Montenegro NATO accession serves alliance security, says head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee

Podgorica, November 6 (MTI) – Hungary fully supports Montenegro’s accession to NATO, as it would not only launch the integration of the western Balkan region into the military alliance but also boost its security, Zsolt Nemeth, head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said on Friday.

Speaking to MTI on the phone after talks with Montenegrin officials in Podgorica, Nemeth noted that NATO’s foreign affairs ministers will discuss Montenegro’s accession on December 1.

Nemeth said he held talks with Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, Parliamentary President Ranko Krivokapic and Deputy Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, as well as his counterpart Miodrag Vukovic.

Nemeth said his hosts had informed him about the recent demonstrations against the government and Montenegro’s planned accession to NATO. His negotiating partners said the protests were also fomented by Serbian nationalist circles and Russia’s foreign policy. Concerning the latter, Nemeth told his partners that Hungary is committed towards building European-Russian and Hungarian-Russian ties, but “finds it unacceptable if Moscow prevents any European country from choosing freely its foreign policy orientation.”

Nemeth said that accession to NATO will boost Montenegro’s independence and security, which will also strengthen its economic relations with Hungary. He noted that Hungary is the second biggest European investor in Montenegro, with two of its major firms, OTP Bank and Magyar Telekom, being present.

He said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will pay an official visit to Montenegro later this month.

Photo: reportervirtual.ro

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters