Pellegrini Urges EU to Stop Hesitating over Enlargement, Praises Montenegro (2)

Cetinje, 30 May (TASR-correspondent) – During his visit to Montenegro on Friday, President Peter Pellegrini called on the European Union to move beyond hesitation and promises regarding candidate countries, praised Montenegro's significant progress toward EU membership and expressed full support, TASR learnt the news from its special correspondent. His Montenegrin counterpart Jakov Milatovic stressed the need for a strong push in the EU's enlargement process and expressed interest in strengthening political and economic ties with Slovakia, Milatovic also announced the resumption of direct flights between Podgorica and Bratislava during the summer season. "Sometimes in the EU, we witness unfair and domestic political battles. That's why it's important for me to see that the EU remains an attractive project for the people of Montenegro and that its accession still enjoys strong public support. The EU can't go on endlessly hesitating and making promises without delivering results. Otherwise, this positive attitude among the public could be lost forever," said Pellegrini at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Cetinje. Montenegro officially applied for EU membership in 2008, two years after declaring independence from Serbia, with which it had previously formed a single state. EU entry talks began in 2012, and so far Montenegro has completed six of the 33 chapters. Among the candidate countries, Montenegro is currently the closest to EU membership, aiming to achieve this goal by 2028. According to Pellegrini, Slovakia and Montenegro currently share exceptional and friendly relations based on historical ties. The leaders also discussed NATO and the issue of increasing military spending to above 2 percent of GDP. Pellegrini stated that Slovakia would prefer to include as many dual-use items as possible, such as building or renovating hospitals and upgrading road and rail infrastructure. He and Milatovic agreed that in defence matters, focusing solely on GDP percentages is insufficient and that a more detailed analysis of how the funds could be used is needed. After the press conference, the presidents symbolically planted a lime tree, the tree of friendship, in the garden of the Presidential Palace. They then moved on to Podgorica, where they will speak at the Montenegro–Slovakia business forum. During bilateral meetings, the Slovak president will also meet Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanovic and European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic. lin/df