European Investment Bank Group President Nadia Calviño has visited Montenegro and announced more than €250 million in new financing for healthcare, railway upgrades and support for small and medium-sized businesses.
The package includes a €27 million loan to Montenegro’s Ministry of Health to equip more than 30 public hospitals and clinics with new medical technologies, according to the EIB.
A further €175 million has been agreed to upgrade the railway line between the port of Bar and Golubovci, near the capital Podgorica.
The funding comprises a €63 million EIB loan and a €112 million EU grant provided through the Western Balkans Investment Framework — an EU programme that helps fund infrastructure in the region.
The EIB also said it will lend €50 million to the Development Bank of Montenegro to support new credit lines for small and medium-sized enterprises, known as SMEs, to invest in renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.
Meetings with leaders and EU accession talks
Calviño and EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot met Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić during the visit, and pledged support for the country’s goal of closing EU accession talks by the end of 2026, the EIB said.
The new financing would contribute to tripling EIB funding in Montenegro in 2026 compared with 2025.
The EIB Group has committed €1.5 billion in Montenegro since 2009 across areas including education, health, the environment, support for SMEs and sustainable transport.
Prime Minister Spajić said the contracts signed relate to projects in transport infrastructure and healthcare, and described them as part of Montenegro’s aim to become a full EU member in 2028.
