BELGRADE, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The airspace of Montenegro will in future be "protected and patrolled" by Air Forces of Italy and Greece within the newly-launched NATO Air Policing mission, Montenegro's Defense Minister Predrag Boskovic announced Tuesday.
According to the Defense Ministry, at the military airport in Golubovci, 5 km from the capital of Podgorica, Boskovic together with Brigadier General Roberto di Marco and Major General Silvano Frigerio attended a demonstration of a landing of an "aircraft-intruder".
RTCG, public broadcaster of Montenegro, reported that the aircraft used as the "intruder" for the Tuesday's show at Golubovci airfield was actually an aircraft of the Montenegrin government.
The ceremony also marked the first anniversary of Montenegro's membership in NATO.
He thanked Italy and Greece "who accepted to protect Montenegro's airspace on behalf of all other members of the Alliance".
The NATO Air Policing is a mission that aims "to provide the integrity of the airspace of allied states and their protection through ongoing patrols under the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (NATINAMDS)".
The Defense Ministry said: "Given its limited capacities, Montenegro will receive support from allies in the field of airspace protection through the NATO mission of non-combat character, for which Montenegro will have no additional financial obligations other than those already foreseen in the joint NATO budget."
