Ibrahimović at NATO ministerial meeting: Montenegro committed and credible ally, focus on support for Ukraine and strengthening partnerships

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ervin Ibrahimović participated on December 3 and 4 in the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Brussels.

The focus of the discussions was the complex geopolitical situation and current challenges, with a focus on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and a review of the results achieved after the Washington Summit. Ministers also discussed the importance of the Southern Neighborhood and cooperation with partners in the Middle East, as well as the strategic importance of the Western Balkans for Euro-Atlantic security.

In that context, Ibrahimović said that "it was confirmed at the meeting that NATO will continue to provide support for strengthening stability and security in the Western Balkans, and that the region remains high on NATO's agenda."

At the two-day meeting, a set of measures was adopted to combat hostile and cyber activities, including better protection of critical infrastructure and improved cyber defense, and it was emphasized that the Alliance will continue to work closely with the European Union in this regard.

NATO ministers met in Brussels with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, within the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Council. Strong support for Ukraine was confirmed through existing NATO mechanisms and bilateral arrangements.

The allies also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the importance of even closer NATO cooperation with partners in that region.

Over the previous two days in Brussels, the allies agreed that the complex geopolitical situation and current challenges have imposed the need to demonstrate unity and a strong response from the Alliance in terms of developing preparedness of capacities and resilience to the obstacles we face daily. In this regard, Minister Ibrahimović emphasized that "Montenegro continues to fulfill strategically important foreign policy goals, primarily – consistently strengthening its position in the Alliance, as well as implementing NATO policies."

On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, the head of Montenegrin diplomacy had bilateral meetings with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and UK Minister for Europe in the Foreign Office Stephen Doughty. The discussions particularly emphasized the importance of strengthening stability and security in the Western Balkans, and there was also talk about further improving cooperation at the bilateral level and Montenegro's progress in the context of foreign policy priorities.