Montenegro’s Ministry of Defense has denied media reports suggesting that Podgorica could join a military and security alliance involving Croatia, Albania and Kosovo, stressing that no talks have been held on such a move and that Montenegro has no plans to become part of the proposed format.
“For the purpose of accurately informing the public and preventing the spread of disinformation, we point out that Montenegro has not held talks on joining the mentioned military alliance, nor does it plan to become part of it. All claims suggesting otherwise are incorrect,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement published on Instagram, labeling the reports as “fake news.”
The ministry’s response came after reports suggested that the defense and security mechanism launched by Zagreb, Tirana and Prishtina through the signing of a Joint Declaration on Defense Cooperation could eventually be expanded to include Montenegro.
Several media outlets, citing the Serbian newspaper Politika, reported that contacts allegedly existed over possible cooperation between Podgorica and the three-country format.
However, no publicly available document, formal invitation or decision by the Montenegrin government has emerged to confirm that Montenegro intends to join the declaration signed by Croatia, Albania and Kosovo.
Montenegro’s Ministry of Defense has therefore rejected the reports, emphasizing that there have been no discussions regarding membership and that Podgorica is not planning to join the proposed alliance.
The clarification comes amid growing regional attention to new defense cooperation initiatives in the Western Balkans, particularly as NATO members and regional partners seek to strengthen security coordination in response to the changing European security environment.
