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50 I Southeast Europe bne May 2023
Osmani, Albania’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhacka, Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Kreshnik Ahmeti and the foreign policy advisor to the prime minister of Montenegro. Djordje Radulovic.
"After the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, alignment with the CSDP, but even more broadly
with the positions and values of the democratic world, turned into one of the most important priorities of the countries aspiring for EU membership, but also as a clear message of where these countries belong," said Osmani, according to the statement.
“[Today] in #Skopje we launched #WB QUAD w/100% #CFSP alignment. Platform for closer coop. among the
countries w/ full compliance with the #EU CFSP, but also more broadly with the democratic values & principles,” he wrote on Twitter.
“An excellent initiative from Minister @ Bujar_O [Osmani]. We look forward to deepening our cooperation within the Western Balkans QUAD,” wrote Ahmeti on Twitter.
Montenegro expected to speed up EU membership talks as Milatovic takes presidency
Denitsa Koseva in Sofia
Montenegro is expected to
speed up reforms that will
help the country to join the European Union, after Jakov Milatovic, deputy leader of Europe Now, won the presidential election and ousted veteran politician Milo Djukanovic from power.
On April 2, Milatovic got around 60% of the votes amid high turnout of around 70%, ousting from power Djukanovic who ruled the country either as president or a prime minister for over three decades.
“Congratulations to the new president of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic! I look forward to working with you to speed up the necessary reforms on the EU path
of Montenegro,” the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi wrote on Twitter.
Europe Now, a party that was set up in spring 2022 by Milatovic and the party’s leader, Milojko Spajic, has made its
top priority to carry out key reforms that would speed up Montenegro’s EU accession and raise the living standard of the population.
Montenegro made progress towards EU membership under Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) for years, becoming the most advanced of the Western Balkan states on the
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accession path. However, the political turmoil of the last couple of years called progress to stall.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also congratulated Milatovic, writing on Twitter he expects the new president to work for Montenegro’s progress on the EU path.
“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with a Montenegro that is an active Nato ally, strongly committed to Euro-Atlantic values, including supporting Ukraine, aligning with sanctions against Russia, and rapidly progressing toward EU membership,”
the US embassy to Montenegro wrote after Milatovic’s election.
The expectation that Milatovic will push Montenegro towards the EU was also pointed out by Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman.
Meanwhile, the newly-elected president gave his first interview, to public broadcaster RTCG, saying he would focus on good relations with Montenegro’s neighbours, as well as on unifying the divided people within the country.
"My priority is internal reconciliation in Montenegro. I shall do what depends on
After winning the presidential election Jakov Milatovic says his first foreign trip will be to Brussels. / Europe Now