EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat; Von der Leyen: Your place is at the heart of the European Union

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today in Tivat that the European Union will not be complete without the Western Balkans.

In her opening remarks at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, she said that the entire Western Balkans is at the heart of the history of the European Union.

"And your place is at the heart of the European Union – and that is precisely why we are meeting for the second time in the past six months. Today we are taking great steps towards building a more independent European Union, a union that is more secure, more resilient and complete, and it will not be complete without the Western Balkans," she said.

As she added, that is why this summit is so important.

"During the day, we will discuss closer cooperation in the areas of security and geopolitics. We will explore ways to bring our economies and our citizens closer together through a growth agenda and we will discuss how to make the enlargement process faster, more visible and strategically focused," von der Leyen said.

She said that there is momentum in all the countries of the Western Balkans, "and especially in the host Montenegro."

"Let's turn this momentum into a movement, and the movement into membership," von der Leyen said.

European Council President Antonio Košta praised the progress Montenegro has made in the accession process.

"Your success is important because it shows that enlargement is becoming a reality and we will continue to support you," said Košta at the beginning of the Summit.

Merc: EU must show it is willing and ready for enlargement

The European Union must show that it is willing and ready for enlargement, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Tivat today, addressing reporters before the start of the summit.

He said leaders would discuss the issue at the EU-Western Balkans Summit today. He said that European enlargement is years behind schedule, and that he had discussed the next steps for the Western Balkan countries' entry into the European Union with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"This part of Europe is, in the long term, part of the EU, and if we haven't admitted a single country for 13 years, we can say that the EU has made some of its own mistakes," said Merc.

He stated that he and Macron made a concrete proposal for what the next steps should look like, especially regarding the enlargement of several Western Balkan countries.

"We still have a long way to go, but these tasks are certainly achievable, and especially with Montenegro we want to make rapid progress on this path," said Merc.

Von der Leyen: Montenegro close to becoming a member of the European Union

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Montenegro is close to its goal of becoming a member of the European Union before the summit.

She told reporters ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit that Montenegro is achieving great results, and the EU is opening its doors.

However, she stressed that candidates must implement reforms.

"With reforms come investments and that is the first part of today's talks. We must understand the benefits of membership because it brings a lot of useful things," she said.

She said that this is a merit-based process and whoever meets the requirements will be in the EU.

"Montenegro is impressive and achieving great results. Continue on this path and we are here to support you. I think you are close to the goal," said von der Leyen.

Plenković: Croatia has expectations regarding open issues between the two countries

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said ahead of the event that Montenegro has made the most progress in negotiations with the EU and therefore has expectations regarding open issues between the two countries.

He reiterated that Croatia's position here is clearly mapped out and there are preconditions that, if met, will lead to further progress in Chapter 21 (Trans-European Networks), Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security).

Croatia blocked Montenegro from closing Chapter 31 (Foreign, Security and Defense Policy), demanding the resolution of several open issues.

Plenković said that the topic of compensation for Croatian camp inmates in Morinje is one of the key issues, and another is to continue work on finding the 14 missing persons, "who are still being treated as such, from the Homeland War."

"The third is that Montenegro should continue to prosecute war criminals, the fourth is to resolve the property rights issues of Croatian families here, who have been left without their property. This process is going quite slowly," he said. He emphasized that they "clearly marked the position of the plaque in Morinje."

He also said that the issue of the name of the swimming pool in Kotor, the return of the training ship "Jadran" should be resolved, and that "the talks, which have been ongoing for many years, regarding the border should finally be launched."

Macron: The goal of European partners is to help Montenegro integrate as quickly as possible

French President Emmanuel Macron said before the summit that the goal of European partners is to help Montenegro fulfill its obligations and integrate as quickly as possible.

"The integration process will make Montenegro even more progressive and a member of our European family," Macron told reporters ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit.

He said that European partners strongly support Montenegro's ambitions to become the next member of the Union.

"Actually, the reason for our meeting here is the enlargement of the European Community with the new member Montenegro," he pointed out.

He added that they are here to support the results that the Montenegrin authorities have achieved so far in joining the EU.