February 6, 2019 - Maskare costume balls and carnivals have been an integral part of the Mimosa Festival since the first edition of this manifestation held in Herceg Novi fifty years ago. For this segment of the program, NGO Maskare, an organization that Herceg Novi owes to listing this city on the map of European carnival cities, is traditionally in charge of this segment of the program. It is a map to which this city, as well as many other Mediterranean traditions, certainly belongs.  

Ivan Peulic and his father, NGO Maskare Herceg Novi, Copyright: radio herceg Novi

 

"We became an integral part of the organization of costume balls and carnivals in Herceg Novi. We are sorry there are no more carnival groups. Certainly, people slowly recognize energy, this year we have welcomed dozens of new members," says Ivan Peulic, president of NGOs Maskare Herceg Novi. 

Federation of European Carnival Cities, Sabac, Serbia, private collection of NGO Maskare

 

The NGO Maskare itself became part of the European carnival family in the category of organizations. Last year in Šabac, at the Convention of the Federation of European Carnival Towns, Herceg Novi as a city had full rights of participation and the right to vote in the election of a new board of directors of this organization. "It is up to us to work for the Federation, to work for the city, to work for the country. Wherever we go, we are ambassadors of our city and our country and strive to show ourselves in the best light," said Peulic, one of those dedicated who succeeded in preserving the tradition of masquerades and carnivals, which in the 1990s, due to war events in the region, was almost dim.

The winning mask of the costume ball in Igalo: Vucic and Putin, Copyright: Radio Jadran

 

"We always make sure that our mask is about a current issue. We try to make a boom with the mask we are preparing to recognize what we wanted to say with our mask immediately," says the president of NGOs Maskare. "People love and reward us because we want to highlight the phenomena in our society. There were politicians and controversial businessmen, but we never offended anyone. A prize is not always essential," says Ivan, but the image of someone who is better or the best in what he does is important. 

International Carnival in Herceg Novi 2018, Copyright: Herceg Fest

 

As the most exciting part of this segment of the Mimosa Festival, citizens of Herceg Novi and their guests, for the finals of the festival, are expecting a great International Carnival. "By joining the Federation of European Carnival Cities, Herceg Novi received support and wind in its back from the board of the organization, and for the fourth year in a row, we organize an international show. We expect, given the great jubilee, that this will be one of the most significant events for the triumph of the Mimosa Festival," announced Peulic.

Montenegro will be the first country in the region to adopt a process of smart specialization implemented by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro and the European Commission's Joint Research Center, which will enable an intensive transition to the economic knowledge, attracting EU funds and directing public and private investments.

This was said at the International Workshop dedicated to the process of smart specialization, by Sanja Damjanovic, Minister of Science, stating that the project of smart specialization is part of the Multi-Annual Action Plan for the Western Balkan Countries, which is important for all the economies in the region, as reported by the PR Center.

"By entering this challenging process in early 2017, in cooperation with several ministries, we have continuous support from the European Commission's Joint Research Center," Damjanovic said.

She said that in the past 18 months, the ministry had implemented numerous activities in the process of defining guidelines for the Smart Specialization Strategy 2018-2024, in which, as she stated, 300 representatives of state institutions, economic and scientific communities and civil society participated.

"The result of such a comprehensive approach is identifying priority areas of science-based and innovation-based development, namely, renewable energy and energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture and food value chains, new materials and sustainable technologies, sustainable health tourism and information-communication technologies as a horizontal platform," explained Damjanovic.

She said that international and regional cooperation could contribute to better results in implementing the strategy of smart specialization.

"It is a challenging road ahead, but I believe that the Western Balkans can make an efficient transition towards the economic knowledge, given that the region has undergone intensive technological development in the past and made significant scientific achievements," Damjanovic said.

The Deputy Director General of the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, Čarlina Vičeva, said that the process of smart specialization is a complicated one implemented in the countries that are members of the European Union.

"Montenegro has recognized the potential of smart specialization, based on knowledge, technologies and innovations, for its future development. By entering this challenging process in early 2017, in cooperation with several ministries, one of the ways to motivate states in which the process of European integration is ongoing, is that this concept that is represented in the EU is also applied in those countries that are preparing for the entry. Smart specialization provides economic transformation and knowledge-based economy," said Vičeva.

She said Europe has a highly profiled social model, which does not provide the EU members with the opportunity to compete in the world market by price or cheap labor.

"This is not a viable way of competing on the world market, and the only way to become competitive on the market is to base our competencies on innovations, new solutions and products, using everything science has done to achieve economic transformation. That’s why we must focus on investment, research and development," said Vičeva.

She said that cooperation of the region is of the utmost importance and that it is essential that all strategic guidelines are based on cooperation.

Head of the European Union Delegation in Montenegro, Aivo Orav, pointed out that the project of smart specialization is an important initiative for Montenegro as well as for the Western Balkans region, as this project will, as he pointed out, improve research innovations and enable new jobs.

Economic governance is one of three critical steps for the expansion of the strategy and it is natural that both the EU and Montenegro consider this to be a priority for the Western Balkans. Structural reforms are needed to attract as many domestic and foreign investments as possible," Orav said. He stressed that the purpose of the smart specialization project is to strengthen the planning of innovative policies so that countries can boost economic growth and create new jobs.

"This is something that all the economies of the Western Balkan countries can benefit from. Thanks to the hard work of all countries in the region, innovation is now at the heart of political agendas in the Western Balkans," stated Orav.

Text by Vijesti online, on February 5th 2019, read more at Vijesti 

Awards for the best sportsmen and sports workers of the Bijelo Polje municipality were presented in the hotel "Franca". The best athletes prize for 2018 was given to volleyball player Ljubomir Popović and was awarded by the President of the Municipality Petar Smolovic.

The best club is OK Jedinstvo, winner of the Montenegrin Cup and Montenegrin Championship and Champion League participant, coach Osman Erović (AK Jedinstvo and Montenegrin national team selector).

Risto Drobnjak was chosen for the most promising sportsman, while the best sports worker is Slobodan Šebek, sports director of OK Jedinstvo.

The Association of Sports Journalists from Bijelo Polje and the Public Institution Center for Sports and Recreation have chosen several young athletes who, with the achieved results in the last year, drew attention to themselves.

These are basketball players Vasilije Vučinić, handball player Nikola Jelić, athletes Boris Vujošević and Edin Erović, footballer Rijad Džafić, handball player Ema Kolić, judo player Kristina Milićević, boxers Zdravko Vlaović and Darko Mrdović. Recognition in this category was also given to a new member of the Paralympic Montenegrin National Team Adnan Kujovic. Posthumously, Nebojsa Milošević, a basketball player who played in Jedinstvo, and later a prominent player of a large number of clubs and basketball manager, was awarded for the merit of contributing to the development of the sport in Bijelo Polje.

On behalf of the Sports Journalists Association, numerous guests were greeted by the president of that association Milovan Novović.

Athletes did not attend the awards ceremony.

President Smolovic said that there are about 2500 athletes in Bijelo Polje and pointed out that local Self-government will help the development of sports.

Text by Jadranka Cetkovic, on February 5th 2019, read more at Vijesti

The Utility company Tivat will generate an income of a total 2,671,900 euros this year, which is almost five percent more than the total revenues of that municipal company in 2018.

As stated in the Financial and Work Plan of the Utility Office for 2019, this company will receive EUR 734,000 from the municipal budget.

The utility revenues are planned to amount to 1,939,500 euros, of which the most 1.4 million euros, is the revenue from the collection of rubbish collection services for citizens and the business entities. As far as expenditure is concerned, the Utility company expects to spend a total of 2,666,050 euros by the end of the year, of which 1,698,800 euros will be spent on earnings of permanent and seasonal workers.

Material business costs will amount to EUR 905,250, of which the largest item is the costs of a garbage dump to the landfill and transport to the landfill site at Mozura near Ulcinj or Cetinje. A total of 275,000 euros will be spent for such purpose this year, over 30,000 euros more than the last year.

Parking Service Tivat (PST), which operates in public parking lots in the city center and at the airport, plans to reach a total of 718,000 euros income this year.

The total expected PST costs would amount to 689,729 euros, which means that it is expected to receive an income of EUR 28,000.

PST has already transferred an income of over 70,000 euros from last year, and as previously announced by the management of this company, most of this money will be used for investments in further improvement of the main activity of the Parking Service.

Text by Sinisa Lukovic, on February 5th 2019, read more at Vijesti

Feburary 6, 2019 - When someone tells me that they want to travel to Montenegro, I immediately get a feeling of excitement and happiness rushing through me. Today it's easier and cheaper than ever to get to this side of Europe, and I'm thrilled that more and more people are taking the opportunity to discover this beautiful country. However, easy and cheap often means that the environment pays the bigger price. Once we get to our dream destinations, we forget what impacts our holidays have on them. We often neglect the fact that we leave a huge footprint behind which endangers the environment. This guide shows you easy ways to travel to and through Montenegro responsibly and sustainably.

1. Choose an alternative way of getting here.

We are so used to Ryanair & co. that we usually don't think of alternative ways to travel from A to B. We need to ask ourselves whether it really always has to be the quickest way. Why not rent a car and do a road trip to Montenegro? This way you are flexible and you can have small stopovers at other destinations on your way here. Or you could take a bus. Many places in Europe offer bus trips to Montenegro and its neighbouring countries. Have a look at Rome2rio for bus and train routes.

2. Stay with locals.

It doesn't always have to be a luxury hotel chain to enjoy your stay in a foreign country. Why not choose to stay with locals to experience the domestic culture firsthand? Montenegrins are extremely hospitable people and they will give you insider tips on where to go, what to eat and they will most likely treat you to a shot of homemade Rakija (the local spirit). There is no better way to experience a city than by staying with locals who know every corner of it. Check out portals such as Couchsurfing for a unique experience.

3. Travel by bus and train.

Montenegro is such a small country that you can easily get to the beach and the mountains in the same day. Every city is reachable by either bus or train and the tickets are relatively cheap. A return ticket is usually cheaper than buying the tickets seperately. If you are a student you will also get a discount. This way you don't have to rent a car and are still very flexible as busses and trains run frequently.

4. Discover places by foot.

Instead of taking a taxi (these are very cheap in Montenegro) or taking public transport you should choose to walk through each city you visit. You won't find yourself in a place where it's impossible to reach everything by foot.

5. Collect your rubbish.

This especially applies for summer holidays at Montenegro's beautiful beaches. Always collect your rubbish and put it in the closest bin, do not throw it in the streets or leave it at the beaches. Unfortunately, Montenegro has a big problem with plastic pollution and waste management so it is important that tourists don't add to this problem.  

6. Choose eco-friendly actvities.

Montenegro offers a range of fun activities such as hiking, rafting and skiing, always depending on the time of year you come here. Choose these eco-friendly nature adventures or book a walking tour with a local guide.

7. Support the local community.

Instead of eating at a restaurant chain why not try a local one which in many cases will be family run. Ask locals for recommendations on where and what to eat and buy locally made souvenirs.

8. Fill up your water bottle.

Tap water in Montenegro is of very high quality which means that you don't have to buy plastic bottles in the supermarket. This way you save money and avoid more plastic pollution.

9. Bring your own shopping bag.

You will soon discover that you always get a free plastic bag when shopping in Montenegro. An easy way to avoid this is to bring your own bag or carry small things such as chewing gum or cigarettes (yes, you also get a plastic bag for small items like these) in your pockets.

10. Offset your holiday travel.

Even with all these things in mind, it is sometimes difficult to avoid some unsustainable behaviour. If you can't avoid flying or other critical activities during your stay in Montenegro, make sure to offset them. This way you will make a good impact by supporting climate protection projects. This should always be the last solution though.

If you follow these easy tips you will be able to experience Montenegro in a sustainable and guilt-free way.

05 February 2019 - Three parking ticket payment machines in Podgorica will start functioning as of today, writes Pobjeda daily. They are located at the crossroad of Sloboda and Hercegovačka Street, at the corner of Bokeška and Njegoševa Street and the Balšića Square (near the restaurant “Radovče”).

The Parking Service is also expecting the application “Digital Kiosk” to start functioning this week as well. Head of the Parking Service, Nusret Canović, said that the testing period of the parking ticket pay machines has been finished and now everything is ready for their work.

“The new machines receive paper money and coins as well. Machines will have multiple languages which are especially important for foreigners, as this is the easiest way for them to pay the parking tickets in the capital,” said Canović.

He reminded of the fact Podgorica already has three parking ticket payment machines – in Vaka Djurovića Street, near the Clinical Center of Montenegro and "Preko Morače".

“This will be the very first official application for paying to park. It has already been designed for Android, and now we are waiting for it to be designed for iOS software. The application enables the users to pay the zone parking, and it shows them what zone they are in. Also, thanks to the application “digital kiosk”, it will be possible that the citizens pay the parking lot using their payment cards,” said Canović earlier when he announced new parking payment machines.

“We will examine every location individually and make logical prices for every part of the town. Locations that are not located in the center of the town will have lower parking prices. It will be a price list adapted to the real needs and demands of citizens,” concluded Canović.

05 February 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović opened the manifestation Creative Montenegro: Days of Montenegro in Zagreb. The programme began with the opening of the exhibition of the Association of Artists of Montenegro "26> 41", the presentation of the products of creative industries of Montenegro and the performance of the Montenegrin violinist Verica Čuljković.

Nataša Owens, President of "European Movement Croatia" and "European House Zagreb", Boro Vučinić, Ambassador of Montenegro to the Republic of Croatia and Milan Bandić, Mayor of the City of Zagreb also spoke at the opening. 

"Such a manifestation, which offers an insight into the cultural and economic situation of the state, clearly focused on Euro-Atlantic integrations, is also the place of exchange of experience gained in the process of these integration," Minister Bogdanović noted. 

Ambassador Vučinić said that Montenegro is committed to a common Euro-Atlantic perspective and ready to develop good relations with everyone in the region, especially with those sharing the same goals and values. 

"Of course, the special place belongs to a friendly Republic of Croatia, which has so far shown the willingness to support Montenegro on its European path. This is an opportunity to wish our neighbours a successful EU presidency next year," Vučinić said. 

Mayor of the City of Zagreb Milan Bandić expressed satisfaction with his presence at the event and stressed that this is another proof that works of art find a common language and connect people at a higher level. 

The event, organised at the European House in Zagreb, will last until 13 February 2019. 

During his stay in Croatia, Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović also met with Minister of Culture of the Republic of Croatia Nina Obuljen Koržinek. 

The meeting discussed the cooperation between Montenegro and the Republic of Croatia so far and stressed that the two countries foster friendly relations in all areas. 

The two officials expressed satisfaction with the meeting in Zagreb on the occasion of organising the Day of Montenegro in Zagreb - Creative Montenegro and stated that such manifestations additionally strengthen our cultural links and bring people closer. 

Minister Bogdanović pointed out that significant progress has been made so far in strengthening cultural ties, both in the field of contemporary creativity and in the field of preservation of cultural heritage, which is particularly evidenced by projects that we are jointly implementing at both bilateral and international level. 

The meeting also discussed the further implementation of the previously signed Memorandum between the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia on cooperation in the field of protection and preservation of underwater cultural heritage for the period 2017-2020 and the agreed continuation of cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience between institutions in this field. 

Special emphasis was put on cooperation in the field of creative industries and it was pointed out that Croatian experience will be of great importance for Montenegro, taking into account the full commitment of the Ministry of Culture to their development. In this context, both sides expressed readiness for cooperation in the implementation of IPA projects.

04 February 2019 - Minister of the Interior Mevludin Nuhodžić and European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos signed an Agreement between Montenegro and the European Union on the activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). 

"The Agreement with Frontex will contribute to the improvement of border security and the joint fight against illegal migration, and, therefore, even better protection of our borders against all forms of crime," Minister Nuhodžić said at a joint conference with Avramopoulos in Brussels. 

According to the Minister, when it comes to the countries of the Western Balkans, the strengthening of operational and strategic cooperation in the field of border security is just one of the priorities in the EU Enlargement Strategy. "In this way, Montenegro continues to coordinate policies in the area of migration and border management with the Brussels policy," Nuhodžić emphasised. 

The Minister expressed his gratitude to the European Commission and Commissioner Avramopoulos on the previous support to Montenegro in the field of the rule of law, and in particular in the implementation of the Schengen Action Plan. "Expert and other assistance to Montenegro is certainly one of the better investments. The procurement of material and technical means and equipment enhanced the border control and improved the work of our Border Police, which resulted in the more efficient fight against cross-border crime and concrete results," Minister Nuhodžić said, pointing to the importance of the fact that Montenegro is NATO member. 

Recalling that Montenegro, as a candidate country for EU membership, has to open only one more negotiating chapter, fully shares security challenges with its partners and implements a common European security policy. He said that our country does so for the welfare and security of not only its citizens but also citizens of the entire European Union. 

Commissioner Avramopoulos expressed his gratitude to the Government of Montenegro for efforts to timely implement all procedures for signing the status agreement between Montenegro and the European Union on the activities of Frontex. "The challenges we faced are common, and the only real way to oppose them is to work together," Avroamopoulos said. 

He stressed that the agreement is significant for Montenegro and positively assessed the activities Montenegro is conducting in the field of migration and border security management. He also added that the status agreements of the countries with Frontex are part of the process of bringing the Western Balkans closer to the European Union. 

"Montenegro is part of the European family," Avramopoulos said. He added that the Region should work together on combating all forms of crime. 

"Montenegro, although a small country, is a factor of stability in the region. The European Commission will continue to provide full support to the further efforts of the Government of Montenegro to achieve membership in the European Union, especially in the fight against organised crime, illegal migration and terrorism," Avramopoulos emphasised. 

Commissioner Avramopoulos thanked Minister Nuhodžić for the cooperation so far, stressing that Montenegro is considered a friendly country in the region and the real European country. 

04 February 2019 - Ministry of Defense of Montenegro is planning to form reserve military forces from 2019 to 2026. These forces should be an integral part of the Armed Forces of Montenegro.

The long-term defense plan, adopted by the Government, states that the military units will be complemented by contractual reserve and strategic reserve. The contractual reserve will count up to 100 persons and it will be used to fulfill special formation positions in the Armed Forces of Montenegro.

“By the contract and required needs, they will be engaged in the permanent composition of the Armed Forces during training, drills, participation in international forces, provision of assistance to the citizens and their protection from the consequences of natural and other disasters. Furthermore, they will be engaged in the performance of other tasks related to the field of defense and demanding engagement of additional forces. Contractual reserves will be composed of “persons who have adequate specialist knowledge and skills that are scarce,” reads the defense plan.

As far as the strategic assigned reserve is concerned, it will count up to 2.691 persons and they will fulfill the reserve units of the Armed Forces.

“They will be engaged in the activities of the preparation and organization of defense and in assisting the citizens and in protecting them from the consequences of natural and other disasters. This strategic reserve will be composed of persons who had served the voluntary military service, i.e., persons who had been trained to perform military duties in the conditions of warfare or emergencies,” as stated in the defense plan.

Strategically unassigned reserves will be used in case the need for reinforcing defense abilities arises. These persons will be in the military records and case of warfare or any other emergency, and they will be mobilized and invited to serve in the Armed Forces. Members of the active and inactive reserve will go through the general and specialized military training. The focus will be on basic military skills, conditioning, and specialized training.

To bring the military training to a higher level, the Ministry is planning to form a Regional center for mountain warfare, by the end of 2019, among many other things.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

February 5, 2019 - 3D geophysical research of the Montenegrin submarine on blocks 30 and 26, according to the Concession Agreement for Oil and Gas exploration and production with the Greek company Energean, will begin in the next ten days, the Department for hydrocarbons said.