Macron-Spajić Summit at Élysée: France Backs Montenegro's Final EU Accession Push for 2028

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on May 27, with Macron declaring 'Montenegro can count on French support in the final stage of the EU accession process.' Both leaders agreed on a target of closing all remaining negotiating chapters by end-2026, paving the way for Montenegro's EU membership in 2028. Montenegro, the most advanced Western Balkans EU accession candidate with 14 provisionally closed chapters out of 33, is hosting the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat on June 5 — the first time Montenegro hosts this annual summit. The meeting served as direct preparatory diplomacy for the Tivat summit, which will also mark Montenegro's 20th anniversary of independence.