Last week, the Public Company for the Management of the Marine Property of Montenegro (Morsko dobro) issued a Public Invitation for the Development of the Preliminary Design and the Main Design for the Construction of the Walking Path directly along the main road Tivat - Lepetane, which is 2.3 km long.

The route will be projected from the south (lower) side of the highway by the sea, north of the church Saint Roko, that is, from the beginning of the settlement Opatovo to the settlement Lepetane (extension for access to the ferries). The project assignment is to extend the terrain in some parts from 1,5-2m by constructing or restoring the retaining walls, on supporting columns in the sea or cantilever, without disturbing the existing coastline.

The works should cover the paving of the path with common materials for sidewalks and promenades (precast concrete elements, stone slabs or the like), public lighting in LED technology, atmospheric drains and adequate infrastructural equipment of the promenade (park benches, wastebaskets, protective fence, info boards and the like).

Opatovo

It will be the obligation of the designer to make a geodetic and bathymetric survey of the existing terrain and underwater conditions, which will be an integral part of the project, before proceeding to the development of the Conceptual Design and the Main Design.

The public invitation runs until November 4, 2019, and the Public Company for the Management of the Marine Property has foreseen an amount of € 30,000.00 for the design work.

Text by Boka News, on September 30th, 2019, read more at Boka News

For Slavica Kovacevic from Mojkovac, the Bijelo Polje bazaar is a great opportunity to show her handicrafts made of wood, wool and also forest fruits. She is one of 40 exhibitors from Montenegro and the region, who exhibited their products at a traditional event that opened in the town square in Bijelo Polje.

“I have been producing juices and jams from the forest and other fruits for over ten years. I process raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, Aronia, currants, blueberries, and I also make blueberry and blackberry wines," says Slavica.

"By its significance, the bazaar has in some ways proved the justification of existence, and the purpose of this manifestation is to point out the existence, work, and creativity of our fellow citizens, as well as people from the surrounding area, who also pursue their activity in the field of domestic production, old crafts, handicrafts, and we also have representatives of hoteliers and catering establishments," said Violeta Obradovic, director of the Tourism Organization of Bijelo Polje.

This year's bazaar is also diverse in its content.

In addition to exhibitors of local organic and agricultural products, handicrafts, old crafts, local crafts, representatives of catering and hospitality industry presented their offers at the bazaar.

At the bazaar (Photo: Jadranka Ćetković)

Novo Babic from Niksic, as well as Masan Bojic from Bijelo Polje, presented themselves with handicrafts made of wood.

Murat Idrizovic, Velibor Djurovic, Cica Cabarkapa are just some of the producers of honey at the bazaar.

“I have been producing honey for about three decades, and it has been a family tradition since 1936 when my father Camil founded the first Beekeepers Association in Bijelo Polje. One can make a living from this business, which requires more than a hundred societies," says Murat, who is most supported by his daughter Dzena and friend Dragan Gavrilovic.

Dragica Rovcanin from Pljevlja exhibited echinacea teas, soaps from cinnamon, coffee, raspberries, and various creams and ointments.

At the bazaar (Photo: Jadranka Ćetković)

The promoter of agricultural farm Macanovic from Pljevlja Milena Bogdanovic reminds of the quality of organic flour.

"We received a gold medal for spelt flour, a big gold for buckwheat and a championship title for the highest quality flour at the Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad," Milena said.

“Bijelo Polje Bazaar” is organized by the TO Bijelo Polje, the Secretariat for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, together with the local Youth Office.

Text by Jadranka Cetkovic, on September 27th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The Youth Association with Disabilities Niksic (UMHNK) has embarked on the project “Employing More PWD in Society” to increase the employability of persons with disabilities (PWD), as well as raising public awareness of the importance of this issue.

The project lasts 12 months and is funded by the Employment Service of Montenegro. Six people with disabilities are involved in the project - four who will work during the implementation of the activities and two who will be employed by the Association for another nine months after the end of the project," said Nenad Mijuskovic, Director of UMHNK.

Nenad Mijušković (Photo: Svetlana Mandić)

He explained that six PWDs would receive a fee of 115 euros throughout the training, which begins on October 1, which involves working on computers, administrative and technical tasks, accounting, and project reporting.

"After the training, four people who remain to work until the end of the project will receive a salary of 350 euros, which will be the salary for two people who will be hired even after the project is completed," explained Mijuskovic, adding that the value of the project is 50 thousand euros.

The project implies the adequate provision of jobs for PWD staff, as well as procurement of vehicles adapted to the needs of wheelchair users. In the preparatory phase of the project, candidates were selected to be participants, trainers, and a training plan was developed for each area.

In Niksic today (Photo: Svetlana Mandić)

As explained by Aleksandra Radulovic, a counselor for vocational rehabilitation at the Employment Office in Niksic, grants for PWDs have been implemented since 2014, and two projects from Niksic have been completed, with a total value of around 100,000 euros.

“The sustainability of projects is such that, upon completion, PWDs will be involved in terms of their continued employment in the jobs they have been trained for. These are new job openings. The Institute recognized these grants as one of the ways for PWDs to become involved, to gain new knowledge and skills, because we believe that only in this way they can acquire working habits and earnings for themselves and secure their existence," Radulovic said.

According to her, there are 477 people with disabilities at the Bureau of Labor in Niksic, of whom 294 are women.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on September 27th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

During the six months of the environmental initiative “Budva Zero Waste City”, approximately 550,000 pieces of plastic packaging were collected, which will be sent to recycling. Through an initiative implemented by the NGO Eco Center Budva, with the support of the Coca-Cola System and The Coca-Cola Foundation, citizens of Budva and numerous tourists have shown that the problem of waste can be solved by joining forces, and that changes in the attitude towards waste start from each individual.

"Over half a million collected pieces of plastic packaging, with a significant amount of aluminum packaging that will be recycled, means that we will have less packaging waste in landfills, less plastic in our sea, and that we have met the target - a greater degree of recycling," said NGO Eco Center Budva representative Andrea Buskovic.

With gratitude to the citizens who agreed to change their ecological habits and began to make a primary selection of plastics, Buskovic also thanked the partners in the project - Municipality Budva, Utility company Budva, PC Morsko dobro and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.

At the Ecological Interactive Center, we spent the whole summer educating both the youngest and adults, and a large number of visitors brought plastic waste for recycling. With many quality programs we showed that ecology and recycling could be both very fun and useful, I believe that now, at closing, we can say that our Interactive Center was Budva's main ecological station," said Buskovic, adding that nearly 8,000 people visited the Interactive Center from June to the end of September.

President of the Municipality of Budva Marko Carevic said that the project Budva Zero Waste City is an excellent example of how the non-governmental sector can help local governments raise awareness about ecology.

"We need to change habits, behavior, and awareness. Introduce regular recycling, stop making illegal landfills, and eliminate disposable plastics. Budva, as a tourist destination, must be a leader and example in this," Carevic said.

Marko Bato Carevic (Photo: Budva Zero Waste City)

Director of the Public company Morsko dobro Predrag Jelusic said that the results of the initiative Budva Zero Waste City are indeed progressive and show that such actions are changing the awareness of both the local population and tourists.

"I am convinced that we can achieve such results in other municipalities, and in that, you will always have the support of Morsko dobro because, among other things, you are helping us to raise the quality of the resources we manage. Waste is a real problem and I am sure that this initiative will be productive even in 2010," said Jelusic.

The initiative Budva Zero Waste City has donated three smart and environmentally friendly benches to the Municipality Budva, as well as 30 plastic waste bins. Also, volunteers visited over 7,000 households across the city and educated citizens how to collect and properly dispose of waste.

Illustration (Photo: Budva Zero Waste City)

A special part of the project was the campaign "Capture the Clean Wave", which was implemented for the second time this year, on 28 beaches of the Budva Riviera, where plastic and aluminum waste was collected. These environmental initiatives are part of the global Coca-Cola Worldwide Waste Initiative “The world without waste”, which aims to help collect and recycle all bottles and cans it sells on the market by 2030.

"Environmental protection is not a cost to us. We are investing in the future because we know the importance of gradually addressing waste, especially in local communities, such as Budva," said Coca-Cola HBC Montenegro's public and regulatory affairs manager Andrea Radonjic.

The initiative Budva Zero Waste City was also supported by the US Embassy in Montenegro, whose deputy head of political and economic affairs, Kyle Hatcher, attended the event.

At the initiative of PC Morsko dobro, the Interactive Center will continue the mission of environmental education and recycling in Ulcinj next year.

Text by Promo, on September 28th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

September 29, 2019 - Within the Blue Land project, implemented by the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Fisheries Directorate in Montenegro, an expert mission was recently realized to map the ecosystems, habitats and ecosystem services of the pilot area of ​​the project in Montenegro.

International experts on coastal habitat, ecosystem, and vegetation mapping, Michele de Santis and Fabio Attore visited and analyzed the Blue Land area in our country. It includes the coastal belt of the Great Beach in Ulcinj from Cape Đeram to the mouth of the Bojana River.

Implemented under the IPA INTERREG II Cross-Border Cooperation Program of Montenegro, Albania, and Italy, the Blue Land project aims at establishing a participatory model for coastal and marine biodiversity management, its protection, and sustainable use, getting together science, local communities and policymakers on local and national levels.

The Blue Land project has so far implemented a series of joint training for project partners' representatives by international experts. The local experts gained new knowledge in the field of ecosystem mapping and ecosystem services and then began research work in the area.

Bojana River Mouth, Blue Land Area in Montenegro, Copyright: Institute of Marine Biology Kotor

After biometric and hydrographic surveys of the submarine in the Blue Land area carried out in the spring, the experts from the Institute of Marine Biology hosted last month their colleagues Michele de Santis and Fabio Attore. International experts have been analyzing the coastal situation in detail for seven days.

"The entire Blue Land coastal area, which includes the Great Beach and its hinterland, has been surveyed. It has been identified that there are very significant ecosystems of Great Beach dunes, which are unfortunately largely degraded. The real dunes are preserved only in the southern part of the beach, which is still wild and managed by kite clubs. There are still natural dunes in the area with pristine vegetation. The experts' recommendation and the aim is to ensure the protection of these dunes and prevent their further degradation," said Blue Land Project Coordinator for Montenegro, Dr Ana Pesic, an ichthyologist at the Institute of Marine Biology.

"Another significant ecosystem identified in the Blue Land area is the wetlands that exist in the hinterland of the dunes. Particularly significant are the alluvial, humid forests, which are found along the entire Great Beach. Alluvial forests are protected both through Natura 2000 and through many European standards and laws. They are protected by Montenegrin law as they are susceptible to all possible pressures. If irrigation or drainage regulation occurs, these forests are the first to strike. What was very interesting to the experts is that in our country these forests exist in a large belt. All over the Mediterranean, alluvial forests are under great anthropogenic pressure - they are destroyed, cut down. Here they are still preserved and deserve our great care and protection," explains Dr. Ana Pesic.

Wooden Cottages along the Bojana River, Copyright: Institute of Marine Biology

Tourism development cannot and should not be prevented. But what we need to understand is that people are increasingly turning to nature tourism, frequently looking for the opportunity to enjoy wildlife. The Great Beach and the river Bojana mouth represent a still untouched nature and as such, stand as a valuable potential for the development of eco-tourism.

International eco-expert Michele de Santis visited Montenegro for the first time. He is fascinated by the area of ​​Great Beach and the Bojana river, claiming that this zone is ecologically essential not only for Montenegro but for the whole Mediterranean. "I want to emphasize that this area is one of the most significant wetlands in the whole Mediterranean; it is certainly one of the largest. These areas have been destroyed throughout the Mediterranean as a result of urbanization or drainage for agriculture. Here, on the other hand, the ecosystems are in excellent condition," said Michele De Santis.

Great Beach and Bojana River Area is Perfect for the Development of Eco-Tourism, Copyright: Institute of Marine Biology

Experts have identified four basic ecosystem types in the Blue Land area. In addition to the ecosystems of the Bojana River, and the dune ecosystem, as very significant, de Santis points out the alluvial forests in the hinterland of the Great Beach. "It is observed in this zone that many trees die during the summer months. We need to investigate why this is happening and whether there is any way to prevent it. What we can say without a doubt is that this area is well suited to promote and support the development of eco-tourism. Eco-tourism is a great development opportunity for this area."

De Santis believes that the Blue Land project is a significant start-up step to establish comprehensive protection for this valuable area, which is exposed to numerous pressures. One of the main problems noted by the experts during the fieldwork is the lack of a functional waste management system. "It is a great pity because the area is beautiful, so it is not very nice for tourists to walk and ride in the garbage. I believe that the Blue Land project looks at this space in all aspects excellently. I see its greatest importance in bringing the values ​​and potentials of this space closer to the local community and governing bodies, so that we can witness its sustainable development in the future."

Bojana River Entering the Sea at Great Beach, Ulcinj, Copyright: Institute of Marine Biology

Regarding the management of the area, Michelle de Santis recommends the restoration and conservation of dunes, the monitoring of water quality, especially in the Bojana River, the creation of hiking and biking trails for tourists, so that they can enter deeper into area, see birds, vegetation and the beautiful and unique nature that lies in the area of the Great Beach and the mouth of the Bojana River.

"During the seven days that the experts visited Montenegro, we toured the entire Blue Land area and mapped all significant ecosystems and all significant plant species. As a result of this expert visit, a report will be prepared as well as a GIS format of all ecosystems, their boundaries, distribution and density of certain plant species, which will be used for another product of this project, a Web GIS platform that will be internationally developed jointly for all three project pilot areas. It will include all the relevant information collected in these areas. In addition to the natural features, we will try to introduce some socio-economic aspects: the number of tourists during the summer season, the number of inhabitants, the number of restaurants," explained Project Coordinator for Montenegro, Dr. Ana Pesic.

Pesic announced that a phone application would be made within Blue Land, which will be available to all citizens. Citizens and visitors will be able to send their photographs, objections, anything that is interesting or important to them, with the aim of popularizing the area and bringing its values ​​and potentials closer to the general public.

In the veterinary clinics of Montenegro, after several delays, the identification and registration of dogs began, with chipping and the vaccination of dogs against rabies.

Chipping and issuing passports for dogs, which was organized for the first time in Montenegro, began on World Rabies Day - September 28, which is celebrated around the world to remind of the importance of measures to eradicate this dangerous a contagious disease that is mostly transmitted to humans with the bite of dogs.

Chipping dogs has been announced several times for the summer of this year. However, due to delays in public procurement, this had not happened.

The Food, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs Directorates have announced that the owners will pay two euros for a tagged and vaccinated dog.

"The identification and registration of dogs, as previously decided, will be implemented through the Agrobudget Funded Compulsory Animal Health Measures Program."

Identification and registration of dogs(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development)

They stated that, thanks to the activities carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Food Safety Authority, with the support of the EU project, on prevention through oral vaccination of foxes and vaccination of dogs in shelters for abandoned animals, no cases of rabies in Montenegro have been reported since In 2012, neither in domestic nor in wild animals.

The official start of the dog chipping campaign was marked at the Veterinary Clinic “Animavet” in Podgorica, in the presence of representatives of the Directorate for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs, who in the previous period worked intensively on establishing a system for identifying and registering dogs.

The official launch of the action (Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development)

The Director of the Management Board, Vesna Dakovic, emphasized the high expectation of this action, first of all, in the monitoring of the health status of the marked animals, as well as ensuring a higher level of responsibility of the animal owners, which will now be recognized. Dog tagging and rabies vaccination, she said, will contribute to protecting animals from rabies and, consequently, protecting human health.

Chipping dogs will be important for improving the health and well-being of dogs and will contribute to addressing many increasing challenges to the dog population, from irresponsible ownership, inhumane treatment of dogs, dog bites, but also addressing problems with stray dogs. "

Text by Borko Zdero, on September 28th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

A three-member delegation of the non-governmental organization (NGO) "Alpha Center" from Niksic participated in the conference "Regional Cooperation and Long-term Development" held in the Romanian city of Arad. The conference brought together experts and students from the fields of tourism, media, economics, design, and gastronomy, who analyzed the potentials in these fields and exchanged experiences.

"The tourism potential of Arad County was analyzed and the most optimal and creative solutions were proposed to promote and develop the most diverse offer, and participants from the countries of the region presented concrete examples of good practice and identified potential barriers that may arise during the implementation of various projects," said the program manager at the Alpha Center, Radoje Mijuskovic.

NGO representatives from Niksic presented the successfully realized project "From Niksic with Love", which was also promoted in the region, Sarajevo and Mostar.

The idea was born to organize similar promotion in several Romanian cities, and in the same way to promote their tourist, cultural and gastronomic offer in Montenegro," said Mijuskovic, adding that the conference was a good opportunity to establish cooperation with both organizations from Romania and countries in the region.

The conference, which lasted for four days, was organized by the NGO Center for Balkan Strategies, whose headquarters are in Cluj.

"The idea is to create a pilot project that would be implemented in the region, about finding solutions and new ways to develop the local community. During these four days, we got to know each other about the situation in our countries when it comes to the development of tourism, economy, infrastructure, so that young people get new job opportunities and stay in their own countries," said Florian Groza, president of the "Center for Balkan Strategies", as said by the "Alpha Center”.

Representatives of the countries participating in the conference, from Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Romania, had the opportunity to speak with the President of the Arad County Chamber of Commerce, the representatives of the communes of Gyor and Shiri, as well as with the rector and officials from the University of Arad.

The participants of the conference had the opportunity to get acquainted with the cultural and historical sights of Romania, their gastronomy, as well as to attend the presentation of medieval weapons and to participate in the simulation of combat using these weapons.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on September 28th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

28 September 2019 - A memorandum on cooperation between the chambers of commerce of Montenegro and the Körfez district was signed on the Business Forum of Montenegro and Turkey in Podgorica. It was stated that investments from Turkey were increasing. In 2018, two states exchanged goods worth 100,7 million EUR.

This agreement is a solid basis for further economic relations with Turkey, said the signatories, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Ivan Saveljić and President of the Chamber of Commerce of Körfez Recep Öztürk 

"There is space for the improvement of economic relations between the two countries," said Saveljić.

The Turkish delegation consisted of the representatives of 30 companies of Körfez in the field of energy, construction, metal-processing, trade, logistics, automobile industry and real estate.

Presenting the economic environment of Montenegro, Saveljić pointed out that the country was characterized by intense economic growth.

The most important infrastructure and tourist projects will create safe presumptions for the further economic growth of Montenegro and improvement of life quality of its citizens.

Apart from cooperation in trade, investments from Turkey have surged. Since 2010, a total of 190,3 million EUR has been invested from Turkey, writes CdM.

Last year around 43.000 tourists visited Montenegro. Montenegro expects new investments in the energy sector.

"We have excellent cooperation with Turkish chambers of commerce," said Saveljić.

President of the Chamber of Commerce of Körfez pointed out developed historical and cultural bonds our countries shared.

"We should use this stable interstate cooperation in order to reinforce business cooperation," said Öztürk.

He acquainted his interlocutors with the region he comes from. It is one of the most developed regions in Turkey and it has 160.000 inhabitants.

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

28 September 2019 - After attending the opening of the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović met with Koen Davidse, executive director of the Dutch constituency at the World Bank.

President Đukanović emphasized the importance of overall cooperation with the World Bank, including credit support from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), as part of the World Bank. He also pointed out that the priorities of the World Bank were in line with the priorities of Montenegro's economic policy, strengthening fiscal stability and raising the level of competitiveness and creating new jobs, reported his Office.

The Executive Director at the World Bank expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to meet with the President and become more familiar with the vision of development in Montenegro. He positively assessed the processes in Montenegro in terms of growth and fiscal stabilization and expressed interest in cooperation in youth employment, private sector and sustainability projects. He also praised the balance Montenegro is making between progress and the sustainability of the economy.

The interlocutors agreed that the integration of the region is the best framework for its development, especially in the context of the need to adopt new knowledge and European standards in overcoming trade barriers in the region.

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