Plenković in Montenegro: Progress on compensation for Morinj prisoners

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Montenegro that Zagreb and Podgorica have made significant progress on compensating prisoners held at the Morinj camp, where Croatian civilians and soldiers were detained during the 1990s conflicts. Plenković spoke in Montenegro while taking part in the Berlin Process summit.

Two days before the summit, the government in Podgorica announced it had taken two concrete steps related to Morinj: it decided to rename a swimming pool that bore the name of water polo player Zoran "Džimi" Gopčević — a guard at Morinj accused of torturing detained Croatian civilians and military prisoners — and approved the placement of a memorial plaque on the entrance wall of the facility.

Plenković noted that Montenegro currently ranks highest among the EU candidate countries in the negotiation process, but added that Croatia expects eight outstanding issues to be resolved before Montenegro's accession negotiations can be closed.

After a meeting that lasted more than two hours with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Plenković said the matter is not a bilateral dispute but concerns values tied to core European principles and the accession negotiation chapters.

Remaining demands from Zagreb

According to Zagreb, the remaining items to be addressed include the fate of 14 missing persons, continued prosecution of war crimes, the return of the ship Jadran, compensation for Croatian families in Montenegro who suffered expropriation, and finalisation of the border demarcation between the two countries.

The exchange in Podgorica comes amid broader regional talks at the Berlin Process summit, where leaders from the Western Balkans are discussing EU integration, reconciliation and reform agendas.

Photo: press material from the event