PM Marković hosts Professor Herwig Schopper: Montenegro strongly supports establishment of regional scientific institute

Podgorica, Montenegro (1 November 2017) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted earlier today Former Director General of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) Herwig Franz Schopper, author of the initiative for the establishment of the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in South East Europe.

Having thanked Professor Schopper for the initiative to open the institutea and the confidence expressed towards Montenegro, PM Marković said that he himself is using every opportunity to promote the project of opening the regional institute at the highest political level, safe in the knowledge that the lack of knowledge is one of the biggest challenges not only in Montenegro, but in the entire region.

"If we succeeded in implementing the project, we would achieve one of the key preconditions for the progress of the entire region, because in today's time, innovation and development of science are necessary to improve young people's prospects," said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Markovic said that the Government of Montenegro will do everything to bring the project to life.

Professor Schopper expressed satisfaction with the fact that Montenegro strongly supports the project of establishing the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in South East Europe.

"Positive atmosphere at a recent meeting of officials from the region in CERN has caused a wave of optimism," said Professor Schopper.

Former Director of CERN informed the Prime Minister about a similar project titled SESAME - Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, that gathered several countries of the Near and Middle East, representing a pioneering venture in their scientific cooperation.It

It was noted that the establishment of the international institute would strengthen cooperation in the region, but also have a multiplier effect on the economies of all the participating countries and their development.

In that context, a number of concrete steps have been agreed that should be taken in the upcoming period.

The meeting was also attended by Sanja Damjanović, Minister of Science of Montenegro, who was elected President of the Steering Committee of this regional project at the recently held meeting regarding the signing of the Declaration of Intent in CERN.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO