24 May 2019 - The Tourist Organization of Cetinje, in cooperation with the NGO "Montenegro Old Timer", is organizing a show (exhibition) named "Old Timer Vehicles" on Tuesday, 28 May, starting at 10 am on the Dvorski Square.

Namely, on Tuesday, 28th of May, in the period from 10 am to 12 pm, Old Royal Capital of Montenegro will host 40 "Fića" cars, that is, their owners, whose caravan will pass through Montenegro as a part of the tour “Fićom po Balkanu” (English: "By Fića through the Balkans").  

The participants of the Caravan are the owners of the once-popular Fiat 600 and Zastava 750/850, known on the Balkans as Fića. The caravan, which started on 18 May from Munich (Germany), passes through Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, ends on 31 May in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

During the journey through the countries of the Balkans, the participants will travel about 5000 kilometres and the arrival in Ljubljana will mark the end of their journey. Visitors of the Caravan in Montenegro will be able to see 40 Fića cars, and in the continuation of the journey, this number will increase significantly. The owners of Fića cars who will arrive in Montenegro come from all over Europe, most of them from the region, and one of the oldest model among them is the one from 1961.

The Zastava 750 (Застава 750) was a supermini made by the Serbian car maker Zavod Crvena Zastava in Kragujevac. It was a version of the Fiat 600 made under licence from 1962 and was longer in length than the Fiat version. Zastava 850 is nearly identical to the Zastava 750 but the engine has a larger capacity. The Zastava 850 is harder to find then the 750 model but both are still widely available in former Yugoslavia.

Zastava 750 is widely known by its nickname "Fića" (Фићa) or "Fićo" (Фићo) in Serbo-Croatian, by "Fičo" or "Fičko" in Slovene and by "Fikjo" (Фиќо) in Macedonian. The nickname "Fića" comes from the main character of a comic published by the newspaper Borba during the first years of the car's production.

Owners of cars participating in the caravan have invested enormous amounts of money in their vehicles so that, after 64 years from the start of the production, these cars are still able to cross the 5000 km route smoothly.

23 May 2019 - Due to the importance of the Decision on the Community Order in the daily functioning of the city, citizens of business entities, tourists and their relation to common public spaces, it is necessary that as many citizens as possible help with their suggestions in drafting the Decision on the Community Order which will regulate penalty fees for disturbance of Community Order, as reported from the relevant municipal services.

The importance of this decision, as well as the rules and limitations of behavior on public surfaces, can be seen in the decisions of the cities of neighboring countries where, for example, tourists were given notice of the rules and penalties that they expect in the event of improper conduct. Thus, walking without a shirt calls for a 500 EUR fine, and walking in a swimsuit 600 EUR, while a penalty for eating and drinking in a public area is 700 EUR.

This decision may prescribe various, other rules of conduct that would regulate neighborhood parking problems, drying of laundry, garbage disposal, appearance of buildings, loud music, etc.

Also, as this decision stems from the Law on communal activities regulating public water supply, management of communal waste waters, management of atmospheric waters, municipal waste management, arrangement and maintenance of public areas, public lighting management, public transport of passengers in urban and suburban settlements, maintenance of municipal roads and cycling trails, the maintenance of troughs and watercourses of local importance, maintenance of public cemeteries, chapels and burials, maintenance of markets and parking spaces, maintenance of public toilets, disposal of abandoned animals and maintenance of shelters for their collection, all citizens need to take part in its forming.

Due to those above, the Public Call for Preliminary Consultation will last two months in order to prepare the draft of the Decision on the Community Order that will be at a public hearing in the extended period, so that all interested parties could solve problems that have not been defined by the existing regulations.

23 May 2019 - Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev traveled to Podgorica on Thursday, 23rd May 2019 for a two-day official return visit to Montenegro at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Duško Marković. 

During the visit, a joint session of the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia will be organised, after which a number of bilateral documents will be signed, and the Business Forum Montenegro - North Macedonia, with the participation of the Prime Ministers, ministers and businessmen of the two countries. 

Prime Minister Marković was an official visit to the Republic of North Macedonia on October 16 and 17, 2017. On that occasion, the Prime Ministers Marković and Zaev concluded that between the two friendly states there are no open or unresolved issues, that the relations are excellent and that they are developing for the benefit of the citizens of both countries and that they can and should represent an example in the whole region of the Western Balkans. They also announced intensification of economic cooperation.

At the session that took place during mid-February, the Government of Montenegro passed the Draft Law on the Ratification of the Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO and sent it to Parliament for adoption under the shortened procedure.

The rationale of the proposed law states that, by reaching a historic agreement with Greece on the new name in June 2018, the integration of the Republic of North Macedonia into NATO, after many years of stagnation, marked significant progress and at the NATO Summit in July 2018, Macedonia was invited to start accession talks with the Alliance. With the adoption of constitutional changes in the Parliament and the ratification of the Prespa Agreement by the Greek Parliament, the conditions for the signing of the Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO were created at the North Atlantic Council meeting (NAC) on 6 February 2019.

22 May 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović received credentials from newly appointed, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of the Republic of Egypt, HE. Said Hindam, Georgia, HE. Zaal Gogsadze, Republic of Indonesia, HE. Muhammad Chandra Widya Yudha, Federative Republic of Brazil HE. Eduardo Botelho Barbosa and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam HE. Dang Tran Phong.

After receiving their credentials, President Đukanović received the ambassadors individually and welcomed them to Montenegro and wished them successful diplomatic missions in mutual interest.

The President informed the new ambassadors about Montenegro’s stable and dynamic way towards achieving strategic goals, stressing that we want to be part of a developed European community and that modern Montenegrin society is based on the European value system. He stressed that Montenegro is committed to its reforms and democratic and economic development, which is recognized in the international community primarily by Montenegro's accession to NATO and positive assessments of progress in European integration.

In conversation with the Ambassador of the Republic of Egypt, the President pointed to the traditionally good relations between the two countries on the basis of the partnership from the time of the establishment of the non-aligned movement and the values and traditions we inherit. In this spirit, we are very open to promoting good relations between the two nations and states, the President said. Montenegro, he said, is following the situation in the region around Egypt and highly appreciates Egypt's responsible attitude in relation to the issues of the migrant crisis.

During the talks, it was estimated that at the bilateral level, Montenegro and Egypt have opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the field of economy, agriculture, tourism, maritime transport through the connection of two ports and culture. In this context, the intensification of political contacts at the highest level was encouraged, as well as the establishment of the practice of regular foreign policy consultations. Following a positive example of cooperation with Orascom, a stronger presence of investors from that country in Montenegro was encouraged. Ambassador Hindam emphasized that his mandate as the Ambassador in Montenegro is an honor, appreciating the successes of our country and the role of President Đukanović in these processes. As a contribution to the creation of stronger relations between the two countries, he emphasized the initiative to form a business council and a parliamentary cooperation society.

In his conversation with Ambassador Gogsadze, the President of Montenegro expressed satisfaction with the relations between Montenegro and Georgia, stressing that the experience of ambassadors in the countries of the region will be a positive impetus for further development of cooperation. Joint foreign policy goals have put two countries closer to each other in the past period, Đukanović said, recalling Montenegro's support to Georgia in the path of consistent and sovereign achievement of strategic goals. In addition to political, Montenegro also wants to improve economic cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, it was estimated that the contractual base should be strengthened in order to create the conditions for connecting business communities and chambers of commerce.

With satisfaction for the results of cooperation in the field of defense, interest was expressed for better traffic connections and mutual representation of cultural heritage and creativity of Montenegro and Georgia.

Ambassador of Georgia, said that he will proudly perform the function of the ambassador in Montenegro and thanked for the support of our country in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. The two countries are connected with similar traditions and history, and with the opening of the honorary consulate in Podgorica, there are good bases for joint projects in the fields of agriculture and tourism, the ambassador said.

Montenegro and Indonesia have very good relations, and chances for their further improvement are recognized in the field of economy and tourism, said the President Đukanović. In the spirit of friendship we are closely following the events in Indonesia, he said, welcoming the high level of development of that country on the global map. The first step in strengthening the economic ties between the two countries is the preparation of agreements in the field of economy, said the President.

Ambassador Yudha thanked for the warm welcome of the Montenegrin people and institutions, stressing his readiness to work diligently to valorize significant potential for cooperation, primarily in trade and tourism.

President Đukanović welcomed the newly-appointed Ambassador of Brazil, expressing satisfaction with good relations without open issues, as well as potentials for enhancing cooperation, especially through the exchange of experiences in energy and tourism. With the already established cultural cooperation, political contacts should be dynamized in the future, the President said. He welcomed the positive processes in that country, in particular the departure from the recession and the improvement of Brazil's relations with the most developed countries of the world and the NATO Alliance to which Montenegro belongs.

Ambassador Barbosa expressed satisfaction with President’s dedicated relationship and knowledge of the current situation in his country, saying that the regain of the Brazilian economy strength is an opportunity to boost co-operation with Montenegro, which is a personal challenge for him. Recalling the friendship of the two countries, he pointed to the high quality of cooperation in the multilateral framework.

President Đukanović also spoke with the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and said that good relations between the two countries can be further improved by joint initiatives. He welcomed the efforts of that country on a regional and international level in the promotion of peace, stability and development. Such a principle is the heritage of Montenegro, which is not limited by geographical size to strongly promote high standards and multiethnic democracy, Đukanović said.

It is jointly assessed that the two countries can cooperate in economy and tourism on the principles of a healthy environment, the production of energy from renewable sources and the production of organic food. In that sense, the experience of Montenegro and its prestigious position on the tourist map can be valuable to Vietnam, said Ambassador Phong.

22 May 2019 - At the IMEX Fair, which takes place from May 21 to 23, Montenegro was awarded as one of the top eight MICE destinations for 2019.

National Tourism Organization of Montenegro is currently exhibiting at the IMEX Fair, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. Based on the evaluation of over 450 European professionals from the congress industry, Montenegro ranks among the eight best MICE destinations for 2019! According to the results that Montenegro achieved, the "Pro Sky Destination Award 2019" was presented to the representatives of the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro.

Pro Sky, a German international corporation specialized in customized jet travel, recently published the Annual Pro Sky Destination Report 2019. This report covers the most beautiful destinations, event industry, and travel trends based on the responses of 456 European survey participants. A recent trend that is in the focus of this year’s report is MICE destinations – destinations for meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions.

The interest in Montenegro in this segment of tourism offer records continuous growth throughout the years. According to the currently organized and contracted events, an increase of not less than 10% in comparison to the previous year is expected by the end of the year.

During the three days of the IMEX Fair, over a hundred meetings with event organizers from the markets of Germany, Russia, Poland, Great Britain, France, America, etc. were held at the Montenegrin stand. During these meetings, the Montenegrin MICE offer and possibilities for organization of events in Montenegro were presented.

"IMEX", one of the most important European fairs of the congress industry, business and incentive (motivational) travel, is held from May 21 to 23, 2019 in Frankfurt. The fair attracted around 14,000 business visitors, of which 3,500 exhibitors from 160 countries. The majority of interested MICE event buyers present at this fair are from the markets of Germany, USA, UK, France, Russia, and Scandinavian countries.

At the stand of Montenegro, Local Tourist Organization of Budva, Montenegro Stars Hotel Group, Hotel Avala Resort and Villas, Hotel Lazure Hotel & Marina, The Chedi Luštica Bay, Montenegro Tourist Service, Explorer and Montenegro In Style presented their offers.

Source: National Tourism Organization of Montenegro

21 May 2019 - The Government's greatest success in these two years is the investment momentum in the north, where we want to create all the conditions for citizens to live better, Prime Minister Duško Marković said in an interview with Pobjeda daily on this occasion of Independence Day of Montenegro.

"The first results in these terms in the past two years are already visible, which is why the completion of the priority section of the motorway and the continuation of the works on the next one are crucial for the development of the north and the country as a whole. The winter ski infrastructure s already visible; the Đalovia Cave project is progressing, the opening of a sour water factory, the development of agriculture, all these are the results that make me especially delighted and motivated," Prime Minister Marković noted.

Speaking about what was the biggest problem his Cabinet has faced, the Prime Minister noted that it was the unwillingness of the opposition to contribute to political, social and development cohesion, and the fact they showed incredible consistency in the boycotting of institutions and attempts to block them. The approach of negation and the desire to bring the State to its knees so that they then they can allegedly raise it up, the Prime Minister stated, is difficult to understand.

"I think that the Government I am running has done a good job, but that is not its maximum. There is no real result, no change in the way of thinking about the State and its priorities without dialogue. I believe that that time is coming, and then it will be easier for this and every other Government to operate, and the results will be more visible," the Prime Minister of Montenegro underscored.

When asked whether it is true that today's Montenegro is not even close to Montenegro from referendum promises, the Prime Minister recalled that a few days ago, at the reception he hosted on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the restoration of independence, he said that Montenegro of today and Montenegro before the restoration of independence do not look like one another. And this is in favour of today's Montenegro.

"We promised citizens the country and we renewed our independence. We defined NATO membership and integration into the EU as key objectives. We have already delivered on these promises," said Prime Minister Markovič, adding that the promise of visa liberalisation was also delivered.

He pointed out that Montenegro is the fastest growing economy with the highest standard in the region outside the EU countries: "This is not recognised only by those who are opponents of the government, but also by historical opponents of the existence and every progress of independent Montenegro."

When asked about why Montenegro's international perception is better than that of domestic critics, the Prime Minister said that this is not a good international perception, but rather a realistic reputation that has been built up over decades of efforts to distance ourselves from the Balkan fallacies and put the country on the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

"Montenegro is today a partner and ally across the globe, where democracy and civilisation values, peace and stability are defended, and this Government can be reprimanded for a lot of things, especially when it comes to the standard of our citizens and their need to live better which we are now strongly committed. But for our devotion to the State, its sovereignty and independence, its right to be on its own and decide on its own future - surely not! A dirty campaign against the authorities, gossiping one's own country in every place and every opportunity is, in fact, a political attempt to make the country vanish," Prime Minister Marković underlined.

Regarding the issue of the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion and the expectations of possible opposing it and the power of the State to implement it, the Prime Minister said that this law, once it is adopted in the Parliament, will be a major step forward for democracy and basic human rights and freedoms.

"When such a concept is added to the preservation of the cultural identity and tradition of our people, and the principles governing relations between the State and religious communities based on freedom and equality, then I am convinced that we have a historic opportunity to place these questions where they belong. The draft law was drafted after extensive and wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders. With regard to its application, the State will have the strength and determination to implement it," the Prime Minister pointed out.

Responding the statement that the State was unable to remove the illegally built in church on the Rumija mountain, and that now it has no power to remove the baptistery in the sea near Tivat and an illegally built facility in Dajbabe, the Prime Minister said that this s too naive and laic reflection.

"The Government is tackling this issue with full sensitivity in order not to intensify the division of the country among the Orthodox population.

"Social cohesion is our goal and we need the patience to achieve it. Of course, we will not allow the building of religious facilities on the state land or on the land of religious communities, contrary to law. That is why we are passing the Law on Freedom of Religion in order to establish religious rights and obligations," the Prime Minister of Montenegro explained.

Summarising the most important economic indicators of the Government's performance, PM Marković said that the Montenegrin economy has been developing all over the years since the restoration of independence.

"I am convinced that our economic growth has been particularly dynamic in the last two years, as evidenced by very high growth rates of close to 5%.

" Economic growth has created nearly 18,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate has been reduced by more than 6% direct investments have amounted to one billion and five hundred million euros. In these two years, current spending has been financed from the revenues, we have halved the budget deficit and much more," the Prime Minister of Montenegro concluded.

Source: Pobjeda Daily

20 May 2019 - From May 21, Podgorica has a new multifunctional sports hall – Bemax Arena, with over 2200 seats and the most popular accompanying contents, which will be another new sports facility within Sports Centre Morača.

In addition to the existing infrastructure, additional stands will be introduced from all four sides of the hall. In this way, Podgorica will have another facility for indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, handball, futsal and martial arts. Bemax Arena will relieve the big sports centre hall and create more comfortable conditions for training processes and official matches for a number of sports teams.

Also, the new hall will have a pool and many accompanying contents according to European standards. For the first time in Montenegro, cameras will be installed in the hall, which will enable the option to watch games and concerts via the Internet. The hall will have the most modern light and sound computerized effects.

With the opening of Bemax Arena, Podgorica will receive a new impressive sports facility, a venue built according to the most modern standards. The largest Montenegrin construction company, LLC Bemax donated the funds necessary to complete this multifunctional hall, to the Basketball Association of Montenegro, so that Podgorica will have another space for indoor sports. This donation resulted in a private-public partnership between the two organizations.

According to Bemax’s spokesperson, in addition to the hall, the newly built centre has a subterranean space and gallery space. The hall consists of four floors. The dressing rooms for the teams, which are fully furnished, spacious, with underfloor heating, toilets and showers, are located on the lowest floor. This floor also includes the dressing rooms for judges, doping control room, handy toilets, and massage rooms. The floor above has a modern gym, equipped with high-quality equipment and special multifunctional space, which can be used for individual, group training, aerobics, fitness and the like. Otherwise, the gym also has a separate entrance from the outside, so it will be available to all citizens of Podgorica who prefer this type of recreation. There is also a VIP dressing room which, in case a special event is organized at the venue, will be a special place for singers, dancers, musicians and actors. This dressing room has its own lounge, wardrobe, toilet and make-up room. There is also a press conference room at this level.

The ground floor contains a special hall through which the audience can reach the main stands. The Bemax’s representatives emphasized that all entrances and rooms are adapted for people with special needs. There is also an entrance for journalists and VIP guests, from which individuals can enter the VIP Lodge, which contains an exclusive lounge.

In the gallery section, there is a room for journalists and camera operators, and in the second part, there is a control room from which the hall is managed. There is also a separate entrance for the parter, because the company made a stairway to the lower plate from which individuals can enter the hall.

Bemax Arena, within the Morača Sports Centre in Podgorica, was officially opened on May 21 at 7 pm. The Arena was opened by the Mayor of Podgorica Ivan Vuković and the President of the Basketball Federation of Montenegro Veselin Barović.

Data acquired from Official Website of Bemax LLC.

20 May 2019 - Minister of Defence of Montenegro Predrag Bošković spoke with the commander for TAAC-North, German Brigadier General Gerhard Ernst-Peter Klaffus at the Marmal base in Afghanistan.

Minister of Defence of Montenegro, Predrag Bošković thanked General Klaffus for supporting Montenegro's troops from the German contingent during the execution of tasks in the Resolute Support mission. He also added that he hopes that the international forces made up of NATO allies and partners are the best guarantor of security in that country and that their presence is still necessary.

He also said that Montenegro sent its soldiers to Afghanistan for the first time in 2010 and that we have been continuously present since then, first in ISAF, then in the Resolute Support mission, with the gradual increase in the number of soldiers. emphasising that Montenegro, as a member of NATO, is trying to contribute to the Alliance's policy of designing stability maximally.

Back in December 2018, the Information on the accession of the Montenegrin Ministry of Defense to the framework Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of Germany and combat forces of Sweden, with reference to the “Resolute Support” mission, announced by the Government of Montenegro, said that costs of the Army of Montenegro and its soldiers in this mission will amount to 2.000.000 EUR on annually. The costs will include contribution fees, accommodation, and travel costs, moving of forces, as well as other expenditures arising from the engagement of members of the Army of Montenegro into the mission in Afghanistan.

20 May 2019 - The Ministry of Economy of Montenegro announced a public competition for the selection of the logo and slogan of the national brand of Montenegro to complete the state's visual identity. The award for the best solution is 10 thousand euros, said the official statement by the Ministry.

The Ministry of Economy pointed out that the competition is international and that both individuals and groups of authors have the right to participate.

"The timeframe for submitting applications is from May 21 until July 4, 2019," the Ministry stressed, adding that the rules and further information on the competition will be published on their website on May 21.

The national brand, from the aspect of the Ministry of Economy, includes the perceptions of people about a particular country in different areas, such as tourism, exports, investment and immigration, government, culture and heritage and people living in the country.

"Accordingly, the development and improvement of the national brand will positively affect these segments, which are crucial for the economic growth and development of a single country. A strong national brand encourages the flow of foreign direct investments, both in the strategic branches of the economy, such as energy, tourism, and agriculture, as well as in other branches, "the Ministry said.

As stated in the announcement, to adequately position Montenegro in the world of the foreign public, and starting from the results obtained by researching the perception of the domestic and foreign people, it was clear that it is necessary to create a new visual identity, that is, a logo.

"The visual identity of the national brand should unify the specificities of Montenegro and uniquely maintain them, so that through a graphics solution and a synchronized and comprehensive message, Montenegro could position itself on the international market. The proposed solution should enable an absolute positioning of the state of Montenegro as a whole, "the Ministry of Economy explained.

20 May 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković said on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro's independence that on 21 May 2006, 100-year-old historical injustice was corrected and that Montenegro was returned to the world's political map, and that Montenegro then turned to the future instead of the mythological past, as well as that all the events that followed confirmed the correctness of our strategic commitment to integrating Montenegro into the most advanced communities of the modern world: NATO and the European Union.