Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has rejected claims that Croatia is facing pressure from other European Union members over conditions it has set for Montenegro’s EU accession process.

Speaking before a European Council meeting in Brussels, Plenković said no member state had pressured Croatia to change its position.

He added that many EU countries understood Zagreb’s concerns regarding Montenegro.

Croatia Responds to Report About Montenegro’s EU Accession

Plenković was responding to a Euronews report claiming that the German government was urging Croatia to resolve its bilateral disputes with Montenegro as soon as possible.

According to the report, unresolved issues between Zagreb and Podgorica could threaten Montenegro’s EU accession process.

The European Union currently considers Montenegro the leading candidate among the countries seeking membership in the bloc.

Croatia recently presented eight conditions that Montenegro would be expected to fulfill before joining the EU. Most of the conditions concern unresolved consequences of the wars of the 1990s.

Plenković Says Croatia Has Been Constructive

The Croatian prime minister insisted that his government had taken a constructive approach toward Montenegro despite the difficult historical legacy between the two countries.

Plenković also recalled that Croatia’s own accession process had been delayed by three to four years because of obstacles it faced on its path to EU membership.

He said that during his 10 years of participating in European Council meetings, he had never been placed under pressure by another country on any issue.

His statement signals that Croatia intends to maintain its conditions while rejecting suggestions that other EU governments are forcing Zagreb to resolve its disputes with Podgorica more quickly.