Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović meets with Members of the European Parliament

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović met today in Brussels with Members of the European Parliament, including Marjan Šarec, Permanent Rapporteur for Montenegro, David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), MEP Željana Zovko, Vice President of the European People's Party, MEP Vladimir Prebilič, Shadow Rapporteur for Montenegro from the Group of the Greens, and MEP Costas Mavrides, Shadow Rapporteur for Montenegro from the Socialists and Democrats group.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović emphasized that Montenegro’s accession to the European Union would bring benefits not only to Montenegro but also to the EU and the entire region. He expressed gratitude to all his interlocutors and their political groups for their continued support.

The discussion focused on the current political developments in Montenegro, highlighting the importance of dialogue between the parliamentary majority and the opposition. Given the critical moment for Montenegro, all parties were urged to rise above political interests and work together to ensure the country becomes a full EU member by 2028.

Rapporteur Šarec reflected on his recent successful visit to Montenegro, which provided him with deeper insights into the situation on the ground. This, he noted, would be instrumental in drafting his country report. He reiterated that Montenegro enjoys strong support from the European Parliament and stressed the need for continued efforts to meet all benchmarks for closing negotiation chapters. He underlined that Montenegro’s success would serve as an encouragement for both the EU and the region and emphasized that this opportunity must not be missed. He also called for de-escalation of tensions and a greater focus on dialogue and consensus-building.

AFET Chair McAllister reaffirmed the European Parliament’s full support for Montenegro, recognizing it as the best candidate for EU accession, having already opened all negotiation chapters. He commended the progress made over the past year and underscored the importance of maintaining Montenegro’s foreign policy alignment, political stability, and avoiding societal polarization, which would hinder progress. McAllister also emphasized the need for cross-party consensus-building and encouraged Montenegro to reach an agreement with neighbouring Croatia on outstanding bilateral issues. He concluded by welcoming Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović to address AFET in the near future and share positive developments from Montenegro.

Shadow Rapporteur Mavrides assured Montenegro of his full support in the upcoming period, particularly as Cyprus prepares to assume the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2026—a crucial time when Montenegro is expected to close a significant number of negotiation chapters. He encouraged Montenegro to reach out to him for any initiatives in the coming period so that he could ensure timely support and coordination within the European Parliament.