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NATO membership is the greatest achievement of Duško Marković’s Government

Vlada Crne Gore

Two years of Duško Marković’s term of office was marked by NATO accession which is, along with the EU membership, one of the key foreign policy priorities of the state. By becoming NATO member, Montenegro got the best guarantee of territorial sovereignty and integrity.

Benefits of NATO membership were felt in Montenegro very fast. Only two months after the accession, the greatest political summit in the history of our country took place in Podgorica –US- Adriatic Charter with the participation of the US Vice-President, Mike Pence, and heads of states and governments and observers of that charter.

NATO provided other benefits as well. One of them is Air Policing system. With the purchase of military radar, Montenegro ensured the security and safety of its sky.

Tourism industry witnessed the benefits of NATO as well. Ever since Montenegro became its member, number of tourists increased by 25%. Regardless of problems that existed within the EU, caused mainly by Brexit, Montenegro also made progress in the EU integration process.

During Marković’s government, seven negotiating chapters have been open which is a total of 31 open chapter. In the forthcoming period, the remaining two chapters, chapter 27 and chapter 8 are expected to be open.

But that’s not it. Members of the Parliament of Kosovo voted on 21 March this year the Demarcation Agreement which settled the issue of borders between Kosovo and Montenegro. Montenegro has ratified the demarcation agreement in relation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is the only WB state that has ratified agreements with these two neighbors.

Marković was faced with challenges in the internal plan. Multi-party coalition Government had the majority of 42 MPs only. That increased the appetite of coalition partners Social Democrats, Albanian parties and Bosnian party.

In addition, formation of the Government was followed by opposition’s boycott on the Parliament. After a year, the opposition parties gradually started returning to the Parliament. Now, we will see how Marković will manage to handle huge appetite that exists within every party.

For the first time in the history of the University of Montenegro, and during the term of office of Duško Marković, rector of the University of Montenegro, Radmila Vojvodić, was dismissed because of the conflict she had with the Government regarding the status of the High Medical school in Berane. The Government rendered the decision that the school must remain in Berane, referring to the Strategy for the development of the northern part of the state.

Serbian Orthodox Church and its chief, Amfilohije Radović, built a tin facility on Rumija and called it a church. Inspection established that such works are against the law. This act is not so much about the illegal construction. It is actually an attack on the centuries-long values of Montenegro- community of the nations belonging to three different confessions that built culture of coexistence, tolerance and peace…

 

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