Montenegro–United Kingdom relations

British–Montenegrin relations
Map indicating locations of United Kingdom and Montenegro

United Kingdom
Montenegro

Montenegro–United Kingdom relations are the bilateral relations between Montenegro and the United Kingdom. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe and NATO and had fought on the same side in both World War I and World War II.

History

Nicholas I, King of Montenegro, and Field Marshal Edmund Allenby

In 1878, Great Britain recognised Montenegro as an independent and sovereign principality by the Congress of Berlin. During that period Britain maintained an embassy in the royal capital, Cetinje. The former British Embassy in Cetinje is still standing and is now the home of the University of Montenegro Music Academy.

After the dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro, the UK recognised Montenegro as an independent state and established diplomatic relations on 13 June 2006. The UK then upgraded its British Office in Podgorica. The Duke of York visited Montenegro to officially open the new British Embassy in Podgorica in March 2009.

Montenegro opened an embassy in London in September 2007 (the former Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro in London became the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia on 5 June 2006).[1]

Cultural relations

British Foreign Secretary William Hague meeting the former Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Lukšić in London, October 2013.
The former British Embassy in Cetinje
Embassy of Montenegro in London

The British Council has been operating in Podgorica since 1994 and is co-located with the embassy. British Council in Montenegro is nurturing cultural relations between the United Kingdom and Montenegro through its project work in the fields of education, creative industries, governance and English language, and also through maintaining and developing networks with governmental, non-governmental and international organisations locally.

Economic relations

From 1 January 2008 until 30 December 2020, trade between Montenegro and the UK was governed by the Montenegro–European Union Stabilisation and Association Process, while the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union.[2] Following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the UK offered Montenegro a continuity trade agreement based on the EU free trade agreement, however the agreement was signed by neither country.[3] On 9 June 2021, Greg Hands stated that the UK government remained ready to conclude the trade agreement with the Government of Montenegro.[4]

Diaspora

The 2001 UK Census recorded 31,244 people born in the former state of Serbia and Montenegro, which are now the independent states of Serbia and Montenegro.[5]

Politics

The United Kingdom strongly supports Montenegrin membership into the European Union and NATO.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Country Profile". Montenegro. Government Web Archives. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  2. ^ "EU - Montenegro". World Trade Organization. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  3. ^ Progress with trade negotiations (PDF). National Audit Office (Report). 8 December 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023. Agreements with Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro had not been signed. DIT remains open to pursuing these agreements and is waiting for further engagement from the other parties.
  4. ^ "Trade Agreements: Bosnia and Herzegovina". UK Parliament. 4 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  6. ^ "Owen Jenkins of Foreign Office: United Kingdom to provide support to Montenegro's EU, NATO bid". GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO. Retrieved 21 November 2014.