Gorčević in Ireland Ahead of the Presidency of the Council of the EU: Next Intergovernmental Conference Already on 14 July

“The agreement to hold an Intergovernmental Conference between Montenegro and the EU in July, immediately after Ireland assumes the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union, represents a continuation of the accelerated pace of accession negotiations and confirms the support of the Member States for Montenegro’s European path,” said the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, during her working visit to Ireland.

The Intergovernmental Conference will be held immediately after Ireland assumes the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July, during which it will play an important role in steering the work of the Council and implementing key European policies, including enlargement policy.

As part of her visit to Dublin, Minister Gorčević met with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, and Barry Ward, Chair of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs of the Parliament of Ireland, as well as members of the Committee.

Minister Gorčević’s visit was organised ahead of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, during which Montenegro expects to complete the final steps towards closing all negotiating chapters.

“We expect that the Irish Presidency will provide strong support for the final phase of Montenegro’s European path and bring us closer to our goal of becoming a full member of the Union by the end of 2028,” Gorčević said.

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne said that Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU would be dedicated to strengthening the Union’s competitiveness, values, and security. He stressed that Ireland’s objective during its Presidency is to create the conditions for the accession of new countries and that, in this regard, its priority is to support the completion of Montenegro’s accession negotiations and the drafting of the Treaty of Accession.

At the meeting with members of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs of the Parliament of Ireland, views were exchanged on the EU’s enlargement policy and the pace of the reforms Montenegro is implementing with the aim of becoming the next member of the EU.

The Chair of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs of the Parliament of Ireland, Barry Ward, said that Ireland believes the progress of candidate countries towards membership must be based on merit and results, primarily in the areas of the rule of law, democracy, and EU values, and therefore hopes that Montenegro will continue with intensive reforms. He stated that the Parliament strongly supports EU enlargement and that, once Montenegro completes the technical part of the process and closes the negotiating chapters, it should have no concerns regarding the ratification of the Treaty of Accession in Ireland.

As part of the visit, Gorčević participated in the panel discussion “Montenegro and EU Enlargement”, organised by the European Movement Ireland, which brought together representatives of academia, civil society, and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States in Ireland. The Minister presented Montenegro’s European path and its ambition to become the 28th member of the EU by 2028, and answered questions from the audience.