PM Đukanović receives recognition from State of Israel and Simon Wiesenthal Center

Podgorica, Montenegro (8 May 2016) – Prime Minister Milo Đukanović received today certificates of appreciation from the Israeli Parliament - the Knesset and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Appreciation of the Israeli Parliament is assigned to the Prime Minister for his personal contribution to the development of close and friendly relations between Montenegro and the State of Israel on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Simon Wiesenthal Center awarded the Prime Minister with certificate of appreciation for the constant support to the exhibition "People, Book, Land: The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land", which is held first at UNESCO in Paris and then in Podgorica.

Certificate states Simon Wiesenthal Center's appreciation to the Government of Montenegro and its Prime Minister personally for making this exhibition possible. The exhibition is organised under the auspices of UNESCO and it is co-sponsored by Israel, Canada, the United States and Montenegro.

Israeli Ambassador Yossef Levy said that Prime Minister Đukanović is particularly responsible for a decade of good relations between Israel and Montenegro.

Adviser to the Prime Minister for Legal Affairs Srđan Spaić, who received certificate in PM's name, conveyed Prime Minister's congratulation on the occasion of Independence Day of the State of Israel and expressed his wishes for the overall progress and prosperity of the State of Israel and its friendly people.

"I was asked by the Prime Minister to express his gratitude for the exceptional honour regarding this recognition that pays tribute to the contribution in building friendly relations between these two countries in the past decade since the restoration of Montenegro's independence, the recognition that has special significance for him given the fact that it is assigned by the highest representative body of the Israeli people," PM's Adviser for Legal Affairs Spaić noted.

Mr Spaić pointed out Prime Minister's willingness to continue with versatile contribution to cooperation improvement between Montenegro and Israel in order to deepen relations through political, economic and any other partnership aimed at improvement of people's lives quality of both countries.

Montenegrin candidate for the role of UN Secretary-General and former Prime Minister Igor Lukšić, PM's Chief Political Adviser Milan Roćen, Ambassador of Montenegro to Israel Tamara Mugoša, President of the Jewish community in Montenegro Jasha Alfanadiri and honorary Consul of Montenegro to Israel Nimrod Rinot also received Israeli recognition for the development of relations between the State of Israel and Montenegro.