CONSORTIUM RECEIVES LONG-TERM CONCESSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO

November 1, 2020 - Porto Montenegro is introducing a new partner to develop yacht services in Bijela. Drydocks World, part of the DP World Group from the United Arab Emirates, is the new member of the Montenegro Yacht Services consortium together with Adriatic Marinas from Tivat. Drydocks World takes the place of Dutch shipbuilding corporation Damen.

The consortium received a long-term concession from the Government of Montenegro for the shipyard port of Bijela, which includes the regeneration of the former overhaul shipyard for large merchant ships into a first-class company for servicing, maintenance, repair and refit of superyachts.

Porto Montenegro stated that a consortium consisting of the superyacht development and marina management company Adriatic Marinas (ADM - owned by the Dubai Investment Corporation) and Damen - a Dutch shipbuilding group, had agreed that Damen’s role in developing the former Bijela Shipyard would be taken over by the new member of the consortium Drydocks World - Dubai.

They add that the latter is a leading company for the provision of services for servicing, maintenance, repair and refit of yachts, as well as for maritime services and services for maritime platforms in the transport, oil, gas and energy sectors.

"Together we will position the shipyard in Bijela as a leader in the area of repairs and refit of superyachts in the Mediterranean," stated the signatory for the consortium, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Adriatic Marinas, Mohammed I. Al Shaibani.

In addition to opening a yacht servicing company, the consortium plans to establish a training academy in Bijela to train future generations of marine engineers from Montenegro.

HRB

 Increasing Disease Trend a Concern

October 31, 2020 - "Based on all registered cases in the period from Saturday, 17th October at 00:00 to Friday, 30th October, at 24:00, values ​​of 14-day municipal cumulative incidence rates have been calculated and a list made of municipalities where the implementation of specific measures will start automatically from Monday, 2nd November at 00:00,” the Institute states.

In accordance with the current municipal incidence rates, after two weeks of implementation of measures, current measures will be mitigated in the municipality of Kolašin, which is moving to Group 1, Ulcinj, which is moving to Group 2, and Nikšić, which is moving to Group 1.

They added that measures will be tightened in the municipality of Bar, which is moving to Group 2 due to the increase in the cumulative incidence rate.

The IZJ states that although the cumulative incidence rates in the last 14 days are lower than in the previous 14-day period, if weekly rates are compared - the last seven days have seen a worrying trend in almost all municipalities.

"Based on all registered cases of the disease in the period from Saturday, 17th October at 00:00 to Friday, 30th October at 24:00, 14-day municipal cumulative incidence rates for the period have been calculated and a list made of municipalities in which the implementation of measures will start automatically from Monday, 2nd November, at 00:00," they state.

1. GROUP 1: rate under 400 per 100,000 inhabitants:

Strict observance and strict control of the implementation of existing epidemiological measures prescribed by the orders of the Ministry of Health.

2. GROUP 2: rate between 400 and 799, the following measures are introduced, alongside existing restrictions:

Catering facilities must close at 22:00. In addition to valid epidemiological measures, a maximum of two people are allowed at any one table, both inside and outside the facility (terraces, gardens, etc.). A distance of at least one meter from chair to chair must be strictly observed when persons sit at tables and turn their backs to each other.

3. GROUP 3: rate between 800 and 1,199, the following measures are applicable, alongside those already in place:

Catering facilities (restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, hotel restaurants) are not permitted to operate, except to provide for hotel guests;

Persons who are not members of a joint family household are forbidden to gather in residential buildings.

4. GROUP 4: rate higher than 1,200, the following measures are applicable, alongside those already in place:

It is forbidden to leave residential buildings between 22:00 and 05:00 (with defined exceptions as per the previous period: children with autism spectrum disorders; persons using wheelchairs - accompanied by one person, for a maximum of 60 minutes a day; persons who perform regular work duties permitted by orders, employees of foreign diplomatic and consular missions, persons who provide indispensable public services (health, police inspection bodies, army, security services, fire services, utilities services, media - including persons appearing in media shows, those performing agricultural activities on farms, etc.), as evidenced by an employer-issued certificate, persons caring for individuals who due to illness, injury or other health condition are unable to perform daily activities, as evidenced by a doctor’s certificate, and persons walking pets for a maximum of 60 minutes per day;

Catering facilities (restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, hotel restaurants) are not permitted to operate, except to provide for hotel guests;

Home visits of persons who are not members of the same household are prohibited," the statement concludes.

HRB

October 30, 2020 - The Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Amfilohije, passed away this morning at 8.20am, reports the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.

The Metropolitan passed away at the Clinical Hospital Center of Montenegro, after receiving holy communion.

The Metropolitanate stated that the public would be informed shortly about details relating to the funeral of the Metropolitan.

He was born Risto Radović, son of Ćiro and Mileva Radović, on Christmas Day, 7th January 1938, in Bare Radović in Donja Morača.

He studied at the Saint Sava Seminary in Belgrade, and graduated from the Serbian Orthodox Church Theological Faculty in Belgrade in 1962.

In addition to theological sciences, he studied classical philology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. He continued his postgraduate studies in Bern and Rome. From there he moved to Athens, where, during his seven-year stay, in addition to his daily parish service, he received a doctorate. He defended his thesis, written in Greek, about St. Gregory Palamas, receiving the highest grade.

He then spent a year on Mount Athos, after which he was invited to teach at the St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Institute in Paris, and worked there from 1974 to 1976, during which time he improved his French, in addition to the other five languages ​​he mastered.

He became a monk in 1967 in Greece, where he later became a hieromonk on 21st July, 1968.

Upon his return to Belgrade, he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Theology and associate professor, and at the end of 1985 he was ordained Bishop of Banat based in Vršac, from where he moved to Cetinje on Christmas Eve 1991 when he was appointed Metropolitan of Montenegro, Skenderija and Primorje, and Exarch of the Peć Throne, taking the title which Bishop Vasilije used before Metropolitan Amfilohije.

He taught at the Faculty of Theology, University of Belgrade from 1980 to 2005, when he retired due to his multiple obligations. In addition to theology and philosophy, he was engaged in essay writing and translation.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of 21st May, 2010, he was appointed administrator of the Diocese of Raška-Prizren, before Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan was appointed to the seat of Bishop of Raška-Prizren on 26th December, 2010.

At the regular May session of the Holy Synod of Bishops held from 17th to 26th May, Metropolitan Amfilohije was appointed administrator of the newly established Diocese of Buenos Aires.

Metropolitan Amfilohije was the second in rank among bishops in the hierarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, after the Serbian Patriarch.

In February 2012, he received an honorary doctorate from the Institut Saint Sergius in Paris.

On 6th October, Metropolitan Amfilohije was admitted to the pulmonology department of the Clinical Center of Montenegro for hospital treatment after testing positive for coronavirus.

Text: PCNEN

HRB

New ILO project presented, to be carried out in partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom

October 27, 2020 -  On Tuesday, 27th October a high-level technical meeting organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) was held in the Crystal Hall of the Hilton Hotel. The event aimed to introduce participants, representatives of the National Employment Agency, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and other partners as well as members of the public, to a new ILO project focused on a comprehensive reform and modernization process within the Agency, to be implemented with government financial support from the United Kingdom, through the Good Governance Fund.

The overall development goal of the project is to improve the operations of the institutions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mitigate its negative impact on the world of work.

A rapid assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment and policy responses to the pandemic, organized by the ILO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in June this year, highlighted the importance of strengthening the role of the Employment Agency of Montenegro in facing challenges to the labour market caused by the pandemic. This role is particularly important given the troubling statistic revealed by MONSTAT of 38,000 fewer people in employment in August this year compared to the same period last year, and given the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable populations, including young people, especially young women, and people with disabilities.

Through the high-level technical meeting, the ILO and the British Embassy in Podgorica have formally launched a project to provide an answer to the labour market problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The need to improve the existing institutional capacities in the field of employment and the labour market had also been previously recognized. The experience of other countries suggests that it is possible, with sufficient political will and appropriate technical knowledge, to transform institutions and create effective mechanisms for implementing policies over a short period of time, in order to promote and support effective labour market management.

At the opening of the event, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić addressed the audience stating that support is especially important in the growing global socio-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the vulnerability of all systems as well as the importance of joint responses to existing global challenges.

"The progress that Montenegro has made in the labour market in recent years has come to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic. And this is the right opportunity for us to start implementing a project that aims to address the challenges of the labour market caused by the pandemic. Our project is based on the document “Rapid Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19”, which was carried out by the ILO and the EBRD, and which points to the need to improve institutional capacities in the field of employment and the labour market," said Minister Purišić.

UK Ambassador Karen Maddocks stated that examples of project support include steps towards digitizing Employment Agency procedures, including registering the unemployed and linking databases of institutions within the system; work on assessments of the future working capacity of persons with disabilities; as well as qualitative analyses of labour market and economic activities, using data from the public and private sectors, as well as from social partners. Ambassador Maddocks added that the United Kingdom is facing "a similar rise in unemployment. Vulnerable groups, especially recent graduates and women with disabilities, are further at risk.” Ambassador Maddocks also said that “it is equally important to focus on the long-term impacts of the COVID crisis, including its impact on the economy.” She added that public administration is an area where the United Kingdom has a wealth of institutional experience.

Expressing special gratitude to the International Labour Organization for recognizing the need to modernize the services offered by the Agency, but also to the British Embassy in Montenegro and the UK Government for financing the project execution, Director of the Employment Agency Suljo Mustafić said that he believes now is the right time to start implementation in order to face labour market challenges caused by the pandemic.

"The COVID-19 crisis has further emphasized the need for the Agency to act more efficiently and respond more quickly to new challenges in the labour market. In this coronavirus period we are inevitably having to make changes. And with this in mind, the basis of the project activities relate to: creating innovative interventions especially for young people and people with disabilities, improving the compatibility of databases of the Employment Agency, Centres for Social Work, Tax Administration, Pension Fund and other relevant institutions, and auditing internal and external procedures of the Agency, including basic steps towards digitalization, in order to respond to COVID-19,” said the Director of the Agency, emphasizing that he believes that the new ILO project will facilitate the implementation of all future projects and thus have an impact on both the swifter economic recovery and further development of the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a rapid response from institutions within the system, which is why the joint response and cooperation of these institutions, the ILO and the British Embassy is a key element in responding to the crisis. A quality reform process will also affirm equality and the realization of fundamental rights at work for all citizens.

SOURCE - ILO Press Release

Becic: Montenegro remains committed to the fundamental values of the united nations

October 27, 2020 - The President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Aleksa Bečić, met today with the heads of United Nations agencies resident in Montenegro - the acting UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Daniela Gašparikova, UNICEF Representative Juan Santander, Head of IOM’s Montenegro Office Dušica Živković, and Head of WHO’s Montenegro Office Mina Brajović.

Congratulating the United Nations on its 75th anniversary, Bečić emphasized that Montenegro remains committed to the fundamental values ​​of the UN, the affirmation of effective multilateralism, open cooperation and to the strengthening of partnerships with the UN. He added that he expressed his gratitude for the continuous support to Montenegro and the engagement of the entire UN system in the country in response to the consequences of the pandemic.

Concluding that the Assembly is expected to be a factor in the unification, cohesion and aligning of Montenegrin society, Bečić pointed out the openness of the national parliament to continuing cooperation dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Representatives of UN agencies informed Bečić of the key priorities in the upcoming period and expressed readiness to continue cooperation with the Parliament and the competent parliamentary working bodies through future initiatives.

Gašparikova wished the President of the Assembly a successful upcoming term of the new legislature.

"Parliament has a vital role to play in strengthening inclusive political dialogue, which ensures the preservation of dignity and respect for diversity of opinion. I believe that the parliament will carry out its role in shaping the future democratic reform processes in the country through the engagement of a wide range of governmental and non-governmental partners, dealing with issues of vulnerable groups to ensure that no one is left behind," Gašparikova said.

HRB

Government approved for kotor: Jokic - Head of municipality, Vuksic to lead municipal assembly

October 27, 2020 - The Democrats, ZBK and URA are to form the new local government of Kotor with a combined majority of 17 councilors in the local parliament, which consists of 33 councilors.

Leaders of the electoral lists of the Democrats, the coalition "For the Future of Kotor" (ZBK) and the Civic Movement URA from Kotor, today signed the Principles of Joint Action and the Coalition Agreement on Joint Exercise of Local Government in the city.

According to these documents, the Democrats, ZBK and URA will form a new local government in Kotor, as these three groups have a majority of 17 councilors in the local parliament, which consists of 33 councilors.

In the local elections held on August 30, the Democrats won nine seats, the ZBS coalition seven, and the URA one seat.

In addition to the aforementioned, the new parliament of Kotor, which held a constitutive session on October 20 and verified the mandates of the newly elected councilors, includes 12 representatives of the DPS, and one councilor each from the SDP, SD and Socialists of Montenegro.

The negotiations between the three factions that will form the local government in Kotor have, over the last two months, occasionally fallen into crisis, but in the end a compromise was found that met the interests of all parties.

Therefore, tomorrow at the continuation of the constitutive session of the Municipal Assembly, the holder of the electoral list of the ZBS coalition, lawyer Dejan Vukšić, voted in by the newly-formed majority, will be appointed President of the Municipal Assembly of Kotor, and on Friday at the first regular session of the new Municipal Assembly, holder of the Democrat electoral list, Vladimir Jokić, will be appointed again as Mayor.

He returns to the position after a year and four months, as he was removed as Head of the Municipality by DPS, SD, HGI and LP councilors, joined by SDP councilor Bruna Lončarević, at a Council session held on July 8 last year.

The SDP previously removed the local Kotor government of the Democrats, DF, SDP and URA in April, and their councilor Lončarević voted for Jokić's removal for the first time with the previous opposition, gathered around the DPS.

The first decision on the removal of Jokić from April, was overturned very soon after by the Administrative Court.

HRB

October 26, 2020 - The President of the Municipality of Tivat, Zeljko Komnenovic, and the Executive Director of the NGO "Our Action", Patricia Pobric, signed today an Agreement on Cooperation within the Cross-Border Cooperation Project Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro, "YOUth Drive- Program for raising awareness on proper waste management and empowering legislators to take action." It is a project that connects the Bay of Kotor and the West Herzegovina County with numerous activities, aimed at protecting the environment through improved waste management and consistent application of energy efficiency principles.

The project, supported by the European Commission, is worth € 279,200.48 and will cover seven communities: Ljubuški, Grude, Posušje, Široki Brijeg (BIH), Herceg Novi, Tivat, and Kotor (MNE). The project will last from November 15, 2020, to May 15, 2021.

"Bearing in mind that we are a tourist destination, issues of environmental protection and treatment of various types of waste are of key importance, and we desperately need such projects supported by the European Union," the mayor of Tivat pointed out.

The project leader, Patricia Pobrić, mentioned that the project's goal is to strengthen capacity to apply environmental protection and energy efficiency standards at the local level and that "the municipalities involved in the project are offered a unique opportunity to address this issue."

The project defines two activities: those related to the waste management process itself and activities aimed at young people and the public. When it comes to the waste management process, partners in the project will analyze waste treatment, pollution of watercourses, and characteristics of illegal landfills. The subjects of analyses will also be the existing regulations for waste management, planning and strategic documentation, and existing infrastructure, with development of recommendations at the regional and local level being conducted.

Activities with young people and the public will include developing information material for students, the development of a digital platform, educational info-sessions in schools, a promotional campaign on social networks, and multi-day educational events.

By participating in this project, TIvat Municipality will receive concrete analysis and recommendations from the subject areas. Participation in a series of activities to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection and application of energy efficiency principles will be offered, and primary and secondary school students will have the opportunity to participate in numerous educational events. The project benefits include bins for electronic waste and a container totalling an estimated value of € 14,000.

October 25, 2020 - Based on all registered cases of the disease from Saturday, October 10, at 00:00 and ending on Friday, October 23, at 24:00, the Institute of Public Health calculated the values ​​of 14-day municipal cumulative incidence rates. A list of municipalities was made in which the application of measures will begin automatically from Monday, October 26, at 00:00.

14-days Cumulative Incident Rates by Municipalitiesm, the Institute of Public Health

Following the current municipal incidence rates, MITIGATION will occur in municipalities where restrictive measures have been applied for at least 14 days, as follows:

Kotor: moves to group 1
Rozaje: moves to group 1
Pljevlja: group 2 (application of all measures including the work of schools)
Nikšić: group 2 (application of all measures including the work of schools)

Groups of municipalities, i.e., local governments, and corresponding measures whose implementation will depend on the 14-day cumulative incidence rate (CI) are:

GROUP 1: rate of less than 400 / 100,000 inhabitants: Strict observance and strict control of implementing existing epidemiological measures prescribed by the Orders of the Ministry of Health continue.

GROUP 2: rate of between 400 and 799, with the following measures being introduced: Restriction of the work of catering facilities until 22:00; Limiting the working conditions of catering facilities so that, in addition to valid epidemiological measures, a maximum of two people are allowed to be seated at one table both inside and outside the facility (terraces, gardens, etc.); the obligation prescribes a distance of at least one meter from chair to chair when persons are seated at tables with their backs turned to one other.

GROUP 3: rate of between 800 and 1,199 with the following measures applied: The operation of catering facilities (restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, hotel restaurants) is prohibited, except for hotel guests; It is forbidden to gather in residential buildings for persons who are not members of a joint family household.

GROUP 4: the rate is higher than 1,200 with the applicable measures:

1. It is forbidden to leave the residential building from 22:00 to 05:00 (with defined exceptions that were valid during the previous measure: children with autism spectrum disorders; persons using wheelchairs accompanied by one person, for a maximum of 60 minutes a day, persons who perform regular work tasks in activities permitted by orders, employees of foreign diplomatic and consular missions, persons who provide indispensible services of public interest (health, police inspection bodies, army, security services, fire services , utilities, media - including guests on media shows, agricultural activities on farms, etc.), as evidenced by a certificate issued by the employer, persons caring for persons who due to illness, condition or injury are unable to perform daily activities independently, as evidenced by a certificate issued by the selected doctor of these persons, and persons walking pets, maximum 60 minutes per day;

2. It is forbidden to operate catering facilities (restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, hotel restaurants) except for hotel guests.

3. Visits to the homes of persons who are not members of the same household are prohibited.