PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday praised Montenegro for its progress on the path toward membership in the European Union, describing the small Balkan country as “one of the finest examples of the EU’s positive enlargement momentum.”
Costa spoke after meeting Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatovic in the capital Podgorica. The European Council president was in the country as part of a tour of all six Western Balkan countries aspiring to join the 27-nation bloc.
Montenegro, said President Milatovic, wishes to become the 28th member state by 2028. He pledged the country will keep up the pace of reforms in order to fulfill its proclaimed agenda.
“Our country is proud to have the status of a frontrunner in European integration and we are determined to keep the course,” he said.
Montenegro and Albania have been at the forefront of the membership path while Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia are lagging behind. The EU’s willingness to accept new members has grown since the all-out war in Ukraine started on Feb. 24, 2022, fearing the conflict could fuel instability in the volatile Balkans.
Costa said that the “enlargement is the most important geopolitical investment in the stability, peace and prosperity in the Western Balkans, and the whole of Europe.” He added that “it is inspiring to see that Montenegro has advanced in its European path.”
Montenegro is the smallest of the Western Balkan countries with just over 600,000 people. It has been a member of NATO since 2013 when it defied Russia, its traditional ally, to join the Western military alliance.
