BERLIN – The accession of Montenegro to the EU by 2028 is still realistic, and the country’s goal is full membership, in contrast to recent proposals from the region that advocated for a lower level of integration. These were the points made by the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, in his interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in the context of his visit to Berlin.
During today’s visit, Milatović met with members of the Bundestag and addressed the Committee on European Affairs.
In the interview for FAZ, Milatović said that Montenegro should become the 28th EU member state by 2028, and that the country still considers that realistic.
“We hope to close all chapters by the end of this year, or during the next, so that the second half of 2027 and 2028 remain for ratification of Montenegro’s accession to the EU in the parliaments of the 27 member states. Whether it will be 2028 or 2029 is not decisive, but it should happen during the mandate of the current Commission”, Milatović said.
He added that Montenegro’s accession would have broader significance: it would signal to all candidate countries that the enlargement process is alive.
Asked about the recent proposal by the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that qualified countries could be admitted to the EU single market and the Schengen area, but not full membership, Milatović said that “from the authors’ standpoint it is perfectly legitimate”.
“However, Montenegro is following the traditional accession process like all countries so far. We are negotiating to become a full member state”, he said.
Milatović was also asked about the apparent lack of support in Germany and, particularly, France for accepting new member states. He said that he focused on things Montenegro can actually control.
“I don’t speak only with presidents and prime ministers, but also with parliaments, with various political actors, because we understand that Montenegro is joining a club of democratic countries where governments can change. It is up to us to discuss the benefits of our accession not only with governments but also with opposition parties”, he said.
He also added that, when he was in France, in addition to talking with the president, I visited the parliament, presented Montenegro’s efforts and answered many questions from French deputies, including some very difficult ones.
“My impression is that President Macron is prepared to support the admission of a new member to the EU”, Milatović concluded.
