The European Union (EU) is preparing to accept new members by 2030, and in the case of Montenegro by 2028, said the Deputy General Director of the European Service for Foreign Affairs Marko Markovec.
As reported by the Government of Montenegro, Markovec said this at a panel dedicated to EU expansion within the Bled Strategic Forum, in which Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanovic also participated.
"The EU is preparing to accept new members by 2030, and in the case of Montenegro, by 2028," said Markovec.
As he added, there is a general consensus among the 27 members of the Union regarding the new phase of enlargement, which was missing before.
Asked whether there would have been a further expansion if there had been no Russian aggression against Ukraine, Markovec answered in the affirmative, adding that it would have happened in the case of Montenegro.
As announced by the Government, Ivanovic said that he was satisfied with the results achieved by Montenegrin institutions since October last year in the unblocking of the judiciary and the adoption of European legislation, which, as he recalled, resulted in receiving the Report on the fulfillment of temporary standards for chapters 23 and 24 ( IBAR).
"That event is of great importance for Montenegro, but also for the EU, the candidate countries, as well as for the enlargement process itself," Ivanovic said, adding that the goal is to close all negotiation chapters in the next three years.
He pointed out that internal differences on some issues do not threaten the European path of Montenegro, citing as an example that all European laws were adopted unanimously in the Montenegrin parliament.
Ivanovic emphasized that Montenegro now has independent and transparent institutions, especially in the area of the judiciary, adding that he believes that they will perform their work seriously and impartially.
He said that Montenegro is ready to discuss and resolve all potential open issues with its neighbors, "in the spirit of strengthening regional cooperation and preserving good neighborly relations."
The press release states that in addition to Ivanovic and Markovec, the Deputy Prime Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Armenia, Lasha Darsalia and Vahan Kostanjan, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Albania and of North Macedonia, Igli Hasani and Timcho Mucunski, as well as France's special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine Pierre Hilbron and the first deputy chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Parliament of Ukraine Hrihorij Nemiria.
"The panel, to the greatest extent, was devoted to the topic of EU enlargement, and among the panelists praise was heard for Montenegro's progress on the European path," the announcement states.
It is added that the special envoy of France for Ukraine especially praised the receipt of IBAR and emphasized that Montenegro is leading the EU enlargement process.
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