Ibrahimović-Ferrugia: Montenegro deserves to be the next EU member

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović met today in Podgorica with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta Angelo Farrugia.

Ibrahimović expressed gratitude for the continuous support that Malta provides to Montenegro on its European path. Assessing that, as two Mediterranean countries sharing European values, Montenegro and Malta have a lot of potential to improve relations, Ibrahimović expressed satisfaction with the intensified high-level dialogue, which will further encourage cooperation in numerous areas.

"An important segment of our interstate relations is Malta's support for the enlargement policy and Montenegro's earliest possible membership in the EU. Our plan is to close all negotiation chapters by 2026, and for Montenegro to become an EU member by 2028," Ibrahimović emphasized.

Farrugia said that the enlargement policy represents the most powerful tool that the European Union's foreign policy has. He referred to Malta's accession to the EU, assessing that Malta is a success story today and that Montenegro has the same potential.

"The progress that Montenegro is making and the commitment it demonstrates recommend it to become the next EU member. It is important that you maintain the current momentum, and in that effort, you have clear and strong support from Malta," Farrugia said.

In the conversation, it was assessed that Montenegro and Malta share a long-standing friendship and cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as tourism, education, and culture. The interlocutors agreed that there is significant room for the development of parliamentary cooperation and confirmed mutual commitment to multilateralism, especially highlighting Malta's successful chairmanship of the OSCE, as well as the support and cooperation that the two countries achieve within the United Nations.