11 July 2019 - When we think of a summer holiday in Budva, we usually think of the nightlife and loud music, fast food and beach bars. Still, Budva is much more than that, and here are 11 things you do not want to miss when travelling through Budva that prove that you can spend a nice and quality time in this gorgeous coastal city without aggressive music and too much crowd.

Aside from what everyone knows about Budva - the main promenade surrounded by beach bars and cafes, Budva offers an entirely different approach to a holiday. This article by Dragana Pribilović addresses the things that you need to see when you come to Budva, none of which is related to the turbulent nightlife, crowd and loud music.

1. The Great Olive

In the hot summer months, the nice shade in Budva can be found in the settlement Ivanovići, right under an olive tree around 2000 years old. This olive tree, with the olive tree in Bar, is considered one of the oldest olive trees on the Adriatic. Its scope in the “root neck” is 12,5 meters, the trunk has a diameter of 4 meters and the tree is 10 meters high. The olive is of the local variety, and in the year of full-bloom, it can give about 250 kilograms of fruits, or about 40 liters of oil.

2. Krapina

For lovers of fresh water, or for those who want change or cooling in a natural pool, the ideal solution is the natural pool in Krapina, a village in a hilly landscape near Budva. This natural beauty and holiday paradise are at 185 meters above sea level and guarantees about five degrees lower temperature than the one in Budva. The locals also call this village Potoci (English: The streams), because of the Veliki potok (English: Great stream) which flows through Krapina and forms a natural pool, ideal for cooling at great summer temperatures. Lush vegetation gives the water a restful green color, making this landscape even more picturesque, so this is the place for fans of the nature of paradise and for lovers of photography, because the unusual natural frames of this area are ideal for photo lenses.

3. Čelobrdo

This viewpoint is located above the Praskvica Monastery and there is a monument to fallen heroes on it, as well as a fountain with spring water. Čelobrdo is a village located on Paštrovska Gora above Miločer and Sveti Stefan. On the plateau where the viewpoint is found, probably the most beautiful view of the Budva Riviera, a monument was erected for the fighters killed in World War II.

4. St. Sava Church in Đenaši

The Church of St. Sava and the viewpoint in Đenaši are located above Sveti Stefan island. From this place, there is a breathtaking view of Budva's coast, Sveti Stefan, Miločer, Reževići and Budva. This viewpoint is a favorite among the just married couples, who regularly choose this place for their wedding photographs, with Sveti Stefan in the back.

5. Monastery Podmaine

On a mild elevation above the Budva field, about two kilometers from the Old Town, there is a monastery Podostrog, with two temples, one of which is dedicated to the Ascension, and the second to the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God to The Temple. It was named after the Ostrog hill under which it was built, although it is often mentioned in the literature under the name Podmaine, which was the name of the monastery located somewhat lower, with the church of St. Petka.

6. Citadel

The Citadel leaning on the southern ridge dominates the Old Town of Budva and with its beauty and specialty, it attracts a great number of tourists from all over the world. Citadel was once known as Kaštel Svete Marije, shorter only Kaštel or by its Italian name Castello di Santa Maria.

7. Fortress Mogren

The fort was built in 1860. It was built by the Austro-Hungarians to protect the city from the west. It is badly damaged and never restored. It offers a beautiful view of the city and the island of St. Nicholas. Today Mogren Fortress is one of the inevitable tourist attractions in Budva.

8. St. Nicholas Island

St. Nicholas Island or Island Školj (Italian: scoglio - rock), as locals call it, is the largest Montenegrin island on the Adriatic. The island covers 47 hectares and is almost 2 km long, and the Old Town in Budva is a whole mile away. It was named after the church of the same name, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron of sailors.

9. Zlopi

Every summer night, lovers of the old good Mediterranean sound can enjoy the gigs of Nebojša Zloporubović known as Zlopi, who has been playing in the restaurant Pjaca in Budva for over twenty years.

10. Museum of Budva

Museum of Budva - In the Old Town, located in the building from the beginning of the 19th century, has permanent settings of archaeological and ethnographic collection, and on the ground floor of the museum is a lapidarium with valuable examples of stone plastic. The archaeological collection consists of objects found during archaeological excavations in Budva (Hellenistic gold, various vases, jewelry, ornaments, tools, cutlery, glassware, clay, silverware ...) that originate from the 5th century BC until the Middle Ages, unifying the culture of the Illyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Slavs in this area.

11. City Theatre Festival

The City Theatre Festival is a cultural manifestation that takes place during the summer months in Budva under the auspices of the Municipality of Budva and is definitely something worth the attention, with an excellent program and something that should not be missed when the cultural content is in question.

Conceived as a cross-section of contemporary achievements of primarily theatrical, and then artistic, musical and literary creativity, the City Theatre Festival with the quality of the program confirms its renown not only as a host to numerous troops and creators, but also with the quality of production activity that examines the authentic cultural heritage of Budva and Montenegro.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 July 2019 - The Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Sports and Youth, recognising the quality and potential of the Union of Young Entrepreneurs of Montenegro, support their activities from the very beginning.

 "The common goal of the Union of Young Entrepreneurs and the Ministry is to encourage young people to engage in entrepreneurship, as well as to educate them more about the opportunities they have in the business world," Janović said in the statement for the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Montenegro.

Minister of Sports and Youth Nikola Janović hosted representatives of the Union of Young Entrepreneurs on the occasion of winning the first prize at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. From a total of 1,000 candidates, the Emerging Europe selected 120 nominees from 23 countries. 

Congratulating on the prize, Janović said that the Ministry of Sports and Youth will continue to support initiatives that contribute to the development of the potential of young people and improvement of the conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in Montenegro.

Representatives of the Union of Young Entrepreneurs pointed out that the support they continually receive from the Ministry of Sports and Youth is of immense importance. Furthermore, they reminded that thanks to the support of the Ministry, the Union succeeded in implementing significant projects such as the Young Entrepreneurs Fair and the first web portal on young entrepreneurs in Montenegro named "A što ne bi mogli".

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

09 July 2019 - Minister of Culture of Montenegro Aleksandar Bogdanović participates in the Global Conference for Media Freedom: London 2019, organised by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada.

The conference was attended by representatives of 120 governments, while Minister Bogdanović delivered address during the first day of the panel discussion entitled "Media Freedom in the Western Balkans and a New Approach to Work".

In his address, Minister Bogdanović emphasised that Montenegro is continually committed to strengthening the freedom of the media and expression, which, as he pointed out, is a fundamental human right and the foundation of a democratic society, on whose values Montenegro sees its European future, as stated in the announcement by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro. 

Precisely at the proposal of the European Commission, Montenegro was the first country in the region where, with the support of experts from the European Union and the Council of Europe, the project "Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and the Media in South-East Europe" was conducted. According to the information adopted by the Government of Montenegro on this occasion, the level of fulfillment of the recommendations of the subject analysis is at an extremely high level, and its main guidelines are the development of media policy that promotes and reinforces freedom of expression as a key goal. 

Furthermore, he said that thanks to the complete decriminalization of defamation and insult, Montenegro achieved the standards of media freedom, which ranks it among the rare countries in the region and beyond that took this step, which best speaks about activities to improve the overall environment of media freedom. 

Since the opening of negotiations with the European Union, the Government of Montenegro bought on the non-discriminatory basis debts of commercial broadcasters in the amount of EUR seven million – which is another example of supporting the development and protection of media pluralism. By creating the necessary conditions for media freedom and the sustainability of self-regulation, the Government of Montenegro provided at the same time a three-year transparent and independent financing model for self-regulatory bodies, which will be recognised by the new legal solutions as compulsory support for internal and external self-regulatory bodies. 

Minister Bogdanović also stressed that Montenegro remains fully committed to the regular updating of the Council of Europe's Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists.

On the margins of the conference, Minister Bogdanović met with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, with whom he exchanged information on the dynamics and current activities regarding the media reform in Montenegro.  

On the first day of the conference, Minister Bogdanovic met with Head of the Western Balkans Department at the UK's Foreign Office Andrew Page.

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

ADRINET Adriatic Network for the Marine Eco System held a meeting in Vlora, Albania last week. Experts from the University of Montenegro, Institute of Marine Biology of Kotor, participated at this third meeting of the partners of the project, which is dedicated to better management of coastal fishing in the Adriatic. The meeting in Vlora was organized by the Albanian partner on the project, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Agricultural University in Tirana.

Besides the organizers, at the opening conference spoke the representatives of the ADRINET project leader, Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bari. Montenegrin experts, Aleksandra Huter and Dragana Drakulović presented the results of the analysis of the concentration of heavy metals in the cephalopods, as well as the concentrations of pesticides - organophosphates and carbamates in the demersal fish species. So far analyzes carried out in the Herceg Novi aquarium have shown that the concentrations of these pollutants are extremely low or below the detection limit for the method. In the forthcoming period, our experts plan to continue the analysis of heavy metals and pesticides in order to obtain the results as reliable as possible. A sampling of commercial fish species (gilthead bream and common dentax) for the analysis on antibiotics and microplastic is also planned.

With colleagues from Italy and Albania, in the further course of the meeting, the results and goals achieved since the beginning of the project implementation were discussed, as well as future activities. The most important goals will be the development of the Environmental Risk Management Plan and the Memorandum of Understanding, which will define guidelines for cooperation between scientific institutions and professional associations of the three countries, both within the project and after its realization. The theme of the meeting in Vlora was also the financial aspect of the ADRINET project. As the main target group of the project are fishermen from the pilot project zones, colleagues from Vlora, Bari and Herceg Novi will have meetings in October and November, where they are planning to exchange experiences and establish contacts with the goal of better cross-border cooperation, having in mind that we all share the same resources. As foreseen by the project budget, these gatherings will be financed from the funds of the mentioned municipalities and from the Institute of Biology of the Sea, which invites interested fishers to apply.

In addition to education, fishers will be provided with secured and GPS devices, with which they will be able to know where their fishing gear is at any time, which will primarily prevent ghost fishing - losing fish stock in networks and other tools that are lost at the bottom of the sea. The implementation of ADRINET, under the EU IPA InterReg program for Italy, Albania and Montenegro started in May last year. Its main goal is a contribution to sustainability and ecological requirements for the conservation of coastal ecosystems through the education of fishers, the provision of modern equipment and basic scientific analysis in project pilot areas. In Montenegro, that is the aquatorium of the Herceg Novi Bay, in Albania Vlora, while the project in Italy is carried out in the area of Pula, Bari and Castro.

10 July 2019 - The Tivat station for charging new generation vehicles - electric cars will be officially put into operation on Thursday, July 11 at 11 am at the parking lot in Arsenal Street. Charging will be free at first, reports RTCG.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station owned by Limited Liability Company Parking Servis Tivat is available for the use of the public and installed by Croatian Telecom in cooperation with Montenegrin Telecom.

"Through the mobile application Plugsurfing (and soon with other mobile applications), all users of electric vehicles in Europe are aware that they can fill their vehicle at a public parking lot in Tivat," the statement from the Parking Servis Tivat said.

Plugsurfing Application enables access to Europe’s largest and most up-to-date network of electric vehicle charging stations. The application’s owners and creators have been giving electric vehicle drivers access to Europe’s largest charging network since 2012. Their simple charging process supports existing EV drivers and helps many more smoothly transition to electric driving. Now, Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Tivat can be found on the maps for all the users of Plugsurfing Application, which sends the signal to electric vehicle owners that their commute, weekend getaway or road trip across Montenegro is simple and worry-free.

All types of electric vehicles, regardless of model, can charge batteries at this station. Parking Servic Tivat LLC invested more than seven thousand euros in the preparation of the terrain, procurement of the equipment and its installation.

Electric vehicles, due to the fact that they are environmentally friendly, have been recognized in the world as cars of the future, and in Montenegro, there were 74 vehicles of this type registered in 2018, said the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for CdM. The necessary infrastructure and public charging stations are gradually being created, and the introduction of a new station is a huge step towards increasing environmental awareness in Montenegro.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 July 2019 - For a better presentation and availability of data on the quality of seawater in Montenegro to citizens and tourists, the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro has developed a software application system for processing and presentation of data, which can be accessed via the Internet.

The application is located on the website www.morskodobro.com and is available in Montenegrin and English. Also, the application was made according to the latest standards and is adapted for displaying data on all models of computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, it was announced from the Coastal Zone Management Enterprise.

The program of the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro for 2019 foresees the monitoring of the quality of seawater at a total of 100 locations along the Montenegrin coast, namely: 16 in the municipality of Ulcinj, 13 in the municipality of Bar, 26 in Budva, 9 in Tivat, 15 in Kotor and 21 in the territory of the municipality of Herceg Novi. It is anticipated that the analyses will be carried out at fifteen-day intervals in the period from May to October.

Since 1996, the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro has been implementing annual programs for monitoring the sanitary quality of seawater at public beaches during the summer season in accordance with the provisions of the Water Act. Since 2010, this Program has been implemented by the Decree on classification and categorization of waters, as well as following other national and international regulations in the field of environmental protection.

In order to monitor the sanitary safety of seawater in public swimming areas and its overall quality, and in accordance with national and international regulations, the following parameters are examined: basic microbiological parameters - Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, as well as additional chemical parameters: air temperature, water temperature (when taking a sample), salinity, pH value, the colour saturation with oxygen (% O2), ammonia (mg / l), floating waste materials (descriptive) and colour and transparency (descriptive).

According to the results of the analysis, the Public Enterprise regularly informs the municipal communal and republican water management inspectors, as well as the public. If the result of the sample exceeds the allowed limits (outside the category), sampling is performed to determine whether it is a transient change or contamination.

The results of testing the sanitary quality of seawater, as well as the data on sea temperature, air temperature and salinity for each individual bathing site, can be found on the special application on the website www.morskodobro.com .

Read more information useful to tourists in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

09 July 2019 - According to the fDi Report – the annual assessment of crossborder investment based on the fDi Markets service from the Financial Times, Montenegro attracted 11 foreign greenfield investments in 2018.

A green field investment is a type of foreign direct investment (FDI) where a parent company creates a subsidiary in a different country, building its operations from the ground up. In addition to the construction of new production facilities, these projects can also include the building of new distribution hubs, offices and living quarters. The term “green field investment” gets its name from the fact that the company launches a venture from the ground up – plowing and prepping a green field. These projects are FDI that provide the highest degree of control for the sponsoring company.

The findings of the fDi Report for Montenegro suggest that the possibilities of an increase in the number of foreign greenfield investments should be exploited in strategic planning and policies aiming to stimulate future growth and avoid transactions associated with economic decline.

The Report also states that the Western Balkans recorded the largest inflow of greenfield direct investment (FDI) in the decade of 9.36 billion USD in 2018.

Despite the fact that Western Balkan countries have attracted significantly less Greenfield SDI projects from rivals in central, eastern and western Europe, the outcome of this region is very good having in mind its share in global GDP, it is stated in the fDi Report.

The analysis states that, despite political tensions that have hit the region since the fall of communism, there has recently been a move towards greater regional economic integration and co-operation.

fDi Intelligence provides customised reports and data research which deliver vital business intelligence to corporations, investment promotion agencies, economic development organisations, consulting firms and research institutions.  Clients benefit from the proprietary data of fDi Intelligence and the global insight, integrity and credibility of The Financial Times Ltd.

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

08 July 2019 - The meeting of the participating countries of the Southeast European Cooperation Process Summit is currently being held in Sarajevo. This meeting ends the one-year chairmanship of Bosnia and Herzegovina of this initiative.

During this summit, president of Montenegro Milo Đukanović met with the President of Northern Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski.

President Đukanović congratulated Pendarovski on his election as President of Northern Macedonia, saying that this is one of a series of positive news from that country and a chance to improve relations and further cooperation on the realization of a common European and Euro-Atlantic perspective. Đukanović stressed that the relations of the two countries are on an enviable level and can serve as an example of cooperation that did not have a standstill even during the 90s.

He congratulated North Macedonia on the progress achieved and the Prespa Agreement, and in that sense expressed the full support of Montenegro for further integration of Northern Macedonia.

"Montenegro is a country that shares the same strategic goals, a NATO member, and we hope that you will soon be in that society," Đukanović said. He concluded that the interest of the WB and the EU is a united and competitive Europe.

The President of Northern Macedonia thanked Montenegro for its support to the EU and NATO.

"You are the voice of reason in the region and your support is very important for us," Pendarovski said.

According to the announcement by the Cabinet of the president of Montenegro, Đukanović and Pendarovski exchanged views on the European perspective of the EU and the need for EU incentives to keep the issue of enlargement high on the agenda.

The interlocutors assessed that Montenegro and North Macedonia can strengthen their excellent cooperation in the field of economy. During the talks in Sarajevo, President Đukanović's visit to Northern Macedonia was also agreed.

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

09 July 2019 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović participated in an informal meeting of OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) foreign ministers, which took place in the High Tatras, Slovakia, reports the PR office of the Ministry.

The participants exchanged views on the modalities for improving the dialogue and cooperation among the participating countries, as well as restoring confidence and security in the OSCE region. The focus of the discussion was placed on the relevance of the OSCE and the role the Organisation is playing today in light of the current security challenges. The discussion emphasised importance of respecting the key principles on which the international order is based, as well as the importance of the Organisation in their preservation and promotion, pointing to the potential of the OSCE as a unique platform for dialogue and its specificity in terms of having comprehensive mechanisms for effective and rapid action in the prevention, management and resolution of crisis situations.

MFA ministers agreed that it is necessary to demonstrate political will, through effective multilateralism and constructive dialogue, but that declarative readiness for dialogue must be accompanied by implementation in practice. They underlined the need to respect the principles on which the Organisation is based, such as dialogue, compromise, peaceful resolution of conflicts, accountability, and cooperation.

The Montenegrin Foreign Minister stressed that the comprehensive OSCE concept of security is a key segment of the region's common security and that the Organisation has proved itself as a reliable partner and a single forum for open dialogue. In that context, he pledged full support to the current process of the Structural Dialogue on existing and future challenges that is being conducted within the OSCE. He emphasised the importance of respecting the principles and values ​​of the international rule-based order as important preconditions for restoring confidence and security in the OSCE region.

For Montenegro, the OSCE is a strategic partner, to whose principles the country remains committed through supporting its work, missions and respect for integrity, the unique and irreplaceable role of this Organisation, Minister Darmanović concluded.

In a meeting with Minister of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajčák, Montenegrin Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for the continued support of Slovakia in the process of European integration. At the meeting with the Finnish head of diplomacy Pekka Haavisto, Minister Darmanović stressed the importance of continuing the enlargement policy, and expressed the expectation that Finland would support this policy during the current EU Council presidency.

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

07 July 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received a delegation of the Italian Terna Group, led by chief executive officer Luigi Ferraris.

With gratitude for the reception, Ferraris presented the results of the project for the construction of an undersea cable between Montenegro and Italy, and announced the commissioning of the cable by the end of the year. Appreciating that this is a historic moment in which a bridge will be established between Italy and Montenegro, but also the EU and the Western Balkans, Ferraris invited President Đukanović to be a guest at a ceremony on that occasion.

"The biggest benefit of this investment is that the project will enable Montenegro to become an energy center for the Balkan countries," Ferraris said.

Also, conditions will be created for attracting other investments into renewable energy sources, energy and digitalization Ferraris expressed readiness to continue cooperation on the welfare of Montenegro and its development, reported the Office of the President of Montenegro.

President Đukanović thanked Terna Group for a professional and responsible attitude towards the project which is one of the most significant for Montenegro and the region, as well as respecting the deadlines for construction.

"This joint project is one of the most important for the development of Montenegro, but also for the development of the region. Through serious investments in road, energy and digital infrastructure, Montenegro will continue economic growth and development. We want to not only establish partnerships because of the investments that are needed by Montenegro, but also through the development of partnership relations we achieve European standards and quality," said Đukanović.

In this regard, he expressed high marks for strategic partnership with the Italian company, as a credible partner, whose knowledge and experience is precious.

The project of submarine cable construction, assessed President Đukanović, is a good example of how the EU and the Western Balkans can cooperate. One of the most significant and most demanding projects in the Mediterranean will have 450 km of cables, of which as many as 420 km under water are placed at a depth of 1.100 m. It will transfer 600 megawatts of electricity and as much as that by the end of the second phase. Terna Group invested 60 million EUR in the development of local communities in Montenegro during the realization of the project.

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