According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Montenegro’s accession to the European Union is “within reach”. She announced this on Friday at the summit of the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans in Tivat, Montenegro. TASR informs about it based on the report of the AP agency.
“The speed with which they implement complex reforms is impressive,” von der Leyen told reporters at a press conference. “If I had to sum up this summit in two words, they would be determination and trust. Trust in the fact that our union will grow in the coming years,” the head of the EC evaluated Friday’s summit. The EU has already established a working group to draft an accession agreement for Montenegro, which wants to join the EU in 2028.
Its president, Jakov Milatovič, said that Friday’s summit gave him “even more confidence” that they will join the EU by 2028. “This goal is realistic and achievable. It has the strong support of all our European partners,” he said.
On Friday, Von der Leyen called the enlargement of the EU to include the countries of the Western Balkans a “geostrategic necessity”. however, it still expects candidate countries to adopt anti-corruption reforms and strengthen their democratic institutions.
