Podgorica, (MINA) – In the final phase of the EU accession negotiations, it is extremely important that all institutions act in a coordinated manner and in the spirit of shared responsibility, since any delay can affect the pace of accession negotiations, said Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanovic.

In an interview with the MINA News Agency, Ivanovic said that the final phase of the negotiations must be conducted in a disciplined and planned manner and without delays.

He argues that by the end of the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council, Montenegro is expected to have a solid balance of closed chapters, while drafting of the accession treaty should also begin.

According to Ivanovic, the closing of new negotiation chapters at the very beginning of the year is not only a symbolic progress, but a confirmation that the reform process produces measurable results and that the EU recognizes the seriousness and credibility of the policy.

“It is also a sign that this year we will have a greater number of intergovernmental conferences compared to the previous period, and I think that by the end of Cypriot presidency we will have a good balance of closed chapters, as well as the start of work on the accession treaty”, Ivanovic said.

He added that his expectations are simple: to implement the set goals and agreed plan, which is the closing of all chapters and the completion of the technical process by the end of the year.

Asked when new chapters could be expected to be closed and how many could be closed during the Cypriot presidency, Ivanovic said that he expects more frequent intergovernmental conferences this year, but added that he would not speculate on numbers at the moment, because this also depends on formal procedures and the consent of all EU member states.

“But what I can say with certainty is that we have done everything within the competence of the Government of Montenegro to make that number as high as possible. Our pace of work clearly show that we have entered the phase of concrete results and have already fulfilled a significant part of the final benchmarks in many areas”, Ivanovic emphasized.

Asked how important it is for Montenegro’s European agenda that President Jakov Milatovic ultimately agreed to promulgate 25 reform laws adopted by the parliament on Monday, he said that these are systemic laws that fully harmonize Montenegrin legislation with the EU acquis and form the basis for meeting the final benchmarks, on which the closure of the negotiation chapters depends.

“I believe that in this sensitive and final phase of the negotiations, it is extremely important that all institutions act in a coordinated manner and in the spirit of shared responsibility, because any setback can affect the dynamics of the negotiations and the perception of our reliability among European partners”, said Ivanovic, adding that the European process requires synchronized work of all branches of government.

Asked whether postponing the adoption of those laws could have affected the dynamics of fulfilling obligations from the European integration process, he answered in the affirmative, explaining that it would have automatically meant postponing the deadlines, slowing down the negotiation calendar and delays in decisions by the EC and the member states on closing chapters. 

“Such a situation would have weakened our credibility as a candidate state, because the EU places high value on ​​timeliness, consistency and institutional reliability”, Ivanovic said.

Asked if EU integration process can justify the absence of an adequate discussion in the parliament and the adoption of 25 laws in two extraordinary sessions lasting a total of an hour and a half, he said that European integration must not be an excuse for circumventing democratic procedures, but emphasized that this was not the case with the adopted laws, which, he said, have been carefully prepared and reviewed experts and the EC.