Montenegro receives invite to NATO with Maine Guard partnership

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Sgt. Igor Zujic and Staff Sgt. Dalibor Drobniar of Montenegro stand in front of their fellow classmates during the Warrior Leadership Course graduation.

AUGUSTA, ME (12/02/2015)(readMedia)-- On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc, acting Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard congratulated the nation of Montenegro on their historic invitation to join NATO.

Montenegro's membership in NATO will contribute to Balkan and European stability and has national and strategic level implications for the region. The State of Maine has been involved with Montenegro since 2007 under the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program.

"Over the last nine years, many Maine National Guard soldiers and airmen have worked hard to help Montenegro achieve its goal of becoming a NATO member," said Bolduc. "NATO accession will maintain continued peace throughout the Balkan region, and signifies that Maine's efforts were significant and relevant to achieve this end."

Montenegro's invitation into NATO is great news for the Maine National Guard. Over the last nine years many soldiers and airmen from our organization have worked hard to help Montenegro achieve its goal of becoming a NATO member.

"The partnership with Montenegro has provided tremendous professional development opportunities for Maine Guardsmen," said Maj. Paul A. Bosse, the State Partnership Program coordinator for Maine. "Helping European Command work toward national and strategic level goals is exciting for our soldiers and airmen and gives them a great new perspective."

Montenegro and the Maine National Guard have conducted numerous exchange visits and trainings for Montenegrin military forces and civilian agencies. Montenegro has participated in several ISAF rotations, continued to refine its membership action plan towards NATO membership through the modernization and reorganization of its military forces.

The Maine National Guard's work with Montenegro has produced many genuine friendships between leaders in in both organizations which Bosse says illustrates why the State Partnership Program is tremendously successful.

"Maine has been fully committed to the partnership with our allies in Montenegro from the beginning of this journey, working toward having Montenegro as a full NATO partner," Bolduc said. "This invitation is huge leap forward in the process and that gives us reason to celebrate today."

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(For more information on the State Partnership Program, visit

http://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/JointStaff/J5/InternationalAffairsDivision/StatePartnershipProgram.aspx)