Montenegro to become 29th NATO member

Montenegro will become the new 29th member of NATO.  

The authorities of the country officially submitted the documents for joining the alliance on Monday. This was one of the shortest accession processes in the history of NATO, Radio Poland reports.

Montengro’s path to NATO lasted for 11 years. It began in 2006, when the country split with Serbia. In 2009, Podgorica gained the status of NATO candidate. In 2016, an accession protocol was signed in Brussels.

The accession of Montenegro to NATO became the first expansion of NATO since 2009, when Albania and Croatia joined the bloc.

Montenegro has been holding the status of EU member candidate since 2010.