Podgorica, (MINA) – The Defense and Security Council dismissed on Tuesday Chief of the General Staff of the Montenegrin Armed Forces (VCG), Zoran Lazarevic, and appointed Miodrag Vuksanovic to that position.

President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, told the press following the Council session that they had made several important decisions.

“We dismissed Lazarevic from the position of Chief of the General Staff. He met the conditions stipulated by the law and his military service has come to an end, and that was the basis for his dismissal”, said Milatovic.

According to him, Colonel Vuksanovic was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed as the new Chief of the General Staff.

Milatovic thanked Lazarevic for his service and congratulated Vuksanovic.

Milatovic stated that they also discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, where key decisions are expected to be made, including those concerning defense spending increase.

“In the presence of the Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs (Novica Vukovic and Ervin Ibrahimovic), we reached a unified state position when it comes to additional allocations for defense”, said Milatovic.

When asked if the decision on Vuksanovic’s appointment was made unanimously, Milatovic recalled that all Council’s decisions, according to the Rules of Procedure, must be made by consensus.

Defense Minister Dragan Krapovic said that Lazarevic was dismissed by force of law, and congratulated Vuksanovic on his new role.

He assessed that with this decisions they demonstrated responsibility and the seriousness required in the current geopolitical climate.

“We also demonstrated unity in the state leadership when it comes to strategic directions and the representation of Montenegro at the NATO Summit in The Hague”, added Krapovic.