Membership in NATO to be a ticket for a peaceful and prosperous future of Montenegro

Tallinn, Estonia (29 September 2016) -- During a visit to Estonia, Minister of Defence PhD Milica Pejanović-Đurišić participated today at the Annual Baltic Conference of Defence (ABCD), on the topic: „Bridge Over Troubled Waters: The Future of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance“. The Conference was held under the auspices of the International Center for Defence and Security (ICDS) and the Ministry of Defence of Estonia.

The Conference was opened by the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves. After his exposure, Minister Pejanović-Đurišić had a chance to be the one of the main speakers, next to the Ambassador of the US to the NATO Douglas E. Lute and the Estonian Minister of Defence Hannes Hanso. This event brought together eminent representatives of the security and defense community – policymakers, millitary officials, academic representatives and analysts.

Addressing the audience, the Minister stressed that Montenegro had a clear vision of its future even before the renewal of independence, which is to be a reliable international partner and a part of the European and Euro-Atlantic family, despite good relations with neighboring countries. She pointed out that the previous decade was devoted to the reform processes, and the crown of a longtime efforts is just an invitation for membership in NATO, an intensive process of the Protocol ratification, as well as the candidate status for the EU membership and the successful course of the negotiations.

The Minister Pejanović-Đurišić emphasized that Montenegro is aware that joining an alliance of the countries which are the synonym for the best values of modern civilization does not mean the end of the reform processes for our country. Montenegro will actively contribute to the global security arena in the coming period, participating in peacekeeping missions and operations. The Minister pointed out that the individual decisions of countries are not the right answer to a contemporary security threats that endanger the values of democratic societies. She underlined that the challenges of today are highly complex and unpredictable. Europe is exposed to a dangers coming up from the South and the East, particularly considering the crisis in Ukraine, the conflicts in Syria, a migrant crisis and the terrorist attacks that create a fertile ground for a radicalism and extremism breakthrough. The Minister believes that the Alliance needs to focus the attention on the challenges beyond its territorial borders and to fight them in coordination with the other actors of the international community, in order to preserve the security of our nations and the values of the civilization societies.

The Minister Pejanović-Đurišić stressed that Montenegro's membership in the Alliance is important not only for our country but for the Western Balkans and Europe as a whole, whereby it is undeniable that the NATO's Open Doors Policy is an additional impulse to the building stability and security in the region, as well as the significant incentive to a reform and integration processes in the region.

The Minister pointed out that Montenegro is ready to assume its share of responsibility in terms of collective security and safety, and will continue to be a Successful European Story and a stability factor in the Western Balkans. She expressed confidence that the membership in NATO will be a ticket for a peaceful and prosperous future of Montenegro, which will additionally encourage the process of European integration of our country.

The Minister Pejanović-Đurišić had a separate meeting with the Chairman of the National Defense Committee of the Parliament of Estonia, Marko Mihkelson. Mihkelson said that Estonia strongly supports Montenegro in joining the Alliance, and the procedure for the adoption of the Protocol on Montenegro's Accession to NATO is in the final stage. The first round of the Parliamentary debate, which ended today, fulfilled conditions for a realistic expectation that a vote on the document is implemented in the mid-October this year.

The delegation of Montenegro also visited the Information System Authority and the The Estonian Defence Forces.