Opening remarks

Welcome to all of you, Prime Minister Milo Đjukanović, Ministers,

It’s great to see you all here today.

In a few minutes, we will sign the Protocol for the Accession of Montenegro to the NATO Alliance.

This is an important step. And it comes at an historic moment for Montenegro.

On Saturday, Montenegrins will celebrate 10 years of independence. In those 10 years, Montenegro has come a long way.  Reforming laws. Building institutions. And re-establishing the country’s place within the international community.

Montenegro has contributed to NATO, EU and UN operations. 

It has encouraged regional cooperation and compromise in the Balkans.

And it has implemented major reforms.

Today’s signing of the Accession Protocol recognises this progress.  From now on, Montenegro will be represented as an ‘Invitee’ at NATO meetings.

Today also marks the beginning of the ratification process.  When completed, we will soon welcome Montenegro as the 29th full member of the Alliance.

This is not the end of Montenegro’s journey, but the beginning of a new, secure chapter in its history. We expect Montenegro to continue to pursue its reforms. This work remains important.  And NATO will continue to provide support and assistance.

Becoming a member of NATO will help ensure Montenegro’s long term stability, sovereignty and security.  It will give Montenegro a seat at the table and the ability to shape NATO policy. 

And Montenegro’s achievements demonstrate clearly that NATO’s door remains open.

I would now like to invite Prime Minister Đjukanović to speak. Please, you have the floor.

[INTERVENTION BY Prime Minister DJUKANOVIC]

Thank you so much Prime Minister.  

And we will now proceed with the signing ceremony.  And I will ask each Allied Representative in turn to sign the Accession Protocol and we do it in alphabetical order.

• So I would now like to invite the Representative of the Republic of Albania to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then I’ll ask the Representative of the Kingdom of Belgium to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And the next to sign is the Representative of Canada so please.
• And I now invite the Representative of the Republic of Croatia to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Czech Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And the next to sign the Protocol is the Representative from the Kingdom of Denmark.
• I now invite the Representative of the Republic of Estonia to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I invite the Representative of the French Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And the next to sign the Protocol is the Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Hellenic Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• The next to sign is the Representative of Hungary to sign the Protocol.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Republic of Iceland to sign the Protocol.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Italian Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I would like to ask the Representative of the Republic of Latvia to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And the next to sign the Protocol is the Representative of the Republic of Lithuania.
• And now I invite the Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then I will ask the Representative of the Kingdom of Norway to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I invite the Representative of the Republic of Poland to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I invite the Representative of the Portuguese Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And the next to sign the Protocol is the Representative of Romania. Please.
• And then I would like to ask the Representative of the Slovak Republic to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I invite the Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to sign the Accession Protocol.
• The next to sign the Protocol is the Representative of the Kingdom of Spain.
• And then I invite the Representative of the Republic of Turkey to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And then it is the Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to sign the Accession Protocol.
• And now I invite the Representative of the United States of America to sign the Accession Protocol.

Then I would like to thank you all for this signing ceremony and for all signing the Protocol. I think you all performed quite well, so this was a successful signing ceremony.

And I would also like to congratulate Prime Minister Đjukanović once again and I have a small present for you, which is this pen, that was used by all Allied Representatives to sign this document on this historic day. So this is for you.

So that concludes this signing ceremony. Then we are actually supposed to go out to have the “Family Photo” and this time it’s going to be taken outside, in front of the NATO Star because the NATO Star is going to be moved. So this is perhaps the last time you will see it in front of this building, it’s going to be moved to the new building and since it’s also a sunny day in Brussels we have to go outside to see the sun for at least a few minutes. So if you now proceed to the entrance, we will take the picture.