German Foreign Minister Wadephul notes Montenegro’s progress toward the EU — Deutsche Welle

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Budva, Montenegro, that the country has made significant progress on its path toward membership in the European Union. According to him, Montenegro’s aspiration to join the bloc is being heard in Brussels and European capitals.

Meeting in Budva

Wadephul visited Montenegro on Wednesday to take part in the annual meeting of foreign ministers within the Berlin Process. His Montenegrin counterpart Ervin Ibrahimović and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also participated in the talks in the coastal city of Budva.

As Deutsche Welle reports, in a post on X, the head of German diplomacy called Montenegro an example for the Western Balkans. He also announced an agreement to promote regional cooperation on reconciliation and reforms.

At a meeting with Ibrahimović, Wadephul said that countries ready and able to meet the EU accession criteria can succeed in the coming years.

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Plan to join by 2028

Montenegro is considered the leader among the six Western Balkan countries seeking EU membership. Negotiations on its accession to the European Union have been ongoing since 2012. Other candidate countries in the region are Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, while Kosovo has potential candidate status.

Montenegro, with a population of about 623,000, plans to become the EU’s 28th member by 2028. The country has effectively used the euro since 2002, gained independence from its union with Serbia in 2006, and joined NATO in 2017. According to DW, support for EU accession among the population stands at about 80%.

Earlier, the country’s progress in economic and democratic reforms gave the European Commissioner for Enlargement grounds to suggest that technical negotiations could be completed by the end of the year.