00:02Montenegro marks 20 years of independence from a union with Serbia this week,
00:07with concerts and various celebrations being held in the capital Potgorica
00:10and other towns across the country.
00:13Having already joined NATO in 2017,
00:16the country's next milestone is full integration into the European Union,
00:20according to the president.
00:22Support for EU in Montenegro is very strong.
00:27It's currently at about 80%.
00:3080% of the citizens of Montenegro support Montenegro's EU accession.
00:37And this is ultimately what really makes Montenegro a resilient future member state of the EU.
00:46Montenegro is considered a front-runner for EU membership among the six countries in the Western Balkans.
00:51The EU has formed a working group to draft an accession treaty,
00:55a signal that membership remains within reach.
00:58What was missing in the last 14 years, we have to provide now just in the six months, you know.
01:04So it's really demanding, but, you know, the process is going on.
01:08So we are, with each close to negotiating chapters, we are a step closer to the European Union.
01:14So, as I said, I think this is a clear perspective, but it will probably take longer than six months.
01:21EU officials are expected to reiterate the message at a meeting in the coastal Montenegrin town of Tivat in early
01:28June
01:28with the leaders of Western Balkan candidate nations, including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo.
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