06/02/2019 (Agence Europe) – The European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and the Minister of the Interior of Montenegro, Mevludin Nuhodžić, initialled on Tuesday 5 February a status agreement that will enable teams from the European Border and Coast Guard Corps (ex-Frontex) to be deployed to Montenegro. The Agency will be able to provide assistance to Montenegro in border management and conduct joint operations, particularly in the event of a sudden change in migration flows, the Commission explains in a statement. The draft agreement will be formally signed at a later date. The approval of the MOU is also required. It was in 2016 that the Commission strengthened the Agency's mandate to allow deployments in the EU's immediate neighbourhood. In 2018, it proposed this deployment to other third countries such as North Africa, a proposal still under discussion in the Council. (SP)