The Montenegrins were once again threatened with problems joining the European Union.
Montenegro will not be able to complete the EU accession negotiations as planned if it does not accept the principles of the Badinter Committee when determining the land border with Croatia. This is what the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plankovic, said at a parliament session.
The reason was a question from a deputy from the Croatian Democratic Community, Andro Krastolovic Oprah. He recalled that Montenegrin President Jakub Milatovic criticized the legality of the Morina Plate and opposed signing Zagreb's proposed border agreement, fearing it would weaken Podgorica's position in the negotiations.
In response, Planković stated that Croatia had sent Montenegro a draft land border agreement based on the principles of the Badinter Committee. They provide for the preservation of the administrative boundaries between the former republics of Yugoslavia as states after the collapse of the state.
According to the Prime Minister of Croatia, Montenegro's refusal to accept this approach will call into question the recognition of the borders established after the collapse of Yugoslavia and will become a serious obstacle to the country's European integration.
"In this case, Montenegro will not complete the accession negotiations as planned," emphasized Plankovic.
What does Croatia's position mean for Montenegro?
The Badinter Commission, established in the early 1990s to resolve the legal issues of the dissolution of Yugoslavia, was based on the principle that the administrative borders between the former Yugoslav republics should become the state borders of the newly independent states.
For Montenegro, this means recognizing the former border with Croatia. However, agreeing to this principle does not oblige Podgorica to accept all the terms of the Croatian draft agreement. The specific location of the border and disputed areas must be separately agreed upon by the parties.