In March, the Atlantic Council hosted a discussion with H.E. Milica Pejanović-Đurišić, Minister of Defense of Montenegro on the Future of NATO Open Door Policy with

Since its independence, Montenegro has operated a fully-professional army, fielding increasingly sophisticated equipment, defined by a doctrine of interoperability with NATO partners. Yet since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, many NATO members have been reticent to keep the enlargement door open, and the EU announced a 5 year moratorium on enlargement, making Montenegro’s aspirations to fully integrate with the Euro-Atlantic community an uphill battle. Minister Pejanović-Đurišić came to the Atlantic Council to discuss Montenegro’s ongoing and deepening relations with NATO, prospects for joining NATO after the pledge on Montenegro-NATO relations made at the 2014 Wales Summit, and security and stability in the Western Balkans.

Milica Pejanović-Đurišić was appointed Minister of Defense in the Government of Montenegro on March 13, 2012. Milica Pejanović-Đurišić is one of the founders of the Democratic Party of Socialists, Montenegro and she was its President in the period 1997-1998. She was been elected Member of the State Presidency (1990-1992) at the first democratic elections in Montenegro. In the period 1992-2001 she was Member of the Parliament. From 2004 – 2006, she was Ambassador of the State Union Serbia & Montenegro to Belgium and Luxembourg. After Montenegro became independent, Dr. Pejanović-Đurišić was its first Ambassador to France, Monaco and UNESCO.