Tillerson Boosts Montenegro's NATO Membership Hopes

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has written to leaders of the US Senate, urging them to ratify Montenegro's membership of the NATO alliance, saying it is "strongly in the interests of the United States."

In a letter dated March 7, published on Tuesday, Tillerson argued that Montenegro's membership of the alliance would support greater integration, democratic reform, trade, security and stability among its neighbours.

"Montenegro's participation in the May NATO Summit as full member, not as an observer, will send a strong signal of transatlantic unity," Tillerson wrote.

Moscow opposes any expansion of NATO to the east, including the Balkans, and the delay in US approval of Montenegro's accession protocol had raised doubts about whether President Donald Trump's new administration in the US was ready to stand up to Russia over the issue.

Tillerson's letter also followed an acrimonious debate between Republican senators John McCain, who backs quick ratification of Montenegro's membership, and Rand Paul, who questions the wisdom of angering Russia.

McCain said that by blocking a quick vote on Montenegro in the Senate, Paul was working for Russia's President, Vladimir Putin.

Montenegro hopes the Senate will ratify its accession before the NATO summit in May, and that it will participate in the summit as a full member, Srdjan Darmanovic, Montenegro's Foreign Minister told an Atlantic Council event in Washington on Tuesday.

"It's very difficult for me to imagine that [the US, as the] leading country of NATO and a kind of leader of the free world is not going to finalise the [ratification] procedure before that," he said.

The Atlantic Council event, moderated by Emily Tamkin, a journalist, included...