The Memorandum was signed at the first working meeting, held at the Agency’s premises, as part of the continuation of the national “Montenegro Free from Corruption” campaign.

Director of the Agency, Kristina Braletić, expressed her satisfaction with the organization of the event, held during the week following the official continuation of the anti-corruption campaign. Braletić emphasized that the shared mission of the Agency and local self-government units is to empower citizens to recognize and report, without hesitation, any form of abuse within local public services.

“Through the campaign, by distributing promotional materials and carrying out digital activities, we will present effective reporting channels and send a clear message that there is no place for non-transparent practices and corruption in local administrations. This cooperation between the Agency and local self-governments is particularly important because it directly relates to Montenegro’s obligations under the sixth round of GRECO evaluations and recommendations. This round is fully focused on preventing corruption at the local level, with the Agency playing a key role in overseeing conflicts of interest, monitoring the assets of public officials, and improving integrity plans,” Braletić stated.

Today’s signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation establishes a strong framework for implementing joint preventive activities, in line with the obligations arising from the GRECO recommendations.

The partnership between the Agency and local self-government units is of particular importance for strengthening integrity, transparency and accountability in the work of local self-governments.

President of the Council of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, Pavle Ćupić, emphasized that today’s signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Agency and municipalities establishes a strong institutional framework for future cooperation, the exchange of experience, and joint efforts to strengthen anti-corruption policies.

“I would particularly emphasize the importance of local self-government and its cooperation with citizens, who exercise their rights on a daily basis. This is why corruption prevention and the establishment of integrity mechanisms are of paramount importance,” he added, noting that the Agency’s Council will, within the scope of its mandate, continue to provide full support to initiatives that contribute to the rule of law, public trust and the creation of a society with zero tolerance for corruption.

The “Montenegro Free from Corruption” campaign, implemented by the Agency in cooperation with local self-government units, is a continuation of the campaign officially launched at the end of last year in cooperation with the Capital City of Podgorica.