Border management: EU signs agreement with Montenegro on European Border and Coast Guard cooperation

08.10.2019

Montenegro and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have concluded an agreement under which the European police officers, together with the Montenegrin police, will patrol the state border. The European Union will provide Montenegro with expert training and expert assistance in border surveillance.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the EU by Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and, Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior of Finland and President of the Council, and on behalf of Montenegro by Minister of the Interior, Mevludin Nuhodžić.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship said: "Today, we are further strengthening our border cooperation with Montenegro, taking yet one more step towards bringing the Western Balkan region closer to the EU. The migratory and security challenges we face are common and our response must be joint too.”

Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior of Finland said: “The objective of this agreement is to allow Frontex to coordinate operational cooperation between EU Member states and Montenegro on the management of the borders that the European Union and Montenegro have in common. The signing of this agreement is yet another demonstration of the deepening and expanding cooperation with Montenegro. It will bring benefits for both parties, in particular in enhancing border management activities.”

Mevludin Nuhodzic, Montenegrin Minister of the Interior underlined that, by signing this agreement, the EU and Montenegro opened a new chapter in cooperation in the area of border management  and the fight against cross-border crime, including migratory challenges.

This agreement allows the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to assist Montenegro in border management, carry out joint operations and deploy teams in the regions of Montenegro that border the EU, subject to Montenegro's agreement.