May 27, 2019 - The Citizens Association "Stop Illegal Fishing" warns that dynamite has been reactivated at Luštica. Although the fight against all kinds of illegal fishing in Montenegro has lasted for two years, with the active participation of citizens and almost all competent services, the fact is that the judiciary and the prosecution have not yet adequately prosecuted perpetrators, and the perpetrators are getting wind in their backs to continue criminal activities.

May 27, 2019 - The Cultural Heritage Association Napredak Gornja Lastva and its partners, on Wednesday, 28 May at 10.30 am at the Cultural Center Niko Bilafer in Stoliv, organizes a round table on the topic "Legislative Framework for the Development of Olive Growing at the National and Local Levels."  

In 2019, the International Guitar Competition in Montenegro has reached the status of a guitar festival: in addition to the contests, the audience was invited to several chamber concerts by amazing guitarists including both big names and young European stars.

The primary classical guitar contest started on Friday, 24th May, on the new stage of Tivat Cultural Center and was presented in two categories - a solo guitar and guitar chamber ensembles. A solo guitar contest ended unusually: the seven-member international jury chaired by Italian maestro Aniello Desiderio unanimously decided not to award the first prize this year in a category of no age limit for solo guitarists. The second prize went to You Wu from China who was also granted a 5000 euro cost guitar and the third one was shared by Silvio Bilic from Croatia and Emma Schutzman from Germany.

The 13th Guitar Competition will be especially remembered both by the participants and the audience for another great event: two amazing performers maestro Manuel Canizares and maestro Aniello Desiderio along with master-classes for young Eurostring stars gave opening concerts in Tivat. A unique opportunity to hear at least one of them would already be a gift, but the bounty of life is really infinite...

TMN had the chance to meet both maestros and ask them a few questions about their professional life.

Manuel Canizares

How was your concert last night, maestro Canizares?

The concert was fantastic because the audience was so great, they applauded so highly, Rodriges and I felt very proud. And with such an audience it is very easy: trust me, I travel all around the world but it doesn’t happen every time, so it was a great experience last night.

You are a world-known flamenco guitar player. Would you please give our readers a short introduction: what is the specific difference between flamenco guitar and classical guitar?

The flamenco guitar is based on the rhythm; the rhythm is the most important thing in flamenco music. On the other side, in a classical guitar, there is another type of accent: deep sounds are more important. But there are common things, of course, and in my case, the two types of guitar music are integrated. I started playing when I was 6 years old and I started my musical education 3 years later. When I just started playing I had no idea of the theory of music, so I was playing without knowing notes and codes, but by my instinct. But when I learned the codes and notes it enlightened my understanding of music. Inside of me, there is a synthesis of shadow and light – as in Plato’s allegory of a cave: the shadow of the cave is the flamenco world and outside of it there is a light of the classical theory of music.

Do you believe a real musician needs proper classical education?

I’m not sure if it’s so necessary or not. For instance, Paco de Lucia was the greatest flamenco player of all times and didn’t know anything about the theory of music. But this is an isolated case because he really was a genius. For most people I think it is necessary to study, because playing by instinct only you may be limited in a certain sense, you may not open the doors allowing you to investigate new paths. You can learn to drive even without a driving license, but when you go to driving school and learn the rules, it helps you to find solutions in complicated situations on the road or avoid accidents.

Being a guitar teacher at the Catalonia musical high school, how do you balance the life of a performer and a teacher? It must take a lot of energy.

It’s one of the most challenging questions. Yes, I was teaching, but for the last 8 years, I’m on standby because I have no time to go to Barcelona and teach continuously. Students need regular classes, but I cannot do that because of so many concerts. However, there is a very important point of a concert player who teaches because a teacher who doesn’t play concerts doesn’t know what is happening on the stage. So, for young musicians, it is very important to learn from somebody who has a feeling of real performance on the stage, because they mainly want to become concert players. Students equally need technical knowledge of playing an instrument as well as performing experience.

Do you think that such initiatives as Eurostrings can give enough support for young artists in the modern world?

I really think it is a fantastic system which allows winners to travel around other countries. Of course, they have to study, study and study again, but the competition as this makes them more responsible for what they are doing. Having this experience, seeing what is happening in the outer world is very useful for young people. For example, today our participants were playing in front of maestro Desiderio, who is one of the jury members and he is one of the grand maestros of classical guitar. This is a fantastic opportunity for them.

What is a key thing to becoming a great guitarist?

Being in contact with an instrument every day is fundamental, in my opinion. All great guitarists passed the same stages. They all were practicing mechanics of play hours and hours, day by day to get to liberty of expressing music by their instrument. Fluency requires perfect technique and this can be reached only by endless practicing.

Aniello Desiderio

Maestro Desiderio, you are a member of the jury. What are your impressions about the competition?

First of all, I have to say that it’s not usual that among all the competitors the level was so high, so great. And this is so great for the guitar society and this makes the competition really interesting. Which means that this Eurostring project is working very well, so the young generation of guitar players follow the project all around Europe. It was very nice.

So, you believe this platform is really working and helping artists to start their professional career?

Today this a great and I’m afraid the only way for young artists. Nowadays it’s so difficult to start a musical career and the possibility of having so many guitar festivals all around Europe that are all connected and the possibility to play in so many countries is also very important. Because with this you have a chance to perform in front of other people who organize different kinds of festivals. This is a very good beginning.

For my generation, it was ok to win two or three prizes and it was enough to start being invited. Today for most of the guitar players, the area of performing is limited to guitar festivals. In order to establish your name in the wider musical world you need so many things on your biography today, and this project is a possibility to get to big music festivals and reach a bigger world.

In your opinion, what is the role of professional musical education?

There are two things: one is proper musical education which is important for everybody and the other is something you get naturally, that we call talent. Talent is something you cannot learn by any means, but it’s so important to find a balance between these two things. Talent is wild, it only wants to be free, with education you become… complete, you can choose. If you want to be wild, you can, if you want to be accurate or delicate, you also can. But beyond these, there is a very important thing which is to start as soon as possible to have the experience of the stage. Whatever you learned and whatever you imagined, you understand that it’s completely different when you’re on the stage.

What does it mean to perform on the stage for a musician?

You have to know yourself as much as possible to realize what we are in practice, not in theory. And it’s not only about music. Playing on stage you face emotions which you don’t feel in the class. And if in the art we don’t have emotions it means we’re machines, so the fastest and the most precise is the best, but unfortunately, it’s not art. The big artist does not need to do one hundred notes at a time. A big artist does only one - with the right breathing. And this makes the difference, the difference makes the detail, and the detail you only start feeling when you’re on stage in front of an audience, a normal audience (not a classical music audience, they easily understand). If you manage to become a normal person, to my grandmother, for instance, if you touch her soul, it means you really say something with your instrument.

Say?

Music is a language. You go to school to learn grammar, but then you start to communicate, you travel, you see ordinary life and you start getting how to construct a right, normal phrase, not by the rule from your school book as a noun, verb, etc. The poets know how to use the right words, but they don’t do it by grammar rules.

You mentioned previously that talent is a gift given by nature. And as I know, you come from a musical family. In your opinion, how much impact has a family background or general environment in which the young musician or just a kid grows in revealing his talent?

To reveal the talent – no, if you have it, you have it, I know many great musicians coming from families with no musical background. But what I think is important is taking care of the talent. If the family understands that their kid has a certain talent, they have to find a way to support it. Of course, if you have a gift there’s a price to pay like you have to practice instead of playing football, but it’s about parents who push their talented kid in the right way. To find a way to explain to your kid that music is another language that allows you to express your thoughts and feelings to your friends and lovers and anybody else without even opening your mouth, and that is what makes you a different and richer person.

How do you manage to be a demanded artist and a teacher?

It’s really difficult. I haven't taught that much in the last few years, but mainly through masterclasses. I’m trying to do less quantity, but more quality, finding what is best for the person in front of me.

Do you enjoy playing in an ensemble or are you a solo player?

Before I played in a few ensembles, but now I only play in one group of musicians (among them are my two brothers who play violin and piano and a friend of mine who is a drummer) and with them, I play a project of Four Seasons combining pieces by Vivaldi and Piazzolla. It’s so important to play with other musicians. There’s something you can never understand when you play alone, that’s why playing with somebody else makes you complete. And besides, it’s much nicer to travel around the world with friends.

25 May 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković said that by joining NATO, Montenegro got all the hallmarks of a safe destination for tourists and investors, which is an additional stimulus since Montenegrin investors are already operating in more than 110 countries and that our country has achieved growth rates among the highest in Europe.

"Fulfilling two key foreign policy priorities for our two countries has not only a political but also a very important economic dimension and benefit. By joining NATO, Montenegro got all the hallmarks of a safe destination, both for visitors and tourists, as well as for investors from all over the world – a signal that we share the highest standards and values of democratic societies with which we want even more advanced partnership and cooperation. We achieved economic growth at an average rate of 4.9 percent, almost in all sectors from tourism, energy, agriculture, industry, trade, and in the last two years, we reduced the unemployment rate by 6% and increased the number of employees by over 17,000, of which we are particularly proud. In the first quarter of this year, the parameters are already better than at the same time last year,"  said Marković.

He added that membership in NATO and increasing compatibility and harmonization with the internal EU system are important factors for such strong growth and development. Montenegro is also fully integrated into the NATO codification system, with 160 company codes and 100 codified products.

"I think this is a very strong basis for the future intensive cooperation between business people and for creating partnerships with other NATO member states and participating in NATO procurement process. Investors from over 110 countries operate in Montenegro, the most prestigious international tourist brands are present, and we are proud that our state has the highest foreign direct investment per capita in the region, with a total investment of 6.5 billion EUR in the period from 2006 to 2018," Prime Minister Duško Marković said at opening of Business Forum Montenegro - North Macedonia at the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro.

The Prime Minister pointed to the need to strengthen economic cooperation between Montenegro and North Macedonia, saying that it is clear that there are great potentials for deepening economic cooperation.

"We look forward to increased Macedonian investments in all sectors, and in the tourism sector I want to draw attention to the opportunity we can create through a joint approach to distant third markets, especially considering the complementarity of the tourism products of our two countries," the Prime Minister said.

PM Marković pointed to the Government's excellent economic results, stressing that our priorities are now a transport connectivity and investment in the Northern Region.

"Prime Minister Zaev and I understand that poor transport connectivity is a limiting factor for trade and economic relations. Even during our first meeting in Podgorica in November 2017, we talked about finding modalities for the introduction of the airline on the Skopje-Podgorica route in cooperation with other interested cities like Sarajevo, and there is a wish of both parties to specifically discuss this topic at today's joint cabinet session. What I want to inform you about is that Montenegro is investing intensively in improving its infrastructure, that as much as 320 million EUR is allocated for the capital budget this year, the largest amount invested so far. Of this, more than 70% of funds are allocated for the Northern Region, and once again we have sent a message that this is our priority and it will be in focus in the next development period.

Marković continued that the biggest undertaking in the history of Montenegro is ongoing, the construction of the first motorway which will strategically contribute to this goal. After the construction of the first section of the motorway, which is in the final phase, the Government creates the preconditions for continuing the construction of the rest of the motorway towards Serbia.

"Together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), we are working on defining a model for improving the operation of our airports, while with foreign partners we are coming to an end of the submarine power cable installation. All this will make Montenegro even more accessible and energy investment port," Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded at the opening of the Business Montenegro - North Macedonia, which gathered government officials and business people of the two countries.

24 May 2019 - Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić said that the Government of Montenegro passed the Decision on determining the minimum wage in the net amount of 222 EUR, based on the proposal of the Social Council.

He noted that this amount of minimum wage was agreed through the negotiations between the Government and the social partners.

"The increase in the minimum wage, according to the agreement, will come into force from 1 July this year," he added.

The Labour Minister also pointed out that the Government tasked the Ministry of Finance to draft as quickly as possible and propose to the Government the amendments to the Law on contributions for compulsory social insurance, which will reduce the rate of contributions to health insurance at the expense of the employer by 2%.

24 May 2019 - The Government of Montenegro recently passed the Regulation on compensation for stimulating the production of electricity from renewable sources and highly efficient co-generation, which abolishes the renewable resource fee 1 from June 1st, which was charged to all households for consumption up to 300 Kwh.

"Today, as the Prime Minister announced at the previous Prime Minister's Question session, the Cabinet decided to abolish the reimbursement for the renewable resource fee from 1 June," Minister of Economy, Dragica Sekulić said.

She added that the number of funds needed to cover the necessary amount will be now paid from the budget and the funds collected from the polluters.

"In this way, we ensured that the Electric Power Industry of Montenegro's market operations is not disturbed, that citizens are partially relieved of payments by using renewable energy sources, and that the average electricity bills remain the same or partly reduced," Minister Sekulić explained.

She also noted that the latest Government's session discussed the future of renewable electricity sources and that the practice of not giving new concessions for small hydropower plants will continue.

"We will, however, continue to lease land without privileged tariffs for consumers," the Economy Minister said.

She concluded by saying that the Cabinet tasked the Ministry of Economy, as a coordinator, to review all the documents issued by all Montenegrin institutions, and for each location for which the concession was given, saying that giving the concession is only one of a large number of steps which the lessee must respect in order to be able to build.

24 May 2019 - Vranac Reserve 2013 produced by one of the most successful companies in Montenegro, 13.jul - Plantaže, won a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 in London, competing with over 16.500 wines from 57 countries.

Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world's most influential wine competition founded in 2004 and is the world's biggest wine competition with over 15,000 entries per year.

The wines of the company 13 jul – Plantaže, made by the autochtonous Montenegrin variety, won several medals at Decanter, which is the greatest and the most prestigious wine expo as well as the global wine championship. Plantaže managed to represent the wines that belong to the world wine elite brilliantly.  

This year, Decanter contest jury consisted of 280 wine experts and it has awarded Plantaže wines with seven medals. Judged by the top wine experts from around the globe, the DWWA is trusted internationally for its rigorous judging process. DWWA has judges from around the world, including Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, and many of them are the foremost experts in their field.

Besides gold medal for Vranac Reserve 2013, the wines: Vranac Barrique 2015 and Vranac pro Corde 2015 were awarded the silver medal and the premium Vranac 2015 won the bronze medal. The wines: Vladika 2015, Epoha 2013 and Chardonnay Barrique 2016 were awarded silver medals, making a great success of Plantaže. 

Decanter World Wine Awards’ gold medal is awarded only to excellent wines of great complexity and character, while the silver medal is given to the producer of wine who created a very accomplished wine with impressive complexity.

This recognition is even greater because a popular ‘Reserve’ also won the gold medal a few months ago at Mundus Vini contest in German town Neustadt, so the award from London is an exquisite confirmation of great triumph of this wine. 

Actually, Vranac Reserve has been produced in the best vintages only. Upon aging in wooden vats (2 years) and bottle (3-5 years), it develops its full, characteristic and very distinctive bouquet.

It is important to note that it was at the same competition in 2017 that Plantaže wine Stari Podrum Cabernet Sauvignon won gold medal, drawing the attention of the wine world to the Plantaže vineyard, located in Ćemovsko polje, Podgorica where grand wines are made. 

The importance of these awards is even greater given the fact that Decanter proudly promotes the award-winning wines through its global digital networks, bespoke consumer tastings, presence at major wine trade shows and promotions with leading retailers around the world.

Data acquired from the Official Website of the company 13. jul - Plantaže.

The exhibition of fossils from Orjen opened in the mountaineering home "Za Vratlom". The organizer of the exhibition is the Agency for Development and Protection of Orjen and host is the mountain club "Subra". The exhibition includes up to 20 items, of which 14 are fossils, a specimen of stone from Djuric, and five exhibits with cherts.

The Agency for the Development and Protection of Orjen, with the fossil exhibition, opens the European Day of Parks, marked on May 24th, and wants to point out to some of the lesser-known attractions of the Herceg Novi mountain hinterland and intensify their more detailed scientific studies.

"In Orjen, in sedimentary rocks, predominantly at altitudes between 1000 and 1400 m, there are frequent paleontological finds of sea shells from the period of chalk (from 145.5 to 65.5 million years). These are the so-called rudimentary shells, the builders of springs. They are long-shapes similar to horns, but also cones with a lid, spirals, etc. This group of shells was completely extinct at the end of the chalk period (along with dinosaurs and 70% of other organisms), probably as a result of the impact of the large meteor that hit the Earth near Yucatan," said the Agency.

They explained that in the limestones of the outer Dinarides, which belongs to Orjen, there are a lot of fossils of these shells.

"These are the fossils which can reach the size of more than two meters, but these on Orjen are mostly of modest dimensions, usually placed close together. In some zones, there is almost every stone, so they are very easy to spot. Such is the case on the path Vratlo - the mountaineering home with surroundings, a part of the mountain Ubalj, the southeastern foot of Subra, as well as other places. Larger and better-preserved fossil shells can be seen in the lower parts, closer to the sea," said the agency.

In addition to the fossils, there is a specimen of a sedimentary reddish rock of glassy structure (Djuric’s stone), natural raw material of the upper chalk middle age period, which celebrated Kamenari, as well as interesting pieces of flint (chert), very widespread in certain areas of Subra, where we see them embedded in limestone rocks. It consists primarily of silicon dioxide. Its hardness is considerably higher than the hardness of the limestone, so the cherts were due to this characteristic and very sharp edges, a favorite material from which different tools were produced in the stone age.  

The museum's adviser Goran Culafic, assistant director of museum affairs at the Natural History Museum in Podgorica, gave his expert assistance in interpreting the collected findings.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on May 23rd, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Students from the School for Music Education in Kolasin have achieved great success at the three spring international music concerts held in the region.

Pianist Gala Dulovic won the first prize with a maximum of 100 points at the 6^th International Piano Competition in Bijeljina.

This was the fifth contest for Gala in May, and at each she has achieved remarkable results. She is in the class of the teacher Milena Dabetic.

At the 12^th piano competition "Slavenski" in Novi Sad, next to Gala, the first prize was also won by Milica Popovic in her category. In the same contest, young pianist Helena Vukovic was second. Milica is in the class of Mirjana Pekovic, and Helena in the class of the teacher Vanja Kazic.

Also, at the International Competition "Fantast 2019" in Becej, the young pianists from Kolasin achieved remarkable appearances. The first awards, in their categories, were won by Gala, Milica, Helena and Kalina Bulatovic, who is also in the class of the teacher Kazic.

Jana Raketic at this contest, also in the piano discipline, won the second prize. She is in the class of teacher Marija Bulatovic.

Students from the School for Music Education in Kolasin have over 100 prizes from national and international competitions. Some of them also performed in a European metropolis.

Text by Dragana Scepanovic, on May 24th 2019, read more at Vijesti

23 May 2019 - Due to the importance of the Decision on the Community Order in the daily functioning of the city, citizens of business entities, tourists and their relation to common public spaces, it is necessary that as many citizens as possible help with their suggestions in drafting the Decision on the Community Order which will regulate penalty fees for disturbance of Community Order, as reported from the relevant municipal services.

The importance of this decision, as well as the rules and limitations of behavior on public surfaces, can be seen in the decisions of the cities of neighboring countries where, for example, tourists were given notice of the rules and penalties that they expect in the event of improper conduct. Thus, walking without a shirt calls for a 500 EUR fine, and walking in a swimsuit 600 EUR, while a penalty for eating and drinking in a public area is 700 EUR.

This decision may prescribe various, other rules of conduct that would regulate neighborhood parking problems, drying of laundry, garbage disposal, appearance of buildings, loud music, etc.

Also, as this decision stems from the Law on communal activities regulating public water supply, management of communal waste waters, management of atmospheric waters, municipal waste management, arrangement and maintenance of public areas, public lighting management, public transport of passengers in urban and suburban settlements, maintenance of municipal roads and cycling trails, the maintenance of troughs and watercourses of local importance, maintenance of public cemeteries, chapels and burials, maintenance of markets and parking spaces, maintenance of public toilets, disposal of abandoned animals and maintenance of shelters for their collection, all citizens need to take part in its forming.

Due to those above, the Public Call for Preliminary Consultation will last two months in order to prepare the draft of the Decision on the Community Order that will be at a public hearing in the extended period, so that all interested parties could solve problems that have not been defined by the existing regulations.