Secretary General congratulates the President of Montenegro on third anniversary of accession to NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (9 June 2020) and congratulated him on the anniversary of his country’s accession to the Alliance three years ago.

Mr. Stoltenberg noted that NATO membership has been good for Montenegro’s security and prosperity and that investment by other Allies in Montenegro has more than doubled since accession. He said that being part of NATO has also helped Montenegro through the COVID-19 pandemic, mentioning the support provided by Allies with airlift, medical supplies, financial assistance and other items.

Stressing that the security challenges that the Alliance faced before COVID-19 have not gone away, the NATO Secretary General said that NATO will “continue to ensure this health crisis does not become a security crisis” and that NATO forces remain ready and vigilant.

“During this pandemic, both state and non-state actors have used disinformation and propaganda to try to undermine our Alliance and our democracies. In NATO we have worked together to identify, expose, and counter disinformation. Those who try to divide us will not succeed”, Mr. Stoltenberg said.

The NATO Secretary General stressed that Montenegro continues to be a highly valued Ally contributing to Euro-Atlantic security, including to NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, to the NATO multinational battlegroup in Latvia and to the NATO training mission in Afghanistan.

“Just as NATO can count on Montenegro, Montenegro can count on NATO. NATO air policing ensures your skies are safe, with jets from Italy and Greece. And through a Trust Fund, we are helping to destroy surplus ammunition in Montenegro”, Mr. Stoltenberg said.