Ekaterina Zaharieva: If reform continues at the same pace, 2025 is a realistic point for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union.
03 April 2018 News
‘If reform continues at the same pace, 2025 is an entirely realistic point for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union. You have our full support on opening the remaining three negotiating chapters by the end of this year. Congratulations on signing the agreement to delimit your border with Kosovo,’ this is how Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva addressed Srdjan Darmanović, the Foreign Minister of Montenegro, whom she welcomed in Sofia today.
Minister Darmanović is in our country for a two-day visit on the invitation of Bulgaria’s highest-ranking diplomat.
‘I am grateful to Ekaterina Zaharieva for the help and support. I am convinced that our joint effort can yield results even earlier than 2025. The positive influence of the Bulgarian Presidency is already evident, and I am not saying this out of courtesy but because the Presidency has managed to put the topic of the Western Balkans high on the European agenda,’ the guest said.
Minister Zaharieva stated that Bulgaria had always been consistent in its position that the progress of any given country on its way to European integration should be founded on its own merits. ‘Yet again, Montenegro has demonstrated that it is a responsible neighbour. Here, in the Balkans, we have to show that we can deal with the matters that arise between us by ourselves,’ she highlighted when discussing the agreement on a common border between Kosovo and Montenegro.
Srdjan Darmanović expressed his gratitude for the support Bulgaria has lent his country when it comes to its European prospects, including at the level of experts. ‘It would not be an overstatement to say that Bulgaria has been among our most trusted friends on our European journey. We appreciate this, and we are very grateful,’ the Foreign Minister of Montenegro stated. ‘The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Borisov will serve to solidify our good, constructive relations,’ he added.
Within the framework of their meeting today, the two highest-ranking diplomats of the two countries also discussed the prospects for their countries’ trade and economic cooperation. Minister Zaharieva and Minister Darmanović agreed that effort needs to go into intensifying cooperation in the field of tourism. ‘My colleague and I discussed the possibility of establishing common tourist routes between Bulgaria and Montenegro for tourists coming from far way,’ Minister Zaharieva explained. She added that the two countries can be even more active in the field of the economy, and that they were partnering in the organization of a business forum.
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