Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday welcomed the European Union’s decision to establish an ad hoc working party to draft an accession treaty for Montenegro. The move brings Montenegro closer to membership of the bloc.
EU working party and Cyprus presidency
Christodoulides described the decision by the EU’s 27 member states as “a strong signal of momentum in EU enlargement” and “a key priority of the Cyprus presidency” of the Council of the EU, as well as “an integral part of our overall objective for a now autonomous union, open to the world”.
He said the establishment of the ad hoc working party “marks a key step forward in the enlargement process” and added that Cyprus remains committed to supporting Montenegro on its path towards EU membership.
Response from Montenegro
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic thanked Christodoulides, saying “Cyprus is a committed friend of Montenegro and a strong supporter of EU enlargement”.
Milatovic said that since their last discussion on the issue, he was confident preparatory work for Montenegro’s accession treaty could begin during the Cyprus presidency, adding that “this is a joint effort and success”.
He also confirmed he will visit Cyprus on May 18.
Context on EU enlargement timeline
If Montenegro accedes to the EU, it would end the longest period between countries joining the bloc in over half a century. It has been almost 13 years since Croatia joined the EU in 2013, and in the intervening years, the United Kingdom has left the bloc.
The period is the longest since the 20 and a half years between the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 and the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the UK to the European Communities in 1973.
Status of EU applicants
Montenegro is one of ten countries which have applied to join the EU. Six—Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine—are currently negotiating candidates.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia are candidates yet to commence negotiations, with Georgia having suspended its application process. Turkey’s negotiations have been frozen since 2016. Kosovo, which the Republic of Cyprus does not recognise, applied to join the EU in 2022 but has not yet been designated a candidate.
What do you think the EU’s decision to begin drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty could mean for the bloc’s enlargement process?