Croatia uses Montenegro's desire to join the EU to resolve old disputes in its favor
Croatia has warned that unresolved disputes with Montenegro could hinder the country's accession to the European Union by 2028. Zagreb has submitted a document to EU governments outlining eight conditions it deems necessary for the completion of Montenegro's accession negotiations, according to Euronews.
Montenegro remains one of the main candidates for the next enlargement of the European Union and expects to become its 28th member country in just two years. The country has made significant progress in negotiations: 21 out of 33 chapters have already been closed. This week, three more chapters were completed – on statistics, economic policy, and employment.
However, Croatia continues to block progress in several other areas, including transport, external relations, fundamental rights, and internal affairs. Since every EU member state can influence the enlargement process, Zagreb's position remains a serious obstacle to Montenegro's European integration.
The main disagreements are related to the wars of the 1990s and the consequences of the breakup of Yugoslavia. One of the most sensitive issues is the Morinj camp in Montenegro, where Croatian civilians and prisoners of war were held from 1991 to 1992. Croatia demands compensation for approximately 300 former detainees, as well as the preservation of public access to the memorial at the camp site.
Zagreb also insists on clarifying the fate of 14 people who went missing during the Croatian War of Independence, and a more thorough investigation of war crimes, including crimes against civilians and the accountability of commanders for their actions.
Another issue is property disputes that arose after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Croatia demands the resolution of situations where Croatian families lost their property without proper compensation. Additionally, it wants to reclaim the training sailing ship "Jadran," which remained under Montenegro's control after the federation's collapse.
The parties have also not settled the issue of the land and sea border. Croatia advocates for the final resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with the findings of the Arbitration Commission of the Conference on Yugoslavia.
Despite its firm stance, Croatia states that it supports Montenegro's EU accession. However, Croatian authorities emphasize that key bilateral disputes remain unresolved and thus continue to be an obstacle to Montenegro's further progress towards EU membership.
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