The international conference “Enlarging Europe, Greening and Securing Europe: Autonomy, Prosperity and Strategic Resilience”, organised by the Montenegrin Pan-European Union, opened in Podgorica with a high-level discussion on the future of European enlargement and Montenegro’s path towards EU membership.
The conference was opened by Gordana Đurović, President of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union, Pavo Barišić, President of the International Pan-European Union, and Eva Ponomarenková, Ambassador of Slovakia to Montenegro.
The opening was followed by the panel “Enlarging Europe, Securing Europe: A Place for Montenegro”, featuring Pavo Barišić, Predrag Zenović, Montenegro’s Chief Negotiator for EU Accession, and Gordana Đurović. Karlo Ressler, Member of the European Parliament, contributed to the discussion through a video address.
The panel focused on the renewed importance of EU enlargement in the current European and geopolitical context, Montenegro’s progress towards EU membership, and the importance of political and economic convergence with the European Union. Participants also reflected on enlargement as a process that extends beyond institutional accession, contributing to the stability, security and long-term resilience of Europe.
The discussion also provided an opportunity to consider Montenegro’s role in the wider European integration process and the importance of maintaining a credible accession perspective for Montenegro and the Western Balkans.
The conference continued on 18 September with sessions dedicated to green investment and the green transition, including the presentation of research conducted within the project “Mobilizing Green Investment: Visegrad Group – Montenegro – Moldova,” supported by the International Visegrad Fund.
