A delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, and its recently established development branch, EIB Global, met the government of Montenegro in Podgorica on 29 July. Their goal was to identify new projects and continue their successful cooperation on accelerating the country’s social and economic development, as well as its accession to the European Union.

Led by Acting Managing Director Markus Berndt, the EIB Global delegation met the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazović, Deputy Prime Ministers Jovana Marović and Ervin Ibrahimović, and the country’s Finance Minister Aleksandar Damjanović. Together, they discussed the investment opportunities for Montenegro unlocked by the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, and the ways EIB Global can support Montenegro in attracting the funds made available by this and other EU programmes.

Since 2020, EIB Global and the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro (IDF) have unlocked €150 million in more affordable loans to boost the post-pandemic recovery and decarbonisation of the Montenegrin economy. EIB Global’s cooperation with the IDF has helped small and medium-sized enterprises recover faster from the pandemic and has supported Montenegro’s transition towards a circular, green, sustainable and socially just economy.