NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs invite Montenegro to join the Alliance
02 December 2015 News
NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs decided to invite Montenegro to join the Alliance. The decision was taken on December 2, 2015 at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in NATO Headquarters in Brussels and it triggers the start of accession talks in early 2016. In a separate statement, NATO ministers congratulated Montenegro on this historic achievement, saying that the decision reflects the reforms implemented by Montenegro, and its commitment to the Euro-Atlantic values. "This is a triumph of the Open Door policy in times of severe geopolitical dynamics. I am very pleased that Montenegro received an invitation as this is an important step for the entire Balkan region," commented Minister Daniel Mitov. The statement by the NATO Foreign Ministers is available HERE.
Ministers endorsed Strategy on NATO’s role in countering hybrid warfare. Bulgaria's top diplomat said that the document will further guide a series of internally and externally focused adaptations to build resilience and effective response to evolving hybrid threats. Minister Mitov expressed hope that the implementation plan to be developed will go together with the Readiness Action Plan (RAP) implementation. “The ongoing efforts on deterrence and defence will deliver the three functions of Prepare, Deter and Defend to counter the hybrid warfare,” Minister Mitov said. “Our level of ambition should be to establish a practical mechanism for NATO-EU cooperation in countering hybrid warfare by the Warsaw Summit next year encompassing interaction from early warning to advice for possible coordinated response to concrete threats detected,” he added.
In a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin informed on the progress of the reform process in the country. The Allied ministers expressed their solidarity and willingness to continue to provide political and practical support, including under the NATO trust funds. The participants underscored the importance of the full implementation of the Minsk agreements for the gradual achievement of lasting stability while preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
During the forum, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, together with Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski unveiled the official logo for the NATO summit which will be held on 8-9 July 2016 in Warsaw.