Nov 4 - The European Union could conclude accession negotiations with Montenegro by the end of this year and could sign an accession treaty with the country as soon as June 2027, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
“For the first time since 2011, when the EU closed accession negotiations with Croatia, the EU is in a position to soon close accession negotiations with another candidate country, Montenegro,” the EU’s executive said in its annual enlargement policy report.
“This is testament to Montenegro’s sustained efforts to advance on the European path and implement the reforms needed to turn EU membership into reality,” it said, adding that “it considers that accession negotiations could realistically be closed by the end of 2026”.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout)