The Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Francophone centrist) is on a week-long mission to the Western Balkans. The first country on Mr Prévot’s itinerary is Montenegro. Montenegro is widely regarded as the Balkan country furthest along in the EU accession process. The country aims to join the European Union by 2028
During what is his first visit to Montenegro, Mr Prévot praised the proactive approach of the country's government. Speaking during a visit to the luxury resort of Luštica Bay in the south of the country, Mr Prévot said "Montenegro has implemented its reform agenda at a brisk pace”. Luštica Bay is being developed by Belgian construction group Besix.
The Belgian Foreign Minister was subsequently received at Villa Gorica in the country’s capital Podgorica. There he met with Montenegro's Foreign minister Ervin Ibrahimović. "I am here to deliver a message of strong support. Your future lies in the EU. You are already a member of the European family and that is where your future lies. That future is near and will become a reality”, Mr Prévot said.
The Montenegrin Foreign Minister said that Belgium's "constant and principled support is a significant encouragement for the reform process."
More progress still required
However, Mr Prévot stressed that in order to realise its ambitions of EU membership, Montenegro still needs to make progress on judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime and the resolution of bilateral disputes, including those it has with Croatia.
The Belgian Foreign Minister also stressed the need for the EU to reform its internal decision-making. "We must pay attention to the Balkan countries if we want them to look more towards Brussels than Moscow at a geopolitical level, despite the hybrid threats, disinformation and hidden agendas. But if we cannot vote by qualified majority, if we do not relax the unanimity rule, then enlargement makes no sense."
Next stop on Mr Prévot’s Balkan mission is Serbia. Serbia is also a candidate country for EU membership. However, it is considerably further behind than Montenegro in the accession process.