Podgorica, (MINA) - Montenegro’s Chief EU Negotiator Predrag Zenovic said that he expects Montenegro’s Draft Accession Treaty to be finalized by the end of the year, when the country should close all negotiation chapters.

He said that the process of drafting the document is a long-term process, but that it is important for this timeline to align with the technical closure of the negotiation chapters.

“That process is long-term, it always takes some around 9 to 12 months, and it is our goal and ambition that it is drafted as soon as possible, so that our strategic plan to become a member state in 2028 can be achieved”, Zenovic told Vijesti TV.

Asked if he expects the treaty to be ready by the end of the year, Zenovic answered in the affirmative.

“That’s right, the end of this year and it should be signed at the very beginning of next year at the latest”, Zenovic said.

After signing of the treaty, its ratification in the parliaments of the member states follows and this usually lasts from 18 months to two years, which coincides with the year 2028 when Montenegro aspires to become a member of the EU.

Zenovic pointed out that there are only a few months left to meet all benchmarks from Chapters 23 and 24.

“I expect that we will complete our part of the work by the summer of this year, allowing the European Commission to carry out its assessment, so these chapters will be closed by the end of this year”, said Zenovic.

Commenting on the decision of the opposition MPs to leave the leading positions in the parliamentary committees, Zenovic said that this may complicate the process, but that he believes that the government and the opposition will find ways to restore dialogue and build social consensus on the European integration process.