PODGORICA: Montenegro’s Parliament has ratified the membership agreement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), taking the former Yugoslav republic a step closer to becoming the 29th member of the alliance despite protests over its 1999 bombing campaign.
Outside the parliament, where 46 of 81 deputies voted in favor of the agreement, several hundred anti-NATO supporters burned the NATO flag and demand a referendum on membership.
Montenegro’s accession would mark the first expansion of NATO ranks into eastern Europe since its neighbors Albania and Croatia joined in 2009, and the first since relations between Russia and the West hit a post-Cold War low with the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
“NATO membership will provide a safer and better life for all citizens in Montenegro,” Prime Minister Dusko Markovic told the Parliament session, held in the town of Cetinje, the royal seat of the mediaeval state.
The population remains deeply divided over membership, with many angry over the alliance’s 1999 bombing of Serbia to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Serbia’s then southern province of Kosovo. NATO planes also bombed Montenegro, then part of a rump Yugoslavia with Serbia, arguing its targets were part of the war machine.
Former president Momir Bulatovic, once a close ally of Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, said Friday was “a sad day.”
Bulatovic told protesters: “I feel humiliated as this decision has been taken on my behalf.”
All but two of the NATO allies have now ratified the accord, which is strongly opposed by Russia, which has strong historical and cultural ties to Montenegro. Podgorica hopes to formally join NATO at a summit next month.
Montenegro has a population of 650,000 and a military of only 2,000, but it is strategically positioned along the Adriatic coast and surrounded by NATO members or hopefuls, except Serbia which maintains military neutrality.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “Given the potential of Montenegro, the North Atlantic alliance is unlikely to receive any significant ‘added value’.
“But in Moscow we cannot ignore the strategic consequences of this step. Therefore, we reserve the right to take such decisions, which are intended at protecting our interests and national security.”
Montenegro ratifies NATO membership accord
Montenegro ratifies NATO membership accord
Severe floods in southeast Brazil kill at least 25 and force hundreds to evacuate
- Minas Gerais’ fire department says it is searching for 43 people who went missing since late Monday
- Officials have warned residents to stay away from areas that could be prone to mudslides
JUIZ DE FOR A, Brazil: Severe floods in southeastern Brazil have killed at least 25 people and left dozens missing in the state of Minas Gerais, officials said Tuesday. Meteorologists warned more rain is expected in the region in the next few days.
The torrential rains began Monday in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, forcing about 440 residents to evacuate their homes.
Minas Gerais’ fire department says it is searching for 43 people who went missing since late Monday. A video shared by the department showed flooded streets in Juiz de Fora and Uba, where a river veered off its course.
Officials have warned residents to stay away from areas that could be prone to mudslides.
Juiz de Fora is a city of 560,000 residents, while neighboring Uba has 107,000, according to Brazil’s statistics agency.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media channels that security forces are working on the rescue and providing immediate assistance to the population affected by the rain.
Brazil’s meteorology institute Inmet said in a statement that more rain is forecast for the region, which lies close to hills, valleys and slopes.
Juiz de Fora City Hall said in a statement the city experienced double the rain expected for February. Mayor Margarida Salomão said earlier at least 20 landslides were reported.
Firefighter Demetrius Bastos Goulart, 47, said rescue efforts will be slow and lengthy. “It is a high volume (of mud) in the landslides, we have to work with a lot of precision to avoid any damage to potential victims,” Goulard told The Associated Press.
