Marinkovic addresses Podgorica panel on ties with NGOs

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Marinkovic on Tuesday addressed a panel discussion in Podgorica on the relationship between the Serbian parliament and non-governmental organisations.

Marinkovic is taking part in a two-day conference on parliamentary engagement and strengthening the parliament through openness and transparency.

The topics include sharing experiences and good practices in order to strengthen the parliament, as well as the cooperation and communication with citizens and NGOs.

Marinkovic presented the parliamentary activities, in particular in organising public hearings on current social issues in collaboration with NGOs, and noted the need for more intense cooperation, especially in fighting corruption, control of public spending and sustainable development.

He announced even stronger engagement in the Open Government Partnership programme, which could be very helpful in the process of strengthening democracy and institutions, as well as the state's relationship with the citizens in their best interest, an official statement said.