President of the Parliament of Montenegro and President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Mr Ranko Krivokapić is paying a visit to the United States of America. On the second day of the visit, President Krivokapić met congressmen Mr Eliot Engel, Mr Doug Lamborn and Mr Mike Michaud.

During the conversation with Mr Krivokapić, congressmen voiced unequivocal  support to Euro-Atlantic  aspirations of Montenegro, promising that they would make further efforts aimed at helping Montenegrin membership to NATO, by which the only part of the Mediterranean coast not being under the  Alliance protection would be covered.

Mr Krivokapić also met Ms Karen Donfried, the European affairs specialist Advisor to President Barak Obama. Mr Krivokapić and Ms Donfried spoke on challenges that Montenegro had been facing with on its path to NATO membership and the means by which the U.S. government could enable faster overcoming of obstacles along the way. Interlocutors agreed that Montenegro had made a ​​great progress in just 7 years since the restoration of its independence as well as that its commitment was a motive for NATO allies to lobby on its behalf.

In honour of Mr Krivokapić’s visit to Congress, the official inauguration of Montenegrin caucus was organised. The inauguration of caucus in the U.S. Congress is a ceremonious act symbolising new note of friendship between Montenegro and U.S. A great number of representatives of the legislative power in the U.S. joined the Montenegrin caucus, by which a great affection to Montenegro by the elected representatives of the American government was demonstated.

Congressman Mr Doug Lamborn, who is a co-chair of the caucus, said on that occasion that Montenegro was an important part of Europe, and NATO was a key coalition of important world’s states and Montenegro should become a part of it. The aim of caucus is to establish a mechanism which would additionally deepen relations between the two states, but also promote numerous joint interest. 

President Krivokapić thanked to U.S. congressmen, saying that it was brave to support a small state of a great history, and that the United States nourished common values throughout history, starting from 1905, when the U.S. had its first ambassador to Montenegro. Mr Krivokapić referred to Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Montenegro: “We are the future of NATO in the Balkans”.