It is extremely important to send a clear message from all addresses that there are no alternatives and that NATO and the EU stand together with the countries of the Western Balkans, since any absence of clearly committed commitment leaves room for third countries that show interest in this region to use the vulnerabilities of the states and the system and threaten their integration path, Prime Minister Duško Marković said.

At the opening of the 9th To Be Secure (2BS) Forum in Budva, he said that Montenegro, as the still youngest member of the Alliance, actively represents and promotes open door policy.

Marković said that in the year when NATO marks 70 years of its existence, the Alliance has a full agenda of facing new and old challenges, with a changed geopolitical situation.

He reminded that the Alliance paid special attention to the Western Balkans region in the past period.

“The historically positive epilogue of negotiations between Skopje and Athens to resolve the name dispute has opened the way for Northern Macedonia to join NATO and the EU, which will surely contribute to the realization of the vision of ‘Europe free, complete and in peace’. We are confident that the member states of the Alliance will ratify the Accession Protocol as soon as possible and that Northern Macedonia will soon become its 30th member, Marković said, adding that it is very important that Bosnia and Herzegovina is invited to deliver its first Annual National Program for NATO.

According to the Prime Minister, Montenegro promotes open door policy through bilateral support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, as well as within the framework of regional initiatives and mechanisms of cooperation, such as the US-Adriatic Charter and the Adriatic Trilateral.

“We are ready to continue to help all the neighbors and aspirants with whom we want to share experiences and lessons learned from the accession process, Marković said.

The Prime Minister also said that the European Commission’s Report on Montenegro, which he has just described, “realistically examined the state of progress and the need for further results”.

“We are pleased to note the total work, in particular the government and its authorities, the robust growth of the economy or the results achieved in the fight against organized crime and corruption. We will keep all recommendations with care, as before, to see. That is precisely why we are in the position we occupy, as a member of NATO and the leading country on the path to membership in the Union, Marković said.

Montenegro, as he said, advocates for the greatest progress of all countries in the region. He emphasizes that the importance that NATO and the EU have for the Western Balkans “need not be explained in detail”.

“It is important to maintain support for democratic forces, especially considering that integration processes are the core and the main driver of democratic and reform processes. It is important to send a clear message from all addresses that there are no alternatives and that NATO and the EU stand together with the countries of the Western Balkans on this path. Every absence of clearly demonstrated commitment leaves space for third countries that show interest in this region to use the vulnerabilities of states and systems and endanger their integration path, “Markovic said.

Kentera: Montenegro will not be able to scare anyone

Recalling that this year marked 70 years since the founding of the NATO alliance, the president of the Atlantic Counci of Montenegro, Savo Kentera, said that we must all be proud of that.

“NATO has offered a mechanism for channeling the power of its members to ensure the stability of the continent,” Kentera said, adding that NATO paved the way for the EU to many member states.

He assessed that we are all “well aware of how unpredictable the world is today and what challenges we are facing today.”

“The extremely aggressive reaction of Russia, beginning with the violent annexation of Crimea to undermining the democratic systems, where in our own example, right here in Montenegro, witnessed what this country is prepared to do to implement its interests, show that we are not even close to a long- which will be the foundation of stability for future generations, “Kentera said.

He believes that even after 70 years we can not say that all the challenges have been overcome and all the problems resolved.

“Unfortunately, in carrying out such intentions and actions, Russia finds its allies in individual political parties, sometimes individuals or very skilled in the parts of the civil sector, and very powerful weapons in their hands are represented by the media themselves. The spread of false news or misinformation, or the creation of very sophisticated narratives that influence public opinion in the way that fits this country, are just some of the examples of a very successful campaign, or I will dare to say the war that Russia is leading against the entire democratic world, he stressed.

According to him, no one will be able to scare, nor turn from its path to the society of the most developed democracies of the world.

“We successfully overcome the first step on this path by joining NATO, and I believe that we will soon see the results of hard work, which will manifest itself in EU membership. We have determination, courage never missed us, and I believe that we will be imaginative enough to deal with all who do not think well of this country, region or any of our honest and true allies! Russia or any other country, which is not a true friend of Montenegro, and who is jealously looking at our successes, trying to constantly bring in chaos and undermine our democratic systems, must know that it will never succeed in that, “Kentera said.

Keeping the dialogue, as he said, does not mean lowering the level of defense. On the contrary, our defense, in his words, must now be stronger than ever.

“Not because someone wants a conflict, but that the same conflict will be prevented and secured lasting peace. There are many different and unpredictable challenges ahead of us. This means that we must be prepared for all the threats that can come from any direction. And in order to be ready, we have to invest in our defense systems, “he said.