December 9, 2018 - The capital has announced the list of candidates for this year's award "19. December" award, and the first man of Podgorica, Ivan Vukovic, said that he was honored and privileged to be part of this story, bearing in mind the importance of the award given to those who are most deserving of the city's development in the past year.

The list includes scientist and professor emeritus Pavle Bogetić, director of the gymnasium "Slobodan Škerović" Podgorica Zoja Bojanić-Lalović, biologist, museum advisor and academician Zlatko Bulić, journalist, publicist and writer Slobodan Vukovic, founders of the International Festival of Puppetry Podgorica - Montenegro Davor Dragojević and Ljiljana Burzan-Nikolić, musical artist Zdravko Đuranović, basketball player KK "Budućnost VOLI" and member of the national team of Montenegro Nikola Ivanović, Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Slovenia Vojislav Kovač, writer Dragana Kršenković-Brković, journalist, author and editor of the television series "Traveling across Montenegro " Milorad Mico Miranovic, ethnologist Zorica Mrvaljevic, social worker and humanist Bisera Mustafic, theater and film artist Sejfo Seferovic, Association of fighters of NOR and anti-fascists of the City of Podgorica and folk guslar (minstrel) Milan Filipovic.

"I have no dilemma that the expert jury, as it was the case until now, will make the right choice and I would like to send gratitude to all the members for the dedication and attention that they unselfishly provide in order to choose the best among the best every year," Vukovic said at the first session of the Jury Award "19. December "for 2018.

As announced by PG Bureau, the names of the prize winners will be announced on the eve of the December 19th, Podgorica holiday, and the decision to award the prize will be announced by the president of the jury at the festive session of the Podgorica Assembly.

Text by CdM, on December 7th, 2018, read more at CdM

December 9, 2018 - The National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, in cooperation with local tourism organizations, strategic partners and the Embassy of Montenegro in Serbia, presented the offer of our country for the New Year's holidays in Belgrade. 

In addition to meeting with journalists, representatives of local tourist organizations Bar, Budva, Tivat, Kotor, Podgorica and Rozaje, as well as strategic partners, the offer and rich program for the New Year's holidays at squares and in hotels was presented. 

During the promotion, an entertaining program for visitors, face painting animation for children with Santa Claus and various gifts was organized. Within the program, the performance of Leontina and choir “Carolija” took place. The atmosphere was additionally heated by trumpeters, who for this occasion included New Year's melodies in their repertoire.

Montenegro is recognized as the favorite destination for tourists from Serbia when it comes to the New Year's holidays, and it is expected that this year, the Montenegrin coast and mountains will enjoy thousands of guests from this market.

Director of NTO of Montenegro, Željka Radak Kukavičić, said that in order to meet the upcoming holidays in all the towns across Montenegro, both on the coast and in the north, Montenegro has the perfect programs for New Year's Eve.

"I am sure that Montenegro, just as it was during the summer, both during the winter and during the New Year's holidays, will confirm the epithet of the destination that offers the best entertainment," she said.

She added that in January and February our mountains offer rich programs.

"It's not just skiing, but also many other things you will find in Zabljak, Kolasin, Rozaje, Berane, Vucje. Likewise, both our ski centers and coastal towns have a large number of events during January and February. I'm sure that all those who come to Montenegro in that period will have the best time ever," said Radak Kukavicic.

Marija Draskovic from TO Budva said that this year the town celebrates a great jubilee, which is 20 years of organizing New Year's at squares, in an authentic environment, among the walls of the Old Town.

"That's why, this year we have a five-day New Year's program, meaning five days, not just concerts in the evening, but also daily, rich content, including a great Christmas bazaar that will last for a month in Budva. Nevertheless, we expect that most people will be attracted by our evening program or concerts. Those five days will have five different genres. For the final night of this year, we will have a concert of the famous Dino Merlin," she announced.

As she said, the hotels in Budva did a great job.

"Many of the great stars from the region are performing as part of their New Year's arrangements. I believe that we will justify the title of the host for the best programs in the open and the best New Year's Eve, when it comes to the region," Draskovic emphasized.

Director of TO Kotor Ana Nives Radovic said that New Year's Eve in Kotor is certainly only part of the great manifestation “From Christmas to Christmas”, which lasts from December 23^rd to January 9^th.

"During all these days there will be a holiday program, celebrating both Christmas, and of course various cultural, entertainment and humanitarian content. For all ages, for all generations, for all tastes, certainly in the spirit of celebration, in the spirit of the holidays," Nives Radovic added.

TO Bar Director Emil Kukalj said that Bar this year is also organizing a festive New Year's Eve at the main town’s square. "This year we will have both local and regional stars and Bar will be a really good place to spend the holidays. We'll have a three-day program. On December 30^th Aco Pejovic will perform, for the New Year's Eve we have Sergej Cetkovic, and on January 1^st we will have Plavi orkestar," he said.

As announced, their visitors and citizens will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the local gastronomic offer, and a New Year Bazaar will be organized, where they will be able to taste and buy traditional products from the region.

"We will have a program for the youngest, where we will organize a New Year's show. We also plan to organize a Christmas concert of classical music. The prices are really affordable. Our hotels, agencies, private accommodations, have made an effort to really offer attractive prices and packages," concluded Kukalj.

Text by CdM, on December 9th, 2018, read more at CdM

December 9, 2018 - There is no place for luxury resorts on Skadar Lake, said the Council of Europe.

Therefore, at the last session in Strasbourg held at the end of November, the recommendations of Berne Convention on halting the construction of Porto Skadar Lake and the White Village in the National Park "Skadar Lake" were adopted.

"We recommend the Government of Montenegro to stop further construction on land and the coast at the Mihailovići site in the next 12 months. The new Spatial Plan of the Special Purpose of the National Park Skadar Lake should rely on the assumptions of the Spatial Plan of 2001 and proclaim the wider area of Rijeka Crnojevica and the islands of Liponjak and Galići as a zone I of strict protection. The new Spatial Plan of Special Purpose should also declare Poseljanski Bay and Biški rep as a Zone I of strict protection," the recommendation of the Bern Convention states.

This conclusion is the result of a visit by the representatives of Berne and RAMSAR, i.e. the Convention on the Protection of European Wild Species and Natural Habitats and Wetlands, to Skadar Lake in June this year.

Skadar Lake was on the agenda of the session of the Secretariat of the Berne Convention thanks to the informal association of citizens of Virpazar, who launched a petition in the summer to ban construction on the lake. It was signed by about 13,000 people. Today, however, we were unable to get a comment from the representatives of this association.

After several days of waiting they did not answer our question: if they will act upon the recommendations of the Council of Europe, no answer was received by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.

NGO Green House reminds that Montenegro has ratified both Ramsar and Berne conventions.

"If these recommendations were violated, this could significantly escalate at the international level and lead to the deletion of Skadar Lake from the RAMSAR list," says Natasa Kovacevic from Green Home.

Citizens of Virpazar hope, however, that by the arrival of foreign investors to the lake they would finally get roads and jobs.

"I think that they should be allowed to work, with the satisfaction of those standards that are implied, the protection of the lake and the rest..."; "They will offer jobs, and it will look good..."; "Personally, as a citizen here, when I go home and when somebody comes to visit, it would be nice to have better roads and ambience when someone passes by..." are some of the opinions by the locals.

Kovačević says that such comments are not surprising, because the inhabitants of the settlement around Skadar Lake have never been given an alternative that they would benefit from, and the lake remained protected. 

"This is an alternative to the development of tourism based on traditional architecture, based on the natural features of the lake, because it is the only curiosity that the lake has. The only alternative offered to them is the mega-touristic infrastructure ...".

Although the damage to Biški rep is made, Kovačević believes that it is not irreparable. "This devastated area should return to its former state, and this should be done at the expense of the investors." Porto Skadar Lake is worth around 160 million euros, and it is planned to have 51 apartments, 30 villas, and its marina. The French investor Lionel Sonigo started preparatory works two years ago, and his opinion on the Spatial Plan of the Special Purpose of the National Park Skadar Lake in late September was supposed to be given by Montenegrin MPs, but the plan was returned for refinement.

Text by Marija Otasevic, on December 8th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

December 9, 2018 - A special police team working with the Special State Prosecutor's Office has asked the Kotor Municipality to submit the complete documentation regarding the procedures of local government in connection with the issuance of building permits for investors, the company "A-Y Montenegro" from Kotor.

"Dragan Radonjić, leader of the team as per the instructions by SDT on November 15^th, requested from the Municipality of Kotor insight into the complete documentation and files of the cases related to the administrative procedure in relation to the application for issuing construction permits to the company “A-Y Montenegro”. "From this, I assume that this investor filed a criminal complaint against me to SDT because these permits have not been issued to them till today," said the Mayor of Kotor Vladimir Jokić (Democrats).

"AY Montenegro" submitted in September or November 2016 a total of eight requests to the Kotor municipality for the issuance of construction permits on the plots owned by that company in Kostanjica, and requested the approval to construct as many as thirty new residential tourist and auxiliary facilities, a total area of almost 8,700 square meters. They asked for this, referring to the controversial, amended DUP Kostanjica from 2009, which on the then untouched area from the Turkish cap to Kostanjica, is registered dozen of new objects of "tourist purpose". This DUP was brought to the time when Kotor was the ruled by the local DPS-SDP authority for the mandate of Mayor Marija Ćatović.

Boka Kotorska – photo Boka News 2018.

In 2009, the Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments gave a negative opinion on the proposal of amendments to the DUP Kostanjica, but the opinion, however, was expressed after the deadline of 15 days of how long the institutions have to send their approval on the proposed planning document. Therefore, the Municipality of Kotor, managed by Ćatović at that time, adopted DUP Kostanjica, formally declaring that the Institute did not pronounce its opinion within the deadline, which is considered to be a tacit consent. In the meantime, according to this planning document, several tens of thousands of square meters of housing facilities in Kostanjica have already been built, which has already destroyed the image on the islands of Our Lady of the Rocks and St. George from Perast. UNESCO warned that further construction in this area would certainly jeopardize the survival of Kotor in the list of protected sites of the world's natural and cultural heritage under the UNESCO patronage.

Kotor – photo Boka News

The current ruling coalition made by the Democrats-DF-URA-SDP, with the parliamentary support of the SNP, was put in an unenviable position because the government allegedly trying to keep Kotor on the UNESCO list, and a year ago introduced a moratorium on a new construction in Kotor Bay, but simultaneously, through the mouth of Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulovic (DPS), told the local authorities to "act by law" and issue all the building permits for which the requests were submitted before the entry into force of the moratorium. Among them are the demands for some very controversial projects that, according to the UNESCO expert's viewpoint, could jeopardize the status of Kotor as natural and cultural heritage, especially in the area of Kostanjica, Dobrota, and Glavati.

"The purpose of all this with the SDT is now to put pressure on me to issue these building permits to this investor," Jokic said, reminding that in the meantime, Minister Radulovic recommended Jokic in several public appearances "that these permissions should be rejected", and such opinion was signed even publicly in front of RTCG cameras by the then director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Property Anastazija Miranovic, when the Mayor of Kotor offered it to her.

None of the leaders of the state, except Radulovic who officially said that he "acted according to the law," did not respond to the letter of the mayor Vladimir Jokic, who in December 2017, from Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, the president of the Assembly, Ivan Brajovic, the then president of the state, Filip Vujanovic, and several other competent state institutions, demanded that the state takes a stand on the issue of further construction on the locations identified as critical ones by UNESCO, including Kostanjica. The government also ignored the invitation to the Council for the Management of the Natural and Cultural-Historical District of Kotor, which in January asked the Government to urgently, at its next session, to take a position what the Municipality of Kotor should do regarding the application for issuing construction permits for the new mammoth construction in the area of Kostanjica. The same request to the Government in March was also unsuccessful, sent by SO Kotor. The approval of such construction would definitely bring Kotor out of the list of protected heritage, which would have unreasonable negative consequences for both the town of Kotor and the state of Montenegro.

Vladimir Jokić – photo Boka News

"We are asking the state and all competent institutions to get involved in resolving the issue of Kostanjica. This is not a question of today's coalition government in Kotor, nor the authorities that will come tomorrow. This is the issue of preserving the space that we have to keep, this is the issue of preserving Kotor on the UNESCO list. The "permanent silence" of the state is astounding. I think it is time that we in this town finally get an answer to the question of whether the state of Montenegro intends to preserve the status of Kotor on the UNESCO list or not. Both of them are legitimate, but we need to know where we are "- mayor Jokic said at a session of the SO in March this year. He called on the state to "stand by its authority and power" on behalf of the town.

"What I assure you is that even if the state remains silent if the legal procedure does not change drastically, the Municipality of Kotor, while I am at its head and while this team is in the local executive power, will not allow such a devastation of space. We will not allow someone to mock at what has remained in the heritage of this generation to be protected," Jokic concluded. 

Gospa od Škrpjela (Lady of the Rocks) and Kostanjica March 2018.

The 'fruits' of his decision to not allow the further continuation of the destruction of Kostanjica, and to preserve Kotor for UNESCO, Jokic brought in front of SDT led by Milivoje Katnic, who sent a special police team to Kotor to inspect all the documents regarding the requests by the company “A-Y Montenegro”. In the meantime, this company appealed first to the Chief Administrator of the Municipality, and then to the Administrative Court, which ordered the Municipality to "decide upon the request" for building permits. Since the permits have not been received even to this day, "A-Y Montenegro" has addressed Katnić.

Text by S.L., on December 8th, 2018, read more at Boka news

08 December 2018 - Montenegro has received an additional 68.6 million EUR of non-refundable support from the EU and bilateral donors of the West Balkans Investment Framework for the implementation of four investment projects in the area of transport and the environment and the preparation of project documentation for two new projects. 

Additional funds were approved at the nineteenth meeting of the Steering committee of the West Balkan Investment Framework, held in Luxembourg, organized by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. 

Additional non-refundable grants were approved through the fourth call for investment projects and the twentieth call for project preparation, and in the context of the financial support provided by the EU and the bilateral donors of this instrument in the framework of the Berlin Process. 

For the construction of the priority part of the bypass around Budva within the route of the coastal variant of the Adriatic-Ionian motorway, the EU will allocate 42.1 million EUR for works, whose total value will exceed 188 million. By building a priority part of the bypass, road transport in this part of the coastal region will be significantly improved and the problem of traffic jams in the center of Budva will be resolved, especially during the summer months. 

In addition to investing in road transport, the EU has approved the allocation of 16.3 million EUR of non-refundable support for the development of rail transport. In addition to the reconstruction of steel bridges and sections of the railway line Lutovo-Bioče, the project envisages the procurement of three new passenger trains, which will significantly improve the safety, efficiency and comfort of this type of traffic for citizens. An integral part of the project is the reconstruction of workshops and depots for train maintenance in Bar and Nikšić and procurement of new equipment for this purpose. 

In addition to investment projects in the field of transport, 7.7 million EUR of non-refundable support was granted for strengthening infrastructure in the area of environmental protection. With the amount of 4.7 million EUR, the construction of the sewerage system in Risan and Perast will be financed, which will solve the issue of wastewater collection in these coastal areas, which will influence the improvement of the quality of bathing water in the Bay of Kotor. For the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Bijelo Polje 3 million EUR were allocated, which makes almost half of the necessary funds for solving the issue of wastewater treatment in the largest municipality in the north of Montenegro. Support to environmental projects is in line with the EU's commitment to support Montenegro's efforts to improve the environmental protection system in the long term. 

In regard to financial support for the preparation of projects, 1.3 million EUR was approved for the preparation of the necessary documentation for the reconstruction of the railway line from Podgorica to the border with Albania and 1.2 million EUR for the preparation of a project to build a new prison in Mojkovac. 

"Given that the funds are allocated through calls open to all Western Balkan countries, the fact that Montenegro has been granted the most funds this year confirms the ability of the Government and the administration to properly plan investments and infrastructure and prepare projects in accordance with the requirements and EU rules," Deputy Chief Negotiator - National IPA Coordinator Ivana Glišević Đurović said. 

She stressed that the Government will continue to work dedicatedly when it comes to planning investments in infrastructure, that infrastructure projects are among the main priorities of the Government. "I am convinced that the implementation of these projects will be of great importance for everyday life of citizens, but also for intensifying economic growth and development through improving the infrastructure connectivity and creating preconditions for the development of tourism through improvements in the field of environmental protection," Glišević Đurović said. 

On the margins of the meeting, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Katariná Mathernová congratulated on approved projects and expressed willingness to continue the successful cooperation.

08 December 2018 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović participates in the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting, which took place on 6-7th December in Milano, Italy. 

Speaking about the role of the OSCE in strengthening security, Minister Darmanović said that the activities of the organisation and the full respect of the fundamental values of the OSCE are of paramount importance in resolving security challenges. "The current crises just confirm the relevance of the concept of comprehensive OSCE security and show the importance of the role that the OSCE has in providing a single platform for a constructive dialogue on the most important security issues," Darmanović said, pointing out the need for firm commitment to the OSCE's core values – respect for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights and freedoms. 

In the context of the recent use of military force and Russian activities in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, which currently represent the biggest and most serious challenge to European security architecture, Darmanović said that this is another direct consequence of violating the fundamental principles on which the OSCE and the international order are resting. He recalled that Montenegro expressed concern about the incident and joined the calls for de-escalation of tensions. He reiterated that Montenegro fully supports a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the crisis, including the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format, based on the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine in its internationally recognised borders. 

On the margins of the Ministerial Council, Minister Darmanović met with his Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi. The two officials welcomed the priorities of the Italian presidency aimed at strengthening the role of the OSCE to reduce conflicts, restore confidence, combat radicalisation, promote good governance, fight corruption, combat intolerance and discrimination, and strengthen structural dialogue. 

Minister Darmanović also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Miroslav Lajčak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov.

07 December 2018 - "The Government of Montenegro does not envisage any additional measures of fiscal consolidation other than those established in 2017, but next year we will focus on improving tax environment, further economic growth and employment increase," Minister of Finance Darko Radunović said introducing the 2019 Draft Budget Law, which was adopted last night by the Government. 

By presenting the budget for the next year, the Minister reminded that the Government of Montenegro started the fiscal policy in the past two years with the implementation of the Plan for reduction of the budget deficit and the public debt, supplemented by the Government's 2017-2020 Fiscal Strategy, taking care that they do not slow down the economic growth, nor endanger the socially most sensitive segments of society. 

"The following indicators show that the measures were well balanced: a strong economic growth of 4.7 percent in 2017, and 4.8 percent in the first half of 2018, with a projection of 4.1 percent by the end of the year, an increase in Montenegrin GDP per capita to 46 percent of the EU average and an increase in the number of employees by nearly 11,000 in relation to 2016, the regularity of payment of wages, pensions, social benefits (with the growth of certain categories), strengthening of the international investment position of Montenegro reflected through the improvement of the credit rating and the most successful issue of eurobonds aimed at refinancing part of the public debt, as well as obtaining the World Bank Policy-Based Guarantee, which is also important for refinancing the part of the public debt and establishing its declining trend," the Minister of Finance said.

The Minister of Finance expressed the belief that every Montenegrin family had the opportunity to see and feel something from the numerous activities that the Government undertook in an effort to improve the quality of life - either through subsidies from agriculture, scholarship or free education for thousands of students, through the possibility for citizens to take medicine for free that they may have had to pay earlier or more easily travel with time and fuel savings, some of the reconstructed roads through Montenegro. 

Speaking of the proposed budget for 2019, the Minister of Finance and acting General Director of the State Budget Directorate Bojan Paunović stated that budget revenues increased by around 190.7 million as estimated for 2018 (or 12.2 percent compared to 2017); that the budget deficit was reduced from 5.5 percent of GDP in 2017 to an estimated 3.8 percent of GDP in 2018 and that a surplus of current consumption was achieved.

The Minister emphasised that this year we have the largest capital budget in Montenegro since the renewal of independence – 320.93 million EUR and that most of that money is foreseen for the Northern region. 

"The 2018 Draft Budget Law envisages the total amount of receipts and expenditures of EUR 2,384 billion or 50% of GDP. This is less about the rebalance for 2018. The budget for 2019 is characterized by faster revenue growth than expenditures (i.e. controlled expenditure growth and further changes in their structure), thereby reducing the deficit to 142.3 million euros or 2.97 percent of GDP. The current budget spending in 2019 will be fully financed from the original income, and a current consumption surplus of 197 million euros will be generated. This meets one of the basic requirements for fiscal policy planning. Continuing a rational attitude towards budget spending is important. We have achieved an excellent surplus of current consumption this year; I think that we have the opportunity to achieve an even better result next year," Finance Minister Darko Radunović said. 

The Minister, concluding the presentation of the proposed budget for 2019, assessed that its main characteristics are: 

• The growth of original income by 71 million EUR about 2018; 
• Optimization of current budget spending 
• Increasing investments in infrastructure projects through the most significant amount of the Capital Budget since gaining independence (320 million EUR); 
• Increasing allocations for education, sports, agriculture, entrepreneurship; 
• Reducing the need for loans, i.e. reducing the missing funds to 556 million EUR (out of which 180 million EUR refers to deposits already available); 
• The regularity of performing all public functions of the state (payments of pensions, social benefits, etc., with increase according to legal harmonization); 
• Payroll regularity, with an increase in salaries of current public sector employees by 10.9 million EUR. 

"Therefore, the 2019 Draft Budget Law is an expression of economic policy measures aimed at strengthening fiscal stability by implementing fiscal consolidation measures; support of competitiveness and development, as well as the regularity of performing all public functions in order to ensure sustainable growth of the economy, which helps further increase of the living standard of citizens" Minister Radunović concluded. 

07 December 2018 - A person who decides to be the mediation agent to persons applying for obtaining economic citizenship through investments, will have to pay 50.000 EUR for the licence. This was defined by the Government’s decision on the criteria, manner, and procedure of the selection of a person who can gain Montenegrin citizenship.

Licences are valid for one year and can be extended two times, at the request of a mediation agent.

Costs of issuing and extending the licence are borne by the mediation agent who must fulfill the following requirements: responsible person in that legal entity in Montenegro or in some other state hasn’t been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence that lasted longer than one year, for a criminal offence that is prosecuted ex officio, and that he/she has been performing the same or similar activities in at least three states on the basis of the agreement, i.e. licence, and in at least one EU Member State.

Starting from the 1st January 2019, and in the next three years, maximum of 2.000 investors will be able to obtain Montenegrin citizenship.

An applicant for economic citizenship must deposit 450.000 EUR for the projects that are being implemented at the south of the state or in the Capital, 250.000 EUR for the projects in the north and central part of the state, and 100.000 EUR intended for the development of less developed areas.

Deposit for administration process per applicant amounts 15.000 EUR  and 10.000 EUR for every member of their family. If the family counts more than five members, 50.000 EUR tax is paid for each one.

The decision on economic citizenship was rendered with the aim of enhancing the economic development of the state and attracting investments.

Back in October, it was estimated that economic citizenship would bring more than 1 billion EUR to Montenegro. Read more about this here.

08 December 2018 - Luštica Development Company presented the Luštica Bay Project in China for the first time. The project was presented at a prominent event organized in cooperation with the largest portal for investments and real estate in China, Juwai China Agent Summit.

“We are delighted to be the golden sponsor of Juwai China Agent Summit 2018, and a key speaker at the Property Forum today in Shanghai,” said the representatives of Luštica Development Company.

Juwai China Agent Summit is an event in China that provides instant on-the-ground sales channels, allowing individuals and companies to network with local Chinese agents, extend their network in China, and learn from industry experts about how to connect and do business with Chinese overseas property buyers. Juwai, which means “home overseas”, is visited by thousands of Chinese buyers each day from over 326 cities throughout China, as well as major Chinese communities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Beyond the opportunity to gain insights into the Chinese market from industry leaders, international agents who visit the Juwai event, gain the privilege to network one-to-one with top local Chinese agents from areas like real estate, immigration, financial wealth planning, and education industries – who may become valuable allies in capturing the vast Chinese “buying homes overseas” market.

Representatives of Luštica Development have had a great honour to participate in such an event, and even become the “golden sponsor” of the Juwai Manifestation. Still, their presentation in China continued during the Luxury Properties Showcase 2018 in Shanghai. LPS Shanghai is the leading luxury real estate exhibition held in China’s commercial and financial capital. Organised in cooperation with over 200 official media & show partners, the eighteenth consecutive edition of LPS has allowed the city’s elite property buyers to interact and mingle with the world’s most influential property experts. Held at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre located in the heart of the city, LPS Shanghai 2018 showcased properties from all over the world: China, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia, France, UK, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and many more.

By building an impressive and luxurious marina town that offers waterfront residences, hotels, berths, golf and lifestyle facilities, Luštica Development team has become a valuable segment of Orascom Development Holding. The representatives of LD took part in the LP Shanghai Showcase as key speakers of the event. “This is the first presentation of Luštica Development Projects to the Chinese market. We had an opportunity to explain all about our latest developments and projects to the visitors of the fair,” announced the LD PR service.

08 December 2018 - Porto Montenegro was awarded recognition at this year’s prestigious regional CIJ Awards for Serbia and Southeast Europe, with successes across three categories: Best Lux Residential Development, Best Overall Residential Development, and Best Marketing & PR Campaign of the Year. Competing against some strong real estate candidates in the region, Porto Montenegro managed to secure the most significant and best-ranked nominations, as voted by a network of members and partners of CIJ, the CEE & SEE Europe’s Real Estate businesses.

The Porto Montenegro marina village features contemporary chic residences with architecture inspired by the Italian Riviera, ideally suited to the surroundings of the Bay of Kotor. The residences offer studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations and luxury penthouses, roof terraces and infinity pool podiums with spectacular views of one of the most beautiful bays in the world, as well as a stunning backdrop of Mount Lovćen. These are all factors that make Porto Montenegro one of the most prestigious addresses on the Montenegrin coast, with 290 completed residential units and a total of 410 anticipated in summer 2019, commented National PR Manager at Porto Montenegro, Kristina Skanata.

These awards serve as an acknowledgment to the investors, team of architects and interior designers, and all partner companies involved in the construction of the development. Above all, we are particularly proud to have received the award for the Best Marketing & PR Campaign of the Year. This tells us that we’ve succeeded in promoting a positive image of Porto Montenegro throughout the region, as well as promoting the Tivat Riviera and Montenegro as a destination, she added.

The third CIJ Awards Serbia/SEE took place in Belgrade this week at the Hyatt hotel with a multinational crowd on hand to cheer on the winners. The region has been the focus of an increasing level of investment into real estate, including industrial, retail and residential projects. The results of this wave of investment is now making itself felt in the country with increasing numbers of high-quality projects hitting the market, commented Robert Fletcher, General Manager of CIJ.

The CIJ Awards is a coveted annual awards ceremony for the real estate industry across South East Europe organized by CIJ EUROPE, the leading real estate news provider across North to South East Europe. CIJ EUROPE was founded in 1994.

Read more about the CIJ Awards Ceremony and Porto Montenegro here.