November 6, 2018 - The daily life of Feho Kalač from Rozaje, a mushroom and blueberry merchandiser, was interrupted by an unusual discovery in May when he accidentally found a source of salt water on its own estate.

Kalač discovered this natural phenomenon while digging the channels for ordinary water which he uses to maintain the machines needed in his business.

"I discovered everything when I rinsed the pit and I saw that the water was gray. Day to day, I noticed that it did not change color, so I washed the pit with the compressor. Then I vaporized a small amount of water in the jaw and I saw crystals, which was a clear indication that it was salt," says Kalac for CdM.

Kalač (Photo: RTV Rožaje)

According to him, the salinity of the water accidentally discovered in Rožaje is similar to seawater in Boka Bay.

Mineral waters in the area of Rožaje, Bijelo Polje and Andrijevica are not unknown. However, what all the locals are wondering is whether it is the captured seawater from the ancient geological past, which was explored by experts in the 1970s.

Property of Kalač (Photo: RTV Rožaje)

By detailed chemical analyzes in Rožaje in those years, it was determined that from the deeper parts of the terrain emerged salty waters with a large residue of vapor and high sodium and chloride content. According to their chemical structure, these waters are similar to oil, which Kalač read in the Rožaje Journal in regard to the mineral waters of Rožaje

Photo: RTV Rožaje

The assumption is that at a depth of one thousand meters below is a part of the seized sea and that under certain pressures the water is coming out," Kalac says. 

What the entrepreneur from Rozaje will use the salt water for has not yet been decided. He says he has to get some more tests to find out that water does not have a bacteriological composition. 

"If it does not exist, then I will use it for normal everyday processes, but I will think about it when the time comes. Sour water was also discovered in the village of Bašča, which is perhaps less than one kilometer away from me. Nevertheless, everyone is wondering about the salt water, right here in Rozaje," says Kalac.

Text by S.Bošković, on November 4th 2018, read more at CdM

05 November 2018 - The traditionally good and friendly relations fostered by Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are a significant contribution to the overall regional cooperation and the process of European integration of the Western Balkan countries, secretaries-general of the governments of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina stressed at the meeting that took place in Podgorica.

Secretary-General of the Government of Montenegro Nataša Pešić hosted Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Robert Vidović. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience in the field of strategic documents adoption and coordination of the work of all services at the Government level.

Secretary-General Pešić pledged the Montenegrin Government's commitment to continuing to promote good neighbourly relations with a view to strengthening stability and encouraging the progress of this part of Europe.

"As the youngest member of NATO and the country that is closest to EU membership, Montenegro is determined to provide full support to its neighbours in implementing comprehensive reforms and to share knowledge and experience gained from the restoration of independence. I am convinced that by strengthening cooperation we can contribute to better and faster reforms in our countries and the entire region of the Western Balkans," the Secretary-General said.

Secretary-General Vidovic thanked Ms Pešić for the excellent cooperation and support provided by the Montenegrin Government, especially in the context of the EU accession process. He pointed out that the fundamental reforms and good results of the Montenegrin institutions and negotiating team are very valuable inputs for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in pursuing their European path.

Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two governments in the areas of drafting and implementing strategic documents, in particular in the context of public administration reform and the EU accession process. They agreed that the adoption of European standards and values that lead to a better quality of life of citizens is a common goal of all countries in the region, and it is important to improve dialogue and cooperation in the region in order to attain these goals.

05 November 2018 - Issues of political participation, protection and economic empowerment of women, and in particular the issues of combating violence against women the Women's Political Network focuses on, are crucial in building a just and safe society, as a key programme objective of the Government of Montenegro, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin said at the meeting with representatives of the Women's Political Network.

05 November 2018 - On Wednesday, November 7, at 7 pm, National Museum of Montenegro will open an exhibition by Milijana Istijanović titled "To Live the Best Life" in the DADO Atelier.

This exhibition examines the social and spatial dimensions that deconstruct and examine the relationships between identity, spatiality and the ideas that represent them. Spatial work of a site-specific character makes monumental figural performances on the walls within the exhibition space. The oversized figures prevail in the inner space, creating a visual and textual composition by creating possible/fictitious circumstances and visual representations through their own concepts.

Milijana Istijanović was born in 1982 in Sombor, Serbia. She gained her Master’s degree at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cetinje, Montenegro at the Sculpture Department in the class of Professor Pavle Pejović. Istijanović organized seven solo exhibitions. Her work has been shown at international festivals and projects. She is the winner of the annual prize for sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cetinje, as well as the first prize at the Herceg Novi Winter Salon.

The audience will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition from November 7 to December 29, and the professional guidance through the exhibition will be organized on November 8 at 11 am.

Read more about National Museum of Montenegro here.

05 November 2018 - On November 1, Hotel CentreVille and The Living Room Lounge Bar in Podgorica were pronounced the winners of the prestigious Haute Grandeur Award at the Palace Hotel Versace in Dubai. Haute Grandeur is a respected, globally trusted Awards initiative, honouring remarkable contributions by outstanding establishments; hotels, lodges, casinos, resorts and private island retreats from across the globe. The special feature of this award and nomination is the fact that the award is given based on the comments that the guests of the establishments provide after their stay.

"The Haute Grandeur Award is a guaranteed golden stamp of excellence, and powerful in its ability to amplify marketing, guest perception and revenue. Participating establishments emphasize the value and importance of continuously striving for excellence, and set the standard in the industry," said the founder and director of the Haute Grandeur Prize, Marinique de Wet.

The nominated facilities this year included Podgorica’s CentreVille Hotel, as well as the Lounge Bar The Living Room, which operates within the hotel.

"The Haute Grandeur Prize celebrates the values of leadership, perseverance, pertinacity, commitment and ambition that Centerville Hotel & Experiences as well as the Living Room Lounge show on daily basis," added de Wet.

Hotel CentreVille has won awards in 4 categories: The Best New Hotel (less than 3 years of business), The Best City Hotel, The Best Design Hotel and The Best Lifestyle Hotel. The Lounge Bar “The Living Room” has also won awards in 4 categories: The Best Cocktail Bar in Montenegro, The Best European Event Restaurant, The Restaurant With The Best Gourmet Cuisine on a Global Level, and The Restaurant That Provides The Most Significant Experience In Montenegro.

"We are very happy to know that our work and effort are recognized by an organization like Haute Grandeur. We are proud to contribute to the high positioning of Montenegro on the world tourist map. The complete team of CentreVille Hotels and Lounge Bar The Living Room raises the quality of tourist offer of Podgorica daily, by improving the standard, service and offer. These awards are just another indicator and recognition that quality offer finds its way to the consumer," said Jelena Ognjenović, general manager of CentreVille Hotel.

One of the greatest successes of the CentreVille hotel is the fact that the hotel was declared the first choice of guests who visited Podgorica on the famous websites Trip Advisor and Booking.com.

"All prizes and nominations are pleasant and flattering. However, at the same time, they represent a great responsibility in order for international recognition to be justified, preserved and improved. We are very pleased with the Haute Grandeur recognition, given the fact that thanks to it we get a new type of brand exposure worldwide. It's not just the brand of our hotel, but also the brand of Montenegro. In order to strive for a general improvement in the development of tourism in the country, it is necessary to promote the individual facilities as much as possible, as well as the destination as a whole," concluded Milo Radonjić, PR and marketing manager of CentreVille.

November 5, 2018 - This year's first mimosas on the Herceg Novi Riviera flourished on Topla.

The yellow sun, known as the mimosa flower, is the trademark of the largest town in Boka and it has been honored for almost half a century every year in February, a tourist propaganda event called the Mimosa Feast. Mimosas bloom from November to March.

The Mimosa is an exotic tree belonging to the acacia branch, which seafarers brought from their distant journeys to Herceg Novi. It is believed that the sailor Mićo Lepetić from Topla was the first to bring it to Herceg Novi from Australia, while in Europe it was mentioned for the first time in France, where it was planted around a castle in Cannes in 1860, from where it spread to other Mediterranean countries. There are about 800 species of this yellow flower, whose native land is in India, Africa, America, Australia and other dry, subtropical and tropical parts of the world.

At the end of the 1980s, there were about 5,000 mimosas in the area of the municipality, from which 30 flower wagons could be picked up. It is estimated that now only 10 percent of the trees are left. In the sixties and seventies of the last century, when the mimosa was massively planted, it was a lucrative job. Of the dozens of yellow flower producers, there are only a few left today. The mimosa tree has a short lifespan of up to 40 years. That is why the local government has launched an action of mimosa planting which is the symbol of the town so that it would not disappear completely and thus question the survival of the Mimosa Feast. In the area of the Herceg Novi municipality, 100 mimosa trees are being planted, of which 60 are allocated to the citizens and their private areas, and 40 will be planted on the municipal parcels. Thirty trees were planted before the commencement of the tourist season.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on November 4th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

November 5, 2018 - The oil company Jugopetrol, owned by the Greek Helenik Petroleum, for the first nine months of this year, has a profit of EUR 6.76 million, which is about four percent higher than the comparable period last year. Business revenues were increased, observing two comparable periods from 104.6 million to 126.8 million euros, and operating expenses from 97.7 million to 119.6 million euros. 

HTP Ulcinj Riviera, whose main asset since the end of last year is held by the leaseholder of Karisma consortium, earned a profit of only 84.294 euros in the first nine months, which is 80 percent higher than the comparable period last year when the profit was 427.5 thousand euros. Business Revenues compared to the comparative period last year declined significantly from 3.09 million to 1.39 million euros, while operating expenses decreased from 2.57 million to 1.24 million euros. The state-owned company, 13^th July Plantaze achieved a profit of approximately 336 thousand euros, thanks to the growth of other non-core revenues, which was about five percent higher than the comparative period last year. Profit was, therefore, realized and shown, though operating income in comparison to the first nine months of 2017, which decreased from 22.32 million to 22.04 million and operating expenses slightly increased from 20.95 million to 21.08 million euros. 

The Lottery of Montenegro operates with a loss of 253,329 euros

The Lottery of Montenegro, officially controlled by businessman Sava Grbović, lost EUR 253.3 thousand according to the report, and this loss is almost halved compared to the same period last year when it lost some EUR 504 thousand.

Operating revenues for nine months amounted to approximately EUR 1.04 million, approximately the same as in the comparable period of 2017, while operating expenses decreased from 1.47 million to EUR 1.26 million. The accumulated loss of the company is two million euros.

Text by Milorad Milosevic, on November 3rd, 2018, read more at Vijesti

November 5, 2018 - Savin Kuk ski resort and its surroundings will not be recognized in the forthcoming winter tourist season, and next summer, surely, the investment story including millions of euros will be completely rounded up. At Zabljak they will no longer look at the sky, but at the artificial snow on the ski paths that will be provided.

A new road was built, so this winter there will be fewer traffic jams at the foot of Savin Kuk. The parking was also asphalted, and most of the works on bringing water from Modro Lake has been completed.

According to the Manager of the ski resort, Milutin Tomic, it is a project that is being realized in cooperation with the Center for International Cooperation and Development from Slovenia.

"This job implied the construction of artificial reservoirs and the construction of a water pipeline from Modro Lake to the foot of Savin Kuk. The accumulation is about 55,000 cubic meters, and the plumbing is more than 6.5 kilometers long. This water will be used for artificial snow, and this month there should be a tender for the first phase for production of the snow at the Savin Kuk ski resort, in the length of 1.5 kilometers, but with the possibility that the system will be extended next year on a path that is yet to be built. We plan to set a larger cross-section of pipes to the middle-station, which means that whenever a six-seater is mounted, the artificial snow can instantly cover all slopes," says Milutin Tomić, adding that now their ski resort offers a total of about five kilometers of trails.

The main contractor for the construction of the six-seater is already known, while at the same time there will be another four kilometers of trails to follow, and with a newly built, 1.5 km long track, skiers will have many more paths available next year, which will be categorized differently.

It is planned that the accumulation will be completed by the end of 2019 but judging by the works done so far, out of which 80% is finished, it will be ready earlier.

"Five-kilometer long water pipes have been set up, the canals are almost completely hollowed out, the manholes built... which means there are still 1.5 kilometers left to end the works. The weather has not been in our favor, there was always rain. The contractors for building a six-seater are already selected, the main design is in the process and the works will start in spring. That means next year on Savin Kuk there will be artificial snow and a six-seater," added Tomic. They plan that water in the summertime when it is unnecessary, will be of benefit to the farmers, but also to dwellers who are not in the livestock business, living in settlements Razvršje, Motički Gaj," he added.

The new access road, which is 1.1-kilometer-long, is pitched and asphalted, as well as parking for a hundred vehicles, but next year it will be significantly expanded. Savin Kuk, commonly, offers two two-seaters, two ski lifts, and a baby lift. All the equipment was thoroughly inspected, and was attested by the Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Belgrade on the complete plant and electrical equipment.

Text by Pobjeda, on November 5th, 2018, read more at CdM

04 November 2018 - Montenegrin higher education institutions and faculties must step away from personalized management and strive for institutionalized decision-making. They also need to balance between central and decentralized management. These are the conclusions given in the evaluation report on nine Montenegrin higher education institutions, developed by a team of independent international experts, who were engaged by the European University Association (EUA) within the Programme for the Institutional Evaluation.

“The new analysis was conducted in order to see whether the recommendations given in the last evaluation were successfully implemented. Compared to 2014, there are visible and positive changes in the legislative and financial context. The current situations look promising but unstable as well. Having in mind the fact that the reform is ongoing, Montenegro might be able to achieve significant progress in the area of higher education through the adoption of innovative and proven approaches already used by the rest of the European Higher Education Area. However, the reform process is incomplete and sometimes not radical enough,” suggests the Report signed by Thomas Ekman Jorgensen of the European University Association.

The existing decentralized and often personalized managing structures, the Report says, represent a serious limitation to the institution’s capability for making and implementing strategic decisions in all activities, which was also mentioned 4 years ago.

“Smaller institutions and faculties partially or fully rely on the part-time staff who work in other Montenegrin higher education institutions or abroad,” the Report says.

It is also noted that classes in English still represent a problem for the incoming mobility even though there is a possibility of having accredited English programmes. Also, it might be good if Montenegro would totally accede to the Erasmus program, so students could have their civic and social activities recognized as “practical education”, the Report recommends.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

04 November 2018 - As a result of the long-term cooperation between the "Pasar" Gallery, the Herceg Novi Comics Festival and the comics shop "Mr No" from Podgorica, the first comics shop in the Bay of Kotor opened in Herceg Novi.

The opening of the comics shop located in the Art Craft Gallery "Pasara", will try to revive the habit of reading comics, as noted from representatives Herceg Novi's Comics Festival.

"This is kind of a logical step in the development of our festival. The recently completed twelfth Herceg Novi Comics Festival has shown that the event has reached the level of European manifestations devoted to ninth art, as well that the best promoter of Montenegro in the world of comics, and also the best promoter of comics culture in our country is this festival in particular. We simply aim to return this form of art to people, return to the place it belongs to, and return comics to the citizens, as well as create a habit of reading comics," said representatives of the Herceg Novi Comics Festival.

Apart from the favorite comics of renowned publishing houses, the comics shop offers aworks by top authors who have toured at the previous festivals, as well as various souvenirs.

"Herceg Novi's comics shop of the gallery "Pasara" will feature all the kiosks from "Veseli Četvrtak" and "Ludens", to the exclusive collection of Belgrade's "Darkwood" and Zagreb's "Fiber", as well as all other renowned publishing houses from region, with a large selection of Japanese manga comics that are released in our region. In addition, the comics shop will also feature works created by top authors visiting our festivals, and there will be all Herceg Novi Comics Festival souvenirs and memorabilia such as t-shirts, posters and calendar for 2019 with the works of our 12 special guests this year," concluded representatives of the Herceg Novi Comics Festival.

They also believe that the comics shop will be a place for the gathering of lovers not only in the ninth art but of creativity in general, given the fact that the gallery "Pasara" was founded by Herceg Novi's artists Boris Šuberić and Vanja Berberović Šuberić.