Blanar Offers Slovakia's EU-accession Experience to Montenegro

Podgorica, 2 October (TASR-correspondent) - Slovakia supports full-fledged membership of the European Union (EU) for every state, whether they are from the Western Balkans or the Eastern Partnership, provided that they meet the necessary conditions, stated Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) after talks between the foreign ministers of the Austerlitz Format (S3: Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and their partners in Montenegro, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on Friday. Blanar also offered Slovakia's experience with the final phase of EU-accession negotiations to Montenegro. According to him, Montenegro technically meets all the parameters based on pre-accession rules and is entering the final stage of the integration process. However, there are obstacles that aren't entirely related to the process. "These are remnants of historical issues in this region, so it's necessary to understand them and seek ways to resolve them somehow," he said. According to Blanar, Slovakia shares close ties with Montenegro. "The Slovak Republic has been present here since Montenegro gained independence because our diplomats were responsible for conducting the independence referendum," he recalled. "As was the case with Slovakia and the Czech Republic when we split, we want us to be together in the same European Union family," he added. On Friday, the S3 foreign ministers held talks with Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic, who emphasised that Podgorica hopes to complete all the EU-accession chapters by the end of this year. Montenegro has so far completed 18 out of 33 chapters, while the government's ambition is to complete the entire accession process in 2028. The ministers stressed that the integration of Western Balkan candidate countries is important for Europe's security. "There's no secure Europe without a secure Western Balkans region," said Ibrahimovic. Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated that there's no vacuum in geopolitics. "Without the EU being here, another actor will step in. We must therefore ask ourselves: do we want to leave this space in Europe open to foreign interference, foreign actors and foreign companies, or do we want to make sure that the Western Balkans is a stable part of Europe?" she said. According to Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, the Western Balkans region is a strategic priority for both the Czech Republic and the S3 countries. A stable, secure and prosperous region is crucial for the security and future of Europe as a whole, he said, praising Montenegro's progress in the accession process while pointing to the importance of maintaining the current pace. The Czech minister recalled that during his country's accession process it was important to have someone within the EU who would stand up for it. "I'd like to assure you that you have such a partner in my country - and I'm convinced that the same applies to the other countries of the Austerlitz Format as well," he told his Montenegrin counterpart. jrg/df