WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Montenegro officially became the 29th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a ceremony here on Monday.
"Montenegro's accession sends a strong message of strength to the region and makes clear to our allies that the United States remains as committed as ever to the principal of collective defense as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty," Thomas Shannon, U.S. Undersecretary of State, said at the ceremony.
On Wednesday, Montenegro's flag will fly over NATO Headquarters in Brussels for the first time.
Montenegro's accession to NATO came despite strong opposition from Russia, which has said the step would harm stability in the Balkans and in Europe as a whole.
"We consider this step as a manifestation of inertia in Washington's policy, reflecting the logic of confrontation on the European continent, creating new dividing lines," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement in April.
Tensions between NATO and Russia have escalated as both are engaged in military build-up along the Russian border. Moscow strongly opposes the bloc's eastward expansion, which it says threatens its national security.
