EU leaders surprised by Croatian minister's remarks in Montenegro

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos were reportedly surprised by statements made by Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman during a visit to Montenegro.

While in Morinj, Grlić Radman raised the issue of the succession of military assets from the former Yugoslavia (SFRY), which Zagreb estimates to be worth more than $2.7 billion. He also publicly questioned the speed at which certain negotiation chapters for Montenegro's EU accession are being closed.

Montenegrin officials reportedly conveyed their arguments regarding the succession issue to Kos and von der Leyen, noting the attempt to raise bilateral issues during the final stages of Montenegro's European integration process. The timing of these remarks coincided with the Berlin Process meeting of foreign ministers.