According to a statement from the European Commission, a working group was approved last week to begin drafting the Treaty of Accession of Montenegro to the European Union. The Commission described the move as historic, noting that it is the first such step since Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
The statement highlights that Montenegro is currently the country closest to EU membership and that the European Union remains fully committed to its European future.
The European Commission stated: "After 14 years of negotiations, Montenegro and the European Union are closer than ever."
The announcement does not provide further details on the composition of the working group or the upcoming deadlines in the accession process, but it confirms that a new phase has opened in the negotiations between Podgorica and Brussels regarding the country's entry into the Union.