Montenegro To Continue Participation In NATO's EFP Mission In Latvia - Defense Ministry

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2019) Montenegro will keep sending its troops to NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence mission in Latvia, the country's Defense Minister Predrag Boskovic said at a meeting with his Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks on Thursday.

"Our personnel have the opportunity to be trained at a greatly-equipped range in Latvia, where they can gain serious experience and then share it with their colleagues. We will continue to participate in NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence in the east of Latvia and together raise the level and capabilities of our army and each individual soldier," Boskovic said, as cited by the ministry.

In December 2018, Montenegro sent eight troops to the NATO mission in Latvia, who served as part of the Slovenian contingent. It also sent a reconnaissance unit and one staff officer to the Baltic states.

Podgorica ratified 127 documents under the NATO standards, received three Bell-412 helicopters, six German light armored vehicles, entered the final stage of the reconstruction of the RTOP-405 missile boat and joined the Air Policing mission to patrol the alliance's airspace in the region.

"Montenegro is a strong advocate of the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans. Only the integrated Western Balkans can be stable and prosperous," defense ministry wrote on Twitter.

In early June 2017, Montenegro became the 29th NATO member state, despite protests among the public. On July 23, Montenegro and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Andre Lanata signed a document on completing Montenegro's accession to the bloc.