Lifestyle

09 Apr 2019, 13:29 PM

At the 16th International Scientific Conference of the Montenegrin Sports Academy, held in Dubrovnik from April 4th to 7th, Dasha Pruš, from the University of Ljubljana, was named the best young scientist, and Rozelin Okeh, from the University of Newfoundland, Canada, for the best woman in science.

The conference, which UNESCO's International Council for Sports Science and Physical Education declared as one of the most significant sports events for 2019, gathered 223 delegates from 42 countries, while 367 authors and co-authors signed the scientific works.

In addition to the Montenegrin Sports Academy, the organizers of the conference are the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education from Niksic and 12 partner universities from the EU and the region.

"The undivided opinion of the participants and the organizer of the conference is that the conference justified all expectations and that the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education and the Montenegrin Sports Academy made an additional step in the promotion of sports science and its significance, but also in linking the scientific and research community of the participating countries," said the chairman of the conference, prof. Dr Dusko Bjelica.

The novelty of this year's conference is the CEEPUS training school "How to write and publish scientific work in the field of sports science", which was followed by 32 postgraduates and doctoral students. They had the opportunity to participate in the discussions led by eminent regional and world scientists and researchers in the field of sports, social, humanistic and medical sciences. "A great acknowledgement to this conference is the open possibility of holding the next conference in France because the French University, Côte d'Azur, expressed interest for the next conference to be held in Nice, Antibes," the organizers said.

This is the first conference organized outside of Montenegro. Previous conferences were held in Bar, Kotor, Tivat, Herceg Novi, Podgorica and Budva. Scientific papers from the conference will be published in the magazines Sport Mont, the Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine and the Journal of Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education, which are indexed in prestigious world-wide international databases.

For more information, please follow TMNs dedicated page

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on April 8th 2019, read more at Vijesti

08 Apr 2019, 23:51 PM

08 April 2019 - At the second Digital Summit of the Western Balkans, held last week in Belgrade, the Municipality of Herceg Novi was presented by the Vice-President Danijela Đurović. She took active participation at the panel Digitization as a driver of local socio-economic development.

"Local governments play a key role in the digitization of services because they can make their complete availability and the easiest use for every member of the society," Đurović pointed out.

In this regard, the presentation by Vice President Đurović at the Digital Summit of the Western Balkans focused on examples from real life, precisely the concrete ways in which the Municipality of Herceg Novi used digital development for the modernization of the work of the public administration.

One of these services is "System 48", which allows citizens to apply, send a request or inquiry to the local government by invitation, message, email or through the website. In addition to the existing Civic Bureau, a branch office was opened on the Riviera, which is connected to the central system. The tourist organization has introduced with electronic cards that connect the offer of the city, provide discounts for tourists and easier information with QR code. The town is also constantly working on the best coverage of the city with free internet. Another example that Đurović referred to is the "Find & Park" concept, which plans to implement the Parking Service.

"As one might feel, the focus of introducing such services is "bringing local government closer, better communication, easier aging of rights and fulfilling obligations"," Đurović said.

In addition to Đurović, Darko Mrvaljević and Boran Ivanoski from NALAS (Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe) spoke on the panel on digitization as a driver for the development of local communities.

The Digital Summit, which brought together about 3,000 participants from 30 economies of the Western Balkans, Europe and the world, was opened by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Marija Gabriel and the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union Houlin Gao.

The Digital Summit was initiated by the Multi-annual Action Plan for Regional Economic Cooperation within the framework of the Berlin Process, an initiative aimed at improving regional cooperation, and the first such meeting took place last year in Skopje.

08 Apr 2019, 22:43 PM

07 April 2019 - Minister of Defence Predrag Bošković participated in the Bell Helicopter Textron Demonstration Day, organised by the Ministry of Defence, the Embassy of Canada and Bell Helicopter Europe. 

At the military airport "Knjaz Danilo" in Golubovci, numerous guests and representatives of the media had the opportunity to see characteristics of the Bell 412 EPI, which is owned by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, but also the new type 505 Jet Ranger X. 

Minister Bošković stressed that the fleet of gazelles, which the Montenegrin Air Force owns are rather old since they are older than 30 years and that the Ministry of Defence is considering replacing the entire fleet of gazelles with helicopters of similar characteristics over the next five years, and one of them is undoubtedly Bell 505. This will provide more safety and security to the pilots in carrying out tasks.

Bell Helicopter Textron Demonstration Day Held in Podgorica

"Our armed forces are small but, as part of the Alliance, I believe that we have a significant role in this part of the Western Balkans, which we can perform with this type of equipment even better," Minister Bošković said. 

"Everybody helped us do this job quickly and easily," Bošković said, pointing out that the entire job was done for an incredible period of fewer than nine months.

Furthermore, cooperation with the Canadian Commercial Corporation and the Embassy of Canada enabled the Armed Forces of Montenegro and its aviation to be the first country in the Balkans to have Bell's multifunctional helicopters, the 412 EPI.

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The Demonstration Day was also attended by Ambassador of Canada to Montenegro Kati Csaba and Bell managing director for Europe Duncan Van de Velde. Ambassador Csaba pointed out that Canada will continue to support Montenegro's overall efforts to improve the Montenegrin defence system, and expressed its satisfaction that the cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence resulted in the procurement of three multifunctional helicopters. 

Van de Velde said that his company is particularly proud of cooperation with Montenegro, and expressed hopes that the collaboration will be continued and improved in the future.

08 Apr 2019, 22:39 PM

07 April 2019 - Minister of Culture of Montenegro Aleksandar Bogdanović participates in the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2019, at the invitation of UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Noura Al Kaabi. This year's Summit discusses the role of culture in global challenges and the impact of creativity and technology on positive changes in the world. 

At the Summit, Minister Bogdanović talked with the representatives of the participating countries about similar experiences in the areas of development of cultural and artistic creativity and creative industries and the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Opportunities for cooperation on joint projects of creative industries, promotion of cultural diversity, protection and conservation of cultural heritage and digitization were also discussed. 

The Summit is organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge of the United Arab Emirates in cooperation with global partners the Royal Academy of Arts, UNESCO, Guggenheim, Economist and Google. The summit will be held from 7 to 11 April 2019. 

Ambassador of Montenegro to the United Arab Emirates Dušanka Jeknić is also participating in the Summit. 

On the margins of the Summit, Minister Bogdanović will have bilateral meetings with UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Noura Al Kaabi and UAE Minister of State Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh.

08 Apr 2019, 15:55 PM

April 8, 2019 - Real estate in Montenegro is booming once more. An overview of the market with RE/MAX Montenegro founder, Kevin Buttigieg.

So how is the real estate market in Montenegro? Who is buying, and what are the popular properties? What are the trends, and where are the places to watch? One man with more insight than most is RE/MAX Montenegro founder, Kevin Buttigieg, who was kind enough to answer a few questions. 

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1. There was a boom in real estate over a decade ago, and business seems to be picking up again. Give us a general overview of the current market.1. There was a boom in real estate over a decade ago, and business seems to be picking up again. Give us a general overview of the current market.

We have noted that the market has been growing in recent years, with lower interest rates being partially responsible for that, and every year Montenegro is becoming increasingly popular with tourists and also as a second-home destination. Many international buyers are interested in the country due to its lifestyle and location whilst savvy investors are attracted by its investment-friendly climate and positive business practices which have become more pronounced over the past couple of years. Add to this the new Economic Citizenship Program, which started in January this year, and Montenegro is again at the center of attention. 

2. There is a perception in the West that Montenegro is a Russian playground, with most of the foreign buyers coming from Russia. And yet I hear an increasing number of international languages with each visit. How big is the Russian share of the market, and which other countries are buying?

Russians are still here but they no longer dominate the international buyer's market in Montenegro. In the last few years we have noted an increase of clients from Turkey and China as well as from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is interesting to mention that clients from UK and Scandinavian countries have started showing an interest in investing in real estate in Montenegro. It is truly an interesting mixture of nationalities.

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(Lustica Bay)

3. Back in 2005, apartments and stone houses were the most popular buys. Since then, there have been some massive investments in the country - Porto Montenegro, Lustica Bay and Portonovi, for example. How attractive are these as a) investments and b) places to live in your opinion?

Projects like the ones you mentioned are great examples of successful investment stories provided that the entry-level prices remain reasonable. International buyers are looking into these projects for investment opportunities with potential positive margins whilst the property management services and other benefits lower the risk involved and provide the peace of mind. Second-home buyers still often opt for independent properties such as old stone houses along the beautiful coast making the most of the proximity to the beaches. 

4. Wealthier investors may be interested to know that it is possible to get citizenship with a sizable investment in real estate. As an EU-candidate country, this will obviously be of interest to some. Can you tell us more about this, and are many people going down this route?

The citizenship by investment program was launched in January and we understand that this will cater for up to 2.000 applicants. Requirements are: €100.000 application fee which will be used for development of under-developed areas + a minimum of €450.000 investment into development projects in Podgorica or coastal area or a minimum of €200.000 investment into development projects in northern or central zone of the country. These types of programs are known to help the national economy grow and set a positive trend.

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(Boka Bay - Photo credit Marko Stefanek)

5. How easy is the buying process in 2019, and how easy is it to guarantee clean title?

The process has improved significantly compared to previous years but buyers might still encounter some minor obstacles. A foreign buyer who is not familiar with local policies and procedures would be well advised to utilise our services which are intended to provide a comprehensive solution to our clients’ requirements from the moment they get in touch with us. International clients who are already familiar with the RE/MAX brand appreciate the quality of service they will receive from us and they contact us early on so as to ensure a smooth purchase process. RE/MAX is known all over the globe as a real estate company with highly-trained and responsive agents who are able to provide a transparent and stress-free sales or purchase experience to their clients. The story is nothing different with RE/MAX Montenegro.

6. Give us three property hot spots at the moment, and tell us what makes them especially interesting.

The coast is still the most wanted part of Montenegro by international buyers, with Tivat and Budva riviera being the absolute leaders. There are stunning properties along the coast at prices that are impossible to find in other places in Europe.

When one factors in the privacy and the unobstructed sea views that some villas can offer, then these properties become especially attractive.

In respect of local residential and commercial properties, Podgorica is in high demand since it is the most populated city in Montenegro as well as being the business center of the country.

7. How do you see the market progressing over the next five years?

The real estate market is taking off again. Investing in real estate is known to be one of the safest types of investment and many are choosing this method of ‘saving money’. The past couple of years have seen a steady growth of the market and it looks like it will be going in the same direction for the next few years to come with increased demand driving a corresponding increase in prices. The number of current important infrastructure projects combined with the increased tourism development, such as the projects for the new airports, are further contributing to this trend.

8. And finally, let's see what you have to offer! Introduce us to three of your best properties currently on your books.

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Few of the most beautiful properties on the market are located within the municipality of Bar. One of them is this three bedroom villa with its own swimming pool and stunning sea view - Find out more.

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Another impressive property is this six bedroom stone villa located in the hills above Budva. Its location provides jaw-dropping views and perfect tranquility and privacy - Find out more.

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An old stone house, completely renovated and professionally designed, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two large terraces - Find out more.

Kevin Buttigieg is also the Chairman of RE/MAX Malta and last year’s winner of the prestigious RE/MAX Global Residential and Commercial Property Sales award.

08 Apr 2019, 14:27 PM

This year's 14th Book and Education Fair is designed to meet the different reading affinities. The slogan of the manifestation is "Do not believe everything you read on the Internet".

At the fair, there are about 100 exhibitors, numerous publishing houses, and a large number of authors from the region.

"This fair has grown into the most visited cultural manifestation in Montenegro, which is visited by tens of thousands of visitors every year. It is not the popularity of the fair which is the main thing that rejoices us, it is the fact that today it has gained a wider regional reputation and has become an indispensable hub of cultural recognition of our country internationally," said Nikola Nikolic, Art Director of the fair.

Dragica Milic, Director of the Directorate at the Ministry of Culture pointed out that the Montenegrin rulers had a particular inclination to print books: "It was one of our specialities which many great cultures can envy us. In addition to the establishment of scripts and printing houses, Montenegrin rulers also wrote books, and we know that some of these works represent the world's literary treasury today."

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At the 14th International Book Fair in Podgorica, the Art Museum of Montenegro presents the works of the great artists of Montenegrin fine arts who marked not only Montenegro's but also regional and European art with their works. These are the artists whose works make a valuable part of the collection of Montenegrin fine arts of the art museum but also of the overall cultural heritage of Montenegro.

"On this occasion, the museum decided to come out of the established framework of the presentation and show their works to an artistically compatible but in atypical exposure ambience, a book fair among readers," said Anastazija Miranovic, director of the National Museum of Montenegro.

Vladimir Tabasevic, the winner of the award NIN, opened the Podgorica Book Fair.

Text by Info Biro, on April 5th 2019, read more at CdM

08 Apr 2019, 14:17 PM

The Kolasin tourist offer of the upcoming summer will be more vibrant with another event. It is the mountain marathon "Bjelasica Ultra Trail", organized by the NGO "A New Beginning". This sport manifestation will be dedicated to professional and recreational racers but also all nature lovers. It will be held under the slogan "Attractive, Worldwide".  "The trail is an activity that combines running, and where there are steep slopes also for hiking. After Nordic skiing, it is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and has earned proper attention in the countries of our region. At the official ITRA (International Trail Running Association) website, almost a million and a half of professional racing drivers are registered, collecting ITRA points,"- explained the organizers.

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By placing the manifestation on Bjelasica, they wanted, as they say, to emphasize the tourist potential of this mountain and Kolasin, but also on the healthy lifestyles that are promoted through this competition. After that manifestation, Kolasin is expected to be even better placed on the map of sports tourism. No less important is to point healthy lifestyles and the importance of staying in nature. Organizers hope that, in this way, they will contribute to the affirmation of running among the younger population. The mountain marathon, as planned, will be held from August 16th to 18th, and the organizers prepared three races for participants "passing through one of the most beautiful places in the Balkans".

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"By participating in the race, competitors will be able to run through one of the three remaining rainforests in Europe, to admire the beauties of mountain lakes, and also to catch a break in one of the traditional Bjelasica katun. The first race, "Big Bear", 58km long, is intended for professional racers who are actively involved in this sport, the other of 37km, the "Little Bear" is for the recreational runners who plan to shift their borders, and the third race of 9km, "Family Trail" is intended for families and all other participants who want to spend quality time in the nature, " said NGO "A New Beginning". The fact that the race of "Big Bear" by ITRA is scored with three points and gives the manifestation international character.

Text by Dragana Scepanovic, on April 7th 2019, read more at Vijesti

08 Apr 2019, 14:15 PM

Mitar Mirkovic from Niksic, who lives in Brezovik, has been engaged in the decoration of wood objects for twenty years, and a decade with pyrography - "writing using fire", as it is otherwise called the art of decorating wood or skin.

The art consists of the combustion of a substrate with a heated tip of a soldering iron, or a specially constructed device - pyrograph.


"When I was little they used to take me around the neighborhood to draw people. It was interesting to them that a child can do portraits. I was talented, but I went from Brezovik to the city to teach school, and Niksic was then a big city for me, and the devil took me away. I stopped schooling and when I was 17 and began to work." He changed several companies and did not last very long at these jobs, but he opened a carpentry workshop with his brother. At that time, he started to love trees. He began to make cuts, and then he got familiar with inlaid - an artistic craft of decorating objects made of wood. The first work he made was a Montenegrin coat of arms which, he says, is no wonder, as he, an old liberal, "poisoned himself with Montenegro a long time ago". He still protects this work, though it acknowledges that he did not "hit the right tree" because he took the ash tree.

"I use a media pen for inlaid, because it is stable, and it doesn’t bend. Many tried to do it, but they quickly quit, and I like to try out what a few can do. How many times I've been hurt because of that," Mirko recalls, remembering the detail that was his turning point in doing inlaid.

"I worked in one company and brought works to varnish them. They were seen by some people from the state security who were there, and my employer praised my works, they liked them and took them. One of them was in a high position, and then all the 'toadies' around him started shouting that they had work. I could not reach it. Now I rarely do it. I deal mostly with pyrography."

For pyrography, they say that it differs from painting because you do not have the right to make even one mistake. When the wood is burned, there is no turning back. Except, as Mirkovic said, if you do not add "your view" to the work, then the error is not a mistake. Depending on the temperature, as well as the top used, different tones are obtained, from the brightest to the darkest.

Pyrography requires a lot of patience and persistence. Mirko does not lack persistence, and this is surprising even for him since he is an energetic man.

"I started with a soldering iron, but it's a lot harder to work with. Then I got a pyrograph over the Internet. I make portraits, coats of arms, animals, but mostly monasteries and saints. Since people started to believe again, everyone wants religious motives. When a woman wants a congratulation, I do the job, because it's better to take it than some glasses or plates. People are thrilled. If I know what their St. Patron’s day is, then I do that particular saint, and if I do not know, then Ostrog Monastery, because you cannot miss with it."

He acknowledges that there is no work for which he is particularly attached, but his wife, therefore, keeps some which he does not want to sell. For works done in pyrography, interest has begun to decline in recent years, and, unfortunately, he had to find a job as a carpenter in a company. He prefers that he and his family can live from his hobby. "I hope my daughter will inherit my skills because she is talented at painting. The older son could be a politician because it seems to me that he was born for such a position, while the younger likes to work around cars. And I hope that I will deal with pyrography for another 120 years," says the 55-year-old.

"Metalac" would even sell the cow to watch Liverpool - Partizan

In addition to inlaid and pyrography, Mirko is a great fan of literature, he watches sport, listens to rock and heavy metal. He reads everything, from Joyce, through Alexander Dime, Harold Robins, to Remark. His mobile phone is ringing with the melody of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".

"In addition to Zeppelin, I love Deep Purple. Among the bands from the region, there is “Atomic shelter”, the first band I saw live, then “EKV”. There is also Gibonni, who moved from heavy metal to some Mediterranean style. It seems I've become ‘softer’ over the years, so I like to listen to this type of music. I love when his lyrics burn me. There is, of course, 'Perper' that deserves to be more famous than it is because they are phenomenal," Mirko says, adding that he is happy that his children listen to the same music. In addition to "Sutjeska" and "Partizan", he has been a big fan of Liverpool since 1971.

"My big wish is to watch Liverpool play. If they would play against Partizan, I think I would sell a cow to watch the game. But only with 'Partizan', not with the 'Red Star'."

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on April 7th 2019, read more at Vijesti

07 Apr 2019, 22:54 PM

The Civic Education Center (CGO) relaunches the action of collecting books to enrich the library of the Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (ZIKS).

The action will last until April 25th, and everyone who wants to donate books can do it at CGO's premises on Boulevard St. Peter Cetinjski 96, every working day from 8 to 5 p.m. or during street actions in Podgorica 20th April on the plateau in front of the National Library "Radosav Ljumovic" from 11 to 1 p.m.

This action is part of the project "Alternative sanctions - from punishment to reintegration", whose aim is to contribute to the improvement and protection of human and minority rights in Montenegro through the active participation of civil society organizations.

"Through the implementation of this action, CGO wants to change the paradigm of alternative criminal sanctions, re-socialization and reintegration of prisoners, so CGO volunteers will inform interested citizens about systems of criminal sanctions, focusing on alternative sanctions. By renewing the library fund in ZIKS, help will be provided to those who are serving time in prison, improve their quality of life, and under these conditions help them acquire some new knowledge and spend time more effectively. This could also reduce the recidivism and improve the re-socialization of the persons deprived of liberty," the CGO statement writes.

The project "Alternative sanctions - from punishment to reintegration" is implemented by the CGO in cooperation with the Institute for Legal Studies (IPLS), with the support of the Ministry of Justice.

Text by Vijesti online, on April 5th 2019, read more at Vijesti

07 Apr 2019, 22:50 PM

The EducationUSA Network Advisory Center in Podgorica, in co-operation with the US Embassy in Podgorica, is organizing the United States Universities Fair on Monday.

The fair is part of the regional visits by the representatives of US universities in Southeast Europe organized by the EducationUSA network during which similar events were organized in Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania.

The fair will, as stated, allow high school pupils and students to be informed about faculties and universities in the United States.

"Representatives of 14 US universities will share information on basic and postgraduate programs that offer opportunities to study in the United States for foreign students," said the US Embassy in Podgorica.

Representatives of the EducationUSA Network Advisory Center will provide services that the Center regularly offers to pupils and students interested in studying in the United States.

"The fair is part of a wider program where they collaborate with the US Embassy and EducationUSA Network with the support of the State Department.

This program aims to promote opportunities for studying in the United States for students from overseas. This is the sixth fair of this type that EducationUSA network organizes in the region and the fourth that includes Montenegro.

According to data from 2018, 115 citizens of Montenegro are currently studying in the United States, which is 14 percent more than in 2017.

Text by MINA News, on April 6th 2019, read more at Vijesti

07 Apr 2019, 18:16 PM

07 April 2019 - According to recent research related to babysitting services published by Pobjeda Daily, there is currently only one agency that provides experienced childcare services in the whole country. This company covers only two cities in Montenegro, the Capital City, Podgorica and the coastal city of Bar.

The study shows that parents who need childcare services mostly have to turn to ads on the Internet and in newspapers, or they try to find a reliable person through friend recommendations. The same research showed that an individual specialised in childcare, a nanny, can earn up to 400 EUR a month, while the parents have to give from two to five euros for one hour of experienced childcare.

When it comes to professional babysitting companies, a large number of women and girls are interested in providing babysitting services in Montenegro, but only those who are deemed capable, with proper education and who have experience in childcare actually get chosen by the company to be their permanent employee. The cost of professional and loving childcare per hour is 4,95 EUR, while the price of the “basic package” per month is 330 EUR.

The company guarantees the satisfaction of their clients and the children as well as their employees (babysitters) to ensure that the experience exceeds expectations for everyone. Babysitters come from various professional backgrounds, and they have to exhibit a high level of professionalism, intuitive care, and inspired desire to deliver the best experience for the client and children.

The parent usually defines the duties of the babysitter and gives that person instructions related to the responsibilities of the child during the day and the content of entertainment.

In terms of internet and newspaper ads for babysitting services, there are frequent bids and demand ads related to childcare. The time usually depends on the parents’ needs (working hours, daily obligations). Price for babysitting services per hour is about two euros, the cost for one day is around 10 euros, and monthly services require from 200 to 400 euros. The ads also cover babysitters who are trained for the job - educators, pedagogues, teachers, but also those who have gained such experience by raising their children.

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