The United States envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said on Monday in Podgorica that the US supports Montenegro’s path towards the European Union, while drawing attention to Russia’s negative influence in the region.
Escobar said that opportunities long blocked for EU enlargement have opened up since the beginning of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“We must ensure that Montenegro remains the next candidate and member of the European Union,” Escobar said after meeting with Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
“My argument for the European Union is that if you have seen how Montenegro has operated within NATO, then you can expect Montenegro to be the next member of the European Union,” Escobar said, emphasizing that every country that joins the EU is richer and more democratic.
The American official warned against what he described as “Russia’s negative influence in the region” and praised Montenegro’s “extraordinary and positive” role within NATO.
The six countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia – are at various stages of the EU integration process, following a period of wars and crises that hit the region during the 1990s. Following the start of the war in Ukraine, European and American officials have been working to keep these countries away from Kremlin influence.
Despite Russia’s opposition, Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 and has been striving for membership in the European Union.
Montenegro is deeply divided between pro-Western forces and those supporting closer ties with neighboring Serbia and Russia. The deadlock had hindered progress in the necessary reform process for EU accession. The new prime minister, Milojko Spajić, who took office last year, has pledged to revitalize efforts after a long political deadlock.
Asked about concerns about the possibility of pro-Russian parties from the Democratic Front becoming part of the government, Escobar said that this is not about internal politics but about the foreign policy of the Balkan country. Montenegro, he said, must remain a stable partner of the Euro-Atlantic community.
“Three parties help in regional stability, and one of them is not as constructive and makes statements about Kosovo that raise concerns. There is also an influence that raises concerns in Bosnia and does not help the efforts of the EU and NATO. The international community is watching the rhetoric of some parties,” Escobar said.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić emphasized the benefits of being a NATO member, especially in economic development.
“For investors, if you are a NATO member, you are more reliable and physical security is important. When you are a NATO member, security is provided to you,” the Montenegrin prime minister said.
With the visit to Podgorica, Escobar concluded a visit to Brussels, Vienna, and Pristina, where he worked to revitalize the process of normalizing Kosovo’s relations with Serbia.
Western officials have been trying to resolve disagreements in the Balkans for fear that Russia may try to stir up problems in the region to divert attention from its aggression in Ukraine.
