October 26 (SeeNews) - Montenegro is targeting ratification of its EU membership by EU member states in 2027, with full membership expected in 2028, Montenegro’s president, Jakov Milatovic, was quoted as saying in an interview with the Guardian.
Montenegro started membership talks with the EU in 2012. So far, all 33 screened chapters have been opened, of which three are provisionally closed.
“Our membership would be a story about more than Montenegro. It would show to accession countries that the path of reform pays off,” Milatovic was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
“The whole EU process over the last 10 years became very technical and has since the big enlargement to the east in 2004 lost its political dimension […] Obviously, it retains a technical dimension, but our membership would show to sceptical publics that enlargement is still alive, and is not just a matter for elites,” said Milatovic.
Montenegro, with a population of 619,000, submitted its application to join the EU in 2008, just two years after gaining independence from Serbia. However, progress has been impeded by concerns about corruption, Russian influence, and political instability.
Montenegro has been a NATO member since 2017.
In May, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said Montenegro is the EU candidate country closest to accession.