Today, President Donald J. Trump signed the United States instrument of ratification of the Protocol for Montenegro’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This followed the Senate’s March 28 overwhelming and bipartisan vote of advice and consent in support of ratification.
Since its inception in 1949, the NATO Alliance has been central to ensuring peace and security on the European continent. It is an alliance not only of shared interests but of shared values. President Trump looks forward to the May 25 NATO Leaders Meeting in Brussels and the opportunity to reaffirm those fundamental and enduring transatlantic values. Montenegro will be there as well, signaling to other NATO aspirants that the door to membership in the Euro-Atlantic community of nations remains open and that countries in the Western Balkans are free to choose their own future and select their own partners without outside interference or intimidation.
The United States will work to further strengthen our already strong relationship with Montenegro and looks forward to formally welcoming the country as the twenty-ninth member of the NATO Alliance. President Trump congratulates the Montenegrin people for their resilience and their demonstrated commitment to NATO’s democratic values.
