President János Áder has said that Montenegro “stands closest” to joining the European Union out of the Balkans.
According to MTI, the president made the remarks following a productive meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart Filip Vujanovic in Cetinje on Tuesday.
President Áder said a clearly defined EU enlargement policy is an essential criterion of Europe’s stability and security. He also stated that Hungary’s position, when discussing the issue of enlargement with his European counterparts, is that Brussels must set a clear timetable with exact deadlines for candidate countries and must also conduct effective talks with them.
The president said that Montenegro is a socially stable country which pursues an exemplary neighborhood policy. It has also produced considerable economic growth over the past few years, he added.
Hungary will continue to support Montenegro’s integration which could serve as a model to inspire other candidates, the president said.
Meanwhile, President Vujanovic said his country owed a debt of thanks to Hungary, not only for supporting its European Union integration effort, but also for its immense support helping it join NATO. He also extended his thanks for the Hungarian army’s help supporting Montenegro’s participation in international peace-keeping missions.
The president also highlighted the closeness between the nations, pointing out that bilateral economic relations are growing, and that Hungarian businesses had invested over 470 million euros in Montenegro in the past few years.