Prime Minister of Montenegro meets with the Secretary General and addresses the North Atlantic Council
The Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović visited NATO Headquarters on 26 March 2013 and met with the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Prime Minister Đukanović also addressed the North Atlantic Council. “Montenegro is an important partner for the Alliance and an important aspirant to NATO membership,” the Secretary General said. “Your Euro-Atlantic integration is a vision that we all share. We are firm in our commitment to support you on your path towards NATO membership.”
Montenegro joined the Partnership for Peace in December 2006 and was invited to the Membership Action Plan in December 2009.
“Montenegro’s reforms are ambitious. And they are on the right path. We encourage you to continue your efforts, especially in reinforcing the rule of law, and fighting corruption and organised crime. More reforms in the defence sector will also be critical. There is still hard work to do. But Montenegro is moving in the right direction,” the Secretary General added.
Montenegro has been a contributor to the Alliance’s ISAF mission in Afghanistan since 2010. The Secretary General thanked Montenegro for the commitment to remain engaged in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
“Montenegro has been a dedicated contributor to our ISAF operation in Afghanistan, You have given significant financial support to the Afghan National Security Forces. And we are grateful for all these contributions,” the Secretary General said. “NATO will lead that mission. And Montenegro is fully associated with the planning process, along with a number of other partners who have pledged to make a significant contribution,” he added.