Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Roćen took part yesterday in the International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul, which gathered high representatives of the states contributing to the ISAF mission, regional states, IOs, financial institutions, and the civil sector. The biggest summit ever held in Afghanistan, opened by President Hamid Karzai and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a continuation of the London conference, has given full support to the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to stabilise the situation in the country through the implementation of projects in the spheres of economy, strengthening of the political dialogue and the process of reconciliation, regional cooperation, and the combat of narcotics-trafficking and corruption.

Special focus was put on the strengthening of the cooperation with the international troops in the realisation of the strategy of gradual transition of power to the Afghan leadership. The conference was attended, among others, by the chief diplomats of the USA, Russia, China, India, and Canada, as well as key European states and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, Secretary-General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and the ISAF Commander, American General David Petraeus.

During the conference, Minister Roćen had informal meetings with the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Foreign Ministers of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, China, Yang Jiechi, Germany, Guido Westerwelle, France, Bernard Kouchner, UK, William Hague, Italy, Franco Frattini, Canada, Lawrence Cannon, NATO Secretary-General, Rasmussen, Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, as well as with numerous other officials.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, conveyed compliments to Minister Roćen for Montenegro's results in the process of European integration, as well as for its role in the region. She confirmed that the Western Balkans is high on the EU agenda and she announced her visit to the region later this year, including, with great pleasure, Montenegro.

Ministers Roćen and Westerwelle exchanged opinions on the current affairs in the Western Balkans, especially in the light of the forthcoming Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Kosovo. They also spoke about the results and future plans of Montenegro in the process of European integration. They emphasised a need for the intensification of bilateral contacts, and they discussed possible visits of Minister Westerwelle to Montenegro and Minister Roćen to Germany later this year.

Secretary-General of the OIC, İhsanoğlu, praised Montenegro for the policy of multiethnic harmony. He also informed Minister Roćen that the new rules of accession to the OIC are currently being drafted.  In this context, both sides expressed a desire to continue to maintain regular contacts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, currently presiding over the EU, Steven Vanackere told Minister Roćen that EU enlargement is high on the priority list of the Belgian presidency. In this context they emphasized the importance of further progress of the Western Balkans countries towards the EU, with special emphasis on the reasonable expectations that crucial decisions will be made during the Belgian presidency. 

During his short stay in Kabul, Minister Roćen was not able to visit the members of Montenegro's contingent in ISAF mission, but he talked to the commander in the Pol-E-Khomri base, Saša Jovićević, over the phone. Jovićević said that all the soldiers and other mebers  of the mission, including the officers in Mazar-E-Sharif, are well and safe. He said that they are working in an excellent atmosphere and are professionally performing their duties in cooperation with the representatives of other countries.