Podgorica, (MINA) – Nationalism and populism are distancing Montenegro from the EU, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic has stated.

According to the press release from his office, Milatovic met on Monday with the Rector of the College of Europe, Federica Mogherini, and students of the newly opened campus of that college in Tirana.

He emphasized that the region and Montenegro face numerous challenges, and at this moment, those challenges are nationalism and populism, which are distancing them from the EU.

“Given everything we have achieved so far, we must not allow irresponsible and insufficiently transparent policies, which we have witnessed in Montenegro recently, as well as the rise of nationalism that divides society, to steer us away from our primary goal, which is EU membership by 2028”, Milatovic said.

He added that the EU is not complete without the Western Balkans, that Montenegro has many advantages compared to other candidate countries, and that EU membership would be a positive signal that the enlargement process is still alive.

He thanked Mogherini for her dedication to the Western Balkans region.