10 December 2018 - President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović met with the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri at the presidential palace “Casa Rosada” in Buenos Aires. The two presidents expressed their satisfaction with the second meeting in the last two years and showed readiness to consider possibilities of cooperation in the domain of economy, food industry, trade, and new technologies.

“Agreement on cultural cooperation will be signed by the first occasion, as well as agreement on reliefs in the visa regime, and set of others agreements that are in the phase of preparation and represent a solid normative and legal basis for that,” said the representatives of Đukanović’s Office.

Both Đukanović and Macri pointed out the role of Montenegrin community, which is the durable bridge of friendship between two nations and states, and the best bond for strengthening overall cooperation.

Ceremony held on the occasion of 200 years since the arrival of the first Montenegrin family to Argentina featured president of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović as the main speaker. The ceremony was held at famous palace Jose de San Martin and the descendant of the first emigrants, Ivan Damjanović, said that they had never stopped being what their ancestors had been when they moved to Argentina back in 1818.

Horacio Reiser, deputy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that this celebration is the proof of the firm foundations of Argentinian-Montenegrin relations.

Damjanović, who is now Argentinian journalist and poet, said that Montenegrin people are present there as long as the recent history of that country lasts.

Ambassador Gordan Stojović, one of the initiators and organizers of the ceremony, said that this was not only the celebration of 200 years since the first Montenegrin family arrived but it is also a celebration of 100 years of the La Montenegrina colony.

The ceremony was attended by many renowned people from the Argentinian political, cultural and economic life, diplomatic corps and many descendants of Montenegrin emigrants.

Before the ceremony began, Stojović and Reiser signed the agreement on cooperation in the field of culture between Montenegro and Argentina.

Đukanović also meets with the honorary consuls and presidents of Montenegrin communities in Latin America, that took place at the Embassy in Argentina, and during this occasion, he said: "There are not many of us, and wherever we are, it is important that we stick together.".

“If there were not for your activities and work, we would not pay much attention to the countries you live in now. On the other side, authorities of these countries would not have such relation towards Montenegro, if there were no such honorary communities here. Just like you ascendants did, today you give a contribution to their development and, thus, to build up the reputation of Montenegro in this part of the world,” said Đukanović after the first day of his visit to Latin America.

He expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with the home country and the results achieved in the past two years. He spoke about the current situation in Montenegro, which became a NATO member and made significant progress in the EU negotiations.

“Projects we are implementing are the most valuable in the history, and they can serve to honor to even greater states in Europe. We do not exaggerate if we speak with optimism about our close future that is going to be even brighter,” said Đukanović and thanked the highest representatives of Montenegrin communities in Argentina and surrounding states.

Representatives of diaspora thanked to the Government and other state authorities, as well as to the President himself, for the support and efficient commitment to cooperation.

Project “Montenegrin house” has been validated and Đukanović will deliver a speech tomorrow, at its official opening.

Representatives of Diaspora expressed special thanks to the ambassador, Gordan Stojović, who is soon completing his mission in Argentina, for exceptional cooperation and pioneer undertakings in joint efforts to organize and connect Montenegrin diaspora across Latin America.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

December 10, 2018 - In 2017 Turkey was ranked 9th as a foreign investor in Montenegro, and data for the nine months of 2018 show that Turkey is in the third place. This is a concrete result of high-quality political and diplomatic relations, and I expect that investments from the Turkish economy will be even more significant in 2019, said the Turkish Ambassador Serhat Galip during the meeting with the Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Osman Nurkovic.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the meeting served to summarize the impressions and results of cooperation during the mandate of Ambassador Galip in our country.

With the assessment that the cooperation in the past period was at a very high level, Ambassador Galip expressed expectations that by appointing the new Ambassador of Turkey to Montenegro, communication will continue to be carried out in a quality manner with the support of the Montenegrin institutions.

As the Ambassador pointed out, the data show significant growth of the trade exchange trend and the focus will continue to be on the strengthening of the economic cooperation between the two countries.

Nurkovic thanked Galip for the commitment and engagement in developing diplomatic and friendly relations between Montenegro and Turkey.

"The appeal by Turkish diplomats to Turkish businessmen presenting our country as a stable investment destination is of great importance," said Nurkovic.

Especially unique are investments in northern Montenegro, bearing in mind the opportunities that exist, but the problems that citizens of this part of Montenegro encounter. "The work of the traffic department creates the preconditions for a better quality of life of citizens, primarily the construction and maintenance of road infrastructure, where it is definitely important to work on the realization of the project of construction of Bar-Boljare highway. The stronger development of northern Montenegro will affect the development of the whole country," the minister said. During the meeting there were talks about cooperation in other sectors in the field of education, there is a quality program of support for Montenegrin students in Turkey. As the ambassador pointed out, the Turkish government allocates certain funds for financing such programs, and it is up to us to jointly promote and create such and similar projects.

Text by CdM, on December 10th, 2018, read more at CdM

December 9, 2018 - There is no place for luxury resorts on Skadar Lake, said the Council of Europe.

Therefore, at the last session in Strasbourg held at the end of November, the recommendations of Berne Convention on halting the construction of Porto Skadar Lake and the White Village in the National Park "Skadar Lake" were adopted.

"We recommend the Government of Montenegro to stop further construction on land and the coast at the Mihailovići site in the next 12 months. The new Spatial Plan of the Special Purpose of the National Park Skadar Lake should rely on the assumptions of the Spatial Plan of 2001 and proclaim the wider area of Rijeka Crnojevica and the islands of Liponjak and Galići as a zone I of strict protection. The new Spatial Plan of Special Purpose should also declare Poseljanski Bay and Biški rep as a Zone I of strict protection," the recommendation of the Bern Convention states.

This conclusion is the result of a visit by the representatives of Berne and RAMSAR, i.e. the Convention on the Protection of European Wild Species and Natural Habitats and Wetlands, to Skadar Lake in June this year.

Skadar Lake was on the agenda of the session of the Secretariat of the Berne Convention thanks to the informal association of citizens of Virpazar, who launched a petition in the summer to ban construction on the lake. It was signed by about 13,000 people. Today, however, we were unable to get a comment from the representatives of this association.

After several days of waiting they did not answer our question: if they will act upon the recommendations of the Council of Europe, no answer was received by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.

NGO Green House reminds that Montenegro has ratified both Ramsar and Berne conventions.

"If these recommendations were violated, this could significantly escalate at the international level and lead to the deletion of Skadar Lake from the RAMSAR list," says Natasa Kovacevic from Green Home.

Citizens of Virpazar hope, however, that by the arrival of foreign investors to the lake they would finally get roads and jobs.

"I think that they should be allowed to work, with the satisfaction of those standards that are implied, the protection of the lake and the rest..."; "They will offer jobs, and it will look good..."; "Personally, as a citizen here, when I go home and when somebody comes to visit, it would be nice to have better roads and ambience when someone passes by..." are some of the opinions by the locals.

Kovačević says that such comments are not surprising, because the inhabitants of the settlement around Skadar Lake have never been given an alternative that they would benefit from, and the lake remained protected. 

"This is an alternative to the development of tourism based on traditional architecture, based on the natural features of the lake, because it is the only curiosity that the lake has. The only alternative offered to them is the mega-touristic infrastructure ...".

Although the damage to Biški rep is made, Kovačević believes that it is not irreparable. "This devastated area should return to its former state, and this should be done at the expense of the investors." Porto Skadar Lake is worth around 160 million euros, and it is planned to have 51 apartments, 30 villas, and its marina. The French investor Lionel Sonigo started preparatory works two years ago, and his opinion on the Spatial Plan of the Special Purpose of the National Park Skadar Lake in late September was supposed to be given by Montenegrin MPs, but the plan was returned for refinement.

Text by Marija Otasevic, on December 8th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

08 December 2018 - Montenegro has received an additional 68.6 million EUR of non-refundable support from the EU and bilateral donors of the West Balkans Investment Framework for the implementation of four investment projects in the area of transport and the environment and the preparation of project documentation for two new projects. 

Additional funds were approved at the nineteenth meeting of the Steering committee of the West Balkan Investment Framework, held in Luxembourg, organized by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. 

Additional non-refundable grants were approved through the fourth call for investment projects and the twentieth call for project preparation, and in the context of the financial support provided by the EU and the bilateral donors of this instrument in the framework of the Berlin Process. 

For the construction of the priority part of the bypass around Budva within the route of the coastal variant of the Adriatic-Ionian motorway, the EU will allocate 42.1 million EUR for works, whose total value will exceed 188 million. By building a priority part of the bypass, road transport in this part of the coastal region will be significantly improved and the problem of traffic jams in the center of Budva will be resolved, especially during the summer months. 

In addition to investing in road transport, the EU has approved the allocation of 16.3 million EUR of non-refundable support for the development of rail transport. In addition to the reconstruction of steel bridges and sections of the railway line Lutovo-Bioče, the project envisages the procurement of three new passenger trains, which will significantly improve the safety, efficiency and comfort of this type of traffic for citizens. An integral part of the project is the reconstruction of workshops and depots for train maintenance in Bar and Nikšić and procurement of new equipment for this purpose. 

In addition to investment projects in the field of transport, 7.7 million EUR of non-refundable support was granted for strengthening infrastructure in the area of environmental protection. With the amount of 4.7 million EUR, the construction of the sewerage system in Risan and Perast will be financed, which will solve the issue of wastewater collection in these coastal areas, which will influence the improvement of the quality of bathing water in the Bay of Kotor. For the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Bijelo Polje 3 million EUR were allocated, which makes almost half of the necessary funds for solving the issue of wastewater treatment in the largest municipality in the north of Montenegro. Support to environmental projects is in line with the EU's commitment to support Montenegro's efforts to improve the environmental protection system in the long term. 

In regard to financial support for the preparation of projects, 1.3 million EUR was approved for the preparation of the necessary documentation for the reconstruction of the railway line from Podgorica to the border with Albania and 1.2 million EUR for the preparation of a project to build a new prison in Mojkovac. 

"Given that the funds are allocated through calls open to all Western Balkan countries, the fact that Montenegro has been granted the most funds this year confirms the ability of the Government and the administration to properly plan investments and infrastructure and prepare projects in accordance with the requirements and EU rules," Deputy Chief Negotiator - National IPA Coordinator Ivana Glišević Đurović said. 

She stressed that the Government will continue to work dedicatedly when it comes to planning investments in infrastructure, that infrastructure projects are among the main priorities of the Government. "I am convinced that the implementation of these projects will be of great importance for everyday life of citizens, but also for intensifying economic growth and development through improving the infrastructure connectivity and creating preconditions for the development of tourism through improvements in the field of environmental protection," Glišević Đurović said. 

On the margins of the meeting, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Katariná Mathernová congratulated on approved projects and expressed willingness to continue the successful cooperation.

08 December 2018 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović participates in the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting, which took place on 6-7th December in Milano, Italy. 

Speaking about the role of the OSCE in strengthening security, Minister Darmanović said that the activities of the organisation and the full respect of the fundamental values of the OSCE are of paramount importance in resolving security challenges. "The current crises just confirm the relevance of the concept of comprehensive OSCE security and show the importance of the role that the OSCE has in providing a single platform for a constructive dialogue on the most important security issues," Darmanović said, pointing out the need for firm commitment to the OSCE's core values – respect for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights and freedoms. 

In the context of the recent use of military force and Russian activities in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, which currently represent the biggest and most serious challenge to European security architecture, Darmanović said that this is another direct consequence of violating the fundamental principles on which the OSCE and the international order are resting. He recalled that Montenegro expressed concern about the incident and joined the calls for de-escalation of tensions. He reiterated that Montenegro fully supports a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the crisis, including the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format, based on the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine in its internationally recognised borders. 

On the margins of the Ministerial Council, Minister Darmanović met with his Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi. The two officials welcomed the priorities of the Italian presidency aimed at strengthening the role of the OSCE to reduce conflicts, restore confidence, combat radicalisation, promote good governance, fight corruption, combat intolerance and discrimination, and strengthen structural dialogue. 

Minister Darmanović also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Miroslav Lajčak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov.

07 December 2018 - A person who decides to be the mediation agent to persons applying for obtaining economic citizenship through investments, will have to pay 50.000 EUR for the licence. This was defined by the Government’s decision on the criteria, manner, and procedure of the selection of a person who can gain Montenegrin citizenship.

Licences are valid for one year and can be extended two times, at the request of a mediation agent.

Costs of issuing and extending the licence are borne by the mediation agent who must fulfill the following requirements: responsible person in that legal entity in Montenegro or in some other state hasn’t been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence that lasted longer than one year, for a criminal offence that is prosecuted ex officio, and that he/she has been performing the same or similar activities in at least three states on the basis of the agreement, i.e. licence, and in at least one EU Member State.

Starting from the 1st January 2019, and in the next three years, maximum of 2.000 investors will be able to obtain Montenegrin citizenship.

An applicant for economic citizenship must deposit 450.000 EUR for the projects that are being implemented at the south of the state or in the Capital, 250.000 EUR for the projects in the north and central part of the state, and 100.000 EUR intended for the development of less developed areas.

Deposit for administration process per applicant amounts 15.000 EUR  and 10.000 EUR for every member of their family. If the family counts more than five members, 50.000 EUR tax is paid for each one.

The decision on economic citizenship was rendered with the aim of enhancing the economic development of the state and attracting investments.

Back in October, it was estimated that economic citizenship would bring more than 1 billion EUR to Montenegro. Read more about this here.

December 7, 2018 - The Ministry of Education signed contracts with representatives of 24 non-governmental organizations for financing projects in 2018, for which more than 250,000 euros were allocated from the budget of the Ministry. As announced from this department, contracts were signed with NGOs whose projects were rated as the best on the basis of the public competition "Today Prepared, Tomorrow Exceptional" and "For Schools That are Loved".

"After the competition Today Prepared, Tomorrow Exceptional" contracts were signed with NGOs Association of parents of children with disabilities Podgorica, NGO Montenegrin Association for New Technologies MANT, NGO Association of parents of children and youth with disabilities Give us a chance, NGO Apus, NGO European Movement in Montenegro, NGO Association of Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities, NGOs Association for Democratic Prosperity - ZID, NGO Our Future and NGO Center for the Development of Entrepreneurial Society," stated the Ministry.

They add that the best projects for the contest "For schools that are loved" were submitted by NGOs NGO Association of Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities - Podgorica, NGO North Land, NVO Association of parents of children and youth with disabilities Staze, NGO Association of speleological societies of Montenegro, NGO Centar Democracy and Human Rights - CEDEM, NGO Alfa Center, NGO Development Center, NGO Parents, NGO Fenix Montenegro, NGO NOVI HORIZONT, NGO NLP NETWORK, NGO Equivalence, NGO Center for Civic Education CGO, NGO Identity and NGO Alliance for Children and young people - HOUSE, with whom the contracts were signed.

"The representatives of NGOs signed the agreement with the president of the commission Vesna Gajević and Majda Mulić, and the state secretary of the Ministry of Education Aleksandar Mitrović attended the meeting, who wished successful cooperation and quality implementation of the projects of the aforementioned non-governmental organizations," concluded the Ministry of Education.

Text by CdM, on December 5th 2018, read more at CdM