The event was attended by, among others, Judy Rising Reinke, US Ambassador to Montenegro, Oana Kristina Popa, Head of the European Union Delegation in Montenegro, Peter Felten, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Montenegro, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Montenegro Christian Thimonier, Dominique Waag, Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro, and Daniela Gašparíková, UNDP Resident Representative for Montenegro.

"The Agency has reached the glass ceiling in reforms, because it has already done everything it could within the legal framework," said Council President Momčilo Radulović, adding that further strengthening of the Agency is in the hands of other institutions, primarily the Parliament and the Government.

"Our hands are tied by the current legal framework."

Radulović stated that if the Parliament, the Government and political parties want to have a strong Agency, it is up to them to vote on legal changes.

The President of the Council emphasized that support for the reforms was received from the Delegation of the European Union, the Council of Europe (CoE), the World Bank, the US Embassy, the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) and a number of other international partners.

In July 2019, when it was appointed, the new Council found a situation in which the Agency was the biggest problem and stumbling block in Chapter 23 of the accession negotiations with the European Union.

"Today, three and a half years later, we can proudly say that the Agency is one of the rare bright spots in the anti-corruption system, but also in the entire Chapter 23", said the President of the Council.

Director Jelena Perović said that the results of APC in 2022 in many segments are the best since the establishment of that institution that works on itself, invests in itself and respects itself.

"If since July 2019... we gradually laid sound and stable foundations and implemented essential reform, last year brought significant institutional upgrading... On the one hand, in addition to the introduction of ISO standards, we started staffing by hiring new employees; with the support of the Council of Europe, we adopted the Communication Strategy for the period from 2023 to 2025 with the accompanying Action Plan, with which we offered a response to new and increased challenges in communication; we continued to prepare the ground for the introduction of the new information system. On the other hand, we consistently and indiscriminately applied anti-corruption laws, implementing a policy of zero tolerance for corruption, and at the same time took steps towards improving the legislative framework."

Among the results from last year, the director of the Agency singled out the analysis of regulations.

"We analyzed 30 regulations - which is more than in the previous six years combined - promoting anti-corruption policies and supporting the integrity of the public sector. Some people, including those who objected to us that we are talking about 'combing regulations', obviously do not understand the importance of this legal competence. It was the analysis of regulations that led to the opening of important cases with high corruption risks that a state based on the rule of law must not allow itself."

The director thanked the journalists for their cooperation and invited them to jointly, even better connected, continue to influence the shaping of a social environment in which there will be no tolerance for corruption, together with the Agency.

"I would appreciate it if media representatives were more careful when reporting information, specifically half-truths and intentionally spreading false information directed against the Agency. In that regard, I would kindly ask, as stated in the Code of Ethics of Montenegrin Journalists, that appropriate measures be taken to verify the accuracy of such claims. Claims that are not in the public interest but are rather of importance and specific weight to the subjects our institution deals with. The attempt to compromise me will not make the written evidence we have gathered disappear," said Perović.