Key facts
- Croatia has presented eight demands to Montenegro concerning wartime grievances.
- Croatia is blocking Montenegro's progress in four EU accession chapters: transport, foreign relations, fundamental rights, and home affairs.
- Croatia seeks compensation for around 300 Croatian nationals detained at the Morinj prison camp in Montenegro.
- Zagreb wants Montenegro to help locate the remains of 14 people still missing from Croatia's war of independence.
- Croatia demands command responsibility for war crimes committed at Morinj be considered in cases of convicted war criminals.
- Croatia seeks the return of the Jadran, a sail training ship controlled by Montenegro since 1991.
Croatia's wartime grievances are threatening Montenegro's aspirations to join the European Union by 2028, according to a document sent to EU governments. Zagreb has outlined eight demands that Podgorica must address before its accession process can move forward.
Montenegro is considered a frontrunner for EU membership, with hopes of becoming the bloc's 28th member within four years. However, long-standing disputes with Croatia, many originating from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, could derail this timeline. Croatia stated that while it wishes to move past this "painful chapter," genuine reconciliation requires resolving these issues.
Montenegro recently advanced its EU bid by completing negotiations in three policy areas: statistics, economic policy, and employment, bringing its total to 21 out of 33 chapters. Nevertheless, Croatia is actively blocking progress in four other areas: transport, foreign relations, fundamental rights, and home affairs. As each EU member state has a vote in accession talks, Croatia wields significant influence over Montenegro's membership bid.
The grievances detailed in the document include demands for compensation for approximately 300 Croatian nationals who were detained and mistreated at the Morinj prison camp in Montenegro between October 1991 and August 1992. Croatia also insists that a memorial plaque at the former camp remain visible, despite protests from Montenegrin nationalist groups that led to a metal frame being installed around it.
Furthermore, Croatia is seeking assistance from Montenegro in locating the remains of 14 individuals still missing from Croatia's war of independence, labeling it a "major humanitarian issue." Zagreb also wants command responsibility for war crimes against civilians at Morinj to be considered in the prosecution of already convicted war criminals.
Property disputes dating back to the early 1990s, involving Croatian families allegedly deprived of their property without adequate compensation, are another point of contention. Croatia also raised concerns about a 2021 law enabling land restitution in an Albanian-minority region, suggesting unequal treatment in comparable cases.
Croatia is also demanding the return of the Jadran, a sail training ship that has been under Montenegrin control since Yugoslavia's dissolution in 1991. Finally, Zagreb seeks a resolution to territorial disputes concerning both the land and maritime borders, in accordance with the Arbitration Commission of the Conference on Yugoslavia.