April 12 (SeeNews) - President Donald Trump has ratified the protocol on Montenegro’s accession to NATO, the US government said.
President Trump looks forward to the May 25 NATO Leaders Meeting in Brussels where Montenegro will be present, signalling to other NATO aspirants that the door to NATO membership remains open and that countries in the Western Balkans are free to choose their own future without outside interference or intimidation, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The United States will work to further strengthen our already strong relationship with Montenegro and looks forward to formally welcoming the country as the twenty-ninth member of the NATO Alliance," the White House said.
On March 28, the US senate approved the ratification of the protocol for Montenegro’s accession to NATO in an overwhelming and bipartisan vote of advice and consent, the government added.
Montenegro signed the protocol on its accession to the Alliance in May 2016.
In December 2015 the Adriatic country received a formal invitation to join the alliance, which triggered a backlash from Russia.
At the time, Russia's foreign ministry urged the Montenegrin prime minister to call a referendum on NATO accession, citing an obvious, deep division in the country over the issue.
Montenegro was granted a Membership Action Plan, the final step in an application for membership in the organisation, in December 2009.
Montenegro's NATO accession protocol has already been signed by all current NATO members states, except Spain.