U.S., Montenegro agree to open skies

  The United States and Montenegro on Tuesday entered an open-skies aviation agreement that will liberalize air services for the carriers of both countries. Previously, air rights between the two countries were governed by an agreement between the United States and Yugoslavia.
   “By agreeing on an open market for aviation services now, we are setting the stage for travel and trade between the United State and Montenegro to develop in the future,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
   This is the first aviation agreement between Montenegro and the United States. There currently are no direct flights between the two countries.
   Under the open-skies agreement, the airlines of both countries will be able to fly to, from and beyond the other’s territory, without restriction on how often carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge.
   The new opportunities are available immediately. The agreement makes Montenegro the 105th U.S. open-skies partner.