During their visit to Montenegro, European diplomats, members of the EU Council's Working Party on Enlargement, and members of the Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA), will hold a series of meetings with state officials and representatives of key institutions responsible for Montenegro's EU accession process, as well as representatives of civil society organisations.

In a statement regarding the COELA members' visit, the newly appointed European Union Ambassador to Montenegro, Johann Sattler, said that this is the first major visit taking place just a few days after the start of his mandate. He explained that these diplomats are responsible for the enlargement process, overseeing Montenegro's EU accession process, and monitoring progress on the reform path, as well as the quality of laws and regulations.

Copyright: Evropska kuća

“Why is this visit important? It's important for two main things. First of all, Montenegro has shown that it can move. I was very happy to see, when I was still outside of Montenegro, that you passed the so-called IBAR test. The IBAR, as everybody knows in this country so far, was a very important test because it's all about the rule of law, judiciary, and very important laws that were passed. And that's why now this is a good momentum and I call on all stakeholders in the country, government, but also in the opposition. The EU enlargement is an overall societal process in using the momentum and moving forward. The second important thing is that it’s also a good moment because the European Union is ready for the new members. My boss, my big boss, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, speaks about the call of history to complete the European Union. This is something where Montenegro can show the way,” said Ambassador Sattler.