28 February 2019 -  At its latest session, the Government of Montenegro passed the Action Plan for the implementation of the Schengen Action Plan for 2019 and the Report on the implementation of the Schengen Action Plan for 2018.

The discussion expressed satisfaction with the high percentage of realisation of the measures envisaged for 2018 (90.48%). During the reporting period, the Draft Law Amending the Law on Border Control was passed, whose adoption will improve the normative framework and fulfil the obligations stipulated by the Schengen Action Plan. The new Law on Foreigners has been successfully implemented, which regulated the entry and exit in a quality way, as well as the movement and stay of foreigners in Montenegro in line with international standards and obligations set out in the Action Plan for Chapter 24.

The capacities for the arrival of asylum seekers and enhanced cooperation with international partners regarding their care; the activities and capabilities of the border police, as well as cross-border police cooperation and activities on the suppression of transnational organised crime, have been improved. The focus of the new Plan, among other things, will be focused on the implementation of measures for which funding from EU funds is foreseen, in the amount of 8 million EUR.

The session also approved the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for the period 2019-2024 and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for 2019.

The strategy represents the national policy of combating trafficking in human beings in the coming five-year period in the following: prevention, protection of victims, prosecution, partnership, coordination and international cooperation. Unlike previous documents, the new strategy contains an analysis of the current situation in the fight against trafficking in human beings, as well as a cross-section of the remaining challenges and recommendations for further action to achieve a higher degree of efficiency of the entire system of combating trafficking in human beings. The efficiency and functionality of the prevention, identification, protection, assistance and monitoring of victims of trafficking with a special focus on children will be improved, as well as the efficiency of investigations, prosecution and punishment following criminal legislation. The goals of the strategy were elaborated in the Action Plan for 2019, where specific activities, bearers, dynamics, necessary financial resources, as well as indicators of the results, were defined.

28 February 2019 - "Investing in the stability and prosperity of the region is actually an investment in the security and the future of the European Union, i.e. the whole of Europe. Close cooperation is a common interest, because only in this way can we provide citizens with economic and social development and security," Chief Negotiator Aleksandar Drljević said in Budapest on the topic of European Union integration. 

The Chief Negotiator for EU of Montenegro participated in the Third Western Balkans Conference "Integration through Business", organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

The region, Drljević said, does not want to remain on the margins of Europe, continuously proving that as a partner it can give a significant contribution to the stability and security of the continent through a joint struggle with the challenges of modern times, such as migrant pressures and security threats. 

Speaking at the panel "Connecting the EU and the Western Balkans - the Berlin Process and beyond", the Chief Negotiator pointed out that Montenegro continues to take steps to develop national transport and energy infrastructure and promote closer economic cooperation at the regional level, noting that well-developed and interconnected infrastructure is the driver of economic growth and opportunities for new jobs by attracting foreign investment. 

The conference was opened by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, who said that the EU's strategic interest was to integrate the Western Balkans, stressing that this is important because of economic and security aspects. In this regard, he expressed the expectation that the enlargement policy will remain high on the EU agenda after the elections for the European Parliament and the formation of a new European Commission. 

"Hungary is committed to speeding up the enlargement process. Our interest is stronger EU, and this is possible only through the integration of the Western Balkan countries," Minister Szijjártó said. 

He added that the integration of the Western Balkan countries can contribute to the EU's competitiveness and said that Hungary will continue to invest in the region, which is Hungary's significant trade partner. 

The conference was attended by decision-makers, experts and representatives of the business community, who exchanged views on the business environment and development concepts of the Western Balkans, as well as the ways in which the European Union, Germany and Hungary can contribute to the economic development of the Region. 

It was pointed out that economic development plays an important role in the EU accession process, and that, despite its achievements, faster and stronger development of the region is needed in order to improve living standards in the Western Balkans. In this context, the support of Hungary and Germany to the economic development of the region was expressed.

01 March 2019 - Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković met with the new Head of the International Monetary Fund Mission to Montenegro Srikant Seshadri. The Government of Montenegro has achieved success and made a major turn in strengthening the economy and stabilising public finances, it was noted at the meeting. 

"We achieved an excellent result, above expectations. However, numerous challenges lie ahead of us and we have to answer them first and foremost through strong and comprehensive structural reforms - in the field of public administration, health, education, pension system and social policy," PM Marković said.

Seshadri agreed that Montenegro needs structural reforms and improved management, and in that context, the meeting exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities in those processes.

The Prime Minister thanked the International Monetary Fund for the technical support it provides to the Montenegrin institutions and added that it was precious given the limited administrative capacity and insufficient knowledge of certain complex reforms that need to be implemented.

Seshadri promised continued support of the International Monetary Fund and assessed that Montenegro could have higher growth rates in view of its potentials.

01 March 2019 - FC Bayern Munich snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-89 road victory over Budućnost VOLI Podgorica on Friday to stay in the thick of the playoffs race.

Bayern Munich used a strong second half to remain in ninth place while raising its record to 12-12, the same as eighth-place KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Vladimir Lucic collected 18 points and 7 rebounds while Danilo Barthel added 16 points for the winners. Nemanja Dangubic had 13 points and Petteri Koponen chipped in 11 as Bayern moved its road record to 4-8. Edwin Jackson paced Budućnost with 19 points on 5 three-pointers while Norris Cole had 12 points and Filip Barovic and Nemanja Gordic both tallied 10 points in the loss, which saw the Montenegrin side fall to 6-18.

Cole started the scoring but Stefan Jovic, back on the court for the first time since Round 21, had two baskets in a 2-9 run for a 4-9 Bayern lead. Jackson knocked down a three-pointer at the other end but Barthel matched it and Maodo Lo's steal and layup had the guests up 12-20. James Bell and Koponen swapped triples as Bayern stayed ahead 17-25 after 10 minutes. Bayern used the three-pointer to keep in front, too, as Dangubic hit twice from long range and Barthel connected a second time for a 26-34 lead. Jackson answered with 2 three-pointers, the second which started an 11-0 Budućnost run over a stretch of 4 minutes with Barovic tallying 6 points and Bayern committing 4 turnovers as the hosts led 40-36.

Derrick Williams stopped the drought for Bayern, but Petar Popovic connected at the buzzer to put the hosts up 44-41 at the break. Barthel's three-point play evened things to start the second half, and Williams's free throws put Bayern back ahead 44-46. After three successive Budućnost offensive rebounds, Jackson's free throws knotted it at 48-48. But Lucic sparked a 3-13 run with 8 points as Bayern surged ahead by double digits for the first time, 51-61. Braydon Hobbs followed up with a three-pointer as the Bayern advantage grew to 54-66. Gordic countered right back with a three-ball of his own, and he added another basket to make it 59-66 after 30 minutes. After Koponen and Cole each hit from downtown to start the final quarter, Koponen added a floater in helping Bayern push the gap to 62-75. Jackson kept Budućnost's hopes alive with a three-point shot, and Goga Bitadze trimmed the difference to 67-75. But Koponen struck from the arc again in an 0-8 surge for a 67-83 Bayern cushion with under 3 minutes to play, assuring the victory would go back to Germany.

The Bayern Munich captain Danilo Barthel was outstanding all game with 16 points on 4-for-4 shooting from two-point range, 2-for-3 from the outside and 2-for-3 from the free throw line while also picking up 4 rebounds, 3 assists and just 1 turnover for a performance index rating of 22 in 31 minutes of action.

Bayern head coach Dejan Radojic had a successful return to his hometown, where he played for Budućnost from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1998 to 2002. He also made his head coaching debut with Budućnost in 2005 and he served as the team's head coach for eight seasons, during which he won six Montenegrin League and as many Montenegrin Cup titles.

Bayern Munich was out-rebounded 35-25 but made 45.8% from three-point range as well as 67.7% from two-point range while holding Budućnost to just 44.4% inside the three-point line.

Budućnost will get its next shot to snap its four-game losing streak when it hosts Olympiacos Piraeus on March 8. Bayern meanwhile heads back home and will host Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in a huge game in the battle for the playoffs on March 7.

01 March 2019 - You still haven’t decided where to head to for the winter holidays? Here’s our suggestion – come to Montenegro! As the name implies (Black Mountain), more than 80% of Montenegro is covered in mountains so we would say the best way to experience Montenegro is first to experience its mountains. Particularly in winters, Montenegro is in abundance with all kinds of winter activities from skiing, snowboarding, to ice-skating, snowmobiling and others.

Montenegro has two main ski resorts, Ski Resort Kolašin 1450 and Ski Resort Savin Kuk, located within the staggering mountains of Bjelasica and Durmitor. Besides them, there are also smaller ski centres like Ski Centre Vučje, Ski Centre Lokve, Ski Centre Hajla etc.

Ski Resort Kolašin 1450 offers a wide range of services including the ski-lift facilities, ski equipment rentals, ski depot for children and adults, night skiing, ski schools by professional ski instructors and much more at the 25km of slopes. The resort is located 8km from the city centre, at an altitude from 1450m up to 1973 meters, and easily accessible by car or bus.  The slopes are well-maintained, divided and marked. Besides for experienced skiers, this place is very popular amongst the beginners and intermediates, who want to improve their skills. With good snow quality and reasonable prices, we are sure you will enjoy this resort to the full.

Renting ski equipment for one day this season costs 10€ for adults, and for children 8€, while the price of a ski depot for the disposal of ski equipment is from 3€.

Close to the National Park Biogradska Gora, this ski area is considered a great tourist destination where after an exhausting day on the ski slopes, you can rest and savour the delicious home-made Montenegrin cuisine with a glass of mulled wine.

Kolašin 1600

Besides Kolašin 1450, this year, Ski Resort Kolašin 1600 has been opened, as “the new pearl of winter tourism in Montenegro”. The infrastructure of this ski centre will operate in total about 4.6 km of ski slopes, on which one six-seat ski lift is installed.

Savin kuk

Ski Resort Savin Kuk is located within the territory National Park Durmitor, 5km from Žabljak which is known as one of the favourite tourist destinations. At the altitude of 2,000 metres, this ski resort has two two-seater cable cars, three ski lifts, one of which is equipped with reflectors for night skiing, as well as a children's ski lift. There are a total of 5km ski slopes, with a capacity of 3 000 skiers. The resort is easily accessible by car and bus transport is often being organised from Podgorica.

Javorovača

In Žabljak, there is also another ski centre Javorovača, with two ski lifts, baby lift, night skiing, ski school and ski service, at the track length of 400 m.

Vučje

About 20 km from Nikšić in the direction towards Žabljak at an altitude of more than 1,300 metres, located on the slopes of the plateau of Krnovo, Ski Centre Vučje is placed. A recreational trail of 1200m, two smaller tracks of 120m and a snowboard park with jumps are at disposal for the visitors. The cable car has a capacity of 200 skiers per hour. Ski equipment renting prices are 10€ a day, which is the same price for a daily ski pass, while ski area for children and beginners, as well as rental of sledges, is 5€! The tourist-recreational complex Vučje, besides a ski centre, service for renting and repairing ski equipment, also includes a 3-star hotel with a restaurant.

Hajla

After being inactive for 13 years, Ski Centre Hajla has been reopened in 2017. Hajla is one of the most magnificent mountains in Montenegro. It is located at the very border of Montenegro and Kosovo, and with its highest peak of 2403 m, it is the highest mountain of the Montenegrin part of the Mountain wreath of Prokletije. Two ski schools are operating on the ski area, "Rožaje Ski School" and "Turjak Ski School" which are conducted by lead skiing instructors with international licenses. All accompanying equipment for safe skiing including safety fences, trail markers, mountain rescue services and equipment for urgent repair of possible injuries are installed, with a medical worker also on the track. Within the track named Turjak 2, snowboard club „Jump“is organising snowboarding school with a five-day training course.

Lokve

Ski Centre Lokve is located on the mountain Cmiljevica, at an altitude of 1350 to 1700 meters. Found close to the same-named hotel Lokve, which has not been working for the past couple of years due to privatisation, this ski centre is 15km away from Berane, and next to the main road to Rožaje. Thanks to its mesmerising nature and the fact that is close to the highway to Serbia, this ski centre has a great potential of becoming a real winter attraction in this northern part of Montenegro. Currently, the length of existing slopes is around five kilometres, and the centre has a two-seater chair lift and two ski lifts. The daily ski equipment price for adults is 10€, for children 7€ and the youngest 5€.

Source: My Guide Montenegro

28 February 2019 - The German Airline Lufthansa has confirmed that starting from April, the company will launch a seasonal flight from Tivat to Munich and Frankfurt in Germany as part of the expansion of the network in the Balkans Peninsula.

Lufthansa will enter the Montenegrin market next year by launching flights from Munich and Frankfurt to Tivat. Services from both German cities will be maintained once per week. The Munich-Tivat service will start April 13, while the Frankfurt-Tivat service will be launched three days later, April 16. The services will be maintained with the airline’s 136-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

The Director of Lufthansa Group in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia, Bernhard Wodl, stated that Lufthansa decided to launch connections between Tivat and both its hubs in Germany, as the Montenegrin market has a lot of potentials. From Montenegro, passengers will be able to use Lufthansa’s large global network of hundreds of destinations and thousands of connections.

During the negotiations with the German airline, Danilo Orlandić, Head of the Airports of Montenegro, gave a statement on the importance of the connection with the German market and the cooperation with Lufthansa. "Lufthansa, as one of the most important carriers in Europe and the world, should be our partner. The German market is extremely important for our tourism industry. Furthermore, German airports have excellent worldwide connectivity, so the launch of new routes to this market is vital for the public, "said Orlandić.

You can find more information about the new service and the schedules of the new flights at the TMN dedicated page.

Other Lufthansa Group-member airlines serving Montenegro include Austrian Airlines from Vienna to Podgorica, Brussels Airlines to Tivat, as well as Eurowings from Dusseldorf to Tivat. Other airlines which have already confirmed new flights to the Montenegrin market next year include Laudamotion from Stuttgart to Podgorica and Enter Air from Poznan to Tivat.

28 February 2019 - Ryanair has put tickets on sale for its upcoming new service between Barcelona and Podgorica!

Connections from Barcelona to the Balkans are becoming even more diverse as Ryanair launches a new route to Podgorica in June.

Montenegrin Airports have invested enormous effort to establish the direct airline Podgorica - Barcelona, bearing in mind the fact that the Pyrenees peninsula is one of the most significant markets in Europe.

As TMN reported earlier, Danilo Orlandić, the Montenegro Airports’ executive director, started negotiations for the establishment of the airline above at a meeting within European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018.

"As I said earlier, we took a proactive approach and established contact with companies within markets that we think are not open enough. One of the most important markets is the Pyrenees peninsula and having in mind all factors, we decided to do everything to establish the direct line Podgorica - Barcelona, "Orlandić told CdM.

The European Aviation Forum, Connect 2018 gathered more than 500 representatives of 65 airline companies and 250 airports who visited Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi to discuss aviation challenges. During the three days of the Forum, the delegates of air companies including Royal Dutch Airlines, Gulf Air, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Ukraine International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and many others have discussed existing and expected challenges in the field of air traffic, and have provided grounds for cooperation between airlines and airports for new flights.

Podgorica – Barcelona flights will launch on June 6 and run once per week, each Thursday, until October 6, after which the route will be maintained twice per week, on Thursdays and Sundays. It marks Ryanair's second new service to the Montenegrin capital this year, following Bologna. Further flight details can be found at the ExYu Aviation Website.

As CdM learns, the significance of this line is enormous, as Podgorica Airport will be the only airport in the region that will be connected to Barcelona throughout the year. Other airports have seasonal lines with the capital of Catalonia, so Podgorica will be the point of uniting this part of Europe with Barcelona outside the season.

This is the first direct airline linking Montenegro and Spain.

The basketball players of Buducnost Voli welcome Bayern Munich in the 24^th round of the European League on Friday at 7 pm.

"The Blue" play for pride and honor in the elite competition, for a win and the confidence before the final fight in the ABA league.

Goga Bitadze returns to the court after almost 20 days. The ankle injury, which he earned in a match with Partizan on February 10^th healed. 

"I feel good, everything is fine, I'm ready for the match," Bitadze said. Unlike Buducnost, Bayern is playing a game of great competitive significance. "Bayern is a very good defensive team, they play very well in the defense, they are very aggressive, and attackers are very dangerous," Bitadze said, who recorded the European League debut against Bayern in Munich with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Buducnost lost 93:88.

The Georgian super talent is convinced that Buducnost can win and end a series of three defeats.

"We can beat everyone, I'm sure. We have quality, we will go out on the court to show what we know, show the character and do everything to win," Bitadze said.

Text by Vijesti sport, on February 28th 2019, read more at Vijesti

Montenegrin Commercial Bank (CKB), the Montenegrin branch of OTP bank, has signed a contract for the purchase of 90.56 percent of the share capital of Société General Bank Montenegro for 40.46 million euros. "The agreed price for the purchase of 90.56 percent of the share capital of the Montenegrin subsidiary of the Société General Group amounts to EUR 40.46 million. The purchase price per share amounts to EUR 461.81," as stated by the OTP Bank.

With a market share of 11.5%, Société General Bank Montenegro is the fourth largest bank in the Montenegrin market and as a universal bank is equally active in the segment of citizens and enterprises.

"The realization of a financial transaction is expected in the coming months, depending on the required regulatory approval," the statement said.

Société General: Agreement subject to the approval of the competent banking, antimonopoly and market regulators

Société General Group signed a contract on the sale of shares of Montenegrin branch to the Montenegrin Commercial Bank (CKB), i.e. the OTP group, conditioned by the approval of the competent banking, antimonopoly and market regulators.

Société General Bank of Montenegro has announced that the closing of the transaction should take place in the coming months. "In the coming months, Société General Group and OTP Group will work together to provide the necessary approvals," the statement said.

Société General Bank Montenegro will continue to service the population and corporate clients with a high level of quality and commitment while preparing a smooth transition for clients while ensuring the stability of their relationship with the bank.

"Société General Bank Montenegro will be part of the cooperation agreement signed between Société General and OTP bank, which includes the provision of mutual services in different areas, including but not limited to investment banking, capital markets, cash and liquidity financing," as explained from the bank.

The bank concluded that Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, and Serbia would soon join the agreement on these services.

Text by MINA Business, on February 28th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The biggest Montenegrin club, the Women's Handball Club Buducnost, celebrated the Jubilee - 70 years of existence in the Montenegrin National Theater.

The history began on February 13^th, 1949, when Jug from Dubrovnik was defeated in Titograd with the result 5:2.

Seven decades were presented through a documentary by Blagota Marunovic and the Center for Multimedia Production (CEZAM), in which their stories about Buducnost were told by the former presidents Misko Kalezic, Rade Djurdjic, Budimir Stanisic and Predrag Boskovic, famous coach and sports director Nikola Petrovic, legends of this sport Maja Bulatovic and Bojana Popovic, current head of the expert staff Dragan Adzic and well-known senior fans - Zef-Bato Dedivanovic and Husein-Ceno Tuzovic.

A monograph was also presented, edited by Ana Markovic and Milos Pavicevic."The number of years of existence and trophies in club cabinets is almost identical - 65 cups in national, regional and European frames, give us the right to say that Buducnost is both a Montenegrin and European brand. Buducnost is the history of European handball, and I am sure it will have a bright future," said Radmila Petrovic, the president of Buducnost, who presented the thank-you notes to the Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, to EHF's leader Michael Viderer and to Boskovic, his predecessor at the head of the board.

At the end of the ceremony, the six legends of this sport received the newest club's most prestigious awards. The stars of Buducnost became Svetlana Antic, Ljiljana Vucevic, Olga Sekulic, Maja Bulatovic, Bojana Popovic and Milena Raicevic, who achieved the greatest successes in the history of Montenegrin handball.

Text by Nikola Nikolic, on February 28th 2019, read more at Vijesti