The EU will welcome Montenegro first, followed by Albania, in the coming years, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said.
“It is now a very real possibility that the EU will grow in the coming years. In many parts of the Western Balkans, there is still skepticism that EU membership is really possible. I hope that the positive example of Montenegro and Albania, which is next in line, will inspire the rest of the Western Balkans to follow the same path,” she said.
Obtaining candidate status is the beginning of a rather long journey towards membership of the Union.
The last country to join the EU was Croatia, which became a member in 2013, after a ten-year process.
