03 January 2019 - “Montenegro continued to ensure a good level of cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg, but improvements are still needed regarding the application of the Court standards in daily practices,” said the EU Ambassador in Montenegro Aivo Orav at the regional conference "The obligation to execute decisions of the European Court of Human Rights", organised by the European Union and the Council of Europe in Podgorica.

"The government continues to conclude friendly settlements in cases related to the length of the proceedings and non-enforcement of domestic decisions. The overall awareness of institutions and the judiciary of the rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights are increasing. However, improvements are still needed regarding the application of the Court standards in daily practices. Ineffective investigations do not only undermine the effective and the independent rule of law system, but they also endanger people’s lives,” emphasised Ambassador Orav.

Montenegrin officials are proud of the results of Montenegro in this area. Minister of Justice Mr. Zoran Pažin said that Montenegro, the leader among European countries when it comes to the implementation of verdicts of the European Courts for Human Rights.

"Montenegro can be a good example for other member states of the Council of Europe. We should continue with that approach, but we must be aware that the most important thing is the development of national institutions for the protection of human rights and freedom," Minister Pažin said.

Valentina Pavličić, Representative of Montenegro before the European Court for Human Rights, reminded that the implementation of verdicts of the Court in Strasburg is under the supervision of the Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe. Beside diplomatic pressure, this body does not have other effective measures to oblige member states to implement verdicts.

“Because of that, democratic maturity of a country is reflected in its willingness to fulfil the obligations defined by the Convention, regardless of aggravating circumstances. As a representative in charge of implementation of European Court verdicts, I can say that the success in that matter depends to a great extent on the willingness of state institutions to proceed with their obligations in this area. The experience of Montenegro is very positive, and we have reasons to be proud,” said Pavličić. 

According to the number of applications before the European Court of Human Rights about the number of inhabitants, Montenegro was among the first five countries last year. According to the Council of Europe’s data, the citizens of Montenegro mostly complained about the violation of the right to trial within a reasonable time, as is the case with applications from most European countries.

Copyrights: Press and information team of the Delegation of the EU to Montenegro

03 February 2019 - The brand new gem of Montenegro ski resorts - Kolašin 1600, located in the southern part of the Bjelasica Mountain, will be officially opened on February 16, said the director of the resort, Saša Jeknić.

With an area of about 27,19 hectares, the new resort base village consists of the central zone with hotels, apartments, reception and public facilities and all the usual ski resort content. Situated, as the name suggests, 1.600 meters above sea level, the 50 million EUR project features 4,6 kilometres of ski slopes.

According to the developers, Kolašin 1600 will operate one 400 seat restaurant for this inaugural season, along with a planned ski school. The 1600 resort will supposedly operate a six-seat lift with a total capacity of 2.800 skiers per hour to deliver skiers from the base lodge to 2.070 meters of altitude.

"What we can safely say now is that the ski centre will officially be opened on February 16. From the moment we open the ski centre, the entire resort will be operational. For now, there is a child ski lift, ski rental, ski school and the restaurant Troglav, "Jeknić told the Mina-business agency.

He said that they are currently in the process of testing a six-seat cable car and that a final test is scheduled for Tuesday. "The necessary documentation and paperwork still awaits the final approval, so we hope that by the end of the next week, it is possible to put the wire in function," Jeknić added.

He reminded that the Kolašin 1600 ski resort started operating on December 29th and that total investment so far amount to 16 million EUR.

02 February 2019 - Despite its small size and sparse population (less than 700,000 inhabitants), Montenegro offers incredible diversity in its topography. Thanks to the possibility of a stunning adventure - the transition from the Adriatic coast to the mountainous region, Montenegro has recently gained the title of a tourist destination that offers a “two-for-one” trip experience.

Christina Webb, a writer for Lonely Planet – renowned travel guide book publisher, recently wrote an article on “Two-for-one trips: destinations that offer double the fun” and Montenegro has proudly taken the second place on the list! The article provides advice for all tourists who can’t decide whether to spend their holiday on a sunny beach or is their main goal to kick back and relax in the mountains. To help them with their decision, Lonely Planet writer decided to list all destinations that offer plenty of sun, picturesque coastline cities and breath-taking beaches, but at the same time, there are options for mountain lovers, like hiking, cycling, kayaking and many more – all in one country!

“Say goodbye to indecision," says Christina. “If you’re stuck between travel daydreams of markets or mountainscapes, spine-tingling safaris or the siren song of the sea, don’t fear. Fitting two types of trips into one might seem arduous to organise, but with the right timing, transport, and planning, it’s easily achievable,” Lonely Planet writer reports. Now it is possible to “pack diverse experiences into a region that can be explored in a typical vacation period”, you just need to choose carefully and organise ahead.

The article presents Montenegro as a country ideal for a vacation that includes rafting amid the mountains of the north and seafood and Med climes in the southern area! Follow the advice of the travel guide writer, Christina Webb, and get a holiday of a lifetime! As explained within the Lonely Planet article, “in Montenegro, rafting is synonymous with the turquoise Tara River. Arrive at Durmitor National Park and glimpse the winding river through the mountains and you’ll see why. The Black Lake by Žabljak is both dramatic and serene, as are the forests of Biogradska Gora National Park near Kolašin. Exploring both the towns and national parks over a few days is all you need before taking to the water. Most rafting takes place in Durmitor, and you’ll get the most dramatic view of the Tara Canyon’s imposing 1300m high walls from your raft.”

“Then, make your way down the country over a few hours; the best way to experience the changing scenery is to hire a car, but it can also be done by bus. Along the way, you’ll notice how the patterns of snow, A-framed farmhouses, and green hills will disappear as terracotta-tiled stone buildings and shimmering deep-blue water come into view. Spend a couple of nights in Kotor’s Old Town. Climb the 1300-plus steps to the top of the fortifications, meet the town’s feline population and sample grilled squid, seafood risotto and other Mediterranean culinary delights. You’ll easily be able to fit in exploring the charming villages dotted along the Bay of Kotor, Perast, Prčanj and the outskirts of Dobrota,” says Christina from Lonely Planet.

02 February 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted former Presidents and Prime Ministers of the countries of our region gathered in the newly formed Podgorica Club and expressed the full support of the Government, to the work of this entity and its further activities to promote the region's prospects, its European integration, and to affirm the policy of good neighborly relations and cooperation.

"The Podgorica Club project is a good project, needed by our region and as an idea and as a vision that can further bring us together and encourage us," Prime Minister stressed. He assessed that it's logical to name the initiative by the capital of our country, which has passed through the process of achieving strategic priorities in the past two decades while preserving good relations with everyone. 

"In that matter, Montenegro had serious challenges, but it did not lose a single friend and gained a lot of new ones," Duško Marković noted. The Prime Minister thanked the members of the Podgorica Club for the assistance they provided as the highest state officials to Montenegro during the process of restoring independence, and our European and Euro-Atlantic integrations.

"I see your experience and this format as a potential for gathering people in our region who will seriously think about our common future," Prime Minister Marković said. 

Members of the Podgorica Club presented the Prime Minister a program of future work on creating a new narrative and a new vision of our region, stressing that as members of the Club outside of the daily politics, and from this position, they see the possibility of action in the areas of promoting economic, scientific and other cooperation. 

Former President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović, former President of the Republic of Macedonia Branko Crvenkovski, the Republic of Slovenia Danilo Tirk, the former Prime Ministers of the Republic of Serbia Mirko Cvetković and the Republic of Croatia Jadranka Kosor and former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdžija spoke with the Prime Minister Duško Marković. 

The Prime Minister was informed that the Podgorica Club is also composed of former Presidents of the Republic of Slovenia Milan Kučan, the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesić and the Republic of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Hari Kostov and former President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Nataša Mićić.

01 February 2019 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović took part in an informal meeting of foreign ministers in Bucharest, at the invitation of High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Teodor Melescanu.

Minister Darmanović congratulated Romania on the first presidency over the Council of the European Union and welcomed the defined priorities of its six-month programme. He also expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the policy of enlargement was high on the agenda of the presidency, hopeful that the integration process, based on the principle of regatta, significantly stimulated the reform of our societies and further economic development of the region, while strengthening the security, peace, and competitiveness of Europe.

The Montenegrin Foreign Minister said he expects that the remaining negotiation chapter 8 (Competitiveness) will be opened during this year, as well as that Montenegro will meet the provisional benchmarks in chapters 23 and 24. He also reiterated the full commitment of the Montenegrin institutions to achieving internal readiness to close a set of chapters.

The meeting in Bucharest exchanged views on cooperation with China, focusing on issues of relevance to the EU and candidate countries.

The informal meeting, attended by foreign ministers of European Union candidate countries and Turkey, as well as representatives of the European Commission, was an opportunity to consider other current issues and challenges within the Union.

During her last visit to Montenegro, the Prime Minister of Romania, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, said that she had very constructive discussions with Prime Minister Marković and emphasised that in the future, the two countries will pay more attention to sectoral cooperation and cooperation in the field of energy, education, culture, and tourism, as well as cooperation in the field of investments.

"We decided to organise an economic forum together to present one of the first steps in promoting cooperation between the two countries," Romanian Prime Minister Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă concluded.

01 February 2019 - Culture Minister Aleksandar Bogdanović met with the President of the National Research Council of Italy, Massimo Inguscio, during his official visit to the Republic of Italy. 

On that occasion, Minister Bogdanović expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with the National Research Council of Italy, which resulted in substantial progress on archaeological and other research in the area of Duklja in Podgorica. 

During the conversation, which was focused on the "Twinning Program", has been confirmed strong support to Montenegro in the process of preservation, protection, and valorization of cultural assets. 

President Inguscio presented the mechanisms and possibilities of joining the programs of the European Research Institute for Heritage Science and the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities. Interlocutors estimated that this represents a strong potential for improving all segments in the protection and valorization of cultural heritage in Montenegro. 

Minister Bogdanović especially emphasised the activities on the development of the map of Duklja in QGIS and the continuation of activities on the 3D reconstruction of facilities. He also pointed out the need for cooperation in the part of laser monitoring of the static stability of cultural property objects, with a particular emphasis on overcoming the problem of rehabilitation of the Kotor ramparts. It was concluded that through the direct communication and cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the National Research Council of Italy, we are looking at the possibilities of realization of the seismic monitoring project and the risk of immovable cultural property, which would be an important prerequisite for better preservation of the rich cultural heritage of Montenegro. 

During his official visit to Italy, Minister Bogdanović met with the Director General of the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Weber Ndoro. 

The interlocutors emphasised extremely high quality and meaningful interinstitutional cooperation and expressed readiness to continue with strengthening the partnership through the transfer of knowledge and training in deficient areas for experts in Montenegro. 

Minister Bogdanović also met with the President of the Association AICI (Associazione delle istituzioni di cultura italiane), Valdo Spini. 

Minister Bogdanović and the president of the AICI Association noted that, given the fact that the association is represents the affiliation of 108 institutions of culture in Italy, there is a possibility of strong inter-institutional cooperation, through the organisation of training in the field of protection and preservation of cultural property related to the management of urban units, in areas where Montenegro has a lack of knowledge.

President Spini has invited Minister Bogdanović to take part in the next conference, organized by the Association of AICI, which will be held in Florence. 

Minister Bodganović was also a guest of the National Museum of Art of the 21st Century, where he talked with the Executive Director Pietro Barrera about the possibilities of cooperation. 

On this occasion, they expressed readiness to enable Montenegrin artists from the field of contemporary art to exhibit in this significant Museum, which would be a powerful incentive for their further affirmation.

At the end of the visit, the Minister visited the gallery Chiostro del Bramante as a place where it would be important to organise a presentation of the creativity of Montenegrin artists.

The visit of the Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović is the result of the successful and meaningful cooperation of the two countries. Working meetings with Italian and international institutions were attended by the Montenegrin Ambassador in Italy Sanja Vlahović and the Director of the National Museum Anastazija Miranović.

02 February 2019 - What could be more romantic than the small, pugnacious kingdom of fierce fighters, with its ancient temperate rainforests, bleakly beautiful mountains and fjord-like coastline of bays, inlets and emerald waters?

It’s an epic landscape accompanied by more history than any country the size of Montenegro has a right to. For centuries, it was the only Balkan state to hold out against the mighty Ottoman Empire, and although its historic capital Cetinje was sacked by Ottomans three times (in 1623, 1687 and 1712), Montenegro was never ruled by them.

Archaeologists have found evidence of agriculture, pottery, and copper smelting dating back to 7000 BM and by 4000 BC trade links with Europe had been established. These first Illyrian or early Balkan tribes were joined by Celts and later Romans, who conquered the region in 9 AD. After the fall of Rome, Montenegro became part of the Byzantine Empire, and Slavs from Poland and the Baltic joined its original inhabitants.

In 1041, the Serbian warlord Stefan Vojislav became King Vojislav after he won independence from Byzantium at the Battle of Bar. His kingdom of Duklja, which included most of Montenegro, was superseded by that of Stefan Prvovjenčani, the founder of a Serb dynasty which by 1355 ruled over a territory that included the majority of the modern Balkans.

By 1483, the Ottomans had conquered all of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Montenegro’s ruling Crnojević dynasty decided to move their capital to the more easily defended mountain fastness of Cetinje, having agreed a defensive alliance with Venice in 1455.

Fascinatingly, from 1516, for the next 355 years, Montenegro was ruled by celibate prince-bishops called “vladika”. The last of the Crnojevićs married a Venetian and entrusted the defence of Montenegro to the first of them, Cetinje’s Orthodox bishop. After that, succession passed from uncle to nephew, with Montenegro’s warrior-priests fighting a guerrilla war against the Ottomans and winning formal independence in 1799. The greatest of them, and the father of modern Montenegro was Petar II Petrović Njegoš, who created a central government, judiciary and police force and still found time to compose an epic poem, The Mountain Wreath, celebrating Montenegrin culture and values.

After Petar’s nephew was assassinated, he was eventually succeeded by Prince Nikola Petrović, or Nicholas I. In portraits, he appears in a national costume of richly coloured sash, coat of duck-egg blue, and black cap adorned with the Montenegrin crest; armed with a sword and laden with medals, he looks part paterfamilias, part Balkan chieftain. His wife Milena gave birth to three sons and nine daughters, five of whom married into Russian, Serbian and Italian royal families, earning him the nickname “the father-in-law of Europe”.

This canter through Montenegrin history can’t possibly do justice to its complexity. We hardly mentioned the famous defeat of Napoleon in Kotor, let alone the birth of modern Yugoslavia, and much more. But without a sense of Montenegro’s rich past, anyone’s sightseeing would be a much poorer experience.

Source: Luštica Magazine

01 February 2019 - The environmental organisation NGO Ozon called on the local governments of Nikšić and Danilovgrad Municipalities and the Podgorica Capital to join the government in the process of legal protection of the Zeta River area.

"We believe that, in accordance with great importance of the Zeta River with its tributaries and hydrological phenomena, the specifics of its upper and lower flow and territorial jurisdiction of local administrations, we need a strategic recognition of the importance of this river for the further development of local communities, but also of the potential for the national branding of Montenegro as an ecological state, i.e. the entire social prosperity," the statement said.

NGO Ozon proposes that three municipalities adopt a joint Resolution for the protection of the Zeta River, in order to allow the public to be involved in this initiative, and that the Government of Montenegro, through the competent institutions, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, The Nature Protection Agency and the Environment Agency open a public debate in order to examine all the relevant facts through the argumentative discussion. Keeping in mind the fact that the significance of the Zeta River in the aspect of an ecosystem is already recognized in national and local strategic documents, the representatives of this movement believe that the protection of this river at the international level is also important in the context of European integration and the success of the negotiations in Chapter 27. This step, they conclude, is another tool for the joint resolution of the local government administrations which should take part in this initiative.

The representatives of the Environmental Movement NGO Ozon announced that it will begin with the action of collecting citizen support for the protection of the Zeta River, and announced the implementation of this initiative on a series of thematic events, "in order to create an incentive environment for public argumentative discussion and active citizen participation in the decision making process, "the statement said. They also invited all interested parties to support this civic initiative.

The NGO Ozon was founded with a mission to contribute to improving the quality of life and the environment, as well as protecting the public interest through active participation in the decision-making process, public advocacy, and education of various target groups from all segments of the society.

01 February 2019 - The diverse tourist offer of Montenegrin national parks attracted the attention of many visitors during the 30th Alpe-Adria – International Fair for Green Active Tourism, Camping, and Caravanning.

Tourists from Slovenia are known for their love for nature, undiscovered areas, hiking and other experiences in the field of active green tourism, which are included in the offer of national parks in Montenegro. This is especially important because many tourists who want to visit Montenegro always have the feeling that Montenegro can offer just the sea and the sun. The Alpe-Adria Fair was an excellent opportunity for the organisation National Parks of Montenegro to present a different, much more exciting and diverse tourist offer of Montenegro.

Alpe-Adria – International Fair for Green Active Tourism, Camping and Caravanning is a show for travellers, athletes, alpinists, hikers, active recreational participants, joggers, cyclists, nature adrenaline sports fans and similar. This year, as a novelty, the fair also included contents for camping and caravanning enthusiasts.

Tourists from Slovenia have an excellent opportunity to use weekend arrangements in Montenegro. There is a direct airline between Podgorica and Ljubljana on a daily basis. The flight is not long and the embassy of Montenegro to Slovenia is putting considerable effort into reducing the cost of airline tickets. “The negotiating process with tourist agencies from Slovenia which are working on many different arrangements is currently in process, "said the Ambassador of Montenegro to Slovenia, Vujica Lazović.

The organisation, National Parks of Montenegro, had a unique opportunity to present virtual walks through Montenegrin national parks, which allow visitors to the Visitor Centres to experience some of the beauty and activities in nature and learn about the many values of protected areas and tourist offer. This opportunity, which is granted before actually visiting and experiencing the parks in person, is very valuable. During the Fair, travel agencies and tour operators were most interested in rafting, kayaking, biking and hiking. Regarding individual fair visitors, they were mainly interested in mountain tourism; Montenegrin coast and the possibility of an active holiday where biking, hiking, hiking and camping prevail.

"Aside from the promotion of active tourism and tourist offer of National Parks of Montenegro, the fair appearance in Slovenia was also a good opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas, and to establish cooperation with tour operators from the Alpine-Adriatic region," concluded the director of the public enterprise NPM, Elvir Klica.

31 January 2019 - The key commitment of the Government of Montenegro in 2019 is to create conditions for the growth of citizen's living standards, deputy prime ministers, Milutin Simović and Zoran Pažin, told a press conference following 107th Government of Montenegro session.

DPM Simović noted that the Government defined four priority goals for this year:

DPM Pažin said that when it comes to the Government's priority - the process of accession to the European Union, it has set out concrete and measurable objectives.

"This year we expect to fulfill the conditions for opening the last negotiating chapters, getting clear guidelines from European partners for finally closing negotiations in key chapters dedicated to the rule of law, and gradually closing negotiation chapters," he underlined.

Speaking about the continuation of strong economic growth, Deputy Prime Minister Simović said that expectations are based on hugely successful two previous years. He added that the Government's ambition is to continue with stable economic growth rates to achieve the final goal as quickly as possible - high quality of life for citizens. He stressed that this goal is based on the achieved macroeconomic stability of the State, preservation of the stability of the financial sector, the carrying out of major infrastructure projects, sustainable resource valorisation and implementation of the Development Programme for Acquisition of Montenegrin Citizenship by Admission for Investment Purposes.

Concerning suppressing the grey economy, as the third priority of the Government, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Financial System announced the launch of comprehensive activities against the informal economy in all its forms, full coordination of all relevant institutions and further cooperation with stakeholders, especially with social partners. "We think that this should be a common platform," said DPM Simović.

As a result of the real achievement of these goals,he added, the Government expects the continuation of ceating new and improving quality of existing jobs, increasing the living standards of citizens through clear and measurable indicators: minimal wage, further regularity of pensions and their alignment, and reviewing reducong tax rates, which increases the competitiveness of our economy and opens up space for job creation.