PM Marković in interview with Pobjeda: We show determination and ability to defend vital national interests

Podgorica, Montenegro (21 May 2018) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković gave an interview to the Podgorica-based Pobjeda daily on the occasion of the Independence Day, in which he said that in the past twelve years, Montenegro managed to significantly increase the living standard of citizens of EUR 3,460 of gross domestic product per capita in 2006 to double, as well as to increase the average salary from EUR 286 in 2006 to EUR 510 in 2018. He also added that we left the most complex and worst part of the transition behind, that along with strong general investment activities, we launched grandiose projects of motorway and submarine cable, and that we showed determination and ability to defend vital national interests when they were endangered.

"During the October 2015 protest and the scenario prepared for the autumn of 2016, Montenegro was exposed to unprecedented internal and external aggression, which was political, and security, and economic. Today, the scale of that scenario is seen, with all the possible consequences. We are witnessing that there is an attempt to place a thesis that the target of this aggression in Montenegro in 2015 and 2016 was not Montenegro, but supposedly only its path to NATO. These are absurd excuses. Because if they had succeeded in their intentions, a democratic and European government would have been erased, and the state of Montenegro would turn to another system of values. The dangers still persist. But when you show your resistance, determination and ability to defend vital national interests, then your opponents are more careful. I would say, therefore, that the danger did not pass, but its intensity is weaker," Prime Minister Duško Marković said in an interview.

Asked to evaluate Montenegro's greatest achievements and problems in the past period, Prime Minister Marković presented a series of information on the progress of our country, but he also pointed to the challenges ahead.

"The most complex and the most painful part of the transition is far behind us. And in that respect, we are ahead of other countries of the Region. However, there are still many challenges in the way of developing and increasing living standards. We need to further improve the business environment, especially the capital infrastructure – airports, roads, railways, energy and digital infrastructure. In parallel, we need to simplify the administrative procedures for making the best use of our development potentials. For this reason, we simultaneously work on three important legal texts: the Law on Public-Private partnership, the Law on Concessions, and the Law on Public Procurement. In this way, we will create the necessary legal framework, while at the same time raising the level of professionalism and competence – so that our administration will be able to more effectively ensure the quality realisation of investment decisions," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister noted that the gross domestic product per capita in Montenegro amounted to about EUR 3,460 in 2006, and today it is twice as high.

"In 2006, the average salary was EUR 282, and today it is EUR 510. We increased the number of employees for over 31,500 persons in comparision to 2006. Economic growth of about 3.3% on avarage over the past 12 years contributed to this. Today, Montenegro is at the stage of dynamic development of almost all sectors of the economy. In the past few years, we launched two grandiose, and I can say,  historical infrastructure projects – motorway and submarine energy cable, total value of which is close to two billion euros. In tourism, we contracted projects worth more than three billion euros. The record tourist season of 1987 was surpassed by the season of 2017, and data from the first four months of 2018 unambiguously indicate that this year we will surpass the last year's result. In the Northern region there has never been so much dynamic investment in infrastructure and tourism facilities and in the agriculture. The strong investment activity in the country is witnessed by economic growth of 4.4% in the past year, which is one of the highest growth rates in Europe. This resulted in the opening of more than four thousand new jobs in 2017, and a reduction in the unemployment rate to 16.1%. Data for the first quarter of 2018 show that there is a possibility that last year's economic growth rate will be achieved this year as well," the Prime Minister stated.

When asked about the extent of the last week's EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, the Prime Minister assessed that we should all be satisfied with the results because the European Union finally realised the needs for development and integration within the Western Balkans, which includes the Adriatic-Ionian transport corridor.

When it comes to Montenegro, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the results of meetings with the chancellors of Germany and Austria and the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Finland, and also with the fact that the leadership position of Montenegro in European integration was confirmed, as well as the European perspective of the countries of the Region, based on individual progress.

Asked about the deadline after which the shifts in charge of solving the attack on journalist Olivera Lakić will follow, Prime Minister Duško Marković said that the attack caused immense damage to Montenegro and its image, that the State must respond directly and strongly to the glove that was thrown into its face, and that, as far as the deadlines are concerned, we all are still waiting for the Prosecution and other competent authorities to say whether they can solve the case or not.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO