16 June 2019 - The exhibition of children's handicrafts under the name "Symbols of Bulgarian Identity" will be opened in the exhibition hall of Cultural and Informational Centre Budo Tomović in Podgorica on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 pm.

The exhibition is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Podgorica, the Association Spiritual Mirror from Sofia, and it is supported by the Cultural and Information Centre Budo Tomović and the UNICEF Office in Montenegro.

The exhibition will be opened by Bulgarian Ambassador Meglena Plugchieva, Director of CIC Budo Tomović Snežana Burzan, President of the Association Spiritual Mirror from Sofia Tatiana Kostadinova and Osama Makavi Kogali, Head of UNICEF Office in Montenegro. A short musical program will be organized during the opening eve.

According to the statement of the CIC, the exhibition Symbols of Bulgarian Identity includes 25 works, and it is part of the project "Motifs of Bulgarian folklore - hidden symbols of faith, love and beauty, harmony and music", initiated by the Spiritual Mirror Association aiming for young artists, ages 4 to 15, using different techniques to create works that carry colours and symbols of Bulgarian identity.

The idea of ​​the Spiritual Mirror Association, which is in the background of this exhibition, is to create a network of creative organizations for children and youth from the Balkan countries. The next step, after the implementation of this initiative, will be the creation of a children's European artistic network.

Read more about cultural events in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

17 June 2019 - The Stadium of little sports (Montenegrin: Stadion malih sportova) in Podgorica, to the satisfaction of all citizens and sports enthusiasts, will soon get a completely new look. Reconstruction of the stadium is in progress and, as the representatives of the government of the Capital City announce, it will be completed by the end of the year.

Stadium of little sports is a multi-purpose stadium in Podgorica, the Capital of Montenegro. It is located under the Gorica Hill, near the city centre. The stadium's total area is 6.686 square meters, and it is owned by the municipality of Podgorica. It serves as one of the main concert venues in the city.

At a recent meeting with the residents of Local community Gorica and Nova Varoš, the Mayor of Podgorica, Ivan Vuković, said that the elaboration of the main project for the reconstruction of the Small Sports Stadium is in progress and that it will be completed by the end of the year.

As they announce from the capital city, the reconstructed sports area will have new terrains and stands, as well as numerous accompanying facilities. They also confirmed that the Football Association of Montenegro would give its contribution to this reconstruction through the donation of artificial turf and hybrid grass for sports.

Dragan Šico Mugoša, the legendary mini football player, one of the most popular athletes who spent years under Gorica Hil and once the best player of great Yugoslavia, said that there were no players who played for the FC Budućnost without having had their “five minutes of fame” on this stadium. Thus, the masters of the world and domestic football played their “most important” roles here: Savićević, Mijatović, Miročević, Vujović, Ljumović, and many others.

The citizens of Podgorica, as well as the citizens of the country, hope that with this reconstruction, the stadium will regain its original purpose – hosting sports events and gathering people of all generations. They are looking forward to seeing children and adults playing handball and mini football like they used to in the past.

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

To show that cycling is returning to Trebjesa in a great way was stated by the “Biciklijada” (Bike tour) held to welcome the summer break, organized by the Bicycle Club (BK) "Perun", where out of 150 participants over fifty of them were children up to ten years old. "Our goal is fulfilled because we wanted to present this “Biciklijada” to young people, and they were the most participants. We intended to motivate them to use the bicycle in the summer as an alternative ecological means of transport that does not pollute the environment, but also to promote cycling as a sport and as an attractive modern recreation," said Ana Petrovic Njegos, from BK "Perun".
According to her, cycling can be viewed as a tourist product as it is a good way to discover and meet the surroundings of Niksic, which is rich in natural beauty and cultural and historical sights.  "It is rare that one city has so many cycling trails in the surroundings and opportunities for mountain biking in the rural part like Niksic, which is why we need a cycling track in the urban part of the city. A modern man rides a bike every day, and forecasts say that by 2025 the electric bicycle will completely replace cars in the city center," Petrovic said. The luckiest participant of th “Biciklijada” is the eleven-year-old Ana Gojkovic who won a bicycle. The youngest and oldest participants were the three-year-old Lazar Jaukovic, five-year-old Una Barovic and sixty-eight-year-old Branko Jaredic. During the “Biciklijada” which was secured by the traffic police, everyone who could check their blood sugar and blood pressure, thanks to the PZU "My Doctor", while BK "Perun" organized a party at the City Square after the tour.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on June 16th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The largest private yacht in the world - the 180-meter long Azzam ("Determined" in Arabic), sailed to the Porto Montenegro marina in Tivat.

The yacht that belongs to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Kalifa bin Zajed al-Nahijan, is located at the Jetty 5 of the marina in Tivat, at a berth capable of receiving ships of up to 250 meters.

"Azzam" is at the jetty 5 out of the reach of pedestrians in Porto Montenegro marina and the photographers, so its crew and passengers enjoy complete discretion.

 "Azzam" was built on special order in 2013 at the renowned German shipyard Lurssen, and construction of this yacht cost $ 610 million. The ship is 180 ft long and nearly 21 meters wide, has 13,136 gross tones and is the size of the medium cruiser. For such a large boat, "Azzam" has an unusually small gauge of only 4.3 meters, which in combination with a specific, slim form of hull and an exceptionally strong operative system of almost 94,000 horsepower, allows a dazzling maximum speed for a single yacht of as much as 31.5 knots. This steel-aluminum ship is powered by two MTU diesel engines and two gas turbines, the General Electric LM 2500, and the ship has no classical propellers, but four so-called water-jet propulsions power it. Besides other luxurious amenities, it has two swimming pools, two helipads, a cinema, a disco club, and the largest hall for dining and ceremonies on a yacht.

This ultra luxurious ship also has a mini-submarine, all glass surfaces on the "Azzam" are made of impenetrable glass, the owner's suite is additionally enclosed by the ballistic protection panels of kevlar, and the yacht has a highly secured system for its defense against eventual anti-bombardment rockets.

"Azzam" can accommodate 36 passengers who are looked after by 60 crew members.

Text by Sinisa Lukovic, on June 16th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Obligatory microchipping of all dogs is delayed by one month, so instead of June 1^st, as initially announced, it will commence on the first day of July.

The reason for the delay is the inability to procure them on time.

Once the dog or cat is chipped, the data will be entered into the central register, which will be linked to all veterinary hospitals. The owner's data will also be entered on the database, so the entire procedure will allow them to be linked to the animals, which, as the authorities believe, would ultimately initiate a more responsible behavior of the pet owners.

By the end of the year, the state will subsidize 10,000 dogs. The owners, instead of €25, which is the usual price for chipping at the veterinary clinic, will have to pay two euros for each pet.

Last autumn, the Ministry of Agriculture adopted the Ordinance on the method of identifying dogs and cats, but the document could be altered, as the members of Milutin Simovic’s ministry department asked for comments to the animal protection associations only after its approval. The associations believe that the adopted document is not comprehensive, so the length of the comments and suggestions sent to the authorities is almost equal to the length of the original rulebook.

"We did not invent hot water, but we were investigating the rulebooks from the region," said several associations.

The valid rulebook obligates the owners to have newborn dogs and cats shipped no later than 90 days from the date of birth, i.e., during the first vaccination against viral diseases or leaving their mothers.

The civilian sector has suggested that owners should not be allowed any health care for an animal that has not previously been identified with a microchip.

The Animal Protection Association has also suggested a detailed description of the types of data that are entered into the central database, which will contain information about owners and pets.

They also requested that animal owners who are temporarily on the territory of Montenegro and identified with a microchip which does not comply with the standards prescribed by the Montenegrin rulebook must provide the appropriate reader.

In the comments, more NGOs also asked for a detailed description of the passport, i.e., identification document of the animal, and asked for the obligation of the owner to be entered, in case of the death of the dog or cat, the registered person needs to report it, and the passport is returned to the authorized marker, so that the animal would be signed off from the central database.

When compulsory chipping begins, owners of dogs and cats, as previously said by the Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Department, can chip their pets at any veterinary clinic.

Dogs that were previously labeled with a prescribed microchip will not be re-chipped, but data will only be entered in the animal passport and the Pet Registry. The dog can only be re-chipped if the old chip is impossible to read. As to how the registration is to be implemented in this case, the Management Board will, as they have said, notify the owners in due time.

By the end of the year, the state will also finance vaccination against rabies. Thus, after the application of the microchip, the dogs will be vaccinated against rabies free of charge.

Text by Damira Kalac, on June 17th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

16 June 2019 - The Ministry of Economy of Montenegro reported that works on the building of small hydro-power plants on the Bukovica river are suspended until the Government re-examines all the documentation and reaches a final decision. The decision was concluded on the meeting of Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulić and local residents of Šavnik municipality, representatives of NGOs, investors and representatives of local government. 

16 June 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović and UNDP Resident Representative in Montenegro Daniela Gasparikova signed the agreement on cooperation between the two institutions within the project Creative Montenegro - Economic Valorisation and Creative Industries in Cetinje, as reported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro.

The agreement defines numerous fields of cooperation over the next two years, thanks to which the sector of creative industries in Montenegro will be fully valued. In addition, a part of the programme will focus on the cultural heritage, which, during today's signing ceremony, has been assessed as an outstanding potential in the field of cultural tourism. Apart from the above, the partnership will be also established in order to present and popularise the natural and cultural heritage through the cultural routes of the Council of Europe and the European Mediterranean route "EuroVelo8".

Only a few days ago, the Creative Montenegro project gave the first results this year. A total of 11 authors are supported by the first competition in the framework of this project, which will establish a Montenegrin cultural product, as a fruit of the creative sector and entrepreneurial-productive cooperation. There are 10 projects and products, and one scientific study.

On this occasion, the author of one of the 11 ideas supported by the contest "Creative Montenegro" is "Articulation" from Podgorica presented the project "VR Montenegro", which is based on contemporary technologies of virtual reality, that is, 'location scouting' in the film industry. Thanks to this project, Montenegro's presentation as a destination at film fairs and festivals will be extremely enriched - as representatives of interested production companies will be able to see, in one place, using VR glasses, all film locations and landscapes in our country. Not only will Montenegro be further affirmed as a film destination, but it will also be possible for authors to valorize their work through co-production with some of the overseas production companies. Igor Mitic from "Articulation" explains that the project "VR Montenegro" will introduce a series of locations from Montenegro. 

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

15 June 2019 - The Privatisation and Capital Investment Council adopted the Request of the Port of Bar AD - Bar for the sale of 100% of shares in Sidro Hotel and accepted the Request of the Hotel Group Budvanska rivijera AD - Budva for giving consent to the Decision on modification of the Decision on sale by public auction regarding the sale of Piva Hotel in Plužine. The Auction Commission should conduct a procedure for the sale of part of the property of the Hotel Group Budvanska rivijera AD - Budva - Piva Hotel in Plužine in accordance with the Decree on sale of shares and assets through public auction in accordance with this conclusion. 

As of 31 March 2019, the fixed assets of Sidro Hotel amounted to 1.172.118 EUR, while receivables amounted to 56.377 EUR, capital 575,929 EUR, accumulated loss 5.944.443 EUR, long-term liabilities and provisions 37.051 EUR, deferred tax liabilities 103.904, and short-term liabilities amounted to 543.859 EUR, as noted in the report of the Government of Montenegro.

The discussion pointed out this facility did not operate positively since the opening in 2010 and that the management of the Port of Bar intends to use the money from the sale of Sidro Hotel for the rehabilitation of Volujica quay construction in the length of 554 m and the construction of a 6,000 m² prefabricated storage facility. The session emphasised that 34 employees at Sidro Hotel were protected by a high-quality collective agreement in the five-year period after the privatisation, and the Council recommended to the Port of Bar to make the final decision on the sale of Sidro Hotel, adding that an integral part of the decision is a social programme that should be implemented by a potential buyer. 

The initial price of Sidro Hotel is set at 1.704.480,02 EUR.

By accepting the Request of the Hotel Group Budvanska rivijera AD – Budva, the Council agreed that the new Decision on sale by public bidding would indicate the price of 152.000 EUR, since the book value of the Hotel amounts to 150.966,98 EUR. The Council instructed the Auction Commission to conduct the sale procedure for the part of Piva Hotel in Plužine in accordance with the Decree on sale of shares and assets through public auction. 

The Privatisation and Capital Investment Council reviewed the Information on the fulfillment of conditions for the issuance of the fourth bank guarantee to Global Ports Holding and proposed to the Government to adopt the Information, which states that this company invested the amount of 2.027.879,05 EUR in the rehabilitation and reinforcement of the construction of the southern coast of Gata 1, which created the conditions for the issuance of the appropriate bank guarantee.

The Council passed the Proposal of Decision on amendments to the Decision on the privatisation plan for 2019, which envisages the sale of the remaining part of 1,45 percent of state-owned shares in the New Tobacco Plant AD Podgorica, after the current majority owner expressed his interest in the purchase of the remaining state-owned shares.

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

16 June 2019 - Led by Zoran Roganović, Montenegro National Handball Team managed to secure a victory at the Morača Sports Centre in the match against Ukraine, winning 27: 21 and in the second place, they qualified for the European Championship.

The European Championship will be held in January in Austria, Sweden and Norway.

"Certainly, these are the two most important matches. In the first duel, we did not play well against the Faeroes Islands, and now we had to have a more serious approach. It is important that we play smart, divide the time and celebrate against the Faeroes Islands and then against Ukraine and give the maximum to win. It is true that some players just joined the team two days ago and that it is the end of the season, but these are the two most important matches, and everyone will give the maximum to win the placement," said Stefan Čavor for Vijesti before the game, commenting on how important this victory is for the team and for Montenegro as a country.

Montenegro lost to Ukraine after the drama with the Faeroes (29: 24), and as expected in Denmark (37: 26), but the "Lions" defeated the Olympic and World Champions Denmark (32:31) in the previous round, and now on the wings of that triumph they managed to win the remaining two games and achieve the goal.

"We do care whether we are going to be the second or third. The better placement also allows us to get an easier group at the European Championship. When we already have a chance, we have to enter with 100 per cent in both games,” said the goalkeeper, Nebojša Simić, who is now thrilled that the team managed to secure the second place.

Read more sport related news at TMN's dedicated page.

16 June 2019 - At the recent United Nations General Assembly elections, Montenegro was elected a member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 2020-2022.

The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

ECOSOC links a diverse family of UN entities dedicated to sustainable development, providing overall guidance and coordination. The entities include regional economic and social commissions, functional commissions facilitating intergovernmental discussions of major global issues, and specialized agencies, programmes and funds at work around the world to translate development commitments into real changes in people’s lives.

Building on its coordination role within the UN system, ECOSOC is a gateway for UN partnership and participation by the rest of the world. It offers a unique global meeting point for productive dialogues among policymakers, parliamentarians, academics, foundations, businesses, youth and 3,200+ registered non-governmental organizations.

Each year, ECOSOC structures its work around an annual theme of global importance to sustainable development. This ensures focused attention, among ECOSOC’s array of partners, and throughout the UN development system.

By emphasizing combined economic, social and environmental concerns, ECOSOC encourages agreement on coherent policies and actions that make fundamental links across all three.

As a member of the ECOSOC, Montenegro will be committed to meeting the mandate of this body and its proactive and effective role in the field of sustainable development.

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