Gorčević in Nicosia: Drafting of the Accession Treaty with Montenegro During the Cypriot EU Presidency

During its presidency of the Council of the EU, Cyprus will provide full support to enable Montenegro to close the negotiation chapters in which the final benchmarks have been met and to ensure the start of drafting the Accession Treaty with Montenegro, it was announced during the working visit of the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, to Nicosia.

During the visit, Gorčević met with the Minister of European Affairs, Marilena Rauna, and with the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs in the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus, Haris Geogiadis.

Minister Gorčević thanked the Cypriot Presidency for holding the January Intergovernmental Conference at which Montenegro closed Chapter 32 – Financial Control.

“I am very pleased with the announcement that an ad hoc working group for drafting the Accession Treaty with Montenegro will soon be formed. This is a clear sign that the EU and the Member States value Montenegro’s effort and commitment and believe that we can meet all the conditions in time to become the next member,” Gorčević said.

She stated that Montenegro, as a reliable partner of the EU, is determined to continue delivering credible results and to ensure that by the end of 2026 all negotiation chapters are closed and that in 2028 it becomes the next member of the Union.

“This Government has a historic opportunity and task to successfully conclude the negotiation process after 14 years of accession negotiations and to prepare Montenegro for full EU membership. Our citizens expect this from us, and all institutions and the negotiation structure are fully committed to achieving that goal,” Gorčević said.

She said that Montenegro’s European path is firmly grounded in European standards and values and that the achievements so far are the result of the dedicated work of the entire administration.

“The results achieved by the Government in a short period reflect responsibility towards European partners and especially towards our citizens. I believe that the Member States will recognize and value the efforts made and reward the good results,” Gorčević said.

Minister Rauna welcomed the results Montenegro is achieving on its European path, emphasizing that they confirm a clear strategic orientation toward EU membership.

“EU enlargement is one of the key priorities of the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Montenegro is a successful example of this policy. We expect you to continue with concrete and measurable results, especially in the area of the rule of law, and we will strive to create conditions for you to close as many chapters as possible during our presidency and to begin drafting the Accession Treaty as soon as possible,” Rauna said.

Chairman Geogiadis welcomed the reform momentum Montenegro is achieving which, as he pointed out, leads to substantial transformation and progress and brings society closer to the European quality of life.

He emphasized that Cyprus advocates a merit-based principle and expressed hope that Montenegro will meet all the conditions to become the next EU member. He added that it is important to continue consolidating reforms, especially in the areas of the fight against corruption and organized crime, freedom of expression, media freedom, and public administration reform.

MINISTRY OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS