Montenegrin President addresses European Parliament on EU accession

On Tuesday, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg regarding his country's bid for EU membership. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola welcomed him, describing Montenegro as a leader in the current enlargement process. Milatovic stated that Montenegro is prepared to become the 28th member state of the European Union. He highlighted that the country has opened all 33 negotiation chapters and provisionally closed 16 of them. Furthermore, he noted that the Council has initiated work on a draft accession treaty. However, the President acknowledged that further progress is required, specifically in the areas of rule of law, the strengthening of independent institutions, and public administration reform. He emphasized that these reforms are essential for Montenegro to align its future with the European Union.