Press release from the 35th and 36th Cabinet session

At the 35th session, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Security, Internal Policy, European and Foreign Affairs Aleksa Bečić, the Montenegrin Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on the Ratification of the Agreement between Montenegro and the European Union on operational activities conducted by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Montenegro. The Agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between FRONTEX and its teams on one side, and the competent bodies of Montenegro on the other. It confirms the activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Montenegro with the European Union in the field of border management and achieving common standards in the area of joint action. The Agreement is particularly important for the European Union, especially in light of current migration flows. This Agreement sets an appropriate framework for cooperation between the European Union and the signatory states, within which Montenegro will receive assistance in the area of border management and potential crisis situations related to increased migrant influx from the Middle East and conflict zones, which are unpredictable and require timely and expert response. The Agreement also covers the scope of operations, civil and criminal liability, the issue of privileges and immunities of team members, the tasks and competences of the teams, as well as compliance with fundamental rights, which will be subject to negotiation.

The Cabinet adopted a Decision on the number of students to be enrolled in the first year of undergraduate studies at the University of Montenegro for the academic year 2024/2025, financed from the budget of Montenegro. The Decision provides for the enrollment of 3,126 students.

The Government adopted a Decision on the number of students to be enrolled in the first year of undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature for the academic year 2024/2025, financed from the budget of Montenegro. The Decision provides for the enrollment of 40 students, the same as last year.

The Cabinet adopted the Information on determining the tuition fee for the master programme in English titled "Maritime Environmental Protection and Management". According to the Information, the number of students to be enrolled is up to 20 in the interdisciplinary master programme in English "Maritime Environmental Protection and Management" (MEP&M), of 120 ECTS, which awards a Master (MSc) degree. The programme will be implemented in cooperation with two Albanian universities (Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës and Ismail Qemali University in Vlorë), within the framework of the Erasmus+ project "Development of Regional Joint Master Programme in Maritime Environmental Protection and Management (MEP&M)". It is a self-financing programme with a proposed tuition fee of 500 euros per semester.

The Cabinet adopted the Information on the sanitary protection zones of the "Bolje sestre" water source of the Regional Water Supply for the Montenegrin Coast. The Information states that, due to long-term exploitation of the "Bolje sestre" source, changes in its yield regime, and reduction of exploitation capacities, the development of the Main Project on determining the sanitary protection zones of this source was initiated, which was completed in March 2023. The project proposed the sanitary protection zones of the source: I protection zone (immediate protection zone); II protection zone (narrow protection zone); III protection zone (wider protection zone), source basin. However, the lack of knowledge of the source basin, the area from which all waters are collected and move towards the source zone, represents a fundamental problem in its protection. The Water Directorate, due to the significance of this source, formed an Expert Team of competent experts in the field of hydrogeology tasked with reviewing the determined boundaries of the II and III sanitary protection zones of the "Bolje sestre" source, based on which the Main Project was developed. The Commission concluded in its Report that the Main Project did not meet the Project Task nor establish the necessary facts for determining the basin – III protection zone of the source, necessitating further investigations to provide the necessary data for developing a new document. Additionally, the Commission noted that the project must address existing projects and permits obtained in accordance with the current state, indicate specific impacts, and how negative construction effects could affect water quality. Among other things, it was noted that the Main Project did not address the cadastre of existing structures and activities within the protection zones. In this context, the Government tasked the Regional Water Supply to conduct appropriate monitoring and further investigations to provide the necessary data for developing the Sanitary Protection Zone Project for the "Bolje sestre" source, i.e., to establish the necessary facts for reviewing the expanded II zone and determining the basin – III sanitary protection zone of the source.

The Cabinet adopted the Information on the project "Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal on the Adriatic Coast – Bay of Kotor" in case additional financial resources of 6 million euros are needed.

The Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on Security of Supply of Petroleum Products. Given that Montenegro, as a member of the Energy Community and a candidate for EU membership, has an obligation to implement EU regulations in the field of energy, the adoption of the proposed regulation will align the national legal framework with the EU acquis in the area of security of supply of petroleum products and create a legal framework to maintain minimum stocks of petroleum products in accordance with Directive 2009/119/EC. The proposed Law will increase the security of supply of petroleum products and the ability to respond quickly in the event of a risk of disruption or in case of supply disruptions, and it will also create a legal basis for the use of direct budget support funds from the European Commission to Montenegro for overcoming the energy crisis. The implementation of the new legal solutions will enhance the control of petroleum product movements by strengthening the supervision and control system over the petroleum products market and energy infrastructure. Additionally, increased reporting prescribed by this Law will improve the monitoring of petroleum product flows, thus increasing state budget revenue collection. All of this will contribute to Montenegro becoming an attractive location for regional storage needs of mandatory reserves of petroleum products, thereby enhancing the security of supply for Montenegro and the region.

The Cabinet adopted a Decision amending the Decision on the designation of ports by purpose. The amendment defines that the Port of Budva gains the status of a commercial port for passenger traffic, fulfilling the conditions for establishing an international maritime line Budva – Dubrovnik from 29 June 2024.

At today's 36th session, the Cabinet adopted a Decision on the temporary exemption from obtaining a visa for nationals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Decision allows nationals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enter, transit through, and stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days with a valid travel document without a visa from 13 June to 31 October 2024. The decision on temporary visa liberalization for nationals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was first made in 2022 during the summer tourist season to attract tourists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, support the tourist season, and strengthen ties and cooperation between the two countries. On the Riyadh – Podgorica route, 11,390 passengers were transported during 2023. According to the assessment made by the Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Region Development, visa liberalization is significant in choosing a tourist destination, and opening the Saudi Arabian market would generate significant revenue for the Montenegrin economy, particularly in tourism.

For full press release in English, please click here.