Dr. Akkan Suver, Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Balıkesir, attended the 4th Annual Meeting of Honorary Consuls of Montenegro held this year in Budva.

The conference, which brought together 60 Honorary Consuls, began with an opening address by Montenegro’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ervin Ibrahimović.

During the two-day sessions, the Honorary Consuls shared their views and experiences.

Dr. Akkan Suver also delivered a speech at the meeting, expressing his thoughts and insights. The full text of Dr. Suver’s speech is as follows:

Dear Friends,

I respectfully greet your distinguished committee.

First of all, I would like to begin my speech by expressing my gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro for bringing us together.

In the meantime, I would also like to raise a personal matter here.

The person who first sparked my connection with Montenegro, my great friend and one of the distinguished statesmen raised by Montenegro, Jusuf Kalemperovic, passed away four days ago.

I bow with respect before the cherished memory of Jusuf Kalemperovic, who served in significant positions such as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport, and Minister of the Internal Affairs.

On this occasion, I extend my condolences to my Montenegrin brothers and sisters.

Esteemed Friends,

This is the fourth conference. I've been present in all four conferences.

I must emphasize that we should hold these meetings every year without interruption.

We should establish a WhatsApp communication line through which all honorary consuls can stay connected.

Through this WhatsApp group, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should provide us with weekly updates reflecting the country’s economic, political, social, cultural, or other significant developments. This would enable us to stay informed and, in turn, share accurate information in the countries where we serve regarding what is happening in Montenegro.

I would like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take the lead in organizing cultural events (music or folklore) that would allow us to host one cultural activity each year — for example, organizing “Montenegro Days.”

I also consider it important, in terms of promotion, to have at least once a year a group sent from Montenegro to perform artistic activities abroad.

Please know that we need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guiding information in order to perform our duties more effectively.

I sincerely thank you all for listening.