Koopman to Spajić: We want you to succeed, and we are here to support you

Discussions between the delegations of the Government of Montenegro and the European Commission continued today in Budva, focusing on the next steps in Montenegro's EU accession process. It was agreed that Montenegro's agenda is ambitious yet realistic, and that all negotiation chapters could be closed by 2026.

One of the mechanisms for achieving European standards in this regard is the Reform Agenda, which, according to representatives of the European Commission, faces no significant obstacles to implementation.

The focus now is on achieving the set goals. We want to see your success in implementing the Reform Agenda, and we are here to support you, stated Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman.

Koopman also emphasised that the negotiations have a transformative component and that the credibility of the negotiation process depends on the results delivered. He highlighted the achievement of receiving IBAR, calling it a "landmark accomplishment of the Government of Montenegro, which has laid a solid foundation for the effective realization of the integration agenda."

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić reiterated that EU membership is a national priority and commented on the current political situation, which he said guarantees stability and the effective implementation of undertaken obligations.

We are committed to fulfilling the obligations of the European agenda, and we do not expect favours or concessions on this path, as we believe we can contribute to the Union and serve as a bridge for other candidate countries, Spajić emphasised.

During the meeting, the parties agreed on the timeline for further cooperation and information exchange to ensure the efficient fulfillment of commitments.

The meetings were also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović and Ministers Maida Gorčević and Bojan Božović.