Foreign relations of Montenegro

In a referendum on 21 May 2006, the people of Montenegro opted to leave the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. This was confirmed with a declaration of independence by the Montenegrin parliament on 3 June 2006. It simultaneously requested international recognition and outlined foreign policy goals.

As enumerated in the parliamentary declaration of 3 June 2006, Montenegro's near-term primary foreign policy objectives are integration into the European Union, membership in the United Nations, to which it was admitted on 28 June 2006^[1] and in NATO.^[2]

The European Council of Ministers recognized Montenegrin independence on 12 June 2006, as did the United States. Russia gave official recognition on 11 June.^[3] The United Kingdom extended recognition on 13 June. The last two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, France and the People's Republic of China recognised the government of Montenegro on 14 June.

On 30 November 2006, the Government adopted the Memorandum of Agreement between the Republic of Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia on Consular Protection and Services to the Citizens of Montenegro. By this agreement, Republic of Serbia, through its network of diplomatic and consular missions, provides consular services to the Montenegrin citizens on the territory of states in which Montenegro has no missions of its own. In October 2008, Montenegro recognized the independence of Kosovo.

Membership in international organizations

• On June 28, 2006, Montenegro was added to the American Radio Relay League's DXCC List as the 336th entry based on membership in the UN. [77]
• Montenegro acceded to the Geneva Conventions on August 2, 2006.[78]
• 382 is Montenegro's telephone country code [79]
• .me is a Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) that was assigned to Montenegro. It is likely to be created as the country code top-level domain for Montenegro, following the decision on 26 September 2006 by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency to allocate ME as the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Montenegro.

States that have explicitly recognized Montenegro and/ or establishment of diplomatic relations

Notes: ^Note 1 : EU member state.
^Note 2 : Despite the official recognition by European Union's foreign ministers, every member state had to recognise Montenegro individually, as well.
^Note 3 : Embassy Branch Office of a Belgrade resident embassy that is currently formally accredited to Montenegro. (established during the former Union State of Serbia and Montenegro).
^Note 4 : Consulate-General situated in Podgorica (unless otherwise noted). Some are honorary missions without diplomatic status.
^Note 5 : Pre-2006, as part of Serbia & Montenegro.
^Note 6 : Post-independence, consulate opened after gaining independence.
^Note 7 : Not an independent sovereign state, but a sovereign non-state entity.
^Note 8 : Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, while Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. Its independence is recognised by 86 UN member states.. First date is for the recognition of Kosovo by Montenegro.
^Note 9 : A state with limited recognition.

Official sources, where available, are listed first, followed by news sources.

Montenegro is recognized by 154 states ( including the Holy See, excluding Kosovo and Palestine), the Order of Malta and the European Union. Togo is a special case,as the country has recognized the independence of Montenegro,but does not yet maintain diplomatic relations with the government in Podgorica.

Montenegro has no diplomatic relations with the following 40 states:

• Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Venezuela,
• Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo
• Bhutan, Yemen
• Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu

Non-recognized states with no diplomatic relations with Montenegro:

• Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Somaliland, South Ossetia, Republic of China (Taiwan), Transnistria

Montenegro-United States of America relations

The United States of America recognized the Republic of Montenegro on June 12, 2006, being among the first states to do so. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on August 15.

Relations between the two sides have rapidly developed since the establishment of diplomatic ties. On August 28, six U.S. Senators, John McCain (R-AZ), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Burr (R-NC) and John E. Sununu (R-NH), made an official visit to Montenegro. Their activities included a meeting with President Vujanovic and with the speaker of the Montenegrin parliament.^[20]

Soon after the congressional visit, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid an official visit to Montenegro, seeking support for the War on Terror and overall American geopolitical goals in Europe.^[21] Following the Secretary's meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, it was announced that Montenegro had agreed in principle to aid the US efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, although no specific pledges of aid were made.^[22] For his part, Secretary Rumsfeld stated that the United States supported Montenegro's desire to join NATO and would also assist in its acquiring membership in the Partnership for Peace programme.

Bilateral relations turned a new page on October 5 when the United States opened an embassy in Podgorica at a ceremony attended by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo, Montenegrin Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahović, Mayor Miomir Mugoša and US Charge d'affaires Arlene Ferrill. Roderick W. Moore, the first-ever Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Montenegro, presented his credentials to Montenegrin President Vujanovic on September 19, 2007.

Montenegro currently maintains an embassy in Washington, D.C. and a consulate in New York City.

Montenegro-Canada relations

Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay wrote to Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahović extending diplomatic recognition and agreeing to hold discussions on the establishment of diplomatic relations, which occurred later in 2007.^[23]

The Canadian Embassy in Belgrade is accredited to Montenegro.^[23] There is currently no resident Montenegrin mission or representative in Canada.

Montenegro-Malaysia relations

Citizens of Montenegro, Serbia and Israel were not allowed to participate in Malaysia My Second Home programme.^[24] But in August 2008 this was revoked and now only citizens of Israel are forbidden to participate in the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

See also

• Foreign relations of Serbia and Montenegro
• List of Ambassadors from Montenegro
• List of diplomatic missions in Montenegro
• List of diplomatic missions of Montenegro

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro
• Embassies and consulates in and of Montenegro
• Embassy of the United States of America in Podgorica
• The Njegoskij Fund Network: Foreign Representations in Montenegro
• The Njegoskij Fund Network: Montenegrin Representations Abroad
• The Njegoskij Fund Network: Today's Montenegro: Diplomacy

References