08 May 2019 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović met in Budva with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajčák.

Minister Darmanović assessed relations between Montenegro and Slovakia as excellent, largely contributing to meaningful and open cooperation in all areas. He particularly pointed to the possibilities for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of tourism, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and sustainable technologies. He thanked for the strong support of the Slovak Republic to Montenegro's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, primarily through expert and technical assistance to the reform processes. 

Minister Lajčák expressed his gratitude for the honest partnership with Montenegro and stressed that the progress of Montenegro in all fields is obvious, as recognised by European partners. The Slovakian Foreign Minister stressed that Montenegro is a constructive player in the region and a reliable partner of the OSCE. He added that the cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and the OSCE mission is excellent and that the implementation of activities positively influences the further development of Montenegrin institutions. 

In the context of cooperation with the OSCE, Minister Darmanović reiterated full support to the priorities of the Slovak Presidency, and noted the excellent cooperation between Montenegro and the OSCE Mission, which resulted in the implementation of numerous activities, especially in terms of strengthening the rule of law, improving media legislation and electoral reforms, as well as in the field of fight against terrorism and cybercrime. 

The two officials agreed that the role of the OSCE in the region is constructive and multifaceted and that it significantly contributes to progress in the rule of law and the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms. Furthermore, they emphasised that all actors in the region, through close and open cooperation, should contribute to building a more stable and prosperous Western Balkans.

08 May 2019 - The EU needs to integrate the Western Balkans quickly to safeguard its future as well as protect the buffer region from Russian and Chinese influence, Montenegro's president Milo Đukanović said on Wednesday.

Pro-European Union Đukanović is his country's longest-serving politician. He led it into NATO in 2017 and is steering its EU membership bid in the face of fierce Russian opposition.

Moscow, through politics, and Beijing, via loans, aims to "prevent NATO and EU expansion in the Balkans," Đukanović told Reuters in an interview.

That meant the region needed to be "the zone of the European Union's responsibility and its strategic interest".

"Unless the EU realises that, I am afraid its future might be in jeopardy," he said, speaking a day before verdicts are due in the trial of alleged participants in a 2016 coup plot against him.

Out of six Western Balkans' EU aspirants, the tiny Adriatic state and neighbouring Serbia are next in line to join, though neither is likely to become an EU state in the foreseeable future.

They have been told they must root out organised crime, corruption and nepotism and reduce red tape first, and the political elite in both countries is deeply divided between pro-EU and pro-Russia camps.

Both governments have this year faced a wave of protests over alleged corruption, cronyism and abuse of office.

Meanwhile, the EU is cutting funding to the Western Balkan countries along with the World Bank and other western lenders, leaving China to fill the gap.

"Third parties, such as Russia and China, are making gains due to a lack of a concrete EU activity in the region," he said, citing enlargement fatigue and internal political tensions as factors in the latter's shift towards a more hands-off approach

A Chinese loan for the first phase of a new highway link with Serbia has sent Montenegro's debt soaring and forced its government to raise taxes and partially freeze public sector wages to get its finances in order.

"Why don't the European financial institutions offer the same conditions," said Đukanović, defending the deal.

He said that reforms he was trying to pursue - including structural ones to maintain strong economic growth - had led to protests, but said foreign powers had also played their part.

The 2016 election day assassination plot that Đukanović survived was designed to bring a pro-Russian party to power.

"Divided societies are the remnants of the wars of the 1990s. The politics of nationalism has been defeated but not buried, and some of these people are trying to revive it and cannot accept the fact that our place is in the EU," he said.

Source: Reuters (Reporting by Maja Zuvela; editing by John Stonestreet)

08 May 2019 - Air Serbia is the only airline that has fulfilled the conditions of the international tender for the establishment of 12 lines of public importance from Niš, among which is the line Niš - Tivat.

Although it was logical for Montenegro Airlines to apply for a subsidized line, this did not happen.

According to the report by the Flynaissus portal, some experts have predicted that some low-cost airlines will withdraw from the Montenegrin market due to the threat of healthy competition that these subsidies will bring.

On the international tender announced by the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure of Serbia, for the selection of airlines for 12 lines of public interest, the offer was submitted only by Air Serbia, it was announced from that ministry.

The ministry also stated that there were no objections to the tender conditions, and the signing of the contract with representatives of Air Serbia will be organized in the following days.

As stated in the announcement, the tender was conducted with the respect of all European regulations. Interest was shown by several companies, but until the end of the procedure, only one correct bid arrived.

Routes of public interest, to be organized by the "Konstantin Veliki" Airport in Niš, were determined on the basis of the analyses and interests shown by the southern Serbian districts. The Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, by introducing airlines of public interest, want to help the development of the undeveloped areas of Serbia, and, under favourable conditions, provide the citizens with the most efficient mode of transport to the most developed areas of the EU, explains the report by this ministry.

The routes were selected according to the study of the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects of Serbia and should operate from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2023.

The national carrier of Serbia will receive 15 million euros from the state budget in order to introduce flights to Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Rome, Hanover, Ljubljana, Salzburg, Bologna, Budapest, Gothenburg, Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe, and Tivat.

08 May 2019 - The EBRD held its 2019 Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Sarajevo on 7-8 May, throwing a spotlight on the economic opportunities in the Western Balkans, where the EBRD is a major investor.

About 2,000 delegates attended the conference, which focused on the business outlook for Western Balkan economies and on how growth in the region can be strengthened. The leaders of the six Western Balkan nations – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – attended the conference, taking part in a high-level panel discussion that underscored the importance of regional cooperation.

Regional cooperation and integration played a key role at the Annual Meeting and Business Forum, where the theme this year was Connecting Economies for Stronger Growth. Particularly in the Western Balkans, the EBRD has placed a very high priority on promoting connectivity via its investments, to promote both physical infrastructure links as well as ties between markets that strengthen trade and improve the business climate as the countries continue on their path towards EU approximation.

The EBRD is a leading investor in the Western Balkans, providing a record level of finance of €1.1 billion in 2018, and supporting their economies’ goal of membership of the European Union.

The EBRD expects continued steady economic growth in the six Western Balkan countries in 2019, despite a cooling international economic environment which may see the pace of growth slowing in some countries in the region.

Presenting its latest economic forecasts at the EBRD’s Annual Meeting in Sarajevo, the Bank reports that Montenegro and Serbia were the fastest growing economies in the region in 2018, with both countries enjoying strong investment flows.

Commenting on the regional outlook, EBRD Lead Economist Peter Tabak said further reform efforts and stronger investment activity are needed to deliver growth required for sustainable convergence with European Union income levels. “Stronger regional integration, including through the abolition of remaining tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade would open up new growth opportunities for domestic companies and foreign investors,” he added.

In Montenegro, growth surprised on the upside. In 2018, the economy expanded by close to five per cent, on the back of highway construction, real estate projects at the coast, an exceptionally strong tourism season and a further rise in private consumption.

As concluded at the Annual Meeting, the completion of large investment projects and continuing fiscal consolidation will lead to a significant slowdown in growth to 2.8 per cent in 2019 and 2.6 per cent in 2020.

The Annual Business Forum provided a platform for high-level discussion on themes ranging from boosting small business to the effects of migration on labour markets, the opportunities and pitfalls of tourism and ways to connect local and regional economies to the wider global economy.

Source: EBRD

07 May 2019 - Strong economic growth in all sectors is an indicator of the correctness of the direction of development we have opted for and the vision we have for Montenegro, said Prime Minister Duško Marković at the opening of the 4th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR).

He stressed that the vision also includes Montenegro as the energy hub of the region, with an undersea power cable to Italy or renewable energy sources, as well as a balanced regional development that will be strategically strengthened by the construction of the first motorway in the country.

"Montenegro, by its development, confirms European values in the best way, as a future member of the European Union and a responsible neighbor and actor in the region and beyond,"  Prime Minister Marković added.

He noted that Montenegro is ending its one-year chairmanship of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region. At the same time, the University of Montenegro is ending its one-year chairmanship over the UniAdrion Association, which brings together 38 universities and research centres in the region.

The Adriatic-Ionian region, said Prime Minister Marković, is a home for over 70 million people sharing the same challenges, but also the same, exceptional potential. "Although we have different economic indicators, we all have to bear in mind the same goal that the European Union's strategy for this the region promotes - a uniformly developed, competitive area and a region characterised by economic and social growth".

The Prime Minister pointed out that accelerated economic development and job creation, as well as the creation of business opportunities through concrete activities in the sector of blue growth, transport and energy networks, sustainable tourism and environmental development, must remain the backbone of our work. Montenegro, in the Prime Minister's words, follows these goals.

"Montenegro is the first non-EU member state to chair the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian region. We have accepted the Presidency as a challenge, but also as an additional responsibility, aware that the Strategy represents a mechanism for strengthening the process of European integration, "said Prime Minister Marković.

He emphasised that Montenegro's participation in the programmes of cross-border and transnational cooperation is a key factor that enables us to use the potentials of our countries in the best possible way, and finally, as a future member, to be fully prepared for the use of structural and investment funds.

"Economic progress inevitably leads to the development of cities and universities, and in addition to the areas above, we have continuously invested in scientific cooperation, research projects and continuous building of modern teaching staff," Prime Minister Marković stated.

He said that he is particularly pleased that, within the Science, Innovation and Growth Panel, the Forum's participants will have the opportunity to hear more about the Montenegrin initiative to establish the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in South East Europe, which he believes can strongly contribute to regional prosperity as our common goal, ensuring the best way to slow down brain drain.

The next few days in Budva, the EU Forum of the European Union for the Adriatic-Ionian Region will be organised together with the conference of the forums of the Adriatic-Ionian Chambers of Commerce, Cities and Universities, which is an exceptional potential for linking hundreds of representatives of state institutions, local authorities, business people, civil sector and all stakeholders recognising the importance of promoting and improving the close cooperation of the countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region.

06 May 2019 - Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin and Director of the American Peace Corps Jody Olsen signed an agreement on cooperation in Podgorica earlier today, under which the United States volunteers will support youth education in Montenegro.

Deputy Prime Minister Pažin said that the engagement of the Peace Corps' volunteers in Montenegro would significantly boost the quality of the English language learning in the Montenegrin primary and secondary schools, especially in less developed areas in the north of the country.

"I see the special value of this programme as an opportunity for the citizens in the north of Montenegro who, because of their economic or social status, are not able to learn English, to improve their knowledge and raise professional capacities, thus making a contribution to the development of their communities and the overall prosperity of Montenegro," said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He also stated that the launch of the programme of the American Peace Corps in Montenegro is another confirmation of the partnership, support, and friendship of the US Government and the people towards Montenegro and its citizens.

"We see the US volunteers in Montenegro as another important opportunity for the US and Montenegrin citizens to enrich their experience and knowledge through personal contacts and make friendships based on mutual understanding and common values," DPM Pažin underscored.

Today's signing testifies to the close partnership between the United States and Montenegro and our commitment to the shared vision of the brighter future of Montenegro and its neighbours in the Western Balkans, Director Olsen noted.

The agreement on cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and the American Peace Corps envisages the arrival of a group of the US volunteers to teach English in primary and secondary schools, mainly in northern Montenegro. The first group of twelve volunteers is scheduled to come to Montenegro next year, after which the number of volunteers will increase according to the needs.

Peace Corps is an agency run by the United States Government, founded by then-President John F. Kennedy in 1961, in order to promote peace and friendship in the world by sending American volunteers to contribute to the economic and social development of the countries in which they are engaged.

06 May 2019 - Montenegro Airlines launched seasonal flights between Tivat and Hanover over the past weekend, with the capital of Lower Saxony becoming the carrier's fifth destination in Germany alongside Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Leipzig. Flights to this destination will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, until October 24.

As reported on the official website of Montenegro Airlines, the German market is one of the largest emitting markets with over 60 million tourists annually, and for Montenegro, this market is extremely significant when it comes to tourism. In the last several years, Montenegro Airlines has been working intensively and continuously on the development of the airline to Germany, so it can be said without hesitation that the national air carrier ensures the arrival German tourists to Montenegro.

In addition to those above, it is of importance to highlight that Montenegro Airlines transported a total of 54,161 passengers from and to Germany in 2018 and arranged 665 flights to/from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Leipzig and Munich, which is 73.46 per cent more than 2017. Also, in 2018, Montenegro Airlines carried out 238 more flights (to and from Germany) compared to 2017, which is an increase of 55.74%.

Launching the new flight which connects Montenegro and Germany from May 5 to October 24 speaks to the fact that Montenegro Airlines is well aware of the importance of establishing a good airline connections to the German market, which will certainly influence the growth of the total number of passengers transported, and the increase in the number of tourists arriving from this European country.

In 2019, national carrier Montenegro Airlines will connect Montenegro with over 30 destinations in 15 different countries of Europe.

May 6, 2019 - The US organization Freedom House classified Montenegro as a partially free state and assessed that President Milo Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) used an extensive network of corruption, including allegedly linked organized crime, to remain in power for nearly three decades.

05 May 2019 - If you wanted to construct a building, construction object or similar construction project, here are the important steps one should take to build a building in Montenegro, according to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro.

1. Application for issuing urban technical specifications - application form 

• Article 74 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18);
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18). 

2. Issuance of urban technical specifications - form

• Article 74 paragraph 13 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18); 
• Decree on entrusting the affairs falling under the competence of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism to local self-government units; 
• Decree on amount of the fee for issuing urban technical specifications.

Issuance of urban technical specifications has been entrusted by the Government of Montenegro to the local self-government units. Urban technical specifications shall be issued within 20 days of the submission of the application, and the amount of the fee to be paid for their issuance is determined by a Decree adopted by the Government. In addition to information prescribed by the law governing administrative procedure, the application must also include data regarding cadastral parcel's identification. 

3. Development of the Conceptual Design of the building - Engagement of a licensed business organisation for the development of the engineering documents and construction of the structure, based on the issued urban technical specifications. 

• Article 76 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18). 

4. Application for obtaining approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect given to the conceptual design - form of application

• Article 87 paragraph 7 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

5. Issuance of the approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect - within 15 days

• Article 87 paragraph 6 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18).

6. Development of the Final Design of the building - the business organisation that has developed the conceptual design or another business organisation (but it must be licensed for development of engineering documents and construction of structures)

• Article 78 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of preparation and content of Engineering Documents for construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 44/18).

7. Review of the Final Design - reviewer (a business organisation licensed for reviewing engineering documents and performing engineering supervision), who is obliged to verify whether the Final Design compliance with the issued urban technical specifications and the Conceptual Design for which has been obtained approval by the Chief City Architect. 

The reviewer is obliged to obtain the necessary approvals issued for the engineering documents in accordance with special regulations for the account of the investor, as well as a copy of the plan and property deed for the parcel in question. The authorities that issue mentioned approvals, as well as a copy of the plan and the property deed, are obliged to deliver them in an electronically signed to the responsible reviewer free of charge within 15 days from the date of submission of the application. 

The reviewer is obliged to make a written statement that a structure may be built on the basis of the final design – statement form

• Article 81, 82 and 85 paragraph 2 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of performing the review of the Final Design (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 18/18).

8. Contracting agreements with the contractor (business organisation licensed for developing engineering documents and construction) and the engineering supervisor (business organisation licensed for performing the review of engineering documents and performing engineering supervision).

• Article 91 paragraph 3 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18).

9. Notification of building work - form 

• Article 91 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of performing engineering supervision over the building of structure (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 48/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

Notification of building works is submitted to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism - Directorate for Inspection Supervision and Licenses, within 15 days prior to the commencement of construction of the building. In the aforementioned period, the inspection authority checks the floor area ratio, lot coverage ratio, number of floors or height of the structure and its relation to the building line, and whether the following is delivered: 

• final design stamped pursuant to the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Structures;
• positive review report of the final design; 
• evidence of liability insurance of the design engineer that has developed the final design or of the responsible reviewer that has reviewed the final design, in accordance with the present Law; 
• contractor agreement; 
• engineering supervision agreement; 
• evidence of ownership right over land or another right to build on the land or evidence of ownership right over the structure and approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect given to the conceptual design;
• evidence of resolved relations with regard to the payment of a fee for building land connection to utilities;
• if the building is constructed at the Montenegrin coastal zone, evidence of resolved relations with regard to the payment of a specific fee for construction of the regional water supply system for municipalities at the Montenegrin Coast. 

10. Placement of an information board at the place of structure construction as of the date of notification of building work to the competent inspection authority - informing the local public of the intended building activity

• Article 89 paragraph 5 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the form and appearance of the board for construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17).

11. Application for registration of a structure in the Real Estate Cadastre - application form

• Article 104 paragraph 2 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

The application is submitted to the Cadastre within 15 days from the date of receipt of the Final report of the engineering supervisor with the following documentation:

• evidence prescribed by the law that governs the registration of rights to real estate;
• final engineering supervision report, which contains a written statement that the structure was built in compliance with the reviewed final design, that it is suitable for use and can be used for its purpose - statement form;
• Article 103 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18);
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18);
• a study of original as-built field data, stamped by a licenced surveying organisation. 

In the case that urban technical specifications have already been issued, the procedure starts from point 3 of this roadmap.

This roadmap for construction of a building in Montenegro was published by Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro on March 29, 2019.

05 May 2019 - On the second day of the Sedona Forum, President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović spoke at the panel on "Why is US Leadership Still Important?", whose introductory was made by former Arizona State Senator Jeff Flake. In addition to President Đukanović, panelists were John Rood Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. The discussion was moderated by former Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire.

Opinions on the importance of the American leading role in defending democracy and achieving prosperity and security in the world were shared, as well as ways to preserve the Euro-Atlantic advantage in global and regional geopolitical matches.

On that theme, President Đukanović referred to the historically important role that the United States played in the Western Balkans in the nineties and apostrophized the importance of maintaining US attention to the region, together with the EU, with a view to successfully resolving open issues that burden its European and Euro-Atlantic path. He drew attention to the growing challenges facing the North Atlantic Partnership in the modern era, to the significance of Euro-Atlanticism for America, Europe, and the whole world, and called for determination in defense of the Euro-Atlantic system of values.

Immediately after the panel discussion, President Đukanović handed over posthumously the Order of Montenegrin flag first degree to Senator McCain's wife Cindy McCain, who was awarded for a remarkable contribution to Montenegrin independence and the achievement of key foreign policy priorities of Montenegro, primarily NATO membership. President Đukanović recalled, among other things, the words of Senator McCain that the Montenegrin independence referendum was perhaps the most important democratic project in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also pointed to the senator's implicit understanding of the security and political challenges facing Montenegro and the Western Balkans.

"He encouraged us to be a bright example for the region and to continue to promote the ideals of Western civilization and transatlantic values," said Đukanović.

Receiving the Order, Mrs. McCain thanked the President for the fact that Montenegro cherished the memory of Senator McCain and pointed out that he was always a great friend and supporter of the Montenegrin people and Montenegro.

"Thank you for honoring his life, and for continuing the ideal he advocated for," said McCain.

At the margins of the Sedona Forum, President Đukanović had a series of informal meetings with senators, congressmen and other participants of the Forum.