The United States is following closely incidents that took place in Podgorica on October 17 and 18 in relation to ongoing public demonstrations in the Montenegrin capital.
We fully support freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including the right to peaceful protest. We also urge those involved in any public demonstration or peaceful protest to display restraint and respect the rule of law.
We appreciate the reporting on the situation by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the expression of concern about the violence issued by the Head of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador Janina Hrebickova, on October 18. Like Ambassador Hrebickova, we are concerned by the violence and call on all actors to demonstrate restraint.
We appreciate that Montenegro has reaffirmed many times its determination to achieve continuous progress on implementing its OSCE commitments and has made clear its support for the principles that underpin its chosen path toward continued European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna
