General Preston: I am proud of the alliance with Montenegro

Montenegro is a credible partner and ally, said the commander of the ground forces of the National Guard of the US state of Maine, Brigadier General Dean Preston.
Preston met with the Chief of General Staff of the Army of Montenegro, General Zoran Lazarevic.
General Lazarevic, as announced by the Ministry of Defense, thanked General Preston for the support that the National Guard of Maine has been providing to the Army of Montenegro for almost 17 years, stressing that the exchange of experiences was of "great importance for the development of the capabilities of the Croatian Armed Forces".
Montenegro is a credible partner and ally - said Preston, adding that he is proud of the long-term alliance, which, according to him, is best reflected in joint exercises, such as "Immediate Response 23".
The interlocutors agreed that the Army of Montenegro and the National Guard of Maine will continue excellent cooperation in all areas, with the belief that it will continue in the future, it was stated during the meeting.
The MoD states that Preston also visited the "Breza" barracks in Kolašin, where representatives of the General Staff of the Croatian Army and the 1st Infantry Battalion presented him with the capacities for mountain warfare of the Army of Montenegro, as well as the equipment and weapons of the 3rd Infantry Company. The commander of the ground forces of the Maine National Guard visited the members of the VCG of the US Armed Forces and the Army of Montenegro who are conducting mountaineering training in the territory of Kolašin.
The department adds that Preston is visiting Montenegro on the occasion of the "Immediate Response 23" exercise, where about 500 members of the armed forces of Montenegro and the USA are trained together, with the support of Croatian staff officers, in the north of Montenegro.
M. J.