Estonia supports Montenegro’s European path and digital transformation

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović met at the Parliament of Estonia with Chairman of the Estonia–Montenegro Parliamentary Friendship Group Peeter Tali. The discussion focused on strengthening bilateral relations and reaffirming Montenegro’s European perspective.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović emphasized that EU membership is Montenegro’s primary foreign policy goal and recalled that the plan is to close all negotiation chapters by 2026, with Montenegro becoming a full member by 2028. He highlighted that the purpose of his visit to Estonia was to further solidify political relations through concrete forms of cooperation and to confirm Estonia’s continued support for Montenegro’s European path. He expressed gratitude for Estonia’s ongoing support and voiced the expectation that it will continue in the forthcoming stages of accession negotiations.

Ivanović briefed his Tali on the progress of the negotiations, the chapters already closed, and plans for further reform activities. He underscored the particular importance of the fact that EU membership enjoys strong public support in Montenegrin society and that there is a consensus on European integration among all parliamentary parties in the Parliament of Montenegro.

Tali praised Montenegro’s progress in the accession process, describing the achievements as outstanding. He stated that Estonia has always been a strong advocate of EU enlargement and expressed confidence that Montenegro will be the next member of the Union. Tali highlighted that Estonia offers its experience from the accession process and reaffirmed its readiness to continue supporting Montenegro.

The officials also exchanged views on regional and global developments, confirming that Montenegro and Estonia share common values and goals within the European and Euro-Atlantic community. Particular attention was given to Montenegro’s full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

As part of his visit to Estonia, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović also toured the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, where he was presented with how digital transformation has made Estonia a global leader in this field. Ivanović stressed that Montenegro aims to follow best practices and that Estonia’s experience can be of particular importance in strengthening digital services and improving institutional operations.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović also met with Hannes Astok, Executive Director and Chairman of the Management Board at the e-Governance Academy (eGA), and his team. During the meeting, he was briefed on eGA’s activities in Montenegro. Representatives of eGA expressed their readiness to expand cooperation and make their expertise and experience available to Montenegro in the ongoing digital transformation process.

During his stay in Tallinn, Ivanović also met with representatives of the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications, discussing opportunities to connect Montenegrin and Estonian companies in digital innovation, telecommunications, and IT solutions, as well as potential opportunities for Estonian companies in the Montenegrin market.