The European Union (EU) enlargement process is the most important external driver of reforms in the Western Balkans, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović said.
At the European Forum Alpbach 2024 in Austria, on the panel "Enlargement of the European Union: New chapter or old wine in new bottles"?, he said that Montenegro is the leader of the integration process.
"Using the vocabulary of the recently concluded Olympic Games, when we started the accession negotiations in 2012, we thought that this would be a 400-meter race - and it turned out to be a marathon with obstacles," added Milatović.
He believes that this is a process that is coming to an end.
"And Montenegro will become the 28th member of the EU by 2028. It is an important task to which I am dedicated because the accession of the state is a bigger story than Montenegro itself, it is the light at the end of the tunnel for the region and all the candidate countries", said Milatović.
He reminded that Montenegro is the only one that has opened all negotiation chapters, closed some and that it is expected to close another significant number of areas in negotiations with the EU by the end of the year.
Milatović assessed that Montenegro's size, good neighborly relations, economic progress, and the fact that it uses the Euro as its currency make it the best candidate for EU membership.
"Montenegro has been harmonizing its foreign and security policy with the EU for a long time, which is very important considering the complex geopolitical security moment in Europe," said Milatović.
This, he added, shows the seriousness of Montenegro as a candidate country that will become part of the EU.
Milatović said that he is optimistic, taking into account the new moments in Brussels, but also the political changes in the country in recent years.
"I am convinced that the doors of the EU are open to us and that in cooperation with our European partners we will be a success story and a positive signal for other countries," said Milatović.
He said that the enlargement process is the most important external driver of reforms in the Western Balkans, and that the Union, with the new Growth Plan, the largest financial aid package in the last ten years, has shown a clear commitment of Brussels to the integration of the region into the EU.
Milatović also assessed that judicial reform, economic convergence and strengthening of institutions through the principle of meritocracy and strengthening of administrative capacities are the most important challenges for Montenegro and other candidate countries.
He said that the new EU methodology, which gives primacy to the rule of law as a precondition for closing other chapters, is a good approach.
Milatović's cabinet said that the panel participants were Austria's Federal Minister for EU and Constitutional Affairs Karoline Edtstadler, France's Special Envoy for Aid and Reconstruction of Ukraine, Pierre Heilbron, and Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister, Kristina Gerasimov.
It is stated that the Alpbah European Forum is a prestigious event organized by the foundation of the same name, which brings together participants from all parts of the world in the fields of politics, science, business, art and culture to discuss important contemporary issues and find common solutions.
Under the annual theme "Moment of Truth", Forum 2024 is, as it is added, focused, within several modules, on the topics of climate, economy, finance, security, democracy and the rule of law.
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