Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović addressed members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), where he outlined Montenegro’s key reform accomplishments and advancements on its journey toward full European Union membership.

In his address, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović emphasized that Montenegro continues to be the most advanced EU candidate country, asserting that European integration is a crucial institutional and political priority, widely endorsed by Parliament, political stakeholders, and—significantly—by over 80% of the populace.

Our dedication to EU integration is not just a matter of rhetoric; it is fundamentally anchored in public consensus and recognized as a strategic direction for our country. The reforms we are undertaking are not mere formalities—they are substantive, particularly in the realms of rule of law and institutional functioning, Ivanović asserted.

He pointed out notable recent successes under negotiation Chapters 23 and 24, including the passing of a constitutional amendment that removes the Minister of Justice from the Judicial Council—one of the key recommendations by the European Commission. In addition, Montenegro has successfully closed three more negotiation chapters.

Discussing foreign policy priorities, Ivanović highlighted Montenegro’s position as a dependable NATO ally, actively striving to bolster resilience against disinformation and foreign interference through investment in cybersecurity, media literacy, and civic education. In this context, he mentioned the establishment of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre in Podgorica, developed in collaboration with France and Slovenia.

During the session, numerous European Parliament members expressed robust support for Montenegro’s reform trajectory, praising the pace and seriousness of its initiatives.

Slovenian MEP and European Parliament Rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec, commended the country’s reform momentum, attributing it to the political will and accountability shown by the ruling coalition. He highlighted the significance of ongoing dialogue, even amidst political polarization and active opposition, and welcomed Montenegro’s consultations with the Venice Commission on constitutional amendments as a positive demonstration of institutional culture. Šarec also underscored the necessity of harmonizing local election timelines, ensuring media pluralism and freedom of expression, and maintaining transparency in international agreements, including the one with the United Arab Emirates.

Austrian MEP Reinhold Lopatka expressed satisfaction with the progress accomplished and welcomed the overwhelming public support for EU accession. He raised questions regarding challenges in the judiciary and the implementation of the European Commission’s recommendations in that area. Lopatka concluded that Montenegro has made substantial progress and stressed that European institutions must acknowledge and further bolster this commitment.

Other participating MEPs—including Michael Gahler (Germany), Nacho Sánchez Amor (Spain), António Tânger Corrêa (Portugal), Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza (Romania), Vladimir Prebilič (Slovenia), Alexander Sell (Germany), Thomas Waitz (Austria), Tsvetelina Penkova (Bulgaria), Željana Zovko (Croatia), Davor Ivo Stier (Croatia), and Tomislav Sokol (Croatia)—provided comments and posed questions. Their messages were largely positive, offering strong support for Montenegro’s European path while emphasizing the importance of ongoing reforms in rule of law, judiciary, media freedom, and transparency within the legislative and institutional framework.

Montenegro considers EU membership not as a reward but as the natural progression of a shared vision for a stable, resilient, and integrated Europe. Our objective is clear—to become the 28th member state of the European Union by 2028. I appreciate your support and the trust that we will continue to earn through responsible and consistent action, concluded DPM Ivanović.