Accession Conference with Montenegro - International ministerial meetings
6 November 2026
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Council of the European Union European Council
Follow its sittings00:40 - 00:55
Speaker 1
Afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this press conference following today's EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference. We're joined by Ireland's Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, and the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić. I'll first give the floor to Minister Byrne.
00:55 - 02:32
Speaker 2
Thanks very much, and good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon, Prime Minister.
Today, Montenegro took another significant step on its EU path. It was a great pleasure to chair the 30th accession conference for Montenegro and to be joined by Prime Minister Spajić and by the Director-General for Enlargement, DG Koopman. The momentum of Montenegro towards EU membership is significant and very encouraging. The Council today confirmed that Montenegro is ready to close two additional negotiating chapters, namely chapter one on free movement of goods and chapter 12 on food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy. Montenegro has now closed 23 negotiating chapters, meaning two thirds of the negotiating chapters required.
So the goal of concluding technical negotiations during the Irish presidency is in sight. Nobody wants or indeed expects shortcuts in the process, but shortcomings in this process are not what we want or expect either. The Irish presidency remains determined to facilitate Montenegro's goal of closing all chapters by the end of the year, and we will work closely with Montenegro, with European Commission, and indeed with fellow member states to facilitate this goal. We cannot do it without the member states, and I'm very grateful for all of their work. This intergovernmental conference demonstrates that Montenegro's accession process is advancing at an impressive pace.
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