Milatović on Montenegro’s European Path: "The Enlargement Policy Is Our Absolute Geopolitical Imperative"

Milatović highlighted that recent visits by the presidents of Italy, Albania, and the Czech Republic, along with overall diplomatic activity since he took office, demonstrate his firm commitment to maximising Montenegro’s contribution to achieving the country’s foreign policy priorities.

He noted that he is unsure whether this year could be more intensive in terms of foreign policy than the previous one, which was among the most active years for the country's president in this regard.

"During the Munich Security Conference, I held important meetings with the presidents of the Baltic states, which later resulted in an invitation for Montenegro to participate in the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Vilnius," Milatović said.

He also recalled his meeting with the Pope in the Vatican, which, as he added, further intensified efforts to open a nunciature in Podgorica.

"The state visit to The Hague, which included meetings with the Dutch Prime Minister and the Dutch King, was the first of its kind and therefore historic for Montenegro, especially considering the Netherlands' traditionally cautious stance towards EU candidate countries," Milatović stated.

He said that the visit to Cyprus, ahead of its EU presidency, was extremely important for improving Montenegro’s position, as were bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Budapest.

Milatović also highlighted that his visit to Turkiye, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, further strengthened relations with a country of strategic importance for Montenegro.

EU membership

"I believe that 2025 will also be an intense year. An extremely important aspect of our foreign policy, if not the most important, is our EU membership," Milatović added.

He stressed that Poland is an important partner for Montenegro and that strong bilateral relations have been reinforced by Poland’s unwavering support for Montenegro’s EU integration process.

"The focus of Poland’s presidency of the EU Council is on strengthening European security across seven dimensions: internal, external, informational, economic, energy, food, and health security," Milatović noted.

He stated that among the priorities, foreign policy security and the enlargement policy stand out as an absolute geopolitical imperative.

"My recent visit to Poland, and the discussions I had with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, clearly indicate that for such an enlargement policy, the Western Balkans region - and particularly Montenegro as the most advanced EU candidate - are of key importance," Milatović underlined.

He stated that he expects the continuous dialogue within the negotiation process to be further intensified by holding an intergovernmental conference during Poland's EU presidency.

"I am optimistic that we could close some of the remaining negotiation chapters, which we plan to complete this year, precisely on that occasion," Milatović added.

Three Seas Initiative

He recalled that Montenegro has applied for associate membership in the Three Seas Initiative, noting that, following Lithuania, Poland has also expressed support for this request and will host the next summit of this significant regional initiative.

"This further integrates Montenegro into regional and European cooperation frameworks, strengthening our bilateral relations with Poland and enhancing our position on the path to EU membership. I believe that by the end of April, we will bring good news for Montenegro from Warsaw," Milatović emphasised.

When asked about the foreign policy agenda for the coming period, he responded that intensive diplomatic activity is expected to continue.

"Every visit and discussion with European leaders and officials is an opportunity to further secure political support for achieving our key foreign policy goal - EU membership by 2028," Milatović said.

He announced an upcoming visit by Croatian President Zoran Milanović, expressing his belief that it would be a good opportunity to discuss improving bilateral relations and good neighbourly cooperation, as well as creating favourable conditions for closing Chapter 31, which, unfortunately, remained open last year.

Visits by the Presidents of Estonia and Slovakia

Milatović stated that Montenegro is soon expecting visits from the presidents of Estonia and Slovakia.

"In addition to these, I would highlight the return visit of the President of Cyprus to Montenegro, as well as my trip to Bulgaria, where I will also visit a NATO base hosting a contingent of our soldiers. In doing so, I want to send a message that we recognise the importance of our military," Milatović added.

NATO Youth Summit

He reiterated that Montenegro will host the NATO Youth Summit in the spring, further demonstrating that the country is a credible member of the Alliance and the next EU member state.

"This year, I will also lead the Montenegrin delegation at the NATO summit in The Hague and the United Nations General Assembly in New York," Milatović announced.

He added that hosting the European Political Community summit in Montenegro next year would be of great significance for the country’s European path.

"The European Political Community is an excellent platform for coordinating policies among European countries and reaffirming the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans. Additionally, it would be a great way to celebrate 20 years since Montenegro regained independence," Milatović said.

He concluded that successfully organising a summit of such a format, bringing together nearly all European leaders in Montenegro, would mark the pinnacle of diplomatic activity and serve as proof of Montenegro’s stability on its European path.