Stoltenberg Welcomes Montenegro’s Progress on Path to NATO

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed Montenegro’s commitment to regional security and cooperation and thanked the country for its continued contributions to the Alliance’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.

Stoltenberg met with Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Igor Luksic and Justice Minister Zoran Pazin at NATO headquarters on Tuesday to discuss Montenegro’s progress towards NATO accession, the Alliance said in a statement.   

The meeting of the North Atlantic Council attended by the two Montenegrin ministers was part of the talks that “NATO is conducting with Montenegro in order to assess, by the end of the year, whether the country is ready to join the Alliance,” according to the statement.

During the meeting, Stoltenberg commended Montenegro’s considerable reform efforts and underscored that the country has repeatedly demonstrated that it shares NATO’s values.

Joining the Euro-Atlantic family would be a win-win for Montenegro and the Alliance, Stoltenberg during a visit to Montenegro last month. Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic discussed progress on required reforms concerning Montenegro’s NATO membership bid during that visit.

Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak opined last month that NATO should invite Montenegro to join when it holds its next summit in Poland in July of next year.

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