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BRUSSELS – The ambassadors of EU member states authorized the closure of three negotiating chapters with Montenegro on Friday night, in accordance with diplomatic sources, whereas a fourth which the nation was prepared to shut won’t be closed resulting from Croatia’s opposition.
The intergovernmental accession convention, at which Montenegro will shut these three chapters – Mental Property Rights, Data Society and Media, and Enterprise and Industrial Coverage – might be held on Monday, December 16.
Montenegro was technically prepared to shut 4 chapters, however Croatia was towards closing the chapter on Overseas, Safety, and Protection Coverage.
Final month, Croatia despatched a non-paper (casual diplomatic doc) to Montenegro requesting the decision of a number of excellent points affecting the mutual relations between the 2 nations.
Based on diplomatic sources, the doc states that the 2 nations ought to handle points regarding the possession of the coaching ship “Jadran,” mutual delimitation, prosecution of battle crimes, discovering lacking individuals, and the naming of a metropolis pool in Kotor named after former water polo participant Zoran Gopčević, whom Croatia claims was a guard on the “Morinj” camp.
The brand new methodology for accession negotiations, adopted in the beginning of 2020, supplies that as an alternative of particular person chapters, a number of interconnected chapters in six clusters, or six thematic items, are opened, whereas for chapter closures, they’re nonetheless closed individually.
The Hungarian presidency is pushing exhausting to open cluster 3 with Serbia, for which the nation is assessed to be technically prepared by the Fee, however there’s nonetheless no consensus amongst member states.
Serbia was not on the agenda of the Committee of Everlasting Representatives on Friday as eight nations nonetheless oppose opening that cluster. These embody Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Ambassadors additionally reached an settlement to open one cluster with Albania, cluster 6, which can open on Tuesday, December 17.
Cluster 6 covers two chapters: Exterior Relations and Overseas, Safety, and Protection Coverage. (December 13, 2024.)
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