Dora is grateful to the art team, who signs her sixth song “A child is an Important Man.“ 

Dora Štampić Already Has Six Songs

Also, no children's event in Tivat and Kotor passes without Dora's participation, and for the second year in a row, she also participated in the accompanying program of the Festival of Children's Theater Kotor. Calls are coming all the time and from the other parts of Montenegro. Also, as a representative of the Tivat Music School, Dora Štampić often performs at national competitions of music schools' students.

22 November 2018 - The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and the Department for Gender Equality, delivered three two-day workshops during October and November 2018 to gender equality focal points from 12 Montenegrin municipalities on how to train their colleagues on understanding gender equality and gender mainstreaming.

The workshops, held in Podgorica on 24-26 October, 1-2 November and 13-14 November 2018, provided participants with an opportunity to learn how to plan and deliver training courses and organize awareness-raising events within their respective municipalities. Through an interactive approach, the experts strengthened the participants’ knowledge of gender mainstreaming, explained the legal framework about gender equality, and presented training techniques and skills.

The OSCE Mission, in cooperation with the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality in Montenegro, held the training courses on gender mainstreaming to ensure that gender equality is a core component in legislative drafting. Members of Parliament and parliamentary committee staff discussed how to analyse legislation from a gender perspective, strategize to mainstream gender in state institutions and develop gender equality policy consistent with international standards.

“We want to support the parliament in its efforts to translate its legislative commitments into good practices, to become more and more a gender-sensitive parliament,” says Ana Krušić, Senior Programme Assistant at the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. The OSCE Mission to Montenegro has been working in partnership with the parliament for many years on projects which, in addition to the promotion of gender mainstreaming, have included capacity building of committees, working with administrative staff and supporting exchanges of regional experiences. Gender expert Karolina Leaković, who led the training course, said: “Cooperation with the parliament and its service is important because the parliament is at the centre of the legislative process and has an important role in developing gender-sensitive legislation and promoting principles of gender equality.”

The training course is a part of the education on gender equality and gender mainstreaming envisaged by the Action Plan for a Gender Sensitive Parliament, which was developed and adopted by the Committee with the support of the Mission and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The first course was organized in April this year.

Read more about OSCE mission here.

22 November 2018 - The national carriers from the former Yugoslavia handled over 5,2 million passengers during the first three quarters of 2018. Croatia Airlines, Adria Airways, and Montenegro Airlines all recorded growth when compared to last year’s results, while Air Serbia's figures declined, with the airline also operating fewer flights.

Air Serbia continues to maintain its position as the busiest national airline in the former Yugoslavia, despite a drop in the number of passengers handled. According to Belgrade Airport's quarterly report, the carrier welcomed roughly 2,043,000 travellers during the first three quarters of the year, representing a decrease of 4,9%. The number of operated flights was reduced by 1,5% over the same period. The report suggests that the airline held a passenger share of 46,4% at Belgrade Airport. At the same time, foreign carriers recorded significant passenger growth amounting to 17,8%. Air Serbia itself is yet to publish any official operational results for the year so far.

Croatia Airlines handled a record of 1,705,470 passengers during the January - September period, which is an increase of 3,1%. Out of the record number of passengers, 412,420 travellers were carried on domestic flights, which is a growth of 1,4%, while 1,223,170 passengers flew on international services, an improvement of 2,5%. The remaining 69,880 passengers were carried on charter flights, which is a yearly increase of 24,4%. However, charters accounted for only 4% of overall traffic. The airline operated on 21,891 flights during the first three quarters of the year, which is a growth of 1,7% compared to the same period in 2017. The average cabin load factor stood at 73,7%, a fall of 0,5 points. Cabin loads were decreased on international flights by 0,2 points which is an average of 73,9%, while they declined 0,1 points to 72.4% on domestic services.

Adria Airways welcomed 982,597 passengers during the first three quarters of the year, representing an increase of 5,1%. The Slovenian carrier introduced seven new routes this summer, while the number of operated flights also grew. Unlike a part of last summer season, the airline did not maintain services out of its former base in Lodz in Poland but it recently stationed an aircraft in Paderborn in Germany, which will have an impact on its fourth quarter figures. Earlier this year, the carrier said, "Figures show we are on the right track, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us."

Montenegro Airlines handled 527,532 passengers during the January - September period, representing an increase of 13,6% from 2017, thus making it the fastest growing in the former Yugoslavia based on percentile growth. "The growth in all sectors of traffic comes as a result of the implementation of the optimal commercial strategy, as well as the responsible planning of resources and costs, which all had a positive impact on our operating results during the year," the airline said in a statement recently. Montenegro Airlines accounted for almost a quarter of all passengers passing through the country's two international airports - Podgorica and Tivat.

21 November 2018 - During this year, real estate worth about 130 million EUR will be sold in Budva, which is the highest amount in the last five years.

The fact that the real estate market has been revived is confirmed that this year, according to the rebalance, the municipality's cash register sum will increase by three million EUR for the collection of the real estate tax. If it is assumed that this figure is 80% of the total tax collected, the actual collection amounts to about 3,8 million EUR.

A fifth of the remaining tax collected goes to the state treasury. Although initially it was planned that the charge would amount to 2,5 million EUR, the revision led to the increase of this figure by half a million. Budva has retained its leadership position on the coast, when it comes to real estate business, but also construction, judging by the construction sites that “sprout” day by day, according to the local newspapers “Vijesti”.

The revival of the real estate market is certainly influenced by buyers who in recent years often come from Turkey. During 2018, Turkish real estate buyers have become owners of more than a hundred real estates - apartments, commercial buildings, and land. There are almost no residential buildings nor luxury apartment complexes in Budva, where Turkish citizens have not been registered as tenants.

Companies established in Montenegro by Turkish citizens are increasingly appearing as investors in the construction business, as evidenced by the interest of the Turkish businessmen to build a hotel on a plot in front of the Adriatic Fair.

In the period from 2014 to 2017, according to the Ministry of Finance, the Municipality of Budva calculated a total of 9,043,237 EUR in the name of the real estate tax.

According to data, the highest turnover was in 2014, when the real estate tax amounted to 3,566,549 EUR. During the same year, 2,253 real estate sales contracts were concluded. The turnover was somewhat lower in 2015 when the tax was calculated at 2,552,135 EUR, while 2,342 contracts were concluded. A decline in real estate transactions is visible in 2016 when only 1,070,081 EUR were charged for taxes, but 2,399 contracts were concluded. The recovery in real estate transactions is evident in 2017 when 2,221 contracts were concluded and 1,854,472 EUR were collected in the name of the real estate tax.

This data is not precise, since there are contracts from previous years, and also in the calculated amounts there are taxpayers who are exempt from payment.

The collected tax amounts exceed the amounts calculated, keeping in mind that many debtors settled debts from previous years in this period, and so in the period from 2014 to 2017, the Municipality of Budva collected as much as 12 million EUR in the name of the real estate tax.

Read more about Turkish influence on the Budva's real estate market here.

21 November 2018 - According to the security specialists of the International SOS Company, who assign specific ratings to countries by assessing a range of health risks and mitigating factors, Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous countries in the world, while Finland, Norway and Iceland are rated as the safest countries.

On the interactive map on this company’s website, you can find data for countries that are rated in three categories - safety, medical and road safety. Countries marked with dark red are the worst affected, while those rated as light green are the safest countries.

The medical factors assessed include infectious diseases, environmental factors, the standard and availability of local emergency medical and dental care, access to quality pharmaceutical supplies, the requirement for medical evacuation, in addition to cultural, language or administrative barriers. The travel security risk rating evaluates the threat posed to travellers and international assignees by political violence (including terrorism, insurgency, politically motivated unrest, and war), social unrest (including sectarian, communal and ethnic violence) as well as violent and petty crime. Other factors, such as the robustness of the transport infrastructure, the state of industrial relations, the effectiveness of the security and emergency services and the country’s susceptibility to natural disasters are also considered where they are of sufficient magnitude to impact the overall risk environment for travellers. Travel Security Risk Zones are areas within a country where the risks faced by travellers and international assignees are different from the country’s overall risk environment, usually necessitating a different level of preparation.

In Southeast Europe, Slovenia was declared the safest, while Kosovo is the least secure country. Comparing to the countries of the world, Slovenia is rated as a country with an “insignificant risk”, and Kosovo is a “medium risk” country. Montenegro, as well as Croatia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia are all rated as low-risk countries.

In terms of medical security, Montenegro is a medium-risk country, which the International SOS Company explains as a country with an “appropriate standard of care available from selected providers”. The countries with medium medical risks have reliable emergency services and dental care available most of the time. Some risks of food or water-borne diseases are still present. Montenegro enjoys a low-risk status on the list created by road safety criteria.

Read more about International SOS here.

21 November 2018 - According to AserNews reports, Portonovi Montenegro will feature as one of the leading exhibitors at the 4th International Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate held on November 22-24 at Baku Expo Centre.

Located at one of the most beautiful spots on the Mediterranean coast, this exquisite multi-use resort in Montenegro will open its doors to first residents in 2019.

Boasting its luxurious residential area with magnificent gardens, a D-Marin Portonovi Marina for boats and superyachts, the first One&Only resort in Europe with Espace Chenot Health Wellness Spa, Portonovi is set to be the most exclusive real estate project in this part of Europe.

On a perfect position between Italy, Greece and Balkan Peninsula, Montenegro is famous for magnificent nature, centuries-long history, rich cultural life, and soothing climate. Having more than 250 sunny days in a year, Portonovi is the perfect European home on a picturesque Mediterranean coast. Symbolizing the country’s outstanding beauty and exceptional lifestyle, the resort spreads on 26 hectares of land with more than 200 apartment residences and over 50 luxurious villas with gardens, amenities and branded interior design options. A mixture of restaurants, bars and high-end shops and galleries are designed for the citizens of the world who appreciates authenticity, culture and history of civilizations. This elegant neighborhood is set to be one of the most sought-after residential and leisure destinations in the Mediterranean.

On top of this, Montenegro as a European country has one of the most favorable legal, financial and tax systems for business investment. Increasing number of airlines from global destinations is definitely a great advantage. Also, open visa policy for many world countries is a sign of political stability and good cooperation on an international level.

Azmont Investments, the main developer, will feature this world-class resort at Real Estate & Investment Exhibition Rec Expo Real Estate from 22nd to 24th November at Baku Expo Centre.

21 November 2018 - The Tourist organization of the municipality of Budva, in cooperation with the National Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro, the tourism industry and strategic partners, has represented the tourism offer of Montenegro on the international exchange of tourism CITM 2018, which was held in Shanghai from November 16 to 18.

Traditionally, the Montenegrin and Serbian tourism offer was promoted under the joint brand "Wild Soul of Europe", which proved to be a good model, given the specificity of the East Asian region and the habits of Chinese tourists to visit as many of the countries that are geographically close during their travels.

Montenegro has noted significant growth in the past years in terms of arrivals and overnight stays from the Chinese market. During 2017, about 24 thousand Chinese tourists visited Montenegro, which is double the number of visits compared to the previous year. There were 34,000 overnight stays, which is also almost double the increase compared to the last year period.

The trend of growth continued this year, given that according to the official statistics of the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, from the beginning of the year to the end of September this year there is an increase of about 65% in the number of tourists in Montenegrin hotels from China, as well as an increase in the number of overnight stays of around 51% compared to the same period last year.

Visa liberalization has also contributed to good results, and now citizens of the People's Republic of China, who come to Montenegro in an organized manner (via tour operators), can travel without a visa.

In line with the growing interest of tourists from this market, during the fair, Montenegrin representatives spoke with numerous tour operators and agents from China, among whom was one of the leaders in this market - "Ctrip". The meetings discussed the possibilities of attracting a large number of Chinese tourists, visa liberalization for individual travel, connections with tour operators from Montenegro, and other subjects that might interest tour operators and tourists from China. On the second day of the fair, the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro has participated in a B2B event for networking of exhibitors and customers.

CITM is one of the most important tourism markets in Asia, which gathers over 2300 exhibitors from different countries of the world. The fair has visited over 800 specialized international buyers from the field of tourism from more than 100 countries. In addition, the stock market is visited by a large number of media outlets every year. Also, this year's International Tourism Fair CITM has hosted numerous high representatives of countries from all over the world, managers of world-renowned companies, well-known economic analysts as well as entrepreneurs from the People's Republic of China.

At the joint stand of Montenegro and Serbia, the joint tourism offer is promoted by the organizations Fly Montenegro, Budva Tourist Organization, Montenegrin Tourist Service Travel Agency and Travel Europe Vip.

20 November 2018 - Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted an inaugural visit by the newly appointed Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Abdul Momin bin Mohammed Sharaf. At this meeting, the two officials concluded that Montenegro and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will strengthen bilateral relations that will be further built by enhanced economic cooperation. 

Ambassador Sharaf said that Saudi Arabia has a clear economic vision by 2030, focusing on trade and investment. He added that he hopes to build a partnership with Montenegro, as well as with other Western Balkan countries. 

Prime Minister Marković said that Montenegro has created important preconditions for the future and a better life of citizens and that it showed its seriousness and credibility in the past year and a half as a full-fledged member of NATO, as well as during six years of negotiations with the European Union. 

The Prime Minister pointed out that Montenegro has a lot of development potential in tourism, energy, as well as in agriculture and food production. Prime Minister Marković emphasized that Montenegro is a safe and secure country with incentive tax policy. He added that the Montenegrin economy recorded significant economic growth in the last two years. 

Both sides agreed that it would be a good idea to organise a presentation of potentials for businessmen and investors from Saudi Arabia, and the Ambassador expressed particular interest in the field of agriculture.

20 November 2018 - Prime Minister Duško Marković expressed satisfaction with the results that the Government has achieved in the first half of its mandate, adding that the Government will continue this way in the upcoming period. 

At the meeting of the Foreign Investors Council in Podgorica, the Prime Minister emphasised that all of Montenegro picked up the momentum that leads to prosperity and the future. Public finances are stabilized, we have macroeconomic stability, and investment activity has increased. The achieved economic growth rates of 4.8% in the first half of the year are among the highest in the region and in Europe – the Prime Minister said. 

Recalling the unfavourable conditions in which the 41st Government of Montenegro began its mandate – the high budget deficit and public debt, unfavourable regional and wider environment – the Prime Minister said that the success was not likely to happen. 

He said that when he took over as the Prime Minister, there were more reasons to believe we won’t succeed to overcome problems, but we managed. We provided a positive trend, we took the opportunity given to us and responded seriously to all the challenges. 

Prime Minister Marković referred to progress in the field of European integrations and added that in December we will have a total of 32 open chapters because we have received information that Chapter 27 on environmental protection will be opened in December. He also pointed out the fact that as a NATO member we have shown that we are able to fulfill the Alliance's obligations. 

Montenegro, PM Marković noted, is an exporter of overall stability. 

The Prime Minister said that the Government's policies resulted in high economic growth, adding that the growth estimates for 2018 cannot be below 4.1%. 

PM Marković emphasised that foreign direct investments, which increased in the first nine months of this year by 48% compared to the same period last year, and the creation of new jobs also represent a successful result. 

"These achievements of the Government's work have resulted in the creation of 9,000 jobs. Until recently, we couldn't speak about the creation of new jobs at all, not to mention this number of new jobs. This is a fantastic result. This is a decrease in the unemployment rate of 4% according to the Employment Agency of Montenegro, which is not very reliable because it contains data that do not give a real picture, and a decrease of 4.6% in the unemployment rate according to the survey. Now, unemployment is at the level of 14.4%, and in December 2017, it was over 21%, according to both records," Prime Minister Marković noted.

The Prime Minister said that the Government will continue to work in the same way in the following period: "I want to continue with such results," PM Marković said, adding that the next year's budget will be developmental. 

The Prime Minister said that the Government would persevere in order to adopt the Law on Fiscalization in the trade of goods and services, but it will consider all the objections coming from stakeholders. He thanked for understanding and support expressed by the Foreign Investors Council towards this legal solution. He added that he expects the law to become effective next year, while its full implementation is foreseen for 2021. 

Commenting on the country's decline in the Doing Business list, PM Marković said that in the previous period we had adopted laws that should improve the business, facilitate business and eliminate barriers. However, he said that the problem is likely in the implementation of the law and that it must be solved. 

In that context, the Law on Spatial Planning and Building Construction has been mentioned, whose effects are still being examined. 

"I still do not see what I expected and I was told that we will get a new law. They warn me that wild construction is growing, that we have few inspections, that the plans are being adopted slower than before," the Prime Minister concluded.

20 November 2018 - The town of Bar gives a strong impetus to the country's development, and the Government will continue to provide support to further improve the quality of life of citizens and strengthen the overall infrastructure, as noted in a meeting between representatives of the government with the delegation of Municipality of Bar, headed by Mayor of Bar Dušan Raičević.

At the meeting organised on the occasion of the Municipality Day, the government's representatives congratulated the citizens and the management, pointing the positive development trend of the State that the Government has provided in the past two years.

During this occasion, the Prime Minister of Montenegro praised the stabilisation of public finances in the municipality, adding that at local and state levels we must continue with financial consolidation and savings through strengthening efforts to reduce the gray economy, but also through investing in infrastructure.

"And not only when it comes to the road, but also energy and digital infrastructure," said Prime Minister Marković.

Mayor of Bar Dušan Raičević said that the municipality is working on the valorisation of tourism potentials in Maljevik and Dubovica, as well as creating conditions for Bar to get its first 5-star hotel. It was jointly stated that the valorisation of the Port of Bar and the airport in Podgorica will additionally encourage the development of the city and strengthen the economic activity.