(ANSA) - BELGRADE, SEP 25 - Montenegro is making rapid progress towards membership in the European Union. Five more negotiating chapters are expected to be completed by the end of the year: Chapter 3 (freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services), Chapter 4 (free movement of capital), Chapter 6 (corporate law), Chapter 11 (food safety, veterinary, and phytosanitary policy), and Chapter 13 (fisheries). The small Balkan country, which applied for EU membership in 2008 and became a full candidate in December 2010, has accelerated its negotiations with Brussels in the last two years. The technical phase of the enlargement process involves aligning national legislation with European legislation, which is divided into chapters and then into six Negotiating clusters. Montenegro, considered the frontrunner in the accession process, has initiated all 33 chapters and completed four. The Montenegrin government intends to close the remaining chapters by the end of 2026, in accordance with a roadmap agreed upon with the European Commission. Podgorica thus aims to become the 28th member state in 2028, as encapsulated in the motto '28 by 28'. "The number one promise to the Montenegrin people is that we will be prepared to join the EU and complete all necessary reforms by the end of 2026," Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić stated to international media outlets, including ANSA, noting that the ball will then be in the European court and the process will become political. (ANSA).