PODGORICA, April 3 – Albania and Montenegro have pledged to increase joint cooperation to address common challenges ahead. During a press conference held Monday in Podgorica, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Montenegrin counterpart Dusko Markovic agreed to work together in tackling issues involving EU integration and to intensify fight against inter-border organized crime.
“We must foster relations to improve the social and economic wellbeing of our citizens,” Rama said.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Markovic praised the contribution of the Albanian community for Montenegro’s economic development and the country’s NATO membership.
Rama and Markovic announced plans to hold a joint government meeting in October in the city of Shkodra.
Rama also welcomed Monday the accession of Montenegro into NATO. He said that the accession into the military alliance is a “historic event” for the Western Balkans and it means that the “entire Adriatic and Ionian coast will become a zone of NATO.”
Montenegro is expecting the parliamentary ratification of the entry protocol by the 28 members of the alliance while the U.S. Senate gave its approval last week.
The accession of the small Balkan country is highly opposed by Russia that fears the expansion of the military alliance in the region.
Last October, Montenegro accused Russia of plotting an election day to try to keep the country out of the alliance.
Opponents of Montenegro’s accession to NATO are expected to organize protest while Prime Minister Dusko Markovic described them as “legitimate.”
