- Von der Leyen said that the EU believes in Montenegro as its 28th member by 2028 and praised the country’s progress in reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law.
- Spajić said that this is the final stretch on the road to the EU and stressed that the government would not slow down efforts to conclude the negotiations by the end of the year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union believes Montenegro will become its 28th member and that Montenegro has the Union’s support.
As part of her diplomatic tour of the Western Balkan countries, she held a series of meetings in Montenegro today, where she praised the country’s progress in reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law.
"This has paved the way for the final stretch. We are now working to close all the remaining chapters by the end of the year. Those last miles of a marathon are always the hardest, because they will require continued political stability and broad support from all political parties, strong relations with EU member states, and resilience in the face of attempts to polarize society," the EC President said.
Montenegro is leading the region, with more than 90 percent of its commitments under the Growth Plan already implemented, von der Leyen noted.
"You are preparing, and so are we, because this is a two-way process. In the coming weeks, we will present policy reviews to see what we need to do to be ready to welcome new members," she said at a press conference, adding that accession is merit-based but should not be a slow process.
"That is why we will soon present roadmaps for the most advanced candidates, including Montenegro, to see what each side needs to do and by when," von der Leyen announced.
When asked about the roadmap and the right of veto, von der Leyen said that they are currently working on it and therefore she could not go into detail.
"As far as safeguard mechanisms are concerned, we have had them in previous treaties as well," she said.
Speaking about the disputes with Croatia, the Commission President said that she was aware of the bilateral disputes but expected the countries to resolve them.
Spajić: This is the final stretch on the road to the EU
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said that this is the final stretch on the road to the EU and that the government would not let its guard down.
"These last few miles are a challenge, but we are ready for it. We have submitted most of the chapters to EC; we are ready for assessments and we are ready for criticism," he added.
Asked whether the current political crisis could jeopardize the plan for Montenegro to close all negotiating chapters by the end of the year, von der Leyen replied that broad support from all political parties was needed and that Montenegro should remain focused on its path towards the EU.
In a press release issued following the meeting between President Jakov Milatović and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it was stated that Montenegro must prepare not only for the completion of accession negotiations but also to be ready to function from the first day of membership in the European Union.
Milatović said that Montenegro must work simultaneously on completing the negotiations and preparing its institutions for the obligations that will arise upon accession, stressing that the goal is not merely to formally close the negotiating chapters but to ensure that the country is ready to function as a member of the Union.
Von der Leyen’s visit coincided with the visit of European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to Montenegro. Today, Kos took part in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Berlin Process in Pržno, near Budva.
(EUpravo zato.rs)