Montenegro marks ninth anniversary of joining NATO

Today, we mark the ninth anniversary of Montenegro becoming the 29th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

This achievement fulfilled one of our country's key foreign policy priorities.

By joining the Alliance, Montenegro secured its place within the collective security system, where it participates on an equal footing with its Allies in making decisions aimed at preserving peace, stability and the international legal order.

For our country, NATO membership represents both a privilege and a responsibility, as well as an opportunity to be part of a community founded on shared values. At the same time, it entails an obligation to contribute through our actions to the Alliance’s strength and unity. Therefore, we will continue to actively participate in activities aimed at strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities.

Montenegro will continue to deploy its personnel within NATO Forward Land Forces battle groups in Latvia and Bulgaria, while through our participation in the KFOR mission and NATO’s maritime operation in the Mediterranean, we will continue to contribute to the preservation of peace and security.

In parallel, we will continue to modernise our defence capabilities and equip the Armed Forces of Montenegro in accordance with NATO standards, while investing in the knowledge of our people, the development of our institutions and our ability to respond to contemporary security challenges.

To achieve these goals, we will provide the necessary resources, in line with Allied decisions to increase investment in defence.

Nowadays, as Montenegro hosts one of the most significant gatherings of European leaders and stands one step closer to achieving its strategic goal of membership in the European Union, we once again reaffirm our commitment to the values we share with our Allies.

We will continue to demonstrate through concrete results that NATO has in Montenegro a reliable partner, a responsible Ally and an important factor of stability in the Western Balkans.

Happy 9th anniversary of Montenegro’s membership in NATO.

Together. Secure. For all time.