Providing support for political and economic reform as part of EU accession negotiations is the central pillar of Germany’s bilateral relations with Montenegro.

Germany is Montenegro’s third-largest trade partner and the EU member state with the highest amount of direct investments. Several projects supported by Germany promote efforts to implement reform in Montenegro and to strengthen the country’s administrative structures, in particular in the field of judicial and administrative reform, labour administration reform and the strengthening of the Central Bank.

Since Montenegro became independent, good and successful development cooperation has been established; Germany is the country’s largest bilateral donor. Bilateral cooperation, which mainly takes the form of projects supported by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), focuses on the following areas: supporting public infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector and to increase energy efficiency; the supply of drinking water and treatment of waste water; the environmental sector and the sphere of boosting business and employment opportunities, in particular for SMEs.

The EU supports Montenegro’s European integration, for example by means of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), which is used to promote projects in the fields of the rule of law, human rights, good governance, the Green Deal, sustainability, competitiveness and inclusive growth. Via the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the EU is making available further funding for reform projects to implement the reform agenda Montenegro has presented to the European Commission.

In early 2026, an agreement on culture, education, research, youth and sport was concluded. In December 2025, German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of driving licences. A cultural agreement with Montenegro has been in place since July 2024. There has been constant cooperation between the University of Montenegro’s German Department in Nikšić and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) since 2007, with a DAAD academic teacher working at the department. The Central Agency for Schools Abroad runs a programme at two schools that enables pupils to acquire the German Language Certificate and has organised for two programme teachers from Germany to work in Montenegro. Three schools in the country are being supported under the German initiative, Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH). There are eight bilateral university cooperation projects with the University of Montenegro, as well as scholarship opportunities offered by German political foundations and the German Bundestag. The Goethe-Institut provides Montenegro with cultural and language services from its office in Belgrade.