Cyprus ready to provide EU technical support to Montenegro, President says

Cyprus stands ready to provide any kind of technical support to Montenegro, in its efforts to further harmonise with the European acquis, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has said.

The comments were made following his 6 June meeting with the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović who is paying an official visit to Cyprus.

Christodoulides also expressed the hope that Cyprus will be able to contribute decisively during its EU Council Presidency in 2026 so that Montenegro's goal of accession is reached as soon as possible by 2028 and thanked his counterpart for “the firm position of principles that Montenegro maintains in the Cyprus issue.”

Today we take another step in further reinforcing our friendly ties and bilateral relations with Montenegro, said President Christodoulides in his opening remarks, adding that it is a privilege for him to host the first ever official, bilateral visit of a President of Montenegro to Cyprus, rectifying thus “a paradox, given the friendly, strong and enduring relationship between our two countries and our peoples.”

Cyprus and Montenegro may be two small countries on the Mediterranean coast, but our political footprint and regional influence is comparatively much bigger, continued the President, adding that the two countries are united by shared values and aspirations, particularly, their commitment to the prevalence of International Law, peace, stability, and prosperity which they project and promote in their respective regions and beyond.

On the bilateral front, he noted that Cyprus and Montenegro are steadily building a multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation in a range of fields, such as tourism, trade and investments, noting at the same time that there is admittedly considerable room for improvement.

It is for this reason, he added, that the two men had a productive discussion on how to reinforce cooperation in the aforementioned fields but also expand it in areas such as education, shipping, culture and technology, noting that both sides have agreed on a road map for finalising and signing pending agreements on these sectors.

“I am convinced that the culmination of our bilateral cooperation will certainly be the eventual accession of Montenegro to the European Union. As we also witnessed following our accession twenty years ago, becoming a member state does not only reinforce our standing by belonging to a larger group of countries with which we share common principles and goals. It also reinforces and expands our bilateral relations between these countries, bringing them closer together. In this respect, I would like to reassure you that we stand ready to provide any kind of technical support to Montenegro, in your country's efforts to further harmonise with the European acquis. We are also ready to share best practices used and knowledge acquired through our pre- and after accession course”, he stressed in that regard.

The war in Ukraine is a daily reminder that security and stability in Europe are not guaranteed, continued the President, noting that for this reason security and stability in the Western Balkans is of even greater value. He added that the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union is the most catalytic factor for safeguarding peace, stability and prosperity in the region and for this reason Cyprus has been a long-standing and active proponent of European perspective of all Western Balkans countries.

“This will be one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2026. Especially in the case of Montenegro, which is widely considered as the most advanced candidate country, we hope to contribute decisively so that the goal of accession is reached as soon as possible by 2028”, he commented on the issue.

Regarding the Cyprus problem, President Christodoulides said that 2024 marks “the 50th anniversary of the illegal 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the ongoing military occupation of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, of EU territory”.

He added that he reassured the President of Montenegro that his vision and sole pursuit, from the first day of assuming his duties, “is to put an end to this half century of occupation, to reunify my country so that all Cypriots can aspire to a much brighter, common future together”, noting that in this effort, the supportive stance of like-minded partners, such as Montenegro, is of great importance and thanked his counterpart for “the firm position of principles that Montenegro maintains in the Cyprus issue.”

In closing, President Christodoulides expressed his appreciation for his Montenegrin counterpart’s visit and his sincere hope for the continued development of relations between Cyprus and Montenegro.

“I hope that your visit and our productive discussions today will pave the way for even closer cooperation between our countries”, he concluded.

On his part, the President of Montenegro said that Montenegro and Cyprus enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship with significant potential to further develop in all areas of mutual interest and particularly in economic development.

He added that his visit provides a turning point in the bilateral relations' momentum and an impetus to reinforce them, noting that the Minister of Transport of Montenegro will be coming soon to Cyprus in order to sign a number of MoUs.

He also said that the Foreign Minister of his country will also visit Cyprus soon after an invitation by his Cypriot counterpart in order to further strengthen the bilateral political ties.

He further mentioned that the two countries agreed upon the signing of MoUs in the field of education and culture, noting Montenegro’s interest to strengthen bilateral relations in the fields of economy, energy and tourism.

The President of Montenegro then congratulated Cyprus for the 20th anniversary from its accession to the EU, underlining that Cyprus is a "role model for Montenegro" with regard to how it has utilized its EU accession for the benefit of the country and its people. He also expressed gratitude to Cyprus for its active engagement in terms of supporting Montenegro’s accession course.

President Milatović also noted that he hopes Montenegro finalises more EU chapters during Cyprus’ EU Presidency during the first part of 2026 and extended an invitation to President Christodoulides to visit his country.

He also noted that Montenegro appreciates the role of the Republic of Cyprus in the region, pointing out that Cyprus is a role model also for its humanitarian actions in the Middle East, and expressed his country’s interest in engaging in these humanitarian efforts and the provision of support to the Gaza Strip.

Concluding, the President of Montenegro said that his country maintains a regiment of policemen in Cyprus within the UN Peacekeeping Force, adding that the Security Council of his country has decided to also engage soldiers as part of the UN peacekeeping mission on the island.

(Source: CNA)