During his stay in Ljubljana, the Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union, Predrag Zenović, met with the State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Marko Štucin. On that occasion, Zenović thanked for the support that Slovenia provides to Montenegro on the European path and reminded that Montenegro will close four negotiation chapters by the end of the year. Zenović added that ambitious dynamics can be expected in 2025 as well, and the closing of all chapters in 2026.
Štucin reminded of Slovenia’s efforts in organizing the Intergovernmental Conference of the EU with Montenegro, and expressed the expectation that another MVK with our country will be organized by the end of 2024. He pointed out that it is necessary to maintain the current momentum, not only because of the sooner possible accession of Montenegro to the EU, but also because of the encouragement of other candidate countries for membership. He added that regardless of the internal situation in Montenegro, there must be a consensus regarding the European integration of Montenegro. The interlocutors also considered organizing joint conferences in order to transfer knowledge and experiences.
In the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, a meeting was organized with the Deputy Director General for European Affairs, Jure Vršnak, at which Montenegro’s position as a leader in European integration was stated. Vršnak praised the progress of Montenegro made this year, adding that obtaining a positive IBAR is extremely important for the further path towards the EU.
Chief negotiator Zenović emphasized that the strong political will is evident and confirmed by fulfilling long-awaited obligations and receiving a positive IBAR. It was established that European integration is a process in which two parties participate, and that Montenegro has caught a good pace and should not take breaks. Further communication regarding the expert support of Slovenia was agreed upon.