EU frontrunner Montenegro ready to help Ukraine with reforms
"Believe me, this is not an easy process at all," Montenegro's European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic said, expressing solidarity with the EU reform work still to be done by Ukraine.
Montenegro, a small Western Balkan country on the verge of EU membership, is eager to assist Ukraine in reforming its rule of law to meet EU membership requirements, according to European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic. Montenegro is on track to become the EU's newest member state and aims to finalize all remaining negotiating chapters by the end of 2026. The country is currently drafting an accession treaty and is preparing to close all remaining negotiation chapters by the end of 2026.
Gorcevic highlighted that while the reforms Montenegro is undertaking for its own membership are not for Brussels, they are for their citizens. She also noted the challenges of passing these reforms, describing them as "not easy," "not popular," and "not easy to understand." Montenegro has signed memoranda of cooperation with Ukraine, Moldova, and Albania to help these countries advance their reforms.
The agreement with Ukraine, signed in March, includes provisions for expert support in rule of law, judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, public administration reform, and economic criteria. Montenegro expects to close two more negotiation chapters by September and the rest by the end of December, while Ukraine aims to open all 33 chapters by the end of 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
