The conference was opened by the Minister of European Affairs, Ms.Maida Gorčević, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Bojan Božović, and the Acting Director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, Mr. Dušan Drakić.

The Minister of European Affairs emphasized that the fight against corruption is not a technical issue, but one of the key political issues in the EU accession process.

“Montenegro is the most advanced country in the negotiation process, and precisely for that reason, concrete, visible, and sustainable results are expected from us. European integration is not only about aligning legislation with the EU acquis. It implies a profound transformation of how institutions function, how decisions are made, and how public resources are managed. In this regard, the European Union is very clear — without visible and lasting results in the fight against corruption, there can be no progress in the negotiations,” Gorčević stated.

The Minister stressed that it is important to understand that the fight against corruption is not limited solely to Chapters 23 and 24. Corruption is a horizontal issue that affects all negotiation chapters and all sectoral policies. As she noted, the task of institutions is to identify specific corruption risks in each area, clearly map them, and demonstrate that they have the capacity and willingness to systematically prevent them.

The Minister of Justice emphasized that Montenegro faces a demanding path ahead, which requires open dialogue, strong inter-institutional cooperation, and partnership with civil society.

“The first challenge is that we must continue strengthening the normative framework. This primarily refers to the Law on Prevention of Corruption, the Law on Protection of Whistleblowers, as well as completing the work on the Law on the Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime and introducing a new criminal offence — illicit enrichment related to the performance of a public function. The second challenge is the appointment of the Director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in a full mandate,” Božović said.

The Acting Director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption highlighted that 2026 will not be a year of planning, but a year of delivering results.

“We are determined to further strengthen human and technical capacities, improve IT systems, ensure stable and responsible leadership, and further enhance cooperation with competent institutions. Without this chain, there can be no credible results in the rule of law chapters,” Drakić stated.

As part of the conference, a panel titled “Anti-Corruption Across Negotiation Chapters – How to Fulfil the Recommendations of the European Commission Report” was held, bringing together representatives of institutions, civil society, and international experts. The discussion included the State Secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs, Ms. Biljana Papović, Deputy President of the Council of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, Mr. Mladen Tomović, Executive Director of MANS, Mr. Dejan Milovac, and anti-corruption expert from the Republic of Croatia, Ms. Nataša Novaković.

The conference continued with a working panel for members of the negotiation structure named “Integrity Plan for the Fight Against Corruption Across Negotiation Chapters”, led by the Acting General Director at the Ministry of European Affairs, Mr. Denis Vukotić, and expert Novaković.

The aim of the conference was to identify concrete steps necessary to achieve the results required for the closure of negotiation chapters through open dialogue among all relevant stakeholders. The event was organised by the Ministry of European Affairs and the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, with the support of the EU4ME Project, financed by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.