The Council of the European Union (EU) is ready to start preparing the draft Treaty on the accession of Montenegro to the EU in the coming period, it was concluded at today's session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC).
This was announced by the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić.
"This is a key indicator of Montenegro's progress, because the signing and ratification of the Treaty is the last step in the EU accession process. The fact that it is already being discussed today speaks in favor of the certainty of our membership," the announcement states.
Spajić's cabinet added that "the impulse of Euro-optimism provided by Montenegro is the reason why we have such positive news almost every day".
"That is why it is important that we continue our dedicated work and achieve new notable successes already in the first quarter of next year. EU leaders will be invited to support these conclusions at the Summit, which will be held on December 19 in Brussels," the announcement reads.
Spajić's cabinet stated that "in the Draft Conclusions, the Council welcomes very positive results in fulfilling long-term reform obligations, and praises the Government's goal to continue the rapid progress of Montenegro on its way to the EU".
"At the same time, all political forces are encouraged to pursue an ambitious plan to close the accession negotiations," the statement concluded.
Gorčević: Montenegro achieves more than the set goals
Montenegro achieves more than the set goals, just one day after the historic success and the closing of three chapters, we continue to confirm our commitment to the European agenda with results, not words, announced the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević.
"It was at the session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC) that the readiness of the Council of the EU to start drafting the Treaty on the Accession of Montenegro to the European Union in the coming period was confirmed," Gorčević wrote on the X social network.
She added that she expects the Agreement to be ready for signing and ratification the moment Montenegro completes all its obligations, so that Montenegro becomes a full member of the EU by the end of 2028.
Ivanović Cabinet: Confirmed that the plan of the Government of Montenegro, for the country to become the first next member of the European Union, is realistic and feasible
The Council of the European Union today adopted conclusions on enlargement, in which Montenegro's progress in the process of European integration is clearly praised, it was announced from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Filip Ivanovic.
"These conclusions confirm that the plan of the Government of Montenegro, for the country to become the first next member of the European Union, is realistic and feasible," the announcement states.
Ivanovic said that "the clear praise of the EU Council once again confirms that our reform efforts are recognized and valued".
"We continue resolutely towards achieving our goal - full membership in the EU, which represents the best framework for long-term stability, prosperity and progress of our country and all its citizens," Ivanović concluded, writing in the announcement.
His cabinet added that in its conclusions, the Council presented key points about the progress of Montenegro:
Article 20: Positive results and reform obligations
The Council welcomes the very positive results achieved by Montenegro in fulfilling its long-standing reform obligations. At the same time, the Council commends the Government's aim to continue the country's rapid progress on its path to the European Union and encourages all political forces to support the ambitious plan to close the accession negotiations.
Article 21: Progress in negotiations and the rule of law
The Council recognizes the good progress achieved in the negotiations so far, including the fact that all 33 chapters have been opened after the screening process, of which 6 have been temporarily closed. Special praise was given to Montenegro for meeting the temporary measurable criteria in key chapters 23 and 24, which relate to the rule of law. This represents an important milestone and marks the entry into the final phase of negotiations. The Council encourages Montenegro to accelerate the completion of the closing benchmarks for these chapters to enable further progress.
The Council also welcomes the recent temporary closure of three chapters and expresses the hope that the remaining chapters will soon be temporarily closed as soon as conditions are met. With the continuation of the strong reform momentum, the Council confirms its readiness to, in due course, begin preparations for the drafting of the Accession Treaty. With this step, Montenegro additionally confirms its position as a leader in the enlargement process and proves its commitment to fulfilling all obligations on the way to the European family of nations.
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