Milo Djukanovic

President Rosen Plevneliev told Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic that the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans was a foreign policy priority issue for Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has urged all Balkan countries to join NATO and the EU, adding that this is the only move that would bring the much-needed security in the region.

Speaking Friday after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, Borisov expressed hopes that Montenegro would join NATO by end-2015.

Radicals protest, burn EU, U.S., NATO flags

BELGRADE -- Supporters of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) on Tuesday staged a protest in Belgrade when they burned flags of NATO, the EU, the United States, and Kosovo.

The protest was held in front of the General Staff building in Belgrade that was destroyed in the NATO bombing that started this day 16 years ago.

Montenegro pursues NATO admission

A slew of reforms and awareness campaigns are among the steps Montenegro is taking to secure NATO membership before the end of 2015.

French President Francois Hollande (right), with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in Paris on December 10th, said his country opposes new NATO members. [AFP]

Parliament on Wednesday approved the new cabinet of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, tasked with reviving the economy and leading Montenegro closer to NATO and EU membership.

MPs from the ruling coalition voted in favour of new education, culture, health, justice and labour ministers. The opposition voted against the new cabinet.

Miodrag Lekic, leader of the main opposition force in Montenegro, Democratic Front, has announced that he is stepping down.

Lekic had been considered the only political figure with enough authority and popular support to unite the various opposition parties in Montenegro that have little in common except a desire to defeat the country's long-time leader, Milo Djukanovic.

The Montenegrin government has great expectations of foreign investment in tourism this year, as development projects started in 2014 undergo expansion.

The government's programme of economic reforms in tourism, which BIRN has seen, expects more than 250 million euro in tourist-related investment in 2015.

Prime Minister Minister Milo Djukanovic on Wednesday said Montenegro expects an invitation to join NATO by the end of the year and is working hard to meet the conditions.

Commenting on the French President's statement of opposition to NATO enlargement, Djukanovic said he did not see in Francois Hollande's words any intention to revise NATO's policy towards Montenegro.

Podgorica "expects NATO invitation" by end of year

PODGORICA -- Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has said that his country was steadily moving toward the EU and NATO.

According to him, Montenegro will be invited to join the western military alliance "by the end of the year."

Montenegro's smaller ruling party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, on Monday rejected an offer by the opposition to form a transitional government to replace the government led by the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, now 25 years in power.