Palmer: Relationship Between the U.S. and Montenegro Friendly and Stable

Matthew Palmer (BETA/Milos Miskov)

Senior U.S. official Matthew Palmer has told top Montenegrin government officials in Podgorica that Washington unambiguously supports the European future of Montenegro and underscored that the relationship between the two states is friendly and stable. 

Palmer, who is the U.S. deputy assistant secretary and the State Department's special envoy for the Western Balkans, said late on July 8 that political transition was fundamental in the development of any democratic society, adding that the U.S. "appreciates the contribution" of Montenegro to the development of regional stability and peace in the Western Balkans, the Montenegrin government said in a press release.

The U.S. official further said that there was room for deepening the relations between the U.S. and Montenegro and that future diplomatic contacts would lead to that goal.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic told Palmer that Podgorica was firmly determined to go down the European path and that now was the right time to strengthen the economic relations between Montenegro and the U.S., says the release.

"The economic dialogue with the U.S. is of fundamental importance for economic cooperation between the two states and it is extremely important that it happen as soon as possible, so that we may quickly reach concrete results which will be invaluable for Montenegrin citizens, strongly determined to stay the pro-European course," where the U.S. has helped a lot so far, said Krivokapic.