The U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty on accession of Montenegro to NATO. On Wednesday, March 29, according to Reuters.
According to the Agency, this decision was given to the vast majority of votes: 86 in favour and only two against. The document with the voting results will be sent to the White house for signature by the President of the United States Donald trump.
March 22, U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson called on the Senate to ratify the Protocol on the accession of Montenegro to NATO.
On 14 February, the Association Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the appropriate Protocol was approved by 24 member States of the Alliance.
At the end of 2016, the Director of the European cooperation Department of Russian foreign Ministry Andrey Kelin said that Montenegro does not meet the criteria of NATO membership. “To speak of Montenegro in which the armed forces amount to less than two thousand people and whose economy is in poor condition as a country which may be at least some added value to NATO’s security — this is ridiculous,” said the diplomat.
19 may 2016 NATO countries signed a Protocol on the admission of Montenegro, thus giving it the status of observer at the meetings. It can become a full member of the Alliance when the document is ratified by all 28 member countries of NATO.
It is expected that Montenegro will join the Association this year. The authorities intend to take a decision in a referendum, and to carry it through Parliament.