Djukanovic to Meet US Vice-President

The Montenegrin Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, will meet US Vice-President Joseph Biden during a three-day visit to Washington in March, focusing on the country’s NATO ambitions.

According to the media, Djukanovic and Biden will discuss Montenegro’s aspirations to become a full member of the Atlantic Alliance at the upcoming summit scheduled for September in Wales in the UK.

Other details about Djukanovic’s planned visit to Washington have not been revealed. It is not known whether Djukanovic will meet other senior American officials.

The meeting with Biden follows an initiative of 40 US Congressmen to Secretary of State John Kerry in February urging the US to support NATO membership for both Macedonia and Montenegro at this year’s summit.

Macedonia has not been invited to join NATO on account of the unresolved dispute with NATO-member Greece over its name, which Greece wants changed.

Montenegro is currently conducting its fourth annual plan within the Membership Action Plan, MAP, which is regarded as a final step before joining the alliance.

Public support for NATO membership remains relatively low, however, and NATO officials have urged the government to try to increase levels of support.

The government in Podgorica has been reminded that NATO will not invite it to join the alliance if more than half of the population continues to oppose membership.

If Montenegro does join NATO, it will be the third former Yugoslav republic to do so, after Slovenia and Croatia.