While the U.S. Vice-President, H.E. Mr. Joseph R. Biden Jr., will depart Washington, D.C., next week for a 3-day Balkan tour of potentially unstable countries in the region — Bosnia-Herzegovina (May 19), Serbia (20) and Kosovo (21), two days ago, the Deputy Secretary of State at the U.S. State Department, H.E. Mr. James B. Steinberg, has begun as for him the visit of U.S. strategic partners in the Western Balkans — a mini-tour which already conducted him in Athens, Greece, on May 15 and in Skopje, Macedonia (FYROM), the day after.

Today, this Sunday May 17, 2009, Montenegro was honoured by the 4-hour trip of the Deputy Secretary, who came to consult with Government officials on all aspects of U.S.-Montenegro partnership. Jim Steinberg is the highest ranking State Department official since the referendum on independence, and the highest ranking official of new Obama-Biden administration, to come to visit the country.

Holding consultations in Kotor, both at the Hotel “Splendido” and at the Maritime Museum, Jim Steinberg had separate talks with T.Exc. the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Mr. Milo Đukanović, accompanied by Mr. Milan Roćen, Foreign Minister; with the President of the Parliament, Mr. Ranko Krivokapić; as well as with the President Mr. Filip Vujanović. Due to his tight agenda, the Deputy Secretary could not meet Montenegrin medias personally, but H.E. Mr. Roderick W. Moore, U.S. resident Ambassador in Podgorica, organised on the hulk of Hotel “Splendido” a press conference to comment to journalists on the nature of today’s discussions.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Đukanović and Foreign Minister Roćen, Jim Steinberg discussed latest developments in regional affairs, particularly regional problems, regional co-operation issues, issues concerning Montenegro’s constructive influence on neighbouring countries in building stability and securing peace in the Western Balkans, and more symbolically in global security through the country’s readiness to contribute worldwide to major NATO and European Union (EU) peacekeeping operations.

The perspective of Montenegro’s full membership to NATO was at the center of the meeting; on the occasion, the Prime Minister warmly thanked the U.S. Government for its renewed support to the country on its path to joining the Alliance, emphasizing that a refocusing interest of the new Obama-Biden administration on the Western Balkans would be vital for the region’s stability and consolidation, and for Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration. This analysis from the Head of Government was also shared by Parliament President Krivokapić, who declared during his talks with Jim Steinberg that “Montenegro and the United Stated should continue to closely co-operate and to work together on achieving common strategic goals and objectives of regional consolidation that connect both countries for a long time.”

Prime Minister Đukanović and Deputy Secretary Steinberg also considered various aspects of enhancing economic co-operation between the two countries, in order to increase presence of U.S. investors in Montenegro despite the geographical distance. The Prime Minister assured his host that his government and him personally were intensively working to reinforce the rule of law and to create a free environment favourable to business, as the two key requirements for attracting foreign investment. He also took the chance of Jim Steinberg’s visit to praise the very impressive work of Ambassador Moore in Montenegro in order to strengthen and expand social ties between the American and the Montenegrin peoples. On that point, Prime Minister Đukanović rejoiced at the official announcement that the U.S. Government will soon establish a Consular Section within its Embassy in Podgorica.