European Forum

Montenegro joins NATO’s MAP, while Bosnia is put on hold

Last week (4 December) NATO has accepted Montenegro in its Membership Action Plan. The so-called MAP is an essential stepping stone towards full membership in the Alliance. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) failed to join the Plan because the country has not made enough progress in necessary reforms, NATO Foreign Ministers said. It will nevertheless become a MAP member, once the country fulfils all necessary conditions, the ministers said.

Macedonia’s progress praised
The Alliance’s Foreign Ministers acknowledged Montenegro’s progress in reforms as well as the country’s role in security in the region. “On that basis, we are pleased today to invite Montenegro to move towards NATO membership by joining the Membership Action Plan.  We will continue, through the MAP, to support Montenegro’s reforms,” NATO Foreign Ministers said in a written statement. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen congratulated Montenegro's achievement. “It is the result of hard work and with the sustained effort at further reform, today’s invitation will be a stepping stone to the ultimate goal – full NATO membership,” the NATO chief said.

The move for Montenegro comes just a little over three years since it declared independence from Serbia, much faster than older candidates Georgia and Ukraine, who had also applied for MAP. The former Yougoslav republic had to "start its army from scratch", but did not meet opposition from any NATO member or from Russia, as was the case with Georgia and Ukraine. The plan does not mean automatic membership for the country as its government still has a number of outstanding reforms ahead. New NATO member Albania, for instance, spent 10 years in the MAP stage before joining earlier this year. The NATO move, also connected with the recent lifting of EU visas for its citizens, is likely to boost the image of the government. But voices in the civil society warn that this will not mean an acceleration of democratic reforms, which so far are seen as being mostly on paper.

Bosnia not yet ready
Turning to Bosnia, Rasmussen noted that it is encouraging that membership in MAP is supported across the political spectrum in the country. “There should be no doubt in Bosnia and Herzegovina:  We want to see you in NATO. It is not a question of if, but when,” he said. Rasmussen said NATO has sent a strong message to the country and it is time for the political elite there to live up their commitments. “By today’s decision we have shown confidence in you, now we expect from you to live up to this confidence and move towards forming a well functioning society,” Rasmussen said.

The Membership Action Plan is a NATO program of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance. Montenegro applied for the MAP in December of last year.

Sources: Balkan Insight; EU Observer