BRUSSELS, August 7. /TASS/. Iceland and Montenegro could join the European Union together in 2028 if Icelanders vote in a referendum in August to resume membership talks, Politico reported.

According to the newspaper, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos described Iceland as a "special case" because of its participation in the European Economic Area and the Schengen Area. She suggested that negotiations could take "one to two years" if Icelanders decide to restart them on August 29. Iceland would thus be on a par with Montenegro, which has provisionally closed more than half of its 33 negotiating chapters and aims to join the bloc by 2028, Politico explained.

Another official said simultaneous accession was a highly likely scenario. As an economically developed country, Iceland could become a net contributor to the EU budget, helping offset the cost of Montenegro’s membership. Montenegro would become one of the bloc’s poorest members.

Montenegrin Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorcevic said Podgorica would welcome linking its bid to Iceland’s and joining the EU together. Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir also said simultaneous accession was entirely possible, depending on the progress of the negotiations.

Iceland has a population of about 400,000. If it joins the EU, it would become the bloc’s least-populous country, followed by Malta, which has a population of 590,000. Simultaneous accession is not without precedent in the EU’s history. Spain and Portugal joined in 1986. Bulgaria and Romania entered the bloc in 2007, after member states ratified a single treaty on their accession. Ten countries joined the EU at the same time in 2010 under one treaty.