19 December 2018 - The NATO Council held its third session, chaired by the President of the Council, Prime Minister Duško Marković. The NATO Council reviewed several documents and noted that Montenegro, by its approach and quality and timely fulfillment of obligations within the Alliance, confirmed that it is a credible and reliable ally which is recognized by all NATO Member States. 

In the context of the consideration of the implementation of Montenegro's Political Priorities in NATO in 2018, the Council noted that the successful profiling of Montenegro in the Alliance is important for the process of Montenegro's accession to the European Union. 

The NATO Council considered the Report on the Annual Chairmanship of Montenegro by the US-Adriatic Charter (A5). It was concluded that through the organization of 17 meetings at the high and working level, Montenegro, in this way, proved to be a responsible ally that is ready to contribute to NATO policies, the stability of the region and promotion of Euro-Atlantic values in the Western Balkans. 

The Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Communication Strategy "Montenegro NATO member 2018-2020", as well as the 2019 Draft Action Plan, were reviewed and noted that Strategy is successfully implemented and that the activities envisaged for the next year corresponds entirely with the basic objectives of the document. 

The NATO Council also considered the Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan for strengthening the national system of crisis response. It was pointed out the need for an improved normative framework with the aim of defining and positioning a particular national crisis management center.

Back in October, it was noted by the NATO representatives that NATO membership sends a clear message to the world that a member state is safe and is heading towards progress. As the NATO’s latest member state, Montenegro proves this as it has managed to double the foreign direct investments (FDI) after joining the Alliance.

19 December 2018 - At its 4th session, chaired by the President of the Council, Prime Minister Duško Marković, the Council for Competitiveness reviewed and adopted the Report on the Implementation of Montenegro Economic Reform Programme for 2018 and the Draft Montenegro Economic Reform Programme for 2019-2021.

Key Montenegro's documents in economic dialogue with the European Union and the key strategic documents for medium-term macroeconomic and fiscal programming read that in the past year, 19 of the 20 priority reform measures have been implemented in line with the foreseen deadlines and the planned budgets, and that Montenegro achieved excellent economic growth in the first two quarters. Available indicators for the third quarter show that the economic growth trend continues, last year's report states.

The document dealing with the past year lists the economic activities that resulted in excellent performance and the fact that due to the increased demand for labour and as a result of incentives for self-employment and the Government's active employment policy, the employment rate has significantly increased.

The Draft Montenegro Economic Reform Programme for the period 2019-2021 contains the agenda of structural reforms important for reducing or eliminating obstacles to economic growth and strengthening the overall competitiveness of the country and estimating economic growth for the following years: 2.8% in 2019 ; 2.3% in 2020 and 2.4% in 2021.

The discussion on these two agenda items pointed out that the conservative approach of the Ministry of Finance in the projection of economic growth includes all the risks and deficits in Montenegro's public finances, but that the Government's goal is far higher economic growth than projected as it was in the past two years. The Prime Minister stressed that he does not question the Ministry of Finance's projections that include all aspects and risks, but that the projected values of economic growth are not and cannot be the goal of the Government. "We are here to eliminate these risks and enable the continuation of high growth. This will be our agenda in 2019," Prime Minister Duško Marković said.

December 20, 2018 - Turning on the decorative lighting at the Independence Square officially marked the opening of the first Podgorica holiday market.

After the opening, a rich cultural and artistic program followed. At the main stage, the orchestra of JU Gymnasium "Slobodan Škerović", and then one of the symbols of the Montenegrin music scene - Piva Jazz Band, performed. 

We recall, following examples of world cities, Podgorica will, as of today until January 10, 2019,  have its first holiday market.

Each day, citizens will be able to enjoy rich cultural, artistic, entertainment and gastronomic content.

The setting of the wooden houses at the Independence Square makes a central holiday location where the products of businesspeople and artists from Montenegro will be presented, and the presents will be distributed to children with a full-day entertainment program.

On the main stage, which will be placed on the square, there will be music programs every day. Also, visitors will enjoy excellent art sections for children, theater performances, sports, and recreational activities and many other things.

Not far from the square, in Njegoš's park, there will be a skating rink that will round off the story of Podgorica winter holiday idyllic scenery.

Text by S.B., on December 19th, 2018, read more at CdM

December 20, 2018 - Within the program of celebrating the Liberation Day of Podgorica, the Mayor of Podgorica Ivan Vuković and the President of the Union of Employers of Montenegro (UPCG) Svetlana Vuksanović officially opened the Competence Center Podgorica. The establishment of the Center is one of the activities of the cross-border project "competenceNET", whose partner in Montenegro is UPCG, and is implemented within INTERREG IPA CBC Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro 2014-2020 program.

"This is a nice way to celebrate our holiday and I am very pleased that in a relatively short time, together with our friends and partners from the Union of Employers, we managed to open this kind of facility in the center of the city, which will serve for courses, training, and seminar organization, all in order to alleviate the consequences of a serious problem that we still face, which is the problem of insufficient employment in the Capital. Above all, among the young people, then women, members of the Roma population, and so on. In this way the capital shows a very responsible attitude towards this issue and demonstrates its willingness to address the improvement of living conditions in Podgorica continuously," said the mayor of Podgorica at the opening ceremony of the Competence Center Podgorica. UPCG President Svetlana Vuksanovic in her speech, expressed gratitude to the mayor of Podgorica for cooperation and support of the Capital for the activities of UPCG on the establishment of the Center. 

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution creates new frameworks that seek to adapt quickly and join the global market. The Competence Center Podgorica is an example of the activity that UPCG responds to the challenges of this kind, which is confirmed by the valuable equipment provided within the competenceNET project, which includes, among other things: a digital camera, twenty desktop computers, five 3D printers, a smart board. I believe that the time before us will confirm the effects of such an investment, and thus the contribution of project partners from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia to the processes of creating a business environment that stimulates the entrepreneurial climate, helps the development of sustainable enterprises, the competitiveness and economic progress of our and countries in the region," Vuksanovic said. 

Today, the Competence Center Podgorica will support the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through activities involving the organization of training and mentoring programs for MSMEs and unemployed young people in the field of business competence development, as well as the introduction of new technologies and innovative solutions to business (through smart collaboration programs). In this way, the Center will, as they emphasize, help to strengthen entrepreneurship of both small and medium businesses and encourage young people to approach the development of business ideas creatively.

"One of the advantages of cooperation between the partners of the cross-border region is that the Competence Center Podgorica will share its services with centers that were previously established in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, also within the competenceNET project. This means that the users of Podgorica Center will have the opportunity, through the webinar and the mobile application, to access additional, specialized services offered by other project centers. With the opportunity to develop specific knowledge and skills, this will enable the MMSP from Podgorica and the countries of the region to connect more strongly and thus begin future business cooperation," they said.

The work of the Competence Center Podgorica is based on the cooperation of the private, public and scientific research sector, which is a framework that will be further developed in Montenegro in the future and in other countries of the EU-funded cross-border project "competenceNET".

"The project" competenceNET "- "Improving the transnational business environment through the development of centers for the business competencies and networks "is implemented by the Development Agency Žepče (RAŽ) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the leading partner with the partners of the Union of Employers of Montenegro (UPCG) and the municipalities of Stari Jankovci and Tovarnik from Croatia. The duration of the project is 30 months, and the total budget is 670,619.24 EUR, out of which the EU finances 85, and 15 percent is co-financed by project partners.

The aim of the project is to improve sustainable economic development in Zenica-Doboj Canton (BiH), Vukovar-Srijem County (HR) and Podgorica, using innovative models and approaches in strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs.

Text by CdM, on December 19th, 2018, read more at CdM 

December 20, 2018 - In the hall where they have defeated Baskonia, CSKA and Barcelona, the basketball players of Budućnost Voli are looking for a new wonder - a triumph over the European champion. The match starts at 8 p.m.

Hell. This word best describes the layout of the basketball players of Buducnost Voli in the second half of December. After having played three matches in less than 96 hours and losing all three (to Gran Canarias, Cibona and Anadolu Efes), the guys from Podgorica had only a one day for break until the match with one of the greatest European teams – Fenerbahçe.

 The team of Aleksandar Džikić will try to perform another sensation tonight (at 8 p.m.) in "Morača", so that after Baskonia, CSKA and Barcelona, the vice-champion of Europe also collapses. But in order to be able to imagine this, they have to play much better than they did two days earlier in Istanbul, when they lost to Efes 106:68.

"Unfortunately, we are a completely different team on the home court and elsewhere. The good thing is that we know that we will be able to compete tonight, because we play at home, but it is frustrating that we do not know why this difference takes place related to the matches here and away. The fact is that we have incredible fans, but they cannot be held responsible for 40 points. Now we are focused on the match with Fenerbahçe. and we know that we have beat big teams here, but we need to play better than against Efes so we can stay alive," Edwin Jackson is realistic. The French defender knows a recipe for the fight against the visiting team.

"We have to play wisely, not lose balls, control the game. It is also necessary to make them play defense, as they are a team that achieves a lot of points. We have to push them out of their rhythm and find our shot. When it comes to shooting, Buducnost has failed in the last few games, just like Jackson.

"I am not concerned only about me, the whole team has to find better chemistry, a better attack, the ball must be more fluid. If so, we will have every chance to score," 29-year-old from Poa is clear. The problem in the last few matches is that Nikola Ivanovic has not played due to injury.

"We only have a few defenders, he would definitely help us. He has great basketball intelligence, he understands the game, and he is another shooter that would be dangerous in the attack. Aleksa Ilic is also absent, and the season is going on and the exhaustion is slowly coming to us. It's not good when players are missing, because they are important both on the field and outside. I hope that Nikola will return as soon as possible," Jackson concluded.

"After three heavy matches away, we finally have one game at home to catch our breath, but Fenerbahçe is waiting for us, which has great series of nine victories in the Euro league. We do not need to waste words about the opponent, we all know what kind of team and individuals they are. For years they have been together, with the same trainer, a great system, but we have not sold our skin to anyone here, I hope that we will not have to do it to them. We will not look for an alibi in the tiredness and lack of players, we will go out on the field ready to achieve the best possible result," Petar Popovic made it clear.

The young player from Cetinje is aware of how much they miss having Ivanovic, but he does not want to search for justifications in that story.

"In such a strenuous rhythm every player who can play even for a minute, and especially Nikola, which means a lot to us, is important. We are ready to compensate for his absence and try not to feel it in the game," said Popovic.

The team that crashed Baskonia and Barcelona, and especially CSKA, cannot be tossed aside just like that. In the sold-out hall of “Moraca”, even Fener will not be easy, although it is difficult to find the weak point of that team.

"It's stupid to talk about Fenerbahçe's defects and how to find them, not many better teams than us on paper did it. The good thing is that we are accustomed to the audience and made such an atmosphere that everyone expects that we can win against Fenerbahçe. But first of all, we should be realistic and say that they are better than us, but that we will go out to fight and give the maximum. If we win, it would be a sensation," Petar Popovic concludes honestly. 

Text by Nikola Nikolic, on December 20th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

December 20, 2018 - Sveti Marko Island is a natural and cultural heritage pearl in Tivat's bay. Entirely covered with greenery, mainly olive and cypress trees, once it was one of the most popular adventure tourism destinations in Montenegro. Sveti Marko today is wholly abandoned and waiting for some better times to be discovered again.

19 December 2018 - Minister of Science Sanja Damjanović paid an official visit to Slovenia, where she met with newly elected Minister of Education, Science and Sports Jernej Pikalo for talks on the regional project of setting up the South-East Europe International Institute for Sustainable Technologies (SEEIIST).

Minister Damjanović stressed the significance of the SEEIIST project as one of the most prominent examples of "Science for Society" projects because of its medical application regarding using the most modern method in treating a wide range of cancer. She also highlighted its scientific dimension, pointing out that this project would be unique in the world precisely because 50% of the time would be devoted to biomedicine research. It is a development project that would enable the involvement of the economic sector, as the goal is to involve enterprises from the region in the construction of this modern technology, which would encourage technological transfer. As the project is now entering an active phase, active involvement of partners is needed, with Slovenia being one of the first countries to support the project. The first next step in this regard is the establishment of a joint body, which would apply for additional resources to finalise the "Design Study Phase."

Minister Pikalo agreed that such a project is needed for the region of Southeast Europe, but also for Europe in general, especially emphasising that within the Horizon Europe, the next EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation, within the second pillar "Collaborative Projects," "children's cancer" is on the list of missions' funding, so that the topic is currently in the context of the use of funds from this programme.

The two officials commended the excellent bilateral scientific and technological cooperation between the two ministries. They also voiced a willingness to reach an agreement on the future steps towards the SEEIIST project, which is of paramount importance for the implementation of the "Preparatory Phase."

During the mid-September, the SEEIIST Project was introduced in Montenegro. On this occasion, minister Damjanović concluded that the SEE region needs a major scientific research infrastructure that would trigger scientific excellence, prevent the outflow of talents, and stimulate innovation, mobility, internationalisation, and transfer of knowledge, as well as other complementary technologies. All of these necessities are methods of improving socio-economic conditions and enabling an attractive environment for young people, in which they want to work and create within their own country. This project, added Minister Damjanović, although fifth in Europe, will be unique in the world because it predicts that 50% of the project timeline will be spent on research, which will attract researchers from Western Europe.

19 December 2018 - Prime Minister Duško Marković and President of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts Dragan K. Vukčević held an official meeting and noted that the history and culture of the country are the values that have been confirmed, and that development, civic harmony, and dialogue create the identity of contemporary Montenegro, which should be consolidated and promoted by all social stakeholders.

"Montenegro is not a state of nations but a state of citizens. In such a state, any kind of nationalism is dangerous and unacceptable. The basic question is whether we have the answers citizens expect from us or whether we will maintain the status quo and seek for patriots and enemies," said Prime Minister Duško Marković. He added that social dialogue is considered possible and desirable on every topic, except on the topic of the State of Montenegro. "The State is the only topic that cannot be the subject of any dialogue," Prime Minister Marković stressed.

President of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts Vukčević noted that the goal of the synchronised action of all relevant segments of society should be Montenegro, which we aspire in the future.

"Europe will recognise our values depending on the efforts we are willing to make to attain that goal," said Academician Vukčević.

December 19, 2018 - A Nordic skiing path, regular transport to the ski resort, more efficient maintenance of city streets and garbage collection, and more intensive promotion of the tourist offer are some of the novelties announced at the meeting with representatives of the tourism companies by the local government in Kolasin.

The director of the local tourism organization, Aleksandar Vlahović, announced that the season would be officially opened on Saturday, December 22nd, with a rich entertainment program at the Ski Center Kolašin 1450, as well as in the city square, as written by “Dnevne novine”.

The event is organized in cooperation with the National Tourist Organization (NTO), and on that day there will be a 50 percent discount on the ski lanes and free transportation to the ski resort, as well as free tasting of national dishes and wines. "For the first time this year, tourists and citizens of Kolasin will also have a Nordic skiing path, one and a half kilometer long, with instructors and the possibility of renting equipment in the two biggest hotels in Kolasin “Bjanka” and “Sheraton”. The track is in the sports zone just a few hundred meters from the city center. This project was implemented at the initiative of 'Let's activate Kolasin' and in cooperation with NGO “Natura”, said Vlahovic

As it has been announced, after several years, by mid-February and possibly even longer, transportation by bus from the city to the Ski center Kolasin 1450 and Kolasin 1600 in both directions will be organized. The price of the promotional card is one euro in one direction. By the end of the month, Kolasin's tourist website will be launched, which will be, as they say, one of the most modern sites in the country.

According to the director of the Utility Company Milivoje Bulatovic, great attention is paid to the maintenance of streets during the winter period. The citizens can already see the results of the operation of this company. In the upcoming period, they plan to clean the sidewalk, which has not been practiced so far. Novelties were introduced, which, Bulatovic claimed, resulted in more regular waste disposal, while around 200 light bulbs were replaced on the public city lighting.

The big problem in Kolasin are illegal dumps, that is, the disposal of waste next to the container. We are on the way to solving this problem. Soon, it will be organized regularly, and for each street separately, for the disposal of this kind of garbage, and citizens will be informed about the terms later," Bulatovic said. At the meeting, it was noted that the problems of Kolašin were also water supply, as well as the sewerage network. In solving these major problems, said Milosav Bato Bulatovic, will be given considerable attention, and state assistance is expected. Bulatovic announced a public debate about the amendments to DUP Center and invited the tourist workers to submit proposals that will "preserve urban autochthonism of the city, but also provide an open door to investors".

Tect by Dnevne novine, on December 19th, 2018, read more at CdM

December 19, 2018 - The basketball players of Buducnost Voli suffered the worst defeat in Euro league this season, losing to Efes 106:68.

"The Blue" fought until the middle of the third quarter, and then stopped - the host made a series of 22:0 in five and a half minutes and gained a huge advantage.

"I congratulate Efes on the win. In the second half, they were superior, but we are a better team than we showed tonight, and the question is why we have so easily, without a fight, allowed the opponent to go up 30 points. I will talk to the players," said Aleksandar Dzikic after the match

 Asked why his team stumbled, Džikić replied: "Good question, to which I do not know the answer. At 59:53 it seemed as if we were extinguished We lost energy, we lost concentration, we knew what Buboa could do, we were preparing for him, but we did not succeed... We played fine in the first half, I do not know, I do not understand what happened in the second half," Dzikic said.

Turkish journalists asked whether the reason was the decline in defense or the fact that Erl Clark played only in one direction:

"The reason of our defeat was not because Erl Clark did not play in several directions," Dzikic said.

Text by Vijesti sport, on December 18th, 2018, read more at Vijesti