Montenegro set to continue pursuing defence reform

Podgorica, Montenegro (18 July 2013) – At yesterday’s press conference, Montenegro’s Defence Minister Milica Pejanović-Đurišić presented the Strategic Defence Review, a document containing basic guidelines for Montenegro’s defence and security reform for the next 10 years.

Key changes introduced in the document are related to redefining mission and tasks of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, thus demonstrating that full autonomous defence capacity building is unsustainable and that all the possibilities of collective system of defence should be used, through the concept of smart defence, pooling and sharing concept, as well as through common European policy in the security field, she explained.

The document also provides for changes in the organisation of Montenegro’s Armed Forces through establishing smaller and more efficient units, fully equipped and filled with trained personnel. It also envisages the transition from brigade to battalion level in the organisational structure of the ground forces. The Armed Forces' reorganisation will also be carried out through abandoning unnecessary infrastructural locations, reducing commands and filling newly established units with missing staff, Minister Pejanović-Đurišić noted.

She particularly emphasised that the Army's modernisation priorities are in line with the efforts which are being invested in implementing 49 partnership objectives, aimed at achieving interoperability with NATO member states.

Defence budget, according to the Defence Minister, is to be changed in relation to its structure, which implies increasing funding for modernisating and equipping the army, and cutting appropriations for personnel expenditures, Minister Pejanović-Đurišić told the press.

“By implementing the Strategic Defence Review, we will succeed in removing all the challenges that emerged during the implementation of the first document of this kind from 2010, as well as in defining more realistic guidelines for planning the defence system and in pursuing further reforms which will ultimately enable us to achieve national defence objectives.”, Defence Minister Pejanović-Đurišić concluded.