President Pellegrini Leaves for Montenegro

Bratislava, May 29 (TASR) - On Thursday afternoon, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini departed for an official visit to Montenegro at the invitation of his counterpart, Jakov Milatovic, TASR learnt on the same day. The President is accompanied by Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Rastislav Chovanec, as well as representatives from the academic and business sectors. This marks the first visit of a Slovak head of state to Montenegro in nearly 14 years and serves as a reciprocal visit following the 2021 trip of former Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic to Bratislava. The main goal of President Pellegrini’s working visit is to express support for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union and to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in the economic sphere. The talks will also focus on current developments in the Western Balkans region, the security situation in Europe, and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in the Hague. The official program will begin on Friday morning (May 30) with a joint meeting of the presidents at the Blue Palace in Cetinje. Following a welcoming ceremony and official talks, the heads of state will symbolically plant a linden tree in the palace garden as a gesture of friendship between the two countries. The Slovak president will also lay a wreath at the memorial of a guerilla fighter. In Podgorica, the Slovak business delegation will participate in a business forum aimed at establishing new contacts and identifying opportunities for further cooperation. The forum will be jointly opened by both presidents. As part of the bilateral meetings, President Pellegrini will also meet on Friday with Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanovic and Minister for European Affairs Maida Gorcevic. mf