Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General – Opening statement for NAC with Montenegro
Welcome and good morning to all of you.
The NATO Foreign Ministers have just taken a historic decision to invite Montenegro to start accession talks to become the twenty-ninth member of our Alliance.
We congratulate the government of Montenegro and the people of Montenegro on the efforts, and on the achievements.
This is a very good day for Montenegro, a good day for the Western Balkans, and a good day for the whole Alliance.
Well before Montenegro became independent in 2006, your country embarked on a unique journey: to re-establish itself as a sovereign country, to consolidate its democratic institutions in accordance with European standards, to strengthen the rule of law and to re-integrate with the rest of the continent.
Since 2009, NATO and Montenegro have worked closely together through the Membership Action Plan. We have had substantial discussions on reform, on regional security and on many other topics.
All through these years, we saw your country’s unwavering commitment to our common values and to international security. Today, we see the concrete results of this commitments.
Of course this is not the end of the road.
Important work remains to be done: on defence adaptation, on domestic reform especially rule of law, and to continue to make progress in demonstrating public support for Montenegro’s NATO membership.
These are issues that we will continue to monitor as we start the accession talks and during the ratification process.
Montenegro’s accession to NATO will be another important step in the Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire Western Balkans region. And it makes clear that NATO keeps its door open, to complete our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace.
And therefore I am very glad to have Foreign Minister (Igor) Lukšić and Defence Minister (Milica) Pejanović-Đurišić with us today in this meeting to celebrate this milestone.
We look forward to welcoming you as a member of our alliance.
So Minister Lukšić, you have been here many times before this is the first after we decided to invite you to become a full member. So welcome and glad to see you again. You have the flor please.
Igor Lukšić, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro Opening statement for Montenegro with NAC
Excellences,
Very good morning to you all.
It is a true honour and privilege to address you at this historical meeting for my country. We are both humbled and excited with your decision to invite Montenegro to join the Alliance. It is recognition of our great efforts, energy and dedication in implementing reforms to qualify for membership. Throughout this process, as partners, we have forged our relationship based on understanding and sense of common purpose. Today, we are opening a new chapter for deeper and closer bond with our allies.
We are proud of what we have achieved in just nine years since we joined the Partnership for Peace. This is indeed a great day for my country, and I believe a well-deserved one. I am confident this is an equally important moment for the Alliance. By opening your door to Montenegro both literally and symbolically, you have shown why this Alliance is so vital and strong. Invitation to Montenegro is great news for the rest of Balkans as well, for the strengthening of the security and stability. This is a good signal for our region, which will have one more friend in the Atlantic family.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are fully aware that the invitation is not the end of the process, but the beginning of a new one. We want to complete tasks in the accession period with the equal success. So rest assured Montenegro is fully committed to the continuation of reforms with the same intensity and a new vigour. We will continue building further track-record in fighting organised crime and corruption, making sure we have an overwhelming public support for membership and further adapt the defence sector. We are determined to constantly improve and work tirelessly not to please others, but to change our society for the better.
These are very sensitive and challenging times for the Alliance. We understand that unity and solidarity are needed now more than ever. I can assure you that Montenegro already acts as a 29th member and giving its contribution to Euro-Atlantic stability. We stand ready to share a burden and stand shoulder to shoulder with the allies.
Dear colleagues,
I’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of you and you, Mr Secretary General and your stuff, for being with us every step of the way. We would not be here without you. Next May, Montenegro is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its independence. I would like to invite all of you and your high officials to visit Montenegro and celebrate this important day with us.
Dear friends,
By inviting Montenegro to join NATO, you have made the right decision. We vow to be a member you will be all proud of. Let’s paraphrase a famous movie sentence: I think this is the beginning of a beautiful alliance.
Statement by Minister of Defence of Montenegro Milica Pejanović-Đurišić on the occasing of NATO decision to extend a membership invitation to Montenegro
It is my pleasure to voice personal satisfaction over the successful completion of this stage of the Euro-Atlantic accession process and to congratulate all the citizens of Montenegro on NATO invitation.
I would like to thank NATO member states for their trust and for reaching an unanimous decision to invite Montenegro be part of the Alliance.
This is a great opportunity for me to thank all the employees of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Montenegro and congratulate them on the progress achieved and their commitment to work in a responsible, professional and effective manner.
For me, as the Minister of Defence of Montenegro, today’s decision of NATO member states is not a surprise. It is an expected epilogue of the long-standing and challenging period in which Montenegro has shown its commitment, strong will and political maturity.
NATO invitation confirms Montenegro’s progress in the defence sector, as well as in many other areas important for the evaluation of the level of readiness for joining the Alliance. We have fulfilled all the requirements and standards, implemented all substantial reforms in security and defence sectors, and accepted challenges within the intensified and focused talks with NATO. Confidence the 28 members of NATO showed by extending the invitation testifies to the quality of the reforms the country has implemented.
I am deeply convinced that Montenegro’s new status in the collective defence system will contribute to strengthening institutions, the rule of law and overall democratic development of our society. It will also contribute to the stabilisation of the region and Europe we belong to according to all the civilisation values we jointly cherish and share.
