Ivanović at “EU meets the Balkans 5.0” Conference: Montenegro is on the final stretch of its European Path

Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Foreign and European Affairs Dr Filip Ivanović took part in the conference “EU Meets the Balkans 5.0 – Geopolitics at a Crossroads: Charting the Balkans’ Path in a Competitive World” in Sofia, where he spoke about Montenegro’s European perspective, the future of the enlargement policy, and the challenges facing the European Union and candidate countries in the final stage of the accession process.

Ivanović thanked the conference participants for recognising Montenegro’s achievements and stressed that Montenegro is now on the final stretch of its European path.

Speaking about the next stage of the process, Ivanović emphasised the importance of viewing the enlargement process from the perspective of both candidate countries and the European Union, expressing his conviction that the enlargement policy should remain credible and be based on results achieved and criteria fulfilled.

He particularly thanked Bulgaria for its strong support for Montenegro’s European integration process, stressing that, at the final stage of the process, the support of EU Member States is of particular importance. In this regard, he called on Member States to be strong and vocal advocates of the enlargement policy and a clear European perspective for candidate countries.

Responding to a question about Montenegro’s role after joining the European Union and its support for other candidate countries, Ivanović stressed that Montenegro would strongly support the efforts of all countries aspiring to EU membership and meeting the necessary requirements, using its future influence and capacities to encourage their progress on the European path.

The conference brought together representatives of European institutions, countries of the region, the political and academic communities, and civil society, with the aim of exchanging views on the future of European integration, regional cooperation, and the challenges of the enlargement process.