MEP Costas Mavridis (DIKO – S&D), as the negotiator for his political group, expressed his support for Montenegro's accession process to the President of Montenegro, as well as through his intervention in the relevant debate in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
In his intervention, Mr. Mavridis initially stated that "EU enlargement is a geopolitical necessity, while accession progress depends solely on the candidate country's fulfillment of the Copenhagen political criteria that ensure commitment to EU values and the rule of law."
At the same time, Mr. Mavridis stressed that "Montenegro remains the most advanced candidate country for accession to the EU and we fully support its steady progress towards accession. The establishment of the special working group for the drafting of the Accession Treaty of Montenegro under the Cyprus Presidency also marks a key step forward."
Referring to the reforms that are still required, the Cypriot MEP pointed out: “Further progress is required especially on electoral reform, media freedom, as well as on the controversial internal affairs laws and on the National Security Service. The strong support of the Montenegrin citizens for EU accession is an essential element of this progress and all political actors should intensify efforts to achieve the necessary reforms.”
In closing, Mr. Mavridis also referred to his meeting with the President of Montenegro, noting: "As I said this morning to the President of Montenegro, you have the support of my political group and my own personal commitment to Montenegro becoming the 28th member state of the European Union in 2028."
