Podgorica, (MINA) – Even if it does not close all negotiation chapters by the end of the year, Montenegro can join the European Union (EU) in 2028, said European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, adding that the main issue will be the speed of the accession treaty ratification process in the member states.

 

Kos said this in response to a journalist’s questions after the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, where Montenegro provisionally closed Chapters 8 and 29 in the accession talks with the EU.

 

She stated that it is not true that if Montenegro does not finish the negotiations by the end of the year it cannot become a member in 2028.

 

“The decisive point will be how quick the process of the ratification will go on in all the member states”, said Kos.

 

Asked about discussions in the EU about different modalities for new member states, one being the creation of a second-class members, Kos said that different ideas were heard from the leaders regarding the future of enlargement and added that she is grateful that the discussion has finally continued in the right direction and is helping the candiate countries to move forward.

 

“We are looking for ways to make the process faster and more effective, but it will always remain merit-based, and it will never be about creating second-class membership”, Kos stated.

 

Speaking about the completion of Montenegro’s EU obligations, she expressed hope that the strong spirit and messages seen at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, where the EU states confirmed their readiness to accept Montenegro as a new member state, would follow in the continuation of the process.

 

Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne, speaking about the potential different models for new member states, said it would be difficult to have partial membership without the work that is already happening.

 

As he stated, Montenegro’s ambition to finish all negotiation chapters this year is a great start.

 

“We will work to meet it. Certainly, if you slipped into January, or something, it would not prevent membership in 2028. We are going to keep doing the job that we’ve been asked to do, which is to progress the negotiations with Montenegro to be a full member of the EU”, said Byrne.

 

Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said that Montenegro needs to close 15 more chapters, but that almost all of them are above 90 percent prepared.

 

“We have been working on these 15 chapters all the way and some of them are actually 100% done already and we have sent them to the European Commission”, Spajic said.

 

He said that in a month or two Montenegro will finish all the technical work and then it remains for member states to validate the work that has been done.

 

Spajic pointed out that closing chapters is a technical process, but that all 27 member countries must confirm that the process has concluded.

 

“So, in an essence, you get small referendums among the member states every time we close the chapters. Today we had full support of all 27 states for closure of these two chapters. We are very grateful to the member states, we put a lot of effort in building the relationships and finding the best ways to reconnect with all the member states to try to build as many bridges, as many relations as possible, diplomatic, economic, political, and so on”, Spajic said.

 

Asked when the constitutional changes could be expected to be finished, he said that they are proud of work of the Parliament, where more than 95 percent of the MPs voted in favor of constitutional changes in the first two votes.

 

“It shows a strong political commitment to the technical process that reinforces our position in regards to closing Chapters 23 and 24. We already have had two votes in order to change the Constitution. We need three votes in the Parliament to have a two-thirds in favor. So far, we had two votes with more than 95 percent of the MPs in favor. We are optimistic that we will have it in the third vote as well”, Spajic said.