17 July 2018 - The online course of the Montenegrin language arose as an institutional need and a response of Montenegrin state authorities and institutions to the needs of the country’s emigration, said Assistant Director of the Directorate for Diaspora, Ivan Jovović, during a recent press conference aimed at promoting the course.

The cooperation agreement between the Directorate for Diaspora and the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature from Cetinje, concluded in March this year, defines cooperation on various projects, primarily assistance in the education of the diaspora in the field of Montenegrin language and culture of Montenegro, and other forms of educational and cultural cooperation, since the language is the basis for the preservation of the identity of a national community. This project represents an opportunity to show that the Directorate for Diaspora has enabled even better communication with all those who see Montenegro as their home country or country of origin, which in turn has a major impact on the intensified cooperation between Montenegro and its diaspora.

The Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature Ethem Mandić also spoke at the press conference, expressing satisfaction with the online course project and noting that "connections through language and culture are the basis for preserving identity, and the transfer of language to as many speakers and its popularization not only in the diaspora, but in other cultures should in general be the primary goal of Montenegrin language-cultural policies, and this course is just one of the steps that have been taken and implemented in this regard”.

The Montenegrin language online course is composed of ten lessons of multimedia and interactive type that are segmented into basic grammar and general communication categories. All lessons contain audio examples of the pronunciation of the word and their meaning in English, Spanish, Turkish, and Albanian. At the end of the lessons there are short revisions of the material being processed, while at the very end of the course, a revision of the entire processed material is designed, which offers the users the possibility of verifying the acquired knowledge.

The most Montenegrin diaspora is in the English, Turkish, Spanish and Albanian linguistic areas, and therefore the online course in Montenegrin is available in these languages. The project is the result of cooperation between the Directorate for Diaspora and the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature from Cetinje.

12 July 2019 - The conclusions after the twenty-third Smell of Linden and Honey Festival recently organised in Cetinje are that due to the high quality to which domestic producers pay great attention, but also because of all the measures that are being taken to market original and safe products, traditional, autochthonous, quality Montenegrin honey can be considered as a national brand.

At the Smell of Linden and Honey Festival, all visitors could find honey from Mount Lovćen, sage’s honey, honey from Ljubotinj, mead, propolis, propolis drops, propolis spray, propolis balm, honey with black chocolate, bee wax etc.

Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simović visited the manifestation at the Balšići market, which gathered 50 exhibitors from Montenegro and the region. During his visit to the Festival, Mr Simović concluded that he believes that by working together, Montenegrins can make an extra step in the production and placement of larger quantities of honey and honey products on the market. "The manifestation Smell of Linden and Honey Festival is the work of hardworking hosts - beekeepers who successfully connect their business with generous gifts of nature of this area, traditional, autochthonous, quality Montenegrin honey. This business is our chance and the opportunity we are trying to valorize, the joint efforts of the beekeepers, the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, as well as other local governments, beekeeping associations and the Federation of Beekeeping Organizations and the Government, which has been creating more and more support to the agriculture sector, especially beekeeping for a number of years,” assessed Simović.

Opening the manifestation, the Mayor of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, Aleksandar Kašćelan, estimated that thanks to the proactive policies and incentives of the Government of Montenegro, beekeeping is becoming more and more popular and more profitable. He assessed that in Montenegro, honey can be rightfully referred to as a national brand. "First of all, because of the quality to which domestic producers pay great attention, but also because of all the measures that are being taken to market the original and safe products. This is especially because of the good prospects for the placement of large quantities of the honey produced in Cetinje and generally Montenegro on European and other markets, which highly value brand and good image,” said Kašćelan.

The smell of Linden and Honey Festival 2019 was organized by the Association of beekeepers Cetinje, with the support of the Cetinje Municipality, the Tourist Organization of the Old Royal Capital and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Read more about goods from Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

29 March 2019 - Voli Trade company introduced Our Garden Project which is currently being carried out in Šas, near Ulcinj, where the agricultural production had developed at 70 hectares of land, which has not been used for 25 years.

"Products of this new project are already in stores and buyers have the impression that they got them from their garden since everything is so fresh," said Paul Foli, member of the Board of Directors of Voli Trade company.

Foli spoke about the plans of Voli Trade and announced the possibilities of extending activities abroad. He also said that the domestic market offered excellent chances.

“We are successful, people from the region know us, so, there is a possibility of extending activities abroad. For example, tourists from Serbia already heard about Voli Trade. They come to Montenegro, see our brand, and they like it. The turnover in the stores at the seaside doubles thanks to the clients outside Montenegro. We are constantly searching for the opportunities, but we also never forget that the domestic market is our great opportunity too”, said Foli.

He explained that it is possible to increase the share of the Montenegrin market by modernizing existing stores, with their better and more appealing appearance, with better training of the staff and seasonal orientation.

"Logistics and Distribution Center of Voli Trade is a success story, and we are very satisfied with this investment,” said member of the Board of Directors of Voli Trade company. 

“One-third of everything we sell goes through the LDC. This way, we provide our services for the clients in the wholesale more professionally and efficiently. Therefore, the whole company has two functions - taking care of 70 selling stores, and providing services for the wholesale, restaurants and small chains. Now, we can deliver packages to LDC first and then send them to the store, when necessary. That means our goods are fresher and our clients appreciate that,” pointed out Foli when speaking about Our Garden Project.

He also emphasized that Voli Trade is a success story and that the employees should not worry about their job.

He made a comparison with some trading chains in Europe and stated that they could still work on some technological solutions.

“It is still the case that the employees here measure fruit and vegetables. That is old-fashioned from the aspect of costs and speed and efficiency,” said Foli.

There is so much more positive atmosphere and enthusiasm in Voli Trade than in many western companies.

“What has been maintained in Voli Trade is the soul, the spirit. The owner knows most of the employees; personally, the employees know each other, and it is so much easier to overcome challenges if the management is not divided from its people. I am sure many western companies would love to be able to copy that, but they cannot find the right way,” concluded Foli.

20 March 2019 - Gastronomic delicacy Durmitor's Clotted Cream will obtain the Protected Designation of Origin, thus becoming a product branded by Montenegro, which means it will gain a new value as a high-quality product and create additional income for its producers.

Montenegro is renowned for its clotted cheese, a tradition rooted in the rural population of the country and which the inhabitants of the north called “Durmitorski skorup“.

Durmitor's Clotted Cream, the sixth gastronomic product branded by Montenegro, is now protected at the national level by the designation of origin. The benefits of certification of the quality label will be passed on to the cream's producers from the territory of Žabljak, Plužine and Šavnik, which will all become part of a new NGO - Association of Durmitor’s Clotted Cream Producers, the Ministry of Agriculture announced.

The complex process of production of clotted cream, which leaves no room for error, makes the quantities of this product very limited. The taste, as well as the overall quality of the clotted cream, depends on the temperature, air and acidity. The producers from Žabljak, Plužine and Šavnik will now have even more important task, to preserve the quality and justify the award and recognition their product has gained.

In addition to the Durmitor’s Clotted Cream, Montenegro has branded five more products during 2017 and 2018: Prosciutto from Njeguši, Cheese from Pljevlja, Montenegrin Beef Prosciutto, Montenegrin Dry-Cured Sheep Meat and Montenegrin Prosciutto.

Completion of the procedure for the branding of the Kolašin Leafy Cheese is expected soon.

With the continuous commitment of local restaurant operators, Montenegrin cooking tradition is passed on through the generations with subtle changes to meet the more modern tastes and likes, while preserving the delicate peculiarities of old recipes.

The protection stamp will mean a new step forward for Montenegro in the area of product quality policy, improvement of domestic production and creation of new jobs and more dynamic development of the local economy.

10 February 2019 - Deputy prime minister and agriculture minister Milutin Simović recently visited Kolašin and said that the famous leafy cheese from Kolašin (the name is derived from its specific texture – thin, almost transparent layers) is going to be the 6^th Montenegrin protected product, which means it will get a brand new value and thus additional income for its producers.

Minister Simović said at the meeting with the representatives of the Association of Producers of this famous leafy cheese from Kolašin, who submitted the request for obtaining the official mark of origin, that is, protection of this product at the national level, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The president of the Association, Milovan Vlahović, said this procedure started three years ago along with the project of the Employment Agency of Montenegro when it was decided to set up an association that would assist the local farmers.

“Then we decided to initiate the process of protecting the geographical origin and branding of the leafy cheese from Kolašin,” said Vlahović.

The process itself is in its final phase, i.e. there is one more month to be completed entirely, according to him.

The protection sign will mean a new step forward for Montenegro in the area of product quality policy, improvement of domestic producers, and creation of new jobs and more dynamic development of local and entire Montenegrin economy.

Montenegrin prosciutto is the most recent product that was approved under protection in Montenegro, taking place in December 2018.

“According to the Producer’s specification, Montenegrin prosciutto is the durable, dried meat product, processed from the ham of pig, dryly salted and coldly smoked and then it went through the process of drying. This entire process lasts at least one year. The application of the traditional production procedure, without any additions, other than sea salt, with the process of burning of the beech tree, results in the product that has recognizable smell, texture and taste”.

Before this, in the last two years, five products have been protected: “Njeguški pršut” (Prosciutto from Njeguši), “Pljevaljski sir” (Cheese from Pljevlja), “Cronogorski goveđi pršut” (Montenegrin beef prosciutto)“ and “Cronogorska stelja”.

February 9, 2019 - Olive, Wine and Healthy Food Fair within the Great Bokelian Fiesta, part of the official program of the 50th Mimosa Festival, officially began in front of the House of Culture in Bijela. Guests had the opportunity to visit stalls with local products and handicrafts and enjoy a cultural and entertainment program.

January 10, 2019 - Within the jubilee 50th Mimosa Festival in Herceg Novi, the NGO Great Bokelian Fest organizes the Olive, Wine, and Healthy Food Fair in Bijela from 8 to 11 February.

07 January 2019 - The General plan for the open sea has been adopted, tuna conditions in Montenegrin waters is good, and the opening of small businesses in the hinterland that would deal with fish processing would bring enormous profits to Montenegro, said Aleksandar Joksimović, head of the Laboratory for ichthyology and marine fisheries at Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor.

"So far, the progress in this area has been achieved in the organization of fishermen and associations, with the help of creation of clusters, and the awareness of fishermen that joint, teamwork can achieve results," said Joksimović.

Fishing the small oily fish, tuna farming, the development of a fish processing factory, as well as the logistics on the coast, can bring the Montenegrin economy the brand as something from the southern Adriatic - high salinity and clean water.

"Economically important species in fishing in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea are hake, red mullet, shrimps, octopuses, but as well as the European pilchard and anchovy. For each of these species, a complete study is already carried out, which resulted in biological and economic limits which state that their fishing is limited to a certain number of tons," Joksimović reminded.

Members of the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean have decided to increase the quota that has been set up in Montenegro to up to 50 tons of oily fish, European pilchard and anchovy. The new quota applies to all other Adriatic countries as well, and it is increased for up to 2.5 tons.

During the mid-December 2018, Montenegrin prosciutto became the new product under protection in Montenegro, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Natural environment, climate conditions in the region of production, long tradition of production and a good reputation of this product, that extends over the boundaries of this region form the basis for the protection of this product as a specific and authentic product. The impact of the geographical surroundings, climate and the skillfulness in the application of special recipe, is responsible for the prosciutto that is highly respected among the consumers, especially tourists who visit Montenegro,” said the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture.

02 November 2018 - Shopping mall "Bazar" in Podgorica is hosting the fair "VII Bazaar of Montenegrin products", which will take place on November 3 and 4.

The fair will present a wide range of agricultural products, Montenegrin brandy, coffee and tea, various non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, organic food and decorative items.

The aim of the fair is the promotion of Montenegrin traditional products, as well as their improvement, presentation to the visitors of the fair in the best way and finding new channels of sales. In addition, the goal is to recommend and bring Montenegrin authentic products closer to potential larger customers, like shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, hotels’ suppliers, distributors, professional gastronomes etc. With the exhibited products and accompanying activities that makes this fair recognizable, the organisers want to draw attention to a wide range of products from Montenegro that should be consumed as much as possible by the country’s people, which should result in the increase in their production.

All visitors of the fair will be able to get on-site information on the supply, use and purpose of Montenegrin products. With the exhibition of traditional products and direct contact with their producers, the organisers want to emphasise Montenegrin culture and confirm the quality by which the country is recognisable.

In the hope that the number of Montenegrin producers will grow, organisers invite everyone to visit the shopping mall Bazar and to support another promotion of quality and useful Montenegrin products.

The fair will be open on Saturday, November 3 from 8 am to 10 pm and Sunday, November 4, from 8 am to 9 pm.

Read more about TC Bazar here.