Prime Minister attends the Berlin Process Summit in London

Spajić: Montenegro’s 2026 chairmanship of the Berlin Process will accelerate integration of the Western Balkans

Montenegro is ready to assume the chairmanship of the Berlin Process, and its leadership of this diplomatic initiative next year will accelerate the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union, said Prime Minister Milojko Spajić at the Berlin Process Summit, held today in London.

Prime Minister Spajić is participating in the Summit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Keir Starmer, where discussions are focused on stability, security, and economic cooperation in the region.

Speaking at the plenary session, Prime Minister Spajić underlined that 2026 will be a landmark year for Montenegro, as the country plans to close all negotiation chapters and formally conclude accession talks with the European Union.

Next year, in 2026, we will not only mark 20 years since the restoration of our independence, but we will also host the EU–Western Balkans Summit and assume the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In this spirit, and recognizing the importance of the Berlin Process for Montenegro, we are pleased to announce, together with our partners – primarily the United Kingdom and Germany – that Montenegro is ready to take over the chairmanship of the Berlin Process next year, said Prime Minister Spajić.

He stressed that Montenegro accepts this responsibility with determination and a strong commitment to building on the achievements of this year.

Under our leadership, we will advocate for the accelerated implementation of the Common Regional Market and the Green Agenda, for greater transparency, and for deeper cooperation in digital, green, and security initiatives, as well as in the fields of mobility, education, science, and innovation, the Prime Minister said.

It is time for the Western Balkans to be recognized as Europe’s next growth region. Let our political commitments be followed by economic actions, so that the promise of the Berlin Process translates into prosperity that every citizen of our region can feel, he added.

Prime Minister Spajić expressed gratitude to the host, the United Kingdom, for the excellent organization and leadership of this year’s Berlin Process Summit, emphasizing that it reaffirmed the enduring importance of the platform for regional cooperation, economic integration, and a shared European future.

He recalled that Montenegro made a major step forward by joining the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), bringing its businesses and citizens closer to full participation in the European financial system.

This year has shown that when the Western Balkans and the European Union act with ambition and strategic vision, progress is both tangible and measurable. From sustainable investment frameworks to the adoption of standards for green bonds and the Regional Innovation Platform, 2025 has been a year of concrete achievements. Equally, a strong symbolic and practical step forward would be the abolition of roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans. Achieving ‘Roam Like at Home’ would send a powerful message of unity and equality, connecting our citizens in the most direct way and strengthening the single digital market that links us all, said the Prime Minister.

Discussing security, Prime Minister Spajić emphasized the importance of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), based in Montenegro.

This initiative, supported by France, Slovenia, and Montenegro, stands as a shining example of how regional and European cooperation can strengthen our collective defence in the digital sphere. We warmly welcome the plans of the United Kingdom to join this initiative and provide financial support as part of its £5 million Western Balkans Cyber Security Programme, said Prime Minister Spajić.

He further underlined that Montenegro’s strategic agenda also includes a resolute fight against organized crime and corruption, energy and food security, and resilience to climate change.

The Western Balkans cannot afford to remain vulnerable – neither to external shocks nor to internal divisions. That is why we support initiatives such as the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and cooperation within the Common Regional Market, which strengthen both our economic and strategic resilience, said Spajić.

One of the key topics of this year’s Summit was also enhancing cooperation with Western Balkan partners in addressing illegal migration along key smuggling routes.

The London Summit marks the 12th edition of the Berlin Process, which has previously brought together Balkan and European leaders in Berlin, London, Vienna, Paris, Trieste, Poznań, Sofia, and Tirana.