Communicating Euro-Atlantic integration in the Balkans
Conference "Relations of the PR services and media in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration" held in Montenegro.
Copyright: Montenegrin Ministry of Defence
The “Relations of the PR services and media in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration” regional conference was opened yesterday in Petrovac, Montenegro. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro and supported by British Embassy’s defence section.
In the introductory part of the conference, participants were addressed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro, Mr. Bojan Sarkic, British ambassador to Montenegro, Mr Ian Whitting OBE, and the director of Public Relations and Protocol at the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro Col. PhD Mehmedin Tahirovic.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro Bojan Sarkic welcomed the conference participants, stressing the role of media and describing it as extremely important for the success of the integration process.
In his speech, British ambassador reiterated United Kingdom’s full and unreserved support to Montenegro on its Euro-Atlantic path. He said that the expansion of the EU and NATO proved to be a great success, contributing not only to the prosperity and security but also to democracy and the rule of law. He stressed that threats to the individual and collective security are numerous and diverse, and that no one is completely immune to them. The ambassador added that a joint collective security is always better than an independent approach. He also pointed out that the values of the EU and NATO were identical, and that the process of Euro-Atlantic integration contributed to sharing common values between partners. Ambassador Whitting also said that a well-informed public opinion was of great importance, and should not be deprived of easily accessible, accurate and understandable information. In this context the role of the media is irreplaceable.
Colonel Tahirovic stressed that regional cooperation is one of the priorities of the foreign policy of Montenegro and therefore regional stability, and rated this conference as an investment in security in the region.
Participants at the conference are representatives of PR services Ministries of Defence of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, NATO representatives, journalists from Montenegro, as well as journalists from the countries of the region.