22 September 2019 - The German House in Montenegro was recently opened in Podgorica, under the auspices of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

During the opening ceremony, many guests were addressed by Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović, who said that the Montenegrin public has had a chance to get acquainted with the achievements of contemporary German culture, and that the establishment of the German House is a step forward in that regard.

“This event is of particular importance because it will greatly expand the opportunities for our public to get acquainted with the achievements of the great German culture, both recent ones and those belonging to the sphere of cultural heritage. Needless to say, what influence did German philosophy, literature, music and film exert on the development of world culture, and thus on the expansion of the cultural horizon of our country. In that context, this House will be playing a valuable educational and informational role, which will strengthen the already established mechanisms of cooperation in the field of culture,” Bogdanović emphasised.

Ambassador of Germany to Montenegro Robert Weber and Director of the Goethe Institute in Belgrade Frank Baumann also addressed the guests.

According to the statement by the Government, the German House in Montenegro will work primarily in the field of education and information. In that regard, special emphasis will be placed on promoting and spreading the idea of the German language, setting standards of quality of teaching German, providing access to information on institutions, current events and cultural events in Germany, achieving intercultural dialogue for the purpose of cultural exchange between Montenegro and Germany, and on improving the understanding of European values globally, as well as the development of common European perspectives.

20 September 2019 - The first charging point for electric vehicles has been put into operation in Podgorica. It is placed in front of the Podgorica Assembly, at the crossroads of Njegoševa Street and Vučedolska Street, and it is first of the three charging points planned for the capital. Usage will be free of charge during the first year.

The permanent representative at United Nations Development Programme to Montenegro Daniela Gasparikova stressed that the first public charging point for electric vehicles would boost further development of charging infrastructure across the country.

"Two more charging points will be installed in Podgorica by the end of Oct. and eleven in total by the end of the year," said Gasparikova reports Cafe del Montenegro.

The transport sector accounts for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, and this is the area that needs changes the most.

"The Montenegrin transport system currently accounts for 20 per cent of the national greenhouse gas emissions. If pollution by emissions keeps increasing in this way, estimations say it will make up to 30 per cent of the national greenhouse gas emissions," representative at United Nations Development Programme to Montenegro Gasparikova emphasized.

In her opinion, electric-vehicle charging soon will become as simple as charging smartphones.

Mayor of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, Ivan Vuković said that the environment protection represented the issue of topmost priority.

"Putting into operation the first charging point for electric vehicles represents a huge step forward for Podgorica and the whole country," pointed out Vuković.

Managing Director of the International Cooperation Directorate in the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism Igor Građević underlined this initiative was a part of the larger project dealing with the emission reductions.

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20 September 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received Ambassador of the Republic of Greece to Montenegro Sotirios Athanasiou.

The President thanked Ambassador Sotirios Athanasiou for excellent cooperation during his diplomatic term and expressed satisfaction with the improvement of relations between the two countries in all fields. He extended special gratitude to Greece for its continued support to Montenegro and the WB region in the integration process, appreciating that Greece correctly understands the crucial importance of integration for the stability and perspective of the Region, as well as the whole of Europe. Expecting Montenegro and the WB to have encouraging messages from Athens in the coming period, Đukanović said full integration remains an essential issue.

"Stability and dynamic economic development are directly dependent on the speed of integration," said Đukanović.

In talks with Ambassador Athanasiou, President Đukanović congratulated him on his election to the Government and expressed hope that the new Greek executive authority would with great affection look to develop relations between the two countries. In this context, he welcomed the recent visit of President Pavlupoulos to Montenegro, which provided a strong impetus for further enhancement of co-operation, including on this occasion the signed Agreement in the field of culture, which will help further better connect the two peoples. Taking steps to intensify university and transport and maritime co-operation, with excellent defense co-operation with NATO, the President assessed that the most important co-operation resource in the coming period remains the field of economy and tourism and encouraged an even stronger presence of Greek investors in Montenegro, his office reported.

Ambassador Athanasiou thanked the President and the Montenegrin people for their friendly reception during his term and said that Montenegro had made tremendous progress, both economically and in the area of ​​the rule of law, and that it was a leader in the integration process.

"You have made tremendous progress and it would be fair for Montenegro to become an EU member," the ambassador said, stressing that the EU is the only path for WB countries without which Europe will not be fully integrated.

With satisfaction with the results of President Pavlopoulos's visit, the Greek ambassador reiterated his invitation to President Đukanović to visit Athens, which he was pleased to accept.

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20 September 2019 - Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković met with representatives of world-renowned companies Northstar and Marriott, which will build a 210 million EUR Ritz-Carlton Montenegro resort in Herceg Novi.

The owner of the Ritz-Carlton Montenegro project Mohamed Al Sager said that preparations for the construction of the resort are going according to plan, and that the hotel operator would be the renowned Marriott hotel company, adding that they have ensured that one of their 30 luxury brands, the Ritz-Carlton, is coming to Montenegro.

The Ritz-Carlton Montenegro resort will be a hotel with 300 units, with 120 hotel units and 180 apartments. The first phase of the project, encompassing a hotel, 113 apartments, 13 villas and four restaurants, is expected to be finished in the summer of 2023.

According to the statement by the Government of Montenegro, Prime Minister Marković expressed his satisfaction that such prestigious companies will invest in Montenegro and bring not only money, but also knowledge, experience, and business ethics.

"The Government has serious infrastructure agenda, which will provide new quality to the resorts on that part of the Montenegrin coast," Prime Minister Marković said and pointed to the decision to valorize the airports and request for the construction of a water terminal in Tivat, as well as the construction of a four-lane boulevard between Budva and Tivat.

The interlocutors agreed that this resort offers great job opportunities for Montenegrin citizens and discussed the establishment of the Marriott Academy that would enable acquiring new knowledge and skills for work in tourism.

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19 September 2019 - Climate change is the key challenge of our time. Our generation was the first to experience an accelerated temperature rise around the world, and it will probably be the last, says the "Initiative for Stepping up Climate Ambitions," i.e., Declaration, which was signed by numerous world leaders – Milo Đukanović among others.

Đukanović will be the head of the Montenegrin delegation which is going to take part in a General debate scheduled to run from 24 to 30 September in New York. Montenegro will present the progress it has made in the implementation of sustainable UN agenda. It will also outline the plan for activities aimed at contributing to the global response to climate change.

"We, heads of states and governments, signatories to this Declaration, firmly believe that effective measures against climate change are necessary. We are sure that essential measures will help us lead our planet into a safe and prosperous future," reads the Declaration.

World leaders called on the international community and all signatories to Paris agreement to act together, with determination and speed, in order to stop the global climate crisis.

"Let’s use numerous possibilities and undertake measures against climate change. Let’s create a positive future for our planet," as noted in the Declaration, reports CdM.

Effects of this change have been documented and are felt everywhere in the world, like the dramatic increase in heat waves, floods, droughts and landslides, glacier shrinking and rise in sea level.

Declaration points out that the climate crisis concerns us all. Climate change affects the global economy, endangers different sectors, and is a serious threat to peace and stability in the world.

"In December 2015, the world witnessed an important moment of hope and trust: In COP 21, global community adopted Paris agreement with the aim of keeping the increase in the global average temperature below 2 °C while trying to limit temperature rise to 1,5 °C," pointed out the data in the Declaration.

Measures taken by the international community are not enough for achieving long-term goals established by the Paris agreement.

"On the basis of scientific and technical expertise, as well as financial funds, we have a collective task to do anything we can to stop climate change and adapt to its negative effects, while respecting the need for reasonable transition of our societies. In the light of findings of Special report of Inter-government panel on climate change and results of COP 24, we urge all Parties to make 2019 year of climate ambitions and attend the Climate Summit which will be convened by the UN Secretary-General," as was concluded on this occasion.

World leaders stress it is important to make sure that all financial flows are in accordance with the path leading to the reduction in greenhouse emissions. It is essential to request that all financial institutions harmonize their investments with long term goals set out in Paris agreement, intensify and increase investments in energy efficiency renewable energy, and to cut the investments in the economy of fossil fuels economy.

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19 September 2019 - Montenegro will initiate all available mechanisms at the international level to protect the Cijevna River, as Albania did not respond to Montenegro’s concerns about the potential impact of mini-hydropower plants on the Cijevna. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro stated that Albania did not comply with the obligations arising from the Water Convention that the two countries signed last year in Skadar.

President of the Interstate Commission of Montenegro and Albania for Cooperation in Water Management and Managing Director of Water Management Directorate Momčilo Blagojević said that Montenegro would initiate all available mechanisms defined in international conventions, reports Cafe del Montenegro.

"Montenegro will initiate all available mechanisms to solve this issue by informing all the responsible secretariats in the Helsinki Committee, as well as the European Commission about planned activities on the Cijevna River that might have a serious impact on Montenegro," Blagojević explained.

He recalled that Montenegro first reacted last year after environmental activists warned that work had begun on the Cijevna riverbed in Albania, and provided footage of pipes placed in the river.

During the mid-August 2019 the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology of Montenegro conducted a research that showed that rivers Morača and Bojana mostly have a 'moderate status', which means that the chemical status in these rivers is not good.

Tara also has a moderate status in terms of water quality, while the water in Ćehotina is of low quality, the research shows. The cleanest river in the country is Cijevna, but the fact that the latest research did not include Piva, which had the highest quality water so far, should be taken into consideration when concluding.

Read more news about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

19 September 2019 - Montenegro and Greece have excellent political bilateral relations, and the two countries’ solid economic cooperation needs to be further strengthened, Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković and Greek Ambassador Sotirios Athanasiou concluded at a recent meeting.

"Greece has always clearly and directly supported our national preferences and I want to thank you for that. Your embassy was the first point of contact in the NATO integration process, and today, as a full member of the Alliance, together with Italy, you are protecting our airspace, "Prime Minister Marković told Ambassador Athanasiou, who he received on a farewell visit.

The Prime Minister said that numerous very credible Greek companies are present in Montenegro, but that there is room for more meaningful cooperation and new investments in various fields. At the meeting, it was stated that better aviation connectivity would give additional impetus to stronger economic cooperation. In this context, the decision of the Government of Montenegro to valorize the airports was positively assessed, thus ensuring the improvement of the infrastructure as well as better aviation accessibility.

According to the official statement by the Government of Montenegro, the interlocutors agreed that the process of integration of Montenegro and the entire Western Balkans region into the European Union is of great importance for further progress, peace and stability. Ambassador Athanasiou stressed that integration is equally important for the Balkans and for the EU and said it was important to speed up the negotiation process.

Read more about politics in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

19 September 2019 - The health care system can be boosted significantly through the promotion of regional cooperation and strengthening joint actions in all the challenges, it was noted during the 69th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Europe, which was held in Copenhagen.

Minister of Health Kenan Hrapović led the Montenegrin delegation during the session, which lasted from 16 to 19 September.

The first day session of the Regional Committee was committed to the work of the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the past year. Within the discussion, Minister Hrapović praised the efforts of the WHO to boost health in the world, the activities aimed at increasing access to health care and providing universal health coverage – the goals that are defined by European health policy "Health 2020" and sustainable development goals. Minister Hrapović informed the member states about activities that Montenegro implements in continuation in order to fulfil sustainable development goals when it comes to the health of the population and highlighted the significance of the primary health care. Minister of Health Hrapović recalled all the present that Montenegro is the first country of Southeast Europe that implemented the overall assessment of the primary health care capacity, based on which future courses of action are defined.

This year in July, Montenegro was the chairmanship of the South - Eastern European Health Network (SEEHN) and in that regard Minister Hrapović addressed the audience on the behalf of the nine network member states, and spoke about the regional high - quality cooperation when it comes to the health improvement and the importance of joint action, particularly when it comes to immunisation.

During the ministerial meeting, within the lectures on Leadership trough the SEEHN example, Minister Hrapović emphasised the issue and the leadership significance of the network members by which it contributes to the strengthening of the network and creating a reliable partner of the WHO. Minister Hrapović stated that all the SEEHN member states are managed by the motto "be the change you want to see" and that they first change their systems and then exchange good results and practices with other countries. The Minister pointed to the importance of leadership and constant learning and motivating others to improve their systems.

In the margins of the meeting in Copenhagen, according to the statement of the Government of Montenegro, thee delegation of the Ministry of Health of Montenegro met with the WHO Director-General – Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the WHO Deputy Director General Zsuzsanna Jakab. The meeting discussed the essential activities in order to strengthen the process of immunisation, all in the direction of preparing the meeting of small states that will be held in July 2020 in Montenegro.

16 September 2019 - According to records published by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, there are 453 hotels in Montenegro with 43.639 beds. Nearly 55% account for four-star and five-star hotels. This year, 38 high-end hotels have been opened, and there will be even more.

As representatives of the Ministry said, categorization procedure helps achieve one of Government’s goals – creating conditions for the improvement and raising the quality level of catering capacities.

One of the key measures defined by the Reforms in the Area of Tourism Agenda is the development of new and improvement of the existing accommodation facilities. The most important activity in that context is defining models for the enhancement of the construction of four and five-star hotels, reports CdM.

"There are currently 25 five-star hotels in Montenegro. One hundred seventy-nine four-star hotels, whereas others refer to one to three stars," said the representatives of the Ministry.

Analysis of the current state of affairs of hotel structure takes into consideration the fact that the Strategy adopted at the end of 2008, when the many-year-long economic crisis started, has severely affected the investment projects in Montenegro.

"However, despite such ambiance, we are very satisfied with the structure of our hotels now, as the number of high-end hotels exceeds the projections envisaged by the Strategy," said the representatives of the Ministry.

Raising the offer quality in hotels and other catering facilities achieves the strategic goal of the development of tourism in Montenegro- high quality, all-year-long tourist offer.

"In that context, Government is focused on creating conditions for enhancing the development of catering services, as the most important segment of the tourism product," said the representatives of the Ministry.

With the aim of raising competitiveness level and creating conditions for the extension of the season, Ministry has been implementing the project of the establishment, improvement and control of the quality level of hotel facilities as well as other accommodation facilities.

Commission of the Ministry of Tourism is in charge of the categorization of catering facilities.

"Commission for categorization of catering facilities conducts the categorization procedure and assigns the category depending on the organization, equipment and maintenance of the facility, type and quality of services and other categorization criteria," explained the representatives of the Ministry.

Read more news about traveling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

16 September 2019 - The University of Donja Gorica in Podgorica and Municipality of Cetinje are organizing the 24th Miločer Development Forum from 14 September to 18 September, while the main forum topic will be "Ecology: Regulation, Education, Business". The forum will gather renowned experts from all over the world.

Professor of the University of Donja Gorica and vice-president of the Association of Economists of Montenegro Zoran Đikanović on the occasion of Miločer Development Forum stated that the main goal is the promotion of the young and new ideas, reported Cafe del Montenegro.

According to him, the mission of the forum is to promote new ideas and boost the sense of future and a new thought.

"Our goal is to launch new ideas, new visions of development, new communication and to open Montenegro to the global world. The forum is testing the possibilities of the practical application of new ideas, in terms of opening new businesses or new areas of research," stated Đikanović.

When asked why they opted for the main topic of this year’s forum to be "Ecology: Regulation, Education, Business", he said that the aim of the forum is to tackle several aspects of ecology: regulation in this field as the main precondition for sustainable development, business operations in this field, especially new ideas, as well as new ideas for funding projects in the field of ecology. He also added that regulations would be regarded in the context of the European laws and Montenegro’s accession to the European Union.

"The forum represents a basis for stimulating new thoughts and ideas. It raises awareness of an individual about his/her obligation to develop himself/herself and the environment as well. The forum always gathers many young people who have the opportunity to hear a lot of new information," said Đukanović on the topic the young and their future challenges at the regional and global level.

This year’s forum has been backed by the Center for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Ecology… New business ideas will be presented as well.

"That is a newly-established and innovative center with a clear vision. They are part of the international projects provided by Germany and other European countries as well," pointed out Đukanović.

"In the part referring to business, there will be presentations of business ideas from this area, primarily ideas of the UDG students as well as the students from the University of Montenegro and those from the region. The forum will present seven business ideas in the field of ecology, and some of them have already been funded from international sources. That is why this forum differs from all the other gatherings in Montenegro and the region as well," concluded Đukanović.

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