RESPONSE: Government's work team, RTCG management agreed today all details of Agreement

The claim published in today's joint statement by four NGOs – the Centre for Development of NGOs, the Center for Civic Education, the Institute Alternative and the Centre for Monitoring and Research – according to which the Government of Montenegro is allegedly „blocking the signing of the Agreement on Public Broadcasting 2018-2020 between the Government and RTCG for months“ is untrue.

At a meeting held today in the morning in the Ministry of Culture, representatives of the Government headed by Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović and representatives of Radio and Television of Montenegro headed by President of the Council Dr Vladimir Pavićević fully agreed the text of the agreement and agreed to deliver the harmonized document to the Government under envisaged procedure as soon as possible.

The constructive and positive atmosphere of all meetings with mutually expressed tolerance and professional relationship denies and discourages the claim of the alleged „blocking“ of the agreement conclusion, as well as unsubstantiated and unproven allegations and insinuations about the alleged „dissatisfaction“ of the Government, „political pressure“, etc.

So, representatives of the Government and RTCG made agreement at the meeting without contretemps or negative atmosphere and therefore there was no need for the pettifogging lawyers.

Basic mathematics contradicts the claim that the Government allegedly blocked the conclusion of the agreement „for months“ as the agreement was agreed on 5 February, and the Cabinet, at its 56th session, held on 28 December 2017, as stated in the announcement (http://www.gov.me/en/News/180149/Montenegro-s-Cabinet-Session.html) presented the fact that ten days ago Radio and Television of Montenegro submitted a draft text proposal and stated that the Media Directorate shall continue activities on its final definition, in accordance with the Law, the rights and obligations of the contracting parties.

The claims indicated in the public statement by four NGOs that the Government has „significantly caused problems RTCG is facing“, that the Government „refuses to adopt the RTCG collective agreement“ and that „it does not send its top-level representatives to make guest appearance on RTCG's most viewed talk shows“ and so on, are unsubstantiated and unproven, and based on the aforementioned absurd.

The Government of Montenegro is sincerely dedicated to media pluralism, freedom of media and independence of the public broadcasting service, which is proven by effective agreement conclusion.

MEDIA DIRECTORATE / PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO