Montenegro to host 2nd South Eastern European Government Communication Conference (SEECOM 2013)

Podgorica, Montenegro (26 September 2013) -- Government of Montenegro, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Regional Cooperation Council and UNDP Montenegro, will organise the 2nd South Eastern European Government Communication Conference (SEECOM 2013) on 27-29 September in Budva, Montenegro, (Hotel "Queen of Montenegro").

The 2nd SEECOM will seek to establish a non-for-profit professional association of public sector communicators from the South East European countries, based in Budva, and to reaffirm the commitment of government communicators to influencing public policies towards greater transparency, easier access to information, and greater public participation, in line with values and principles of the Budva Declaration adopted last year at the 1st SEECOM conference.

Participants will be senior government communication officials from the South East Europe in their personal and professional capacity, as well as some of the leading communication experts and key-note speakers from Europe and the United States.

The prominent international panellists at the 2nd SEECOM include Jane Morrice, Vice President of the European Economic and Social Committee; John Verrico, President-Elect of the U.S. National Association of Government Communicators; Erik den Hoedt, Director of Communication at the Dutch Government; Anthony Zacharzewski, CEO of the UK-based Democratic Society; Robert Bjarnson and Gunnar Grímsson, President & CEO of the Citizens Foundation of Iceland; public speaking specialist and author Joan Detz; UNDP Knowledge and Innovation expert Giulio Quaggiotto and Adrian Rosenthal, Head of Digital and Social Media, MSL Germany.

The conference will be opened on Friday, 27 September, by Duško Marković, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro; Rastislav Vrbensky, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro; Douglas Jones, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy to Montenegro; Frank Priess, Deputy Head of European and International Cooperation, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Berlin and Jovan Tegovski, Chief of Staff, Regional Cooperation Council.

Accreditations for journalists and photographers who wish to record the conference introductory presentations can be obtained at the PR Bureau of the Government of Montenegro, by phone +382 20 482-848 or through email: biro@gov.me.