Croatia makes Montenegro’s accession to the European Union conditional

Croatia is asking Montenegro to resolve several historical disputes and bilateral issues before the conclusion of its accession negotiations with the European Union. Zagreb says it supports its neighbor's integration, but is requesting progress in the chapters concerning the judiciary, fundamental rights, foreign policy, security, and defense.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated, ahead of a debate on EU enlargement, that some of the issues have been on the discussion agenda for two years without significant progress. Croatia is requesting, among other things, compensation for Croats detained at the Morinj camp during the wars of the 1990s, the preservation of a commemorative plaque, and the renaming of a swimming pool in Kotor associated with a former camp guard.

The requests also include investigating war crimes committed during the Croatian War of Independence, as well as continuing negotiations on the common border.

Montenegro aims to become the 28th EU member state by 2028. The country has provisionally closed 21 of the 33 negotiating chapters and is considered the candidate with the greatest progress in the current enlargement process. So far, Croatia has not opposed the advancement of the negotiations.

Read also Latvia's prime minister proposes that Europeans give up one beer a year to finance Ukraine's defense