Managing director of the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices (CInMED), MD, MSc, PhD, spec. Snežana Mugoša, and deputy managing director LL.M. Mira Kontić, paid an official visit to Malta Medicines Authority (MMA). During meetings with the managing director, PhD Anthony Serracino Inglott, and heads of directorates in the MMA, opportunities for cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as joint activities and projects were discussed. It was concluded that there were diverse opportunities for successful cooperation and that numerous similarities between mentioned institutions, as well as between Montenegro and Malta, would contribute to creating a stable and fruitful partnership.
This is only one of many steps that CInMED has taken during the previous year in order to strengthen cooperation and partnership relations with eminent European institutions, which represents an excellent basis for further development of CInMED, as well as a key prerequisite for its affirmation at both European Union and international level.
Successful negotiations resulted in signing the Cooperation Agreement between CInMED and MMA, which was attended by the Minister of Health of Malta, Dr. Joe Etienne Abella, as well as by numerous media representatives.
On that occasion, managing director of CInMED, Dr. Mugoša, expressed her gratitude to the Minister of Malta, as well as to the managing director of MMA, for showing trust and generous support.
„It has been a great honor and pleasure having the opportunity to visit your beautiful country and to make numerous, important acquaintances and establish contacts. Thank you for your hospitality and for the opportunity to present the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices of Montenegro, our achievements and future plans. It is remarkably pleasing to be able to gain an insight into the business operation, experiences and internal organization of MMA. As one of the best small medicines agencies in Europe, and in many aspects similar to us, MMA will be our role model and companion on our way towards the European Union. Building a partnership with you is extremely important for the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices of Montenegro and will greatly contribute to the Institute’s inclusion in the European family of regulators. I am certain that this will be a very successful cooperation and I look forward to new meetings, experiences, knowledge, and above all friendship,” said Dr. Mugoša.
Minister Abela: Malta is a reliable friend of Montenegro on its path towards the European Union
Minister of Health of Malta, Dr. Joe Etienne Abela, said that the MMA would have the role of a mentor and support for Montenegro on its journey towards the implementation of standards established by the European Commission, and that meeting these standards was a significant part of the criteria for accessing the European Union.
„Signing the Cooperation Agreement between these two institutions built the foundation for a much wider framework of cooperation, not only at the level of institutions themselves, but also at the level of countries, especially in the fields of health and science. Therefore, with the visit of the CInMED’s managing director, Dr. Mugoša, a whole spectrum of ideas for future cooperation was initiated, not only regulatory ones, but also in the context of public health protection and education improvement.“, said the Minister Abela.
Managing director of MMA, PhD Anthony Serracino Inglott, said that this cooperation would be very productive and that exchange of experiences would be facilitated in this manner, as well as that the experts of these two institutions would have the opportunity to learn from each other.
„Since both our institutions have a small number of experts, this partnership will, through joint activities, support our efforts to regulate the markets of Malta and Montenegro in terms of providing quality, safe and effective medicines”. Far-reaching and diverse possibilities of this cooperation are particularly inspiring since, as he states, they are based on the fact that these two institutions match in numerous segments. “Given that MMA is also a teaching base of faculties and a scientific institution, the opportunities for cooperation are diverse in the sense that the privileges of personnel exchange will not be limited to expert training, but will also be extended to scientific development, as well as to the improvement of education“, concludes professor Inglott.
Dr. Mugoša sees this new type of partnership as a new opportunity for acquiring knowledge, recognizing and implementing modern models of business operation and work organization, as well as for developing and shaping the expertise of the CInMED personnel.
„We will stay on the mission to not only use, but also to create opportunities for learning and developing in all areas. We are very aware of our role and responsibilities in the health system and we approach them seriously, and we are guided by the imperative not to set limits to the improvement of knowledge, education, competences and skills, both methodological and social,” says Dr. Mugoša.
Agreement with the Malta Medicines Authority is a result of a continuation of the cooperation that was started and established by the delegation of the Government of Montenegro headed by the Minister of Health, Mr. Dragoslav Šćekić, during the visit to Malta in November last year. The agreement will allow establishment of the cooperation between the two institutions, but at the same time it will strengthen the relationship of the two friendly countries.
