Brussels: Montenegro to Follow Croatia into EU

The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said Montenegro is likely to become the EU’s 29th member.Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, has told Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic that the small Adriatic country is likely to become the next EU member state after Croatia joins in July 2013.At the International Conference for Peace in Sarajevo on Sunday, Van Rompuy noted that Montenegro’s success it quickly receiving candidate status and the opening of membership negotiations was evidence that the EU door were open.

Vujanovic said that Montenegro is committed to EU integration and that parliamentary elections due next month will give the government of Montenegro democratic legitimacy.

The early elections are scheduled to be held on October 14. This comes following a vote by lawmakers in July to dissolve parliament and head to early polls after the EU opened accession talks in June.

If the EU talks proceed smoothly, Montenegro is in a position to become the third former Yugoslav republic to join the European club, after Slovenia, which is already a member, and the soon-to-be-member Croatia.