Photo: AP photo/Risto BozovicThe President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, praised Montenegro's progress in implementing reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law, assessing that the country has thus reached the final stage of the accession process.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Lajen she stated in Podgorica that European Union count on Montenegro as its 28th member until 2028 and that it will provide support in the continuation of European integration.
At the same time, she warned that in order to close all the remaining negotiation chapters by the end of this year, continued political stability is necessary, reports FoNet.
Von der Leyen praised Montenegro's progress in implementing reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law, assessing that the country has thus reached the final stage of the accession process. She stated that the goal now is to close all the remaining chapters by the end of the year, but that the finale will require stability and the broad support of political parties.
According to her, good relations with EU members will be important, as well as society's resistance to attempts at polarization. Von der Leyen said that the EU believes in Montenegro as a future member and that Podgorica can count on the Union's support on its European path.
She also stated that Montenegro leads the region when it comes to the implementation of obligations from the Growth Plan, with more than 90 percent of obligations implemented. She added that road maps for the most advanced candidates, including Montenegro, will soon be presented, in order to specify what each country should do and by what deadlines.
The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, said that his country worked intensively on fulfilling the conditions and that it will remain focused on completing the negotiation process. He stated that most of the chapters have been sent to the European Commission for revision and that Podgorica is ready to accept evaluations and criticism.
Spajić expressed the expectation that Montenegro will complete the process of closing all chapters by the end of 2026, and that it will become a member of the European Union in 2028.
Speaking about the possible impact of political tensions between the government and the opposition on the conclusion of the negotiations, von der Leyen reiterated that political stability is key. She pointed out that Montenegro is the leader of the region and that she believes that the set goal can be achieved, but she emphasized the need for broad support for the European path.
According to her, the pro-European mood of the citizens is an important basis for the continuation of the process, which is why it is necessary to keep the focus on the goal and take advantage of the opportunities offered to Montenegro.
Spajić assessed that all political parties should be aware of the current situation in the country. He reminded that Montenegro has been in the process of joining the EU for more than two decades and stated that he sees no reason to take steps now to delay that path. According to him, about 80 percent of citizens support the country's European path.
When asked about the road map and the right of veto, von der Leyen said that the EU is working on that package, but that she could not provide details at this stage. She stated that protective mechanisms existed in earlier EU treaties and that they will be included in the new arrangements.
Referring to the bilateral disputes between Montenegro and Croatia, von der Leyen said that she was aware of the open issues between the two countries and expressed the expectation that they would be resolved.
Election time! And someone has to report to you independently. That's why it's in October annual subscription the digital edition of "Vremena" even 2.500 dinars cheaper. Choose now!
The gnats are wreaking havoc in parts of Rome. Bird droppings rain down on the Romans every day. They can't disperse them even with trumpets, so they move around the city with umbrellas
The number of people deported to the US in the fiscal year ended September 30 was about nine percent higher than the previous record of 442.640 deportations.
An outage of Microsoft servers due to increased load has left users around the world without access to Microsoft 365 applications. Problems have also been reported by large companies and government institutions
Milorad Dodik says that his son Igor is among the candidates for prime minister of Republika Srpska because he is one of the most promising members of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats.
Croatia asks Montenegro to fulfill six demands. If it does not do so, it threatens to block its negotiations for membership in the European Union.
At the moment when the institutions of the Republic are destroyed, when Vučić's octopus is still alive, when people are disgusted by the injustice and the stench left behind by the Essenes regime, we have, as Machiavelli said, only civic virtue as the fuel with which we can return to the beginning
The four independent members of REM are an example of perseverance and civic responsibility. Rodoljub Šabić even, upon leaving the premises of REM, after the sentencing of the Informer, experienced that the Essenes insulted him, hit him with their hands and feet. But that too will soon be over
Vučić pardoned the batterers and Dijana Hrkalović. The election winners should abolish the sultan's power that allows one man to run afoul of the entire judicial system
Interview: Branko Stamenković, public prosecutor of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office
A black picture and the breakdown of the rule of law subscribeThe archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
