DPM Bečić pays a working visit to the U.S. State Department

Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić paid a working visit to the U.S. State Department, where he held separate meetings with Colleen Hyland, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and Stanley L. Brown, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs.

Bečić emphasized that Montenegro and its 44th Government are firmly committed to achieving three key objectives: preserving the country’s status as a reliable NATO member, attaining full EU membership by 2028, and acting as a stable political and security bridge in the Western Balkans.

We are facing clear obligations and measurable results. All negotiating tasks can be completed by the end of 2026, and Montenegro can become the next full member of the European Union by 2028. On that path, security is the foundation, and the rule of law is the guarantee, Bečić stated.

He particularly stressed his intention to ensure Montenegro increases its defence spending in line with U.S. administration recommendations, modernizes the Armed Forces of Montenegro, and continues full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy.

Bečić also highlighted Montenegro’s key role in the international operation “General,” carried out in partnership with the DEA, FBI, Europol, and the Australian Federal Police. The operation led to the prosecution and arrest of leaders and senior members of international drug cartels involved in trafficking approximately 2.5 tons of cocaine, confirming Montenegro’s strong capabilities as a global partner in the fight against organized crime.

A special focus was placed on the ongoing historic vetting process within the Montenegrin Police Directorate, through which around 100 police officers have already been suspended, with hundreds of additional security checks, property investigations, and contact audits currently underway.

We are cleansing institutions not for political control, but for institutional liberation. The badge must belong to the honorable—no one else, Bečić declared.

Following his address at the Southeast Europe Transatlantic Forum in the U.S. Congress and meetings with members of Congress and State Department officials, Bečić continued his visit to the United States with scheduled meetings at the Pentagon and the FBI, the outcomes of which will be shared with the public in due course.