PM Marković, NATO SG Stoltenberg: Montenegro to become NATO member soon

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Brussels, Belgium (26 January 2017) -- Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted earlier this morning at a joint press conference held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels that Montenegro is on the right track to become a member of NATO soon.

NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg stressed that “Montenegro is on the right track to join the Alliance in the very near future.“

“Your path towards NATO membership has been remarkable – just ten years after regaining your independence. You have been able to reach very far with the signing of the Accession Protocol last year. And the process of ratification is on its way in the different Allied countries," said the NATO Secretary-General at the press conference at the headquarters of the military alliance.

Prime Minister Marković said that Montenegro is determined to successfully put an end to its NATO integration despite the pressures to which it has been exposed.

"We had parliamentary elections on 16 October. Pro Euro-Atlantic and - European forces won and we are willing, after the last ratification of the Accession Protocol in parliaments, to start as quickly as possible the process of confirming the membership agreement, thus bringing the whole process to an end. We were exposed to various pressures aimed at blocking our accession to NATO, but we have resisted them due to the power of the state, its institutions, democracy and democratic principles," said the Prime Minister of Montenegro, adding that the ruling coalition is making efforts to return the opposition to the parliament.

"However, I believe that this boycott is part of plans to destabilise Montenegro in political terms and disable it to become a member of NATO," PM Marković stated.

Responding to a reporter's question, both the Prime Minister of Montenegro and the Secretary-General of NATO said that they believe that the Accession Protocol will be ratified in the United States as well. Prime Minister Marković said that, when it comes to the US Senate, Montenegro enjoys almost a hundred percent support, pointing out that the tensions in connection with the ratification of the Protocol in the United States “are encouraged by those who would not like the ratification to happen at all."

"We are confident that the United States will ratify the Protocol soon. We do not burden ourselves with that, but we are focused on our obligations arising from NATO membership," he emphasised.

Speaking about the contribution of Montenegro to the Alliance, the Secretary-General of NATO thanked PM Marković for the county’s continued contribution to NATO missions.

"In doing so, you are helping to build security far beyond our own borders. You are contributing troops to our presence in Afghanistan. You are helping to fund the Afghan National Security Forces. And you also last year hosted an important civil emergency exercise for NATO Allies and Partners in Montenegro," Secretary-General Stoltenberg underscored.

Prime Minister Duško Marković said that Montenegro is preparing itself for NATO membership.

"We are committed not only to the ratification, but also to the strengthening of our institutional capacity. We have been carrying all the commitments we undertaken at the Summit in Warsaw in terms of strengthening the principles of deterrence and defence." In that regard, the Prime Minister mentioned the ongoing activities concerning Ukraine, Jordan and Georgia.

Secretary-General of NATO said that the Montenegrin membership in NATO in a very significant step forward, meaning the sharing of the benefits and responsibilities of collective defence and that Montenegro will be part of a unique family of countries based on shared values and take part in every NATO decision.

“You will have equal say with every other country around the table, no matter how big or how small. And your NATO membership will send a clear signal of stability and security in the whole region, which is the basis for prosperity," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg concluded.

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