09 November 2018 - On November 9, during the visit to the Capital of Montenegro, Culture Minister Aleksandar Bogdanović and his associates visited the final works on the building where the three institutions from the sphere of culture are planned to be moved: the Music Centre, the Film Centre and the Montenegrin Cinematheque.

The first phase of the works, which included the building process and construction works, was completed in the previous period, while the second phase, which includes works on the interior, stage, audio and video technique, will be completed soon.

According to the Minister's earlier statement, the Music Center will include a large concert hall with seating capacity 440, a small concert hall with 190 seats and a symphony and folk orchestra rehearsal hall. For the needs of the Montenegrin Cinematheque, the project includes depots for archiving films and video materials as well as the projection room.

As announced in the official announcement of the Ministry, Bogdanović expressed his satisfaction with the work progress that has been achieved in recent months, as well as with the spatial resources that will satisfy not only European standards and needs but also the expectations of the mentioned cultural institutions. During the conversation with the contractors, he highlighted the importance of the opening of this facility as soon as possible and insisted on the additional intensification of the work dynamics, in order to make the facility operational by the end of the year 2018.

This investment worth 13,190,000 EUR is a proof of program policies implemented by the Government of Montenegro in order to provide adequate working conditions for cultural workers, thus obtaining the necessary prerequisites for achieving even greater cultural ranges, the Minister concluded after the visit.

09 November 2018 - On November 9, the Montenegrin Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović, the Mayor of Podgorica, Ivan Vuković and his associates held a meeting, during which the participants highlighted the quality cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Capital in the field of culture. The meeting also emphasized the significance and important role of the Capital in the implementation of cultural policies in the field of cultural and artistic creativity within the country as well as the need for even more concrete and more dynamic action towards the realization of projects that contribute to the affirmation of the culture of Montenegro.

Minister Bogdanovic particularly expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the partnership between the Government and the Capital City includes activities on the implementation of the Museum of the Contemporary Art Building Project. This Museum is expected to represent an important segment of Montenegrin art, preserve the cultural identity of the Montenegrin people, but it should also be the place for the meeting of contemporary artistic expressions.

Considering the specificity of the building, which represents a special architectural expression in all the cities of the world, after a detailed analysis, the project managers chose one of the most attractive locations in Podgorica. As for the object that should be the stamp of contemporary art in the whole country, an international public competition for a conceptual architectural solution will be opened by the end of the year, which will be announced by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the City of Podgorica, Minister Bogdanovic explained.

According to Mayor Vuković, the joint activities of Ministry of Culture and the Capital City, primarily building the Museum of Contemporary Art, will raise the cultural life of Podgorica to an even higher level, complimenting the fact that Podgorica is the Capital of Montenegro.

November 9, 2018 - The Cultural and Information Center "Budo Tomovic" will continue with the presentation of the magazine "Polje" and writer Dusan Vejnovic this month. The cooperation with the Novi Sad Cultural Center was renewed last year.

Thus, on Wednesday, November 7^th, the editor-in-chief Alen Bešić and writer Dušan Vejnović, an associate of the magazine, will present the renowned Novi Sad newspaper for literature and theory "Polje" at the KIC Multimedia Hall at 8 p.m.

The interview will be hosted by the editor of the information and educational program from KIC Valentina Knezevic.

The magazine "Polje", which has been published since 1955, has gathered and gathers the most famous artists of the regional art scene. In its early stages, the avant-garde and new avant-garde expression of the Novi Sad and wider Yugoslav art scene was especially encouraged. From the old magazine, the new "Polje" has kept an openness towards new tendencies in literature and theoretical thought, as well as the continuity of the former cultural space. Today, the value of this magazine is regionally recognized, especially its combination of different generational and stylistic trends, based on the past and at the same time following the current literary and artistic moment.

On Thursday, November 8th, in the Multimedia Hall of KIC from 8 pm, KIC presented the creativity of the writer Dusan Vejnovic to the Podgorica audience. Writers Alen Bešić and Barbara Delać also spoke about their books.

Dušan Vejnović (Sombor, 1981) graduated in psychology from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade in 2006. He did his master thesis in 2008 and obtained the title of Doctor of Psychology in 2014 at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. He is the author of the collection of poems "Special Needs" (2013), the novel "Strong and to No one" (2014), and the prose collections of "Stubborn White" (2011, "Đura Đukanov" award) and "Side Branches of Evolution" (2017). For the translation of the novel “Amulet” by Robert Bolanja (2015) he received the award "Radoje Tatić". He lives in Novi Sad.

Alen Bešić (1975, Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina), graduated from the Department of Serbian Literature and the Language of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. He published four books of poetry: "The Filigree Cut" (1999), "The Smoke Mode" (2004), "Bare Heart" (2012) and "Chronicle of Things: Selected Songs" (2014), as well as two books of selected literary critics and essays: "Reading Labyrinths" (2006) and "Non-Conventional Form" (2012

He translated the books by Gene Reese, Jamie Kincaid, Eni Pru, John Faulz, John Ralston Sole, Bruce Quatton, Tony Hogland, Teddy Cole, Derek Volkot, and En Carneson. For the translation of the novel "Beauty", Joyce Carol Outs (2010), he received the Award of the Association of Writers of Vojvodina for the translation of the year (2011), for the translation of selected songs by Toni Hogland "Do not tell anyone", the award "Miloš N. Đurić" (2015), and for the collection of poetry "Bare heart" the awards "Branko Miljković" and "Risto Ratkovic "(2013).

His poems were translated into German, English, French, Russian, Macedonian and Slovenian. He is a member of the Serbian Literary Society and the Association of Serbian Literary Translators. Since 2007, he has been working as the editor of the journal for literature and theory "Polje", and since 2012 also as the editor of the publishing activity in the Cultural Center Novi Sad.

Text by CdM, on November 3rd 2018, read more at CdM

November 9, 2018 - Citizens of Montenegro, holders of ordinary passports, can travel without a visa to 100 countries around the world, while holders of diplomatic and official documents can travel to 109 countries, it was announced after the government session. The government adopted the Information on the Visa Policy. According to the Public Relations Service, the discussion emphasized that Montenegro, bearing in mind the need to harmonize the visa policy with the European Union (EU) regulations, implemented the Schengen Action Plan and met the provisional benchmarks in Chapter 24, to responsibly fulfill the obligations arising from the visa liberalization.

The visa regime and the conclusion of a series of bilateral agreements between Montenegro and other countries have resulted in the fact that Montenegrin citizens, ordinary passport holders, can travel to 100 countries around the world without visas (including those in which a visa can be obtained at a border crossing) while holders of diplomatic and official passports can travel without visa in 109," the statement said.

As it is added, citizens from 104 countries, holders of ordinary passports, as well as holders of diplomatic and official passports from 111 countries can enter Montenegro without a visa.

The government explained that, in order to simplify the process of receiving visa applications from countries where Montenegro does not have its diplomatic-consular representation, and whose citizens showed interest in coming to Montenegro, an online portal is created through which there is the possibility of applying for a Montenegrin visa.

According to them, the portal, with a secure communication link, is connected to the Visa Information System (VIS), which ensures the implementation of legally defined procedures for issuing visas.

"So far, the VIS has been installed in 24 representative offices, while in the coming period its installation will be performed in the remaining offices," the statement said.

The government has established the basis for conducting negotiations and concluding agreements between the governments of Montenegro and Paraguay on the abolition of visas for holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official or business passports.

Negotiations will be held with the Uruguayan Government on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports, as well as with the Government of China on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic, official and business passports and accepted the proposed agreements.

The Government also established the basis for conducting negotiations and concluding a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and the Ministries of Italy and Turkey on visa issues and consular protection in a number of countries in which Montenegro does not have a consular representation, and accepted the proposed agreements.

Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic said that the goal of all agreements is to extend the consular protection of the Montenegrin citizens.

The Government met with the GREVIO Committee's Report on the Evaluation of Legislative and Other Measures to Implement the Provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention and Suppression of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).

A group of experts for combating the violence against women and domestic violence (GREVIO) is an independent body for monitoring human rights tasked to monitor the application of the Istanbul Convention.

"The report is the result of the first (basic) evaluation procedure conducted in relation to Montenegro. They incorporate the Convention as a whole, and therefore assess the level of harmonization of Montenegrin legislation and practice in all areas," the statement said.

Based on that evaluation, as it is added, measures are proposed to strengthen the application of the Convention and areas in which improvements are needed in order to fully comply with the obligations of the Convention. The report contains 44 recommendations at the national level. The conclusions that have been adopted should enable the full application of the Istanbul Convention. The Government also adopted the Report on realized activities on the preparation of Montenegro's participation at the World Expo 2020 Dubai Exhibition, a global discussion forum aimed at finding solutions to the universal challenges of our time.

The topic of the Universal Exhibition, which will be held from October 20^th, 2020 to April 10^th, 2021, is "Connecting Minds, Creating a Future" and encompassing three sub-themes: Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.  

Montenegro, as recalled from the Government, will perform at the Expo within the sub-theme "Sustainability".

"In the framework of the preparatory activities for the participation, the General Commissioner of the exhibition was appointed and the Decision on the Education of the Organizing Committee for Participation of Montenegro at the World Expo 2020 Dubai Exhibition was adopted," the statement concludes.

Text by MINA, on November 8th, 2018, read more at Vijesti