Plenković: Two countries cost North Macedonia 21 years on the road to the EU
Plenković told European Council delegates that blockades from two states cost North Macedonia 21 years of institutional rapprochement between 2005 and 2026.
Before the start of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that North Macedonia had lost 21 years of institutional progress toward the European Union because of blockages by two countries.
Plenković contrasts Croatia's approach to Montenegro
Plenković pointed to North Macedonia as an example while discussing Croatia’s dealings with Montenegro, recalling that at the Zagreb summit in 2000 North Macedonia was ahead of Croatia in institutional terms.
“You have the example of North Macedonia, which at the time of the summit in Zagreb in 2000 was ahead of Croatia in institutional terms. They still have not opened negotiations. There are two countries which, so to speak, from 2005 to 2026 took away 21 years of institutional rapprochement of North Macedonia towards the European Union,” Plenković said.
He added that Zagreb chose a different, more cooperative line with Podgorica despite outstanding bilateral issues.
“Despite the difficult legacy, we approached Montenegro very constructively,” the Croatian prime minister said, and noted that Croatia had identified eight unresolved issues that Montenegro must address on its path to EU membership, mainly concerning good-neighbour relations and respect for European values.
Photo: press material from the event
