PM Đukanović hosts US Atlantic Council's Damon Wilson and Robert Gelbard

Podgorica, Montenegro (18 November 2016) – Prime Minister Milo Đukanović hosted today Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council of the United States Damon Wilson, and a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Ambassador Robert Gelbard, who are paying visit to Montenegro.

PM Đukanović thanked the Atlantic Council, and Wilson and Gelbard personally, for their contribution to affirm and promote relations between Montenegro and the United States, as well as the Euro-Atlantic community as a whole. He expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved towards full membership of Montenegro in NATO, which was confirmed at the recent elections, and stressed the importance of accelerating ratification process of Montenegro's Accession Protocol, which is in the common interest. The Prime Minister pointed out, among other things, that Montenegro managed, with the support of its international partners, to turn to the development which will be based on the standards and values of a modern European and Euro-Atlantic environment, and that its membership in NATO is a capital historic achievement, which is important to the stability of the whole region.

US officials thanked for the reception and congratulated on the results achieved in terms of Montenegro's Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as on the election results. They also welcomed Montenegro's clear vision, the consistency of the reform process and decisive steps in the realisation of strategic goals in the previous period. At the same time, they positively assessed the leadership role of Montenegro and the Prime Minister personally, which is an excellent cue for the whole region on the path of democratic development and progress. Wilson and Gelbard expressed their readiness to provide full support to Montenegro in the final stage of the ratification of the Accession Protocol, as well as to other Western Balkan countries in their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO