Bulgaria, Montenegro sign air cooperation deal

Minister of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria Grozdan Karadjov and Montenegro Transport Minister Maja Vukicevic signed an aviation cooperation agreement in Montenegro, the Ministry of Transport and Communications press service said, CE Report quotes BTA.

The signing took place during Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s official visit to the country. Zhelyazkov led the delegation, which also included Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh and Health Minister Silvi Kirilov.

The signing marked the beginning of collaborative efforts to establish a direct air route between the two countries.

“This is the first important step towards launching a direct air link between our two countries, and our ambition is to make it a reality as soon as possible,” Karadjov said.

A joint expert working group has already been set up to prepare the route, involving the transport ministries, aviation authorities, airport operators, and an airline from the Montenegrin side.

During the bilateral meeting, Karadjov stressed that Bulgaria would provide full support to any airline wishing to operate direct flights between the two countries.

“Bulgarian airport operators offer incentive schemes for air carriers launching new destinations. Carriers from Montenegro could benefit from these incentives,” Karadjov added.

The two ministers discussed enhancing regional transport connectivity, prioritizing the acceleration of infrastructure projects. The Bulgarian side shared its experience with the concession of transport infrastructure assets, such as ports and airports, which may benefit Montenegrin partners.

At a joint briefing and signing ceremony in Podgorica on Monday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov reaffirmed Bulgaria’s steadfast backing for Montenegro’s EU path, arguing that Podgorica has met the negotiating-chapter requirements and could complete accession as early as end-2026; he noted there are no outstanding bilateral issues and, as NATO allies, both countries align on regional and European priorities.

Zhelyazkov prioritized “connectivity” (quick wins via air links, multi-country route packages with carriers from Turkiye, Armenia, Georgia, Greece and Romania) and a common digital/energy market leveraging the Italy–Montenegro subsea cable and new infrastructure. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said all chapters should close by end-next-year and accession by 2028 would be historic, citing 70-80% public support and calling for easier two-way travel; he also argued euro adoption would benefit Bulgaria. Montenegro has been an EU candidate since 2010, with talks since 2012.