The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, said after talks with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb on Monday that he strongly advocates faster integration with the EU for his country and that he seeks greater support by Zagreb for those efforts.

Milatovic believes Montenegro’s imminent membership of the EU would send a “positive signal” to the rest of the region, calling on Zagreb to extend greater support to Podgorica in Brussels and noting that Croatia’s political support had not always been strong.

“I believe it is in Croatia’s interest for the EU border to move southwards,” Milatovic said, stressing that he strongly advocates “a faster European journey for Montenegro.”

President Milanovic said that he had been supporting Montenegro’s accession to the EU for years and that he would continue doing so.

“Countries that were admitted to NATO, like Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia, and whose admission to the EU is, in a way, being delayed, are countries that are knowingly being sacrificed,” Milanovic said at a joint news conference with the visiting Montenegrin president.

How is it possible for NATO member countries with armies whose level is adequate for NATO “to still be not even close to the EU”, Milanovic said.

Milatovic arrived in Croatia on Monday for a two-day official visit, his first visit to an EU member country since he was elected President and was sworn in in May.

Montenegro at a crossroads

Milatovic said that Montenegro “is at a crossroads as to whether it will become fully governed by the rule of law”, noting that he advocates the formation of a broad coalition government.

“I am not sure how much those who have made Montenegro a lawless country can help it return to the path of rule of law and in that sense, I am advocating a broad government,” the Montenegrin president said.

Asked by reporters if he owed something to the pro-Serbian coalition “For the future of Montenegro”, which has won 13 seats in the parliament, Milatovic said that there was no connection whatsoever between him and that coalition and that his only goal “is a stable government that will ensure the necessary judicial reforms.”

Since the last parliamentary election in Montenegro, ethnic Croats in that country have their representative in the parliament – Croat Civic Initiative leader Adrijan Vuksanovic, and Milatovic expressed hope Vuksanovic, too, would become a member of the new government.

President Milanovic said he expected a stable and functional Montenegrin government that would pursue the country’s European course, as the previous one had.

“We will help as much as we can,” Milanovic said, warning Podgorica that “not everything is good that comes from Brussels” and advising it to look for its own solutions where possible, ones that are appropriate to Montenegro’s geography and society.

Milatovic said that he came to Zagreb “to visit friends as a friend”, and invited Milanovic to pay a return visit to Montenegro.

He said that he would like to see “the first joint session of the Croatian and Montenegrin governments” once the new government in Podgorica was formed, and that Montenegro was willing to discuss outstanding issues and strengthening economic cooperation.

Trade between the two countries amounted to €316 million in 2022, 32% more than in 2021, according to data from the Croatian national statistical office, with Croatian exports significantly exceeding imports from Montenegro.

Croatian companies are important investors in Montenegro, having invested €294 million so far.