Zagreb, 17 December 2024 (Hina/MIA) — Montenegro closed three negotiation chapters on Monday, doubling the number of closed chapters in the EU accession negotiations that began in 2012.

At an intergovernmental accession conference, Montenegro concluded negotiations on the chapters Intellectual Property Law, Information Society and Media, and Enterprise and Industrial Policy.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić expressed hope at a press conference that Montenegro could close all remaining chapters within the next two years.

Montenegro had previously closed only three chapters, with the last one in June 2017. Montenegro applied for EU membership in 2008 and opened its accession negotiations in June 2012. To date, it has opened all chapters of the acquis.

The EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, promised support for Montenegro’s efforts to close the remaining chapters, saying that Monday's intergovernmental conference proved that enlargement was a merit-based process.

The chapter Foreign, Security, and Defense Policy was also technically ready to be closed, but Croatia withheld its consent for closing it.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said that it was not a blockade and that Croatia had strongly supported Montenegro since it began its EU accession process.

However, he added, there were issues that were not of a bilateral nature, but rather humanitarian and civilizational, and therefore universal.

"Croatia will certainly not use bilateral issues as a condition for Montenegro’s European path, but the matter of missing persons during the Homeland War and compensation for camp detainees are issues that should concern all of us within the European Union, not just Croatia," said Grlić Radman.

Last month, Croatia sent Montenegro a non-paper requesting the resolution of several outstanding issues that strain their relations.

According to diplomatic sources, the document says the two countries need to resolve issues such as the ownership of the training ship Jadran; border demarcation; prosecution of war crimes; locating missing persons; and the matter of the name of a Kotor swimming pool named after former water polo player Zoran Gopčević, whom Croatia claims was a guard at the Morinj detention camp.

Montenegro's President Jakov Milatović, in an X post published on Tuesday morning, said the closing of the chapters was "an important moment for Montenegro."

"Three negotiation chapters have been closed, which signals the European Union's commitment to Montenegro on its path towards full membership," Milatović wrote.

"At the same time, this is a chance to face the question why we are witnessing today this outcome that is below our expectations," he added.

"The reason for this outcome is obvious," Montenegro's president pointed out. "1. Our government's insufficient commitment to our EU agenda; 2. Damaging our relations with the Republic of Croatia." ha/mr