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Pence arrived in the tiny Adriatic republic on Tuesday on the
final leg of a European tour designed to reaffirm Washington's
commitment to the security of Eastern Europe in the face of an
emboldened Russia.
Montenegro, an ex-Yugoslav republic with a population of 680,000
and an army of 2,000, joined the NATO military alliance in June,
eight months after it accused Russian spies of orchestrating an
attempted coup to derail the accession.
Moscow dismissed the accusations as anti-Russian hysteria and
warned of retaliation against Montenegro's "hostile course".
On Wednesday, Pence underscored Washington's commitment to
Euro-Atlantic ties, a commitment many in Europe have questioned
with the rise to power of President Donald Trump who had
lambasted NATO as "obsolete" and argued in favor of better
relations with Russia.
"We truly believe the future of the Western Balkans is in the
West," Pence told reporters, "and we look forward to reaffirming
the commitment of the United States to build the relationships
that will strengthen the ties between the European community,
the Western Balkans and the United States of America."
On Tuesday evening, speaking at a dinner with Montenegrin Prime
Minister Dusko Markovic, Pence said "your courage particularly
in the face of the Russian pressure inspires the world and I
commend you for that."
The West says Russia is increasingly engaged in the former
Yugoslavia, particularly among fellow Orthodox Christians in
Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia.
Serbia, in particular, has become a focus of Russian attention
as it pursues an increasingly difficult balancing act between
European Union membership aspirations and a popular affinity for
Russia.
Russia had strongly opposed NATO accession for Montenegro, whose
deep-water Adriatic ports can support naval operations in the
Mediterranean.
Pence arrived in Montenegro from Georgia, which fought a brief
war with Russia in 2008 over the breakaway enclave of South
Ossetia. He also visited Estonia, telling leaders of the Baltic
states they could count on U.S. support if they faced aggression
from Russia.
Pence was due to take part on Wednesday in a summit of the
Adriatic Charter, comprising NATO members Montenegro, Croatia
and Albania as well as Bosnia and Macedonia. Leaders of Serbia,
Slovenia and Kosovo will also be present.
(Additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Writing
by Matt Robinson, editing by Alister Doyle)
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