They don't see what Israel does with the "prestige" of their weapons: Italy suspends cooperation with Tel Aviv, Montenegro won't

While some NATO and European Union (EU) members have suspended their military-defense agreements with Israel due to its moves in the Middle East, Montenegro has no such intention, and is also hiding from the public whether it exports weapons to that country.

The Ministry of Defense told "Vijesti" last week that they still plan to carry out training of Montenegrin soldiers in Israel when the security conditions are met. These activities were agreed upon before Tel Aviv went to war against Hamas, after the Palestinian organization carried out terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 - after which, as many international actors claim, Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Responding to the question of whether Montenegro, which signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of defense with Israel in 2018, could follow the example of Italy, whose government the day before yesterday suspended a long-standing agreement on defense cooperation with Israel, from the department it heads Dragan Krapović (Democrats) said they are closely monitoring international security and political circumstances, and that they conduct their activities in the field of defense cooperation "in accordance with national interests and assumed international obligations."

They did not answer whether they think it is okay to cooperate militarily with a country whose prime minister is (Benjamin Netanyahu) is indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity due to the actions of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.

The 2018 agreement between Podgorica and Tel Aviv was a prelude to the conclusion of at least two contracts with the Israeli company Elbit Systems, worth more than 50 million euros. The first, worth around 35 million dollars, to equip Montenegrin armored vehicles with remotely controlled weapon stations, was agreed in late 2019. The second contract from May 2023, worth around 20 million euros, envisages that Elbit will equip some of the Montenegrin armored vehicles with 120 mm mortar ammunition and train soldiers and officers at its academy in Israel.

When it comes to arms exports, last week the editorial team sent a query to the Ministry of Economic Development (which issues permits for this activity) as to whether it had approved the export of military equipment to Israel or to Israeli companies from September 2024. However, no response was received.

"Vijesti" asked the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, which is on a non-resident basis, and the representative office of that country in Podgorica, whether Montenegro exports military equipment to that country, but they referred the journalist to the Israeli Ministry of Defense - which ordered that these questions be sent to the authorities in Podgorica.

Montenegro has for some time been in the habit of remaining silent or making no public statements regarding Israel's actions. Thus, at the beginning of the month, the decision of the local parliament to introduce the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering citizens of that country was practically ignored. On the other hand, some high-ranking Montenegrin officials and their parties have frequent visits and maintain contact with the regime in Tel Aviv.

According to the United Nations (UN), from October 7, 2023 to March 25 of this year, Israel killed nearly 73.000 Palestinians in Gaza, of whom about 21.000 were children.

They will train soldiers in Israel.

Krapović and the Chief of General Staff of the Army of Montenegro (AVCG) Miodrag Vuksanović In early February, they met with the Israeli defense envoy to Montenegro. Talom MastomThe statement from the Ministry of Defense stated at the time that the meeting between Vuksanović and Mast discussed the current cooperation in the field of defense, as well as the possibilities for its further improvement.

When asked what joint projects and exchanges of experiences were discussed, the Ministry of Defense responded that it was about improving existing bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, adding that the focus was on modernizing equipment, strengthening interoperability, and exchanging professional knowledge through training and expert support.

"Specific cooperation projects have been implemented through several implementation agreements with the state of Israel, the details of which we are unable to provide, because the agreements are marked with a degree of secrecy, in accordance with the Data Secrecy Act," the response to the editorial board reads.

When asked whether members of the Montenegrin Army had carried out the training that was supposed to take place in mid-November 2023, but was postponed due to the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as whether training was conducted at the "Elbit" Academy in Israel, they replied that all training, as well as those planned for November 2023, were not carried out in Israel due to the deteriorating security situation after the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023.

They explained that the implementation of these activities was postponed for security reasons and “in accordance with assessments.” However, they said that the trainings still remain on schedule.

"And their implementation will depend on the stabilization of security conditions and the coordination of new terms with the partner side. Cooperation between Montenegro and Israel in the field of defense is carried out in accordance with interstate agreements, international obligations and strategic development goals of the Armed Forces of Montenegro. All activities are implemented transparently and with due regard for the current security context, with the aim of further strengthening the capacities and operational capabilities of the Army," they underlined.

"One of the most prestigious industries"

Italian Prime Minister George Meloni announced the day before yesterday that the government there had suspended a defense cooperation agreement with Israel. Its government was one of Israel's closest allies in Europe, but in recent weeks it has criticized Tel Aviv's attacks on Lebanon, in which hundreds of people have died.

Israel fired warning shots last week at Italian soldiers serving in Lebanon under a UN mandate.

Memorandum signed in 2003 by the then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, entered into force in 2006 and was automatically renewed every five years, and covered areas such as procurement, training, as well as “import, export and transit of defence and military equipment”.

The Montenegrin Ministry of Defense indirectly announced that it would not follow Rome's example, adding that "it is important to emphasize that countries have different approaches when it comes to bilateral defense cooperation, depending on their own priorities, assessments and strategic interests."

"While some countries are making decisions to suspend certain forms of cooperation, others are opting for their further improvement. For example, some European countries such as Greece and Germany have recently concluded new forms of strategic cooperation with Israel in the field of defense," they said.

Several Israeli and Greek media outlets reported last week that the two countries had reached a $750 million deal for the delivery of Israeli PULS precision missile systems, while the German Bundestag late last year approved an extension of the contract for the purchase of the Israeli Arrow 3 anti-missile system, worth about $3,1 billion.

The Ministry of Defense emphasized that the modernization and equipping of the Armed Forces of Montenegro with modern systems and equipment is one of their key priorities, and that, in this regard, the Israeli defense industry is recognized as one of the most prestigious in the world, especially in the areas of advanced and future technologies that play an increasingly important role in the modern security environment.

"Montenegro, as a responsible member of the international community and an ally within NATO, will continue to make its decisions independently, guided primarily by the protection of its own national interests, security and stability, while continuously monitoring the development of the situation," they pointed out.

Over five million euros worth of military equipment imported from Israel

"Vijesti" wrote at the end of February that Israel is Montenegro's most important foreign trade partner when it comes to the import of weapons and ammunition.

In the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, according to a document from the Customs Administration, weapons and ammunition worth at least 5.281.024,40 euros were imported into Montenegro from Israel.

The state budget for 2026 foresees borrowing for the purchase of the Spike anti-tank system, which is produced by the Israeli company Rafael.

Several non-governmental organizations and civic activists sent a letter to the Government in early April, demanding urgent public information about any export, import or trade in weapons and military equipment with Israel, as well as the publication of all valid contracts, agreements and permits in this area.