President Karis: Estonia stands by Montenegro as both a friend and an ally

In meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart Jakov Milatović today, President Alar Karis confirmed Estonia’s unwavering support for EU enlargement and highlighted the rapidly developing relations between Estonia and Montenegro, particularly in the development of the digital state and ensuring cybersecurity.

“We stand by Montenegro as a friend, as an ally in NATO and, hopefully, before too long, as a partner in the European Union,” the head of state remarked. Estonia was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the newly independent Montenegro in 2006 and supports it joining the EU. “Montenegro’s ambition to complete accession negotiations by 2026 and to become the first Western Balkan country to join the union by 2028 has our full backing,” President Karis confirmed. “To that end, we are sharing our experience with them in implementing reforms and building up the digital state.”

Cooperation in the development of the digital state and in bolstering cybersecurity was noted by President Karis. “We are confident that digital solutions will improve the administrative capacity of the Montenegrin state, create opportunities for businesses and bring benefits for its citizens,” he said. “The Estonian e-Governance Academy has already contributed to strengthening cybersecurity in Montenegro and will continue to do so.”

President Karis acknowledged Montenegro’s support for Ukraine and stressed that multifaceted support for the beleaguered nation must continue. “Montenegro’s alignment with the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions shows that we are united in our response to Russian aggression,” he remarked.

The head of state also acknowledged Montenegro for its contribution to the security of our region. Speaking about the upcoming NATO summit, he stressed that as allies, the alliance as a whole needs to increase its defence spending, with Estonia set to raise its own to more than 5% of GDP.

President Karis also met with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović to discuss strengthening bilateral relations. He called for cooperation in the fields of education, AI and culture, noting that the launch of flights between Tallinn and Tivat has already given a positive boost to cooperation in the field of tourism.

In meeting with President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić, Vice-President of the Parliament Zdenka Popović and members of its Estonian Friendship Group, the head of state focussed on Montenegro’s EU accession and opportunities for education partnerships as part of the AI Leap initiative. He said that the friendship groups which have been set up in both parliaments form a basis for closer ties between the two.

President Karis also visited the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, where he spoke about Estonia as a digital country and described the AI Leap programme, and the Montenegrin government’s Cybersecurity Centre.

Gallery: Office of the President of the Republic & Cabinet of the President of Montenegro: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCgX7W