Germany expresses optimism over Montenegro's ambition to join the European Union

Germany on Thursday expressed optimism regarding Montenegro's bid to become part of the European Union.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that the Western Balkans country's ambition to join the bloc was being "heard in Brussels and in all European capitals."

Wadephul made the comments after traveling to Montenegro on Wednesday to attend the annual meeting of European foreign ministers as part of the so-called Berlin Process.

Montenegro has its sights on the EU

What did Wadephul say?

"Montenegro has made remarkable progress towards EU membership – it thus sets an example for the Western Balkans," Wadephul said in a post on X.

He posted up a picture of himself embracing Ibrahimovic and thanked him for hosting the Berlin Process Foreign Minister's meeting, adding that there had been agreement to "foster regional cooperation on reconciliation and reforms."

"Those who are willing and able to join the European Union and meet the criteria can succeed in the coming years," said Wadephul at the meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart Ervin Ibrahimovic.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos was also at the talks held in the coastal city of Budva.

EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans are Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia. Kosovo is also a potential candidate for membership.

Montenegro's EU ambition not just a pipe dream

Of the six Western Balkan candidates, Montenegro is seen as the frontrunner, having been pursuing membership for 22 years.

The small, mountainous nation of 623,000 people adopted the euro as its de facto currency as early as 2002, declared independence from the union with Serbia in 2006, and joined NATO in 2017.

With public support for accession reportedly at around 80%, Montenegro is aiming to become the EU's 28th member state by 2028. 

Montenegro: Crackdown on crime and clans

Progress on economic and democratic reforms previously prompted the EU's enlargement commissioner to flag the possibility of completing technical negotiations by the end of the year, making the 2028 timeline appear realistic.

Among the other Western Balkan countries, Albania is also seen as a promising candidate, but Kosovo's path to EU membership remains the most complicated, with five EU member states still refusing to recognize its independence from Serbia.

Edited by: Zac Crellin

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