A historic day for Montenegro: After seven years of waiting, the confirmation of IBAR that Montenegro is irrepressibly moving towards the European Union

This is a historic day for both Montenegro and for the European Union, is the message from the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, where our country received a positive report on the fulfilment of the interim benchmarks in the Rule of Law area (IBAR).

The success of Montenegro in the past six months is a confirmation that reforms are worth the effort, but also that the enlargement process is alive and that progress can be made on the basis of merits, as was highlighted at the Conference.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said that Montenegro must not repeat the years of idle time and waiting for reforms to be made, which essentially improve the standard and quality of life of Montenegrin citizens.

This is the day when, in addition to a positive IBAR in the Rule of Law area, we will finally fully unlock an opportunity to close other chapters for the first time in the past seven years. This is a reason for celebration, but also a source of new hope for our EU path, Prime Minister Spajic said during the Intergovernmental Conference chaired by Ms. Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We began the Belgian Presidency of the EU with a meeting with Montenegro and we end it in the same way. You have promised results and delivered them. Chapters 23 and 24 are the at the core of the EU negotiation process, and further progress depends on you, you hold the keys”, said Ms. Lahbib.  

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi congratulated Montenegro on the exceptional work done in order to obtain IBAR, but also for its efforts in the context of achieving the strict EU standards.

IBAR is an achievement that announces you are entering the final phase of the negotiation process. This is a strong political signal to the people of Montenegro that the enlargement process is alive. This is a historic moment for all candidate countries, because it is the first time that a country has received the IBAR since Croatia, which is a great message, stated Mr. Várhelyi.

Congratulations on the results of the Government and Parliament in the previous period came from representatives of all member states.

Montenegro has once again demonstrated its commitment to the European Union and positioned itself as a leader in integration. We welcome your efforts and determination to achieve the values fostered by a large European family. Montenegro has done everything to get back on the right European path, and in political terms, I hope that you will stay on that path. Other candidate countries will look up to you, and that is why your success is important. We, as the European Union, now must show our commitment to support you in your efforts, stated Marko Štucin, Minister of European Affairs of Slovenia.  

During the meeting, it was emphasized that Montenegro is an important partner of the European Union in the Western Balkans, and that enlargement is an important geopolitical and strategic goal significant for the stability of Europe.

In addition to the final benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24, Montenegro has received support from all EU countries, and also the message that the final stage of negotiations requires maintaining the focus and the same commitment to reforms as in the previous period.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić led the delegation to the Intergovernmental Conference, and the meeting was attended by, among others, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević, Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanović, Chief Negotiator with the EU Predrag Zenović…