February 2011
Real Estate Owners Waiting Buyers from Russia Slovenia and Bulgaria Support Montenegro in European Integration The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the European Integration of Montenegro, Mr. Milan Roćen had a meeting with the Ambassador of Slovenia, Jernej Videtic and the Ambassador of Bulgaria, Maja Dobreva. In the meeting with the Slovenian Ambassador, good bilateral relations of the two countries were confirmed and Slovenia also expressed its readiness to provide concrete help to Montenegro and its institutions during the European integration process. The Ambassador of Bulgaria congratulated Montenegro on receiving candidate status for membership of the EU and pointed out that Bulgaria would also support Montenegro with its efforts on the path to European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Border Crossing with Serbia will not Change Until October Until September 30th, 2011, citizens of Montenegro and Serbia will be able to cross the border between the two countries the same as they now. However, after that date, new regulations will become effective. This was agreed by the Montenegrin and Serbian Ministers of Internal Affairs. Harmonised regulations with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia will be valid from September 30th, 2011. According to these regulations, underage citizens will also be able to cross the border between the two countries with only a passport or an identification card.
Montenegrin Electrical Enterprise to Become an Important Exporter Montenegro, which usually has an energy deficit, fulfilled its annual plans for hydropower plants in only a few months in 2010 because of exceptionally favourable hydro energy and great inflows. This means that considerable amounts of electrical energy could have been exported. This is also confirmed by EFT Grupa, the leading supplier of electrical energy in central and south-east Europe and one of the biggest trade partners of the Montenegrin Electrical Enterprise (EPCG).
Building Permits and Permits of Occupancy Online With the objective of increasing transparency, all building permits and permits of occupancy will be available on the website of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro. All interested parties will be able to find out who the investor is, for which facility a permit has been issued, the numbers of any urban and cadastre parcels, information about the facility, such as purpose, size, number of floors, and any other relevant documentation. In the case of a building permit, it will be possible to see who has prepared the main design project and who has carried out the audit, while in the case of an occupancy permit, it will be possible to see who has carried out any technical controls.
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The price of real estate only fell in the north of Montenegro. The fall in prices in Podgorica is symbolic compared with the situation in 2006 and in 2007. Prices on the coast have not decreased at all because owners are waiting for a new wave of buyers from Russia. The price of real estate in Herceg Novi has not changed, which means that a square metre in an apartment costs €1,400 to 3,000, and some apartments even cost as much as €5,000 per square metre.
Good Relations Between China and Montenegro During the first day of the official visit to the All-China National People’s Congress, the delegation of the Committee for International Relations and European Integration of the Parliament of Montenegro met the vice president of the Chinese Congress, who confirmed that the Chinese consistently appreciate the fact that Montenegro supports the politics of a unified China.
Agreement Signed to Implement and put into Action the ‘Week of Savings’ At the beginning of November 2010, the Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro and representatives from various commercial banks signed an Agreement to implement and put into action the ‘Week of Savings’. Montenegrin banks responded to this invitation from the Central Bank after just week. They were happy to join the action entitled “The First Step towards a Dream Come True” in the ‘Week of Savings’. It was emphasized that encouraging saving would be the only marketing element that the Central Bank would support during the following period, bearing in mind its importance for stability in the banking system and its macroeconomic implications for economic growth. The Central Bank’s initiative, the ‘Week of Saving’ was, as in the previous years, organized in cooperation with Atlasmont Bank, Crnogorska Komercijalna Bank, NLB Montenegro Bank, Prva Bank, Hipotekarna Bank, Hypo-Alpe-Adria Bank, Erste Bank, Invest Bank Montenegro, Podgorička Bank Societe Generale Group, Komercijalna Bank AD Budva and First Financial Bank.
Sweden’s Sweco wins Environmental Contract in Montenegro The Swedish consultancy group, Sweco, said that it has been chosen by the Montenegrin Environment Ministry to improve the ecosystem in and around lake Skadar. The contract is worth over €675,000.
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