April 24, 2018 - A representative of the Montenegrin Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Osman Nurković, handed a copy of the "Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation for the Bar-Boljare Highway Project on the Principles of Private-Public Partnership" to the Head of the EU Delegation in Montenegro, Aiv Oravo.
In the past decade, the Government of Montenegro has invested significant funds in transport infrastructure. However, one of the most critical projects in the whole infrastructure development of the State lies in the construction of the Montenegrin highway.
The contractor for the main sections of the highway is a Chinese company named “CRBC”. The 'Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation for the Bar-Boljare Highway Project on the Principles of Private-Public Partnership' is a document recently signed by the Montenegrin Government and the CRBC company. By signing the previously mentioned memorandum, the Government of Montenegro has expressed the interest in further cooperation between Montenegro and the Chinese contractor.
However, the Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs has recently claimed that by signing the Memorandum, CRBC was not brought to a privileged position. Wanting to confirm the assertion, the Minister handed a copy of the Memorandum to the Head of the EU Delegation in Montenegro. The Minister also invited all interested companies to send an application with their terms and conditions for the construction of other sections of Bar-Boljare highway.
During the construction of the first section of the highway, the Government and the General Manager of the CRBC both expressed contentment with the deadlines and the quality of the building. The implementation of this vital project has contributed not only to the relations between the Government and the CRBC but also to the excellent relations between the states of Montenegro and China.
Although the cooperation between the Government and the CRBC company has been fruitful, the Minister has recently made a statement that the Government must ensure in full respect the principles of competitiveness. The principles of competitiveness imply that for the final choice of the contractor, the Government must have in mind the prices, quality of work, deadlines and previous experience in highway construction. In that aspect, he expressed future expectations regarding a more significant presence of European companies in the development of the remaining sections of the highway.
The Minister also pointed to the importance of the forthcoming realization of the Transport Community Treaty of Southeast Europe, as well as the upcoming EU-Western Balkans Summit scheduled for May 17th in Sofia.
