In an interview with Dnevne Novine newspaper, Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said that the NATO accession protocol ratification process should be finished by the end of March. He said he could see no obstacles to that process in the next couple of months.
Markovic said that NATO membership would be the second historic event for Montenegro, after the restoration of independence, in 2006. He also said that 2017 would be a historic year for Montenegro.
“It will be a new opportunity for all in Montenegro: for individuals, parties, different social groups, for businessmen and artists of all kinds to develop their potential to the highest degree,” PM said.
He pointed out that establishing a dialogue on all the issues where there are divisions, stabilising public finances and curbing the public debt growth will be the biggest challenges in this, but also coming years. He reiterated that the key objective of this government was improving the living standard of every individual and every family in Montenegro.
DN: We have entered 2017, which will certainly earn a special place in modern history of Montenegro given the recent NATO membership. Does this issue in the coming months until the formal accession to the alliance can represent any challenge for Montenegro, and if so, in what way?
MARKOVIC: There is no doubt: 2017 will be the year in which Montenegro will become the 29th member of NATO. This will be another civilising step forward and the second most important event in modern history of Montenegro after its independence restoration. of, recent Montenegrin history, indeed another confirmation won democratic values and standards. It will be a new opportunity for all in Montenegro: for individuals, parties, different social groups, for businessmen and artists of all kinds to develop their potential to the highest degree
On the one hand, membership in the alliance will provide long-term stability and prosperity to our citizens and the state. In the same time it will enable Montenegro to contribute to the stability, peace and democracy at the global level as an equal member of the alliance of the most developed countries.
DN: Which will be the biggest challenges this year, in your opinion?
MARKOVIC: Establishing a dialogue on all the issues where there are divisions will be the biggest challenge in this, but also coming years. We need dialogue, not confrontation, understanding and not distance to valorise our resources and potentials in the right way and make Montenegro better place for all.
If we manage to make a real progress in this, I am confident that it will be easier for us to overcome other serious challenges in this year, ie to stabilise the public finances and stop the public debt growth, while maintaining development. This is a prerequisite to achieve the key objective of this government: improving the living standards of every individual and every family in Montenegro.
DN: One of the first greetings that you received from world officials came from the Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. How do you assess such an act having in mind recent developments?
MARKOVIC: PM Medvedev’s greeting came really quickly, just a few days after the election of the new government. First of all, it was a clear message of Russia that the official elections in Montenegro were regular and that the new government is the result of the freely expressed will of the citizens.
Secondly, Medvedev expressed the wish to enhance the constructive Russian-Montenegrin cooperation, and this is one of the priorities of our foreign policy. Therefore, I hope that the period of misunderstanding is finished and that we will be wiser to take advantage of the enormous potential for cooperation between Montenegro and Russia in the future.
As you can see, in recent days, senior officials from Moscow have sent reasonable messages about the need for renewal of cooperation between Russia and NATO and we… believe that the convergence of the global scene will have very beneficial effect on Russia to properly interpret the desire of Montenegro to join the alliance.
