April 2, 2019 - The Public Company Sea Property is developing the complete investment technical documentation for the construction of the ferry dock in Kamenari. The realisation of the project begins after the choice of the lessee of the ferry piers in Kamenari and Lepetani, says Radio Jadran.

As explained by Sea Property, the construction of a future dock will be the responsibility of a prospective tenant, who will be required to invest 320,000 euros in the new dock within the long term lease of the ferry line.

The construction of the pier is a project that was initiated in 2017 by the Sea Property to dismantle existing ones. However, unregulated legal property relations set aside the job.

The long-term coastal bargaining agreement in the Kamenari and Lepetani ferry stations, which Sea Property signed in 2004 with AD Pomorski Saobracaj (Maritime Transport) expired on 31 December last year, but the Sea Property did not specify when a new tender would be announced.

At the last session last year, the government agreed to the conclusion of the Sea Property to determine the amount of annual compensation for the use of the harbour in Kamenari and Lepetani for ferry transport and the evaluation of factors affecting the initial price. Sea Property announced a public call for the lease of the property in Lepetani and Kamenari, with the obligation to build a new port in Kamenari.

The minimum annual rental fee/fee for the use of the property consists of a fixed part - 230 thousand euros, which amounts to two per cent of the total revenue from the sale of the ferry tickets.

Pomorski Saobracaj has so far been the sole owner of this part of the coast and the only ferry operator. A new lease means that it would have 4,011 square feet of land in Lepetani with its associated aquarium space next to the dock and mooring area of 7,200 square meters, and 3,959 square meters of coastline in the Kamenari with its associated aquarium space next to the dock and mooring area of 14,700 square meters.

The Lessee is obliged to submit a monthly report on the sale every month upon payment of the variable part of the rent.

As explained by the Sea Property, the remediation time of the existing coastal infrastructure, including the ramps for the protection of walls at the seaports, is at most three years from the date of the conclusion of the contract, as well as that after two years the tenant builds a new dock in Kamenari.

It is a condition that the lessee can use all leased state property for up to 15 years.

The plan solution of the location is defined by the Spatial Plan of Special Purpose for the Coastal Area, which retains the existing ferry docks in Lepetani and Kamenari, until the final realisation of the crossing over Boka Bay, after which they will examine their need for economic retention from the Sea.

Otherwise, a new dock would have to be built next to the current northern ramp to unload the car in the direction of Verige. The ram accessory, with its function and purpose as it is, will be 14 meters long.

Souirce: Radio Jadran

29 March 2019 - Positive trends and results from 2017 continued in 2018 as well, which testifies to a high degree of confidence in the work of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police, Interior Minister Mevludin Nuhodžić told the press following the Government of Montenegro's session.

29 March 2019 - The implementation of the “Smart City Concept” within the Municipality of Budva includes the realisation of a pilot project related to the introduction of modern technologies, especially the promotion of the use of solar energy.

Budva has recently purchased five Smart Solar Benches of the new generation, which, through installed photovoltaic modules, accumulate solar energy as the only power source (the benches are not connected to any source of electricity). The bench has a WiFi access point, a rain sensor that turns off the bench in the case of heavy precipitation, a built-in LED light that illuminates the area near the bench at night. Users also have the option to wirelessly charge their newer generation devices (which support wireless charging), as well as standard device charging via USB ports.

The benches are installed in accordance with the plans of the Secretariat for Spatial Development, Municipal and Housing Affairs of Budva in five locations in front of the Municipal Building of Budva (at Trg Sunca – The Sun Square), near the hotel Tre Canne (Mediteranska Street), the third bench can also be found at the Mediteranska Street, on the Slovenska beach, and at the Slovenska coast.

The Assistant Secretary of the Secretariat Secretariat for Spatial Development, Municipal and Housing Affairs Aleksandar Popović commented on the recent purchase and expressed his satisfaction with the project implementation. He said that the representatives of the local government insisted on the realisation of this project and that they are delighted with the outcome of their investment. "The municipality has allocated 12,000 EUR for this project. Mediteran advertising will soon put up three more smart solar benches," Popović added.

The citizens and tourists of Budva can now have access to Steora Smart Benches, beautifully designed benches with multiple functionalities that added allure to each of the five locations they were installed. Their strong, powder-coated steel construction is completely weather-resistant and vandal-resistant. Steora's main feature is the charger for charging different types of devices. The bench comes with two USB ports with ambient light for charging any device using a USB cable. A wireless charger integrated into an acrylic glass cover enables cable-free charging. The users can place their device on the charging pad and charge the device wirelessly.

Fifteen sensors inside Steora monitor everything that happens on and around the bench. Each second, sensors are gathering data about air parameters, bench usage, and system status. All collected information is available for customers via the dashboard. If anything happens, the system immediately alerts the owner and Steora’s tech support.

27 March 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović met in Strasbourg with the Council of Europe Secretary General Torbjorn Jagland for talks on legislative reform in the field of media, as well as on the Council of Europe's programmes in the area of culture in which Montenegro actively participates.

Minister Bogdanović pointed out the importance of the Council of Europe's expertise and recommendations aimed at further development of democracy, strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights and freedoms, which significantly helps and contributes to Montenegro's EU bid.

"Allow me to thank you personally for the support provided by the Council of Europe's experts in the reform of media legislation and to emphasise that the Council of Europe remains the most important reference point in our efforts to improve media policies," said Minister Bogdanović.

He informed Secretary-General Jagland about further activities in the drafting of the media laws of Montenegro, which includes the Council of Europe experts.

Secretary-General Torbjorn Jagland emphasised that he is encouraged by evident progress in the reform of the media field since he paid particular attention to the challenges faced by the media scene in the previous period. He underlined the Council of Europe's readiness to provide the necessary expert support in the forthcoming period, to provide high-quality legal solutions dealing with this area.

As to the Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, it was concluded that Montenegro is an excellent example of cooperation. In that regard, they praised the activities of Montenegro in terms of regular updating the activities relating to the complaints set out in the platform.

Both sides welcomed Montenegro's participation in the Eurimages, the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe, whose active member since the beginning of this year and expressed the belief that the funds provided by the Fund will significantly contribute to the development of the film industry in Montenegro.

During the meeting, there were also discussions about the activities of Montenegro in the programs of the Council of Europe in the field of cultural heritage. It was expressed satisfaction with the strengthened cooperation of Montenegro with the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, and it was agreed to consider the possibility of Montenegro's inclusion in the new cultural routes.

27 March 2019 - The Government of Montenegro fully supports the signing of the International Data Exchange Agreement for checking property reports among the countries of Southeast Europe, which would be the first example of this type of data exchange to prevent corruption in Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin noted.

"We are convinced that the closer regional cooperation that will be provided under this international agreement will contribute to building a just and safe society in Montenegro - a society that clearly condemns, efficiently prevents and decisively punishes every form of corruption," said Deputy Prime Minister Pažin at the opening of the second round of negotiations on the signing of the Agreement in Podgorica.

He stressed that an effective fight against corruption is an unavoidable duty of every country that wants to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all its citizens and a legal system that encourages the creation of a new economic value.

"We are pleased that the Sarajevo-based Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, under whose auspices this draft agreement was developed, has accepted Montenegro's offer to host today's event. This was our expression of dual commitment: both to fighting corruption at the national level and promoting regional and overall international cooperation in that regard," he stated.

The Deputy Prime Minister underlined the paramount importance of international cooperation in this area, adding that the signing of the Data Exchange Agreement to check property reports will provide a direct exchange of data relating to property registration among the countries of South East Europe.

"We often talk about the fight against corruption in the context of Montenegro's EU accession process. Nevertheless, the fight against corruption is first and foremost a necessity and an obligation of our society, and only then a confirmation of our belonging to the community of modern European democracies," he said.

He agreed on the assessments from the preamble to the Draft Agreement that corruption represents a problem and threat to the stability of democratic institutions, the values of democracy, justice and good governance, and the proper and fair functioning of economies. "Therefore, we can say that the determination and intensity of the fight against corruption testify to our willingness and ability to protect, preserve and improve the highest values of our society," the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

In the National Library of Budva last night a scientific monograph "Minerva's trace - prose work of Montenegrin writers" by dr. Sofija Kalezic was presented. The discussion about the monograph was held by Dr. Andrijana Nikolic, journalist Branka Cvorovic, professor Zorica Joksimovic, who with her work is present in the monograph and the author, and Milos Boreta read the story by Zorica Joksimovic.

The monograph "Minerva’s Trail" is the first study on women writers in Montenegro and a critical review of their creativity. In her two-year work on the monograph, the Doctor of Literary Science, Sofia Kalezic spoke with more than 100 women and read 200 books, and thirty female writers are included in the monograph. The two authors from Budva, Zorica Joksimovic and Katarina Saric, have earned a spot on the pages of the monograph.

Doc. Dr. Andrijana Nikolic in her review of the monograph pointed out the following:

In the foreword to this book for the terms "female letter","female writing", or "female literature", the author emphasized that they represent a type of language discrimination, which in its very name implies that the creation of female writers is something that is normally outside the artistic framework and fields, like satellites that circle the world of "real" art. Although in literary, theoretical and critical terminology there are no terms such as "male letters" or "male literature," as if this is to say that it is understood that the creativity of men is in itself art. The author states that the term "female letter" is used in the pejorative, which gives the connotation of a pathetic, frivolous, and trivial one. Conscious of the fact that literature is an integral part of everyday life and as such speaks of everything that is also referred to the human effort to devise the reality, the author set herself into the adventure of exploring a special, meaningful "world of works". Without false modesty, when someone enters a path of research, one can never even imagine what kind of forest he will be taken through the paths of empirical work.  

I suppose that Sofia Kalezić could not have guessed where she was taken by the women with their letters, while scientific persecution exceeded the scope of the expected one. In two years, to read and process at least two hundred books only for this monograph, it is undoubtedly a matter of respect. Because, to expose the dryness of every style, peculiarity or end-edges on which individual writers moved, could only be done by the dedication and perseverance with an excellent analytic note. In a comprehensive cross-section of this monograph, which we can easily say is scientific, methodological and interpretive, the author has approached differently from writer to the writer, in which she indisputably expressed the pluralism of methods and approach to interpretations, in order to deduce any thought of any kind the defects in every literary work. What is most difficult in every scientific approach is to separate the artistic value and dedicate it to the way to satisfy the phenomenalist school of Romain Ingarden, who found in each literary work a layer of meaning, a layer of sound, a layer of objectivity and a layer of schematized aspects. For the connoisseurs of the literary word, when I say that a special place in the study of all the texts, this author devoted to the formula-writer-work-reader, taking into account all the meticulous ornaments of every text processed in Jaus's "horizon of expectation" and the indirect influence of the literary work on the reader.

We can say that every literary work was analyzed separately, understanding it as an individual spiritual creation, which was also accomplished by the Dilta program, which was based on the compression of "spiritual history" which is viewed as a manifestation of the spiritual situation of a particular epoch, or time, on literary study. To be more specific, Sofia Kalezic dealt with the dominant artistic value of every read piece, and particularly, she united women's creativity through the prism of women. She successfully overcame the problems of systematization and classification of literary works, and thus by individual interpretations covered the analyzed area. What is important is the fact that guided by creative-artistic input, author Kalezic very critically dealt with the problem of reception of these works. Sharp critic, Sofija Kalezic did not rank the works, by the system of higher or lower values, but placed them in the spirit of postmodern manners in a flat horizontal, giving them a place of equality among the equals, that is, the best among the equals. "

Journalist and President of Women's Organization in Budva Branka Cvorovic, in her review of Sofija Kalezic's monograph, presented the audience with a cross-section of represented authors and their works, guided by thematic and motivational characteristics. In the conclusion of her presentation, she recommended that from now on we read the books as "Sofia's trail":

"After the monograph by Sofija Kalezic, which certainly occupies a high position on the scale of literary criticism, my recommendation would be to read the books from" Sofia's trail" since only in this way we will not miss the quality, exciting and valuable texts, stories and novels of Montenegrin writers who wrote about us and for us.

Sofija Kalezić has been scientifically and skillfully pervading the paths, and it is up to us to search for, absorb, explore, dream, find, to underline important words and sentences, remember, refresh, contemplate, and read with pleasure."

One of the present authors in the monograph of Sofija Kalezic, Zorica Joksimović, in the form of an essayist tale, turned to this scientific achievement. Citing the symbolism of the title Minerva's trail, she recalled that Minerva was a protector of creative professions, a symbol of wisdom among many nations; respected on Capitol, because of her strict temperament and love towards the beauty:

"Not by accident, Sofija Kalezic takes the title "Minerva's trail" for the monograph of the prose work by the Montenegrin female writers. A collection of selected ones, according to aesthetic and other qualitative criteria of the authors. I just do not know if she saw them with a spear and a shield as in the hands of the Protector? Spear, that word by which the authors write down their creative expressions, and the shield, their work that defends them. "Warriors" with an opus of words of multitude diverse actions in these and other "sad times", when even history is not "true" and "faithful" as reality, they write their letters. Thus, the author, guided by the trace of Minerva, affects the freedom and maturity of understanding one culture, that certain facts of literary-artistic self-importance are not "seen" through glasses with tinted glasses or a historiographic dioptre of short-sightedness."

Speaking about the literary reception of the creativity by Montenegrin writers, Zorica Joksimovic said:

"The literary reception of the literature written by women, Kalezic gives, starting from their form to the meaning that is outside of this form, that is, as such, the goal is by itself. She points out "the diversity of the emergence of various narrative subspecies within the framework of the contemporary creation of our writers, from novels and collections of stories of realistic and neorealistic character, through the form of a social, historical, family novel." Some of them, such as Vida Ognjenovic, whose works a long time ago sailed the seas of the Montenegrin and European literature, to those works which the author presented analytically, and which she thinks were "recently illuminated" to the broad readership audience.

In the end, the author, Dr. Sofija Kalezić, thanked the organizer and participants of the promotion who, each from their point of view, presented the monograph “Minerva trail”. The authors presented in the monograph in their works dealt with similar topics: the position of the woman in the family, community, company. In her introduction to the monograph, Sofija Kalezic emphasized that she dedicated it "to the Montenegrin women of modern times overcame not so small and easy civilization arch, who inside themselves pulsate with the vein of their own ancestors, who are ready to fight and love, and have, in various ways, shown that love and struggle are two essential imperatives of life. "

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Text by CdM, on March 26th, 2019, read more at CdM