NATO Secretary General visits Montenegro and praises its contributions to NATO and stability in the Western Balkans

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On Tuesday (12 May 2026), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Montenegro and met with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and President Jakov Milatović. They discussed transatlantic security, stability in the Western Balkans, and preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.

The Secretary General said Montenegro is a valued member of NATO and has 31 friends and Allies by its side to ensure it stays safe. Mr Rutte highlighted Montenegro’s contributions to the Alliance, including troops in NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Latvia and Bulgaria, and personnel in KFOR, NATO’s peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. He praised Montenegro’s commitment to “peace and stability across the Western Balkans, a region of great and also strategic importance for NATO.” The Secretary General welcomed that Montenegro is investing more than 2% of its GDP in defence and continues to support Ukraine.

The Secretary General also met with Deputy Prime Minister for Security, Defence, Fight against Crime and Internal Policy Aleksa Bečić; Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations Ervin Ibrahimović; and Defence Minister Dragan Krapović. Mr Rutte also visited the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Montenegro for a discussion with students.