PM Krivokapić visits Bijela Shipyard: After a year and a half of delay, ship containing grit will depart for Spain on Thursday

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ratko Mitrović, and the French Ambassador, H.E. Christian Thimonier visited today the Shipyard in Bijela, which is recognised as one of the 4 black ecological spots in Montenegro.

After a year and a half of delay, the ship Harun, which sailed into the port of Bijela on 2 May, will depart for Spain on Thursday, 6 May, containing about 6,300 tons of dangerous grit.

Prime Minister Krivokapić said that he was pleased to visit the Shipyard.

"However, every production has certain shortcomings and we are witnessing that this place is the fourth ecological black spot of Montenegro. What the French company Valgo is doing is a new beginning for Bijela. In order for that to happen, we need to bring this vast space to an environmentally sound condition. The first ship that is here after a year and a half, is a proof that, most likely, with ten more ships, it will make this place important from the point of view of ecology," said PM Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister also said that an obstruction had been made in the previous period, so that the mentioned work would not have been completed earlier.

"Thanks to the efforts of the Government, primarily the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, we have finally completed this work to the satisfaction of the three parties, the World Bank, the French company Valgo and we owe special gratitude to His Excellency, who made great efforts to complete it in the best possible way, and of course, the main parties, and that is the Government of Montenegro, or better said, the citizens of Montenegro," said the Prime Minister.

Ambassador Thimonier said that environmental protection is important for the entire planet.

"The project of cleaning the land in the beautiful Bay of Kotor is of great importance for Montenegro on its way to Europe. Here, in Bijela, the French company Valgo hired its best experts to complete the revitalisation work in a professional manner. It is not easy or simple to defend nature from technological waste, from concentrated toxic materials and from irresponsible people," said Thimonier.

The French Ambassador also stressed that this project will open new visions for Montenegro in its efforts to be an ecological EU country.

"We are ready and willing to help you with that, and one of our companies - Valgo is on the spot and working to make everything in line with European regulations. We have a common goal, and that is to complete this work so that the citizens of Montenegro can benefit from it in the future. I hope that the projects in the field of environmental protection will continue and you can count on French experts and companies in the future as well," said Ambassador Thimonier.

President of the Valgo company François Bouché said that he was pleased to have the opportunity to host Prime Minister Krivokapić and Minister Mitrović. Bouché said that the goal of his company is to make this place even more beautiful.

"We are also glad that the trust between the Government and the company Valgo is reestablished. Your visit is a proof of our good will to continue the project in the best possible way in the best atmosphere," Bouché said.

Since the beginning of the land remediation project at the Bijela Shipyard, the French company Valgo has so far exported 38,996 tons of dangerous grit to Spain, the Ditecsa Seville landfill. According to the project, it will be necessary to export more than 100,000 tons of dangerous grit and contaminated soil. The project is financed from a World Bank loan and its total value in Bijela is EUR 23 million. In addition to dangerous grit and contaminated soil, asbestos and dangerous oil are also exported from Bijela.