Estonia reaffirms strong support for Montenegro’s European path

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović met in Tallinn with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna. The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the friendly and allied relations between the two countries and to discuss avenues for further deepening cooperation.

Minister Tsahkna welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović and expressed his pleasure at the visit, noting that political relations between Montenegro and Estonia are at an exceptionally high level. He particularly emphasized the importance of direct air connections between the two countries, which contribute to strengthening economic and social ties. He also highlighted the successful development of bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of digitalization, where the Estonian e-Governance Academy (eGA) is already actively involved in projects in Montenegro.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović expressed gratitude for the hospitality and noted that the visit represents an excellent opportunity to reaffirm the Montenegrin Government’s commitment to further strengthening relations with Estonia and intensifying cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism, research, and education.

He also expressed appreciation for Estonia’s partnership within NATO, underlining the importance of the allied relations between the two states. In particular, he thanked Estonia for its consistent support of Montenegro’s European integration, stressing that EU membership remains Montenegro’s absolute foreign policy priority.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović briefed Minister Tsahkna on the progress of Montenegro’s accession process, highlighting the goal of closing all negotiation chapters by 2026 and joining the European Union by 2028. He emphasized that all parliamentary parties in Montenegro support the European path, and that public support among citizens for integration remains very high. He also noted that Montenegro is fully aligned with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

He added that Montenegro strongly supports the EU enlargement policy, but only on the basis of each candidate country’s individual merits and achievements.

Minister Tsahkna praised Montenegro’s accomplishments in the European integration process, noting that it represents a leading example in the region in terms of implementing reforms and achieving progress. He expressed confidence that Montenegro will be the next country to join the European Union and emphasized that Estonia consistently and strongly supports the EU enlargement policy. He assured that Montenegro can count on Estonia’s political and expert support throughout all stages of the accession process.