site.btaBulgaria Will Continue Supporting Montenegro on Its Path Towards EU Membership - PM Zhelyazkov

Bulgaria will continue supporting Montenegro on its path towards EU membership, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in a public lecture delivered to students at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Montenegro in Podgorica, as part of his two-day official visit. 

Bulgaria views Montenegro’s goal of completing accession negotiations by the end of 2026 as ambitious but achievable, Zhelyazkov underscored. He confirmed that Bulgaria will support Montenegro both politically and by providing expert and technical assistance along the latter's EU accession path. 

He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit Montenegro, emphasising the centuries-old cultural and historical ties and traditionally good relations between the two countries. Bulgaria was one of the first states to recognise Montenegro’s independence, the Bulgarian Prime Minister recalled.  

Zhelyazkov also highlighted the life and work of a notable physician and public figure of Montenegrin origin—Dr. Petar Orahovac as a symbol of the Bulgarian-Montenegrin relationship. After Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, the doctor moved to Bulgaria, founded the Bulgarian Medical Association. He later served as dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Sofia, chairman of the Bulgarian Red Cross, and Rector of Sofia University.   

Zhelyazkov discussed the crises the EU currently faces, including rising living costs, economic difficulties, migration management, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.  

He also commented on challenges in security and defence, crisis preparedness, and management, arguing that among the causes of those challenges is the insufficient spread of digital technologies in the EU, because that impacts the ability to develop and use new services and business models. 

Zhelyazkov noted that the European Commission is aware of this and responds to it by implementing the European Prosperity Plan between 2024 and 2029 which focuses on encouraging research and innovation, increasing productivity with digital technologies, investing in energy efficiency and in digitalisation of the energy sector.