Delegates in the Capital’s parliament adopted the Program for the commemoration of the memorials for 2019. In accordance with this program, the capital will get a monument of Ivan Crnojevic, one of the most important Montenegrin rulers, leader of Zeta from 1465 to 1490, and the founder of Cetinje.

"The initiative of Zetagradnja is to raise the monument to Ivan Crnojevic, and bearing in mind that he is one of the most significant figures of Montenegrin history, especially responsible for the state, social, economic and cultural development of Montenegro, which is in accordance with Article 5 of the Law on Memorials, the Program for the commemoration of the memorials for 2019 is being prepared," said Ana Medigovic, the secretary for culture and sport.

The deadline for constructing the monument is December 2019.

Text by Vijesti online, on February 18th 2019, read more at Vijesti

German police donated five new mobile document readers "Regula 7308" to their Montenegrin colleagues, with a value of 44,500 euros.

The Police Directorate said that this is the most modern equipment to be used by the officers of the Border Police Sector for border checks at border crossing points I and II categories.

"The valuable equipment used at the border crossings will allow border police officers to provide faster and more efficient checks in order to achieve the best results in the fight against all forms of cross-border crime," the Police Directorate said in the statement.

The protocol on the handover of donated equipment was signed by the Assistant Director of the Police Directorate of Montenegro for the Border Police Sector Vesko Damjanovic and the Federal Police Officer of Germany Oliver Has.

Damjanovic said that he believes that the equipment will significantly contribute to faster and more efficient border checks, which will have special importance for the prevention and suppression of cross-border crime and all types of illegalities.

He pointed out that the Montenegrin and German police are partners who have an exceptional professional attitude.

It is alleged that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Germany planned to donate valuable specialist equipment to the Police Directorate.

"But also, to implement a series of targeted trainings that will primarily concern the training of officers of the Border Police Sector in the field of inspection - the search of different types of vessels with special emphasis on the category of luxury vessels, as well as trainings related to the detection of forged documents," reads the statement issued by the Police Directorate.

Text by MINA News, on February 18th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Company “Domaca trgovina” is continuing to expand its sales network according to the concept of a neighboring store. In the settlement Ljubovic near Radosav Buric street, a new Aroma market has been opened in an area of over 400 square meters. In a charming ambiance, per which Aroma Markets are recognizable, more than 8000 products of famous domestic and foreign manufacturers are offered. In addition to fresh fruits, vegetables, and a delicatessen, the selection of Italian products "Conad" has been extended, which can be purchased only in the markets of this company. Every day, there will be a variety of homemade dishes, and delicious pastries and fresh bread will be prepared according to carefully prepared recipes.

A new team of educated salesmen will take care of the customers, and Marija Cetkovic will provide support to colleagues, who in the past three years was promoted in Aroma from the product’s distribution in the store to the deputy manager: "I am pleased that new colleagues joined the Aroma team, who, with their service and kindness, will enable the customers to enjoy a pleasant shopping experience. My work in Aroma began in the position of the product’s allocation, then cashier, and thanks to the education and support of the management, I got the opportunity to make progress. I wish my colleagues happiness and I believe that our new Aroma will be a favorite place for shopping in this area."

"For over five years, we have been developing the concept of a good neighbor, where it is important to know what kind of trade the customers want and how to respect their habits. Consumer’s credibility is difficult to obtain, and we are very proud that every day more and more people see Aroma as a home brand, which offers them a favorable shopping experience through numerous discounts, quality service, and pleasant shopping. That's why we decided that our strategic route is to expand the network according to the concept of a domestic, neighborhood store where you can get to know our sellers, transfer their suggestions and make purchases in a pleasant environment," the company added.

Many customers welcomed the opening of the new store, and numerous gifts were provided for the first customers. In the coming days, all those who visit this market will find more than 800 products at discounted prices.

The doors of the Aroma Market in Radosav Buric street will be open every day from 7 am to 10 pm.

Text by Promo, on February 18th 2019, read more at Vijesti

17 February 2019 - Minister of Culture of Montenegro Aleksandar Bogdanović is paying an official visit to the Republic of Hungary, at the invitation of Hungarian Minister of Human Resources Miklós Kásler. 

Ministers Kásler and Bogdanović signed a Cultural Cooperation Programme between the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary for 2019-2021, which aims to promote traditionally good cooperation in the field of culture and foresees the implementation of joint projects between the institutions of the two countries. 

"The document that we signed today gives our countries an excellent framework for cooperation in the field of culture that will be based on the joint promotion and popularization of our rich cultural heritage, but also on the exchange of knowledge and experience," Minister Bogdanović said. 

The special focus was on cinematography, and it was concluded that there is a basis for the two countries to jointly work on the establishment of a film studio in Montenegro. Bearing in mind the progress of Hungarian cinematography, as well as the experience of Hungarian film institutions, Minister Bogdanović expressed interest in exchanging experience, which would have an effective influence on the Montenegrin film. 

The signed programme foresees the joint implementation of music activities, theaters, cinematography, visual arts, literature and translation with the emphasis on direct cooperation between the relevant institutions of the two countries. Furthermore, the programme recognizes the potential for cooperation in the field of creative industries.

17 February 2019 - The new Montenegrin Ski Resort Kolašin 1600, where only a few years ago it was forest and meadow, is an example of successful valorization of potentials, the materialisation of the Government of Montenegro's policy and the beginning of accelerated tourist and overall development of the North Region," it was said at the opening ceremony of the ski center.

"I am filled with pride and pleasure that today, together, we present one of the best examples of the materialisation of the Government of Montenegro policy when it comes to creating the conditions for the development of the north of our country, the improvement of the Montenegrin tourist offer and, of course, the creation of preconditions for creating new jobs and better quality of life of citizens," Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović said at the ceremony.

Director of the Public Works Directorate Rešad Nuhodžić said that this ski center, in which the Government of Montenegro invested EUR 17 million, represents, even after the first phase of works, the best example of successful valorisation of tourism potentials, but also our ability to build something like it.

"From the position of Director of the Public Works Directorate, I emphasise that this is a skiing event, which we can be proud of, the result of successful cooperation between our engineers and companies with a renowned foreign partner. This proves that we are able to catch up with the most demanding projects. The base station facility is adapted to the needs of visitors as well as employees, with restaurant, administrative premises, outpatient clinics and complete accompanying equipment. For the needs of the ski resort, new road, electrical and hydrotechnical infrastructure was built. During the second phase of the project, which is planned to be completed by the end of next year, the ski resort will get another six kilometers of tracks. The construction of the cable car, which will connect the ski resorts Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600, is planned, which will further enrich the tourist offer. The Public Works Directorate will continue to implement the capital projects of the Government of Montenegro in the coming period, of which the projects in the field of tourism are at the top of our priorities. Only in the ski centers of Cmiljaca, Žarski, Savin Kuk and Hajla will be invested more than EUR 100 million, while we will invest nearly EUR 18 million in one of the most important projects for tourist valorisation of the north - Đalović cave," the Director of Public Works said.

Director of the Ski centers of Montenegro Miloš Popović reminded that this Government recognised the tourist valorisation of the Northern region of Montenegro as a priority to improve the development of this area and reduce the development gap between the south and north regions of the country.

"In accordance with this, in November 2017, the company Ski Centers of Montenegro based in Mojkovac was founded, for the management of the Kolašin 1600 ski center in the area of the Municipality of Kolašin, Jelovica in the municipalities of Berane and Andrijevica, Cmiljača and Torina in the municipality of Bijelo Polje, Žarski in the area of Mojkovac municipality, Komovi mountain center and Eco Adventure park Komovi. The general concept of the company's development is the valorisation of existing active ski resorts and the construction of new ski centers in the area of Bjelasica and Komovi, Durmitor and Hajle, by spatial plans for these areas. With this, Montenegro will get one of the largest and most prestigious ski resorts in the area, within which the most current infrastructure will be built: hotels, restaurants, other boarding and non-boarding facilities, modern cable cars, to take the number one position in the competitive market. We will also put the accent on the improvement of the summer offer," the director of the Ski Centers of Montenegro said.

Miloš Popović said that Montenegro's ski resorts will be the generator of tourism development by enriching existing and creating new tourist products, and will contribute to the continuous development of winter and summer sports, and to support potential future sports talents, and to improve Montenegrin human resources.

"In this way, the company of the Ski Centers of Montenegro will be the best partner to local self-governments. Young people here will get the best opportunity for work and training by the highest world standards. I invite you to continue to support the realisation of this grandiose project, and to gather here again in the next few years, and that the occasion for this gathering is not only development projects that will undoubtedly be, but also the organisation of the world's biggest cups, for which we will, with this accelerated development, undoubtedly be competitive," Popović said.

The Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism reminded that Montenegro recorded the best tourist results in history and that the interest in the North is now spreading.

"Montenegrin tourism breaks records year after year while dictating new standards that motivate us to valorize the strategic potential recognised in this region as well. In 2018, Montenegro visited 2.2 million tourists or 200,000 tourists more than in 2017; who achieved 13 million nights (a million more than in 2017); we earned a billion euros of income in 10 months in 2018. But what is particularly rejoicing is that the revenues generated by the remote towns grew at a rate that is more than two times higher than the national average," Minister Radulović said.

He urged the presidents of the municipalities of the Northern Region to recognise the opportunity for job creation and business development because the government is now concentrating on this part of Montenegro.

16 February 2019 - The information on the confirmation of the provision of support for the implementation of public calls within the IPARD II programme 2014-2020 has been approved by the Government of Montenegro. On this occasion, the Government adopted the conclusions concerning the provision of funds for national co-financing of projects under IPARD II Programme. Through the implementation of the IPARD II programme, a total of 51,816,473 euro grant will be available to the Montenegrin farmers, of which the EU funds amount to 39,000,000 euros, and the national co-financing amounts to 12,816,473 euros. The granting of non-refundable support to end-users will be paid according to the defined criteria and will be within the range of 50 to 70%, depending on the type of investment and the geographical location of the holdings and the location of the investment. The goal of the IPARD II programme is the restructuring and modernisation of the agricultural and processing sector, with the aim of creating competitive agricultural holdings and the processing sector, which will be ready for EU accession and the use of EU funds.

The Government also passed the Decision on the distribution of profits and the increase in the share capital of the Limited Liability Company "Montenegrin Electricity Market Operator" - Podgorica and the Decision Amending the Decision on the Establishment of a Limited Liability Company "Montenegrin Electricity Market Operator." These documents determined that the total profit of this company - 561,749.35 euros is allocated in the name of reserves (101,410.48 euros), while the rest of profit (460,338.87 euros) represents an increase in the company's share capital.

On the same occasion, the Information on the implementation of the Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the State Audit Institution at the end of the third quarter of 2018 has been approved and adopted the Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the State Audit Institution. On this occasion, the Government instructed specific budget users to coordinate activities to implement the recommendations and to submit to the Ministry of Finance quarterly reports for all the units they oversee.

16 February 2019 - At a session dedicated to NATO missions and operations, Defense Minister Predrag Bošković recalled that Montenegro, aware of the importance of designing stability and strengthening security beyond the borders of NATO, continues to give an active contribution to the preservation of global peace and security by sending its members to international missions and operations. 

The Allies agreed that NATO would continue to provide a decisive answer when it comes to the fight against terrorism, with a comprehensive approach that requires the engagement of the entire international community. It was emphasised that in the forthcoming period the work on building capacity and enhancement of cooperation with partners in order to combat these threats, thus strengthening the overall security of NATO, will be continued. 

Bearing in mind the unpredictable security environment, as well as the commitment of the Alliance to protect the territories and population of its members, the importance of preventive action on potential challenges from the territory outside the borders of NATO has been highlighted. In the context of possible threats that can come from different strategic directions, further activities were considered to be carried out to strengthen the NATO presence at the eastern borders, as well as the implementation of measures from the Framework for the South representing the Alliance's reaction to the challenges arising from the Mediterranean. 

Evident progress was noted in terms of cooperation between NATO and the European Union, which will remain an important partner of the Alliance in the following period. Furthermore, it was emphasised that the interconnection of international actors contributes to a more effective response to security challenges. 

Minister Bošković stressed the importance of intensifying NATO and EU co-operation, in order to facilitate the effective functioning of the two organizations, taking into account the mutual complementarity and the development of defense capacities in order to strengthen European defense. 

He also met with the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Slovenia, Karl Erjavec.

The conversation was dedicated to continuing political dialogue and strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation in the defense and security sphere. Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the intensive cooperation that is being constantly enhanced through the exchange of experience, skills and knowledge in the area of defense and security within regional initiatives, in particular through joint participation in military exercises and in international missions and operations. Bošković and Erjavec pointed to the importance of joining the Western Balkan countries to the Alliance as a guarantee of peace and stability in this part of Europe. The interlocutors also emphasised the importance of the "open door" policy, and discussed the continuation of cooperation in the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), in Latvia, as well as in the field of aviation and cooperation between the two navies.

February 18, 2019 - A single Bottlenose dolphin was found decomposing on Sveti Nikola Island, not far from the coast of the mainland in Budva, reported SANCET- Southern Adriatic Network for Cetacean, Elasmobranch and Turtle Strandings.

After receiving a call on the evening of Sunday, 17 February, with reports of the dead stranded dolphin on the island close to Budva, the Montenegro Dolphin Research (MDR) team, led by Lucy Abbiss, a British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) trained marine mammal medic and Researcher for the Marine Mammals Research Association (DMAD), visited the site to retrieve data for scientific purposes.

Despite the individual - identified as a juvenile, demonstrating early signs of decomposition, the team delineated that the dolphin had not undergone any physical injuries causing its death and that the markings seen were merely signs of decomposition. Although it is not clear what may have caused the death or stranding of the dolphin without further analysis through autopsy, it is possible that the time it was stranded coincides with the current seismic activity in Montenegro, could be related. Alternatively, there is the possibility of the death being related to zoonotic viruses, previous storm-related activities or other natural causes.

DMAD has successfully operated the first long-term study on dolphins in Montenegro, starting the Montenegro Dolphin Research project in September 2016. As of December 2018, the organization established the Southern Adriatic Network for Cetacean, Elasmobranch and Turtles stranding events (SANCET). Since then, SANCET, currently in the early stages of development, have already conducted various stranding surveys from Ada Bojana to Jaz. As the network continues to develop, the need for the help of the public and other scientific organizations grows stronger,” reported SANCET on their website.

“The help of other organizations participating in the Southern Adriatic Stranding Network (SANCET) is essential to further delineate the cause of death, aiding the conservation management plans for Montenegro's marine life,” emphasized SANCET on their website.

SANCET, founded in December 2018, is aimed at providing the first regional network for centralizing information on marine life stranding in Montenegro, with the hope to expand future operations in both Albania and Bosnia. With the current situation of cetacean stranding monitoring is being absent from the Eastern region of the South Adriatic and with a lack of national stranding networks, SANCET hopes to provide a database that encompasses all or part of the coastlines above.

17 February 2019 - Devin Williams has decided to part ways with Büyükçekmece and will continue the rest of the season with Budućnost Voli.

Basketball Club Budućnost Voli Podgorica (Erste Liga) just signed a contract with 24-year-old American international centre Devin Williams. Williams started the season at Demir İnşaat Büyükçekmece Basket in Turkish BSL league. In 17 games he had very impressive stats: 17.7ppg, 11.9rpg, 1.9apg and 1.0spg this season.

Williams arrived last night in Podgorica and in an interview for CdM, he said that his desire was for the team to defend the ABA League trophy. The former centre of Turkish Büyükçekmece was brought by Budućnost with the goal to help the current champion of the Adriatic in winning the second consecutive title.

"I just landed and all I can say is that the city is not too big, but you can feel the community, that the whole city stands behind the club, like a large family. I just want to be the best I can, find my role and work hard as always," Williams said.

To recall, 2018 was a very spectacular year in Williams’ career as he was named to Turkish League All-Star Game and League Player of the Week (2 times). Williams ended the last season at Team Fredette in U.S. semi-pro league The Basketball Tournament, as he helped them to make it to the semi-finals. But the most of that year he spent at Vaqueros (BSN) in Puerto Rican league where in 21 games he recorded 13.6ppg, 8.8rpg (#2 in the league) and 1.6apg. For him, this was a quite impressive season as he was named to Latinbasket.com All-Puerto Rican BSN Honorable Mention, All-Star Game and also here League Player of the Week.

"This is my first season in Europe and the chance to play in ABA and Euroleague is a blessing and reward for the hard work I have invested in me. I want to help the team win as many victories as possible and defend the ABA League title. I would like to thank the team, city, president of the club, coaches and everyone who gave me this opportunity, "added Williams.

The 24-year-old centre will get a chance to debut in the next game against Zadar, which is scheduled for March 4 in Podgorica.

17 February 2019 - The reconstruction of the indoor swimming pool "Nikša Bućin" in Kotor has reached its final phase. Minister of Sports and Youth Nikola Janović said that the Kotor pool is a symbol of Montenegrin water polo and swimming sports, and that it has huge importance for the Montenegrin sport, as well as for children and youth throughout the Bay of Kotor.

"I am one of those people who started their first career adventure in this very pool. That's why I know its significance and its potential. Part of the policies of the Government and the Ministry of Sports and Youth relate to the establishment of sports infrastructure in every city, in every place where it is possible to do so. By reconstructing this pool, water polo returns to Kotor," said Minister Janović.

He added that the sports facilities will be reconstructed or built throughout Montenegro and that the Ministry will continue with precise policies and measures from now on - that the sport comes to life in every Montenegrin quarter, in every settlement.

The director of the Public Works Directorate, Rešad Nuhodžić, said that the Government provided all the money needed for the next stages of the reconstruction of this pool and that the Public Works Directorate will ensure that the works will be completed within eight months, as foreseen by the planned period of development.

"As we promised during the conclusion of the contract on the start of the second phase of the reconstruction of the pool in Kotor, today Minister Janović and I visited the construction site and officially held the final meetings with both the contractor and supervision unit. Now it is time for us to finish the reconstruction in the deadlines agreed upon, which is until the end of this year, and make this pool operational," said the director of the Public Works Directorate.

He added that it is particularly satisfying that this is an object that, in addition to water polo players, can be used by the citizens of Kotor, which is an additional motive for completing the works in time and in full.

"What I will particularly insist from the position of Director of the Public Works Directorate is that the works are completed within the agreed time and that their quality will be in accordance with the highest standards," said the Director of Public Works.