Montenegro in the EU in 2028 – Milatović asked about Rama and Vučić’s letter: Our country is working towards full membership
Express newspaper
16/04/2026 12:32
Montenegro’s EU membership by 2028 is still realistic and the country’s goal is full membership, in contrast to recent proposals from the region that supported a lower level of integration. These were the points raised by Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović in his interview during his visit to Berlin.
During today’s visit, Milatović met with members of the Bundestag and delivered a speech to the Committee on European Affairs.
Milatovic said that Montenegro should become the 28th EU member state by 2028 and that the country still considers this realistic.
“We hope to close all chapters by the end of this year, or during next year, so that the second half of 2027 and 2028 remain for the ratification of Montenegro’s accession to the EU in the parliaments of the 27 member states. Whether it will be 2028 or 2029 is not decisive, but it should happen during the mandate of the current Commission,” Milatović said.
He added that Montenegro’s accession would have a broader significance: it would signal to all candidate countries that the enlargement process is alive.
Asked about the recent proposal by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that qualified countries could be admitted to the EU single market and the Schengen area, but not to full membership, Milatović said that “from the authors’ point of view it is completely legitimate.”
“However, Montenegro is following the traditional accession process like all countries so far. We are negotiating to become a full member state,” he said.
Milatovic was also asked about the apparent lack of support in Germany and, especially, France for admitting new member states. He said he focused on things that Montenegro can actually control.
“I don’t just talk to presidents and prime ministers, but also to parliaments, to various political actors, because we understand that Montenegro is joining a club of democratic countries where governments can change. It is up to us to discuss the benefits of our membership not only with governments, but also with opposition parties,” he said.
He also added that, while in France, in addition to talking with the president, he visited the parliament, presented Montenegro’s efforts, and answered many questions from French MPs, including some very difficult ones.
“My impression is that President Macron is prepared to support the admission of a new member to the EU,” Milatovic concluded.