APD | EU coast guard signs border agreement with Montenegro

By APD writer Aditya Nugraha

LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 8 (APD) - The European Union’s Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has signed an agreement on border management cooperation with Montenegro, allowing the Frontex to carry out joint operations and deploy teams in the regions of Montenegro that border the EU, subject to Montenegro’s agreement.

“Today, we are further strengthening our border cooperation with Montenegro, taking yet one more step towards bringing the Western Balkan region closer to the EU. The migratory and security challenges we face are common and our response must be joint too,” European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Tuesday.

The objective of this agreement is to allow Frontex to coordinate operational cooperation between EU member states and Montenegro on the management of the borders that the European Union and Montenegro have in common, Finland’s Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo added.

“The signing of this agreement is yet another demonstration of the deepening and expanding cooperation with Montenegro. It will bring benefits for both parties, in particular in enhancing border management activities,” she said.

The agreement is aiming at tackling irregular migration, cross-border crime and providing technical and operational assistance at the border related to changes in migratory flows.

The strengthened cooperation between prioritized third countries and the European Border and Coast Guard is highly expected to contribute efforts in tackling irregular migration and further enhance security at the EU’s external borders.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)