Military-diplomatic representatives of NATO member states and Austria in a visit to the Ministry of Defense

''Montenegro, with a firm commitment to Euro-Atlantic values and significant support from allies, has made a remarkable and visible progress in the reform of the defence and security sector, which is best evidenced by the expected full-fledged membership in the Alliance'', said today the Director General for Defense Policy, Mr. Ivica Ivanović.

Director Ivanović, at a meeting with military-diplomatic representatives of NATO member states and Austria, which was held today at the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro, recalled the achievements and noted the intensive efforts that Montenegro is investing in order to prepare for the new role, as a reliable and equal ally. He expressed gratitude to the Allied countries for continued support in implementing comprehensive defence reform. Ivanović informed the military-diplomatic representatives on the pace of ratification of the Protocol on the Accession of Montenegro to NATO, as well as the expected adoption of the Draft Law on the Ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty that is considered in the Montenegrin Parliament, when Montenegro will once again demonstrate its political maturity.

At today's meeting, the discussion was made regarding the affirmative and the expected impact of the full-fledged membership of Montenegro in NATO in the Western Balkans region. In this regard, representatives of allied countries have pointed out that Montenegro is an example that the open issues can be solved by compromise, and that the dialogue in this area can not have an alternative.

The Director General of Human Resources, Michael Volkov also met with the military-diplomatic representatives. He presented the models for the firther development of the human resources sector, emphasizing that in the future the Ministry of Defence will be focused on working with young people, who represent the largest potential of the Montenegrin society. He recalled that the previous projects intended for education staff of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Montenegro significantly contributed to achieving the necessary level of interoperability, and stressed that the Ministry of Defence will continue to be committed to the improvement of the conditions for the development of professional staff. At a meeting with representatives of partner countries, the specific areas for enhancing the cooperation in the field of human resources were recorded.

Today's meeting reaffirmed the excellent cooperation of Montenegro with the members of the Alliance, as well as the common attitude that the Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire region is the only prerequisite for achieving the long-term peace and prosperity in the Balkans.