Montenegro is to apply for full candidacy of the EU before the end of this year, according to the country’s prime minister Milo Djukanovic.Speaking at a press conference in Bosnia last week, Djukanovic said: "We are trying to agree on a compromise in talks with France and achieve what Montenegro has planned - to apply for a candidate status by the end of the year. We have got full satisfaction after declaring independence: we have strengthened stability and come closer to our European goals."Mr Djukanovic said that he believes EU status will reflect the increased social, political and economic stability achieved in Montenegro since 2006, when the country won independence."One of the biggest strengths put forward when I was recommending Montenegro as an investment destination in 2007, was its path toward recent accession into the EU,” said Liam Bailey, chief market analyst for overseas property portal Property Abroad. “This has had a massive effect on other property markets in the region: Bulgaria and Estonia are prime examples; their property markets exploded after EU accession with price rises of up to 30% being regularly recorded. It was anticipated the Montenegro would achieve full membership in 2009, if it can do so before it all the better."Ivan Dasic, director of Eastern Europe and Russia for estate agency Montenegro Prospects, agreed and said that just the intention of joining the Union will help reassure cautious investors.“This will definitely have a positive effect on the market here, particularly for out Russian clients,” he said. “This would assure them that Montenegro is not just some small Balkan country and is part of a stable EU. This has been holding many back. In the financial crisis at present, people are waiting for the bottom to reach the market before jumping in. This will help prices take off again and give us the edge, especially with potential Scandinavian, German and French clients. They like the security of the EU.”
