US President Donald Trump has signed a protocol on the accession of Montenegro to NATO, which has completed its ratification procedure in the United States.
The White House has not officially released a statement on the signing of the protocol, Voice of America is reporting on Tuesday.
The US Senate ratified the protocol previously with a large majority from both parties – 97 in favor, with only Rand Paul and Mike Lee against.
After giving the green light to Montenegro’s membership in NATO, the senators estimated that it will strengthen the alliance and also strengthen democracy and independence of Montenegro.
They also said that Montenegro’s membership will strengthen US national security and send a strong message to Russia, which is “trying to occupy its neighbors and change the international order.”
After Trump put his signature on the ratified the protocol on the expansion of the alliance, the procedure of verification remains to be finalized in the Netherlands and Spain. Montenegrin officials expect the country will become a full member of NATO as soon as during the summit in Brussels in late May.
Source: Tanjug
