Milatovic in Bratislava: Fico Backs Montenegro's 2028 EU Bid
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic received Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's public backing in Bratislava for Montenegro's goal of becoming the European Union's 28th member by 2028.
While Belgrade is still waiting for its own talks with Brussels to move forward, neighboring Montenegro is picking up increasingly concrete political support for its bid to become the European Union’s next member. Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic paid an official visit to Slovakia on August 25 and 26, and in Bratislava he secured confirmation that the Slovak government stands behind the goal known as “28 by 2028,” Montenegro joining the Union as its 28th member by that year. For Serbia, whose accession process has been stalled for years, the pace Podgorica is setting serves as both a reminder and a benchmark for how quickly the region can move toward Brussels.
Over the two day visit, Milatovic met with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico and National Council Speaker Richard Rasi. The visit comes a year after Pellegrini’s official visit to Montenegro, and this year the two countries are marking 20 years of diplomatic relations.
What Milatovic Said Before Arriving in Bratislava
Ahead of his arrival in the Slovak capital, Milatovic set the tone for the visit and its goal in a statement.
“Montenegro is the next member of the European Union. We are coming to Bratislava with a clear goal: to turn Slovakia’s support for our membership into even more concrete cooperation, and to draw on its experience so that we are ready for our first day in the European Union,” Milatovic said.
After his meeting with Fico, the Montenegrin president said the accession process was closer to completion than ever before, but that the pace of reform had to be maintained.
“Montenegro is the next member of the European Union, our goal is to become the 28th member by 2028. Today we are closer to that than ever before, and now it is important that we keep up the pace of reforms and finish the negotiating process,” Milatovic said in Bratislava.
According to a statement from Milatovic’s office, Fico thanked the Montenegrin president for his hospitality during June’s European Union-Western Balkans summit, which Montenegro hosted, and said the country had a historic opportunity to complete its accession process successfully. The two officials’ conversation in Bratislava, the statement said, continued the discussion opened at that meeting.
An Embassy and a Flight Route as Proof of Cooperation
Fico also welcomed the announcement that Montenegro would open an embassy in Bratislava, which both sides described as a further boost to closer cooperation between the two states. Both leaders also spoke positively of the direct flight connection between Podgorica and Bratislava, established earlier.
“The direct flight connection between Podgorica and Bratislava is already contributing to stronger tourism, business and other ties between the two countries,” Milatovic said.
The economic part of the talks built on a business forum held last year in Podgorica, attended by more than 30 Slovak companies. The two sides announced new meetings through a joint Commission for Economic Cooperation, naming energy, transport infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, information technology and digitalization as areas where they see room for closer cooperation.
“Our political relations have a solid foundation. We now want them to be followed by more investment, business ties and projects that carry economic value for both countries,” Milatovic said, adding: “Montenegro needs quality investment, new expertise and partners ready for long-term projects. It is important that political talks are followed by concrete next steps.”
What Does This Mean for the Western Balkans’ EU Queue?
Montenegro has for years been the region’s furthest advanced candidate in talks with Brussels, and the political backing it received in Bratislava from Fico, a leader who often takes a more critical line within the European Union toward further enlargement, reinforces the picture that Podgorica could close its negotiating chapters ahead of the rest of the Western Balkans. For Serbia, that means the regional order of EU entry, long assumed to run a certain way, could shift before Belgrade opens its next block of chapters.
When the two countries’ joint Commission for Economic Cooperation will meet, and whether the Bratislava embassy will open before the year is out, has not yet been specified.
