Dusko Markovic

US Vice President Mike Pence praised Montenegrin leaders on August 1 for standing up to "Russian pressure" on his final stop of an Eastern European tour aimed at reassuring US allies in the region.

Pence arrived in the tiny Balkan nation, NATO's newest member, after a visit to Georgia, where he slammed Russia's "occupation" of the Caucasus nation's territory.

Montenegro is making steady progress on the path towards European Union, and Brussels, European officials and administration support its efforts, said president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani during his meeting with prime minister Duško Marković, reported European Western Balkans.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic scheduled an emergency meeting of the security services on Tuesday as the country awaited assistance from NATO and the EU to tackle blazes in the coastal and central area of the country, after admitting that it could not cope on its own.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is to pay an official visit to Montenegro at the invitation of the President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, reported BGNES.

Radev and Vujanovic will meet tete a tete in the city of Podgorica.

Later the Bulgarian delegation will meet the Montenegro delegation to hold plenary talks.

Serbian military experts are warning that government in Belgrade will one day have to re-consider its doctrine of military neutrality as neighbours in the Balkans join, or come closer to joining, the Western military alliance.

WASHINGTON - Montenegro formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty on Monday after a delegation headed by PM Dusko Markovic deposited the instrument of accession, accepted by NATO Under Secretary Thomas Shannon.

Shannon said everyone had contributed to Montenegro's accession, Montenegrin media reported.

Tanjug file photo

AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

NATO is celebrating Montenegro's accession for the third time in two weeks - a flag raising ceremony has been held today in Brussels.

Montenegro became the 29th member of NATO on Jun 5 and was praised by the United States for sticking to its path of joining the Western military alliance in spite of Russian pressure.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is to officially hand over the accession document at a ceremony on Monday in Washington, after which the tiny Adriatic country will become the 29th NATO member.

The accession process, which lasted almost seven years, will end on Wednesday when Montenegro's flag is to be hoisted for the first time at NATO headquarters in Brussels. 

You must know the already-famous story by now. President Donald Trump appeared at the NATO summit last week in Brussels, pushing aside Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic.

While trying to make his way to the front of the traditional family photo, he grabbed Markovic by the arm and pushed aside. Mr. Markovic, surprised at first, thereafter smiled the matter off.