20 January 2019 - The Government of Montenegro passed the Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action of the Government of Montenegro for 2018, which shows that the level of fulfillment of obligations exceeds three quarters (77.2%). The discussion stressed that excellent results were made in 2018, including high economic growth, a significant reduction in unemployment, a rise in foreign investment and intensive implementation of development projects.

20 January 2019 - Montenegro will have support from Great Britain in tightening tax discipline, through a joint project in the domain of the suppression of the grey economy. This was the main subject of the today’s meeting held between the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Pavle Radulović and the Ambassador of Great Britain, Alyson Camp.

They jointly stated that it was necessary to reinforce controls of the work of tourism employees and improve the function of local secretariats regarding that matter, all with the aim of increasing profit in the state budget and local budgets. The Minister pointed out that the Ministry was working hard on creating a database of the issuers of unregistered private accommodation.

“Even though the season was a record, illegal accommodation and lack of registration are our problems. Those who earn money this way must be aware that they are depriving future generations of the income they need for education, healthcare, etc,” said the Minister.

The cooperation between the two states is good. British tourists are visiting Montenegro more and more. Also, the collaboration with British tour operators and agencies is stable.

The Minister and the Ambassador talked about the pollution of the environment from plastic waste. The UK will assist in plastic waste management.

Camp showed interest in the organization of the future football match between Montenegro and Great Britain. She hopes for the friendly reception of British football lovers in Podgorica.

Director of Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Vlastimir Golubović, said that the most common barriers that businessmen point out are grey economy and unfair competition, non-liquidity or recovery of debts, numerous and high taxes, fees at the local level, high contributions on wages, high capital prices and difficult access to loans, barriers in legal regulation, problems of insufficient flexibility of labor market, lack of professional staff and frequent amendments of regulations.

20 January 2019 - Ambassador of China to Montenegro Liu Jin claims relations between China and Montenegro have never been better. Over the past few years, Jin said the cooperation between the two countries in the area of tourism, energy, and infrastructure, as well as in other sectors, has achieved significant progress, reports Pobjeda daily.

“Moračica bridge spanning structure is almost completed, Možura wind farm has entered the testing phase and soon will be functional, the number of Chinese tourists has been increasing over the years. These are all outcomes of cooperation between China and Montenegro that have contributed to traditional friendship and development of Montenegro. Our cooperation has been continuously progressing,” noted Ambassador Jin.

Despite numerous differences, such as history, culture, social system and economic structure, “both countries have been committed to further development of their economies and boosting the quality of life of their citizens”.

“China is ready to share knowledge with Montenegro, assist, cooperate with it and contribute to joint development based on mutual respect and benefit,” Jin concluded.

China has already been the second largest import partner of Montenegro, which best indicates the extent of cooperative relations between them, according to Ambassador Jin.

Back in October 2018, Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted the inaugural visit by Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Liu Jin. 

The Prime Minister welcomed the Chinese Ambassador, expressing the belief that the diversified cooperation with the People's Republic of China and the further development of the political and economic relations of the two countries, characterised by the high-level political dialogue, will be continued during his term of office. 

By this occasion Prime Minister Marković stressed that Montenegro especially respects the appreciation that the People's Republic of China expresses towards the strategic European and Euro-Atlantic orientation of Montenegro, and emphasised that the Government of Montenegro also share the attitude towards fostering and preserving multilateralism in the world. 

Prime Minister Marković and Ambassador Liu noted that cooperation between Montenegro and China in the field of our development projects, such as the construction of the first section of the motorway, but also in the area of science, education, and culture, provides a good perspective for the further high-quality partnership of mutual understanding and respect. 

19 January 2019 - The Office for European Integration has published the European Union Common Position for Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change, which is the preliminary and most important document for planning the obligations that need to be fulfilled within this area in the coming period. 

Thus, the Government has confirmed the consistency of the principles of transparency in conducting the accession negotiations and the determination to, by providing access to information, encourage the efficiency and accountability of everyone in the process of EU accession. 

By the procedure defined by the European Commission, the Government of Montenegro sent a request for access, use and distribution of this Common Negotiating Position after the Intergovernmental Conference of 10 December 2018. The meeting of the Working Group on the Negotiating Chapter 27 - Environment and the Climate Change of 25 December 2018 concluded that the Common Negotiating Position, following the translation, will be delivered to all members of the Working Group. 

By the procedure and deadline, the European Commission approved on 15 January 2019 the access, use and distribution of the Common Negotiating Position, which until then, based on its request, was marked with the degree of secrecy "FOR INTERNAL USE". 

We remind that the drafting of the Common Negotiating Position preceded the adoption of the Negotiating Position on Chapter 27 at the Montenegrin Cabinet session on 8 February 2018, which, in accordance with the practice applied to all open chapters, based on the Law on Secrecy of Data, was marked with the degree of secrecy "FOR INTERNAL USE". 

Total Montenegro News reminds that on December 10th 2018 Montenegro officially opened negotiations in Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels.

During this occasion, in his address to the representatives of the member states and the European Commission, Head of the Montenegrin delegation, Foreign Minister Srđan Darmanović, said that Montenegro had opened 32 chapters to date, of which three are closed. Darmanović added that the effort the country is putting in the alignment with the Acquis communautaire testifies to its continued and strong commitment to the European integration process. He believes that by opening the last negotiating chapter in the months ahead, Montenegro will once again confirm its leadership position, but also give a new impetus to the integration process, not only in the country but also in the countries of the region. The goal is to confirm the credibility of the European perspective of the Western Balkans. 

18 January 2019 - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested last year around 1,1 billion EUR in the countries of the Western Balkans, reads the report of this financial institution.

While presenting results and plans, they pointed out their commitment to the Western Balkans by investing in 67 projects last year. One year earlier, in 2017, the support was provided for 57 projects which required more than 700 million EUR.

“The Bank has set very ambitious objectives for 2019 as well since it is raising the level of support for the global development by 2030,” stated the representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Apart from infrastructure projects, they particularly point out that they continued investing in projects that were supposed to change the financial climate; even 36% of the resources were used for the so-called “green economy” whose objective is to contribute to the reduction of risk of the environmental impact. By the end of this year, they will have invested in the same type of project at least 40% of the total investments granted.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the largest financial investor in Montenegro and since 1991, has invested more than 530 million EUR in a variety of approximately 50 projects. The Montenegrin portfolio in this company was estimated at 350 million EUR in 2018.

"The sustainability of public finances is a significant concern and among the greatest risks facing the country. In the fight against ever-increasing fiscal pressures, a new Fiscal Strategy was adopted in June 2017, which contained a series of measures, including VAT and excise tax, official’s salary cuts, improvement of tax collection and the abolition of maternity allowances with three or more children, adopted by the Parliament a year earlier. The main goal of the Strategy is to achieve the primary budget surplus from 2019 and the overall budget surplus from 2020. This should set the public debt to a declining path, which has rapidly increased to more than 70 percent of GDP in the recent years," the Transition Report of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Montenegro stated.

19 January 2019 - Montenegrin Company “Meso-promet”, based in Bijelo Polje and owned by Hilmija Franca, has directed great efforts towards building a new plant for the production of meat products in Bijelo Polje. The old plant was destroyed in a great fire at the end of April last year. Acting Chief State Architect Dušan Vuksanović gave his approval for the conceptual solution for the construction of this facility to the company in May 2018.

After the fire in which the plant of the Franca – Meso-promet Company was completely destroyed last year, the plant was restored and the production lines for processing meat and meat products were re-established. The first phase of the construction works cost three million EUR. The owner, Hilmija Franca, announced that the foundation stone for a new plant will be put in spring 2019.

"I am sure that on the foundation of this plant, a new, even better plant will be built, which will positively affect not only the consumers of agricultural goods but the entire agricultural sector," said Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simović after the catastrophic fire.

Designer of the new plant is a company from Bijelo Polje, Inteza Grupa, whose founder is Fuad Sabović, and the executive director is Fatmir Mahmutović. The conceptual solution states that instead of the old object that was demolished, a new one will be built that will have a ground floor and one floor.

Franca, who is the CEO of Meso-promet, announced at the beginning of the year for News Agency Pobjeda that Meso-promet, after a fire that almost completely destroyed the plant of this company in late April last year, has restored 30% of the plant’s capacity and will continue its reconstruction in the second half of January.

Private Company Meso-promet was established on December 10, 1990, in Bijelo Polje. The main activity of the company, as stated on the official website of this company, is the purchase, production, processing and distribution of meat and meat products. The headquarters of the company is in the north of Montenegro, in the industrial zone of Bijelo Polje, on an area of 50 thousand square metres.

19 January 2019 - The new entertainment winter Top programme by the Television of Montenegro, which will be launched on January 20, represents a conceptual and technological innovation by the national broadcaster. Through the following four weekends, TVCG teams will broadcast the winter atmosphere using new equipment. The recent acquisition is a step further in the process of digitizing TVCG.

After several successful projects during the autumn, the TVCG 2 is implementing a new entertainment winter programme. Over the next four weekends, the spectators will be able to witness the atmosphere at four Montenegrin ski centres, whose promotion starts with Kolašin within the “Top programme” (Montenegrin: Vrh program).

Six ski resorts are operational this winter in Montenegro - Savin Kuk and Javorovača at Durmitor, Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600 in Kolašin, Vučje in Nikšić and Hajla in Rožaje. The resorts welcomed numerous guests from other cities of Montenegro, as well as from Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, as well as guests from Western and Eastern Europe.

"After Kolašin, we will move to Vučje, then to Savin kuk at Žabljak, and then we will end the coverage at Hajla in Rožaje. We will broadcast live with a unique entertaining format.  The coverage will include interviews with the representatives of local governments, but also with the guests of the ski centres. We have also prepared some competitive games and prizes for the winners," said the editor of the entertainment commercial programme Top programme, Branimir Žugić.

The editor of the TVCG 2, Sabrija Vulić, pointed out that the national broadcaster will focus on the “winter story” because the World Skiing Championship will follow right after. "TVCG spectators will have the opportunity to enjoy winter charms in Montenegro, even from their warm rooms, for the next twenty days," the editor stressed.

TMN already reported on the offer of Montenegrin ski resorts for the winter 2018/2019.

Source: TVCG

18 January 2019 - The Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro has completed the official Atlas of Montenegrin Beaches – a cadastre of beaches and swimming areas from 2019 to 2023, which determines the standardisation of the beaches, i.e. 12 "types" of beaches that exist on the Montenegrin coast. The beach and swimming area types were already determined within the Program for the Improvement of the Coastal Zone of Montenegro, which was adopted in 2018 by the Steering Committee of the Public Enterprise.

The Atlas defines: hotel swimming areas, family swimming areas, active rest swimming areas, party swimming areas, romantic swimming areas, city swimming areas without beach equipment, swimming areas for people with dogs, swimming areas with natural healing factors and wellness facilities, excursion swimming areas, nudist swimming areas and swimming areas intended for children's resort.

With the categorisation of beach types, the beach offer is harmonised with the demand of the markets that require the segmentation of the swimming areas, explained the director of the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro, Predrag Jelušić.

“When we declared a certain segment of the Great Beach as sporting and recreational, for guests who want a more attractive and active vacation, we noted that the outcome was favourable. The guests who like to spend their vacation on beaches with a full-day, active content were overjoyed with the innovation in our offer. Thus, this year we have also made progress through the development of the Strategy of Montenegrin Beaches, and we believe that both tourists and the local population will appreciate the change," Jelušić said.

In Herceg Novi, including Njivice, Žanjic, Rose, Dobreč, Mirišta i Arza, 131 bathing places are categorized, of which most are family swimming areas.

“We also want to take on the role of spatial planning for the permanent integral land management in other municipalities, raising the level of quality of service and content which are appropriate for the coastal zone,” Jelušić said. “When we complete the documentation and determine which objects can permanently improve the quality of tourist offer in all municipalities, we will also be able to designate the number of necessary catering facilities. We will insist that these be catering facilities of high content, a minimum category of 4 stars,” explain the representatives of Coastal Zone Management Enterprise.

Source: Radio Jadran

18 January 2019 -  From May 22 to December 1, 2018, the ferry “Dubrovnik” on its route Bar-Bari-Bar (Montenegro-Italy-Montenegro) transported 21.887 passengers, 3.955 cars, 206 camper buses, 44 buses, 888 trucks, 36 trailers and 460 motorcycles. During this period, the ferry departed for Italy 37 times.

The company Barska plovidba AD has been in charge for the route between Bar and Bari for the last two years in cooperation with its Croatian partner Jadrolinija from Rijeka, whose ship "Dubrovnik", for the second year in a row, connects the coasts of Montenegro and Italy, a line that exists over half a century.

The ferry "Dubrovnik" has connected Italian and Montenegrin coasts on the Bar-Bari-Bar route from May 22, 2018, according to Barska plovidba. The leaders of AD Barska plovidba and Jadrolinija from Rijeka signed an agreement on cooperation in 2018, which stipulated that during 2018 the ship "Dubrovnik" will cover the route between Montenegro and Italy.

The ferry Dubrovnik has the length of 122,06 metres, a width of 18,82 metres and height of 12,55 metres with a gauge of 4,83 metres.

The ferry’s structure includes a restaurant with 135 seats, a self-service restaurant with 224 seats, a cake shop, a bar with 274 seats, a video hall, a chapel and a playroom for children.

In 2017, the ferry "Dubrovnik" departed for Italy on 44 occasions and transported about 23.500 passengers and about 4,000 vehicles.

"This line was established in 1965, and so far it has transported two million passengers, 240.000 cars and about 100.000 trucks and trailers. For half a century, the number of passengers who have travelled on this route is four times bigger than the total number of people living in Montenegro, and our most successful business years were 1995, 1996, 2006, 2007 and 2008, "said Tihomir Mirković, Acting Director of Barska plovidba.

17 January 2019 - The President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović and UAE Education Minister Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi held a meeting at the initiative of the hosts, where special emphasis on the importance of education was pointed out.

The President informed the interlocutor with the modern achievements of Montenegro and its position in the region and pointed out that the deficit of new knowledge and the application of new technologies was recognized as a key constraint for the further dynamic development of the country. Without new knowledge, in close connection with the use of modern scientific and technological achievements, there can be no progress for any society, said President Đukanoviić.

"We know that UAE has made a strong step forward in this direction and that is why it is essential for us to use excellent friendly relations, among other things, for transferring your experience to Montenegro," he said. Long-Term response to this problem in Montenegro is a radical reform of education, which takes time, but in the meantime, it is also essential to work hard to overcome this problem. He informed UAE Minister Al Hammadi that soon, he would form a special fund that would provide funds for a number of the most talented students for the country's scholarship to study at the most prestigious universities in the world. Since the Emirates have excellent results, he asked the Minister to share experiences with Montenegro regarding this project.

With satisfaction with the meeting and the statement that he had the honor to be in Montenegro, calling it hidden diamond, Minister Al Hammadi elaborated on how they embarked on education reform at the initiative of Crown Prince Mohammed. He said that they went from scratch, knowing that this is a lifelong process, and that applies not only to the university but to the whole system, starting from the kindergarten. He announced that he had been directly involved in the implementation of the reforms before the appointment as Minister, especially at the Khalifa University, which in the meantime occupied the 145th place in the world list of universities, with the ambience to be ranked among the top thirty.

"The secret of our success is to know that the buildings we have built and the money we have are not values of crucial importance, but that human capital is the most valuable asset in our society," said Minister Al Hammadi.

Regarding cooperation with Montenegro, he stressed that there are many ways to make it quicker and faster. I can immediately offer scholarships for Montenegrin students at their universities, or accept groups of high school students from Montenegro to study in their schools. They are ready to accept a delegation from Montenegro these days, who would meet on the spot what they are doing in this area. Speaking about the model of education, he said that from the kindergarten to the university they introduced the subject of designing new technologies, which no one else has in the world. They are ready to work together with Montenegrin colleagues to master the master plan and to help us not repeat the mistakes they made in the process of education reform. Minister Al Hammadi also offered training to the teaching staff, which can very quickly deliver results. He also informed President Đukanoviić in detail about the establishment and functioning of the Fund for Scholarship Scholarships in the world and said that it is entirely identical to the way presented by President Đukanoviić for the establishment of a similar fund in Montenegro.