Montenegro moves one step closer to EU membership

Montenegro, an official candidate for European Union membership since 2010, is aiming to become the bloc’s 28th member by 2028.

The country made further progress in its accession process this week after existing EU members agreed to begin work on an accession treaty for the small Balkan state.

Minister for European Affairs Maida Gorčević said that, alongside the closing of negotiation chapters, preparation of the accession treaty marks “the final stage of a 14-year marathon on the road to the EU.”

Montenegro, together with Albania, has been among the leading candidates to join the bloc since Croatia became a member in 2013.

Montenegro currently has a unique relationship with the EU, as it unilaterally adopted the Euro as its currency despite not being part of the eurozone.

Source: AFP / BBC News