site.btaMontenegro Aims to Become EU's 28th Member by 2028, Says President Jakov Milatovic

Montenegro aims to become the 28th member of the European Union by 2028, which is "an ambitious but achievable goal," said Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic on Monday. He is currently on a two-day visit to Bulgaria. Milatovic held talks with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev at the Presidential Administration building, and the two leaders held a joint press conference following their meeting.

According to Milatovic, Montenegro is the most advanced country on its path to EU membership. The President expressed gratitude to Bulgaria for its support for Montenegro's European integration. He emphasized that relations between Bulgaria and Montenegro are excellent, but noted there is potential for further development, particularly in the economic field.

Both countries are NATO allies and share a common vision for security and stability both in the region and beyond. "Montenegro contributes to strengthening NATO's Eastern flank," Milatovic added.

In the presence of both presidents, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Institute of Marine Biology of Montenegro and the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute.

"We will soon sign three more important agreements—one on cooperation between our two chambers of commerce, another on sports cooperation, and a third on scientific and technical exchange," Milatovic said.

After the meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart, Radev said Bulgaria will continue its strong support for Montenegro's European perspective, especially on the basis of the recent successful results it has achieved on the road to its European membership, namely the closure of important negotiating chapters at the end of last year.