Montenegro hosts the Transport Connectivity Forum

The Transport Connectivity Forum, one of the largest transport events to be organized in Montenegro, was opened today at the Hilton Hotel in Podgorica at the invitation of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro.

The Forum is endorsed by the International Road Federation and supported by leading local institutions, such as Monteput, the Chamber of Commerce and the University of Montenegro. The event is a platform to discuss current and future trends in transport, especially those relevant to the Western Balkans region.  Its main objective is to encourage open dialogue on transport connectivity, transport corridors, transport safety, financing and implementation of infrastructure investments in the Western Balkans region.During the Transport Connectivity Forum, a range of attendees including professional and academic public, government representatives and decision makers from the region and EU countries, non-governmental sector, as well as international institution, will have the opportunity to participate in workshops focused on road safety, the importance of delivering infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships.

The Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Osman Nurkovic, said in his welcoming speech that the fact that the International Roads Federation had recognized Montenegro as a venue for this event was pleased.

“The idea of establishing a common market in the Western Balkans is increasingly being heard, and in that sense it is necessary to accelerate the trade exchange of the region, which must be accompanied by intensive development of transport infrastructure and efficient and safe transport links, in order to make the region more attractive at the end for transit traffic flows“, Nurkovic said.

Michael G. Dreznes, Executive Vice President of the International Roads Federation noted “The impacts of investments in roads & highways have shown how connectivity infrastructure can impact the lives of communities in positive ways. Our host country, Montenegro, is itself a remarkable example of this drive towards greater connectivity, with unprecedented effort to develop and modernize its transport infrastructure”.

Other keynote speakrs welcomed the opening of the Forum including Nenad Nikolic, UNECE Regional Advisor; Vlastimir Golubovic, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro; Igor Vusanovic, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Alexander Zuric, President of the Board of Directors of Monteput.

All photos from the Transport Connectivity Forum can be viewed at the following link: https://www.flickr.com/gp/184766605@N04/976B29