Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman has indicated the possibility of finding a solution that would allow the unblocking of Chapter 31 in Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations. Speaking after a meeting with Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović on the margins of a ministerial meeting between the European Union and the Western Balkans, Grlić Radman said that developments were moving toward resolving open issues between the two countries.
Grlić Radman said it is in Croatia’s interest that unresolved issues do not burden Montenegro’s accession process or long-term good-neighborly relations. He added that the more open questions the two countries resolve, the stronger their relations will become, stressing that Croatia wants neighbors with whom it shares the same values.
Croatia blocked the closing of Chapter 31 in December 2024. The chapter refers to foreign, security and defense policy. Montenegro has so far closed 14 of 33 negotiation chapters, and every opening or closing of a chapter requires the consent of all EU member states.
Relations between Zagreb and Podgorica became more complicated after Montenegro’s parliament adopted the Resolution on the genocide in Jasenovac at the end of June. Croatia assessed that move as a provocation and declared three senior Montenegrin officials persona non grata. The two countries also have several unresolved issues, including ownership of the military ship Jadran, war compensation for Croatian prisoners held in the Morinj camp, and the border issue around Prevlaka.
The reports present Grlić Radman’s statement as a sign that space may be opening for a compromise that would allow Montenegro to continue advancing in EU negotiations. However, any progress still depends on resolving or easing the disputes between Croatia and Montenegro, because Zagreb’s consent is necessary for the formal closing of Chapter 31.
