US envoy praises Montenegro’s anti-corruption efforts

Montenegro has made progress in the fight against corruption and organized crime, and I believe that the Montenegrin government can fulfill all tasks in order to close all negotiation chapters with the European Union (EU) by the end of the year, said the Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to Montenegro, Judy Rising Reinke.

Reinke said that progress can be seen through NATO membership and EU accession talks, adding that Montenegro consistently contributes positively to NATO and is now more aligned than ever with its obligations within the Alliance, CE Report quotes FENA.

The US ambassador emphasized that EU membership is the goal of the vast majority of Montenegrin citizens, recalling that when she assumed her post as ambassador, the negotiations were in full swing but the process was moving slowly.

“Over the past few years, as it became clear that there is a national consensus for Montenegro to join the EU, even amid political debates, the current government has been moving very quickly to complete mechanisms, reforms, and all technical aspects of the process,” Reinke said in an interview with Montenegrin media at the end of her seven-year mandate in Montenegro.

According to her, it is clear that the process is difficult and that these are not easy reforms, but they will lead to better functioning of the government, state processes, and society as a whole.

Reinke believes that there is full commitment in Montenegro to concluding EU accession negotiations and stresses that all stakeholders should set aside other issues and work together to achieve the important goal of EU membership.

Montenegro submitted its application for EU membership in December 2008, accession negotiations began in June 2012, and so far it has closed 12 of the 35 negotiation chapters.

In December, Montenegro closed five chapters, including key ones on public procurement, free movement of capital, and rural development, which was assessed as a turning point ahead of entering a new phase of negotiations and transforming the country from a candidate into a serious contender for membership.

For Montenegro, 2026 is a key year, as the country will face challenges especially in Chapters 23 and 24, which relate to the rule of law, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption. There is also Chapter 31, which covers foreign, security, and defense policy, the closure of which has been blocked by Croatia.

Zagreb stated at the time that it was not blocking Montenegro, but that there were “open issues” that needed to be resolved, including the ship Jadran, border demarcation, missing persons, and the prosecution of war crimes.

According to the European Commission’s regular annual report on the progress of candidate countries for EU membership, Montenegro has made the greatest progress, and Montenegrin authorities aim to complete negotiations by the end of 2026, which would imply official EU membership in 2028.

Photo: HINA