December 16, 2014
On December 16, the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, B. Bix Aliu, opened a seminar on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Proliferation, organized by the United States Embassy in Podgorica, through its Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program. The three-day seminar, held in Podgorica, will discuss issues of WMD proliferation and the importance of implementing effective strategic trade and border controls to counter this threat. The seminar is delivered by a team of experts from the University at Albany – SUNY. Speaking at the opening, DCM Aliu stated that United States is, together with the partner countries such as Montenegro, investing significant efforts in building a global system for preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
After the Cold War ended with the fall of Soviet Union, and with the rise of international terrorism as the most prominent threat to international security, concerns over dangerous non-state actors obtaining WMD has become a global issue. Aiming to contribute to the fight against WMD Proliferation, the U.S. State Department created the EXBS Program to help countries confront the WMD threat. The program is part of a broader effort to provide assistance to Montenegrin authorities. The United States, through the EXBS program, has provided over $4 million in training and equipment to help Montenegro strengthen its border security, export controls and non-proliferation efforts.
