The Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić convened a meeting with Silvana Koch-Mehrin, the founder of the Women Political Leaders (WPL), an international network of female politicians based in Brussels. This visit marks Koch-Mehrin’s first official trip to Montenegro, following an invitation from Vice President of the Parliament Zdenka Popović.

In welcoming the esteemed guest, Deputy Prime Minister Bečić highlighted that gender equality and the participation of women and youth in decision-making roles have always been a core priority throughout his political journey, no matter the position he has occupied.

I take pride in the fact that after the landmark change of government in 2020, during my time as President of the Parliament of Montenegro, we not only implemented groundbreaking reforms in transparency, openness, and modernization of parliamentary processes but also made considerable advancements in promoting gender equality. At that time, the Women’s Club was established, bringing together female MPs from all political parties. Their recommendations led to the adoption of several significant laws, such as the requirement that at least one Deputy Speaker of Parliament must be a woman. Furthermore, women MPs have started to assume leadership positions in crucial parliamentary delegations and committees—an important progress we celebrate, Bečić remarked.

He also pointed out that today, numerous directorates, state secretariats, and administrative departments within the security and defense sectors are led by women. Moreover, almost 40% of the latest graduating class at the Police Academy consisted of women.

This reflects a strong dedication to fostering gender equality and enhancing the involvement of women in these sectors. It is essential for all of us to persist in encouraging their motivation and promoting greater inclusion in all facets of social and political life. The quality, balance, reliability, and stability they provide are ultimately beneficial for our state and its institutions and are vital for realizing our historic aspiration—the dream cherished by many generations—for Montenegro to join the European Union as its 28th member by 2028, he emphasized.

It is uplifting to hear that from the very outset of your public service, you have remained steadfast in your commitment to prioritizing support for women in politics. You continue to advocate for what is right and beneficial for this country, said WPL Founder and President Silvana Koch-Mehrin, expressing her appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Bečić.