On Tuesday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen continued her Western Balkans tour by visiting Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Addressing participants of the investment conference in Tivat, she commended Montenegro for the progress it had made on the EU path, whereas in Sarajevo, she urged the authorities to implement the reforms necessary for the first intergovernmental conference to take place.
“The goal of the EU membership is truly within reach for Montenegro”
According to Ursula von der Leyen, “the goal of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union is truly within reach”.
“This is the time to accelerate and intensify your efforts on this path. With reforms in the domain of rule of law and transparency in public procurement, you will send a clear signal that Montenegro is serious in its intentions and that it is a serious and credible place for business development”, she said in the speech at the opening ceremony of the first investment conference, jointly organised by Montenegro and the EU, in the tourist resort Luštica Bay near Tivat, Vijesti reported.
Similarly, at a joint press conference with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the President of the EC stressed that the country had closed four negotiating chapters in the EU accession talks since her last visit.
“I know you are determined to close all chapters next year and to become, as you put it, ‘the 28th EU member state by 2028’. This is an ambitious goal, but we like ambition. And we know that Montenegro can do it if it stays focused on the goal, and united”, she remarked.
She also pointed to the progress that Montenegro had made regarding the reforms envisioned by the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, announcing the disbursement of an additional 8 million euros and noting that the country could access over 380 million euros if it continues to implement the reforms.
In addition, Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Montenegro’s entry into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and announced that roaming charges between the EU and Montenegro would be abolished next year.
“Every time I come here, I can feel the heart of Europe beating in Montenegro”, she noted, adding that the EU will stand by the country “on every step of the way” towards EU membership.
She also stressed the need for the completion of the vacant positions in the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, with the appointment of four new judges, as “it can strengthen democracy”.
Spajić: “We are strongly committed to the EU path”
For his part, the Montenegrin Prime Minister said that the EU “is the largest and most important strategic partner of our country, as well as the largest investor in Montenegro”.
“Montenegro is geographically small, but it is large in the possibilities it provides. There are no dominant ethnic groups in our country, which has taught us for centuries to respect, tolerate and understand each other. Our differences are not a limitation, but our comparative advantage, and in this sense, Montenegro is symbolic and in the way of thinking it already belongs to the EU”, Spajić said in Tivat, Vijesti reported.
According to Spajić, “Montenegro is strongly committed to the path to the EU and its future is in a united Europe”.
The day before, Ursula von der Leyen met with Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović. The meeting took place “in a symbolic place” – Lovćen, where they arrived by the ski lift from Kotor.
It was stated by Milatović’s office that the key topics of their discussions were “reforms that bring Montenegro closer to the EU membership – strengthening institutions, rule of law, fight against corruption, development of a stable economy and protection of human rights”.
“The EU is a friend of all communities in BiH”
Speaking at the joint press conference with Borjana Krišto, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Ursula von der Leyen noted that “a year and a half ago, the European Council took the historic decision to open accession negotiations” for the country.
“This is the spirit which must now carry us forward. And it must also guide our work under the Growth Plan. You have recently submitted your Reform Agenda. I want to congratulate you for that. I know that you worked very hard on this. We are now assessing your reform agenda. We will keep in close contact on this”, she stressed.
President of the EC encouraged the BiH authorities to finalise and ratify the agreements needed to receive the first funds envisioned by the Growth Plan.
According to her, the priority is to hold the first intergovernmental conference between BiH and the EU.
“To pave the way for this, you need to pass the right reforms in the field of the judiciary. And most importantly, a chief negotiator must be appointed to steer the accession negotiations. That is now of utmost importance. It is your decision who that person is. That person needs all of your trust”, Ursula von der Leyen remarked.
She underlined that the EU “is the friend of all communities in BiH, and the future of all these communities is in the European Union”.
“Enlargement is not only a matter of politics. It is first and foremost a matter of the heart. It is about the will and voice of the people. They must be heard. According to a recent opinion poll, 72% of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina trust the EU – the highest of any international partner”, Ursula von der Leyen said.
Borjana Krišto noted that BiH continued to be committed to common values and the process of EU integration.
“There are only a few steps left to hold the intergovernmental conference, which would be the biggest step forward for us”, Krišto remarked.
Earlier in the day, the President of the EC met the members of the BiH Presidency and visited Potočari Memorial Centre.
“My visit to the Srebrenica memorial moved me so deeply. I honoured the memory of the more than 8,300 Bosniak boys and men who were murdered in Srebrenica 30 years ago. And I paid tribute to the mothers, wives and daughters carrying the weight of loss for three long decades. It is our duty to preserve the truth and work actively for reconciliation. The European Union will always remember the Srebrenica genocide”, she wrote on X.
On Wedneseday, von der Leyen will complete her tour with visits to Belgrade, Pristina and Skopje.
