Kos: Montenegro could reach the final stage of accession talks during the Irish Presidency

LUXEMBOURG – Montenegro could reach the final stage of its EU accession negotiations during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, provided continues delivering on its commitments and maintains support of EU institutions and member states, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said.

Kos made the remarks ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where an Intergovernmental Conference between the EU and Montenegro is being held today, alongside conferences with Ukraine and Moldova.

Kos stated that two additional negotiating chapters would be provisionally closed with Montenegro today, bringing the total number of closed chapters to 16.

“That is roughly half of the work Montenegro still needs to complete”, Kos said. She added that she just returned from Ireland, which will assume the next rotating Presidency and expressed confidence that, if the European Commission, Montenegro, and the member states continue working together to meet the necessary requirements, the accession negotiations could be brought to a close during the Ireland’s Presidency or by its conclusion.

Kos stressed that enlargement has become one of the EU’s most important foreign policy instruments.

“In the past 16 or 17 months, we have achieved more than we did in the previous 15 years”, she said.

Kos described today as an important day for the EU’s enlargement policy, noting that Ukraine and Moldova are set to make their most significant step forward since obtaining candidate status in 2023 by opening their first negotiation cluster.