June 8, 2020 - After a break of almost three months, commercial flights will start tomorrow at the Airports of Montenegro. A WizzAir plane from Budapest is expected, as well as a flight from Memmingham during the day, stated the spokesperson of the Airports of Montenegro, Marina Miketić Nikolić, for the morning program of Radio Tivat.
"According to our information, the government is very interested in the flight from Germany, so we are very much looking forward to welcoming the first passengers. We are also looking forward to having our national airline Montenegro Airlines have its first flights on June 12 to Ljubljana, the 14th to Frankfurt, then the 15th to Vienna, the 16th to Paris, the 17th to Zurich, the 20th to Dusseldorf and Copenhagen, and June 21st for Munich and Hanover. We also believe that the interest in flights of other airlines will be realized. We hope that tourists from various parts of Europe will come to Montenegro and that our tourist season and our airports will be as full of life again as they were last year. "
The flights announced are to and from Podgorica, and the spokesperson of the Airports of Montenegro, Marina Miketić Nikolić, recommends that those interested obtain specific information from the airlines' websites. She stresses that this is safer since slots are subject to changes depending on the epidemiological situation. Miketić Nikolić recommends passengers a new service of the Airports of Montenegro - online check-in:
"I warmly recommend it to all passengers leaving Montenegro. It's effortless. They have instructions on the site so that they can avoid any physical contact with the airport's ground staff. The possibility of any infection is reduced, although Montenegro is a Corona-free country. We are aware that the possibility of infection will increase with the arrival of people from outside. Prevention must be at the highest level. This innovation enables both passengers and staff to check in as quickly and efficiently as possible."
The airports are ready, and the company is pleased to expect the first planes and the first passengers, who are recommended to wear masks because it is prohibited to enter the terminal and the plane without them. Disinfection counters for arriving and departing passengers, as well as protective glass, have been installed at airports. The spokeswoman for the Public Company Airports of Montenegro expressed the hope that Tivat airport will welcome its first passengers very soon. Because, as she says, Tivat Airport is very busy, especially in summer when the interest in our destination is higher.
Text by Biljana Noković, Radio Tivat
In Serbia, according to the data from the site covid.rs, 4.052 individuals recovered in the last 24 hours, meaning six patients per 100.000 inhabitants.
Thus, the epidemiological conditions were created for the citizens of Serbia to enter Montenegro.
By reducing the number of actively ill people below 25 per 100 thousand inhabitants, the conditions have been met for Montenegro to open the border for the citizens of Serbia, Radio Television of Montenegro also reports.
The number of newly infected people has averaged around 70.3 since May 1, and around 50 in the last seven days.
The number of newly infected in the last 14 days was just over 650.
So far, Serbia has tested a total of 269.185, or 38.676 per million citizens.
In Serbia, a total of 11.741 people have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the epidemic, while 248 have died.
Source: B92
June 5, 2020 - Even today, the laboratories of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ) have not registered any new COVID-19 patients in Montenegro. There are no active cases of infection in our country, and on June 2, the end of the epidemic was declared. On the proposal of the Institute for Public Health, National Coordination Body (NKT) for Infectious diseases decided at today’s session to lift measures relating to wearing face masks.
“Protective masks will be mandatory for employees and patients in public and private healthcare institutions; for employees in public and private institutions of social and children protection and for employees and passengers in the vehicles of public transport”, it was said at the session.
Out of line traffic with countries where rate of active COVID-19 cases is above 25 per 100.000 inhabitants, provided that passengers are transported from the starting to the finishing point.
Transit transport of people and goods will also be allowed without entrance of exit of passengers in or out of our country.
Institute for Public Health will update every Friday list of countries with less than 25 active cases per 100.000 inhabitants from which entrance in Montenegro without mandatory self-isolation will be allowed.
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Botswana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Butane
Chad
Central African Republic
Czech Republic
Denmark
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dominica
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Philippines
Finland
Gambia
Ghana
Greece
Grenade
Greenland
Georgia
Guyana
Guatemala
Guinea
Haiti
Croatia
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Iceland
East Timor
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Yemen
Jordan
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Cambodia
Cameroon
Kenya
China
Kyrgyzstan
Comoros
Congo
Kosovo
Costa Rica
Cuba
Laos
Lesotho
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Hungary
Malawi
Malaysia
Little
Morocco
Mauritius
Mauritania
Mexico
Myanmar
Monaco
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Nicaragua
Germany
Norway
New Zealand
Ivory Coast
Pakistan
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Slovak Republic
Rwanda
Seychelles
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Syria
Slovenia
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Switzerland
Saint Lucia
Saint Christopher and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tanzania
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Uganda
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
June 5, 2020 - The first Blue Flag in Montenegro this year will be raised on June 8, on the World Ocean and Sea Day, at the "Kalardovo" beach in Tivat. On that occasion, all the winners of the exclusive world eco-label in our country will be announced.
The international recognition "Blue Flag" is an exclusive ecological feature that is awarded annually to beaches and marinas whose users want to participate in this program and meet a total of 32 binding criteria. In Montenegro, this recognition has been awarded since 2003 thanks to the NGO "ECOM" from Kotor, became a member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and thus gained the right to be a National Operator with the financial and organizational support of the Public Company "Morsko Dobro."
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, an international Blue Flag jury met online on April 21 to evaluate the applications of over 4,500 candidates for the 2020 Northern Hemisphere. Extensive preparations by the International team ensured that the online format did not interfere with the quality and results of the meeting.
The International Jury of the Blue Flag in 2020 consisted of Peter Kristensen, European Environment Agency (EEA), David R. Green, Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), Birguy Lamizana, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Sophie Lewis, World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), Bernard Combes (UNESCO), Jean-Michel Gaigné, International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), Erik Bech, International Life Saving Federation (ILS), Dirk Glaesser, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) & Lourdes Diaz (FEE) ).
The April meeting was also an opportunity to select the winners of the first competition for the best environmental practices at Blue Flag sites in over 40 countries.
The international jury says that the global crisis of COVID-19 will affect the upcoming season of the Blue Flag in the northern hemisphere, and asks that all awarded locations apply local and national health guidelines above all other rules. In these uncertain times, it is essential to remember the important role that the Blue Flag plays in supporting local communities and tourists to identify safe and sustainable destinations. Thanks to the recognized excellence of the Blue Flag award, the public can be sure that it will be safe to visit the places where the blue flag is flying this summer as well.
Last year, 30 beaches waved the Blue Flag in Montenegro. Among the marinas, Marina Bar deserved this recognition, while there were 14 more beaches in the pilot phase for obtaining this ecological label.
June 4, 2020 - "Draft amendments to the Energy Law leave burning energy problems in Montenegro unresolved. By avoiding a permanent abolition of incentives for small hydropower plants, the new law will continue to sponsor the destruction of rivers and enrich private investors," environmental organizations WWF Adria, Eco-team and Action for Social Justice said in a joint statement.
Last week, the Ministry of Economy commented on the observations to draft legislation on Amendments to the Energy Law.
"This law, if adopted by the Parliament of Montenegro, will contribute to slowing down the economic recovery of Montenegro, and we can only imagine the consequences this will have for nature. Instead of building a stable and sustainable energy system that takes into account the long-term development of the country and all the challenges we will face resulting from climate change, the Ministry of Economy and the entire Government are continuing with the status quo. Unfortunately, it's the people who will pay the price of their negligence," the statement said.
During the public debate, conducted during the pandemic, several civil society organizations and individuals, but also state-owned companies, sent comments on the draft law. Between the deadline for the submission of observations and the Ministry's official statement, not a single session of the responsible working group was held, which, as the organizations stated, significantly violated the transparency and democracy of the entire procedure.
"At the end of April, several non-governmental organizations, with the support of WWF Adria, sent comments on the draft law. They used the opportunity to recall that the new legal solution should stipulate that the development of energy activities should protect public interests and that the production of energy from renewable sources must not jeopardize sustainable development and environmental protection. Although the process of drafting the new law went without direct discussion, it will inevitably be accepted. The Ministry of Economy has once again shown that they are not interested in real public participation, even when it comes to topics that concern all Montenegrin citizens, and that should be opened up to their due participation," announced a statement from the environmental organizations.
WWF Adria, Eco-team and Action for Social Justice, in anticipation of this year's World Environment Day, are expressing their sincere regret over the entire process.
"The development of the private sector is important for the future of the whole country, especially in a period of economic recovery, but it must be sustainable, transparent, and equally accessible to all, without undermining the environment and the well-being of citizens. By acting in this way, the public good and the resources owned by all citizens are used for private interests with great losses for society as a whole," environmentalists believe.