President of the Parliament of Montenegro and President Emeritus of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Mr Ranko Krivokapić is paying a two-day visit to the United States of America, on the occasion of holding of the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, which has gathered parliamentarians from more than 20 countries.

President Ranko Krivokapić has had a series of bilateral meetings with influential congressmen and senators such as:   Mr Michael Turner, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly;  Senator John McCain, Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services; Senator Roger Wicker, co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission, and  Congressman Doug Lamborn, Co-Chair of Montenegrin Caucus.

During the meeting, it was estimated that the United States strongly supported Montenegro’s membership to the NATO Alliance, but they also stressed the need for further efforts in the field of the rule of law, combating corruption, and strengthening of public support.

In conversation with Congressman Michael Turner and Senator McCain, the support was undoubtedly given to sending the invitation to Montenegro at the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in December, and they emphasised that Montenegro’s membership would mean a step forward for our country but for the Alliance as well.

At the meetings where they also discussed the current situation in Montenegro, Mr Krivokapić estimated that ultimatums were not democracy, that peaceful protests were one of the vital tools of democracy, to prompt and accelerate, but in no way to be a stable or a final resort. He concluded that all processes must be returned to the institutions, to the Parliament of Montenegro, which is a place of agreement and a place of decision-making.

Mr Krivokapić used to opportunity to call from Washington for all political subjects to return to the Parliament, and said that the government must be an expression of undeniable legitimacy, an expression of citizens’ will, and therefore the best decision for Montenegro.

The President of the Parliament of Montenegro has had meetings with officials at the State Department, and tomorrow he will meet with Senator Chris Murphy.