WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding committee approval of a resolution of advice and consent supporting Montenegro’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The committee passed the Montenegro resolution last year, but the Senate did not act on it before the end of the 114th Congress. Representatives of the 28 member states signed the accession protocol for Montenegro to join the alliance on May 19, 2016. The U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate for the U.S. to approve new members of the treaty organization.
“I’m pleased the committee has renewed its support for Montenegro to become NATO’s newest member, and I’m hopeful for swift action on this resolution in the full Senate,” said Corker. “We all understand the many challenges facing the alliance, so it is vital that as NATO expands every state step up and meet the 2 percent of GDP target for spending on defense.”
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