DPM Lazović's reponse to DPM Vujović's media address

Dear Mr Vujović,

Firstly, I would emphasise the obvious lack of logic in your address to the media relating to your claim that the A2A rejected the Government's proposal. In your yesterday's letter, you indicated that is your proposal, the one that we waited for ten days. You even boasted that this proposal is better than the Government's one. Today, after it was rejected by the A2A, it is OURS? If the A2A have adopted it, whose proposal would it have been? For the sake of the public, it would be good to clarify this dilemma.

The proposals the Government of Montenegro negotiated with the A2A are well known to the public of Montenegro. The interests of Montenegro are protected, inter alia, through the put option, pre-emption right, consent on the most important projects and waiver of arbitration rights. That kind of protection of the state's interests was not included in the proposals you had submitted to the Government of Montenegro and the A2A.

The claim implying that the A2A board has already reviewed and approved the draft agreement is true. Do you really think that anyone from the Government of Montenegro proposed to the highest executive and legislative bodies the draft agreement that had not previously been considered and approved by the board of directors of the company? On the other hand, that does not mean that these proposals are mandatory, as you are trying to imply. They are subjected to changes until they are approved by the Parliament of Montenegro and signed.

Do not look for an alibi as the A2A did not accept your proposals and do not shift the responsibility to the Government of Montenegro. From the very beginning of the process, the Government has shown the best intentions, and provided you with all the technical and legal assistance to formulate your modalities in a way that are legally valid and acceptable. You have chosen a solution that is neither one nor the other.

Once again I remind you that, by rejecting the Government's proposal of the Shareholder’s' Agreements, the opposition troika also rejected:

1. The right of pre-emption, which means that the A2A can sell its shares to whomever they want;
2. Waiver of arbitration rights;
3. Approval of the minority shareholders regarding the implementation of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja project;
4. Waiver of dissenting shareholders' right under the Company Law;
5. The possibility of acquiring shares of the Electric Power Plant of Montenegro (EPCG) held by the A2A for 250 million in 7 annual installments.

If all this is not true, I expect you to deny.