Von der Leyen to Spajić: Keep up the good work; we believe in Montenegro as the EU’s 28th Member State by 2028

Montenegro is entering the final phase of its European integration process and will soon receive a “roadmap” with clearly defined steps and deadlines for achieving its goal of joining the European Union in 2028.

This was the message following a meeting between Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who is visiting Montenegro as part of her annual visit to the Western Balkan countries.

The meeting reaffirmed strong support for Montenegro’s European path and joint efforts to achieve the goal of completing the accession negotiations by the end of this year and joining the European Union in 2028.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro said that this was the final stretch of the road to the European Union and that the Government would not let up.

We are focused on completing the accession negotiations. We have submitted most of the remaining chapters to the European Commission for assessment. By the end of 2026, Montenegro will close all chapters. I believe that 2028 will be the year when we become the 28th Member State of the European Union, the Prime Minister said.

As stated following the meeting, Montenegro continues to make progress in reforms and, as the President of the European Commission pointed out, is leading the region with more than 90 per cent of its commitments under the Growth Plan implemented.

My first message is that we believe in Montenegro as the 28th Member State by 2028, and we will support you all the way. You can count on us, the President of the European Commission said.

She praised the progress Montenegro is making in the area of reforms, particularly in the field of the rule of law.

This has paved the way for the final stretch. We are now working to close all remaining chapters by the end of the year. The final kilometres of a marathon are always the hardest, so this will require continued political stability and broad support from all parties, strong relations with the Member States of the European Union, and resilience in the face of attempts to polarise society, von der Leyen said.

She announced that next week the European Commission would present its enlargement policy, adding that accession is merit-based.