Montenegro could join EU as early as 2028, says Ursula von der Leyen

Montenegro, a leading candidate for European Union membership, could become a member as early as 2028, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to the country, according to TASS.

“You are determined to complete all chapters of EU accession negotiations next year. We support your goal of joining the 28-member bloc by 2028. We like your ambition,” von der Leyen said, effectively signaling that the European Commission would back Montenegro’s membership in 2028.

Montenegro was granted EU candidate status in 2010. At the time, it made significant efforts to separate its EU accession process from Serbia’s, which Brussels had initially intended to run in parallel for both countries.