11 October 2019 - Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković recently hosted the representatives of the Italian company Leitner, one of the world's leading manufacturers of products and equipment for ropeways, snow groomers, urban transportation systems, and wind energy. Following the successful launch of the cable car project in Cmiljača and the Monastery Podvrh - Đalovića Cave, the company expressed its intention to start a project to build a gondola cable car from Kotor to Njeguši by financing, according to initial estimates, around 20 million EUR.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with Leitner's business operations in Montenegro so far, assessing that the two cable cars projects, as strategic projects financed by the Government and built by Leitner, are successfully implemented due to the seriousness and commitment of the parent company, as well as the choice of a high-quality local partner.

"It is important for the Government of Montenegro, which allocates a large amount of money from the capital budget for strategic development projects, to have credible partners like Leitner who bring new quality and knowledge. The successful start of the previous two projects recommends you for this one as well. That is why I was delighted by your interest in the Kotor – Njeguši cable car project that you would build on the principle of concession or public-private partnership," Prime Minister Marković noted.

Sales director and member of the Leitner Board of Directors Martin Leitner presented a preliminary design of the cable car to the Prime Minister, saying, among other things, that they plan to build Pininfarina cabins similar to the ones they recently built in Zermatt in Switzerland on the Matterhorn Glacier.

The meeting assessed that the project has a tourist, but also ecological and cultural dimension as it enriches the tourist offer of Montenegro, improves the tourist position of Cetinje and Lovćen National Park, but also creates preconditions for reducing the volume of traffic from Kotor to Njeguši.

Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović and Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović also attended the meeting.

09 October 2019 - Economic activity is slowing in the Western Balkans, alongside investments and exports in the six countries of the region. According to the latest Western Balkans Economic Report called ‘Rising Uncertainties’, growth is estimated at 3,2 per cent in 2019, which is by 3,9 per cent lower than in 2018.

Growth in North Macedonia has continued following a major slowdown in 2019, while Kosovo is expected to record strong growth at 4 per cent. Most economies in the region are seeing slower growth compared to one year ago. Even though the regional economy is foreseen to grow in 2020 and 2021, it will remain slightly below the ten year high of 2018.

"Continuing growth in the region will help to create jobs, bring more women into the labor market and help to curb emigration," says Linda Van Gelder, World Bank Director for the Western Balkans, writes Cafe del Montenegro.

She also added that the economic clouds on the horizon point out to a need for policymakers to reinforce competitiveness, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending, and resolve rising fiscal imbalances in order to build on these successes and encourage sustainable growth.

Despite the economic slowdown, the unemployment rate in the region continued to decline, reaching historic lows.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 October 2019 - At the invitation of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Ivan Brajović, a delegation of the Parliament of Georgia, headed by president Archil Talakvadze, is making its official visit to Montenegro, CdM reports.

Brajović pointed out in the meeting with the delegation that the visit was an additional impulse for strengthening ties and enhancing political dialogue at high and the highest level.

"Montenegro-Georgia relations are friendly. We share European values and the vision of the future in the European Union. Montenegro supports territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. As NATO members, we will continue to support Euro-Atlantic ambitions this country cherishes," said President of the Parliament of Montenegro Ivan Brajović.

While expressing special satisfaction about the meeting with President of the Parliament of Montenegro Ivan Brajović, Georgian president of the Parliament Archil Talakvadze pointed out that the visit to Montenegro was his priority.

"I congratulate Montenegro on everything it has achieved so far. From the political and economic point of view, Montenegro can serve as an example to other countries in the region. Citizens of Georgia were very happy about Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic success," said Archil Talavadze.

Interlocutors agreed that parliaments had a very responsible role in the further democratization of countries.

Georgian president of the Parliament also thanked Montenegro for the support it pledges to his country in the process of democratic transition, Euro-Atlantic and European path.

They also discussed political and economic priorities in the development of Montenegro and Georgia, as well as economic cooperation that can be improved in many areas.

Presidents of Parliaments of Montenegro and Georgia laid a wreath at the monument of the Partisan soldier in Gorica. Tonight at 7 PM in Bar, the Honorary Consulate of Georgia in Montenegro will be officially opened.

Read more news about politics in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

08 October 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković opened a conference titled Montenegro Creative Forum by noting that the Government will not save money when it comes to culture, that the Government encourages culture and artists in this area in many ways and that the aim is to link culture and economy in further branding of the country and that in that regard the Government expects support from artists.

"Nowadays, Montenegro has encouraging legislation in the field of film, thus showing that we hear and understand the needs of creators. In parallel, we firmly encourage festivals to position our country as a desirable cultural address in this segment. For the first time, at the prestigious festival Art Market in Budapest, we stood as the State behind works of visual artists and related art creators and made them increasingly visible at the European level. The linking between the culture and the economy, as a new approach to art, is supported through the programme "Creative Montenegro", which is used by 11 authors from creative industries. Finally, during its mandate, the Government will, together with its partners, invest over EUR 3 million to support this sector. Furthermore, we have been working on the development and affirmation of creative industries as a new field of cultural and entrepreneurial activity," Prime Minister Duško Marković stated at the opening of the conference, reports his Office.

The Prime Minister recalled that Montenegro has become, in a short time, the only country in the region to allow the establishment of cultural businesses by directly supporting artists and by recognising the era of information, technology and design of artistic expression.

Prime Minister Duško Marković stated that culture has been recognised for centuries as a soft power of a state, that is, one of the attributes of its strength and dignity, and that in this era culture must be used for the purpose of contemporary strengthening of the state, not only in terms of its identity and tradition, but also development and entrepreneurship.

"Recognising the needs of preserving national and cultural identity, recognising the needs of artists and their audiences, the Government and the Ministry of Culture are committed to creating new cultural policies. They have already yielded the first results and international visibility of Montenegro. Trends in the world, from the traditional notion of culture and cultural policies, have moved to the modern concept of valorisation. In a time of technological advancement, and in a crowded market that offers new opportunities, art becomes much more than the personal expression of the author. That is why our common task is to put rich creative potential in the service of entrepreneurial ideas and put them into practice, that is, create new social values. To make art, as the most prominent culture, actually become an exact product in the market sense of the word, and contribute to the national economy and higher standard of living of our citizens. Over the very first year of dealing with creative culture, Montenegro has decided to develop its art brands in this segment as well, such as big and famous names of classical art: Lubarda, Milunović, Stijovic, Poček, Šobajić, Popović and many others… Therefore, I see this conference not only as a dialogue on paving the future path of the Montenegrin culture, but as the beginning of a process of even stronger support for the creative sector," Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.