Macron Encourages Montenegro on EU Path, Pledges French Support

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Montenegro to complete its reform process, offering strong encouragement and a pledge of support as the Balkan nation pursues European Union membership. During his visit to Cetinje, Macron emphasized France's commitment to assisting Montenegro in its EU accession journey.

"Have confidence, we will be by your side," Macron told his Montenegrin counterpart, Jakov Milatović. He praised Montenegro's progress over the past two years, describing it as "truly remarkable" and exceeding many expectations. Macron acknowledged the challenges inherent in the accession path, noting that "when one is engaged on such a difficult path, one always has a thousand reasons to say 'it's too hard' and one can then say: 'we can do nothing.'"

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Have confidence, we will be by your side in the coming months for you to progress and achieve the ambitions you have set.

Montenegro, considered the most advanced of the Western Balkan countries in its EU accession negotiations, hopes to conclude these talks within the current year and potentially become the 28th member state of the European Union by 2028. The last country to join the EU was Croatia in 2013.

The visit comes ahead of a summit between the EU and the Western Balkans, hosted by Montenegro. This event aims to underscore European support for the region's integration efforts, despite the often lengthy accession processes. France and Germany have jointly issued a document highlighting the need for "new momentum" in the enlargement process, while stressing the importance of "merit" and continued reforms by candidate countries. Potential measures discussed include "privileged access" to the EU's single market and observer status in EU meetings pending full membership.

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Believe in yourselves, have confidence in yourselves. All that you have accomplished over these past two years is truly remarkable, and much more than what many thought possible.