Always serving the nation – that is what Montenegro’s armed forces have been doing ever since the coronavirus has emerged. Soldiers are protecting quarantines, adult foster care homes, the Clinical Center, they decontaminate healthcare institutions across Montenegro, provide assistance when needed, and are on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview for CdM, defense minister, Mr Predrag Bošković, says they will keep doing the same, in line with the needs defined by the National Coordination Body.
About 200 Montenegrin soldiers are engaged in tasks related to combating the spread of coronaviruses on a daily basis.
The Minister says that such situation lasts for more than a month, that is, since the Army was engaged in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus following the decision of the Defense and Security Council.
He added that teams are working on a field every single day since the coronavirus outbreak in Montenegro.
“And we’ll keep doing the same, as the Army has always and will always serve the nation,“ the Minister told CdM.
Being the frontline staff, they all have adequate equipment in order to avoid the infection with the virus.
“We have zero coronavirus cases in the Army of Montenegro and the Ministry of Defense as well. So far, nine soldiers have tested for Covid-19 and all are negative, while 48 of them were ordered to self-isolate,“ Mr Bošković noted.
Soldiers in the international missions
Montenegro has troops in the international missions. Minister Bošković says they are feeling well.
“There are currently 36 troops in international missions, while five more are in Latvia as part of the NATO’s activity – “Enhanced Forward Presence”. They are feeling well, with no recorded symptoms of the coronavirus.“
The Alliance committed to core values
When it comes to the importance of NATO in the fight against Covid-19, Minister Bošković says that the Alliance has once again shown that it remains committed to its core values, and above all the protection of its population.
In order to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Alliance has made available its capacities to support the transportation of essential materials and equipment. Ever since the global health crisis has emerged, NATO has been actively working to find out the best solutions for suppressing the pandemic through a comprehensive approach and cooperation with international partners, primarily the UN and the EU.
Solidarity
He underlines that several Allies have offered assistance or provided valuable donations to Montenegro, both in medical equipment and means, and through transport services as well. One of the so many examples of solidarity among Allies is the fact that Croatia had organized the transport of our troops from Afghanistan.
Cooperation with Allies continues in many other ways, bilaterally and within the Alliance, at a time when every state is making significant efforts to protect the lives of its citizens.
