OSCE-supported study visit to Berlin provides Montenegrin MPs opportunities to share good practices on reconciliation and youth engagement

A study visit to Berlin, held from 8 to 10 October, brought together Montenegrin Members of Parliament (MPs), organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) Local Branch Office (LBO). Discussions focused on advancing meaningful youth participation in decision-making and peacebuilding processes, strengthening the position of youth in society, and deepening regional co-operation.

Six MPs from different parliamentary clubs who recently signed the Declaration of Commitment to Youth Regional Cooperation, Intercultural Dialogue and Reconciliation, visited the German Federal Foreign Office, Bundestag, and Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO). They held a series of high-level meetings, including with Dr. Niels von Redecker, Head of Division 209 Western Balkans at the German Federal Foreign Office, Adis Ahmetović, Member of the Bundestag, and Emmeline Charenton from the Office of the Secretary General of FYGO.

During these discussions, participants exchanged views on effective mechanisms for youth engagement in policy-making and peacebuilding processes, as well as initiatives aimed at improving the socioeconomic prospects of young people in Montenegro.

Participants agreed that the Berlin Process - through which RYCO was established - provides a successful framework for fostering trust, reconciliation, and intercultural co-operation between young people in Montenegro and across the wider Western Balkan region.

During the final session held in FYGO, participants explored future avenues of co-operation between the MPs, RYCO LBO, and the Mission. Discussions focused on establishing a structured and ongoing dialogue with youth and youth-oriented organizations across Montenegro, with the goal of ensuring that youth priorities are systematically reflected in parliamentary activities.