A delegation led by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan visited Montenegro to study the country’s progress in the European Union accession process, including how its legislation aligns with EU standards and how this experience might be applied in Armenia.
During the visit, the Armenian side presented the recently adopted law “On the initiation of the process of the Republic of Armenia's accession to the European Union,” which reflects the European aspirations of Armenian citizens.
The delegation held meetings with Montenegro’s Chief EU Negotiator Predrag Zenović and key officials involved in the process, including State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Petar Koprivica, Director General for International Cooperation and Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice Blagoj Gledović, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Periša Kastratović, Chair of the European Integration Committee of Montenegro’s Parliament Ivan Vuković, and President of the Pan-European Union Gordana Đurović.
During the meetings, the Armenian side shared progress in Armenia-EU relations, including efforts to align national legislation with EU laws and standards in line with the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The new Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda was also discussed.
The discussions touched on Montenegro’s reforms and policies regarding the liberalization of its visa regime with the EU.
Kostanyan's delegation also met with Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović, and Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević.
Given Montenegro’s substantial experience and progress in EU accession talks, the parties agreed to continue cooperating on deepening EU relations, based on shared interests.
On March 26, Armenia’s National Assembly approved in second and final reading the law initiating EU accession. The government had approved the proposal on January 9, submitted by the Eurovote civil initiative. The EU has not yet issued an official invitation to Armenia, and opposition parties have criticized the law as legally unfounded. The Armenian president has signed it into law.
