BRUSSELS (AP) — Montenegro's prime minister is urging the European Union to grant membership to all west Balkan countries before the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Milo Djukanovic has told The Associated Press it’s the only way to ensure stability in the region where WWI broke out after the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, was assassinated in Sarajevo. The region also saw a series of wars in the 1990s that killed over 100,000 people.
Djukanovic’s appeal Wednesday comes amid signs the EU may be overcoming the expansion fatigue that followed the 2004 integration of most Eastern Europe nations.
Montenegro and neighbors Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia are seeking entry into the 27-member bloc.
