Montenegro hosts EU‑Western Balkans summit as Serbia pushes EU accession

Montenegro successfully organized the EU‑Western Balkans summit in Tivat on 5 June, with officials praising the country's security and logistical capabilities. Deputy Prime Minister for Security Aleksa Bečić said the event demonstrated Montenegro’s reliability as a host and its progress toward EU membership by 2028. Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović highlighted the coordinated work of police, military and other agencies.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attended the summit, holding bilateral talks with EU leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merkel. Vučić expressed Serbia’s support for the “non‑paper” proposal advocated by Macron and Merkel to accelerate Serbia’s EU accession process.

Serbian parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabić responded to Montenegrin media claims that Vučić lacked trust from European officials, noting his numerous high‑level meetings and citing Macron’s positive remarks about Vučić’s work for Serbia.