U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning an official visit to the Western Balkans later this year, according to Montenegro’s Foreign Minister, Ervin Ibrahimović.
The announcement was made following a brief but substantive discussion between the two officials during the first day of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
“A short but meaningful conversation on bilateral and regional topics with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We will continue it in Podgorica during his visit to Montenegro and the region, which he confirmed for this year,” Ibrahimović stated on his official X (Twitter) account.
The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry emphasized that the visit will serve as a fresh opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation and reaffirm the robust strategic alliance between the U.S. and Montenegro, particularly in the face of shared security challenges.
During the NATO meeting, Rubio also underscored the importance of increased defense spending. He called on all 32 NATO member states to commit to strengthening their military capacities.
The current minimum defense spending benchmark stands at 2% of GDP, but NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged allies to raise it to at least 3.7%, aligning with past proposals from the Trump administration, which once suggested a 5% minimum.
Montenegro has been a member of NATO since 2017 and remains a key U.S. partner in regional stability.
