During his official trip to Japan, Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić participated in an exclusive interview with NIKKEI (Nihon Keizai Shimbun), Japan’s leading economic daily and the parent company of the Financial Times. In this interview, Prime Minister Spajić addressed the government’s achievements and future initiatives, as well as Montenegro’s stance on significant global issues.

He highlighted that Montenegro’s foremost goal is to finalize its integration into the European Union as swiftly as possible.

We aim to complete the EU accession negotiations by 2026 and aspire to become the 28th member state of the European Union by 2028. In just the past year and a half, we have made remarkable advancements. Although over 20 chapters are still open, I am confident that we will finalize the negotiations on schedule. The contrast between a market of 500 million people like the EU and our current market of about 500,000 is immense. This makes access to the EU single market vital for Montenegro’s economic future, the Prime Minister stated.

The interview underscores that Montenegro’s distinctive ethnic diversity positions it uniquely in fostering regional stability and encouraging good neighboring relations within the Western Balkans. Montenegro could function as a bridge for further EU integration in the region.

There is no absolute ethnic majority in Montenegro—approximately 41% are Montenegrins, nearly 32% are Serbs, with Bosniaks, Albanians, and others comprising the rest. If Montenegro joins the EU, it has the potential to be a genuine bridge to other Balkan nations, he remarked.

Prime Minister Spajić also voiced strong endorsement for the collaboration between Japan and NATO, referring to Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand as “partners with shared values” in the Indo-Pacific region. He reiterated Montenegro’s full support for Japan-NATO partnership, calling Japan “Europe’s greatest ally.”

In discussing global peace and security, Prime Minister Spajić highlighted the significance of the Japanese concept of “Ba” (場), rooted in Kitaro Nishida’s philosophy and Ikujiro Nonaka’s management theories. This concept underscores the importance of interpersonal relationships and harmonious coexistence.

In Mediterranean cultures, confrontations can be frequent, yet in Japan, I learned how every individual can share their perspective while maintaining harmony and cooperation, stated Spajić.

The article also notes that Prime Minister Spajić lived in Japan for five years. As a recipient of a Japanese Government scholarship, he studied for a year at Osaka University before earning his economics degree from Saitama University in 2012. He subsequently completed a Master’s degree from HEC Paris and is fluent in Japanese. The piece also mentions that on May 28, Prime Minister Spajić held an official meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, conducted in Japanese.