reform Momentum – Why Now Is the Time to Invest,” held in Portonovi. Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, highlighted the importance of structural reforms, Montenegro’s European perspective, legal certainty and access to the single European market as key factors in investment decisions. Koopman said that Montenegro is at a historic moment in its European integration process and that the conclusion of negotiations is rapidly approaching. He noted that, following important decisions in Parliament, Montenegro had made significant progress in the negotiations, with 21 chapters closed, meaning, in his assessment, that much of the work has already been completed. Panel participants agreed that continuing the reform momentum, consistently applying the law, and further improving legal certainty, institutional capacity and access to the European market will be crucial for the continued development of the investment environment. The EU-Montenegro Investment Conference in Portonovi brought together representatives of institutions and the business community to present Montenegro’s investment potential and discuss the opportunities created by the country’s progress toward European Union membership.