Ivanović: Montenegro’s progress towards the EU confirms the credibility of the enlargement policy

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović participated in the 10th anniversary edition of the Budapest Balkans Forum, which is taking place on 9–10 March 2026 in Budapest. On that occasion, Ivanović spoke at the central panel that opened this year’s forum, titled “Central Europe and the Western Balkans in the New Geopolitical Era.”

In his remarks, he emphasized that the Western Balkans represent a region of particular geopolitical importance for Europe, stressing that the full integration of the region into the European Union remains a key prerequisite for the long-term stability, security and prosperity of the European continent. Speaking about the European perspective of the region, Ivanović noted that Montenegro, as the most advanced candidate in the EU accession process, remains determined to complete the negotiation process by the end of 2026.

Montenegro’s progress towards membership in the European Union would represent a strong confirmation of the credibility of the enlargement policy and a clear signal that the European Union remains committed to its strategic objectives in this part of Europe, Ivanović stated.

He stressed that in the current geopolitical circumstances, the enlargement policy must remain one of the key instruments of the EU’s foreign and security policy, as the integration of the Western Balkans represents a strategic interest of the entire continent.

Ivanović also pointed out that Montenegro today represents a reliable partner of the European Union and a NATO ally, which, through its responsible foreign policy orientation and full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, actively contributes to regional stability and the strengthening of the European security architecture.

He emphasized that Montenegro remains firmly committed to the merit-based accession principle, while expecting that the European Union, despite complex geopolitical challenges, will maintain a clear focus on enlargement as one of its key strategic policies.

The successful completion of Montenegro’s accession process would bring multiple benefits both to our country and the region, as well as to the European Union itself, further confirming its political relevance and credibility as a global actor. In this context, Montenegro has a realistic ambition to become the next member of the European Union by 2028, Ivanović concluded.

In addition to Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović, the panel also featured Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia Timcho Mucunski.

The forum, organized by the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, gathered senior political officials, diplomats, experts and representatives of international organizations from across Europe and beyond, with the aim of discussing the geopolitical significance of the Western Balkans, regional stability, and the prospects of the European Union’s enlargement policy in the new international context.