The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, was joined by the whole Assembly in applauding the Head of the Delegation of Montenegro, H.E. Mr. Predrag Sekulić, Minister of Culture, Sport and Media, when he officially raised the flag of Montenegro alongside those of all UNESCO Member States.

Montenegro became the 192nd Member State of UNESCO when its Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Milan Roćen, signed the Organization’s Constitution and deposited the instruments of acceptance on behalf of his government, on March 1st, 2007 in London, England.

In an earlier statement, the Director-General expressed his deep satisfaction with this important new membership to UNESCO. He further expressed his confidence that Montenegro will make a rich and diverse contribution in all of UNESCO’s areas of competence, and declared that “this marks a decisive step towards the universality that is UNESCO’s great strength and source of legitimacy. Every new accession serves to strengthen the bonds of multilateralism, opening the way for a more effective global response to the increasingly complex challenges of our time.”

Following is the facsimile of Minister Predrag Sekulić’s address at the ceremony marking the admission of Montenegro to the UNESCO, in Paris, France, October 17:

Minister Predrag Sekulić’s address at the ceremony marking the admission of Montenegro to the UNESCO