Relationship dossier
Croatia
Montenegro
Relationship assessment
EU cooperation alongside recurring disputes over maritime boundaries, Jadran and historical memory
Croatia toward Montenegro
-10Croatia has supported Montenegro’s accession to the European Union. In 2024, Croatia declared several Montenegrin officials persona non grata after Montenegro’s parliament adopted a resolution concerning Jasenovac, adding a significant point of friction.
Montenegro toward Croatia
-15Montenegro’s parliament adopted a resolution concerning Jasenovac in 2024, an action that drew strong opposition from Croatia and contributed to bilateral tensions. The maritime boundary and ownership of the training ship Jadran remain unresolved issues between the two governments.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship has a cooperative regional and EU-accession dimension, including Croatia’s support for Montenegro’s European integration. That partnership coexists with unresolved maritime and property disputes and periodic political tensions over historical memory. These features support a mixed assessment rather than a close, untroubled partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Croatia and Montenegro cooperate on regional and European integration, with Croatia supporting Montenegro’s path toward EU membership. Relations also face unresolved bilateral issues, including the maritime boundary and ownership of the training ship Jadran. In 2024, Montenegro’s parliament adopted a resolution concerning the Jasenovac concentration camp, prompting Croatia to declare several Montenegrin officials persona non grata. The relationship combines practical cooperation with recurring political friction.
Areas of tension
- Unresolved maritime boundary
- Ownership of the training ship Jadran
- Montenegro’s 2024 Jasenovac resolution and Croatia’s response
Key developments
Montenegro’s parliament adopted a resolution concerning Jasenovac, prompting Croatia to declare several Montenegrin officials persona non grata.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation on EU accession are unclear.
- The timetable and prospects for resolving the maritime boundary and Jadran disputes remain uncertain.