The Greek government is exploring ways to accelerate Montenegro’s accession to the European Union during its presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2027, as part of a broader strategy for the Western Balkans.
Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis is visiting Podgorica on Friday to discuss Montenegro’s EU path with his counterpart, Ervin Ibrahimović, and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
Greece will assume the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2027. According to government sources, the aim is to help at least one Western Balkan country join the EU.
Athens hopes to build on the key role it played during its 2003 EU Presidency in preparing the Union’s largest post-Cold War enlargement, which took place the following year. George Tzogopoulos, a senior fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), told Euractiv that Greece sees an opportunity to revive its enlargement legacy.
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Officials in Athens believe that Montenegro, which opened accession negotiations in 2012, represents a more realistic candidate for membership than other EU hopefuls such as Serbia or Albania. They also argue that Montenegro’s population of around 600,000 would entail relatively low economic and political costs for the Union.
Podgorica has branded its membership drive “28 by 28” – a pledge to become the EU’s 28th member state by 2028. In an interview with Euractiv on Thursday, Montenegro’s Minister for European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, said the country should not have to wait much longer for full membership.
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However, Athens is examining ways to bring forward the timetable and facilitate Montenegro’s accession by the end of 2027, during its EU Presidency, local media report.
EU leaders are due to discuss enlargement at a summit in Brussels on Friday. However, not all member states are keen to accelerate the process, particularly with regard to the Western Balkans.
“Theoretically, everybody agrees that the region belongs in the EU, but when discussions turn to practical steps, several governments raise obstacles, often citing technical issues and concerns about the accession methodology,” an EU diplomat told Euractiv.
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Source:
www.euractiv.com