Gorčević: At today’s Intergovernmental Conference, Montenegro closed five negotiating chapters

“At today’s Intergovernmental Conference, Montenegro closed five negotiation chapters. These chapters cover economic law, free movement of capital, the right of establishment, agriculture, rural development, and fisheries. Closing these negotiation chapters marks a milestone, as we now enter a new phase. In 2026, we still have twenty negotiation chapters to close, while continuing to work diligently on building consensus around the European idea, strengthening our institutions and administration, and maintaining the political stability currently present in the country.

Regarding Montenegro, it will be ready to close all remaining negotiation chapters, and today’s progress is significant not only for Montenegro and candidate countries but also for EU member states and the European Commission. This is a clear indication that we have fulfilled our commitments and that Montenegro, with an ambitious plan focused primarily on results, can deliver what is expected of it.

Finally, I must say that this is another success for the entire administration. This is a success for all our teams, and I am not referring only to the technical aspect of chapter closures. We are also talking about the cooperation between the Government and Parliament, as well as the diplomatic activities that were extremely important, because closing negotiation chapters is not just a technical process. It involves political dynamics and a political process with all member states.

I am particularly grateful that today all twenty-seven member states gave direct support to Montenegro to continue with the reforms we are implementing. This support gives us hope that we will become the twenty-eighth member in 2028, and perhaps most importantly, it shows readiness that, if we continue on this path, a Working Group for drafting Montenegro’s Accession Treaty to the European Union will be formed very soon. I believe this is a strong additional motivation for our citizens and an incentive for our administration to continue on the path we have started.”