OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO MONTENEGRO

UNCLAS STATE 056870

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV MW
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO MONTENEGRO
HEAD OF MISSION PARASCHIVA BADESCU



1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the May 29, 2008 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin text:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome back, Ambassador Badescu, and thank you for the
update. We add our appreciation for the excellent written
report you submitted to us last week.

Montenegro remains a good news story for the western Balkans.
Since you appeared before us last March, the country has
adopted a new constitution, signed a Stabilization and
Association Agreement with the EU, conducted well-regarded
presidential elections, and entered into Intensified Dialogue
with NATO, a precursor to membership in the Alliance. During
the same period, Montenegro continued to enjoy impressive
economic growth and continued to make additional
contributions to regional cooperation and stability.

In our view, Montenegro deserves to be congratulated for such
important achievements as well as for the solid progress it
continues to make on its reform agenda.

The country, for example, continues to move forward in
reforming its armed forces and police. Your mission has
played a vital role in both areas by assisting in the
destruction of surplus small arms, light weapons, and
ammunition, and through the numerous training and advisory
activities the Mission carries out to promote police
accountability and professionalism.

Montenegro also made further progress over the past year in
improving the rule of law and reforming its judiciary, for
which the government and the Mission also deserve credit.
Highlights of the Mission,s work from our perspective were
the assistance it provided in the development of a National
Judicial Reform Strategy and the drafting and promotion of
the new Criminal Procedure Code.

With respect to the Mission,s democratization activities, we
draw attention to the work it did in preparing and adopting a
National Strategy on Minorities and the capacity-building
work it has done to enhance parliamentary capacity and
oversight of state and local institutions.

All of these programs are impressive examples of what an OSCE
mission can accomplish when the host government has a will to
adopt reforms, and to use the OSCE as a tool to help
transform the country in ways that better meet the needs of
the population and help fulfill its OSCE commitments.

While most of the news coming out of Montenegro remains
positive, Ambassador, much remains to be done to address
challenges, such as corruption and organized crime. We
encourage your mission to redouble its efforts to help
Montenegro take further steps to combat money laundering and
strengthen surveillance and control over monetary flows into
the country. We have every confidence that you and your
staff can help Montenegro meet these challenges, and we share
your optimism about the country,s bright future.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
RICE