Political Quotes

“we have been running the hotline on the accession of Montenegro as a member of the NATO alliance. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Presiding Officer knows we have held extensive discussions and hearings on NATO and the accession of Montenegro as a member into the NATO alliance. Quite frankly, this is a very important matter for us to try to complete before we adjourn this session of Congress, and let me say why. Montenegro has taken all of the necessary steps in order to be in full compliance for joining the alliance of NATO. We have very carefully reviewed their commitment in regard to their military, defense budgets, institutional changes they have made, their willingness to take on the responsibilities as a full NATO partner, and quite frankly, they have endured outside interference which has tried to compromise their ability to complete the process. What do I mean by that? Montenegro recently had parliamentary elections, and Russia tried to interfere with the parliamentary elections to try to instill some instability in that country as an effort to influence not only Montenegro but the international community's--the members of NATO--interest in completing the approval of NATO. Every member state of the alliance must approve any new member and requires votes in all states. Several have already voted to approve the accession of Montenegro into the alliance.…”