German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Montenegro has fulfilled almost all the conditions for European Union membership, describing outstanding issues raised by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković as local matters that can be resolved.
Speaking at a press conference on the second day of the European Council meeting, Merz said the EU remained ready to welcome new members that meet the requirements for accession.
“Montenegro has fulfilled almost all the conditions,” Merz said, adding that the European Commission had been asked to begin drafting the country’s accession treaty.
“There are still a few minor local issues, which my colleague Plenković has also raised, but all of them are resolvable,” he said.
Merz described the previous evening’s discussion on Montenegro as constructive and said it demonstrated the EU’s continued commitment to enlargement.
“The European Union is not a ‘closed shop’, but an open union for all European countries that meet the conditions for membership and can therefore become members,” the German chancellor said.
His remarks signal support for Montenegro’s accession ambitions while acknowledging that certain bilateral issues with Croatia remain to be addressed.
