[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7177-7178]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING MONTENEGRO ON 10 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE AND SUPPORTING 
                      MONTENEGRO'S NATO MEMBERSHIP

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, 10 years ago this month, voters in 
Montenegro went to the polls to determine the future of their country. 
These voters were faced with a single question: ``Do you want the 
Republic of Montenegro to be an independent state with full 
international and legal subjectivity?'' When the dust settled on the 
evening of May 21, 2006, the referendum passed with 55.5 percent of 
voters choosing to peacefully dissolve their union with Serbia. Shortly 
thereafter, the international community recognized the newest country 
in the world. In a region riddled with bullets and bombs, this moment 
marked the beginning of a praiseworthy chapter in regional and 
transatlantic history.
  As a number of global security challenges occupy the top of our 
foreign policy agenda--not least the threat posed by ISIS and the most 
significant refugee crisis since World War II--it is easy to overlook 
Montenegro's tenth anniversary. But we would be remiss if we did not 
use this occasion to reflect

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on the importance of U.S.-Montenegro relations and the role this 
country of 600,000 can play to advance regional and transatlantic 
security moving forward.
  Early on, the country's leaders made a clear decision to align with 
the United States and pursue membership in Euro-Atlantic institutions. 
Montenegrin troops sacrificed their lives supporting the U.S.- and 
NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Montenegro has demonstrated its 
commitment to deterring Russian aggression by voluntarily joining the 
EU sanctions regime against Russia and rebuffing Moscow's offers for 
military cooperation. And since the beginning, the United States has 
been there supporting Montenegro's progress, with direct assistance to 
help the country fight organized crime and corruption, strengthen its 
civil society and democratic structures, and provide stability in the 
still-fragile Balkans region.
  In October 2014, I had the privilege to visit Montenegro as then-
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European 
Affairs. I met with our Ambassador and Montenegrin Government officials 
and opposition leaders to discuss the challenges of the region and the 
country's progress. I also sat down with U.S. investors to hear why 
Montenegro is currently an attractive country for foreign investment.
  Above all else, I came away from this visit convinced that Montenegro 
should be granted NATO membership. The opportunity to join the world's 
foremost military alliance has been a powerful incentive for reform. 
Montenegro has come a long way, but if the prospect of joining NATO is 
no longer on the table, we can expect to see an erosion of Montenegro's 
commitment to democratic governance and arguments that Montenegro is 
better served by an alliance with Russia.
  Last week, NATO Foreign Ministers gathered in Brussels to sign 
Montenegro's Accession Protocol, paving the way to Montenegro's formal 
membership. Each member country must now ratify the agreement. This 
important decision will help counter Russian aggression in the region, 
eliminate a strategic NATO gap along the Mediterranean, and ensure that 
Montenegro's young democracy continues to develop under the alliance's 
umbrella.
  At the same time, no country should receive an invitation until it is 
prepared to meet the highest standards of NATO membership. Montenegro 
has taken significant steps to address concerns that have delayed 
membership in the past. The government has strengthened the rule of 
law, undertaken intelligence sector and defense reforms, and increased 
public support for NATO membership in recent years. Notably, the 
Montenegrin Parliament passed legislation in November 2014 to reform 
the judicial sector, including the establishment of a special 
prosecutor's office for organized crime and an anti-corruption agency. 
This legislation is now being implemented, with the special 
prosecutor's office carrying out a high-profile arrest of former 
President of Serbia and Montenegro Svetozar Marovic on corruption 
charges in December 2015. We need to see continued high profile arrests 
to prove the rule of law will be fully respected, but this is an 
important signal.
  Montenegro's democracy is young, but it is on the right track. There 
is no doubt Montenegro needs to continue making progress to uphold the 
rule of law, fight organized crime, tackle corruption, and foster a 
free and independent media environment. I believe American engagement 
will be critical helping Montenegro achieve these goals. On the tenth 
anniversary of Montenegro's historic independence, I will continue to 
push for a strong transatlantic partnership between our countries.

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