Minister Vucinic at the Conference “Regional support to ISAF mission after 2014”

Conference “Regional support to ISAF mission after 2014''

Minister Vucinic introductory speech on the subject “NATIONAL APPROACH TO THE ISAF MISSION”

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address you today. I would like to thank the conference organizers for this chance to interact and exchange opinions and experiences within the subject that is very important for all of us, and that is support to the ISAF mission after 2014.

Ever since it regained independence in 2006, Montenegro has started the process of reform of defense system and national capacities in order to be able to meet all the modern challenges together with its partners. Accordingly, we have established the most important foreign policy priorities, and these are membership in NATO and the EU, as well as developing regional cooperation. 

Guided by our national interests, we have decided to actively participate in international missions and operations, and to show that we are a reliable partner to the international community in its efforts to establish peace and stability in the world.

Montenegro today participates in three missions: UN Mission in Liberia - UNMIL, the EU operation Atalanta in Somalia, and of course, the most demanding mission today, ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

In March 2010, Montenegro has sent its first rotation to the ISAF mission, including 31 members of the Armed Forces. Today, the fourth rotation including 39 members of the Armed Forces is in this mission. In less than two years, Montenegro has increased its personnel in the mission for about 25%, which is another proof that we have a serious approach to our international obligations and that we are a reliable partner.

Bearing in mind that the transition process in Afghanistan has begun in July last year, we realized the need of the international community and the Government of Afghanistan for more instructors in the mission, with the aim to complete this process by the end of 2014, as it was planned.

Accordingly, in cooperation with our partners within the US-Adriatic Charter (A-5) plus Slovenia, we prepared and sent a joint unit of instructors who now perform a very important task of training the military police of the Afghan National Army in Kabul.

In this way we wanted to send a clear message that we fully support the principle of ISAF contributors, "in-together out-together", and the consistency to complete the mission with complete success. The next step on which we need to work is to prepare us all for the period after 2014 or after the completion of the transition in Afghanistan. In this regard, Montenegro will work on building the capacities necessary to support the NATO mission in Afghanistan after 2014.

This conference, with the main topic of ISAF mission and Afghanistan, also demonstrates the commitment of Montenegro to work, together with its partners, to establish lasting peace and stability in the world.

Once again, I thank the organizers of the conference and wish all participants a successful conference and pleasant stay in Montenegro.

Thank you.