Ministers Radulović and Injac participate in meeting of NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers

Minister of Foreign Affairs Đorđe Radulović and Minister of Defence Olivera Injac participated yesterday in the meeting of the NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers, which was held by videoconference. The meeting was chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The focus of the meeting was the status of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. In that context, Radulović and Injac welcomed the efforts of the United States of America to give new impetus to the negotiations between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, which aim to end the long-standing conflict. Although the negotiation process itself is very complex and uncertain, it is of great importance, given the fact that a political solution is the only way to ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists. The Ministers also stressed the importance of opposing sides in Afghanistan being constructive in finding a lasting solution.

Radulović and Injac reminded that Montenegro ended its operational engagement in Afghanistan last September, where 21 contingents with over 550 members of the Montenegrin Armed Forces were engaged within the ISAF and Resolute Support Mission. Montenegro continues to support Afghanistan through its contribution to the Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund.

NATO Allies decided to start withdrawing forces from the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan by May 1, with plans to complete the drawdown of all troops within a few months. Bearing in mind the importance of Afghanistan for international peace and stability, NATO will continue to support Afghanistan in further institution building and strengthening the rule of law.