Montenegro’s Defence Minister addresses OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, urges States to continue supporting demilitarization

The ongoing Montenegro Demilitarization (MONDEM) Programme is a positive example of co-operation between Montenegro and the OSCE, and participating States should continue their support in order to complete the final phase of the project, Milica Pejanović-Djurisić, Montenegro’s Defence Minister told the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 2 April 2014.

Outlining her country’s priorities in the defence sector, she noted that managing the MONDEM projects, upgrading standards for stockpile management as well as reducing armaments and ammunitions are of the highest importance.

Recognizing the OSCE’s contributions to successfully implementing MONDEM projects in recent years, Pejanović-Djurisić urged participating States to continue their support. “Given that there are still 3,700 tonnes of ammunition and approximately 16,000 items of armament pending destruction, the lack of required funding threatens the progress achieved so far,” she said.

Pejanović-Djurisić also expressed Montenegro’s ongoing support to the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive and co-operative security, underlining the “important role of OSCE in addressing legitimate security concerns, including respect of human and minority rights.” 

“We lend our strong support to the current OSCE’s engagement and efforts invested in stabilising the situation in Ukraine, including the Special Monitoring Mission on the ground, which Montenegro stands ready to assist,” she said.