Opinion Piece by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Michael C. Keays, Podgorica, Montenegro
We are celebrating 250 years of American independence, and 250 years ago, the people of what we now call the state of Maine were heavily involved in the American Revolutionary War that followed our declaration of independence. Thousands of Mainers enlisted in local militias and fought in major campaigns from the Siege of Boston to the last battle at Yorktown. Others engaged in naval actions, capturing British ships and disrupting the trade between American loyalists and their market in Great Britain.
Celebrating 20 years of partnership between the @GuardMaine and the Armed Forces of Montenegro — a relationship that is personal for the Chargé Keays, who grew up in Maine 🇺🇸 and now serves in 🇲🇪. Read his blog on the shared spirit and enduring connection behind this partnership… pic.twitter.com/56Jx75MsMA
— US Embassy Podgorica (@USEmbassyMNE) September 16, 2026
We are now on the eve of celebrating 20 years of the State Partnership Program between the Maine National Guard and the Armed Forces of Montenegro. Since its establishment in December 2006, this partnership has focused on military interoperability, institutional capacity building, and whole-of-society engagements. More specifically, it has facilitated professional military exchanges and joint training exercises like the one scheduled for this September in COMMON CHALLENGE 2026. The Maine-Montenegro partnership has also assisted with defense sector reform, military justice systems, and civil-military relations as Montenegro modernizes its armed forces. And the partnership has expanded beyond strictly military-to-military relations to include cooperation on emergency management, disaster response, medical readiness, and cybersecurity.
The Maine-Montenegro partnership is truly a two-way road. The Montenegrin Armed Forces’ active participation in exercises focused on peacekeeping operations, border security, and interoperability with NATO forces have helped the men and women of the Maine National Guard to grow in their own professionalism and capabilities. They have also helped other countries in the region and Europe to do so, as well. Montenegro’s collaboration on emergency management best practices – including on natural disaster response – has not only benefited Montenegro and Maine, but also Montenegro’s neighbors, who also suffer from summer wildfires.
Our partnership is, in part, based on shared attributes of the two partners: their respective sizes, their maritime and agricultural heritages, and their wild and mountainous topographies. A traveler hiking the Appalachian Trail in Baxter State Park towards Mount Katahdin would feel very much at home hiking in Durmitor National Park in Montenegro. And a Montenegrin enjoying the views of the sea from the Lustica Peninsula would feel at home at Acadia National Park on Maine’s seacoast. Mainers’ and Montenegrins’ respect for bravery and love of freedom are enshrined in the colors of Montenegro’s flag, and Maine’s motto – “Dirigo,” or “I lead” – on its state flag. Maine and Montenegro are leading the way now for the rest of us – in spirit and by example. The men and women of Maine and Montenegro can and should be proud of their fellow countrymen and women who don the uniform and serve their countries and communities. We are proud to be marking twenty years of the State Partnership Program between the Maine National Guard and the Armed Forces of Montenegro. May we be able to look back on this relationship twenty more years from now and find it still going strong – upholding Montenegrin Armed Forces’ motto: Zajedno. Sigurno. Za sva vremena. Together. Securely. For all time.
