Moreover, strong, stable and independent institutions are a prerequisite for sound macroeconomic policies and financial stability, which in turn are a condition for sustainable convergence. This is in the interests of Montenegro but, again, also in the interests of the euro area and the rest of the EU. Joining the European Union and eventually the euro area is not an end in itself.
They are a means to an end, namely to enhance the welfare of the Member States and their citizens. In this regard, one of the key lessons of the recent crisis in the euro area is that in order to benefit from membership, countries need to achieve sustainable convergence. Convergence must not only be reached in the run-up to joining.