May 21, 2019 - The citizens' movement ODUPRISE, as announced earlier by its leaders, will organize a new protest on Tuesday, 21 May in Podgorica, marking the Independence Day of Montenegro.

One of the leaders of the movement, Džemal Perovic, said the protest was called "For the Independence of the Envelope" and is expected to support all free citizens who want an independent state, free from the clash of organized crime and corruption.

"We expect that side by side with the citizens are all signers of the Agreement on the future, who, with their political and moral credibility, have guaranteed that they will strive for the realization of the principles and goals of the agreement signed with the free citizens of this country," Perovic said. "Citizens will look for their faces in the masses, seeking to see who remains loyal to the Agreement."

"Political differences between opposing subjects are normal and understandable, but this is the time when it must be clear who will break this corrupt regime," Perovic said.

The movement ODUPRISE said they will not give up on the struggle for a free Montenegro with all those "who recognize the importance of active participation in change."

Today's gathering is the 11th protest organized by the ODUPRISE movement. The protest campaign started after a video was published proving the DPS campaign for the parliamentary elections in October 2016 was financed illegally. 

The protest will take place in front of the Montenegrin Assembly building starting at 8 pm.

20 May 2019 - The Ministry of Economy of Montenegro announced a public competition for the selection of the logo and slogan of the national brand of Montenegro to complete the state's visual identity. The award for the best solution is 10 thousand euros, said the official statement by the Ministry.

The Ministry of Economy pointed out that the competition is international and that both individuals and groups of authors have the right to participate.

"The timeframe for submitting applications is from May 21 until July 4, 2019," the Ministry stressed, adding that the rules and further information on the competition will be published on their website on May 21.

The national brand, from the aspect of the Ministry of Economy, includes the perceptions of people about a particular country in different areas, such as tourism, exports, investment and immigration, government, culture and heritage and people living in the country.

"Accordingly, the development and improvement of the national brand will positively affect these segments, which are crucial for the economic growth and development of a single country. A strong national brand encourages the flow of foreign direct investments, both in the strategic branches of the economy, such as energy, tourism, and agriculture, as well as in other branches, "the Ministry said.

As stated in the announcement, to adequately position Montenegro in the world of the foreign public, and starting from the results obtained by researching the perception of the domestic and foreign people, it was clear that it is necessary to create a new visual identity, that is, a logo.

"The visual identity of the national brand should unify the specificities of Montenegro and uniquely maintain them, so that through a graphics solution and a synchronized and comprehensive message, Montenegro could position itself on the international market. The proposed solution should enable an absolute positioning of the state of Montenegro as a whole, "the Ministry of Economy explained.

20 May 2019 - The software company Logate and the digital community of Montenegro Digitalizuj.me are organizing the seventh in a row Hackathon, called Hackathon in the Port 2019, from May 22 to 24, in Porto Montenegro in Tivat.

Hackathon in the Port 2019 is a regional tech event that brings together developers, project managers, graphic designers, and all those enthusiastic about technology, the development of tech solutions and their application. The event consists of a full-day conference called "Interact", which is followed by a two-day Hackathon - a programming marathon where eight teams from all over the region compete in the creation of computer applications.

This year's event is focused on gaming, so the main theme of the Hackathon 2019 is creating computer games. All contestants are already exploring interesting gaming concepts and already booking a ticket for Tivat. Additional details of the topic will be known at the event itself, but the organizers highlighted that this year’s participants would, besides the competition, have the opportunity to listen to the whole day's lectures in the field of development of video games. Lectures will be held on the first day of the event, in the form of a conference called "Interact".

The conference is conceived as a gathering place for gaming enthusiasts who will exchange knowledge and experience, and learn about the concepts of designing, developing and programming computer games. Speakers at the conference are experts from some of the largest gaming companies in the region, so the organizers are confident that the lectures will provide enough inspiration for the challenges the competitors will be facing. The lecturers from the conference will also be team mentors during the competition.

The winning team that comes up with the best solution is expected to receive a cash prize of 3.000,00 EUR, provided by Hackathon’s partner, Societe Generale Montenegro. Also, the supporter of Hackathon, the Spark.me conference provided the winners with a presentation within the Spark.me Start-Up Competition, which will be held after Hackathon on May 25 and 26, also in the Porto Montenegro Marina.

The team that gets second place within the competition will also receive a cash award in the amount of 1.000,00 €. The sponsor of this prize is the company SAGA CG.

The Hackathon 2019 conference is an ideal place to learn about the latest tools, methodologies, and practices of the gaming industry, but also to gather useful tips, ideas and inspiration to do business in this very popular branch. With a creative and entertaining theme, inspiring tech lectures, attractive location, and even more attractive awards, the organizers promise the best Hackathon experience for all participants!

Data acquired from the Official Hackathon Website.

20 May 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković said on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro's independence that on 21 May 2006, 100-year-old historical injustice was corrected and that Montenegro was returned to the world's political map, and that Montenegro then turned to the future instead of the mythological past, as well as that all the events that followed confirmed the correctness of our strategic commitment to integrating Montenegro into the most advanced communities of the modern world: NATO and the European Union.

19 May 2019 - "Convinced that the values ​​of the Bokelj Navy, which is considered to be the oldest existing maritime organisation in the world, overcome national and regional borders, we have nominated this cultural heritage for the inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, as Montenegro's first nomination for the inscription on this prestigious list," Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin noted while opening the exhibition "Bokelj Navy Kotor - 1210 years of history, spirituality and culture" in Cetinje.

He explained that this initiative was launched by the organisation itself, and that the nomination process was in deep agreement with the members of the organisation and was conducted in line with its basic principles that indicate that the Bokelj Navy can be accessed by any person accepting its Statute, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or any other identity, and that it is an organisation focused on respect for human rights and mutual respect for religious, national and cultural diversity.

The Deputy Prime Minister underlined that the members of the Bokelj Navy, their family history and traditions of the local community preserved this cultural heritage for the generations to come in spite of all the challenges the Bay of Kotor had faced throughout its history.

He recalled that for over twelve centuries the Bokelj Navy has managed to resist the strong influences that overwhelmed the area, stressing that the maritime tradition that permanently marked it was the true and fundamental value of the organisation itself.

DPM Pažin emphasised that the essential value of the Bokelj Navy is immaterial. "The value transcending all material traces, which is passed on from generation to generation and which is a key cultural value that recommended this organisation for the status of Montenegro's cultural property of national importance."

He concluded by saying that only by preserving local communities, supporting their identity and the initiatives that come from them, such values ​​can be preserved and passed on to future generations.

19 May 2019 - The Prime Minister recently spoke to the Luxury Collection Montenegro Magazine, on which occasion he especially emphasised the importance of the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Structures and their sustainable factor.

"Montenegro, just like many societies in transition, including the countries where capitalism is well-developed, underwent the “concreting” stage, marked by construction without any strategic overview of space, and without taking into account the sustainable factor. Now we do things differently. We have made a fundamental change: this Government created Structures, which, for the first time, offers a unified treatment of space as our resource," said Marković.

He continued that the Law was attacked exactly by those people who wished to hold on to their old positions and pursue the concreting approach, without focusing on sustainability. The goal is for the state to carefully manage space by giving priority to sustainable development which creates benefits for the economy and citizens in terms of income and of increased employment opportunities, not giving special treatment to the particular interests of any group or individual.

"In this regard, we offer investors an embodiment of our vision of Montenegro through full compatibility of spatial plans on all levels – from the state level to the lowest levels. We offer a clear and open strategic framework so that anyone can find room for themselves and be sure that tomorrow, or in a year, nothing will happen that will foil their business plans," pointed out Marković.

 Parenting Festival “The Family Fest”, which was held on Saturday in the park Krusevac, brought together more than ten thousand children and parents. The largest family event in the country was organized by the Parents Association and its social enterprise “Kreativa Lab”, in partnership with the Capital City and PG Sound. Like the previous two years, the Festival was opened with the biker’s parade of all generations, organized by the non-governmental organization Biciklo.me, followed by children soloists Luka Bajovic, Masa Paovic, Una Stankovic, Ivan Vojnic and Melani Mitrovic.

Danijela Knezevic from the association “Parents” said that the Family Festival was carried out perfectly and that we have all together enjoyed together in the park, in nature.

"The beautiful atmosphere was not disturbed even by the rain, which made us a little worried in the afternoon, but the visitors were with us at that time. This event confirms how much we want as a family - more entertainment, educational, sports and creative content in the open, where children and parents can participate together, without the technology and the equipment that steals our free moments together," Knezevic said in a statement.

This year's special guests of the Festival were HAOS animators from Novi Sad who were particularly delighted the audience at closing, featuring special LED suits.

Two mini concerts were held in the park, by the band “Red and Black” and Quartet Unique, and two theatrical performances, by Podgorica City Theater – “Ah, all that must be done by the poor child” and the NGO Training Center Taraba – “They wanted something completely different”. The pupils from the school Helen Doron Montenegro also performed the play “Tale of Two Tails”.

Psychotherapeutic counselor Darija Petovic Bambur talked with her parents about how to support a child's independent play, and Ana Ljuljdjurovic, the famous make-up illusionist in Montenegro, known to the public as “Cedoviste”, showed her skills.

This year the program segments in the park were organized according to thematic zones.

In the zone 'Hanging out in the Nature', the Scout Association of Montenegro organized a Scout Day, the company Zelenilo a workshop, kindergarten Bambino a sport class “In contact with the nature”, the Center for Bird Protection an educational workshop “Meet the Birds of Montenegro” and the Montenegrin Astronomical Society Podgorica an educational workshop “Astronomical observation”.

In the area Game and entertainment, the well-known animator for children Zarko Zabac played forgotten games with the children, NGO Brljok organized a workshop with table games, dance school Dream a workshop “Dance for everyone”, entertainers a party for entertainment, and the dance club Sonrisa presented their dance groups.

In the area 'Creative Educational Corner', the team from “Igrackoteka” and the Development Center of the Parents Association organized a program of workshops throughout the day, the Alfa Center a Traffic class “Safe step”, the NTC Centers of Montenegro a polygon program by NTC system, and the small programmers who participated in “Igramiranje” Education, organized by the association Parents, Zzi and Arhimed, presented their projects.

In the Artistic corner, visitors were welcomed with music and art workshops. Music school “Ton Ton” had music workshops in the morning and afternoon, Professor Masa Jovovic and students of the Faculty of Visual Arts held a large format Collage Art Workshop, and Ksenija Skerovic, an academic painter, with the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, organized an art workshop “How Do I Paint Myself?”.

In the Culinary Corner area, a culinary workshop was organized with Zarko Zabac, for which the food was donated by the companies Skorpion and Bonella Agro group, and the Picnic was organized with HiPP juices.

The team from the Association of Students - Support Program for the Education of the Socially Disadvantaged Children of the Association Parents also participated, and with the help of volunteers from the Gymnasium "Slobodan Skerovic", they sold lemonade, water, and coffee.

The equipment and supplies were donated by Andjelić plast, Kopa, Bonella Agro group and Suza water. The money from the sales will be used to provide books, accessories and toys for the Classroom “Druzionica” and the children participating in that program.

The Sports Zone was attended by the Table tennis club Spin, the Volleyball section of "Pavle Rovinski", Yoga studio Podgorica, Podgorica Women's Handball Club, Dadex Sports Center, Infinity Sports Studio, Karate Club Iskra, Judo Club Kodokan, Sports Recreational Club PG Sport, and Aikido Club Buducnost.

At the end of the festival program, there was a cinema in the open. All generations had the opportunity to enjoy the screening of the film” Hedgehog’s house” thanks to the Montenegrin Film Center and with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Center and the Production House Bonobo.

Participants of the Festival were also companies that offer family products and services on the domestic market as well as creative workshops dealing with the production of products for children and family. Therefore, presentations were held by the Kindergarten Bambino, Argeta, Helen Doron, Tosama, Party Time, Atelier Manufaktura, Sebamed, Leader Kids, Angie & Me, Pharmacy Angelica Osmi Red, BrainOBrain Mozgalica, Moje krpice, EXPO, Drni Design, Amicus Pharma, KidsLand, Glosarij, Srna , Meditas, Podravka, Imlek, Baby Atlas Kids Store, Suza Water, TAMU, Tegla'S, Mali Studio of Photography and Medikid.

In addition to their partners, the Organization of the Festival helped the Center for Contemporary Art of Montenegro, Metropolis, Zelenilo and Cistoca of the Capital City.

The Parenthood Festival celebrated the International Family Festival in Montenegro.

Text by MINA News, on May 19th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Mornar is the second finalist of this year's Erste Superleague, and their defense of the title starts on Tuesday in Podgorica against Buducnost Voli.

The team from Bar won the third match against Sutjeska 83:75 (24:23, 18:28, 26:11, 15:13), and were better than the team from Niksic for the third time in five matches this season.

As in the first match in Bar, Mornar broke Sutjeska in the second half, with Niksic up nine points (51:42), while in the first match it was a tie before the half.

Mornar made a turn in the third sequence, after which they were up 68:62, but Sutjeska was in the game until the last quarter (72:70). However, Mihail Pavicevic's players, who played the third match without injured Nemanja Vranjes and captain Marko Mijovic, with a series of 11:0 made the score 83:70, just over two minutes before the end.

Nikola Rebić scored 23 points, Marko Mugosa 21, and Uros Lukovic 20.

Nikola Pavlicevic scored 21 points for the defeated team, with 18 in the first half. Radosav Spasojevic scored 15 and Drasko Knezevic 12.

The final series between Buducnost and Mornar is the best of three. 

Text by Sasa Joncic, on May 19th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Locals from the villages along the Bukovica river gathered this morning at the site of the Hydra MNE, which started preparatory works on the construction of the mini hydroelectric power plant "Bukovica 1" and "Bukovica 2" on that river.

They told “Vijesti” that there were indications that Hydra MNE would continue the works this morning.

In a telephone conversation, they said they would do anything to stop the works and save the river. The contractor tried a few days ago to continue works by breaking the road through a private estate, despite the fact that the lawyer of the property owner asked the court to impose a temporary ban. The locals stepped in front of the workers and prevented them from working, and the owner of the property filed a lawsuit. On Saturday, several hundred citizens protested in Donja Bukovica, requesting that the river is not to be put into a pipeline.

Text by Jelena Jovanovic, on May 20th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

19 May 2019 - The European Commission has been preparing the 2019 progress reports and results of the elections to the European Parliament won’t affect the Progress Report for Montenegro, an EU official told Pobjeda daily.

“EU Commission has been drafting the 2019 progress reports. Their adoption will take place probably in late spring,” confirmed EU official during a recent interview.

The elections to the European Parliament will be held from 23 to 26 May. The EU Commission’s 2019 progress reports will be released on 29 May, but Pobjeda’s interlocutor didn’t want to confirm the date.

“In regards to whether the election results will affect the reports, the answer is "no", and on whether the reports have already been drafted, I can say that these are factual assessments”, the high-ranking EU official explained. He added that the Commission is currently working on an enlargement report for 2019. The report adoption will most likely be in late spring 2019.

The content of the Progress Report for MNE is unknown but Pobjeda’s interlocutor, who has been involved in the negotiation talks, said that there are several main areas of interest for Brussels. “And that is impartiality of the Agency for Anti-Corruption and elections for the RTCG Council. As for the Svetozar Marović case, Brussels will focus on Serbia in this matter, as it hasn’t extradited according to Montenegro’s demand.”

He believes that the European Commission will try to be positive, but the EU’s Council won’t be elected based on the proposals from the reports on the Western Balkan countries until the final results of the elections are known.

“The Council’s position towards the recommendations of the EC will depend on the election results, especially when it comes to Albania. Since, 2016, the EC has been proposing that Albania should start negotiations, but the situation now got even worse,” the interlocutor noted.

The Brussels official also highlighted that the balancing clause must be objectivised to the end, so if Montenegro does not open the remaining Chapter 8, or does not close some of the opened chapters, Serbia should have the same treatment as Montenegro in its accession process.

Source: Pobjeda