05 June 2019 - Montenegro and Italy have developed high-quality political and economic relations and, as member states of NATO, they see a lot of room for further strengthening of defence cooperation. It was concluded at the meeting held between Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković and Minister of Defence of Italy Elisabetta Trenta.

Expressing gratitude to the Government and people of Italy for their support during Montenegro's process of joining NATO, as well as for the current European integration process, Prime Minister Marković emphasised the significance of training our officers at prestigious Italian military academies, stressing that the fact that the Italian Air Forces, with their colleagues from Greece, have been protecting the airspace of Montenegro since last year, testifies to strong partnership and close ties between the two countries. 

The Prime Minister informed Ms Trent about the strategic goals of Montenegro and the excellent economic performance achieved thanks to the Government’s policy of strong economic growth and boosted employment. In that regard, he referred to the fact that Montenegro is recognised in Italy as a high-quality investment destination and economic partner. This is confirmed by the fact that the two countries are bringing the strategic interstate project of submarine power cable project to an end and that a large number of Italian companies operates in Montenegro.

Minister of Defence Elisabetta Trenta told Prime Minister Marković that Italian companies for large investments in Montenegro could count on the state support. 

Both sides agreed that the future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union and that the EU enlargement policy has no alternative. 

The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Italy to Montenegro Luca Zelioli.

05 June 2019 - In the first five months of 2019, 56 million EUR more was collected compared to the same period last year and over 21 million EUR more than planned as reported by the representatives of the Government of Montenegro, at the meeting with heads of the Public Revenues Administration, Customs Administration and the Administration for Inspection Affairs.

"This is an excellent result, but we have to continue and intensify our activities. The inspection services' activity on the ground is visible, as well as their commitment to the national interest. We have to charge each euro of the public money to provide better standards to citizens and create more jobs," the Government's Officials stated. 

Heads of the three administrations, Miomir Mugoša, Vladan Joković, and Alija Košuta, spoke about this year's positive results and the activities on reducing the grey economy in different areas. In terms of combating the grey economy and informal work, the meeting praised the coordination of inspections with other state authorities, especially the Prosecutor's Office and the police, also highlighting the results in the reduction of the tax debt through rescheduling, which resulted in the collection of about 50 million EUR up to now. 

The meeting especially emphasised the significance of the planned introduction of electronic fiscalisation and new excise stamps, which, together with the reforms being implemented in tax and customs services, will provide a modern and efficient system with many opportunities to reduce abuse and better state debt collection. 

Intensive activities of the competent state authorities are planned during the tourist season, where improvement is also expected in comparison to previous years.

04 June 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković told citizens that the past two years of Montenegro's membership in NATO confirm that by joining the North Atlantic Alliance, Montenegro has strengthened the security and safety of the country, contributed to the stability of our region and created the preconditions for the development and better life of citizens, and that we can be proud of the fact that Montenegro is in the company of the most powerful democracies of the world.

"For the first time, we have the opportunity to preserve the values that we naturally belong to and promote them together within the 28-country Alliance. We have strengthened the security and safety of the country, contributed to the stability of our region and created the preconditions for the development and better life of our citizens. Without stability, there is no progress - and every citizen of the Balkans knows it best. Citizens of Montenegro can be proud of the fact that our State equally stands shoulder to shoulder with the most powerful democracies of the world, through the role of an ally in the global challenges facing every corner of the planet. It is in Montenegro's best traditions to be there for our partners. But today, unlike many other periods of our history, we have allies behind us ready to help us tackle every challenge, at any time," said Prime Minister Duško Marković in his address to the citizens on the occasion of the second anniversary of Montenegro's membership in NATO.

He also noted that NATO membership is much more than a military alliance because it contributes to the growth of foreign investments and tourists visits.

"What you can see in the past two years is the growth of foreign direct investment not only from the Alliance member states. NATO membership can be reasonably correlated with investment indicators and tourism records. I also believe that those who did not support the path of Montenegro to NATO today see that it is inseparable from our future membership in the European Union, to which Montenegro is getting closer and closer every day by making notable social progress," Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded.

04 June 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received the Assistant Secretary General of UN and Regional Director of UNDP for Europe and the Community of Independent States Mirjana Spoljarić Egger.

President Đukanović welcomed and congratulated her on the recent appointment as the regional director with the wishes for success during the mandate. He expressed satisfaction with her visit to the region and Montenegro as an incentive for future cooperation with UNDP and the upgrading of the partnership relationship. He assessed that Montenegro has many reasons for mutual satisfaction, and that in the past period the expert and overall support of UNDP, which was always in the function of democratic development of Montenegro and realization of foreign policy priorities, was very well used.

On the trail of commitment to co-operation with the UN, the President expressed support for the reform processes of Secretary-General Guterres and Montenegro's intention to continue contributing to the implementation of all the tasks of reform, starting with the preservation of peace until the goals of the 2030 agenda are achieved.

"Activities that are in focus UN and UNDP are to a large extent consistent with the development strategy of Montenegro and the process of joining the European Union," Đukanović said, adding that Montenegro remains open to considering and further organizing the organizational structure in line with the new organization of the actions from UN System in the country as the best way to respond to the complexity of the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy and the Agenda 2030.

In conversation with the Regional Director of UNDP, the President reminded that the main priorities of state policy remain further democratization of society and intensive economic development, and in this context, the importance of presence and improvement of cooperation with UNDP and the UN system as a whole is clearly recognized.

Regional Director of UNDP Mirjana Spoljarić Egger expressed satisfaction with her arrival in Montenegro and meeting with President Đukanović, highlighting excellent cooperation with Montenegrin state and local authorities at all levels.

"The UN reform is an opportunity for even better quality work, a better focus on the substance of the UNDP mandate and strengthening ties with the government," Spoljarić said.

She added that UNDP remains committed to further support through regional policy investments that are relevant to the region, in particular in the direction of institution building, support to institutional reforms and further greening of the economy that will ensure sustainable growth.

"With dedication, you can represent an example of nationalization of the Agenda 2030 in the region," said Spoljarić.

The Regional Director of UNDP reminded that the Agenda offers the opportunity to speed up the EU accession plan, while achieving sustainable development that will benefit the country. In this context, UNDP remains fully open to continue advocating and supporting Montenegro as a candidate for EU membership, a member of the United Nations and a significant factor of regional stability in the future.

03 June 2019 - In order to promote the extraordinary success of the Montenegrin producers at the recently held Agriculture Fair in Novi Sad, where they won 163 awards and recognitions, a meeting of manufacturers, hoteliers and retailers was organised today in Kolašin, within the Project Kupujmo domaće (Buy domestic products) in order to better connect these sectors, improve placement of domestic products and the tourist offer.

The meeting was organised by the Chamber of Economy in cooperation with the Ministries of Agriculture, Economy and Tourism, the National Tourism Organisation and the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro.

In the middle of May 2019, Montenegro had ten exhibitors at the fair bringing together all the important actors of agribusiness from the region, including some of the most successful Montenegro's companies.

On this occasion, Montenegro had a joint stand of 117m2 in the Master Hall, consisting of representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism. Minister Sekulić pledged full support to the private sector, through the creation of numerous support programmes for entrepreneurs.

The Government continuously invests in Northern Montenegro and they will continue to support the Municipality of Kolašin on its path towards further economic development and improving the quality of life of every citizen in the area, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Milutin Simović said during a working visit to this municipality. 

On the last day of the four-day working visit to Northern Montenegro, Simović met in Kolašin with the leadership of the local self-government headed by President of the Municipality Milosav Bato Bulatović, with whom he signed a contract to establish the Agribusiness Centre. 

03 June 2019 - "The countries of our region, today, must not miss the chance to be part of modern trends in the field of energy and social development," Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulić said at the Summit on Energy Security in the Region.

She participated at the Summit on Energy Security in the Region, which was held in Belgrade, and said that she was honored to have the opportunity to talk with her counterparts from the region on such an important topic.

"It is known that providing sufficient amounts of energy is one of the key conditions for the sustainability of modern society, as well as the basic precondition for sustainable development that we all strive for. However, it seems to me that the question is - how do we provide sufficient amounts of energy - something that represents the most demanding task of this generation of decision makers," Sekulić said.

She recalled that this very complex job is somewhat easier. Namely, with our strategic goal (EU membership), we have created an opportunity to follow the example of those who actually set standards in terms of sustainable development and clean, climate-neutral energy.

In accordance with its energy priorities, Montenegro will continue to pursue activities to ensure secure energy supply, the development of a competitive energy market and sustainable energy development, with active cooperation with all those who have the same objectives.

"I think that we only develop energy in such a way that is economically viable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly," the Minister concluded.

This regional summit is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia and is of great importance for the entire region, bearing in mind that it has gathered the ministers from Southeast Europe for the first time.

An open discussion in the three panels presented an international energy stability plan for the region and considered all aspects of the implementation strategies for the energy transition.

02 June 2019 - From May 24 and June 2, 2019, for the first time, Montenegro produced enough energy from renewable sources to meet all needs, which added the country to the small list of countries that are capable of providing all the necessary energy from domestic renewable energy sources.

During this period, in which the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja plant was out of operation, about 82 million KWh of energy was produced, and about 75 million KWh was spent.

"Two leading Montenegrin hydroelectric power plants, Piva and Perućica, which are state-owned utility companies, had a significant role in this historic moment. However, unlike during the previous years, when in the period of deadlock in the production of energy from lignite (TPP Pljevlja), Montenegro imported energy, this year, new sources have been taken over: small hydropower plants and wind farms built over the past several years," as stated by the representatives of the Government of Montenegro.

High-performance hydropower plants, led by the largest arc-gravity dam in Europe, were accompanied by the Krnovo wind farm, the largest altitude park in Europe and the Možura wind farm, which in the mentioned period produced 12 percent of the energy spent in Montenegro. A record part of wind energy was also recorded on May 28, when production from wind farms accounted for as much as 28 percent of total electricity consumption in the country.

"This ten-day experience has confirmed that good operational readiness, adequate prognostic tools, high-quality power reserve and good connectivity with neighboring power systems guarantee reliable power supply to consumers in the future, which will be based exclusively on renewable energy sources," stated the report.

A few days ago, similar news was reported by the British media, registering that the United Kingdom for the first time since the Industrial Revolution produced coal-free energy for two weeks.

The example of Montenegro shows that the country's contribution to the fulfillment of international obligations gives concrete results.

In May 2019, Montenegro, in the spirit of its constitutional commitment, was an ecological state and an example that a global energy transition is possible.

In addition to the investments mentioned above, the start of the project for the construction of two more wind farms is planned for this year, and the construction of one of the largest solar power plants in Europe is expected soon.

All these investments are fully based on the market price of energy and do not imply any financial incentives for investors.

02 June 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović met in Budva during the 2BS Forum with Ambassador of the United States of America, Judy Rising Reinke.

The Ambassador pointed out that the United States greatly appreciates the partnership of Montenegro and its Euro-Atlantic direction. She expressed full readiness for expert assistance to the reforms we are implementing, starting from the recently published EC Progress Report.

President Đukanović thanked Ambassador Reinke for participating in the Forum, as well as the messages of the support in her presentation to the Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region and Montenegro, and high marks for the reaction of institutions to challenges such as the recent High Court verdict in the case of terrorism attempts in  2016.

With the assessment that Montenegro continues to be committed to achieving strategic goals, the President expressed his belief in the potential of democratic and economic development and the readiness to be a responsible NATO member.

"More than that, we are ready to promote the values ​​of Euro-Atlanticism in the region very consciously, aware of the importance of preserving these values, especially in this time," Đukanović said.

He also added that Montenegro is determined to eliminate all the deficiencies in the further path of EU integration, primarily in the interest of the quality of life of our citizens, where the support of the United States is of particular importance.

The interlocutors agreed with the high-quality bilateral relations between the two countries, with a mutual commitment for further improvement of economic cooperation, through the animation of credible partners that, besides investments, will bring new knowledge and standards to this area.

Đukanović and Reinke exchanged views on current processes in the region, highlighting the importance of faster resolution of open issues for its European and Euro-Atlantic perspective.

02 June 2019 - Connections from Barcelona to the Balkans are becoming even more diverse as Ryanair launches a new route to Podgorica in June.

The good news for fans of the Catalan capital is that flights from and to Podgorica will be maintained throughout the year.

As TMN reported earlier, Montenegrin Airports have invested enormous effort to establish the direct airline Podgorica - Barcelona, bearing in mind the fact that the Pyrenees peninsula is one of the most significant markets in Europe.

"As I said earlier, we took a proactive approach and established contact with companies within markets that we think are not open enough. One of the most important markets is the Pyrenees peninsula and having in mind all factors, we decided to do everything to establish the direct line Podgorica - Barcelona," Danilo Orlandić, Montenegro Airports’ executive director said in an interview for CdM.

Podgorica – Barcelona flights will launch on June 6 and run once per week, each Thursday, until October 6, after which the route will be maintained twice per week, on Thursdays and Sundays. This marks Ryanair's second new service to the Montenegrin capital this year, following Bologna. Further flight details can be found at the ExYu Aviation Website.

As CdM learns, the significance of this line is enormous, as Podgorica Airport will be the only airport in the region that will be connected to Barcelona throughout the year. Other airports have seasonal lines with the capital of Catalonia, so Podgorica will be the point of uniting this part of Europe with Barcelona outside the season.

This is the first direct airline linking Montenegro and Spain.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

01 June 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, who is visiting Montenegro on the occasion of the 17th Games of Small States of Europe.

President Đukanović thanked Thomas Bach for the support that the International Olympic Committee provided for the organization of the Games of Small States of Europe and his contribution and the presence at the closing ceremony of this event. He emphasized that the organization of this sport event is an opportunity for Montenegro to be further affirmed, bearing in mind that we reestablished our independence 13 years ago, even though we have nurtured our statehood for almost a millennium.

The president assessed that sport is the best opportunity to bring the quality of a country and its people to the international community and its partners much faster than any other field.

He informed the interlocutor that Montenegro, after the restoration of independence, became a member of NATO and that it had made the most progress in the negotiations with the EU. In all this, he emphasized, it is a special honor for us to see that, immediately after the restoration of independence, Montenegro became a part of the family of the International Olympic Committee.

"In all our aspirations, for economic progress, strengthening the quality of life of citizens, building infrastructure and integration processes, we did not forget the need for constant investment in sports," said the President of Montenegro.

In this context, he pointed out the Strategy for the Development of Montenegro's Sports, which contains clear goals and guidelines for further improvement, as well as the fact that we are ahead of investments in sports infrastructure, given the number of inhabitants and athletes.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, thanked the President for his reception, as well as the long-standing contribution to the development of sport in Montenegro. He emphasized that he always enjoys special satisfaction when the state leads the leader, who has affinities towards sports, which is a symbol of commitment to discipline and self-sacrifice. He also praised the achievements Montenegro achieved in fulfilling its foreign policy priorities and especially highlighted sports results as the most representative affirmation of our country in the world.

He pointed to the quality organization of the Olympic Games of the Small States of Europe, which has proven that Montenegro is capable of handling the organization of the largest and most demanding international competitions. He praised the quality coordination and proactive action of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports.

On this occasion, the President of the International Olympic Committee gave special recognition to President Đukanović, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee, which is given to the heads of state who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of sports.

The meeting was also attended by the President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Dusko Simonovic, and Minister of Sports Nikola Janovic.