According to the decision rendered by the Government Secretariat for Development Projects, Alex Capital Partners, Arton Group and Henley and Partners Government Services companies have been chosen for mediation agents in applying for economic citizenship of Montenegro.

“The Secretariat received 21 applications, and after the deadline expired, there was another one”, reads the decision.

The decision on the criteria for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship entered into force on 1st January this year. Up to 2.000 passports of Montenegro will be issued by this decision.

Text by CDM on March 15, 2019, read more at CDM

Navy of the Armed Forces of Montenegro has significantly enriched its capacities with the conversion of a gunboat into a patrol boat, said the Minister of Defense, Predrag Bošković.

The Minister visited the Navy, together with the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Force of Montenegro, Brigadier general, Dragutin Dakić.

The motive for this visit was the presentation of the capacities of the new patrol boat.

Minister Bošković said that this was just the first boat to be reconstructed for the Navy. Very soon, gunboat 406 will also be converted. The works will be completed in April.

Captain of the frigate, Jusuf Januz, informed the guests from the Ministry and the General Staff about the performances of the new patrol boat.

“The boat is 45 meters long, 12 meters high and 8 meters wide. The special attention during the reconstruction was given to the security. Therefore, motors have been completely changed; the boat is new, lifts are new, the navigation equipment as well”.

Minister Bošković said that they had enhanced the capacities of the Navy and the Armed Forces of Montenegro. The boat will take part in the big military training Adrion Arex whose host this year will be Montenegro.

Text by CDM on March 15, 2019, read more at CDM

15 March 2019 - According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mulutin Simović, Montenegrin wine growing and winemaking sector is making significant progress and will have even stronger government support in the coming years. As Simović assessed, Montenegrin dedicated wine growers and wine makers, as well as growing support provided by the Government of Montenegro, is responsible for the evidenced development of this sector, for which the country does have natural predispositions.

The support of the Government for the winemaking sector is crucial, as the agricultural budget funding is increasing by the year. The European pre-accession funds also support this sector.

During the visit of the IX International Wine Salon MonteVino 2019 held in Podgorica, Simović said that one of the indicators of the development of the sector is the fact that in 2019, Montenegro noted 227 wine growers and 108 wineries in the wine growing register. "We remind you that in 2007 when we embarked on a strong development project for Montenegro for this important sector, we had only four wineries in the register," Simović added.

He pointed out that it is essential that Montenegro has numerous old wineries with a long tradition, which can still keep track of modern trends and produce high-quality wine. Simović said that the optimistic predictions for the winemaking sector development are created based on the country’s valuable winegrowers and winemakers, who are following the latest technologies and standards, preserving the importance of Montenegrin winegrowing sector. Montenegro takes great pride in its unique and recognizable winemaking tradition that is passed through many generations.

During his visit to this prestigious wine event, Deputy Prime Minister Simović greeted all the exhibitors, including 22 wineries from Montenegro that took part in the manifestation/

The Minister also expressed encouragement with the fact that the number of domestic exhibitors at the MonteVino event grows year after year and the belief that the number of Montenegrin quality winemakers that take part in the manifestation will increase in the coming years.

He evaluated that the presence of wineries from other countries, especially the region, sends a message from Montenegro about the country’s openness, readiness and consistency in respect of signed free trade agreements. At the same time, the Montenegrin minister expects that local wines get the same welcoming reception when they perform on regional markets.

14 March 2019 - “Shop local and seasonal at our pop up food market, meet the producers and learn about organic agriculture around Luštica peninsula," says the invitation by Luštica Bay representatives for their weekend event Hello Spring!

A two-day local food market named  Hello Spring will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24 from 10 am to 6 pm, at the promenade in the marina settlement Luštica Bay, in Krtoli near Tivat.

The organisers of the food and home-made local products bazaar, the company Luštica Development and the Secretariat for Tourism and Entrepreneurship of the Municipality of Tivat, provided participation for 20 agricultural producers, as well as members of the entrepreneurial section of Elementary School "Drago Milić" and High School "Mladost" from Tivat, Institute for healthy (organic) food - Agrovita, and the producers of Agro Cluster Nikšić.

Numerous producers of cheese, brandy, pickled vegetables, sugar-dipped fruit, honey, soap and herbs from the Bay of Kotor and the surrounding area will be exhibiting their products at the fair. These individual exhibitors include Olga Ovčar, Vidak Tomašević, Julka Radmanović, Predrag Klakor, Mile Dačević, Rašo Miljančić and others. The bazaar offers will also add fruits, vegetables, various types of wine, juice and oil, brought to the fair by Bosiljka Vuksanović, Ethno village "Đedovina", Đorđije Bulajić, Vebija Abazović, Vesna Pavić Mamula, Gvozden Kankaraš and Jelena Pejanović.

Andrej Zasidko will display vegetable bouquets and other handicrafts. Olive products will be presented by the Moric family, as one of the entrepreneurial visionaries on the Luštica peninsula and one of the first individuals from the peninsula to put into operation his long family heritage.

This weekend event that promotes domestic production will also offer a special program for the youngest visitors that includes drawing, painting and competition games, a show of local gastronomic delicacies and education by the producers.

All exhibitors and visitors of the bazaar will have the opportunity to learn more about agricultural tourism, agricultural clusters and Montenegrin food brands by attending the seminars of agricultural production experts - Ilija Moric, Đorđe Bulajić and Svetozar Radonjić.

14 March 2019 - Kirolbet Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz recorded its third consecutive win and got closer to clinching a playoffs spot by winning against Budućnost VOLI Podgorica 82-62 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday.

Baskonia improved to 14-12 in the standings and ranks 6th overall, while Budućnost dropped to 6-20 and is 15th. Patricio Garino led the winners with 16 points. Marcelinho Huertas added 13, Shavon Shields had 12 while Vincent Poirier pulled down 13 rebounds for Baskonia. Norris Cole had 17 points to lead Budućnost and Earl Clark added 13. Baskonia led 23-15 after 10 minutes and kept a 39-34 edge at half-time. Garino took over late in the third quarter and early in the fourth period, as Baskonia boosted its margin to 71-49 and never looked back.

Clark and Cole gave Budućnost a 0-4 lead. Johannes Voigtmann and Shields stepped up for Baskonia, but Goga Bitadze and Cole kept Budućnost in charge. Poirier hit a jump hook, and Luca Vildoza made a triple before Cole scored twice in penetration. Huertas found Voigtmann for a wild alley-oop and Darrun Hilliard added a layup for a 23-15 Baskonia margin after 10 minutes. Shields took over with an alley-oop dunk and free throws by Jalen Jones capped a 14-0 Baskonia run, good for a 27-15 score early in the second quarter. Coty Clarke and Nemanja Gordić tried to change things for the guests, but Huertas and Hilliard restored a double-digit Baskonia lead. A three-pointer by Cole and baskets from Clarke and Bitadze made it a three-point game, but Shields and Garino stepped up to boost Baskonia's margin, which Nemanja Gordić cut to 39-34 with a coast-to-coast layup right before the half-time buzzer. Garino, James Bell and Clark all struck from downtown soon after the break, before Garino hit another and a jumper by Vildoza boosted his team's lead to 50-42. Hilliard, Shields and Jones each hit one from beyond the arc, Huertas added a mid-range jumper and a tip-in by Poirier broke the game open, 64-47, after a 14-3 run. A driving layup by Clark fixed the score at 64-49 after 30 minutes. Garino sank another triple early in the fourth quarter and a layup by Poirier sealed the outcome, 71-49, with 9 minutes left. Nothing changed after that, and Baskonia fans had plenty of time to celebrate a big home win.

Both teams return to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague action early next week. Budućnost visits Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday, and a day later Baskonia plays against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in the Greek capital for a pivotal showdown in the race for the playoffs.

Source: EuroLeague

March 15, 2019 - It is the largest tourism investment in the history of Montenegro. A progress report on the 1 billion euro Lustica Bay development. 

It is a little over a year since I made my first visit to the Lustica Bay project. More than a billion euro to be invested in a 7 million m2 site that would ultimately have 7 luxury hotels, two marinas, an entire new village, and 18-hole golf course. Coming from Croatia, where almost nothing gets built, certainly not on time, I must admit that I was blown away by the scale of the project, but even more so by the fact that it was actually happening. When I got home, I wrote Lessons from Montenegro: Why Lustica Bay will Never Happen in Croatia.

But as incredible as progress was (there were 530 construction workers on site during my first visit in February, 2018), I laughed internally when the Lustica Bay team told me that their flagship luxury hotel, The Chedi, would open five months later. Most of it and the surrounding residences hat not even been built. 

And not only did The Chedi open in July on schedule, but it opened in some style. If there was a better party on the Adriatic last summer, I didn't hear about it. Check out the video above for the Grand Opening. 

And it didn't take long for the international luxury tourism market to notice. As reported last month, Lustica Bay won a prestigious award at the Luxury International Network Awards in Dubai - the Best Property Development in Europe. 

As with its predecessor Porto Montenegro, Lustica Bay is slowly raising the profile of Montenegro on the global luxury tourism map.  

And there has been a VERY international interest in the upscale development. I contacted the Lustica for some information on how things were going, and it was impressive to hear that property buyers in Lustica Bay come from no less than 40 countries. As of time of writing, some 167 million euro has been invested.

The latest online video about progress was uploaded in December, 2018 - you can see it above. Progress is being made in many other areas, as the Lustica team explained to me by email. 

Lustica Bay and The Chedi teams are very busy working already full steam in preparation of the ongoing season with so many things already going on in the village. The March calendar is the first one released and we will soon launch a calendar for the entire with many exciting news and events. March calendar here: Download calendar.

We are actively promoting development both home and overseas – after completion of 3 events in Dubai, where we were awarded by the luxury network as the best European development, we have already completed events in Moscow and Serbia (presentation in Russia and sponsorship of Kopaonik Business Forum in Serbia). Our next plans will continue in Poland, Azerbaijan, Monaco, Kazakhstan, UK and Russia once again, with China coming up in May and June. We are also intending to bring large groups of media to visit the development and promote the country – 10 people from China, same numbers from UK, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia and UAE. We have recently successfully completed a visit with a large group of media and partners from Ukraine.

The construction continues in the marina village with more Kamelija and Magnolija homes nearing completion, remaining townhouses and villas ongoing works. We have started a phase 1 construction in Centrale, envisioned to be our town center.

The shopping and dining area is lively and more vibrant as the spring is coming and the restaurants, bars and trees lined promenade attract visitors from all over the world. 

After successful completion of the first phase, Lustica Bay Marina is currently able to accommodate 50 boats up to 45m.The next phase of the marina construction is expected to begin soon and it will significantly increase the number of berths for the forthcoming season.

After completion of the final phase, Lustica Bay Marina is planned to accommodate 176 boats. Considering the fact that marina has been officially opened since mid-August this year, approx. 70% of the marina is already occupied.

Apart from the private boats, a portion of the marina clients are boats available for charter so all the residents of Lustica Bay complex and visitors alike will be able to rent a boat and enjoy the beauty of Montenegrin coast. For those sea lovers who prefer an active vacation, there is a renowned sailing school in the Lustica Bay Marina authorized to offer various IYT Worldwide courses to all interested persons.

We are working intensively on the opening of the fuel station and border crossing which is intended to be operational by the season.

Dry boat storage and service center is another project on which it is actively working and which should be available by the following winter season as an alternative to marina clients for winter months. 

Work is also continuing on our 18-hole golf course. The driving range will be operational this summer.

Phenomenal progress, and 2019 is sure to be an exciting one yet again for Lustica Bay. You can follow the latest on the official website.

14 March 2019 - The 9th edition of the best and biggest wine event in Montenegro, which is positioned in the top list of the most important wine manifestations in the region - MonteVino, will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16 at the Hilton Hotel in Podgorica.

MonteVino is organized by the National Association of Sommeliers of Montenegro and the Wine Academy of Montenegro under the auspices of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Capital City and the Tourist Organisation of Podgorica.

Visitors of this year's MonteVino will experience the most comprehensive and high quality assortment of products and services from the wine world. Professionalism and internationality are the main features that distinguish it from competing events of this type, which allows MonteVino to experience a constant increase in the number of visitors and the quality of exhibitors. For its 9 years of existence, MonteVino has been ranked among the leading regional fairs and is the central place for contracting and ordering in the wine business.

Visitors to the lounge will have the opportunity to choose to taste some of the 600 wines from 125 different wineries (of which 22 are Montenegrin) from 16 countries. Forty-eight new wines will be premiered at the MonteVino 2019, which makes it a must-visit manifestation for all wine lovers. Traditionally, a team of experts will be evaluating Montenegrin wines based on "blind tasting." They will rank the wines by quality, based on taste only, without knowing in which order they get to taste the wines.

MonteVino 2019 guests will be able to enjoy the company of the best sommeliers from the region and winemakers who will personally be present at the salon and will give valuable advice on the rules of consumption and other interesting wine-related subjects.

The media attention this event has provoked crosses the borders of the region and has already been accredited by a serious number of media outlets.

MonteVino is a manifestation that gathers exclusively selected producers of premium wines and distillates from Montenegro and the world. This year, just the introductory workshops from March 12th until the beginning of the salon attracted hedonists and premium product lovers to book tickets for this unique event in order to enjoy the ambience of salon tasting and socializing.

"Our goal was to make a traditional manifestation, a recognizable wine salon open only for exceptional drinks of top quality. We are on a great way to put Montenegro on the map of must-visit destinations of true wine lovers, as well as professionals from a wine business,” explained the representative of the Association of Sommeliers of Montenegro.

The manifestation will also be attended by numerous distinguished personas from the economic, public and cultural life of Montenegro, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps.

For all additional information about the event, you can communicate organizers of the event via e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

14 March 2019 - On March 13, The U.S. Department of State submitted the annual Report on Human Rights Practices in Montenegro for 2018 – the Human Rights Report that covers internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements.

According to the Report, there were no reports that the Government of Montenegro or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, but there were reports of beatings, with some based on LGBTI identity, in prisons and detention centres across the country. The government prosecuted some police officers and correctional officers accused of overstepping their authority, but there were delays in the court proceedings.

In 2018, there were no significant reports regarding prison or detention centre conditions that raised human rights concerns. The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, but some NGOs, international organizations, and legal experts asserted that political pressure and corruption influenced prosecutors and judges.

The Human Rights Report states that there were no reports of political prisoners or detainees, that the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary in civil matters, and in 2018, citizens had access to courts to bring lawsuits seeking damages for violations of constitutionally recognized human rights.

According to The U.S. Department of State, Montenegrin constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for the press, and the government generally respected these rights. Still, attacks directed at journalists continued to be a severe problem in 2018. Independent and pro-opposition media complained about unfair treatment and economic pressure from government ministries and agencies. Some media outlets continued to demonstrate a willingness to criticize the government. However, a lack of training and unprofessional journalistic behaviour, combined with low salaries and political pressure, contributed at times to biased coverage.

When it comes to Internet Freedom, the Report states that the Montenegrin Government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no official reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.

There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. In 2018, the Government mostly respected the freedom of peaceful assembly, but on several occasions, the Ministry of Interior denied permits to workers and LGBTI groups wishing to assemble to express their grievances.

In regards to the Protection of Refugees, in 2018, the Government allowed individuals to apply for asylum within a few days of entering the country. However, those caught illegally crossing the border who did not apply for asylum were placed into a detention centre for criminal processing and deported. As stated within the Report, of 2,346 asylum applications, 2,079 interviews were scheduled, and 44 were held. Observers noted that attention and readiness to address the increased mixed flow of migrants remained focused on border control aspects, as evidenced by the sharp rise in the number of migrants pushed back from the Montenegrin border during the year.

In terms of Elections and Political Participation, Montenegro held presidential elections on April 15. In its final report on June 28, the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission noted that, although the candidate nominated by the governing party held an institutional advantage, fundamental freedoms were respected. Candidates campaigned freely and the media provided the contestants with a platform to present their views.

When it comes to Section 4 of the Report, Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Montenegrin law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but in 2018, the Government did not implement the law effectively, and corruption remained a problem. Some government officials often engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. The public viewed corruption as endemic in the government and elsewhere in the public sector at both local and national levels. This was particularly the case in the areas of health, higher education, the judiciary, customs, political parties, police, urban planning, the construction industry, and employment.

The Report also determined that the actual sentences for the acts of discrimination, societal abuses, and trafficking in persons were generally lenient. The country aligned its legislation with the Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, but domestic violence remained a persistent and common problem, especially within the Romani communities.

In 2018, data shows that the Government generally enforced the law that provides for the rights of workers, including members of the armed forces, to form and join independent trade unions, bargain collectively, and conduct legal strikes.

14 March 2019 - At the latest session of the Government of Montenegro, the Montenegrin Cabinet passed the Regulation on the criteria and procedure for determining the annual number of temporary residence and work permits for foreigners in 2019 and the Decision Amending the Decision on establishing the yearly number of temporary residence and work permits for foreigners in 2019.

The criteria and procedure for determining the annual number of temporary residence and work permits for foreigners are determined by the Regulation on the basis of relation between supply and demand in the labour market; opportunities to satisfy demand in the labour market, employment of the Montenegrin citizens; employment of foreigners in Montenegro in the previous period; the utilisation of the annual quota in the last year; and employers' needs for employment in the year for which the quota is determined.

The regulation stipulates that a number of temporary residence and work permits for foreigners are allocated from the annual quota, which the competent ministry can additionally assign for individual purposes, in accordance with the needs of the labour market, and at the request of the Employment Bureau. The regulation provides for the quota of 15,454 foreign nationals who can temporarily stay and be temporarily hired in Montenegro in 2019.

The discussion concluded that a large number of illegally hired workers have been spotted on large construction sites, that the State is losing significant revenues, and that this issue will take center stage in the work of the Commission for the fight against the grey economy, as well as inspection services and law enforcement agencies in the coming period.

The Government also approved the Report on the implementation of tax policy in 2018, which states, among other things, that state revenues in 2018 increased by 8.9% compared to 2017, and that the total revenues increased by 8,2 compared to the previous year. The discussion pointed out that last year revenues increased by 187 million EUR, while the annual installment for the construction of the Motorway amounted to 186 million EUR, which means that the increased tax revenue paid one installment.

It was concluded that revenues are being generated satisfactorily and that continuous growth has been recorded, and that fiscal and macroeconomic stability, as undoubtedly the greatest success of the 41st Cabinet of Montenegro, gives the opportunity for further growth and creation of new value. It was pointed out that in the coming period, growth should be maintained, at the same time handling the expenditure side of the budget more responsibly.

14 March 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković recently hosted Ambassador of the Kingdom Sweden to Montenegro Jan Lundin. The meeting noted that Montenegro is making progress on its path towards the European Union and achieving significant results, especially noteworthy are the results in the field of the rule of law, i.e., in the fight against organised crime and corruption. 

Prime Minister Marković said that the first phase of the negotiations was brought to an end and expressed the belief that Montenegro will receive final benchmarks for chapters 23 and 24 by the end of the year, which will give additional impetus to the process and the dynamics of closing negotiating chapters. 

"Although they need to be further strengthened, Montenegrin institutions are working, sustainable and independent, and they deliver results. We have results in the fight against corruption, a high-level corruption, and a big blow is delivered to organised crime," the Prime Minister emphasised. 

Ambassador Lundin noted the results achieved in this field and welcomed the opening of Chapter 27, stressing that Sweden will continue to support Montenegro in its European integration process. 

Prime Minister Marković informed the Ambassador about economic policy results over the past two years, which reflect economic growth of over 4.5 percent, reduce administrative unemployment by more than 6 percent, raise the number of employees by more than 11,000 and reduce the deficit, noting the activities which will lead to the budget surplus in 2020. 

Furthermore, the two officials discussed the situation in the region. PM Marković pointed out that Montenegro advocates a policy of peace and stability, and peacefully resolves problems through dialogue. 

"Montenegro is a civil state and this concept is our highest value," the Prime Minister highlighted.