Since I was elected as the director of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in July 2020, we perceive the reports of the European Commission on the progress of Montenegro in the accession negotiations with the European Union as an objective measure of the value of the effort invested and our performance, and a reliable guide to possible directions of future action.

Acknowledging the fact that the Agency is one of the fundamental institutions in Chapter 23, we carefully monitor the messages coming from Brussels and direct our energy towards the fulfillment of the proposed recommendations.

The European Commission's document on progress published yesterday states what we have been trying to bring closer to the Montenegrin public in the last two years: that, through serious reform efforts and dedicated actions to protect the public interest, we have made a significant step forward in efficiency, that our efforts are appreciated and that a positive trend in work is noticeable.

We are pleased that the report recognized the consistent proactivity of the Agency and the Council and the increase of activities in the field towards the public, media and civil society, and emphasized that the capacity of our institution was further strengthened, which "produced improved performance and increased efforts to achieve tangible results".

Due to the nature of its work and the extent of its powers, the Agency, like similar preventive anti-corruption bodies in other countries, is exposed to external pressures that threaten to jeopardize its independence. The statements from the report that more must be done to ensure integrity, impartiality and responsibility, we perceive, on the one hand, as an understanding of our position and a kind of support to persist in protecting the status of an independent body, and on the other, as a message to the entire community. If the prevention of corruption is based on the performance of only one institution, then such engagement is doomed to limited scope. That is why it is the responsibility of all relevant actors, especially the holders of the highest positions of the executive, legislative and judicial authorities, to contribute with solid actions to an environment in which integrity, the principle of good governance and the rule of law are affirmed.

Aware of the complexity of the challenges it faces and the sharply polarized environment in which it operates, the Agency realizes that there is significant room for its growth. We are ready for further progress with the aim of quality implementation and monitoring of the preventive anti-corruption policy, improvement and dissemination of knowledge on the prevention of corruption, and continued participation in upgrading the foundations of a responsible society, with intensive communication and cooperation with international partners, the civil sector, the media and other state bodies.

On the side of the rule of law, we remain committed to the fulfillment of our mission: reducing the opportunities for committing corrupt acts, lowering tolerance for corruption and strengthening the integrity of society as a whole, for the benefit of citizens and the strategic direction of our country, joining the European Union.