Montenegro Shrugs Off Delays in Joining NATO

The authorities in Podgorica say they are optimistic that the US Senate will soon give a green light to Montenegro's membership of NATO - an issue which some US media claim could represent the first test of the new Washington administration's relations with Russia.

Montenegro is keen to become the alliance's 29th member but concerns have been raised that President Donald Trump's Republican administration might want to slow the process or even stop it.

Amid concerns about the growing presence in the Balkans of Russia, which opposes NATO expansion, the accession protocol was not on the agenda of the three Senate sessions last week, although it was expected to be ratified at the first sitting after Donald Trump's inauguration as President on January 20.

Another reason for concern is that no new date for a possible vote on Montenegro was set.

Russia's allies in the opposition in Montenegro hope that Trump's friendly attitude towards Moscow could mean that the ratification process remains blocked in the Senate.

Savo Kentera, chair of the Atlantic Council, a Montenegrin branch of the Washington-based think tank, believes US approval is just a matter of time, however, and said Montenegro's membership in NATO is not in question.

"It is irrelevant whether Montenegro has to wait days or weeks before the US advances its membership but that process is indisputable and there is no return," Kentera told BIRN.

Although Trump has been critical of NATO, even calling it "obsolete", while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kentera said there was no question of the US changing course now on NATO enlargement.

He believes the US Senate did not vote on Montenegro so far because the new administration has...