27 February 2019 - The Luštica Bay project was named the Best European Property Development at the grand ceremony of the Luxury Network International Awards in Dubai.
On Saturday, February 23rd, Caesars Palace on Bluewaters Island, Dubai, opened its doors to over 400 guests of the 2019 Luxury Network International Awards Gala. As reported by the USA News 24/7, on a red carpet flanked by three pristine Rolls Royce vehicles, attendees were greeted by H.E. Mr. Fares Ghattas, Global Ceo of The Luxury Network, and Mrs. Amal Shouman Solaiman, president of Cael. The occasion brought together over 50 luxury brands from over 15 countries representing Europe, CIS, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the United States, and the Gala was attended by representatives from luxury brands, humanitarian organizations, diplomatic missions, and international branches of The Luxury Network.
Luxury Network, the world’s leading luxury affinity marketing group with 12 years of experience in the international market, presented to innovators in several categories of the luxury sector, as well as humanitarian personalities and successful business leaders. On this occasion, the “Best European Property Development” award was granted to the Luštica Bay project.
Marketing manager of Luštica Development, Slavica Milić, said that this award is extremely important for the whole Luštica Development team, as it honours the company as one of the most respected businesses worldwide. "The prestigious award was granted to us at the moment when we participate in a joint presentation of the project with the company Investor Media in Dubai and the famous nautical fair, the Dubai Boat Show, which is held until March 2. This is a very significant recognition for us at the moment when interest in Luštica Bay, as an open year-round destination, is experiencing an expansion," Milić explained in a recent statement.
"The Luštica Development Company is developing the Luštica Bay project as a residential tourist destination with two marinas, seven hotels, a variety of real estate offerings, a professional golf course, a town centre and other amenities essential to the life of the city, at about seven million square meters in Tivat area of Luštica peninsula," Milić added.
In 2018, Luštica Development opened a marina with 176 berths, the first luxurious hotel - Chedi, and a marina settlement with about 220 residences.
For a full list of all the winners at the prestigious awards, here is a report by the Arabian Gazette.
“The Europeans who make a difference is the name of a new campaign by which the European Union represents valuable, talented and accomplished individuals from the Western Balkan countries to its citizens. The European from Montenegro who makes a difference is Milos Karadaglic, currently one of the most successful guitarists in the world. When you honestly love what you do, then the sky is the limit," the story of Karadaglic's success begins.
He fell in love with the sound of the guitar as an eight-year-old, when, as he said, he had dilemmas of whether to give up because music demanded too much from him.
He chose, however, to continue, and then firmly decided to become the best musician. He played his first musical notes in Montenegro, and today his albums take the first place in the world top charts music classics.
"I love my country very much, and I always say with pride that I am from Montenegro, where I spent the first sixteen years of my life, surrounded by family and friends. Growing up in Montenegro was very important for me, here I set the foundations for what I am today", says Karadaglic. Although he traveled the world by playing the guitar, Montenegro remained the most beautiful country in the world for him. He explains to his European friends that it is rare to experience in such a small space as much beauty and diversity as in Montenegro.
"I believe that membership in the European Union would be a dream come true, because people in Montenegro, all my friends and family - we already feel that we belong to this community. It is very important for us to be part of the European family," added Milos, and with a smile says: "I will be very happy when Montenegro becomes a member of the European Union."
Europeans who make a difference are also the football player Edin Džeko from Bosnia and Herzegovina, actress Hristina Popovic from Serbia, cook Altin Prenga from Albania, designer Krenara Rugova from Kosovo and Macedonian director Milco Mancevski.
Text by Vijesti online, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti
In the elementary school "Mrkojevici" in Pecurice, a traditional school masquerade was held that once again confirmed the imagination and creativity of young Mrkojevici. According to the director of the school, Osman Grgurevic, a jury made of pupils, teachers, and parents, had a difficult task of choosing the most original and most imaginative costumes.
In the category of individual costumes, the first place was won by the mask "Noah's Boat" Ajdin Čantić, the second one called the "Balloon" Ema Perazic, and the third "Olive" Mina Lukač. In the category of group masks, the jury decided that the first place belongs to the "Egyptians”, made by the pupils and the class of the primary school.
Special awards were given to the costumes "Grapes" Anesa Huric, "Paradise bird" Dzena Osmanovic, "Makarona" Uma Durakovic and "Dwarf" Ajdin Cantic. For the most successful masks, the school provided prize rewards, and students who did not participate in the masquerade had a day of board games.
The event was carried out in a competitive, but above all in a cheerful and friendly atmosphere, with the goal of drawing children's attention to the fact that there are games without telephones and computers, and to develop their creativity," Grgurevic concluded.
Text by Radomir Petric, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti
The Mayor of Herceg Novi Stevan Katic welcomed the extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Northern Macedonia to Montenegro Mihajlo Trpkoski, as announced by the local administration.
The Macedonian Embassy will support the connection between the cities of the two countries, said the Ambassador Trpkoski. The participants of the meeting agreed that Herceg Novi and Bitolj, which had been fraternizing since 1965, should recover their co-operation because the opportunities are great.
Ambassador Trpkoski stressed the importance of exchanging experiences on the local level, mutual tourism promotion and initiation of joint projects, which will contribute to the achievement of fulfilling the standards on the path of accession to the European Union.
The Mayor of the Municipality, Stevan Katic, said that he would be pleased to take the necessary steps in order to renew the cooperation between Novi and Bitolj and that in that part the support of the Embassy is of great importance. He also mentioned that Herceg Novi is connected with Strumica, a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities.
The president and associates proposed several connectivity options, and as central areas highlighted tourism, culture and education, as well as partnership in project design and applications within the pre-accession funds of the European Union.
Katic met the Ambassador with the current situation in Herceg Novi, the problems caused by bad privatization aspirations, as well as, as he said, the growing centralization by the state authorities.
Text by Slavica Kosic, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti
February 27, 2019 - Continuing our look at the real estate for sale in Montenegro through the eye-watering RE/MAX catalogue, a spacious house with commanding views of the sea and mountains above Tivat.
Wild Beauty. The official slogan of the Montenegro Tourist Office. The land where the mountains come down to the sea. A country where you can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon.
And while many properties have that all-important sea view, not so many combine Montenegro's wild beauty with a combination of spectacular mountain and sea view.
Add to that a spacious garden on a 2,000m2+ land plot, commanding views of Tivat just 3km below, and it is not hard to see why this brand new listing in Cesljar, Tivat is this week's RE/MAX Property of the Week:
Your dream of a green and peaceful residential haven turned into reality.
Tucked in amidst the beautiful garden on a plot of 2025 m2, surrounded by scenery of the sea and the mountain, this sublime jewel is built as an architectural and design masterpiece carved out to complement the inspiring presence of beautiful nature.
This multilevel, contemporary house comprising three floors and three apartments, provides captivating comfort to those seeking the refinements of the modern designs complemented with sophisticated, featured amenities.
On an advantageous location, engulfed amidst the nurturing environment of lush greenery, with beautiful swimming pool, and barbeque area, it is ideal for family and offers the unique opportunity for social gatherings and pleasant, relaxing hours in the garden.
This elegant home comes with unique features to meet expectations on even most sophisticated wish list: elegant, contemporary, spacious and bright interiors with 263 m2 of internal area, 3 kitchens, dining room, living room, open plan dining area, 6 bedrooms, 3 hallways, washing facilities, and 3 spacious bathrooms with a jacuzzi. Generously sized windows of this cozy, elegant home bring in a lot of natural light.
In addition, the house comes with 3 balconies, front terrace, spacious backyard, and courtyard.
Important features, amenities, and facilities involved:
• Great location
• Sea view
• Mountain view
• The great urbanized garden plot, ideal for construction of another villa
• Spacious yard
• Spacious access to the house
• Garage for two cars on street level with the motorized door, water, and electricity
• Garden Shed
• Water supply- the main one and additional: reservoir
This house which can be either purchased or rented unveils a new dimension of sophisticated living at the Montenegrin coast while ideally fitting to nurturing social relations, enriching family lifestyle and distinct taste of quality living.
Price 795,000 euro. For more information, photos and to book a viewing, check out the original listing.
February 27, 2019 - The delegation of the German shipping company Al Group, made up of executive director Ulrich Paulsdorf, seamanship manager Rita Vella-Menzel, fleet manager Tonći Zdunjić and operator of seafarer hiring Kolja Funk, is staying in a two-day working visit to Montenegro.
February 27, 2019 - While the Hollywood actress Kirsten Svanholm, known as Kitty Swan and born in Copenhagen, Denmark, was making the movie "Tarzan and the Brown Prince" on 31 October 1970, in which she played the role of Tarzan's beautiful companion Jane, she hadn't even dreamt that there was a magical country, hidden in the heart of Europe with an even more magical name – Montenegro, writes Milija Pajkovic in the blog within the project "All Wonders of Montenegro", telling us the amazing story connecting the Hollywood star and the small town of Berane at the nothern part of our country.
It is highly likely that, back then, Kitty didn't even know where this lovely country, full of clear streams, rivulets, rivers and lakes, resting next to the sea and curled up under mountain massifs, in the form of a cuddly cat, was located. On the last day of October, the beautiful Danish lady couldn't even have imagined that there was a small picturesque local community in the fairytale-like Montenegro, with a magical name as well – Berane! If someone had told her by chance that she would somehow end up in Montenegro and Berane, she would have definitely just shaken her cute head as if to say "no" and continued stroking her long dark hair!
However, it is well known that sometimes things that a person could never dream of, or even conceive of, happen to them! It is certain that those things which are directed by destiny and some special force could not be directed even by the best director in the world! It was exactly on that 31 October in 1970, while shooting in Rainbow Springs in Florida that the unskilled pyrotechnicians caused a fire on set which quickly spread out of control and Tarzan and Jane, or Steve Hawkes and Kitty Swan, were unexpectedly caught in the midst of that fire. It took a great deal of effort to get them out of the centre of the fire – Kitty had burns over a quarter of her facial and bodily skin, although Steve got off more lightly. Kitty was transferred to the best American clinic for treating burns, in Gainesville, also in Florida. However, the experts could not help her and they suggested that she should not do anything for a year and after that the worst-case solution could be implemented – plastic surgery. But, Jane would not be Jane, queen of the jungle and Tarzan's love, if she hadn't learned something important, even from a regular fairytale film, and the lesson she learned was that life was a constant struggle and that life, in fact, was just a regular jungle and that those who want to persevere in this jungle-life must never be despondent! Even though she was severely injured and although she barely made it out alive, she decided to declare war on the burns, scars and colloids! She decided to bring back at least the smallest fraction of her previous beauty and to dream the most beautiful dream – to become a mother.
The fact that she could barely walk, had difficulties moving her hands and arms, and constantly had dark thoughts, was something that she never wanted to accept as obstacles on the path towards achieving her goals. It was precisely during that time, when we still all had the same TV channel in our then united country, that the weekly magazine "Radio and TV Review" ("Radio i TV Revija") was issued! Apart from the announcement of the upcoming shows, there were stories about male and female singers, actors and actresses published in this magazine, and sometimes they even published translated news from foreign magazines which had similar topics. It was in this way that some parts of the report from an Italian magazine were published shortly after Kitty's accident, and this report provided a vivid portrayal of the beautiful Kirsten's accident. "Radio and TV Review" was widely read in Montenegro, including in Berane, a dreamy little local community, lulled to sleep under the peaks of Komovi, Bjelasica and Cmiljevica, bordering a plain next to the silvery River Lim. Among the members of the regular readers club of "Radio and TV Review" was a married couple from Berane, Jovan and Dragica Šaljić, who lived in the most recently constructed Berane suburb, located below Bogavsko Hill, known as Novo Naselje (New Settlement). The magazine could have published the article and Jovan and Dragica could have read it in their back garden, under their apple tree, with the sound of their bees, and none of this would have had any relevance to Kirsten Svanholm's most important battle in life had the Šaljić couple not been engaged in making health products from herbs – something they were not doing just for fun.
Therefore, as soon as they found out what this article was about, they were rather shaken up by the actress's cruel destiny. Jovan quickly wrote to the editorial team of the "Review" and the letter he wrote was as short as possible: "I can heal Kitty Swan, Jovan Šaljić, herbalist, Novo Naselje, Berane!" Jovan was already famous in herbalist circles, mostly for healing people after they had been burned, and this was because he and his family had kept the secrets of their ancestors, lived in harmony with nature, respected it and took from it only that which was offered in abundance. And, of course, if there hadn't been anyone in this team of editors who actually believed Jovan, the letter would have probably ended up in the wastepaper basket. But when destiny takes care of things, events uncoil in the exact way they were destined to – not long passed and Kitty Swan, Jane in the film, landed at the airport in Berane, which was located just above Šaljić's house, on a long plain in the valley!
She was wrapped up in blankets, had a pained grimace on her face and she seemed frightened by the sudden leap into an unreal world, which was both strange and beautiful at the same time. She had been bewildered and in disbelief when she first heard about the strange herbalist from this unconceivable country called Montenegro, from a place called Berane, being able to help her, and this situation made her look like a trapped lioness from one of her films. However, faster than expected, Kitty started to feel and look better! Šaljić's ointments started producing results and this was exactly what modern medicine hadn't been able to do, to regenerate a youthful look and restore the old glow of the skin, to get rid of the colloids and unbearable itchiness, and to return elasticity to the entire body. Along with the visible physical recovery, Kitty started feeling her true self mentally as well. Surrounded by the kind attention of the Šaljić family, and with the fact that they accepted her as a family member and with good and healthy home-made food, Kitty Swan was becoming stronger by the day! When the glow in her beautiful eyes started to came back, she took a walk around Berane, along the famous promenade, all the way to Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery, surrounded by the unending attention from the entire population of Berane, and, of course, overwhelmed by the curiosity of the local population because it was not a daily occurrence for them to have a heroine from the silver screen in town, and especially not one whose film were always eagerly watched – Jane!
Additionally, Kitty loved sitting under the big apple tree in the back garden and enjoying the greenery and peace; apart from that, she played hide and seek with the children from the nearby houses, thus becoming their favorite friend. A performance in her honor was organized in the Cultural Centre in Berane, and Roko Dragović translated from Danish for the audience – he was a young man, also from Novo Naselje, who occasionally travelled to Denmark. Swan performed a few songs, which delighted the audience. Steve Hawkes, her on-screen husband – Tarzan – showed that he was not only a great actor, but a great person as well! It was no trouble for him to travel all the way to Berane and provide his unreserved support towards her in this struggle. He was also a guest of the Šaljić family. Steve Hawks, or as the locals from Berane called him "Tarzo", was, in fact, Stjepan Šipek from Samobor, a small settlement near Zagreb! Šipek never found out who his real parents were, and when he was abandoned, he was taken in by a lady from Samobor who lived on her own. The well-meaning lady truly had a good soul and bonded with the child, as she also had no family – her name was Sofija Čakalić. Interestingly enough, she was not related to him in any way.
Even though she was alone and poor, she brought Stjepan up as if he were her own son, as his mother, grandmother and whatever else she had to be. He quickly grew into a strong lad, who became famous for his exquisite strength, physique and healthy appetite throughout the area of Samobor, and even in the surrounding parts. Sofija had a great wish for Stjepan to become a locksmith. Whether poor Sofija–Soka understood and had in mind the profitability and historical importance of that trade remains unknown; none of the very few chroniclers from Samobor record this, or else were not allowed to record it. However, Grandma Sofija's wish never came true, as her Stjepan, her Stjepko, her baby, travelled to Canada in 1959. His trip to this distant country changed his life completely, and this all started in 1964 when he won a swimming marathon at the famous Lake Ontario. He swam a distance of 17 kilometers in eight hours and 55 minutes. After four years, he arrived in Miami Beach; this was exactly the time when films audiences were looking for a new Tarzan, and Šipe was among 300 men who applied for the role.
He won the audition easily. Since he showed that he was prepared to grapple with all the challenges of film making, and especially this type of film, he was given the leading role in the movie "Tarzan, King of the Jungle" during this same year, in the summer. This is how the doors of the film industry opened for Stjepan Šipek from Samobor, and he soon became Steve Hawkes. During his stay in Berane, he became a favorite among the children, as well as the older population, because he exercised in Šaljić's garden, climbing the apple and pear trees, as if he were in a real jungle. Apart from him, Šaljić's home was of course visited by Kitty Swan's fiancé, Roberto, an Italian, and numerous other actors and musicians. The aforementioned shows mostly originated during those evenings when they enjoyed together good food and drinks. During a stay in Belgrade, Kitty Swan recorded the famous old Montenegrin song "Ima Dana", together with the famous folk singer, Toma Zdravković, and the same record, which was published by the label "Jugoton" contains the song "Pjesma o Kiti Svon" (A song about Kitty Swan) performed by Zdravković:
I was listening to this song just yesterday and crying
Kitty Swan For me, you are a beautiful flower in my heart For me,
you are a sad song, Kitty Swan. Your shaky voice means the life to me
And I don't know you, Kitty Swan But I sing about you because you
are in this heart of mine For me, you are a sad song, Kitty Swan.
One day your pain will end A dawn will bring a smile to you
Now sing and smile, each flower looks like you It will stay forever in my heart.
In September 1971, Kirsten Svanholm – Kitty Swan – left Berane almost completely cured, and apart from the many nice and dear recollections and memories, she took ointments with her in her bags. The following year, in September, Jovan Šaljić and Kitty met in Podgorica because she couldn't travel to Berane by car and she couldn't fly there because planes no longer flew into Berane. There was a happy occasion to be celebrated – she was pregnant! Their encounter was touching, full of tears of joy and immense gratitude shown by the beautiful Dane, Kirsten, who had been victorious in her biggest struggle in life, thanks to the help of Mr Jovan Šaljić, the man who cured Kitty Swan. Kitty Swan's stay in Berane was published in almost all the newspapers in the old country of Yugoslavia, but people from Berane and Montenegro did not succeed in making anything bigger out of it and in realising that their future lies in agriculture, combined with the production of healthy food, the exporting of drinking water and tourism, rather than in heavy industry! But there is more to this!
As usually happens in our country, there were individuals who claimed that this ointment was nothing new and that even they could have cured the famous actress! It is true that the valley of Berane and its villages, as well as the surrounding area, represent a true repository of therapeutic teas and potions, and that many people have retained their family's secret recipes and make exquisite ointments. However, it is equally true that no one prevented them from sending a letter and trying to heal Kitty Swan, just as Jovan Šaljić did, together with his wife Dragica, who was originally from the old trading and commercial Antović family from Plav. The area of Berane could have become a film location, even for the types of films dedicated to the adventures of Tarzan and Jane, since there were many areas of virgin forest in Berane at the time, especially in the forests of Šekularac, Bjelasica, Cmiljevac, Kom and Bihor. These areas were abundant in streams with swirling vortices and waterfalls, lianas and large butterburs. Additionally, finding stuntmen among the local population, representing the different tribes in the jungle, would have been easy.
They tended to tan quickly, especially during the first days of spring while herding sheep in the mountain meadows, and during the summer, while they mowed the "Tipac" grass. Unfortunately, such a project would be inconceivable today, since the thick forests are ruined, stripped down and dispersed. This is mostly due to activities undertaken by the households close to the forest areas, but also due to raw material collected for the use of the cellulose and paper factory, and later on due to activities undertaken by various groups of private businessmen and illegal tree fellers. Sadly, Tarzan and Jane would no longer have a place to hide in these forests. Additionally, even the stuntmen are no longer around; most or all of them have left the villages and moved to the centre of the country, or all around the globe. They are now pale, that they could only act in westerns. However, they couldn't even make it there because there are too many cowboy films nowadays"!
Source: www.svacudacrnegore.com (Sva Cuda Crne Gore- All Wonders of Montenegro)
Written by Milija Pajkovic
“All Wonders of Montenegro” project has been initiated by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism with the aim of renewing interest in tourist locations in the country, and completing their digitalization.
February 27, 2019 - Organizers of Civic Protests "97000-Odupri se" (Resist!) have said they will not negotiate with Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. They say they expect only irrevocable resignation from him.
After the session of the Council for monitoring the electoral program of Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Djukanovic said that if the protest organizers are interested, he would accept "any healthy dialogue initiative".
"Calls to buy time do not interest us. The president of the citizens cannot negotiate, but only listen to them, and we have already sent our messages. We look only at the invitation by Milo Djukanovic announcing an irrevocable resignation, which is one of our basic requirements. Such a move is only acceptable to citizens, good for society and institutions, and relaxing for him," the protest organization committee said, answering the question whether they would seek a meeting with Djukanovic.
Several thousand demonstrators organized a protest march in Podgorica for the third time last Saturday, demanding the resignation of the president of the state Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic, RTCG Council and General Director of Public Service Bozidar Sundic, and the release of state institutions from party pressure.
Djukanovic said earlier that he would not resign, and questioned how he perceived the protests in which his retreat was being sought, assessed that they were a legitimate expression of citizens.
"It is important that they do not be violent on these occasions, because then they risk being in conflict with the state. The elections in this country should work in accordance with democratic rules, and everything else that citizens propose, which leads to the improvement of the quality of life, we will consider responsibly, "said Djukanovic after the session of the Council for the Election of Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).
Text by Samir Kajosevic, Vijesti
26 February 2019 - In order to get a full picture in regards to the lifestyle in a certain country, it is of great importance to learn about the cost of living there – the costs of food, transportation, utilities, real estate etc. Numbeo Website, one of the most famous crowd-sourced global databases of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, and many other statistics, has recently updated the data on cost of living in Montenegro. If you are planning to visit Montenegro, or to move to this gorgeous gem of the Balkans, here are some of the prices you need to be aware of.
When compared to the United States, the cost of living in Montenegro is generally 43.88% lower. Taking rent into consideration, the cost of renting an apartment in Montenegro is 74.39% lower than in United States.
When it comes to restaurants, for a basic meal in an inexpensive restaurant you will need at least 5.25 EUR, while for a three course meal in a mid-range restaurant for 2 people, you have to set aside about 25 EUR. For one liter of domestic or imported beer, you will need about 2 EUR and if you prefer a soda, it will cost about 1.56 EUR for 0.33 liter bottle.
If you’re a fan of buying healthy food at the market, in Montenegro, for 1 liter of milk you will have to pay about 0.78 EUR, white bread loaf will require 0.56 EUR, while 12 eggs will cost about 1.40 EUR. When it comes to meat, for 1 kg of chicken breasts you need to pay 4.92 EUR, while 1 kg of beef round or an equivalent back leg red meat will cost about 6.79 EUR. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, 1 kg of apples is 0.88 EUR, 1 kg of bananas is 1.08 EUR, 1 kg of potatoes is 0.47 EUR and 1 kg of onions is about 0.62 EUR.
For those who enjoy smoking cigarettes, 20 pack Marlboro costs about 2.70 EUR.
If you don’t have your own car, a one way ticket in a local transport costs 0.90 EUR, while the monthly pass is 26.50 EUR. Taxi start is 1.00 EUR, while 1 km drive in a taxi costs 0.50 EUR. If you do have your own car, 1 liter of gasoline costs 1.30 EUR.
Basic utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, garbage) for 85m2 apartment cost 96.63 EUR per month, and one minute of prepaid mobile tariff local costs 0.13 EUR. If you just can’t function without internet, 60 Mbps or More with unlimited data, cable/ADSL will require at least 24.94 EUR.
When it comes to childcare, monthly preschool or kindergarten for one child costs about 125 EUR.
One pair of jeans in Montenegro (Levis 501 or similar) cost 58.50 EUR, 1 summer dress in a chain store requires about 33.56 EUR, 1 pair of Nike running shoes cost about 69.69 EUR, and if you want to purchase male leather business shoes you will need to set aside at least 82.78 EUR.
In terms of rent, 1-bedroom apartment at the city centre is 288.86 EUR/month, while outside the city centre, the rent cost will amount to 215 EUR. A 3-bedroom apartment (city centre) requires roughly about 492.74 EUR.
If you’re looking to buy an apartment in Montenegro, price per square meter to buy apartment in city centre is 1486.85 EUR, while price per square meter to buy apartment outside of centre is 1048.61 EUR.
These data are based on 2127 entries in the past 18 months from 158 different contributors and they are based on all entries from all cities in the country.
26 February 2019 - According to the latest rankings of the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) List, out of 35 countries - Montenegro is ranked 23rd and has progressed in relation to the previous year for two positions, which is shown in the data from the Health Consumer Powerhouse Organisation.
The EHCI, started in 2005, is the leading comparison for assessing the performance of national healthcare systems in 35 countries. The EHCI analyses national healthcare on 46 indicators, looking into areas such as Patient Rights and Information, Access to Care, Treatment Outcomes, Range and Reach of Services, Prevention and use of Pharmaceuticals.
On the occasion of progress in ranking, Montenegrin Health Minister Kenan Hrapović said that, after the success of 2017, when Montenegro achieved the biggest leap from all European countries and when the country’s ranking went up from the 34th position to the 25th, the health system leaders had a very serious task - to maintain the achieved result and, to the extent possible, make further progress. "We already have reason to consider ourselves to be serious competition with rich, modern health systems that have a long tradition of nurturing excellence in providing health services. We started preparing for this year's ranking after the publishing of last year's results. We did not boast too much, but we realized that success can only be true if it is neither a case study nor a product of fortunate events. We carefully analysed each of the 48 indicators realistically evaluating the possibilities and potentials of the Montenegrin health system and directing the focus of the activities towards the areas in which we achieved results, in the desire to make them visible, "Hrapović said.
This year’s recommendations by the Montenegrin Ministry of Health for progress in ranking is to pursue low infant mortality, the availability of modern malignant disease treatment, and the decision to introduce HPV vaccine for women in order to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.
Director General of the Directorate for Quality Control of Health Care and Human Resource Development in Health Vesna Miranović, PhD, said that the current management structure in the Ministry of Health is decisive in the implementation of key strategic documents, and that all activities that they have implemented and which are in progress derive from these documents.
The director of the Health Insurance Fund, Sead Čirgić, highlighted that patients, especially those with severe illnesses, were provided with modern therapy in Montenegro, and that, in terms of drugs, increased availability and better market availability were ensured.
Four years ago, Montenegro was at the bottom of the EHCI list based on many indicators, which include the availability of health care for patients, outcomes of treatment, the extent and scope of services, and the prevention and use of pharmaceutical products.
The Montenegrin health system is better ranked than 12 European countries. Regarding the countries of the region, Serbia is in the 18th position, Croatia is 24th, and Northern Macedonia is 25th.
The first on the list of ECHI this year is Switzerland, which took the Netherlands’ place, and the last country in the rankings is Albania.
February 26, 2019 - The upcoming weekend of the 50th Mimosa Festival will be rich in events, dedicated to flowers and music. From Friday to Sunday we are expecting five programs, within which eight manifestations will be held.