Montenegro has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on May 19-20 signed the accession protocol.
Once all allies have ratified it, Montenegro can then accede to the Washington Treaty and become the 29th member of the organization.
In March 2016, it was reported that Montenegro could become the full member of NATO by mid-2017. Previously, in October and December 2015 and in spring 2016 mass protests flared in Montenegrin cities against joining NATO and against the policy of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
Meanwhile, Russia criticized the EU and Montenegro for NATO accession steps against the will of the country’s citizens. Russian Foreign Ministry said that dragging Montenegro into NATO will not be left without Russia’s reaction.
