Ivanović meets with Bulgarian Prime Minister: Montenegro and Bulgaria strongly committed to further enhancing cooperation

During the second day of his working visit to Sofia, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Foreign and European Affairs Dr Filip Ivanović met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev to discuss Montenegro’s European integration process, bilateral relations, and opportunities for further strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Radev congratulated Montenegro on the significant progress it has made on its European path, highlighting Montenegro as a positive example of a country firmly committed to institutional transformation and reform. He underlined that Bulgaria highly values Montenegro’s achievements and strong commitment, and expressed his assessment that Montenegro is ready for membership in the European Union.

Speaking about the European integration process, Prime Minister Radev shared Bulgaria’s experience from its EU accession process and reaffirmed Bulgaria’s full readiness to provide support and assistance to Montenegro in the final stage of its accession negotiations. He stressed that Montenegro can count on Bulgaria’s support and that Bulgaria stands firmly with Montenegro on its path towards EU membership.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović expressed his gratitude for Bulgaria’s strong and continued support, stressing that Montenegro considers Bulgaria a friend and a reliable partner. He noted that the two countries are NATO Allies and expressed his expectation that they would soon also be together within the European Union.

Ivanović presented Montenegro’s “28 by 28” objective and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to fulfilling all remaining obligations and completing the accession negotiations by the end of the year, with the aim of subsequently signing the Accession Treaty and joining the European Union in 2028.

The interlocutors described the political relations between Montenegro and Bulgaria as excellent and friendly, agreeing on the need to further strengthen cooperation in other areas so that it can match the high level of their political relations. Particular emphasis was placed on the considerable potential for further developing economic and tourism cooperation.

The meeting also addressed the importance of improving connectivity between Montenegro and Bulgaria, including transport and air connectivity, as an important prerequisite for strengthening business, tourism, and people-to-people contacts.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on current domestic, regional, and global developments, as well as on issues of common interest.