02 September 2019 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović, attended Informal Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs which takes place in Helsinki, Finland recently. Minister Darmanović was invited by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Pekka Haavisto. Minister of Foreign Affair of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović pointed out that Montenegro was encouraged by the support it received in further integration of Western Balkans.

"We believe that enlargement policy, based on the regatta principle, is the only credible strategy for the reform of our societies and acceleration of economic growth, but also for ensuring security, peace and competitiveness," stated Minister Srđan Darmanović.

He pointed out that Montenegro was a leader in the process and stated that he is sure that, by the end of this year, Montenegro is going to open the remaining negotiating Chapter VIII.

During the session dedicated to cooperation in the region Minister Darmanović said that Montenegro recognized the importance of progress every country had made towards its European Union journey.

Participants of the meeting in Helsinki exchanged opinions about human rights protection and gender equality and stated that respect for international law, promotion of universal human rights, democracy and rule of law were at the core of the foreign activities of the European Union, Cafe del Montenegro reports.

Minister Darmanović stressed Montenegro’s commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights at both the national and international level.

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

01 September 2019 - Hong Kong Tatler, the essential guide to the luxury lifestyle in Hong Kong, recently placed Budva, Montenegro on the top of the list of destinations for a luxurious last-minute trip!

Hong Kong Tatler Magazine that covers everything from the best events and most glamorous people, to fine dining, international fashion and luxury travel wanted to inspire its readers to take advantage of the remaining sunny summer days and organise a last minute trip to a luxurious destination. In fact, Tatler based the destination research on famous people’s holiday getaways, and the very first recommendation is Aman Sveti Stefan Resort in Budva!

While exploring Montenegro, one of Hong Kong society's brightest young stars and a social media phenomenon, Eleanor Lam (better known as Elly), fell in love with Aman Sveti Stefan, the charming seaside hideaway resort with lush grounds and stunning sea views.

As Tatle reported, Eleanor Lam is always on the move, and a highlight from her myriad summer jaunts was Budva, a medieval town in Montenegro. She stayed at the Aman Sveti Stefan, an exclusive resort atop a private island that used to be a fishing village in the 15th century.

Pink-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and rugged, pine-cloaked mountains form the untamed backdrop to Aman Sveti Stefan, in one of Europe's last corners of truly wild beauty – Montenegro, managed to charm the young star. Eleanor loves exploring exotic destinations, and the stroll along the shoreline, Queen’s Beach, the scallop-shaped bay considered Montenegro’s finest, left her breathless as she managed to take some gorgeous photograph on site.

Lam also couldn’t resist revealing more beautiful locations in Montenegro, as she visited a peaceful, authentic place with delicious Montenegrin cuisine, Rijeka Crnojevića. Swimming in a pool with a gorgeous view over the Skadar Lake, Ellie posted a picture on social media, saying that she could get used to the picturesque sites Montenegro has to offer.

01 September 2019 - Rada Mineral water factory from Bijelo Polje plans to start exporting products as of September, and it will soon begin the production of juices, flavored water and probably energy drinks.

Co-owner of Water group company from Kolašin Boris Rašković said that so far they had been focused on the domestic market only.

"We have planned some new products from the beginning. As for juices and flavored water, we expect that phase to begin next year. We are making plans for starting exporting next month. That is something new, we haven’t done that so far," said Rašković.

Water group bought last year Bjelasica Rada company from Bijelo Polje. It plans to cover the Montenegrin market with Rada products as much as possible, reported Cafe del Montenegro.

Water group co-owner says that they will have a lot of work to do in Montenegro.

"We are not very satisfied with what we have done so far because the market is much bigger and it could be covered better. The market is a living organism and must be dealt with in the long run," pointed out Rašković.

He also said they operated in accordance with plans.

"We were a little late, but we are satisfied anyway. It was not simple to enter the market. The very beginning of the season wasn’t very satisfactory, but we managed to go even beyond our expectations," stressed out Rašković.

Representatives of Water group point out that they are very satisfied with the reaction of buyers.

"They are happy and we are happy. We expect September and October to be strong," stated Rašković on this occasion.

The factory currently county 20 employees. The number is expected to increase with the market opening.

"Increasing production requires investments. I will not provide you with details now, and we have not made our decisions yet. But there will definitely be more investments in the factory, infrastructure, sale network," concluded Rašković.

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

01 September 2019 - The 340 million EUR super-yacht Eclipse, owned by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, was spotted in the Boka Bay this morning.

The ship has 24 guest cabins, two pools, a nightclub, and even a missile defense system!

The Russian billionaire spent 350 million EUR to make this ship, but some claim it cost 1 billion EUR if all the luxury and safety amenities are taken into account.

Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse boasts nine decks, the top one containing two helipads and a garage. The forward helipads open out to allow for a Eurocopter EC155 to be placed in a hangar underneath, reported Cafe del Montenegro.

The 8th deck has a swimming pool and a sundeck, with a pull-out barbecue and pizza oven and a built-in wood-burning fire pit.

The main saloon boasts a fireplace and a massive sculpture from Indonesia. There is another pool on the seventh deck with an adjustable depth feature that sees the floor rise and fall, so that it can be changed into a dance floor.

The Eclipse also has bullet-proof windows and lasers to dazzle paparazzi.

Each cabin in the yacht has a private cinema screen, a Jacuzzi, spa and special security systems. The super-yacht is however very expensive to maintain – running costs are estimated to 40 million EUR a year.

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

31 August 2019 - The Jazz Bay Herceg Novi Festival, which traditionally gathers many renowned jazz artists, will be held on September 01 and 02, 2019.

Jazz Bay Herceg Novi Festival will bring eminent regional, European and international jazz musicians to Montenegro. Still, since the founding of the festival, the organisers intended to promote as many Montenegrin jazz artists as possible, especially those who have perfected their musical knowledge at prestigious music colleges.

This year's festival will begin on Sunday, September 1st, with the performance of young Montenegrin jazz artist Iva Kostić with CAUSTIC boiz from 9 pm in the Park Hall. This will mark Iva’s first concert in Herceg Novi, at which she will promote the debut album "Đorđijana".

On the second night of the festival, prominent regional and European jazz pianist and composer Zvezdan Ružić and Sextet will be introduced to the audience in Herceg Novi. After the concert, the organisers have prepared a Jam session, during which the audience will be able to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and explore jazz standards and improvisation. The jamming session will take place from 9 pm to 1 am, in the cafe Boka. All guests will have the opportunity to dance to the sounds of the renowned Montenegrin jazz guitarist Miodrag Šula Jovović and his band.

The festival organisers have put great effort so that the two days of the festival program will enchant the audience, and that thanks to the Jazz Bay Festival, Herceg Novi will be on the map of jazz events as a cultural and tourist destination.

30 August 2019 - Meeting of shareholders of Electric Power Company of Montenegro adopted at the session that recently took place in Nikšić decision on granting investment for joint construction of Gvozd win farm with Ivica Holding GmbH company from Austria. The investment is worth 58 million EUR.

It was stated that last year was one of the most successful years ever since the company was formed. Electric Power Company of Montenegro recorded an income of 60 million EUR.

"All companies within Electric Power Company of Montenegro record positive performance. Unifying thermal energy complex in Pljevlja was a good decision," said the representatives of the company

The net result of Electric Power Company of Montenegro in 2018 totals 44.076.758 EUR.

"Total electricity production in 2018 reached 3.484,2 GWh, by 59% more than the year before," said the representatives of Electric Power Company of Montenegro.

The hydro situation last year was more favorable than in 2017, leading to higher production in Hydro Power Plant Perućica which amounted to 1.042,3 GWh. Receivables from distributors were reduced in 2018. Shareholders accepted the decision on directing profits to retained earnings. Total retained earnings of the company total 48.602.081 EUR, reports Cafe del Montenegro.

Total capital investments in Electric Power Company of Montenegro reached 14.321.186 EUR in 2018.

"Investments mostly referred to the modernization and new projects," said the representatives of the company.

Mr Đoko Krivokapić, Mr Ranko Milović,Mr  Ljubo Knežević, Mr Samir Hodžić, Mr Vladan Radulović, Mr Srdjan Spaić and Mr Oreste Bramanti were elected members of the Board of Directors.

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

30 August 2019 - Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković congratulated citizens and the local leadership of Tuzi on the Municipality Day and said that the Government will support the development of Tuzi in order for it to become a prosperous and sustainable local government.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković discussed the potentials and projects in the youngest Montenegrin municipality with Mayor of Tuzi Nik Djeljoša, President of the Municipal Assembly Fadil Kajošaj, Vice President of the Municipality Ivan Ivanaj and head of the Municipality Property Directorate Elvisa Redžematović.

Both sides pointed out the importance of further development of infrastructure. The Tuzi leaders emphasised the significance and the need to develop detailed urban plans that are a prerequisite for the continuation of the legalisation process, but also form the basis for the realisation of numerous announced investments, primarily from the diaspora.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković emphasised the importance of the implementation of the ongoing capital projects, adding that other projects of interest to the local government and the population of Tuzi will be considered to be involved in the 2020 Capital Budget, as stated in Prime Minister's Office report.

The meeting stressed that Montenegro is building its future on traditional coexistence and understanding of diversity.

It is in that context that the Government of Montenegro expects the state symbols to be respected in Tuzi and in every other space because that preserves harmony, reputation and dignity of Montenegro and all its citizens.

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

29 August 2019 - In the past couple of years, secondary vocational schools have been arousing great interest in Montenegro. It is interesting that even the top-performing students opt for secondary vocational schools.

"Framework data on high school enrollment are at last year’s level," said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Milica Lekić, CdM reports.

Lekić pointed out that around 1500 students will be attending third-degree programs this year. That means that enrollment has doubled.

"As far as vocational schools are concerned, students were mostly interested in programs in the field of electrical engineering, tourism, medicine, transport, and hospitality. We are very glad to see that the key message of the Ministry of Education has been interpreted properly – children with vocational aspirations should not be afraid to pursue their goals," stressed out Lekić.

Enrollment data in the Construction school "Marko Radević" in Podgorica appears to be quite interesting. Thirteen top-performing students have applied. Around ten students who have all A grades applied for the program - Architectonic technician.

One of the curiosities is the school of Electrical Engineering "Vaso Aligrudić". Eleven valedictorians and 14 excellent students applied for the mobile application program.

"Scholarships for students who have chosen deficient qualifications have been awarded - a total of 700," pointed out Lekić.

Scholarships will be awarded to students for the qualifications requested in the specific area. This scholarship system will cover 20 municipalities.

"In the forthcoming school year, we will continue to cooperate with employers in the domain of dual education. Last year we had 570 students in the dual education system. This year, we expect 800 students," concluded Lekić.

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

29 August 2019 - Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković congratulated the local administration and citizens on the Municipality Day of Kolašin, pointing out that numerous activities to be undertaken will contribute to the accelerated development of Kolašin in the coming years.

At a recent meeting with the representatives of the local government, Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković emphasised the importance of improving road and communal infrastructure, as key preconditions for the city's development and better life of citizens. The Prime Minister, in particular, referred to the construction of the motorway and Kolašin 1600 ski resorts, which create new value not only for this municipality but for the North and the whole of Montenegro. Contribution to improving the quality of infrastructure will also be made through the Capital Budget, which will include several projects related to Kolašin.

Prime Minister Marković praised the efforts of the local administration to stabilise public finances and encouraged them to continue and achieve even better results in that regard, reports his office.

Mayor of the town Milosav Bulatović informed Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković about the investment momentum in Kolašin, highlighting that for successful implementation of major projects in tourism it is important to arrange the spatial planning documentation, for which the Government has created assumptions.

He added that the local administration has made progress in the field of agriculture, as well as that they have invested significantly in sports and culture in Kolašin.

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

28 August 2019 - Preliminary data published by the Statistical Office of Montenegro shows that the average price of an apartment in Montenegro is higher by 11,6% compared with the same period last year. Economic analyst and professor in the Faculty of Management Herceg Novi Vasilije Kostić, cites reasons why the price of real estate has gone up so drastically.

He pointed out that the number of residential units in Montenegro exceeds the need for them. Besides, real estate purchase is a form of investing that offers specific advantages in comparison to other possibilities.

"By this, I mean poorly-developed securities market," stated Kostić as Cafe del Montenegro reports.

In his opinion, an increase in the price of an apartment square meter in Montenegro is impacted by the fact that our country is a very attractive tourist destination.

"As it is becoming even more attractive, the interest in real estate in Montenegro grows simultaneously," explained Kostić.

Increase in the real estate price is followed by an increase in economic activity, i.e., economic dynamics.

According to data published by the Statistical Office of Montenegro, the average price per square meter in new construction in Podgorica was 1.204 EUR in the second quarter of 2019. At Montenegrin coast, it amounted to 1.368 EUR, in the central region 677 EUR, whereas in the northern region it was 880 EUR.

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