Nicosia: Cyprus does not oppose the EU accession of any candidate country, including Turkey, provided there is full compliance with the established Copenhagen criteria, stated Harris Georgiades, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, during a meeting with Montenegro's Minister for European Affairs, Maida Gorcevic, who is on an official visit to Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Georgiades emphasized that adherence to the Union's institutional framework and instruments is vital for safeguarding fundamental European principles and values.
During the meeting, Georgiades congratulated Gorcevic on Montenegro's substantial progress in its accession process and expressed optimism about the country's steady momentum toward EU membership. He noted that Montenegro's successful accession could serve as a positive example for the European prospects of other Western Balkan nations.
Georgiades also highlighted that the enlargement policy is a key priority of Cyprus' EU Council Presidency and that Cyprus has consistently supported EU enlargement as a policy of geostrategic importance. He added that the House of Representatives will seek to promote the enlargement agenda during two major conferences planned for March as part of the presidency's parliamentary dimension.
For her part, Gorcevic thanked Cyprus for its support and expressed satisfaction that shortly after Cyprus assumed the Council Presidency, the 25th EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference was held, during which another negotiating chapter was closed. She said Montenegro aims to close all negotiating chapters by year's end, targeting full membership by 2027.
Gorcevic attributed the rapid progress to strong political will, broad consensus, and national unity, underscoring that Montenegro is already a reliable EU partner capable of adding value to the Union across many sectors.