Thank you, Madam Chair.
Firstly, I would like to welcome Ambassador Haukaas to the Permanent Council for the first time as Head of Mission. Thank you, Ambassador, for the work of your team over the last year, and for this report.
Madam Chair, the United Kingdom continues to fully support Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We recognise the progress on legislative reforms approved by Montenegro’s parliament during the reporting period, and the positive interim benchmark assessment from the European Commission. The UK continues to strongly support Montenegro’s reform agenda. This was something UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans Dame Karen Pierce underlined during her recent visit to Podgorica, which included signing a Strategic Partnership with Foreign Minister Ibrahimovic, enhancing UK-Montenegro cooperation on priority issues.
The UK positively notes the Mission’s work in support of the government’s national strategic objectives, in line with the Mission’s mandate and OSCE commitments and principles. The Mission’s focus also combines well with the UK’s own engagement in support of reforms in Montenegro.
In particular, we commend the Mission’s continued cooperation with Montenegro’s parliament on strengthening institutional capacity and the skills of parliamentary staff. We support your continued focus on electoral reform, including on voter education ahead of elections in April. And we welcome the Mission’s ongoing engagement in combatting serious and organised crime and corruption, including through training to law enforcement agencies on specialised investigative methods and forensics.
Ambassador Haukaas, we also particularly commend the Mission’s continued focus on gender, including your support to the Gender Equality Committee in drafting a new gender action plan for Montenegro’s Parliament.
Madam Chair, OSCE field operations continue to deliver excellent work despite increasingly constrained funding. It is vital for the work of all OSCE structures that participating States agree a Unified Budget for 2025 and beyond. The continued non-agreement of budgets makes it hugely challenging for field missions to deliver their mandates. We urge all participating States to engage constructively with budget proposals and ensure all OSCE structures are adequately funded.
Thank you again, Ambassador Haukaas, for your leadership of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, and I wish you continued success in the role.
