Jovanka Lalicic, MP and member of the DPS Tivat Municipal Committee, was elected president of the Tivat Municipal Committee by the newly formed Tivat Democratic Party of Socialists Municipal Committee, the party announced. She was elected unanimously.

Jovanka Lalicic received the consent of the Presidency of the Party after it took a unique and principled stance on deaccumulation and the inability of the President of the Municipal Committee to be the President of the Municipality at the same time.

The session was attended by Predrag Nenezic, Coordinator on behalf of the Presidency of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro and Goran Jevric, Coordinator on behalf of the Executive Board of the DPS of Montenegro.

Jovanka Lalicic thanked the former President of the Municipal Committee as well as the members of the Municipal Committee for their unanimous support and emphasized that she was honored with the confidence given, which additionally obliges her to perform this responsible function in a quality manner and exclusively in the interest of the Party.

At the session of the Municipal Board after the decision on the method of election and the number of members of the Executive Board was adopted, the Municipal Board unanimously, at the proposal of the President of the Municipal Committee, also elected a new Executive Committee.

Explaining the criteria for the composition of the Executive Board, Jovanka Lalicic emphasized that one of the principles used to nominate candidates was precisely the deaccumulation of functions, but also respect for the principles of national, gender and territorial representation.

Coordinator Predrag Nenezic, expressed his satisfaction with the job done - the election of a new Municipal Committee, the President, but also the composition of the new Executive Committee. He is convinced that the new leadership of the party will continue with the successful implementation of the party's programs and goals, which will result in even greater citizen confidence and better results in the upcoming elections.

At the session, members of the Municipal Committee were briefed on the documents for the preparation of the upcoming DPS Congress, which will be held in November this year - concludes the announcement of MC DPS Tivat.

Gornja Lastva village in Tivat celebrates its 45th traditional festivity tonight.
“I invite both tourists and locals to come. Everything is ready for the traditional Gornja Lastva Festivity. It is not a small number of years and it seems to me that we have succeeded in passing on our love for the village to others, " said Marija Nikolic of the KZU - Cultural Heritage Association "Napredak", which is the organizer of the 45th festivity.

"The festivity starts at 9 pm in Gornja Lastva. For 45 years now we have more or less the same programme, so someone might assume, just at first, that it is not interesting. But it is a tried and tested recipe that catches your attention. When something lasts for 45 years, it is worth something. Having an audience means it's good. And the festivity combines several traditions. GPD Tivat – Tivat Music Education Society with more than 100 years of existence, including the Boka Navy (founded in 809), our intangible good, and the KZU Napredak, NGO which this year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first cultural society in Gornja Lastva.

The Croatian Tamburitza Society "Napredak" was founded in 1919, and its work has been continued to this day. Countries have changed, the name has changed, but the society remained here for a hundred years. Many traditions combined in one village that also represents the pearl of rural architecture. That tradition is not a burden to us, on the contrary, we are doing our job. We cherish heritage in all its segments. We don't look at the past in an idyllic way, but the past needs to be nurtured and preserved. Because it is a part of us."

When it comes to tonight’s programme, the Boka Navy - Tivat Branch, will dance the traditional Boka Dance in front of St. Mary's Parish Church accompanied by GPD - Tivat Music and Education Society. The “Posters of the Lastva Festival” exhibition will also be opened.
The official part is followed by a party with the band "Next" from Omiš, which made a good atmosphere last year.
"I am convinced that it will also be the case tonight. It will be comfortable in Gornja Lastva at 300 meters above sea level. This year, the sponsor of the Lastva Festivity is the Municipality of Tivat, which is co-financing it through the Decision to fund cultural events of importance to the municipality. We are happy that the importance has been recognized and we are grateful for the support.
By the way, since the beginning of the summer we have organized 3 concerts in the village. One was dedicated to klapa singing, the other to jazz music under the full moon, and the third one was for classical music lovers.,” said Marija Nikolić.
The next concert will be held on August 12th, when jazz music will be back. Napredak is preparing a rich, diverse program that promotes 100 years of society, for September.

03 August 2019 - The American billionaire and the founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates, is on a family cruise with his wife, Melinda, and their three children on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro.

Mr Gates, accompanied by his wife, Melinda, and three children, came to Montenegro by his super-yacht Lady S docked in front of Kotor and Risan until 28 July, when the Gates family decided to visit Sveti Stefan and then Porto Montenegro.  Anchored in front of the old town of Kotor, the yacht attracted the attention of locals and tourists alike, but the identity of the family was kept strictly confidential throughout their stay in Montenegro. According to unofficial information, Gates was seen swimming at Risan, while several guests of the five-star Regent Hotel in Porto Montenegro allegedly saw him and his family resting and playing tennis. Guests of the hotel reported that Gates and his group were very unassuming, reports The Dubrovnik Times. A ninety-three-meter long yacht which costs an amazing 1.4 million USD a week to charter, on which Bill Gates’ family is cruising, was accompanied by a smaller boat with a helicopter on deck.

According to CdM, American millionaire Daniel Snyder was also seen in Montenegro in the company of the second richest man in the world. Snyder is the majority owner of the Washington football team, the Washington Redskins, the founder of Snyder Communications and the primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting. The reporters also learned that Gates and Snyder had dinner together on August 3^rd, at the luxurious Nobu restaurant on Sveti Stefan, Budva.

According to Pobjeda daily, on Wednesday Bill Gates visited several eye-catching localities in the north of the country, among other things, the Đurđevića Tara Bridge and tried zip lining above Tara river canyon. After that, he experienced the Tara River by rafting.

As many bodyguards surrounded them, reporters couldn't approach them or take photos. The billionaire hasn’t commented to the media or allowed any photographers to come closer.

“According to those who saw them, Bill Gates and his family are simple and spontaneous people, they enjoyed the outstanding natural beauty of Tivat and the Boka Bay and tourist offer of Porto Montenegro,” writes Vijesti daily. Gates allegedly arrived in Montenegro from Croatia.

03 August 2019 - The citizens’ initiative Save the Sinjajevina Mountain has collected more than 3.000 signatures for a petition seeking to designate Sinjajevina as a protected area and to abandon the Government’s intention to establish a military training ground in the territory of that mountain.

The representatives of this citizens' initiative recently gave an interview for CdM, in which they said that the 3.000 signatures were the necessary condition for the petition to become a formal initiative to be discussed at the Government session.

Citizens' initiative Save the Sinajevina Mountain launched the petition on the Official Platform of the Government of Montenegro - the E-petition on June 6th. The deadline for collecting 3.000 required signatures is August 5th.

Representatives of the Citizens' Initiative say that they have succeeded in their quest thanks to the dedicated and generous support of a large number of civic activists who want to preserve Montenegro’s status as an ecological state. "This issue will be discussed at the Government session. We expect that they honour the request of a large number of citizens, to give up the crazy intention to set up a military training ground in Sinjajevina Mountain," they added.

It should be noted that citizens have repeatedly gathered at Sinjajevina Mountain, expressing dissatisfaction with the Montenegrin Ministry of Defence’s intentions to, as they say, militarize Sinjajevina and turn it into a military training ground.

"We call on the Minister of Defence Predrag Bošković to support the petition that has been launched with the aim to declare this mountain as a protected area. Instead of counting how many citizens have gathered at the protest and checking our personal information, perhaps it would be better to talk, to see that we want good for this mountain and for you to finally hear and understand what we have been repeating this whole year. We will say once again that the citizens' initiative is asking only one thing, and it is that Sinjajevina becomes a protected area and a nature park, to be used for the development of agriculture and tourism, not a military polygon,” said the representatives of the citizens’ initiative earlier for Vijesti.

As TMN reported earlier, the citizens' initiative demands Sinjajevina Mountain to be declared a protected area, to be used by livestock farmers, and to be affirmed as a tourist destination.

The petition for proclaiming Sinjajevina as a nature park was also signed today by the Metropolitan of Montenegro, Amfilohije.

03 August 2019 - The Montenegrin Government has earmarked over 825.000 EUR for the construction of roads within the Business zone in Mojkovac. The Public Works Management signed the building contract with the “Fidija” company from Podgorica. The contractor obliged to complete the works within 120 days from the day the works start, said the representatives of the Government.

This is an important investment which will be incentive to entrepreneurship in Mojkovac and the creation of new jobs, as CdM reported.

“Detailed town planning envisages construction of around 850 meters of roads within the Business zone with sidewalks and revetments, laying plumbing fixtures, foul water system and atmospheric sewerage system, setting up vertical and horizontal signaling, as well as works on the electric and telecommunication installations,” said the representatives of the Government.

Back in March 2019, the Government of Montenegro signed a contract with the private company Novi Volvox on the completion of the conceptual design, main project and the construction of a six-seater ski lift “Z4” at the ski resort Žarski in Mojkovac, according to the principle "Project and build".

"The main designer and manufacturer of equipment which will be installed at the Žarski site is the Italian company Leitner, one of the largest manufacturers of ski lifts in the world. The quality and standard that Leitner applies in their projects are recognized in all countries, so that its lifts are now present at the most attractive ski resorts in the world," the Government representatives explained on this occasion.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

Traffic will be eased for inhabitants and tourists with the construction of the main boulevard through Tivat, and the town will become an even better tourist destination, concluded the Mayor of Tivat Municipality, Siniša Kusovac.

On Friday, with the unveiling of the major project for the 4.1km boulevard in Tivat, he stated that the estimated cost of the three roundabouts in the capital budget would be 1.8 million euros.

“It may be that the cost will be lower, depending on the offers we get from bidders. We envisage beginning with building roundabouts and feeder roads, to ease traffic in the best possible way. The project has five phases, and we will work successively on each phase,” stated Kusovac.

He also stated that in terms of the roundabouts, the land acquisition stage was complete, and for the rest of the project, it had been completed in 90 percent of cases.

Kusovac stated that the financing of the project was envisaged under the municipal budget.

Ivan Ševaljević, Director of GPC Podgorica that oversaw project documentation for the construction of the main Tivat boulevard, clarified that the main characteristic of the future boulevard would be its width of 18 metres, with two lanes running in each direction.

Photo: Boka News/Tivat Municipality

“There is a one-metre wide island to divide traffic, and two footpaths of two metres each. The entire width of the corridor is 19 metres, and we have fitted the length of the whole boulevard into the width that has been acquired by Tivat Municipality,” Ševaljević stated.

He added that according to the project brief, five phases were envisaged, clarifying that the five phases represent the three roundabouts and an open road to connect them.

“The planning documents included two roundabouts. In designing the project and considering all the facts - traffic flow, the needs from a local and transit perspective, we reached the conclusion that in would be good to place a roundabout near the Dom Vojske Auditorium as well. This would fit into the dimensions that were made available to us and, as such, would ease traffic flow as much as possible by constructing another roundabout," stated Ševaljević.

He pointed out that they were also convinced that the new boulevard would ensure better connectivity for surrounding areas.

“We must recall that by doing this we will ensure better security for all those within the catchment of the boulevard, and for those who connect to it. That is the main aspect, but also we will have better flow and projected speed on the boulevard,” stated Ševaljević.

He added that the main challenge in constructing the boulevard is that works take place in an urban zone which, he clarified, is under significant traffic pressure, particularly in the summer season.

“It will be a challenge for the chosen contractor to work on all the five phases, to be competent, well-equipped and capable to carry out the work in these difficult and challenging conditions, due to the large traffic flow that we see in the summer months,” stated Ševaljević.

Photo: Boka News/Tivat Municipality

He added that there is a proposal for the work to take place, as far as possible, during winter.

“There is a suggestion to include a caveat that the chosen contractor be ready to work in shifts in order to finish the work as quickly as possible, as well as ensuring work of the highest quality and at the same time with the least disruption for locals and those who pass by on the road,” added Ševaljević.

The tender for construction of the boulevard will be announced next month.

02 August 2019 - The luxurious Majestic Hotel in Budva has become the bearer of the European Union's Green Ecolabel, reports NTO Montenegro. A total of 25 international certificates for sustainability in tourism have been awarded to Montenegro's accommodation facilities, hotels and apartments so far.

Exclusive hotel Majestic 4*, which received the label of environmental excellence, is located in the centre of Budva, 200 metres away from the Old Town and 50 metres away from the sea. The hotel offers a magnificent sea and marina view. More than simply a hotel, the Majestic offers privacy, comfort and luxury in one place. Designed to charm every single guest with carefully chosen details, a unique example of taste and style, hotel Majestic is an ideal choice for everyone seeking true comfort and elegance.

Green hotels are recognized for their cost-effective business, making them significant partners in nature conservation and combating climate change. The EU Ecolabel Certificate is a confirmation that the hotel manages to limit energy and water consumption, reduce waste (including food waste), minimise CO2 footprint, and limit emissions of hazardous substances to the surrounding environment. The hotels which aim to be green also look to improve labour conditions, including setting new requirements for employee minimum wage, insurance and working hours. Green hotels balance the quality and comfort of their offer while respecting the natural environment and being aware of resource constraints. The eco-label contributes to a better quality of service and strengthens its position in the market - which makes a significant difference between the hotels that own it and others.

Consumers are becoming more and more demanding in their quest for greener holidays. Satisfying this demand is increasingly seen by the tourism industry as the key to success. The Traveller Holiday 2005 study showed that 51% of tourists opt for environmentally friendly resorts and accommodation, while 82% prefer an intact environment. An increase in accommodation that has the EU Ecolabel in Montenegro is of great importance for positioning in Western and Northern European markets as well as in remote markets, as tourists coming from these countries expect high quality service, full destination experience and they are willing to spend more money to stay in green hotels.

The National Tourism Organization of Montenegro and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, in partnership with the UNDP Office and the support of the Low Carbon Tourism Development Project, provide funding for the introduction of Travellife Eco-Certificates and EU Ecolabel Certificates.

If you are interested in getting international eco-certification for your hotel or accommodation located in Montenegro, apply for the Tourism Incentive Program through the websites: www.mrt.gov.me or www.montenegro.travel.

Read more about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

02 August 2019 - The sixth edition of the Sea Dance Festival will be held from August 30 to September 1 at the picturesque Buljarica Beach in Budva, reports Tourist Organisation of Budva. The new era for the Sea Dance Festival will be launched by one of the greatest musical phenomena of the 21st century, David Guetta, followed by leading German DJ and producer Robin Schulz, the French hit duo Ofenbach, and the most sought-after British dance trio Disciples.

Dance Arena, the most spectacular stage of the EXIT Festival which is considered one of the most respected electronic stages in the world, brings some striking names to Buljarica Beach this summer - the revolutionaries of the world techno scene Sven Väth and Richie Hawtin, whose songs are loved by tens of millions of fans worldwide! The “resident” of the world's biggest parties, Jon Gaiser, also arrives with them to Buljarica Beach.

Excitement is growing when it comes to this year's lineup of the famous No Sleep stage, led by the renowned German producer Recondite with a rich musical oeuvre that makes him one of the most sought after performers on the world stage. His back up comes in the form of powerful sets of headliners of leading festivals, such as German star Helena Hauff, multitalented Dutch DJ Eelka Kleijn, and doyens of the regional scene - Tijana T and Marko Nastić.

Numerous regional and local performers will enhance the great atmosphere on the hidden pearl of the Adriatic coast, and some of the biggest names that made it to the Sea Dance lineup include Darko Rundek and Ekipa, Balkan trap diva Senidah, and the most sought after rappers of the region - Surreal, Fox, Kuku $, Hazze, Bekfleš and others. The party on the Adriatic will also include the TDI stage, which will host some of the most interesting local and regional DJ stars, including Mark Funk, Danny Cruz, Oysha, Mirko & Meex, Divolly & Markward, Wreckage, Leo Fragogiannis, Rosske, Mario Eddie, Mr Mips and Davor Billyc.

Buljarica Beach, over 2 kilometres long and located only half an hour drive from Budva's Old Town, is a true pearl of the untouched nature of the Adriatic coast. The sandy and pebble coast is surrounded by a dense belt of pine and deciduous trees forest and a three hundred year old olive grove, which makes this Montenegrin beach a true green oasis. Perfect location for long summer festival nights, followed by exciting day parties with friends, cocktails and the sound of the waves!

Sea Dance Ticket Price Set for only 29.99 EUR!

The ticket package for all three festival days costs 29.99 EUR, which is a 40% savings over the final price. The "3 + 1" campaign is underway, during which, with the purchase of three Sea Dance tickets, festival fans receive the fourth one as a gift!

One-day tickets are also on sale for the first and second days at € 14.99 each, while the price for the third day is € 17.99. More information can be found on the official website of the Sea Dance Festival: www.seadancefestival.me.

Read more information on events that take place in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

02 August 2019 - Energy Regulatory Agency acquired the status of a closed distribution electricity system for the Uniprom company and Luštica Development.

These companies thus gained the right to deliver electricity independently in the zone of the Aluminum Plant, that is, in the area of Luštica Development tourist complex.

The purpose of the closed distribution system is the delivery of the electricity in the geographically limited area for the complexes which have integration of work or production process, trade or service activities, such as Aluminum Plant and processing factories built by Uniprom within the Plant and Luštica Bay, as CdM reports.

“Uniprom Nikšić and Luštica Development Utilities Company are obliged to pay a fee for the use of the closed distribution system, following the law. Uniprom is obliged to provide special measuring sites for the users, before the contract is concluded,” read the decisions adopted by ERA in yesterday’s session.

The closed distribution system of Uniprom, which own Aluminum Plant, is connected to the transmission system through three connecting transmission lines. The closed distribution system of Luštica is connected to the distribution system managed by CEDIS Pržno substation. This institute was introduced three years ago.

Uniprom Group planned on the opening of the Uniprom KAP factory of aluminum billets/logs for December 2019. The planned value of this investment is approximately 15 million EUR. It is expected that these two factories will create 80 new jobs.

"In addition to the already installed silumin factory, which will produce 30,000 tons of special alloys of an outstanding foreign market value of 75 million USD, which will be opened soon, we are starting to implement the next project, which is the construction of a new factory of aluminum billets/logs," said owner of the company Veselin Pejović on this occasion.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

02 August 2019 - During the latest session, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Annex to the Contract on the Registration of domain names with the Procedure for the Assignment of domain names from the premium and reserved domain list.

The Annex defines the new manner of the assignment of domain names recognized as “domain of direct offer”. List of reserved domains now contains the following domain names: ocisti.me, s3.me, tuzi.org.me, komunaeulqinit.me, opstinaulcinj.me and golubovci.me, while the premium list consists of domains such as:  original.me, bike-with.me, enjoy.me, example.me, experience-with.me, golf-with.me, raft-with.me, surf-with.me… . The Government determined that a minimum price at which a domain can be sold shall be formed on the basis of expertise.

The Government also adopted amendments to the List of reserved domain names with international names with amended List. Following that, domains: ocisti.me, s3.me, tuzi.org.me, komunaeulqinit.me, opstinaulcinj.me and golubovci.me, were included on the list, whereas several domain names were relocated to the list of premium domains.

Since 2008, when the registration started, .me domain has been attracting attention thanks to its interesting meaning, diversity and, above all, possibility for personalization in accordance with the users’ needs.

“Before commercial registration of domains, the Government defined a list of premium and reserved domain names in cooperation with Domen LLC. The objective was to create active and relevant contents in the best .me premium and reserved domains which would establish total value of .me community and make domain globally recognizable. Names that attract attention and generate demand contribute to the transformation of total .me cyber space into a successful cyber community which becomes more attractive for new members,” stated the representatives of the Government.

In 2012, a Development program which envisages assignment of domains on the basis of project planned for the development in that particular domain was introduced. By the end of 2018, around 700 premium domain names have been allocated via auctions and over 200 premium domain names through Development program.

Quality of the domain name is determined in accordance with the number of visits to the so called pages specially created for every domain from premium and reserved list. Another important indicator of demand for a domain is the number of applications for the Development Program.

However, 2018 saw the evident decline in number and quality development program applications as a consequence of accessibility of premium names of other extensions after the decision of ICANN on opening market for new generic domains.

“Due to great competition, registers developed a new functionality of premium registrations and renewals, which enables registrars to be part of the premium registration chain. Registration chain has expanded significantly,” said the representatives of the Government.

Application of the new allocation approach entails defining the money value of the domain. A user who is ready to pay the amount following the principle “first come, first served” gets the right to use the domain.

Such an approach is very similar to the allocation of names in the secondary market. Premium and reserved domain names assignment procedure via direct offer

Direct offer is divided into two phases. The first phase involves getting in contact will all potential registrants who have expressed their interest in .me premium domains. This phase of the registration is going to be carried out via “Afternic” platform.

“Registration agent determines the proposal for minimum allocation prices, which is formed on the basis of expertise. After that, domains are segmented into a specific number of price groups,” reads the document, as CdM reports.

After independent expert had estimated the value of all premium .me domains, ten price groups are formed.

Every domain will be initially offered on the “Afternic” platform at maximum price in its belonging group, whereas minimum price at which domain can be sold is the price proposed by independent expert.

The difference between the published and minimum price will create room for negotiations with registrant, since the registrant can offer his own amount on the platform.

The second phase is expected to begin on 31 January 2020. In this phase, after prices had been formed on the basis of minimum registration prices, registrant will not be able to impact it anymore.

The second phase also entails testing two registration options: premium registration plus regular renewal and premium registration plus premium renewal.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.