Written question asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Friday, 13 May 2011.

Montenegro

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Montenegro about discrimination in relation to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Answer: The Government fully support equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Montenegro, as it does worldwide. Our ambassador to Podgorica regularly engages with her Montenegrin interlocutors to underline that respect for human rights and minority rights, including those of the LGBT community, is fundamental to the EU accession process. The Government support and actively encourage the Montenegrin Government to implement reforms that are necessary for progress towards EU accession, in line with the acquis. These reforms include the implementation of the legal and policy frameworks on human rights and anti-discrimination in line with European and international standards. We will continue to work on these issues and hope to see further progress from Montenegro with regards to LGBT issues, starting with its first Gay Pride march to be held on 31 May.

Secondary information