Montenegro could complete accession talks with the European Union as early as next year if political consensus holds, its foreign minister said on Saturday, while Croatia’s top diplomat cautioned that outstanding bilateral disputes must be resolved before membership.
“Membership is an unstoppable process. We can finish negotiations next year because everything depends on us,” Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović told a panel at the 2BS security forum in Budva. “It is important that we have consensus on the EU path, and I believe we will be the next member state.”
Ibrahimović said Montenegro’s biggest challenges lay in domestic politics rather than in obstacles from Brussels. He added that Podgorica would host the European Process Summit next year to showcase its commitment.
Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, speaking at the same panel, said enlargement must not be reduced to dates and numbers, stressing that Montenegro should enter the bloc free of unresolved disputes with its neighbours.
“If we have pebbles in our shoes, we should remove them before walking into the Union,” Grlić Radman said. “Every country should join the EU unburdened by bilateral questions. That is better than trying to solve them within the EU.”
He pointed to issues still pending between Zagreb and Podgorica, including compensation for wartime detainees, the fate of missing persons, and the status of the naval training ship Jadran, which both countries claim. “This is not only about finances but also about moral categories and the rule of law,” he said.
Borut Pahor, Slovenia’s former president, voiced optimism, saying he would be surprised if Montenegro were not admitted by 2028. “Brussels needs Montenegro,” Pahor said, noting that EU enlargement has shifted from a merit-based approach to one shaped by geopolitics after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Still, he warned that regional stability remains fragile, citing Russia’s influence and the “Serbian World” concept as risks. “Why has the enlargement process dragged on for 25 years? The Balkans cannot remain a black hole,” he said.
Grlić Radman praised Montenegro’s government as pro-European but underscored that reforms, minority rights, and stronger institutions remained essential. “EU membership is a demanding job, but it pays off,” he said, citing Croatia’s own accession in 2013 as proof of the economic and institutional benefits.