"We welcome the progress made by Montenegro. In our discussion, we underlined that progress in the negotiations will depend on the advancement of Montenegro in its preparations for accession, especially in relation to the rule of law interim benchmarks," said State Secretary Dovžan.

This is the second intergovernmental conference since the Council approved the revised enlargement methodology, which aims to reinvigorate the accession process. It includes: a stronger focus on fundamental reforms; a stronger political steer; increased dynamism; and a more predictable process, based on objective criteria and rigorous positive and negative conditionality. 

The aim of the meeting was to strengthen the dialogue between the member states and Montenegro, with a focus on the key reforms needed to allow for further progress in the accession process.