Belgium to continue defence cooperation with Montenegro and support its NATO bid

Brussels, Belgium (10 July 2013) – Montenegro has been very successful in the process of NATO integration and its notable achievements are recognised by Belgium and other NATO member-states who will continue supporting it, Belgian Defence Minister Pieter De Crem told his Montenegrin counterpart Milica Pejanović-Đurišić following their meeting in Brussels earlier today.

The two ministers discussed plans for future defence cooperation and announced an exchange of teams to help facilitate security cooperation, as well as a bilateral cooperation agreement as a precondition for exchange in the area of military intelligence and other fields of shared interest.

Another notable topic of the meeting was the prospect for opening Montenegro’s defence liaison office in Belgium which would assist the two ministries’ and militaries’ defence cooperation in the future.

Montenegro’s Defence Minister Milica Pejanović-Đurišić visited Brussels alongside Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Lukšić to attend the meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC). The NAC discussed Montenegro’s third Annual National Programme which marks the completion of Montenegro’s third Membership Action Plan (MAP ) cycle.