BELGRADE (Sputnik) — All 46 lawmakers present at the session (out of 81) voted in favor of the country becoming a member of the Alliance.
The voting took place in the absence of the country's main opposition party, the Democratic Front, standing against Montenegro's accession to the alliance. The Democratic Front held instead a protest in Cetinje, demanding the issue to be put on vote at a national referendum. The opposition also expressed intention to seek early parliamentary elections to come to power and abolish today's decision on joining the NATO.
In May 2016, the alliance members signed a protocol on Montenegro's accession to be ratified by all NATO member states before becoming a full-fledged member.
On April 25, US President Donald Trump signed the protocol on Montenegro’s accession to NATO, which was the final step in ratifying the document.