"The Republic of Montenegro is fulfilling conditions and criteria recognised by the IOC and the executive board will put forward for Montenegro to be elected as a National Olympic Committee," a spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee said today.

 

The decision will need to be rubber-stamped by an IOC session in Guatemala in July.

 

Montenegro, which broke away from Serbia last year, has a population of just over 600,000. The Balkan republic became the United Nations' 192nd member in June 2006.