11 April 2019 - Although it does not have large military capacities, Montenegro is very important for NATO, because it is a role model, primarily for the region, and it can offer its expertise to countries of the region, such as Northern Macedonia, Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Meleskan told Portal RTCG.
Romanian Minister of Defense Gabriel Les told the Public Services Portal that Montenegro should learn from Romania's example and aspire to a stronger cohesion with NATO.
"Solidarity idea is NATO's heritage. It gathers large and small countries, but they all have the same guarantees of peace and security. Montenegro contributes, as well as everyone, within the limits of its possibilities," Meleskan emphasized, strongly urging further expansion of the alliance, and hoping that Northern Macedonia will become a member.
As he pointed out, the Alliance is a political-military alliance, and it is not just a matter of security.
"It is committed to freedom, democracy, human rights and prosperity of the member states," Maleskan explained.
Prime Ministers of Montenegro and Romania, Duško Marković and Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, recently agreed in Bucharest that the two countries have established friendly relations and partnership in NATO, that both aim to deepen economic cooperation, and that the successful completion of European accession of Montenegro and the continuation of European integration of other Western Balkan countries is the best framework for the stability of this part of Europe.
The meeting was concluded as the prime ministers announced concrete steps in terms of economic cooperation, including a meeting of the mixed commission of the two countries and the organisation of an economic forum that would bring together business communities of Montenegro and Romania. Agriculture, energy and tourism are recognised as concrete areas of cooperation. Direct cooperation within NATO was agreed in several areas.
