“The Europeans who make a difference is the name of a new campaign by which the European Union represents valuable, talented and accomplished individuals from the Western Balkan countries to its citizens. The European from Montenegro who makes a difference is Milos Karadaglic, currently one of the most successful guitarists in the world. When you honestly love what you do, then the sky is the limit," the story of Karadaglic's success begins.

He fell in love with the sound of the guitar as an eight-year-old, when, as he said, he had dilemmas of whether to give up because music demanded too much from him.

He chose, however, to continue, and then firmly decided to become the best musician. He played his first musical notes in Montenegro, and today his albums take the first place in the world top charts music classics.

"I love my country very much, and I always say with pride that I am from Montenegro, where I spent the first sixteen years of my life, surrounded by family and friends. Growing up in Montenegro was very important for me, here I set the foundations for what I am today", says Karadaglic. Although he traveled the world by playing the guitar, Montenegro remained the most beautiful country in the world for him. He explains to his European friends that it is rare to experience in such a small space as much beauty and diversity as in Montenegro. 

"I believe that membership in the European Union would be a dream come true, because people in Montenegro, all my friends and family - we already feel that we belong to this community. It is very important for us to be part of the European family," added Milos, and with a smile says: "I will be very happy when Montenegro becomes a member of the European Union."

Europeans who make a difference are also the football player Edin Džeko from Bosnia and Herzegovina, actress Hristina Popovic from Serbia, cook Altin Prenga from Albania, designer Krenara Rugova from Kosovo and Macedonian director Milco Mancevski.

Text by Vijesti online, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti

In the elementary school "Mrkojevici" in Pecurice, a traditional school masquerade was held that once again confirmed the imagination and creativity of young Mrkojevici. According to the director of the school, Osman Grgurevic, a jury made of pupils, teachers, and parents, had a difficult task of choosing the most original and most imaginative costumes.

In the category of individual costumes, the first place was won by the mask "Noah's Boat" Ajdin Čantić, the second one called the "Balloon" Ema Perazic, and the third "Olive" Mina Lukač. In the category of group masks, the jury decided that the first place belongs to the "Egyptians”, made by the pupils and the class of the primary school.

Special awards were given to the costumes "Grapes" Anesa Huric, "Paradise bird" Dzena Osmanovic, "Makarona" Uma Durakovic and "Dwarf" Ajdin Cantic. For the most successful masks, the school provided prize rewards, and students who did not participate in the masquerade had a day of board games.

The event was carried out in a competitive, but above all in a cheerful and friendly atmosphere, with the goal of drawing children's attention to the fact that there are games without telephones and computers, and to develop their creativity," Grgurevic concluded.

Text by Radomir Petric, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti

The Mayor of Herceg Novi Stevan Katic welcomed the extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Northern Macedonia to Montenegro Mihajlo Trpkoski, as announced by the local administration.

The Macedonian Embassy will support the connection between the cities of the two countries, said the Ambassador Trpkoski. The participants of the meeting agreed that Herceg Novi and Bitolj, which had been fraternizing since 1965, should recover their co-operation because the opportunities are great.

Ambassador Trpkoski stressed the importance of exchanging experiences on the local level, mutual tourism promotion and initiation of joint projects, which will contribute to the achievement of fulfilling the standards on the path of accession to the European Union.

The Mayor of the Municipality, Stevan Katic, said that he would be pleased to take the necessary steps in order to renew the cooperation between Novi and Bitolj and that in that part the support of the Embassy is of great importance. He also mentioned that Herceg Novi is connected with Strumica, a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities.

The president and associates proposed several connectivity options, and as central areas highlighted tourism, culture and education, as well as partnership in project design and applications within the pre-accession funds of the European Union.

Katic met the Ambassador with the current situation in Herceg Novi, the problems caused by bad privatization aspirations, as well as, as he said, the growing centralization by the state authorities.

Text by Slavica Kosic, on February 26th 2019, read more at Vijesti

26 February 2019 - In order to get a full picture in regards to the lifestyle in a certain country, it is of great importance to learn about the cost of living there – the costs of food, transportation, utilities, real estate etc. Numbeo Website, one of the most famous crowd-sourced global databases of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, and many other statistics, has recently updated the data on cost of living in Montenegro. If you are planning to visit Montenegro, or to move to this gorgeous gem of the Balkans, here are some of the prices you need to be aware of.

When compared to the United States, the cost of living in Montenegro is generally 43.88% lower. Taking rent into consideration, the cost of renting an apartment in Montenegro is 74.39% lower than in United States.

When it comes to restaurants, for a basic meal in an inexpensive restaurant you will need at least 5.25 EUR, while for a three course meal in a mid-range restaurant for 2 people, you have to set aside about 25 EUR. For one liter of domestic or imported beer, you will need about 2 EUR and if you prefer a soda, it will cost about 1.56 EUR for 0.33 liter bottle.

If you’re a fan of buying healthy food at the market, in Montenegro, for 1 liter of milk you will have to pay about 0.78 EUR, white bread loaf will require 0.56 EUR, while 12 eggs will cost about 1.40 EUR. When it comes to meat, for 1 kg of chicken breasts you need to pay 4.92 EUR, while 1 kg of beef round or an equivalent back leg red meat will cost about 6.79 EUR. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, 1 kg of apples is 0.88 EUR, 1 kg of bananas is 1.08 EUR, 1 kg of potatoes is 0.47 EUR and 1 kg of onions is about 0.62 EUR.

For those who enjoy smoking cigarettes, 20 pack Marlboro costs about 2.70 EUR.

If you don’t have your own car, a one way ticket in a local transport costs 0.90 EUR, while the monthly pass is 26.50 EUR. Taxi start is 1.00 EUR, while 1 km drive in a taxi costs 0.50 EUR. If you do have your own car, 1 liter of gasoline costs 1.30 EUR.

Basic utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, garbage) for 85m2 apartment cost 96.63 EUR per month, and one minute of prepaid mobile tariff local costs 0.13 EUR. If you just can’t function without internet, 60 Mbps or More with unlimited data, cable/ADSL will require at least 24.94 EUR.

When it comes to childcare, monthly preschool or kindergarten for one child costs about 125 EUR.

One pair of jeans in Montenegro (Levis 501 or similar) cost 58.50 EUR, 1 summer dress in a chain store requires about 33.56 EUR, 1 pair of Nike running shoes cost about 69.69 EUR, and if you want to purchase male leather business shoes you will need to set aside at least 82.78 EUR.

In terms of rent, 1-bedroom apartment at the city centre is 288.86 EUR/month, while outside the city centre, the rent cost will amount to 215 EUR. A 3-bedroom apartment (city centre) requires roughly about 492.74 EUR.

If you’re looking to buy an apartment in Montenegro, price per square meter to buy apartment in city centre is 1486.85 EUR, while price per square meter to buy apartment outside of centre is 1048.61 EUR.

These data are based on 2127 entries in the past 18 months from 158 different contributors and they are based on all entries from all cities in the country.

26 February 2019 - According to the latest rankings of the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) List, out of 35 countries - Montenegro is ranked 23rd and has progressed in relation to the previous year for two positions, which is shown in the data from the Health Consumer Powerhouse Organisation.

The EHCI, started in 2005, is the leading comparison for assessing the performance of national healthcare systems in 35 countries. The EHCI analyses national healthcare on 46 indicators, looking into areas such as Patient Rights and Information, Access to Care, Treatment Outcomes, Range and Reach of Services, Prevention and use of Pharmaceuticals.

On the occasion of progress in ranking, Montenegrin Health Minister Kenan Hrapović said that, after the success of 2017, when Montenegro achieved the biggest leap from all European countries and when the country’s ranking went up from the 34th position to the 25th, the health system leaders had a very serious task - to maintain the achieved result and, to the extent possible, make further progress. "We already have reason to consider ourselves to be serious competition with rich, modern health systems that have a long tradition of nurturing excellence in providing health services. We started preparing for this year's ranking after the publishing of last year's results. We did not boast too much, but we realized that success can only be true if it is neither a case study nor a product of fortunate events. We carefully analysed each of the 48 indicators realistically evaluating the possibilities and potentials of the Montenegrin health system and directing the focus of the activities towards the areas in which we achieved results, in the desire to make them visible, "Hrapović said.

This year’s recommendations by the Montenegrin Ministry of Health for progress in ranking is to pursue low infant mortality, the availability of modern malignant disease treatment, and the decision to introduce HPV vaccine for women in order to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.

Director General of the Directorate for Quality Control of Health Care and Human Resource Development in Health Vesna Miranović, PhD, said that the current management structure in the Ministry of Health is decisive in the implementation of key strategic documents, and that all activities that they have implemented and which are in progress derive from these documents.

The director of the Health Insurance Fund, Sead Čirgić, highlighted that patients, especially those with severe illnesses, were provided with modern therapy in Montenegro, and that, in terms of drugs, increased availability and better market availability were ensured.

Four years ago, Montenegro was at the bottom of the EHCI list based on many indicators, which include the availability of health care for patients, outcomes of treatment, the extent and scope of services, and the prevention and use of pharmaceutical products.

The Montenegrin health system is better ranked than 12 European countries. Regarding the countries of the region, Serbia is in the 18th position, Croatia is 24th, and Northern Macedonia is 25th.

The first on the list of ECHI this year is Switzerland, which took the Netherlands’ place, and the last country in the rankings is Albania.

February 26, 2019 - The upcoming weekend of the 50th Mimosa Festival will be rich in events, dedicated to flowers and music. From Friday to Sunday we are expecting five programs, within which eight manifestations will be held.

26 February 2019 - According to the latest report of the European Health Consumer Index, Montenegro is ranked 23rd out of 35 countries and advanced two positions compared to the previous year. 

Minister of Health Kenan Hrapović said that, after the success of 2018, when Montenegro advanced the most compared to other European countries from the 34th to 25th position, the country had a very serious goal to attain and maintain the achieved result and, to the extent possible, make further progress.

"Now we have the reason to consider ourselves serious competitors with rich, modern health systems that have a long tradition of nurturing excellence in providing health services. We started preparing for this year's ranking after publishing last year's results. We did not sleep on laurels, nor were we boasting too much, but we realised that success can only be true if it is not a case study, a product of favourable circumstances. We carefully analysed each of the 48 indicators, evaluating the possibilities and potentials of the Montenegrin health system and focusing of the activities in the areas in which we achieved results in the desire to make them visible," Minister Hrapović noted.

Low infant mortality, availability of modern malignant disease treatment and the decision to introduce HPV vaccine for women in order to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer are the achievements that recommended Montenegro for the progress in this year's rankings.

Head of the Health Insurance Fund Sead Čirgić stated that patients, especially those with severe illnesses, were provided with modern therapy in Montenegro, and that, in terms of drugs, increased availability and better market availability were ensured.

The infant mortality rate, i.e., the number of children who die up to 12 months per 1000 live births, as the most vulnerable indicator of health care in one system, was 21.9% in 1985. Director of the Clinical Centre of Montenegro Jevto Eraković said that we need to be proud of the results achieved in 2018 when it comes to mortality rate, and that the obligation of the Clinical Centre is to continue with good results at the Centre for Neonatology and all other organisational units.

"This sensitive indicator of health points to a better organisation of health care and general care for women and children, better general standards, better attitude towards women in pregnancy and children related to intrauterine life and after birth, the degree of vaccination, as well as cultural change," Eraković said.

Assistant Director of the Institute for Public Health Senad Begić expressed satisfaction with the fact that the progress on the European Health Consumer Index list was partly due to significant advances in the field of public health, that is, in the field of cancer prevention, primarily due to the introduction of a vaccine against human papillomavirus.

"In this way, a significant step has been made in order to place Montenegro among the most developed countries offering the most modern and effective protection against cancer and diseases caused by human papillomavirus, which will be entirely at the expense of the state," Mr Begić stressed.

Four years ago, Montenegro was at the bottom of the European Health Consumer Index list based on indicators, including the availability of health care for patients, outcomes of treatment, the extent and scope of services, and the prevention and use of pharmaceutical products.

The Montenegrin health system is better ranked than the ones of 12 European countries. Regarding the countries of the region, Serbia is ranked 18th, Croatia 24th, and Northern Macedonia 25th.

The first-ranked on the European Health Consumer Index is Switzerland, which inherited the Netherlands, which for years had the best health system, and the last one on the list is Albania.

The construction of the Southwestern bypass is going according to the defined plan and the Capital will, within the projected deadlines, gain a valuable infrastructure facility, said the Mayor Ivan Vuković.

He visited the site of this road today.

"We are pleased to note that the works on the construction of the Southwestern bypass are being carried out according to the established plan, and that within the projected deadlines, and possibly earlier, we will have a valuable infrastructure facility that will have significant meaning for the future development of Podgorica," said Vuković.

He emphasized that this road is of great importance because it also represents a part of the future wastewater treatment system, bearing in mind that in its core there is an important part of the primary collector network.

"The Southwestern bypass is only one part of the future traffic network we are “knitting” around Podgorica, because a few days ago we announced a tender for the Western bypass design, a road that should be added to the Southwestern bypass and which will connect Cetinjski and Niksicki roads all the way to Komanski Most," said Vukovic.

From there, he added, in the middle of the year, the reconstruction of the existing road to Danilovgrad, i.e. the transformation of that road into a modern boulevard type road, should begin.

He assessed that, if everything goes according to plan, it is not unrealistic to expect that in three years we will get a modern boulevard from Podgorica airport to Danilovgrad.

"This will mean closing the trafficking ring around Podgorica and will not only be significant for the capital city, but for Montenegro as a whole," concluded Vukovic.

Veselin Kovacevic, executive director of the company Bemax as the main contractor of the works, said that so far, the most significant part of earthworks was done, which included excavations for fecal and atmosphere sewage, where the trenches are between seven and eight meters deep.

"It's a very demanding and complicated business. On the third section of the route of the Southwest bypass, we completed about 85 percent of the excavation. In the first section, from Donja Gorica side, over 50 percent of the excavation was completed, and at the end of March we will end up with excavations. Then we will execute assembling works on the sewage and atmospheric sewage, which will be completed in the next months," Kovacevic said.

He added that regarding the construction of a bridge in the length of 157 meters i.e. the second section of the Southwestern bypass, the contractual obligation of the consortium "Crnagoraput" and "Bemax" was to produce the design documentation, which was completed and sent for the audit, adding that they expect a positive audit very soon and after that, a rapid start of the bridge construction.

The construction of this roadway began at the beginning of August last year.

The total contract value of the project is 15,668,356 EUR, which is also one of the most valuable traffic projects on the territory of the capital.

The south-west bypass includes a boulevard-type road with a total length of 3,621 meters.

The road will have four lanes, an overpass in the zone of KAP, 29.4 meters long and a new bridge over Moraca, 157 meters long. This road is divided into three sections. The length of the first section is 1.354 meters. Along with this section, which starts from the intersection with the Cetinjski road, there are four traffic connections. The length of the second section is 200.80 m long. The bypass on this section crosses the bridge. The length of the third section is 2,066 m. In this section, it is planned to build an overpass in the zone of KAP.

Text by MINA News, on February 25th 2019, read more at Vijesti

Through the Podgorica branch of the Luca Institute for International Economics from the USA, 40 students from Montenegro and Albania performed in Prague at the first international conference that links philosophy and entrepreneurship.

Organized by the American "Ayn Rand Institute”, the conference "Individualism in the Time of Tribalism" gathered more than 450 participants from Europe, and speakers were experts in the field of philosophy of objectivity and entrepreneurship, such as Jaron Bruck, Ben Bayer, Lars Kristensen, Onkar Gate, and Fleming Rose.

"It is our great pleasure to have the confidence of the "Ayn Rand Institute” and the Balkan Objectivity Center from Serbia to bring these young people to the conference in Prague because we believe that this experience will be significant to them in their further individual development. Full scholarships for participation are provided by organizers and donors from the United States, and the selection of 38 scholarship holders from all four Montenegrin universities, and two from Albania, was carried out by the Balkan Objectivist Center and our Institute," said Slobodan Franeta from Luca Institute for International Economics.

He also said that the "Ayn Rand Institute" and the Balkan Objectivity Center announced the second edition of the School of Objectivism "John Galt" in Podgorica, where our young people will be able to learn more about the philosophy of objectivism "and to deepen their understanding of the notions of freedom, individualism and capitalism.

Text by Radomir Petric, on February 25th 2019, read more at Vijesti