NATO, Montenegro sign accession agreement
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 May 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, NATO, Montenegro sign accession agreement, 19 May 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/5769012727.html [accessed 24 September 2016] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 19.05.2016 13:29
Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic (left) and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting at alliance headquarters in Brussels on May 19.
Montenegro and NATO have signed a protocol on the country's accession to the alliance, paving the way for the Balkan country to become the 29th member of the military alliance.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic attended the signing ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on May 19.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said it was the "beginning of a new secure chapter" in the former Yugoslav republic's history.
Montenegro will participate in the alliance's meetings as an observer until all NATO nations ratify its accession protocol.
Djukanovic said Montenegro expects to join the alliance by the middle of 2017, becoming the third nation from the Western Balkans to join NATO after Albania and Croatia.
Russia has threatened to respond to Montenegro's membership, amid concerns in Moscow about NATO's presence moving increasingly closer to its border as a threat.
Based on reporting by AP and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
