08 May 2019 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović met in Budva with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajčák.

Minister Darmanović assessed relations between Montenegro and Slovakia as excellent, largely contributing to meaningful and open cooperation in all areas. He particularly pointed to the possibilities for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of tourism, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and sustainable technologies. He thanked for the strong support of the Slovak Republic to Montenegro's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, primarily through expert and technical assistance to the reform processes. 

Minister Lajčák expressed his gratitude for the honest partnership with Montenegro and stressed that the progress of Montenegro in all fields is obvious, as recognised by European partners. The Slovakian Foreign Minister stressed that Montenegro is a constructive player in the region and a reliable partner of the OSCE. He added that the cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and the OSCE mission is excellent and that the implementation of activities positively influences the further development of Montenegrin institutions. 

In the context of cooperation with the OSCE, Minister Darmanović reiterated full support to the priorities of the Slovak Presidency, and noted the excellent cooperation between Montenegro and the OSCE Mission, which resulted in the implementation of numerous activities, especially in terms of strengthening the rule of law, improving media legislation and electoral reforms, as well as in the field of fight against terrorism and cybercrime. 

The two officials agreed that the role of the OSCE in the region is constructive and multifaceted and that it significantly contributes to progress in the rule of law and the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms. Furthermore, they emphasised that all actors in the region, through close and open cooperation, should contribute to building a more stable and prosperous Western Balkans.

08 May 2019 - On May 8, representatives of the local government of Budva visited the area of the promenade owned by the Municipality of Budva to assess the progress made in regards to the construction works in this area which is currently on-going. The construction works are related to removing all temporary objects from the promenade, which would improve the appearance of the city altogether. The representatives of the local government are still looking for the perfect solution in regards to the facilities located on the promenade, and the locals are worried that the construction works will not be completed before the start of the tourist season.

According to the report by the News Agency RTV Budva, a large number of tourists who spent the Easter holidays in Budva encountered an awful image while strolling through the main promenade. The tourists and the locals had to avoid numerous holes, dirt as well as irregularly placed plates along the walking area.

In order to find the solution of this problem, the representatives of the local government of the Municipality of Budva, Vice President Vladimir Bulatović, Secretary of the Secretariat for Utility and Housing Srđan Gregović and Vukašin Mijatović from the Secretariat for Investments, met on the spot to discuss the future steps. The summer tourist season is just around the corner, so it is extremely important that the promenade is brought into aesthetically acceptable condition as soon as possible.

As RTV Budva learned from the authorities, the first step in regards to the solution of this problem is the reconstruction of 300 square meters of the promenade. In addition, numerous other steps will be undertaken in regards to the aesthetics of the promenade. Administrative disputes with leaseholders of temporary buildings that did not act in line with the Decision about the removal of facilities in the Budva promenade zone are being processed and the resolution of these disputes is one of the most important steps when it comes to finding a permanent solution for the promenade issue.

08 May 2019 - The EU needs to integrate the Western Balkans quickly to safeguard its future as well as protect the buffer region from Russian and Chinese influence, Montenegro's president Milo Đukanović said on Wednesday.

Pro-European Union Đukanović is his country's longest-serving politician. He led it into NATO in 2017 and is steering its EU membership bid in the face of fierce Russian opposition.

Moscow, through politics, and Beijing, via loans, aims to "prevent NATO and EU expansion in the Balkans," Đukanović told Reuters in an interview.

That meant the region needed to be "the zone of the European Union's responsibility and its strategic interest".

"Unless the EU realises that, I am afraid its future might be in jeopardy," he said, speaking a day before verdicts are due in the trial of alleged participants in a 2016 coup plot against him.

Out of six Western Balkans' EU aspirants, the tiny Adriatic state and neighbouring Serbia are next in line to join, though neither is likely to become an EU state in the foreseeable future.

They have been told they must root out organised crime, corruption and nepotism and reduce red tape first, and the political elite in both countries is deeply divided between pro-EU and pro-Russia camps.

Both governments have this year faced a wave of protests over alleged corruption, cronyism and abuse of office.

Meanwhile, the EU is cutting funding to the Western Balkan countries along with the World Bank and other western lenders, leaving China to fill the gap.

"Third parties, such as Russia and China, are making gains due to a lack of a concrete EU activity in the region," he said, citing enlargement fatigue and internal political tensions as factors in the latter's shift towards a more hands-off approach

A Chinese loan for the first phase of a new highway link with Serbia has sent Montenegro's debt soaring and forced its government to raise taxes and partially freeze public sector wages to get its finances in order.

"Why don't the European financial institutions offer the same conditions," said Đukanović, defending the deal.

He said that reforms he was trying to pursue - including structural ones to maintain strong economic growth - had led to protests, but said foreign powers had also played their part.

The 2016 election day assassination plot that Đukanović survived was designed to bring a pro-Russian party to power.

"Divided societies are the remnants of the wars of the 1990s. The politics of nationalism has been defeated but not buried, and some of these people are trying to revive it and cannot accept the fact that our place is in the EU," he said.

Source: Reuters (Reporting by Maja Zuvela; editing by John Stonestreet)

08 May 2019 - Air Serbia is the only airline that has fulfilled the conditions of the international tender for the establishment of 12 lines of public importance from Niš, among which is the line Niš - Tivat.

Although it was logical for Montenegro Airlines to apply for a subsidized line, this did not happen.

According to the report by the Flynaissus portal, some experts have predicted that some low-cost airlines will withdraw from the Montenegrin market due to the threat of healthy competition that these subsidies will bring.

On the international tender announced by the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure of Serbia, for the selection of airlines for 12 lines of public interest, the offer was submitted only by Air Serbia, it was announced from that ministry.

The ministry also stated that there were no objections to the tender conditions, and the signing of the contract with representatives of Air Serbia will be organized in the following days.

As stated in the announcement, the tender was conducted with the respect of all European regulations. Interest was shown by several companies, but until the end of the procedure, only one correct bid arrived.

Routes of public interest, to be organized by the "Konstantin Veliki" Airport in Niš, were determined on the basis of the analyses and interests shown by the southern Serbian districts. The Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, by introducing airlines of public interest, want to help the development of the undeveloped areas of Serbia, and, under favourable conditions, provide the citizens with the most efficient mode of transport to the most developed areas of the EU, explains the report by this ministry.

The routes were selected according to the study of the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects of Serbia and should operate from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2023.

The national carrier of Serbia will receive 15 million euros from the state budget in order to introduce flights to Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Rome, Hanover, Ljubljana, Salzburg, Bologna, Budapest, Gothenburg, Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe, and Tivat.

08 May 2019 - The EBRD held its 2019 Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Sarajevo on 7-8 May, throwing a spotlight on the economic opportunities in the Western Balkans, where the EBRD is a major investor.

About 2,000 delegates attended the conference, which focused on the business outlook for Western Balkan economies and on how growth in the region can be strengthened. The leaders of the six Western Balkan nations – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – attended the conference, taking part in a high-level panel discussion that underscored the importance of regional cooperation.

Regional cooperation and integration played a key role at the Annual Meeting and Business Forum, where the theme this year was Connecting Economies for Stronger Growth. Particularly in the Western Balkans, the EBRD has placed a very high priority on promoting connectivity via its investments, to promote both physical infrastructure links as well as ties between markets that strengthen trade and improve the business climate as the countries continue on their path towards EU approximation.

The EBRD is a leading investor in the Western Balkans, providing a record level of finance of €1.1 billion in 2018, and supporting their economies’ goal of membership of the European Union.

The EBRD expects continued steady economic growth in the six Western Balkan countries in 2019, despite a cooling international economic environment which may see the pace of growth slowing in some countries in the region.

Presenting its latest economic forecasts at the EBRD’s Annual Meeting in Sarajevo, the Bank reports that Montenegro and Serbia were the fastest growing economies in the region in 2018, with both countries enjoying strong investment flows.

Commenting on the regional outlook, EBRD Lead Economist Peter Tabak said further reform efforts and stronger investment activity are needed to deliver growth required for sustainable convergence with European Union income levels. “Stronger regional integration, including through the abolition of remaining tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade would open up new growth opportunities for domestic companies and foreign investors,” he added.

In Montenegro, growth surprised on the upside. In 2018, the economy expanded by close to five per cent, on the back of highway construction, real estate projects at the coast, an exceptionally strong tourism season and a further rise in private consumption.

As concluded at the Annual Meeting, the completion of large investment projects and continuing fiscal consolidation will lead to a significant slowdown in growth to 2.8 per cent in 2019 and 2.6 per cent in 2020.

The Annual Business Forum provided a platform for high-level discussion on themes ranging from boosting small business to the effects of migration on labour markets, the opportunities and pitfalls of tourism and ways to connect local and regional economies to the wider global economy.

Source: EBRD

May 8, 2019 - At the tenth civil protest ODUPRISE, the organizers condemned Luko Kaznic (Onion Punishment), with a doll representing the state's special prosecutor, Milivoje Katnic, for life-long ban from public life, and burned it in front of the building of the Presidency. Organizers joined a large number of free citizens to "sow together the seeds of freedom, and once again said that there is a lot of injustice and that continuous resistance is a prerequisite for common sense!".

Thanks to his efforts on Buducnost, Goga Bitadze won the “Rising Star Trophy" of the European League.

The young, 19-year-old Georgian has shown outstanding potential in only 13 games, with an average of 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per match, with an average score of 16.3.

Because of a small number of games played, he could not compete for the MVP season title.

The great names of European and world basketball have won the "Rising Star Trophy".

For the past two years, it was Luka Doncic, earlier Rudi Fernandes, Danilo Gallinari, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic, and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

At the end of the ABA League, Bitadze left Buducnost and returned to “Mega Bemax”.

The draft and a high place in the NBA lottery are awaiting him in June.

Text by Vijesti Sport, on May 7th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanovic met with Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, the daughter of the last king of Italy Umberto II.

During the meeting in Cetinje, Bogdanovic welcomed the guest in Montenegro, emphasizing the importance of her new visit in the context of the traditionally meaningful cooperation between our country and Italy.

This co-operation, as he pointed out, is particularly fruitful in the field of culture, where two countries are working together on a series of projects.

Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy said that she thinks of Montenegro as a particularly close state, also because she is the granddaughter of the Queen Jelena. For this reason, she added, she is particularly pleased that Montenegro and Italy have excellent relationships today and that the culture is one of the fields thanks to which the two states' connections are particularly strengthened.

Bogdanovic and Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy spoke more in detail about the possibilities of her and the contribution of the Leader’s Club, cultural-related processes in Montenegro. In this regard, Bogdanovic has briefed on the key programs and projects of the Ministry of Culture, especially focusing on the creative industries, which - among other things - imply a wide range of international cooperation and exchanging young creators.

Also discussed at the meeting was the possibility of organizing an exhibition dedicated to the Montenegrin princess, and the Italian Queen Jelena, from her post-marital life, to be dominated by objects and documents from the legacy of the Savoy family.

Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy in Montenegro resides with her associates from the Leader’s Club, which consists of powerful people in the sphere of public, social and political life of Switzerland, Italy, and France.

Text by CdM, on May 4th, 2019, read more at CdM

A ceremony of handing over two P-5.8 boats with accompanying equipment, which the United States has donated to the Montenegrin Navy within the Humanitarian Mine Action program, was held in Bar today, announced the Ministry of Defense. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense Predrag Boskovic and US Ambassador to Montenegro, Judy Rising Reinke. Boskovic stressed that it was a confirmation of the great friendship between Montenegro and the United States and said that the donated boats would improve the Montenegrin Navy's capacities and influence its better positioning within the overall defense system.

"Boskovic stressed that the United States is a major strategic ally in our country in strengthening defense capabilities, emphasizing their role and support during the reform process of our defense system. He added that the Defense Ministry would continue to strongly advocate for the modernization of the Army of Montenegro in order to strengthen the ability to respond to existing security challenges adequately," the statement said.

Reinke added that the United States was proud of the friendship and alliance with Montenegro and stressed that the United States would continue to support Montenegro as "a credible ally within the Alliance, with a special focus on strengthening the defense sector".

Reinke pointed out that the donation was a gesture of attention and friendship between the United States and Montenegro, bearing in mind the contribution of our country to the Alliance, as well as the needs of the Navy, as an important segment in providing security, it was stated.

The donation was realized through the US Humanitarian Mine Action Program, with the aim of training and building the capacity of the Marine Division of the Army of Montenegro, which is dealing with the removal of explosive devices (Underwater Explosive Remnants - EOD), as well as support to the Department for hydrography and oceanography of the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro.

Text by Vijesti online, on May 7th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

07 May 2019 - The Government of Montenegro, through the Capital Budget, allocated around 700.000 EUR for the construction of a primary electricity infrastructure for the needs of supplying the Đalovića cave complex in the municipality of Bijelo Polje. The contract was signed by the Public Works Administration and the Danilovgrad-based company "Eurozoks".

The deadline for the completion of works is five months from the date of the contractor's introduction into the work.

The route consists of about 6,100 meters of 35 kV air-line and about 360 meters of underground cable.

The planned transmission line connects the electricity infrastructure of the existing electricity substation 35/10 Nedakusi and planned electricity substation 35/10 Bistrica. In addition to providing infrastructure for the future complex of the Podvrh Monastery, the cable car and the Đalovića cave, this investment will also contribute to a significantly more reliable and better quality of electricity supply for households in this area.

In this way, the investment in valorizing the tourist capacities of the Đalovića cave will directly affect the quality of life of the citizens of that part of the municipality of Bijelo Polje.

The Đalovića cave was included in the local programme of the Bijelo Polje municipality in 2019, which includes spatial planning in Bijelo Polje and which is estimated at 22.030.181 EUR, mostly for the continuation of works on the valorization of the mountain Bjelasica (4.120.000 EUR) and Đalovića cave (3.450.000 EUR), as well as the construction of a waste treatment plant, (1.169.834 EUR).

For this occasion, the funds were provided from the capital budget of the Municipality (2.893.000 EUR), the operational budget (882.000 EUR), loans with the European Investment Bank (40.800 EUR), the Directorate of Public Works (9.473.000 EUR), the Directorate for Transport (7.523.147 EUR), EIB loan (569.834 EUR) and donations for construction of the plant (600.000 EUR).