February 25, 2019 - Orahovac is a place in Kotor Bay, which stretches from the village of Ljuta to Perast. The name of the site is first mentioned in the 15th century. Like most settlements along the Bokelian coast, and Orahovac exists as Gornji (upper) and Donji (lower) - the first was formed the settlement in the hinterland, and later the urban area along the coast. Today, it is just the coastal part of Orahovac - the center of the settlement and the village Drazin Vrt, what we read in the area, while most of the upper settlement is left behind preserving only the outlines of the former cultural landscape. Our host in Orahovac is Professor Dr. Ilija Lalosevic, an architect.

"At the time of Old Zeta, Orahovac was the principal and included Donji Orahovac, Drazin Vrt and Glogovac, if we are talking about the seafront. Orahovac once belonged to the Perast municipality, and we know that Glogovac was part of it, by notary records from the Venetian period. As far as Gornji Orahovac is concerned, we have a whole range of hamlets - the Velje Selo, the largest, then the Kljavici, Jezevici, Ubalac and Velinici. What we see today along the shore is therefore only a small part of the settlement territory, which inland goes all the way to Krivosije, and in one part even borders with the Municipality of Niksic and the Municipality of Cetinje - the villages of Grahovo, Zalazi and Cuce. Of course, the older settlement is Gornji Orahovac. Along the coast, as well as in other parts of the Boka Bay, such as the Stoliv or Prcanj, at first were just objects related to sea activities, while the majority of the villages were in the background," explains Professor Lalosevic.

Copyright: www.dan.co.me

From 1482 to 1684 Orahovac was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. It was freed along with Risan and other places under Turkish rule, up to Kumbor. "At that time, the inhabitants began to be more involved in maritime and commerce, which meant the spread of settlements along the coast. Although Orahovac in the past was primarily perceived as a settlement of farmers and fishers, it was significant in the maritime sector and especially in the trade. Because of the connection to the hinterland, this place was the door of Montenegro to the sea - the area of Cuce gravitated to Orahovac. Therefore, after liberation from the Turks in the 17th century, beside Kotor and Risan, the one in Orahovac was the third market in Kotor Bay. For this purpose, the whole network of paths has been made, as evidenced by the documents available in the Historical Archive in Kotor," explains architect Ilija Lalosevic.

Orahovac is today one of the few places along the coast of the Boka Bay where you can still feel the authentic culture of life. The reason for this, above all, lies in the fact that the cultural landscape along the coast is still quite well preserved of the pressures of excessive and inadequate urbanization. "In comparison with other places in Boka, we can say that Orahovac is well preserved, especially part along the coast with old, stone houses. After the earthquake in 1979, some buildings were built that are not very close to the ambience, but the town mostly preserved the character and urban matrix, characterized by smaller buildings and a lot of greenery. The relationship with the coast, the sea, the Mandraci has been preserved, we have kept the beaches. We have a tourist resort that we did not want, against which the locals even managed to compete at the session of Kotor Municipality in the 1990s, but it was subsequently built. It is the Synthesis Complex, which, as we would say, is seen from the plane. We have several dense urban angulations that are not in the character of the matrix, but it is still negligible when we look at what has happened in the area of Dobrota, Kostanjica or Prčanj."

Gornji Orahovac is almost completely abandoned today. "According to some data, Orahovac had almost 1,000 inhabitants in its "golden age", in the middle of the 19th century. The village was very populated; each household had about ten members, especially in the largest hamlet of Velje Selo, which had thirty houses. Gornji Orahovac became abandoned after the Second World War when emigration took place. Today there are no permanent residents, and part of the houses is preserved only in Ubalac settlement, to which, thanks to the efforts of the locals who are still returning to the hinterland, especially the teacher Mr. Abramovich, a road was made. This route comes from the hinterland of Risan, from the locality of Kalacka Voda. To other villages of Gornji Orahovac, there are no roads, and they are abandoned completely thirty years ago," says Professor Ilija Lalosevic.

Today, Gornji Orahovac is known primarily as a popular destination for alternative tourism, hiking, and mountain-climbing, which brings us to the sad fact that this part of Boka Bay has met more tourists than residents. "There are plenty of domestic and foreign guests, as well as my colleagues, who visit Gornji Orahovac, primarily within walking and hiking trails. I was there last time in 2005 when we prepared the exhibition "Orahovac - a village on our conscience" realized by Jadran Art from Perast and the former Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. Except for the needs of this exhibition, some ethnologists from the University of Belgrade were also involved in the research. While we were engaged in the Regional Institute, colleague Aleksandra Kapetanovic and I started work on collecting materials - shooting old houses, after which the rural architecture of Gornji Orahovac was not deeper studied," Lalosevic explained.

In anticipation of some better times for the legacy in the hinterland, and Orahovac, as well as other places along the coast, today mostly lives from tourism. However, the site has managed to preserve a part of earlier economic activities. "We in Orahovac still have fishers who are engaged in fishing in the old, traditional way. Agriculture, because of the terrain configuration, has never been specially developed but we're cattle breeding. Unfortunately, this activity is dead. As far as tourism is concerned, Orahovac is not a place that characterizes masses. The capacity is primarily directed towards family tourism, which is why Orahovac attracts guests seeking peace and rest and the true meaning of that word. Along the coast, we have several wonderful beach bars, which are embedded in the ambience and are characterized by a lot of greenery. I think peace and harmony are what attracts tourists to Orahovac. Earlier, most of our guests come from Belgrade and Novi Sad, and now most of our guests come from Western Europe, Germany, and France," says our host in Orahovac, architect Ilija Lalosevic.

The church of St. George on the rock Stanac, Copyright: Portal Beogradska Nedelja

When it comes to the cultural heritage, the most important monument of Orahovac is the church of St. George. Its architecture is not impressive, but its position. It is located on the great natural rock of Stanac. The chapel on the site of today's church altar dates from the 13th century, while the rest of today’s church was erected in the 19th century.

Today, in Orahovac you can visit the Bajova kula tower, a place where the famous Montenegrin warrior Bajo Pivljanin once operated. You can opt for one of the hiking trips in the hinterland, or enjoy the pleasant seafront ambiance, with friendly hosts and hard working fishers who continue to sail on the wooden boats, using the fishing tools of their grandparents.

There is plenty of knowledge about the archaeological site of Red Rock in the village of Petrovici, near Niksic, yet there is much more which is still undefined.

Part of the material has been discovered, but the experts say that they are still at the beginning and that there is work for another 50 years.

But when we speak about the Red rock, the names of professor Jovan Ivovic and the teacher Dusan Vasiljevic are rarely mentioned. They are to be thanked that the Red Rock was "discovered" for both the scientific and the general public.

"My father often took me with him when he bought some antiques for the museum. That day with him and Branko Pejovic, who worked at Elektroprivreda, we went to Bacovic in Petrovici, to buy a medieval mace. On his return, the father said that we would visit the teacher and poet Dusan Vasiljevic who was involved in collecting antiques and who called my father saying he had many things for the museum. When we arrived, Dusan put on his big table firelock, various antiques, as well as the remains of ceramics. As soon as he saw the ceramics, my father asked him where he found it. 'Students bring me those from under the Red rock, there's plenty of it,' the teacher replied. Father got interested in the Red rock and began the story of research," says Jovan's son Vladimir Bato Ivovic.

And there is much to say about Jovan Ivovic, a man who was in charge of science and culture, he was quiet, unobtrusive and modest, and had everything to show off  - the first curator with a degree in Montenegro, the founder and director of the Regional Museum in Niksic, the founder of the valuable numismatic collection of old Roman money.

"While the excavation took place, more often to visit were Djuro Basler, the director of the Museum in Sarajevo, later President of the Academy of Sciences in BiH, the Slovenians Brodar and Alojz Benac, president of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences. My father often invited them to our home," Bato Ivović recalls, admitting that he never visited one of the most famous archaeological sites in Europe, although his father, in 1954, "began the story of the Red Rock, which continues to this day."

From war prisoner to director of the museum

Ivovići came to Niksic at the end of the 19th century from Ubala in Krivosije, while Jovan's father Savo, an officer at Skadar and the manager of the saw-mill at Vidrovan, the first industrial plant in Nikšić, bought a house in Vardarska street in 1900, where his descendants live even today, the only Ivovic family in the city of Trebjesa. "Jovan graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, and he got his first job in Trebinje, where he worked as a professor from 1928 to 1933. Then he moved to the Nikšić Gymnasium where he taught history and French until the beginning of the war. As soon as the war began, the Italians captured him as a communist activist and sent him to the camp in Albania," says Bato Ivović, a seventy-three-year-old retired banker.

His wife adds that many talked about the behavior of Jovan in the camp and about the speeches he "fed" the prisoners with.

"He did not carry food with him, but a book. He held lectures to the prisoners and raised the moral. He read “Primjere čojstva i junaštva” to them, he encouraged them not to give up," says Borislavka.

With the capitulation of Italy, Jovan gained freedom, but only temporary, because he was immediately arrested by the Germans as he served him in the exchange of hostages as a respected intellectual.

With the liberation of Niksic, he was released as well.

"Immediately after liberation, he became chief of the Nikšić region in the field of culture and education. He stayed there a little bit, then became the director of the gymnasium in Berane, and then the director of the museum in Cetinje, until 1948. Then he spent two years on the island Goli Otok. When he left the island, he was out of work, and then worked as a professor at the Gymnasium in Kotor. He got instructions to open a museum in Niksic. He was the manager, Radovan Miljanic, a lawyer and there was also the professor biologist Mihailo Vucinic. The three of them were practically the founders of the museum, and the collections were then gathered. For the Museum he made an extraordinary collection of old Roman money collected on the territory of Nikšić region and documented it all. "

During his service at Cetinje, Ivovic dealt with writing scientific papers, especially those related to the demography of Niksic, and he was also a member of the editorial board of "Historical Records".

"He spent his vacations in the archives of Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, where he received pneumonia and died in 1967 at the age of 64. Posthumously, the year after it was established, he received the highest award in Niksic, the '18th September 'prize, on the proposal of the academics Basler and Benc, says Borislavka.

The name of Jovan Ivovic is well known to older citizens of Niksic. The youth almost do not even know about him. And the Museum, Red Rock and Vardar Street, they could tell so much about him. Just to find those who are willing to listen.

Stamps – the History Keepers

Bato inherited the love for history from his father.

As his father dealt with numismatics, his only son turned to philately.

"You begin to engage with philately while you are a child, removing stamps from letters. Over time, it passes into a passion. Before people wrote, today nobody sends letters, and philately expires. Everything is written down on the stamps and we can learn a lot from them. I know the history well, but often, by going through the stamps, I remember some of the events in the past, such as the story of the English Channel. There was a discussion on whether to build a bridge over the Channel or a tunnel beneath it. The British Post had already issued two stamps with a bridge image, and later a tunnel was built. This would have been forgotten if there was no stamp".

The rock hides 200,000 years of prehistory

Archaeological researches in the Red Rock, one of the most important habitats of the Paleolithic man in the world and a site that, after El Castile in Spain, is the deepest one in Europe, began in 1954 in co-operation with the National Museum in Sarajevo. During a ten-year research, a cultural deposit of 20-30 meters thick was discovered and 31 different cultural layers were separated. Revised archaeological research, at the site where 200 thousand years of prehistory can be observed, continued in 2004 in cooperation with the Center for Archaeological Research from Podgorica, the Museum of Niksic and the University of Michigan, within the project the "Paleolithic Man in the Ecological Context of the Red rock". Since 2012, it is being explored in the framework of the project "Roads of Continuity", which is carried out by the National Museum of Montenegro.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on February 24th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

This, in essence, quintet, led by the impeccable vocalist Aleksandra Bijelic Aleksijevic, premiered in the expanded, seven-member band on Zimska scena of “Ljetopis”: Ivan Aleksijevic (piano), Milan Pavkovic (bass), Milos Grbatinic (drums), Marko Djordjevic trumpet), Kristijan Mlacak (saxophone) and famous Dragoslav Freddie Stanisavljevic (trumpet).

The music by the orchestra "Alex and the Fergusons" is characterized by incredible ease and spontaneity. If you look closely at each of the musicians on the scene, you will notice that behind everything there is proper training and significant experience of these jazz seniors. According to Aleksandra Bijelic Aleksijevic, whom the audience in Bar had the opportunity to meet during last year's edition of Zimska scena, this band was gathered by the love towards the same music.

"We enjoy playing, and I love it while we make music. We perform mainly in Belgrade, and also, we often receive invitations from Vienna and Ljubljana. We are happy to be guests in Montenegro, where we usually perform on the coast. Dragoslav Fredi Stanisavljevic has gathered us for this occasion, and we are here tonight, for the first time, in an extended composition," she said.

Through her fruitful career, Bijelic Aleksijevic performed with prestigious musicians, and cooperation with RTS Big band is just one of many. She is active in the field of pedagogy, and since 2013 she has been leading the Pančevo children's choir "Čuperak", and the youngest are familiar with her work through animated and cartoon films, where she lends her voice to many heroes but also through songs that accompany films for the youngest. During the concert at the Culture Hall, the audience had the opportunity to hear, among other things, a composition from the cult film "Tom & Jerry", while Bijelic Aleksijevic emphasized that classical jazz music is of great importance for the youngest and that they have a lot of influence on further development of musical taste.

We grew up on Disney Cartoons, and through them all, a very high quality, jazz or classical music was introduced. It is really important that this kind of music is listened to in that earliest period. I started to like jazz from my parents. In our house, we listened to it very often, and my first encounter was with Aretha Franklin, then Nina Simon, after whom I also listened to the more popular Diane Krol, Michael Bubble and others," she added.

The jazz audience was eagerly expecting this performance also due to Dragoslav Stanisavljevic Fredi, one of the missionaries of Serbian jazz in the world. This trumpeter studied at the Jazz Department of the Academy of Music in Graz, and the citizens of Bar already know him as lead trumpeter and music editor of the Big Band RTS. However, besides those present at the Bar Cultural Center, the pleasure of meeting the famous Freddy and the musicians was also attended by the students of ŠOMO "Petar II Petrović Njegoš". Entirely spontaneously, by hearing the sound of the trumpet, the members of the band decided to visit them at the general surprise of the professors and pupils and to give some advice on making music to the younger generations. According to Stanisavljevic, many talented jazz musicians come from Montenegro, but the development of the jazz scene has yet to take place.

"Even from your legendary Šule Jovovic and his pupils, jazz in Montenegro is becoming more prominent, but the most important thing is that all people who have an influence struggle to open a jazz section. After that we will all be able to contribute because it represents a real springboard for further education and a prerequisite for someone to become a professional," he said.

Stanisavljevic was optimistic about the perspective of the jazz scene in the region. Although the language of music is universal, and certainly jazz has the world's largest audience, he thinks that our region has a scene and education that is not negligible.

"Maybe there are no such investments in jazz like there are in the society, but I would not say that we are without perspective. There is a school system and numerous radio orchestras, although perhaps this is not a time of prosperity, I would say that this is a good stagnation, if something like that exists. Still, positive things are happening, and many musicians are returning from abroad. We have Milos (drum) who is a young boy, and he plays at a professional level, even more than that, so I think that good days are coming. Values are coming back, and the fact is that one society cannot be formed in a cultural sense without classical and jazz music. It should be part of the educational, television and radio systems and programs, and therefore the jazz scene will exist in every country in the region," Stanisavljevic concluded.

Behind the composition "Alex & the Fergusons" is a successful CD release called "A Basementsession", and as the famous trumpeter has discovered, new projects are already planned for which they have prepared musical arrangements.

On the last Thursday in February, Zimska scena of "Ljetopis" is reserved for a literary program within which a new book by Aleksandar Djuricic "The Guardian - Widows of Writers" will be promoted. The author will speak about the book and his work with the moderator Vesna Cadjenovic, in King Nikola's Palace.

Text by CdM, on February 22nd, 2019, read more at CdM

February 25, 2019 - The Public Company Sea Property has announced a public call for the lease of 25 public beaches in Jaz, Mogren, Brijeg Od Budve and on the islands of Sveti Nikola. The starting price of the beach, without VAT, ranges from around 1,700 Euros to 27,000 euros.

The manifestation “Fish Dinner”, within the 50th Mimosa Festival, was held last night at the Institute of Igalo. Guests were entertained by Petar Grašo who said that "The holiday of the Mimosa is a period in which he likes to come to Herceg Novi because there are celebrations everywhere, and everything is nice".

The popular Croatian singer has been to Herceg Novi many times and his last appearance was two years ago. For the audience at the “Fish Dinner”, he prepared a cross-section of all the biggest hits from his 23-year-long career. Guests of the “Fish Dinner” were mostly citizens from Herceg Novi, but also people from all over Montenegro and traditional agency guests of the Institute.

"People from Herceg Novi like to come to the Institute, we always try to prepare something new, to present a new performer, to respect the tradition and the Mediterranean touch, along with our classic fish dinner," said the executive director of the Institute Dr Simo Milosevic, Dr Gordana Rajovic.

750 varied dishes were served, which was prepared for hours by more than 20 people, said the master chef Zoran Mrvaljevic. On the menu were salted sardines, fish pâté, codfish salad, black and white risotto and sea bream with Dalmatian vegetables, and as a dessert Montenegrin baklava was served.

In the introductory part of the evening performed the violinist Verica Culjkovic, and beside Petar Graso, the audience also danced along the band Castel Nuovo from Herceg Novi.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on February 24th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

This year's cruising season, formally the fourth in a row at the Port of Bar, started earlier than ever - on February 20^th, with the mini cruiser "La Belle Del' Adriatique".

This vessel of the French company "CroisiEurope" brought 134 passengers and 48 crew members to the Jetty V sub-unit of AD "Barska plovidba".

"This is the first of the nine sets of La Belle Del'Adriatic in 2019 and the next one will be no later than June. In addition to this, we have an announcement for another mini cruiser that came to the port of Bar earlier. This is the “Callisto” which we expect in May and September of the current year," said the Director of the Department for the transportation of passengers and goods, agency affairs and freight forwarding at AD "Barska plovidba" Sanja Tomasevic.

The largest cruisers will have their berths at AD "Port of Adria" (PoA), where last year all 16 cruisers with 22,500 tourists were anchored till November 18th. At the closing of the cruise season in 2018, the PoA indicated that the comparative data from 2016 and 2017 indicate a significant increase in both the number of ships and the number of tourists.

"For 2019 we have an announcement for 25 cruisers who will bring about 26,000 tourists. The companies that send their cruisers to Bar are satisfied primarily with safety and security in the port, port facilities, infrastructure and service, but also as a tourist destination, which offers the possibility of various excursion trips," said Tanja Novovic, the coordinator of cruising activities in PoA.

In berthing of the cruises with tourists, harbor operators and agents had excellent cooperation with the local administration, Tourism Organization Bar, Tourism and Creative Industry, High school of Economics and Catering and Maritime faculty in Kotor. Cruising guests were welcomed by folklore, “priganice” (traditional pastry) and promotional material about Bar and Montenegro, which did not lack even this week.

Text by Radomir Petric, on February 23rd, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The fair of souvenirs and eco-food, which gathered 54 exhibitors from Montenegro and all former YU republics, was opened today at the hotel Vojvodina as part of the Mimosa Festival. 

"This is the promotion of entrepreneurship, but also an opportunity to connect businessmen from Montenegro with those from the region," said Suzana Memarovic, the secretary for tourism and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that the event is organized within the jubilee 50th Mimosa Festival.

The guests from Macedonia exhibited handcrafts with patch-work execution, and a participant from Kikinda presented interesting decorations from corn leaves, Miladin Pivljanin from Budva, showed ethno souvenirs and national costume of Montenegro.

For the next two days, visitors will have the opportunity to find out more about old crafts and domestic production of food, decorations, jewelry, clothing and household items.

Students from the elementary school "Daso Pavicic" organized a workshop for the youngest, while the students of SMS "Ivan Goran Kovacic" from the entrepreneurial club "Art and Craft" will donate all the money from the sale of their products to humanitarian purposes.

The organizer of the Fair, which will be open until Sunday at 7 pm, is the Public Cultural Institution "Herceg Fest", in cooperation with the Secretariat for Utility Activities and Ecology of the Municipality Herceg Novi.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on February 22th 2019, read more at Vijesti

24 February 2019 - Protests in the Montenegrin city Bar, which started a few months ago due to the planned construction of a kindergarten near the Bar Gymnasium, continued with significantly fewer participants, reports News Agency Bar Info. After Prime Minister Duško Marković's decision to terminate the construction, representatives of the Civic Initiative are requesting for the government to find another location for the kindergarten, plant new cypresses and for those who ordered their cut to take responsibility.

"We won because we preserved a gymnasium yard and the park for future generations," said one of the organisers of the protest, Stefan Đukić, who stated the protestors’ new demands. He requested the authorities find another location for the kindergarten and to plant new cypresses.

"We did not manage to preserve the trees, and the one who ordered their cut now has to come out and say “I'm guilty”. We do not fight for plain interests, but for the common good. We stopped the construction of kindergartens at this place, where we would not just lose the park and the yard, but there would be a lot of traffic jams had the construction been completed. We also saved the kindergarten in Marshal Tito Street and the city of the so-called 'Budvanization' (the influence of the practice in Montenegrin city Budva), because as we have heard, the construction of an eight-story building was planned in its place," said Đukić.

Ilija Zeković stressed that the gathered people showed that their intentions were honest and that they had no hidden goals. "Our emotions, hugs and tears when we heard that the construction of kindergartens will be stopped clearly showed our intentions and denied the hidden goals and political motives that were attributed to us and which continue to be attributed to us. We were fighting for the interests of the citizens and for the general good, and that was suspicious to many. They do not believe that such people still exist," said Ilija Zeković, who emphasized that they are especially grateful to the professors who, as he said, "stood in front of the students and gave them the most important lesson of all".

Today, the professor who stood up for the common good was Gymnasium’s professor Jasna Šćekić who, among other things, said: "A memory is a stubborn thing – it simply refuses to die. Therefore, the city of Bar remembers".

After the usual gathering at the Bar Gymnasium, participants of the protest walked along the city streets to the Bar Municipal Building, where the attendees were addressed by Marija Pešić and Miloš Pečurica, and then returned to the courtyard of the Gymnasium, where, as they said, they celebrated the victory.

Source: Bar Info

24 February 2019 - Tour Guide Association of Montenegro visited Nikšić yesterday to officially celebrate the International Day of Tour Guides. 50 of them had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with cultural and historical monuments, the most representative facilities and tourism potential of the town at the foot of Trebjesa.

“We hope that this visit will make a very positive impact on our municipality and that we will enhance tourist visits. We also hope that we will improve the quality of the tourism offer of Nikšić since it is, as many people think, the neglected destination on the tourism map of Montenegro,” said the tour guide and a representative of the Association, Miljan Mijušković.

Deputy president of the Municipality of Nikšić, Sonja Nikčević, pointed out that this city “still has not found the place it deserves on the tourism map of Montenegro”.

“Your arrival will help reinforce the story of Nikšić as being tourism town, with all its attributes that we are going to develop further. I am one of those who think that Montenegro has a unique address in tourism and, in that sense, I believe that Nikšić is one of its pearls, about to find the place it deserves,” said Nikčević.

Today, thanks to the improved transport infrastructure, the importance of the town at the foot of Trebjesa is significantly higher. In addition to that, the hotel industry gives its contribution as well. As far as tourism offer is concerned, this city has a lot of things to be proud of. Beautiful nature and cultural and historical monuments in the first place.

“Let’s just mention Crvena stijena, Roman bridge dating from the 3^rd century, Carev most, (the Emperor’s Bridge), the castle… Everybody is amazed at the nature Nikšić offers,” said Nikčević.

Local administration will keep working hard on improving the tourism offer of this beautiful town and its adequate positioning and categorization.

Experience of the representatives of the Association shows that, so far, Nikšić barely existed in the tourism programs.

“We pass through Nikšić when we go rafting or canyoning. After this visit, the story about Nikšić will definitely become richer,” concluded tour guide from Budva, Darinka Grloman.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

24 February 2019 -The Government adopted the Action Plan for Implementing the Integrated Border Management Strategy 2014-2018, for 2019, and adopted the Report on the Implementing Measures and Activities from the Action Plan for 2018. Last year, the improvement of the integrated border management system continued in line with the recommendations and best practices of the European Union. Among other things, the Draft Law Amending the Law on Border Control was established, the new Law on Foreigners was successfully implemented, as well as the capacities for the flow of asylum seekers, as well as the activities and capacities of the Border Police in the conduct of border control. Also, cross-border police cooperation and activities on the suppression of cross-border organised crime were enhanced, activities were undertaken to resolve bilateral issues with neighbouring countries, as well as activities on the implementation of signed international treaties on the state border, border crossings and border traffic.

Implementing Action Plan was considered very important for meeting the criteria and achieving the European security system, strengthening the ability to take over obligations arising from membership in the European Union, and aligning with Schengen requirements as key challenges in the process of Montenegro's EU accession.

At the same occasion, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for Integrated Migration Management in Montenegro 2017-2020 for 2018, which emphasises that nearly a hundred percent achievement of the planned measures and effective implementation of the policy of controlling migration movements. The Report states that the most important activities in the area of migration in Montenegro in the previous period were the adoption of a new Law on International and Temporary Protection of Aliens and the Law on Foreigners. European Union standards in the area of migration are largely transposed into both laws, and their implementation will bring about delicate changes in terms of the quality and efficiency of this system.

The Government also approved the 15th report on the implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism, Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing 2015-2018 and the Action Plan 2017 - 2018 for the reporting period from July to December 2018.

The Information on the Proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions and the German NGO "Help Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe" was also adopted by the Government. The implementation of the project components defined by the Memorandum contributes to the expansion of prisoner 's working activities within the prison system, as well as their successful rehabilitation and reintegration. The state allocated 15,000 euros for these purposes, and the donation in the same amount was provided by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Stability Pact for South East Europe.

The Government approved the Information on the amendments to the Agreement on the transfer of credit and grants for the needs of the project "Wastewater Collection and Treatment in Podgorica" financed from a loan arrangement signed on 22 September 2017 between the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Government of Montenegro in the amount of 35 million euros. According to the revised agreement, the Capital City was given a period of sixty days in order to have the time to implement the necessary procedures and fulfil the contractual obligation towards the State.