05 January 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković spoke on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of Christmas and said that over one century it is possible to see the consequences that a profound split and conflict have left on the Montenegrin entity. Today it is important to understand the then misconceptions of one and the vision and the sacrifice of others in defense of the threatened rights to the Montenegrin name and uniqueness. The victims of the uprising and the severe suffering of Montenegrin families in the years of terror found peace in the renewal of state independence in 2006.

"On this day, a hundred years ago, a Christmas uprising took place. A rebellion started against the suppression of the Montenegrin name and the Montenegrin state. The defense of dignity and the right to self-belonging of the Montenegrin people started. These bright ideals, embedded in the foundation of the national and state entity of Montenegro, were defended by the insurgents under the slogan 'For Justice, honour and freedom of Montenegro'," Prime Minister Duško Marković said at Zetski dom at Cetinje.

The prime minister urged historians to explore one century ago, saying that the truth is needed in present-day Montenegro to overcome the divisions.

"Let historians summarise the facts about the tragic fate of our country at the end of the First World War. Let them explore the facts about the illegitimate Podgorica Assembly and the Christmas uprising, as a direct answer to its fatal decisions. Let them objectively see the causes and consequences of the events that led the Montenegrins to turn weapons on one another. This truth is necessary for modern Montenegro, today perhaps more than ever before. Not to deepen the division among us by celebrating the tragedy of a historical event, but precisely to bury those divisions on the foundations of the historical truth, once and for all," the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Marković said that from a distance of one century, we see the consequences that such a deep split and conflict has left in the Montenegrin entity.

"I believe that today we need to understand the delusion of ones in difficult and troubled times, just like the vision and the sacrifice of others in defending the threatened right to a Montenegrin name and uniqueness. Not to equalise their historical role in the tragic Montenegrin history, because they placed themselves where they were taken by their misconceptions and their ideals, but to free present-day Montenegro of the darkness of these divisions. Deeply bowing to the heroic sacrifice of Christmas insurgents as well as the severe suffering of Montenegrin families in the years of terror that followed - today we can rightly say that those victims and these sufferings were granted their well-deserved serenity in the renewal of the Montenegrin name and the Montenegrin state on May 21, 2006" Prime Minister Marković emphasised.

The Prime Minister stated that modern Montenegro needs memory and respect of the glorious ancestors and their work, that without this foundation and the roadmap there would be no present-day Montenegro, its name would have disappeared.

"I am convinced, however, that the Montenegrin name cannot be preserved today only by remembering the glorious and tragic past. For its defence, for its permanent place on the map of the modern world, it takes much more than - let me say - "punching in the heroic chest". To survive, the Montenegrin national name and identity must face the temptations imposed by the civilised world today. And to succeed in this, we all need to have enough wisdom, sufficient vision and sufficient understanding for the others, so that we do not fall behind in this contemporary challenge," Prime Minister Duško Marković said.

"After the renewal of independence, we aimed our state path at European and Euro-Atlantic integration, we had in mind such Montenegro: capable of being, in a democratic and economic sense, an equal part of the community of the most developed countries and peoples," Prime Minister said.

"Today there is no longer any dilemma if we are going to succeed - some of these goals have already been achieved, and some are within hands reach. Never in our history, our country has had such a position and such a place in the international community. Also, Montenegro has never had the most dynamic economy in the Balkans, with the highest living standard in the region, with economic growth rates among the highest in Europe in recent years. And nobody brought those results out of somewhere to Montenegro. We did it ourselves: our dedicated administration, and our hard-working citizens. Therefore, I would like to see more respect, as well as from ourselves, to present day Montenegro and its perspective. And less distrust in our abilities and our institutions. Less unfounded concerns about our state dignity, and much less excitement for the peripheral deniers of all Montenegrin, or those who are fighting for their own, appropriating our century-old identity," the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded a speech at the Solemn Academy on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Christmas uprising by the assurance that independent, self-aware and brave Montenegro is the safest defence of the Montenegrin name and the state identity.

"In this way, we will best keep the memory of the famous ancestors and their sacrifices, from all Montenegrin battles and rebellions lifted - for freedom. Today, on the anniversary of the Christmas uprising, which sparks flashed here at the throne of Cetinje, I would like to say that the heroism of the insurgents obliges us to continue building Montenegro according to the level of modern civilization and democratic values by which is adorned. Today, I see in that the meaning of the message of the Christmas uprising: For justice, honour and freedom of Montenegro. Let it be eternal glory and thanks to Christmas insurgents!" Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded.

04 January 2019 - The five pillars on the Moračica bridge, which is also the most demanding structure of the first section of the highway from Smokovac to Mateševo, will be connected by the beginning of summer 2019. More than 130 workers constructed the bridge, and there are many difficulties within the construction process, such as the height and the weather conditions.

Despite the strong wind that is characteristic of Bioče area, 130 workers do construction works on one of the highest bridges within the region, each day at the height of 160 meters.

About 30,000 cubic meters of concrete will be used for the Moračica's span construction, while 5,000 tons of reinforcement will be installed within the construction.

"The spanning structure is built from all pillars, and it is connected in the middle. About one segment of three and a half meters is built for about ten days, which means that we are looking forward to the beginning of the summer when the span construction will be complete, “chief Section 1 engineer Duško Rondović said to the National News Agency TVCG.

After that, asphalting and construction of the reflecting fence and installations on the bridge will begin. During the asphalting process, travelers will be able to get from Moračica to Podgorica through the Mrka tunnel and the Mrka bridge.

"The left bridge is practically complete; the span construction is connected. It remains to build four segments on the right side of the bridge. We expect this to be complete sometime in the spring. In front of this bridge there is the Mrka tunnel where we have just finished the secondary coating, "said Rondović.

In addition to the tunnel Mrka, in the so-called first section of the highway, there will be two more tunnels - Suka and Verešnik, and a total of 300 workers are engaged in the construction works.

Source: CDM

02 January 2018 - This year's Forbes list of the best budget destinations offers something for every type of traveller. Aside from San Antonio in Texas, USA and Taipei in Taiwan, the popular business magazine included the Balkan Peninsula, and Herceg Novi in the 18 best budget destinations for 2019.

Some people may not be able or willing to spend much money, but wish to travel around the world anyhow. The ever-growing travel wish lists are definitely putting a lot of pressure on our budget. Luckily, there are plenty of destinations where you can get all the options you dream about without breaking the bank.

There are many tips and tricks on keeping expenses low while travelling, such as travelling around cities by foot, cycling, hitchhiking, using cheaper options when it comes to public transport, camping, buying food and necessities in supermarkets, self-catering, visiting free museums, galleries, joining group tours etc. Another way to save money is to calculate or evaluate a travel budget before the departure. It certainly helps to know the budget and the cost of living of the country you are traveling to.

It is also beneficial to learn about cheap destinations that can make your dreams a reality. Alexandra Talty, the senior contributor to Forbes Magazine, recently wrote an article on “The 18 Best Budget Travel Destinations For 2019”. As she wrote in the article, from the Philippines to Armenia, this list of the best budget travel destinations has something to offer to every kind of traveller.  The article explains that many places can provide an outsized experience that is still affordable to many.

Talty’s List of Budget Travel Destinations for 2019 includes Herceg Novi as the most representative budget destination of this part of Europe. She wrote that if a traveller wants to experience Europe on a budget, she would recommend exploring the Balkan Peninsula. Talty considers that Croatia is the most popular Balkan country, but it can be quite expensive, so she recommends starting a trip around the Balkan Peninsula in Herceg Novi, Montenegro!

The journalist quoted traveller expert’s review of their visit to Montenegro: “I spent five days in Montenegro last year, and I felt like it was never enough. We went on a boat tour to Perast, Porto Montenegro, Our Lady of the Rocks and wrapped up the trip by kayaking and paddle boarding on the beach nearby. Other fun activities include paragliding and diving. The best part is that all of these activities are way cheaper compared to other European cities.”

List of Budget Travel Destinations for 2019 also includes San Antonio (Texas), Puebla (Mexico), Hawaii (USA), St. Helena, Province of Laguna (the Philippines), Agra (India), Budapest (Hungary), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Gobi Desert (Mongolia), South Africa, Zanzibar, Armenia, Serbia, Transylvania (Romania), George Town (Malaysia), Moscow (Russia) and Taipei (Taiwan).

01 January 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković said in an interview for a special holiday edition of Pobjeda daily that there is no compromise on the State and the issues that are of interest to all its citizens. We have determined, the Prime Minister pointed out, the directions of development that are focused on the European quality of life. 

"At the level at which these two interests coincide, any possibility of compromise with those who think or wish contrary to interest of Montenegro and all of its citizens, regardless of political commitment, national or religious affiliation, ceases. If it were different, then we would talk about some other values, and that cannot happen in today's Montenegro," PM Marković stressed.

When asked about the social consensus within Montenegro and the dialogue, the Prime Minister said that the intention of his permanent invitation for dialogue was that opposition subjects should be distanced from their commitment to political ghettoization, which naturally does not contribute to the prosperity of society and the welfare of citizens. 

"Only in institutions we can represent the interests of citizens, and I am convinced that the boycott, regardless of motives, is undermining the political system and democracy," PM Marković noted. 

Recalling the complex political situation since the beginning of the Government's mandate and the need to deal with fiscal challenges, Prime Minister Marković said that the results were achieved in terms of consolidating public finances. 

"The robust economic growth of 4.7 percent in 2017 and 4.9 in the first nine months of 2018 indicate that in the past two years we have been successful and that we have largely solved the essential issues of relevance to the economic progress of the country," the Prime Minister said, reminding that the number of employees has increased by over 11,000, that the gross income per capita has increased and the stability of public services has been ensured. 

In order to achieve these indicators it was important, the Prime Minister added, to improve the administration and institutional system, remove barriers and improve the business environment, and integration into NATO and negotiations with the EU gave significant contribution. 

When asked when citizens will start to feel the positive effects of the results he is talking about, the Prime Minister said that he is convinced that Montenegrin citizens are already feeling the effects of a two-year strong economic growth. 

"Our focus was on directing the effects of economic growth on further building of social infrastructure and improving the quality of public services order to improve the standard of living of citizens. In particular, we have worked to ensure that economic growth is reflected in an increase in employment, while preserving the level of salaries, pensions and social benefits in the country, at a time of fiscal consolidation. We succeeded in that," he said, adding that the quality of life is not only determined by the salary. 

The Prime Minister also spoke of many other benefits that the thousands of citizens gained through numerous incentives, for example, in education and agriculture. He said that over 12,000 pupils, students or their parents felt concrete financial benefits in the past two years. 

Pointing to the fact that agro-budget is growing year after year, PM Marković said that we have dozens of programmes and incentives for farmers. He said that about 10 thousand producers were supported with around EUR 10 million through the programmes of direct payments. 

"In the next two years of the mandate, the Government will work to create the preconditions for continuing economic growth and its even stronger impact on increasing the employment and income of citizens, i.e. the growth in the average salary in the country and pensions. We carefully look at possible ways of increasing the minimum wage," Prime Minister emphasised. 

Furthermore, he talked about the need to fight the grey economy and in that context announced the amendment of several tax laws, but also stressed the need for synergy between the institutions in charge of this area, that is, the inspection, the police and the prosecution.

PM Marković also spoke about the EU integration process and stated that the opening of the chapter Environment is a great success for Montenegro: "At the same time, it is a great obligation, but also an opportunity to use our potentials and preserve the environment. This is the essence of negotiation and approximation process with EU values." 

We are guided, as he said, by the quality, not only the speed, but we will not ignore the importance of the dynamics of progress along that path. He pointed out that opening of chapter 8 is a priority, but also an opportunity for an even stronger dialogue with the European Commission and Member States on the process of closing the chapter. 

"The European Commission and the Member States stated 2025 as the possible date for a new enlargement. We will certainly do everything that is up to us to make the dynamics as successful as possible and make this date a reality," the Prime Minister said. 

Responding to questions about legalization, PM Marković said he was satisfied with the number of reported illegally built facilities. He stated that the ultimate goal of legalization was not only to list illegally built facilities, but also to legalize and invest the fees for utility planning in the infrastructure. 

He pointed out that new illegal construction will absolutely not be tolerated, and that we notice that local governments and their administration are the main point of slowing down these processes, because they do not use possibilities given by the Law. 

Asked whether the concession at the Airports of Montenegro will definitely be given in the next year, and whether he expects this to provoke a crisis of coalition government, the Prime Minister said that the state of the infrastructure is a serious obstacle for further dynamic development and that investment in it has no alternative. 

"In particular, we do not have time to arbitrate on different political approaches. In this context, the urgent development and valorization of the airport is a necessity, precisely because close to two-thirds of those who come to Montenegro come through our airports. Do we need any further elaboration," the Prime Minister concluded. 

01 January 2018 - More than 2,1 million tourists came to Montenegro in 2018, with the total profit higher than 1 billion EUR in the first nine months. There have been over 12 and a half million of overnights. The year 2018 was definitely an impressive year, said the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Pavle Radulović. 

“Both pre and post season in 2018 was record. Another impressive fact is that that for the first time in the history of Montenegro, there were million tourists in Montenegrin hotels,” said Radulović.

Taking into consideration the hotels that are being constructed or those that have been planned, we can expect significant expansion of the capacities of high-quality accommodation.

“We are going to keep up with the work on achieving our strategic objective in tourism, and that is making Montenegro high-quality tourism destination. Such results are encouraging and make us happy, but they also oblige us to commit so that trend of growth and progress in tourism continues,” said Radulović.

He points out that Montenegrin winter centers are competitive with the countries from the region thanks to the diversity of offer, quality and prices. 

“When it comes to Kolašin, I am sure that, with the development of ski centers and other amenities, it can attract a much higher number of tourists. Also, I think that Kolašin and Žabljak should not be competitive with one another, but with other regional centers. It is important to point out that infrastructure in the mountains is used during summer too. We are continuously investing in winter centers because that way we will provide promotion of different segments of tourism offer, extend the season in the northern part of our state and improve accommodation capacities. All this will be followed by connection with other relevant economic areas, and that will create new jobs,” said Radulović.

As Radulović states, total amount of investments in development and tourism projects is around 214 million EUR.

Asked what the key amendments of the existing Law on on tourism are, Radulović explained that one of the key objectives of that Law was minimizing all forms of the grey zone in tourism, along with raising the level of consumers protection.

“Although full controls have been carried out successfully during the season, the practice has shown that it is necessary to amend specific segments so that the Law can be applied more easily. The domain of tourism and hotel industry is very complex, and it is directly or indirectly related to other domains. That is why we had to amend specific items and define them more clearly,” explained Radulović.

One of the challenges tourism industry is faced with is the lack of staff.

“The highest deficit refers to the first and the second education level, where the demand exceeds the supply by even up to 40%. Increase in accommodation capacities and diversification of the offer in tourism require new staff and, in that context, there is training for professional education and acquiring qualifications that will satisfy specific requirements and types of offer in the tourism sector. In the forthcoming period, we will be working on improving the image of professional occupations via some promotional campaigns,” says Radulović.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro

30 December 2018 - "The Western Balkans need to become part of the European Union (EU) as soon as possible, and we will remain committed to providing support to our partners in the region," said Romanian foreign affairs minister Teodor Melescanu.

This is especially important due to the fact Romania is to take over presidency over the Council of the EU as of 1 January, and Melescanu stressed that it would be essential for Montenegro to open all negotiation chapters to come closer to the European community.

“Romania will continue with encouraging the enlargement process by using all the forthcoming key moments for further promotion of the EU involvement in the region, as well as commitment of our partners to reforms and demographic transformations. We will keep stressing the importance of joint support to the Western Balkans in order to be able to respond to the requirements of the accession process,” concluded Melescanu.

They have been, Melescanu said, fully aware of the fact Montenegro needs to open all negotiation chapters while at the same time being focused on the internal preps, which enable closing of some chapters.

Back in July 2018, representatives of the Government of Montenegro hosted the Prime Minister of Romania, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, who paid an official visit to Montenegro.

"We particularly appreciate the visit of Prime Minister Dăncilă ahead of Romania's first presidency of the EU Council next year, in the first half of 2019. At the same time, we want to congratulate you in advance and wish Romania success during the presidency and thank you for the fact that Montenegro and the Western Balkans are already high on their agenda," the Prime Minister of Montenegro said during this occasion.

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.

29 December 2018 - On the occasion of the New Year and Christmas holidays, the Ministry of Defence established earlier this morning a video link with the Marmal base in Afghanistan and members of the IX contingent of the Armed Forces of Montenegro in the Resolute Support mission.

Montenegro's soldiers were addressed by Minister of Defence Predrag Boškovićand Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, Brigadier General Dragutin Dakič. They pointed out that not only the Armed Forces but the whole of Montenegro is proud of Montenegro's soldiers in Afghanistan.

Wishing them to return to their families with their regular obligations in Montenegro, Minister Bošković emphasised the reputation Montenegrin soldiers have in this, but also in all missions and operations in which they participate.

"All information indicates that a Montenegrin soldier is an example of a soldier in the Resolute Support mission. We work together to raise the quality of the entire Armed Forces and the capabilities of each of its members. You need to know that everything we do here is done for you in missions, away from your homes and your country," he stressed.

The Defence Minister added that the Ministry and the Armed Forces of Montenegro would continue to do so in the future, regardless of their size and possibilities, to contribute to the global aspirations for maintaining international peace and stability.

"And when you return, we should together build the Armed Forces of Montenegro and place it on the playground where it had been through Montenegrin history, as one of the most appreciated parts of the society," Minister Bošković concluded.

General Dakić said that he is still under the impressions from his recent visit to members of the IX contingent, especially because of the assessments he heard in Afghanistan from allies and partners about the way Montenegro's soldiers perform their tasks. "You have set standards not only for the Montenegrin Army but also for the partners with whom you are on the mission," the Chief of General Staff underscored.

He concluded by telling the soldiers in the Resolute Support mission to be persistent and professional until the end, as a Montenegrin soldier is expected to be.

29 December 2018 - The Government of Montenegro adopted the Programme prepared by the Ministry of Science for encouraging innovative startups in Montenegro, which will contribute to the creation of attractive solutions for the innovative ecosystem.

The Program was adopted along with the Action Plan 2019-2021 and represents the result of a half-year cooperation within the national partnership for creating an innovative ecosystem and expert support, through the project Horizon 2020.

“The Program itself includes measures for eliminating legal obstacles, development of advanced financial systems, encouraging and attracting talents with the aim of creating knowledge and new values, fostering an entrepreneurial culture and access to markets of innovative and entrepreneurial projects,” the Ministry of Science said.

The Government allocated around 4.5 million EUR for encouraging innovative startups over three years.

At the World Summit Awards in Vienna, which took place in March 2018, the Montenegrin innovation Beeand.me was named the best innovation in the Business and Commerce category. The World Summit Awards is awarded each year to local digital innovations that, by their creation and action, managed to create value that has influenced the development and prosperity of society.

BeeAnd.me is a Montenegrin startup founded in 2016 by young researchers Elma Hot and Alija Dervic, students of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Montenegro. Elma is a student of master studies and is engaged in the first Montenegrin Centre for Excellence in Bioinformatics (BIO-ICT). After completing his master's studies and engagements at the BIO-ICT Centre, Alija continued his Ph.D. studies at the Technical University of Vienna, where he was engaged at the EMCE Institute.

29 December 2018 - A group of deputies of the ruling coalition has recently submitted an amendment to the Draft Law on the Government budget, which envisages new aid to the flag carrier Montenegro Airlines (MA) of 5,5 million EUR. That is just one of a dozen amendments that were submitted to the bill, reports Montenegrin news agency, Dan.

Namely, in the explanation of the Draft Law, it is stated that the funds above will be provided to Montenegro Airlines if legal requirements for the use of funds are met, all to fulfil the obligations of this company.

The explanation of the submitted amendment also states that the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, headed by Osman Nurković, submitted an updated request to the Ministry of Finance on December 25 on the above issue.

It is expected that in the forthcoming period the amendment will be accepted and the company will receive new budget support. Last year (2017), the company acquired 15 million EUR from the state, while it is unclear whether the country provided aid to MA in 2018. Montenegro Airlines currently has an accumulated deficit of over 70 million EUR.

Montenegro Airlines is the flag carrier of Montenegro that operates scheduled and charter services throughout Europe from its hub at Podgorica Airport with a second base maintained at Tivat Airport. The company has an excellent reputation for a safe and reliable carrier, and the country decided to provide all the support Montenegro Airlines needs in overcoming its financial difficulties.

29 December 2018 - In Montenegro, Christmas Eve is celebrated on the 6th January and Christmas Day falls on the 7th January because the main Orthodox Churches still use the old 'Julian' Calendar. In the Orthodox Church, Advent starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast, and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).

Christmas Eve is called 'Badnji dan' during the day and 'Badnje veče' after sunset. It's a time where families prepare for Christmas. Many don't eat food that comes from animals on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve morning, it was traditional for men to go out into the woods and cut a type of Yule Log called a 'Badnjak' (Christmas Eve tree), generally from an oak tree. Now more people live in towns and cities, and they can buy a Badnjak from the market! The Badnjak is brought into the house on Christmas Eve evening and is meant to burn through the evening and night.

Outside of churches, there are often large bonfires where people gather in the early evening on Christmas Eve. There are sometimes nativity and Christmas plays put on either outside or inside the churches. People can bring special Badnjak to put on the bonfires.

There are two Orthodox Churches in Montenegro, The Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. They have different main Cathedrals and have two large bonfires outside them on Christmas Eve.

'Česnica' is a special kind of bread made at Christmas and it's made in a round shape. The bread is passed around, and each member of the family gets a piece. There is a coin hidden in it and whoever gets the coin will be particularly fortunate in the next year! At the main Christmas meal you might also eat 'pečenica' (roast pork), 'sarma' (cabbage stuffed with rice and ground meat) and different kinds of cakes!

Under the dinner table, there should be some straw as a symbol of the stable/cave where Jesus was born. When the straw is spread out, some people make the noise of a chicken! Clucking like a chicken symbolises that Jesus wanted people to follow him like one big family (like chickens gather together!). It's also common for a handful of walnuts to be spread on the straw.

In Montenegrin, you wish a Happy/Merry Christmas with “Hristos se rodi” - Christ is born and “Vaistinu se rodi” - truly born (reply).

Source: Why Christmas – Christmas around the world