- Title: US VP Pence pledges support to European allies, warns Russia
- Date: 2nd August 2017
- Summary: PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO (AUGUST 2, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** U.S. VICE-PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE ARRIVING FOR ADDRESS AHEAD OF ADRIATIC CHARTER SUMMIT/TAKING LECTERN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, SAYING: "As you well know, Russia continues to seek to redraw international borders by force and, here in the Western Balkans, Russia has worked to destabilise the region, undermine democracies and divide you from each other and from the rest of Europe." MEDIA, REGIONAL LEADERS IN FRONT ROW (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, SAYING: "And I can assure you the United States of America rejects any attempt to use force, threats or intimidation in this region or beyond." SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS (FRONT ROW) RISING AND APPLAUDING PENCE PENCE (RIGHT) AND MONTENEGRIN PRIME MINISTER, DUSKO MARKOVIC, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, SAYING: "We truly believe the future of the western Balkans is in the west 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." REGIONAL LEADERS AND PENCE (CENTRE) SITTING DOWN FOR PLENARY SESSION OF ADRIATIC CHARTER SUMMIT PENCE SITTING FLANKED BY MACEDONIAN PRIME MINISTER ZORAN ZAEV (LEFT) AND MARKOVIC SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER ANA BRNABIC (LEFT), CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER ANDREJ PLENKOVIC (CENTRE), ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER EDI RAMA (RIGHT) SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER MIRO CERAR (NEAR), KOSOVO PRESIDENT HASHIM THACI (CENTRE) AND BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER DENIS ZVIZDIC (FAR) SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS SITTING FOR PHOTO OPPORTUNITY SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS LINING UP FOR FAMILY PHOTO
- Embargoed: 16th August 2017 17:55
- Keywords: Pence Montenegro Balkans Summit Pence speech Mike Pence Pence warns Russia Pence pledges to support allies
- Location: PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO
- City: PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO
- Country: Montenegro
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SGOV9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday (August 2) accused Russia of working to "destabilise" the western Balkans and split the region from the west where he said its future lies.
He said the U.S. rejects violence or intimidation in the region.
Pence spoke in Montenegro, which joined NATO this year in defiance of Russia, on the final leg of a tour designed to reassure Eastern Europe of Washington's commitment to its security despite doubts sowed by President Donald Trump's lukewarm support for the Western military alliance.
Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic with a population of 680,000 and an army of 2,000, became NATO's 29th member in June, eight months after Podgorica 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".
The West says Russia is increasingly engaged in the former Yugoslavia, particularly among fellow Orthodox Christians in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia.
Serbia, as the largest of the states to emerge from the ashes of socialist federal Yugoslavia in the 1990s, has become a focus of Russian attention as Belgrade pursues an increasingly difficult balancing act between European Union membership aspirations and a popular affinity for Russia.
Russia strongly opposed NATO accession for Montenegro, whose deep-water Adriatic ports can support naval operations in the Mediterranean. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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