Town Hall Meeting on Consular Activities (2015/3/6)

March 6, 2015

DCM Aliu and Consul Torrance at the town hall meeting in Tuzi
DCM Aliu and Consul Torrance at the town hall meeting in Tuzi

Despite heavy rain and high winds, more than 100 American and Montenegrin citizens turned up in the community of Tuzi for a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission B. Bix Aliu and Consul William Torrance.  DCM  Aliu opened the event by highlighting some of the work that the U.S. Embassy has been doing to improve relations between the United States and Montenegro and to assist Montenegro on the path to European Union and NATO membership.  He also applauded some of the accomplishments of the Embassy’s Consular Section, which has brought wait times for interviews down even though applications are up nearly fifty percent.

Consul William Torrance then spoke to American citizens about common areas of interest and concern.  He provided information on disaster and crisis preparedness, and introduced the volunteer wardens for the Podgorica and Tuzi areas.  Following the session with American citizens, Montenegrin citizens in Tuzi had a chance to hear about the structure and organization of the Consular Section, common myths about visa applications, information on student visas and exchange programs, and how to avoid being the victim of common fraudulent behavior.