Development of relations between Montenegro and NATO – key dates

From the Partnership for Peace to the membership in Alliance

2017.

• On April 28, the Parliament of Montenegro passed the Law on the confirmation of the North Atlantic Treaty and the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of Accession of Greece and Turkey.
• On May 25, a delegation of Montenegro headed by Prime Minister Dusko Marković took part in a meeting of Heads of States and Governments of NATO in Brussels.
• On June 5, Montenegro, by passing the instrument of ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty to the Government of the United States, which is the depositary of this treaty, became a member of NATO.
• On June 7, the Montenegrin flag was ceremonially erected in front of the new NATO Headquarter.
• The Summit of the American-Adriatic Charter (A5) was held in Podgorica on August 2, in which, besides Heads of States and Governments of the Member States, Vice President of the United States, Mike Pens, took part.

2016.

• Montenegro's accession negotiations with the Alliance were held in Brussels on February 15 and 16, during which Montenegro, in accordance with the principle of solidarity that is in force in NATO, accepted obligations arising from membership.
• On March 24, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations Igor Lukšić sent a letter to the NATO Secretary General in which he confirms Montenegro's political readiness to be a NATO member and to fulfill the obligations arising from membership.
• Protocol on accession by NATO members was signed in Brussels on 19 May, after which Montenegro was granted the right to participate in the work of NATO bodies, but without the right to vote.
• On 8-9. July Montenegro, as an invited country, participated in the NATO Summit in Warsaw.

2015.

• The realization of the activities and visits forseen by the agenda of intensified and focused conversations continued.
• In April 2015, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović visited the NATO Headquarter, met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and addressed the NAC.
• On May 13, 2015 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Lukšić participated in Antalya at a ministerial meeting of NATO member states with operational partners participating in the mission “Resolute Support”.
• On 10-11. June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had an official visit to Montenegro. He met with President Vujanović, President of the Parliament Krivokapić, Prime Minister Đukanović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of foreign Affairs and European Integration, Lukšić, Deputy Prime Minister Marković and Minister of Defense Pejanović-Đurišić.
• On 14-15. October, the North Atlantic Council, led by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, had an official visit to Montenegro for the first time. The Council's visit was an opportunity for direct introduction of the ambassadors of the member states with implemented reforms in key areas. GS Stoltenberg met with President F. Vujanović, President of the Parliament R. Krivokapić, Prime Minister M. Đukanović, Deputy Prime Minister D. Marković, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of foreign Affairs and European Integration, I. Lukšić Minister of Defense M. Pejanović-Đurisić, and addressed the NAC Minister of Justice Z. Pažin, national coordinator for NATO V. Garčević and representatives of Parliamentary members clubs.
• On November 25, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Igor Lukšić and Minister of Defense Milica Pejanović-Đurišić participated at the NAC meeting regarding the end of the fifth MAP cycle.
• On 2 December, the foreign ministers of the member states unanimously made a decision to send invitation to Montenegro to become the next full member of the Alliance. Adressing the invitation is a recognition of the reforms implemented and the progress made in key areas, which was also influenced by Montenegro's commitment to Alliance values and contribution to international security and security.

2014.

• In March 2014, Prime Minister Milo Đukanović met in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and attended the NAC session.
• On 21-22. May, Day of Independence of Montenegro, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Montenegro.
• On June 25, at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, a decision was made to intensify talks with Montenegro on its membership in NATO in order to decide on the invitation to join the Alliance by the end of 2015.
• On 4-5. September a NATO Summit was held in Wales, where the decision of NATO foreign ministers was confirmed to intensify and focus talks with Montenegro. Members pledged to assess Montenegro's progress by the end of 2015 and to decide whether to apply for membership. The delegation of Montenegro at the Summit was led by Prime Minister M. Đukanović. Montenegro participated in meetings with aspirants in format 28 + 4 and ISAF format.
• At the end of October, Montenegro was visited by the NATO Military Committee, which is the largest military body under the control of the NAC.
• Intensified and focused talks between Montenegro and NATO began officially on 19 November.

2013.

• In the first quarter of 2013, the first national coordinator for NATO was appointed with the aim of continuous communication with citizens regarding the membership of Montenegro in NATO.
• In March 2013, Prime Minister Milo Đukanović visited NATO headquarter, visited the NAC and had a meeting with Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
• In April 2013, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Lukšić participated in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers and partner countries of the ISAF Mission contributor (a meeting in the same format was held in December 2013).
• In October 2013, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović had a meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels.

2012.

• On March 21, Prime Minister Igor Lukšić had an official visit to Brussels and addressed the NAC.
• On 21-22. May, Prime Minister Igor Lukšić led the delegation of Montenegro at the NATO Summit held in Chicago, USA. Montenegro, in the capacity of the ISAF contributor state, attended a meeting dedicated to Afghanistan, as well as a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Alliance and the Aspirant countries - 28 + 4 (Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Georgia). The Declaration of the Summit highlights Montenegro's good progress in the Euro-Atlantic integration process, as well as its contribution to stability in the region and beyond, through participation in the ISAF mission.
• On July 19, Deputy NATO Secretary General Alexander Wesho visited Montenegro. Furthermore, Montenegro visited Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, on November 5, 2012. The reason for the visit was the opening of the Information Center on Euro-Atlantic integration. NATO Info Center has the role that through the spread of public debate and the development of a better dialogue on all aspects of Montenegro's NATO membership, enables to the citizens to be better informed about the profitability and purposefulness of joining the Alliance.
• In December 2012, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Lukšić had official visit to NATO and met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

2011.

• In April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Milan Roćen participated in the NAC meeting with non-NATO contributors at a ministerial meeting in ISAF format held in Berlin.
• On June 29, in the framework of the first Montenegrin presidency of the US-Adriatic Charter (A5), a ministerial meeting A5 was organized in Budva, where, except member countries and observing countries, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also participated.
• On 5 December, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Milan Roćen participated in the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn.

2010.

• On February 23, Montenegro was recognized as the 44th non-NATO country contributor to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Within the Hungarian contingent, and under the regional command of Germany, in March 2010, the first contingent of the Army of Montenegro was sent. In the ISAF mission, Montenegro participated with 10 contingents of the Army of Montenegro while the engagement in Afghanistan continued through participation in the mission “Resolute support”, where the seventh contingent of the Montenegrin Army is currently located.
• Montenegro begins to participate in ministerial meetings in ISAF format. Foreign Minister Milan Roćen led the Montenegrin delegation at the first International Conference on Afghanistan, held in London on January 28, 2010, as well as a delegation to participate in a conference on Afghanistan held in Kabul on July 20, 2010.
• On 19-20. November, Montenegro participates at the NATO Summit in Lisbon. The delegation was led by Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, who met on the sidelines of the Summit with US President Barack Obama. The Declaration of the Summit highlights the progress of Montenegro in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as its contribution to stability in the region and beyond, through participation in the ISAF mission.

2009.

• On March 9, the first meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) with Montenegro was held, which was led by Prime Minister Milo Đukanović.
• On November 26 and 27, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Montenegro.
• On 3-4. December at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the member countries of the Alliance in Brussels was sent an invitation to Montenegro to start with the implementation of the Membership Action Plan (MAP). MAP is NATO's counseling, assistance and practical support program based on the individual needs of countries. The countries aspirants are obliged to prepare the Annual National Program (ANP), representing it to NATO, by all MAP chapters. Montenegro implemented the V MAP cycle, and the first ANP is being presented on October 28, 2010 and the fifth ANP during the period of intensified and focused talks on October 17, 2014. During the implementation of the MAP, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense of Montenegro were once a year (at the end of June / early July) at the NAC sessions, where they presented the results achieved by Montenegro in the framework of the MAP process.
• On December 29th a Decision on the engagement of representatives of the Army of Montenegro in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Liberia (UNMIL) and Somali waters (ATALANTA - within the EU mission) was adopted.

2008.

• In February 2008, NATO approved the beginning of creation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan - IPAP. IPAP is a mechanism for cooperation between the Alliance and partner countries that want to strengthen ties with NATO and contribute to the deepening of military-defense and political cooperation with the Alliance. The implementation of the two-year IPAP, after the adoption by the Government of Montenegro, began after the submission of the IPAP Presentation Document to NATO on June 24, 2008. By this, bearing in mind the fact that Montenegro was granted the right to attend the NATO Ministerial Meeting in format 28 + 1, a political dialogue between Montenegro and NATO was established. The two-year IPAP cycle ended in June 2010, with positive assessments by NATO.
• From 2-4. April, in Bucharest, for the first time, the Montenegrin delegation was participating the NATO Summit. The Montenegrin delegation was led by Prime Minister Milo Đukanović.
• At the NATO Summit in Bucharest, Montenegro was officially invited to launch the Intensified Dialogue Process (ID) with the Alliance on Political, Military, Financial, Security and Public Diplomacy Issues. The ID itself has many common elements with IPAP, but being part of this program is forseen for the countries that have clearly expressed their intention to become NATO members.
• In October, the Law on the participation of members of the Army of Montenegro, civil protection, police and employees in state administration bodies in peacekeeping missions and other activities abroad was adopted. Furthermore, the Decision on the engagement of medical team of the Army of Montenegro in the UN peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1833 was adopted.
• During this period, the National Security Strategy and the Defense Strategy were adopted.
• On November 5, by the letter to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Montenegro requested admission to the MAP, which was accepted a year later.
• Since December 2006, Montenegro had observer status in the US-Adriatic Charter (A5). At the meeting of foreign ministers in Helsinki in December 2008, Montenegro became a member of the Adriatic Charter. The chairmanship of the Charter was carried out on two occasions by Montenegro: January-June 2011 and July-December 2013. The Chair is currently chaired by Macedonia, and from January 2018 the presidency will be taken over by Montenegro, for the first time in the status of a member state.

2007.

• During 2007, Montenegro submitted answers to the Questionnaire on the Planning and Auditing Process (PARP), and completed the development of IPP (Individual Partner Program). The main goal of PARP, as a key PfP mechanism, is to help to the country to develop military capabilities to contribute to this program. IPP is a cooperation program between NATO and the PfP member state. By the end of 2007, both programs were harmonised with the Alliance.
• In mid-2007, Montenegro established the NATO Mission in Brussels, as well as the Liaison Office at the Supreme Allied Commander Europe in Mons (SHAPE). The first head of the Montenegro Mission to NATO was Ambassador Veselin Šuković.

2006.

• On 29 November, official relations between Montenegro and NATO have started by sending the invivtation to Montenegro to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP). This is a military-political program of bilateral cooperation between partner countries and NATO. Within the PfP, Montenegro and NATO have developed cooperation with a focus on democratic, institutional and defense reforms, as well as practical cooperation in other areas. The President of Montenegro, by accepting the invitation for PfP, signed the Partnership for Peace Peace Document on December 14 in Brussels. This is the first contractual relationship between Montenegro and the Alliance.