NATO invites Montenegro to join alliance
In first expansion in six years, alliance defies Russia opposition in inviting tiny Adriatic republic to be 29th member
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference during a defense ministers meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on February 5, 2015. (AFP Photo/John Thys)
BRUSSELS — NATO member states have formally invited the tiny Adriatic nation of Montenegro to join the alliance in the face of Russian opposition.
Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the invitation on Wednesday, the second day of a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
The announcement sets in motion an accession process that will continue over months before Montenegro formally becomes the 29th member of the alliance — its first expansion since fellow Balkan countries Albania and Croatia were admitted in 2009.
Russia has repeated its opposition to the accession of Montenegro, a favored getaway spot and investment site for some Russians.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
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