The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro (MFA) is coordinating the entire process of resolving open issues with Croatia, and for some issues, due to their complexity, special bodies, such as commissions and joint committees, will be formed, said the government department.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the MINA Agency that the commission for negotiations with Croatia on the training ship Jadran will be led by Defense Minister Dragan Krapović, while the body in charge of the border will be headed by a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The government department stated that during the previous year, significant progress was recorded in the negotiations in improving bilateral relations and resolving open issues with Croatia.
As they said, there is still a lot of work to be done, but progress has been made that is more than visible.
"These significant developments have also been recognized by European partners, who positively view Montenegro's responsible approach in this process, which was also noted in the European Commission Report," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
The goal remains, as the Ministry emphasized, to achieve mutually acceptable and permanently sustainable solutions, not solely for the sake of the dynamics of European integration and the closing of negotiation chapters, but primarily for the sake of building stable and partnership relations with Croatia, which will be an example of good neighborliness.
They said that bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries serve as the basis for agreement on their dynamics.
As they explained, some of the open issues are resolved through continuous activities of the departments under their jurisdiction, while others, due to the specificity and complexity of the matter, involve the formation of specialized bodies, such as commissions and mixed committees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled that, after a seven-year break, the work of the Intergovernmental Mixed Committee for the Implementation of the Agreement on the Protection of the Rights of the Croatian Minority in Montenegro and the Montenegrin Minority in Croatia has been resumed, whose members include representatives of departments and representatives of minorities from both countries.
As they said, the Government Commission for Missing Persons, formed on December 13, 2024, has within its jurisdiction issues related to the issues of missing persons from the territory of Montenegro in armed conflicts in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which will be the subject of further discussions with the Croatian side.
"Given the opposing views on this issue, in the coming period, it is expected that a commission will be formed that will deal with the exchange of arguments about the training ship Jadran, headed by Krapović," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The government department said that the composition of the commission would be agreed upon in communication between the relevant minister and Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović.
"In relation to the open border issue, and taking into account the competencies prescribed by the Law on Foreign Affairs, the formation of a Commission for carrying out demarcation and determination of the state border has been initiated to prepare for the conclusion of international treaties on the state border," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
They said that the committee, in accordance with the relevant Government Conclusion, will be headed by a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The entire process of resolving open issues with Croatia is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Ibrahimović," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that they are intensively cooperating with other competent departments and bodies, taking into account the prescribed competencies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that they expect the continuation of intensive dialogue with Croatia.
This, they stated, will undoubtedly contribute to Montenegro's overall progress in the European integration process, including the closure of Chapter 31 - Foreign, Security and Defense Policy, for which the final benchmarks have been met even earlier.
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