JPK, Morning Brief, March 7th, 8th & 9th 2015.pdf

1 | P a g e

DIGEST

March 7th, 8th & 9th 2015

JUGOPETROL “Ozon”: Seabed and offshore zone to be protected by law

Seabed and offshore zone should be protected by law, so that the sea ecosystem and natural wealth

of the Adriatic Sea would be legally protected, since plans of the Government of Montenegro, related

to exploration of oil and natural gas can have adverse effects on the sea eco-system. This was stated

by the “Ozon” environmental movement.

Portals CdM, Vijesti (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

Protest in front of the “Splendid” hotel

NGO “Green Home” is organizing a protest against the activities planned for Adriatic drilling for the

needs of exploring gas and oil. All those supporting “Green Home” can join it on March 10th in front

of the “Splendid” hotel, where the Oil and Gas Summit is to be held.

Broadcaster Pink M TV (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

Procurement

According to the Plan, which the Government has recently adopted, €5.9 million a month is

envisaged to be allocated for procurement of petroleum products.

Broadcaster Pink M TV (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

“Be Responsible” campaign

No irregularities were recorded in relation to business operations of the Jugopetrol’s gas station in

Meljine.

Portals CdM, Analitika (Monday, March 9th 2015)

NGO “Green Home”: Call a referendum on oil and gas exploration

Program Coordinator of the NGO “Green Home”, Natasa Kovacevic, urged the Government to cancel

a public tender for granting concessions for the production of hydrocarbons in the Montenegrin off-

shore zone and enable citizens to express their opinion through a referendum on the future of

coastal areas. It is pointed out that the Ministry of Economy, without consultation, implemented a

process that constantly threatens natural resources, safety and health of citizens and a healthy

environment.

Dailies Vijesti, Dnevne novine, Dan, Broadcaster Vijesti TV (Monday, March 9th 2015)

2 | P a g e

ECONOMY Construction works begin after paying €162 million

After the Government had adopted information from the Ministry of Transport that the constructor

of the Highway Bar-Boljare would be paid €162 million by the end of March, the Deputy Prime

Minister for Economic Policy Vujica Lazovic said that construction of the priority section of the

highway Bar-Boljare was expected to start in the next few weeks. He said €80.9 million should be

paid by 8th March, and the same amount by the end of the month. Asked what stage the

negotiations with the Italian company A2A were at and if the third investor had appeared for the

second block of the Thermal power plant (TE) Pljevlja construction project, Lazovic said that there

was interest from certain investors. He repeated that if an agreement with the A2A on the second

block construction was not achieved by 31st March, the contract on management would not be valid

and the Government would take over the company management.

Dailies Dan, Pobjeda (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

Milo’s company was urgently issued a licence in order to be engaged by the Government

The Engineers Chamber of Montenegro expedited processing of a licence for the company of the

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in order to compete (and win) at the tender bid of the Ministry of

Sustainable Development and Tourism. Thus, Djukanovic’s company Capital Invest got a permit for

designing plan documentation on the National Park Prokletije only four days after application and

three days before the deadline for submitting bids at the tender expired. The Government and the

consortium headed by companies of the PM and his brother Aco Djukanovic had agreed to do

business worth €400.000.

Daily Dan (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

Bankers reluctant to speak of lowering interest rates

Hipotekarna Bank is the only one that provided a concrete answer to the question of “Pobjeda”

whether banks are planning to lower interest rates this year, announcing that they will bring them

down by 1%, but didn’t mention when. All other banks were vague in their answers. Unlike banks,

citizens, business owners and the Central Bank of Montenegro (CBCG) agree that interest rates in

Montenegro are high. CBCG is getting ready to define the highest allowed interest rate and whether

it will intervene, unless there is sufficient drop in interest rates, although it is hard to do in market

economy, remains to be seen. The lowest interest rate, for natural persons, for housing credits, is

currently 6.99%.

Daily Pobjeda (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

Room created for small shareholders to be robbed

The Law on Investment Funds does not forbid transactions between funds managed by the same

association, as long as they take place in accordance with the current regulations, market rules and

at market prices, states the opinion of the Securities Commission, posted on their website. Small

share holders consider this legal solution not so good since in the case of transactions between funds

managed by the association one of the funds could lose its resources for the sake of another, which

3 | P a g e

could cause damage to small shareholders. Independent MP, Mladen Bojanic, thinks that the

fundamental problem in the operation of privatisation-investment funds is poor supervision. He

thinks that funds are left at the mercy of management associations, which were mostly sucking

assets out of the funds.

Daily Dan (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

Prof. Rade Ratkovic, Ph.D. on tourist season

We should not have high hopes when it comes to the winter tourist season, since we have a lot of

competition both in the region and globally, but what we do have are comparative advantages for

the summer season in the mountains, i.e. nature tourism. Therefore, rural economy needs to be

rebuilt and developed. This summer we can’t expect many more tourists from the Western European

market, because it’s too late. The most we can expect is that all those managing a tourist destination

will come to their senses and do something more for the year of 2016. A true prosperity would be

felt only in three or four years. This was stated by Prof. Rade Ratkovic, Ph.D. in his interview to

“Pobjeda”.

Daily Pobjeda (Monday, March 9th 2015)

Bijelo Polje: Pensioners outnumber employees

There are 7,240 employees in Bijelo Polje, while 4,047 unemployed are registered with the

Employment Agency. A number of users of pension and disability benefits reaches 7,503, while an

average pension amounts to €214, which is one of the lowest in Montenegro. This municipality has

1,494 families receiving social aid, and a total number of users of some form of social aid amounts to

4,940. Average monthly salary of employees in Bijelo Polje is €401, which is 16%, i.e. almost €80 less

than the national average salary.

Daily Vijesti (Monday, March 9th 2015)

HTP “Onogost”: Shareholders dissatisfied with delay in payment of shares

Although a nominal value of shares of the hotel-tourist company (HTP) “Onogost” is €4.09 per share,

minority-shareholders will be paid no more than 93 Euro cents per share, which is three times less.

Namely, 1,502 shareholders have been waiting to be paid off since December 2014, when the former

bankruptcy trustee of the HTP “Onogost”, Dragan Smolovic, submitted to the Commercial Court a

draft decision on payment to creditors and shareholders.

Daily Dan (Monday, March 9th 2015)

POLITICS Tannock’s resolution represents tailwinds for Montenegro

The European Parliament called all NATO member states, particularly EU countries participating in

the Alliance, to support Montenegro’s joining NATO in order to ensure higher security of the Adriatic

area and the region. That has been cited in the resolution of the MP Charles Tannock the EP is going

to discuss at a session on 11th March in Strasbourg. Reactions of political subjects in Montenegro to

the resolution were different. Parties form the ruling coalition welcomed the message assessing it

could represent a “tailwinds” for NATO integrations. Part of the opposition believes that nothing can

4 | P a g e

mitigate the stance of France which could veto NATO membership of Montenegro. “No resolution or

false surveys can mask the decision of Mr. François Hollande and the fact France vetoed

Montenegro’s and other countries joining NATO”, spokesman of the New Serbs Democracy (NOVA)

Jovan Vucurovic said.

Daily Pobjeda (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

Reveal names of criminals

The Government of Montenegro has to show will in fighting organized crime and corruption and

political influence on judiciary should be diminished, the draft or resolution of the European

Parliament said. The EP will discuss the Resolution of MP Charles Tannock on 11th March. Among

other things, by the resolution EP requires to set deadlines to the judiciary and police to get

investigations, indictments and verdicts on all levels including high level corruption.

Daily Vijesti (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

The regime tried to hide the message from France

Commenting on the French President François Hollande‘s statement on NATO enlargement,

President of the New Serbs Democracy (NOVA) Andrija Mandic said Mr. Hollande sent a clear and

unambiguous message that NATO did not wont Montenegro and other member states of the former

communist bloc aspiring to join the Alliance. Mr. Mandic said the statement had been carried in

Montenegro a day later and the regime wanted to present it as a disinformation, although it was

Holland’s attempt to contribute peaceful ending of the Ukraine crisis by fulfilling Russia’s demand to

stop NATO enlargement towards its borders.


Hollande talked about Georgia, not Montenegro

The daily Dnevne novine was told in the NATO headquarters in Brussels that the statement of the

French President François Hollande had not referred to Montenegro, but to Georgia. The daily’s

source said Georgia was ready for the Membership Action Plan (MAP), but given the Ukraine crisis

and unstable relations to Russia, Hollande had repeated the stance that Germany and France had

since 2008 – no MAP for Georgia. The source said there were no indications during the last week that

France would oppose Montenegro to join NATO.

Daily Dnevne novine (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

Movement for Neutrality: Steinacker caused a diplomatic scandal

The German Ambassador to Montenegro Gudrun Elisabeth Steinacker caused a diplomatic scandal

when she said the French President François Hollande on NATO enlargement had not been referring

to Montenegro, Vladislav Dajkovic, member of the Movement for Neutrality, said. “The comment is

more awkward given the fact that the French Ambassador Véronique Brumeaux did not publicly

comment the Holland’s statement”, Dajkovic said, adding that NATO membership of Montenegro

represented only one of numerous issues Germany and France had.


Bakir Izetbegovic: Turner’s letter sent to the wrong address

5 | P a g e

Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bakir Izetbegovic, stated, in response to

the U.S. Congressman, Michael Turner, that his viewpoints, presented in the letter on the issue of

border between Montenegro and BiH, were sent to the wrong address, since the debate on this

matter is ongoing in the Parliament of BiH. Mr Izetbegovic suggested that Mr Turner sends the letter

to the leadership and the competent authorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, or to the

President of the BiH Presidency, Mladen Ivanic. Mr Izetbegovic stated that whoever suggested Mr

Turner to address the letter to him, perhaps because he was the one behind the initiative on

Sutorina, was wrong. In his letter to Mr Izetbegovic, Mr Turner warned that the U.S.A. might

discontinue their aid to BiH unless it gives up on the border dispute with Montenegro about Sutorina.

Dailies Pobjeda, Dan, Vijesti (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

U.S.A. support NATO enlargement, invitation for Montenegro certain

The statement of the French President, Francois Hollande, on the necessity to stop the enlargement

of NATO, comes in the moment when nationalism is flourishing in France and is given only to get

more points with the voters before the elections. This statement has nothing to do with Montenegro

as well as with the general feelings about the enlargement, stated analyst Dusan Janjic. As Mr Janjic

says, Mr Hollande failed to score any points both on the home front and within the international

community. Majority of NATO members, including the U.S.A., agree that the past four years, when

the enlargement was slowed down almost to a halt, were a mistake. Such autistic behaviour of the

Alliance contributed to the weakening of the EU. The U.S.A. remain committed to the enlargement,

as U.S. Vice President, Joseph Biden, said publically to the Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, and the

Secretary of State, John Kerry, repeated. Mr Janjic claims Montenegro will get the invitation to NATO

by the end of the year.

Daily Pobjeda (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

Snezana Jonica: I haven’t signed addition to the Law on Media

MP of the SNP, Snezana Jonica, denied the information that appeared in the media that she is one of

the signees to the additions to the Law on the Media that a group of MPs submitted for

parliamentary procedure on Friday. She said that the SDP MP, Rifat Rastoder, sent her the Law but

that she didn’t sign it. The proposed Law stipulates that the competent court, at the proposal of the

Prosecution, can place a ban on distribution, that is, broadcasting information, through a media,

which calls for a violent overturning of the constitutional order, infringement of the territorial

integrity of Montenegro, which violates public moral standards and violates guaranteed rights and

freedoms, causes or promotes national racial or religious hatred or discrimination.


Dritan Abazovic is calling for a clean-up within the opposition

Opposition unity will be in jeopardy for as long as the players of the regime are nto eliminated from

the opposition scene and reckless individuals are pacified, stated the official of the Civil Movement

(GP), Dritan Abazovic. He pointed out that the opposition must cooperate and insist upon unity. Mr

Abazovic also said that although the current fragmentation within the opposition block may seem

like a bad thing to an outside observer, it is actually very beneficial and necessary. He also said that

6 | P a g e

the GP has especially good communication and cooperation with the leader of the DF, Miodrag Lekic,

and some other leaders gathering new, young forces.

Daily Vijesti (Monday, March 9th 2015)

U.S.A. are pushing for enlargement, France reserved

The statement of the French President, Francois Hollande, that NATO enlargement should be

stooped, is actually a message for Russia, not Montenegro. In this way, France has demonstrated a

softer approach, so as not to jeopardise further its relations with Russia, stated the Professor at the

Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, Radovan Vukadinovic. He said that the enlargement doesn’t

suit Russia and that they are very pleased with this message. Montenegro needs to be balancing

between two fires right now. Currently, there is a subtle conflict between the position of the U.S.A.

that the Ukrainian crisis must be responded to by NATO enlargement and the European position that

a compromise with Russia needs to be struck. Mr Vukadinovic says that the American viewpoint, that

Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia are the first line of defence

from Russia, is well known.


Rasko Konjevic: If there is no invitation to NATO, there will be elections

Minister of Interior, Rasko Konjevic, stated that if the invitation for Montenegro to become a

member of NATO wouldn’t come, or conditions weren’t met for making progress in the EU

integrations, related to chapters 23 and 24, elections would be the only remaining options, as this

would mark a big failure for the Government. Commenting on the statement of the French President,

Francois Hollande, that NATO enlargement should be stooped, Mr Konjevic stated that the

conclusions of the Wales summit confirmed the progress Montenegro made, that the viewpoint of

France must be taken into consideration, as it is one of the most important members of NATO, but

that he believes that all other key members will remain supportive of the enlargement policy. Mr

Konjevic reminded about the clear support for Montenegrin membership of the U.S. Vice President,

Joseph Biden, and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, expressed recently in Munich.

Daily Dan (Monday, March 9th 2015)

SOCIETY Education to Goranovic, culture to Ljumovic?

The Head of the Institute for Education and author Pavle Goranovic will be one of the three new

ministers in the Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic’s Government. They will be appointed at the

Parliament meeting on 17th March. As the TV Vijesti found out, new candidates for ministers of

education, culture and healthcare will be presented at the session of the DPS Presidency on 15th

March. If Goranovic is appointed minister of education, candidate for the head of the Ministry of

Culture would be Janko Ljumovic, current director of the National Theatre. Possible candidate for

that position could be the Mayor of Cetinje Aleksandar Bogdanovic. It is still unknown who would be

appointed as healthcare minister, but media speculated it could be Budimir Segrt, the director of the

Hospital Meljine.

Daily Vijesti (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

7 | P a g e

Damir Mandic's detention extended

The Appellate Court of Montenegro rejected as unfounded appeals of attorneys of Damir Mandic,

defendant in the murder of journalist Dusko Jovanovic case. This is the third trial in this murder case.

In the first trial, Mandic had been acquitted by the judge Radovan Mandic, but the verdict was

reversed. In the repeated trial he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but the Appellate Court

reduced the sentence to 18 years in prison.

Dailies Dan, Vijesti, Pobjeda, Dnevne novine (Saturday, March 7th 2015)

MANS criticised decisions of RAE

NGO MANS will submit to the Supreme State Prosecution documentation on serious abuse of office

and decisions made that harmed consumers so that energy production and distribution companies

can make profit. Losses in the power grid (technical losses) are a significant item on electricity bills

and consumers have been paying for years for the enormous losses, which are only a result of

classical negligence in the operation of the Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG). He EPCG

is not making sufficient investments in the development of the distribution network. Instead, the

company keeps tenths of millions of Euros in private bank accounts. MANS communicated that the

Energy Production Regulatory Agency (RAE) didn’t deny any of the allegations of the NGO.

Daily Vijesti (Sunday, March 8th 2015)

Sveto’s wife hid $3.8 million in a Swiss bank

Documents of the Swiss branch of the HSBC Bank, in possession of an international group of

journalists, show that the wife of the Deputy President of the DPS, Svetozar Marovic, Djordjina, had

$3.8 million in the account in this bank, back in 2006-2007. He failed to report this in his property

card. He reported other property, movable and immovable. “Dan” reported last year that the

Prosecution was interviewing Mr Marovic about the origin of his property. Prosecution itself

communicated there was no investigation against Mr Marovic.

Dailies Vijesti, Dan (Monday, March 9th 2015)

Prosecution is investigating Veselin Veljovic’s contracts

The Supreme State Prosecution (VDT) started gathering additional documentation related to the

construction of the Podgorica police building, which, as the opposition claims, caused millions of

damage to the state. The Prosecution will try and determine whether there were any illegal activities

taking place in this matter. It is still uncertain whether former director of the Police Authority,

Veselin Veljovic, his former deputy, Dragoslav Minic, and the owner of the company “Celebic”,

Tomislav Celebic, will be summoned for questioning. Concrete conclusions of the VDT will be known

by the end of April.

Daily Dnevne novine (Monday, March 9th 2015)