27 May 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received in Miločer one of the most successful descendants of Montenegrin emigrants in Latin America, Federico Tomašević, from Argentina, who is on a visit to Montenegro.
A visit by Tomašević, the owner of the largest bank in three countries, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, followed after the meeting with President Đukanović during his visit to Latin America in December last year. The descendant of Slavomir Tomašević from Krusevice who moved to Argentina before the Great War, gladly responded to the invitation, in order to get acquainted with the roots of his family, as well as the development of Montenegro and conditions for investment. During his meeting and working lunch, attended by his wife as well, he said that he was honored that after visiting the Herceg Novi area, where his family originates from, and the Montenegrin coast, he meets with President Đukanović.
"I am very inspired to make even stronger connections in business, culture and other areas and start cultivating what has been sown in the past years," Tomašević said, with the conviction that like him and other descendants of Montenegrins, not only in Argentina, can do as much as possible for Montenegro, first of all, getting to know each other, but also in every other field.
Tomašević says he personally was impressed with the dynamic development of Montenegro. Fascinated by what he saw, he says that there are few places in the world, where projects are being realized today, like it is in Montenegro, which bring multiple benefits to the economy, but also the transfer of knowledge. He congratulated President Đukanović on creating an environment in which investors feel so secure.
"It is not just an investment; it is the whole development strategy that places Montenegro on the world map," Tomašević said.
President Đukanović thanked Federico Tomašević for his high appreciation of the achievements of Montenegro, stressing that the most important dimension of connection with the diaspora is to provide the descendants of Montenegrin emigrants to meet their country and family. These connections are also valuable today when Montenegro is a member of NATO, ahead of all in EU integration, with a good pace of economic development, said Đukanović. An important impetus for this development is investment, but not only because of financial investment but because of the adoption of knowledge and new standards, the President agreed.
Đukanović and Tomašević agreed that the Montenegrin community is recognized everywhere as extremely valuable and successful, and that such a spirit should be developed here in Montenegro as well. Tomašević has informed the President that he has decided to provide up to 5 scholarships for Latin American students who want to study at the Montenegrin Language Faculty in Cetinje, as well as the translation and publication of one book annually about Montenegro in the Spanish language. He also announced that impressed with Montenegro, he and his wife will bring their four children to Montenegro this summer as well, to see where they originate from.
In addition to the Puente Bank, founded in 1915, Federico Tomašević has been successfully dealing with the distribution of oil and gas, food production and export, investment funds, financial markets, and real estate, and has large estates. Last year's Forbes edition on the front page named Tomašević's master for making money. Tomašević also has a prestigious business center in London where he often spends his time.
