Kos and Costa in action: Brussels is trying to bring Montenegro back onto the European path
Although the accession treaty with Montenegro will most likely not be finalized by the end of the year, Brussels is making additional diplomatic efforts to make up for Montenegro’s slowdown in European integration.
The upcoming visit of EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to Podgorica next week, as well as the invitation from European Council President António Costa to Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović to visit Brussels tomorrow and the day after, are part of Brussels’ strategy to ensure Montenegro does not lose its position as a frontrunner in EU integration.
- In the European Commission, closing only two chapters instead of the planned five by the end of the first quarter is seen as an alarming sign that Montenegro is deviating from its EU accession plan. The recent actions of the President of the Montenegrin Parliament, Andrija Mandić, his visit to Banja Luka and meeting with the pro-Russian and anti-European-oriented Milorad Dodik regarding the Berlin Process, are perceived in Brussels as a deliberate obstruction of Montenegro’s European path - a European Commission source told TV E.
Metsola is ignoring Mandić
In Brussels, there is a clear stance on the political role of Andrija Mandić, which is why European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has been ignoring all of Mandić’s requests for meetings, and for now there is no invitation for the Montenegrin parliamentary speaker to visit Brussels.
Therefore, during her two-day visit to Montenegro, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos will hold a specific meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, aiming for Mandić to publicly demonstrate - genuine, not merely rhetorical - commitment to Montenegro’s path toward the European Union.
In addition to meeting with Mandić, Commissioner Kos will also have a separate meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić. The goal is to define steps that will clarify Montenegro’s roadmap for the coming months.
As part of that effort, the commissioner will also hold her first meeting with Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović.
- I am very pleased to highlight that on March 26, Marta Kos will be in Podgorica, and that on that day I will have a working meeting and a short walk through Podgorica with her and the European Union Ambassador to Montenegro, Johann Sattler. I consider this a privilege and strong support for Podgorica and for me as mayor to continue the uncompromising and non-calculative development of the city - Mujović told Dan.
Visit to Botun avoided
According to information from Television E, it was initially announced from Brussels that Commissioner Kos would visit the construction site of the wastewater treatment plant in Botun.
Following a 150 million euros EU grant for financing the construction of the Mateševo–Andrijevica section of the Bar–Boljare highway, the European Commission has allocated one of its largest donations to Montenegro for the construction of the wastewater treatment plant - 33 million euros in grants.
Sources from the European Commission stated that the visit to Botun by Commissioner Marta Kos, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, and Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović will not take place after all. Due to potential protests by supporters of the Democratic People’s Party of Milan Knežević, it was decided not to raise political tensions.
Instead of visiting Botun, Commissioner Kos, Mayor Mujović, and EU Ambassador in Podgorica Johann Sattler will ceremonially present a project for a riverside promenade and bicycle path along the Morača River, which is intended to connect Duklja with the Lješkopolje area of Gorica.
- It will symbolically represent Podgorica’s path toward the European Union - said Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović.