US VP Pence Praises Montenegro's NATO Member Status

American Vice President Mike Pence praised Montenegro's NATO membership as a "historical achievement" during a meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in Podgorica on Wednesday.

"NATO is made up of big and small states, but the US does not have small allies," Pence said, adding that his visit illustrates the US' support for the Western Balkans.

Pence is the highest-ranking US official to visit Montenegro in over 100 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which began in 1905 when Washington recognised the independence of the Kingdom of Montenegro.

In Podgorica, Pence will attend a meeting of the US Adriatic Charter, a regional initiative set up to help Balkan nations attain NATO member status.

The leaders of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Slovenia are also scheduled to attend the meeting.

During a formal dinner with Montenegro President Filip Vujanovic on Tuesday evening, Pence said that "your courage, particularly in the face of Russian pressure, inspires the world and I commend you for that."

"I bring greetings from President Donald Trump. He sent me here as a tangible sign of our commitment to Montenegro as the newest member of NATO," he added.

Pence's visit is part of an eastern European tour during which he has also visited Estonia and Georgia. His Montenegro trip is widely regarded as a show of support both for Montenegro as the newest NATO member, and the entire Balkan region amid claims of growing Russian influence.

According to Montenegrin authorities, Russian state agencies backed an alleged plot to overthrow the pro-Western government in Podgorica last October. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations.