Montenegro–United Kingdom relations


Montenegro–United Kingdom relations, or British–Montenegrin relations, are foreign relations between Montenegro and the United Kingdom. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe and NATO.

History

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.

Cultural relations

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.
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.

Politics

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