Montenegro pledges good‑faith dialogue with Croatia to resolve bilateral issues ahead of EU accession

Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will continue to address all open bilateral questions with Croatia through an open, responsible and good‑faith dialogue, reaffirming the two NATO allies’ shared goal of EU membership. Croatia’s foreign ministry warned that decisive steps are needed, noting the EU’s clear stance that bilateral disputes must not impede accession. Unresolved topics include compensation for former prisoners of the Morinj camp, searches for 14 missing war‑era persons, prosecution of war crimes, property claims of Croatian families, preservation of a memorial plaque at the former Morinj camp, a proposed name change of a pool in Kotor, maritime border discussions and the return of the school ship Jadran. Montenegro highlighted recent progress such as the donation of the “Josip Marković” cultural house, the revival of an inter‑governmental committee for minority protection, and active work on missing persons, war‑crime trials, border issues and the Jadran ship.

Montenegro’s chief EU negotiator Predrag Zenović said no major obstacles threaten the accession timetable, aiming to close negotiation chapters by the end of 2026 and join the EU in 2028. An Euronews analysis noted that Montenegro’s accession cost of about €3.2 billion – less than €1 per EU citizen per year – could set a precedent for financing future enlargements and may complicate EU budget negotiations.