The closing of the chapter in the negotiations on accession to the European Union (EU) shows that Montenegro is committed to the future, and the focus should be on implementing reforms, said the Chairman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) David McAllister.
The AFET delegation is in Montenegro as part of a regional mission during which it will also visit Albania, and McAllister pointed out that this is the committee's first official visit to Podgorica and Tirana.
He said that the report by the European Parliament rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec, "will be on our desk next week."
"We have meetings with President Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčevič. We also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović, Speaker of the Parliament Andrija Mandić, and we had a meeting with opposition parties and representatives of civil society," McAllister said at a press conference at the European House in Podgorica.
Recalling that Montenegro closed another negotiation chapter last month, he said that they continue to strongly support Montenegro's path towards EU membership. "Montenegro's progress, the closure of six chapters show that Montenegro is committed to the future."
McAllister also points out that the enlargement process is based on merit.
"We encourage all stakeholders to persevere in the common goal of becoming the next member. Primarily, the focus should be on implementing reforms, and this includes judicial reform. Adopting laws alone is not enough, reforms must be implemented," he said.
He said that they appreciate Montenegro's commitment to the Euro-Atlantic community, saying that Montenegro is a valuable partner in NATO.
"We must also mention the strong external threats leading to polarization," said McAllister, who said the visit of the AFET delegation demonstrates the EU's strong support for Montenegro. "We will be with you all the way."
When asked what external threats he was referring to, i.e. from which countries, McAllister replied that they were "fully aware of the political situation", and that "the majority of citizens support Euro-Atlantic integration", and that NATO membership is the next step towards EU accession.
"Russia and Serbia have developed media channels to achieve their goals. These activities were carried out to strengthen pro-Russian positions. Certain media outlets portray Montenegro as 'another Serbian state' and legitimize the Kremlin's policies, and encourage anti-NATO sentiment. We also have certain academics who influence public opinion," he said.
He mentioned the example of Moldova as "a country where democratic society is resilient."
When asked by journalists whether the cases of Miloš Medenća and Lidija Mitrović's escape could affect Montenegro's path towards the EU, McAllister replied that there is still work to be done, that Montenegro has numerous tasks ahead of it, and that media freedom and democracy are important, but also that work on the rule of law is important.
"Regarding Cluster 1, Montenegro has continued its commitments... Positive reports on Chapters 23 and 24 show that Montenegro has met several key benchmarks...", he said.
He added that, according to the EU's 2025 Rule of Law Report, implementation of reforms has been slow.
"On behalf of the EU Parliament, I would call for the reforms to be accelerated," he stressed.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Johan Sattler, said that the key shortcomings in Chapters 23 and 24 are appointments in the judiciary and inconsistency between institutions.
"There is still time and results can be achieved if everyone makes an effort," he said, recalling that the closing of six chapters is an indicator of Montenegro's commitment to its European future.
Bonus video:
