Montenegro and the EU met – at ministerial level – for the 11^th Stabilisation and Association Council. The meeting took take place in Podgorica, Montenegro.

This was the first time that the Stabilisation and Association Council meeting took place in the Western Balkans region. It underlined the European Union’s unequivocal commitment to the EU integration of the whole region and to the accession process of Montenegro.

Participants discussed the accession strategy – in particular in the light of the Commission’s Montenegro 2021 Report. Participants welcomed the progress made in the accession negotiations so far, with all 33 negotiating chapters opened, and three chapters provisionally closed.

The Stabilisation and Association Council also took stock of the bilateral relations under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and exchanged views on recent developments in Montenegro and in the Western Balkans.

The EU side strongly commended Montenegro’s full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, including EU restrictive measures following Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, and hailed this as a strong signal of the country’s strategic orientation and commitment to the goal of EU accession. Participants also welcomed the efforts already taken to implement the sanctions and encouraged to continue with the necessary steps to fully apply the restrictive measures adopted.

The European Union was represented by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi. Montenegro was represented by Prime Minister Dritan Abazović. The meeting was chaired by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell.