At a briefing after the meeting at the Élysée Palace, Đukanović called the day of the application submission 'a great day for Montenegro' and added that this day is also great for the European Union, which 'confirmed its desire to unite the European continent.'
The enlargement of the European Union has caused disagreements among the current members of the organization for several years. A number of states (including France) insist that the union should change its internal rules before accepting new members. The Lisbon Treaty, which reforms the union's governance system, has not yet been ratified by Ireland and the Czech Republic.
Montenegro became the fourth of the former Yugoslav republics to apply for EU membership. Previously, Slovenia, Croatia, and Macedonia had submitted applications. Slovenia has already been admitted to the European Union.
As noted by Lenta.ru, Montenegro will officially be considered a candidate for EU membership after the application is approved by the European Commission. The procedure may take about six months.