Montenegro Leads Western Balkans in Meeting EU Membership Criteria

During an official visit, Luxembourg Vice‑President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gzavije Betel said Montenegro is the fastest EU candidate to fulfil all accession criteria, stating, “You have fulfilled everything you promised… You are the fastest in fulfilling all criteria among candidate states.” He praised the country's progress and highlighted the importance of deepening bilateral economic ties between Luxembourg and Montenegro.

At the same time, Croatia has sent Montenegro a list of bilateral issues it expects to be resolved before the accession process can proceed smoothly. The demands cover missing persons from the wartime period, prosecution of war crimes, protection of property rights of Croatian citizens, cultural‑heritage matters, maritime border delimitation and the status of the school ship “Jadran”. Croatian officials note that they previously blocked the closure of a negotiating chapter, emphasizing that member states can set such conditions. Montenegro reaffirmed its commitment to EU integration and said it will address the outstanding questions through dialogue and in line with international law.