Israel

Montenegro and the State of Israel are continuously developing friendly bilateral relations, which are accompanied by a regular political dialogue at the highest level.

Diplomatic Relations

Israel recognized Montenegro on 13 June 2006. Diplomatic relations were established on 12 July 2006.

Mr Nimrod Rinot was appointed Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Israel, stationed in Tel Aviv, on June 10, 2009.

Ambassador Alona Fisher Kamm presented credentials to the former President Filip Vujanović on September 13, 2016, thus officially assuming the duty of non-resident Ambassador of Israel to Montenegro, stationed in Belgrade. Ambassador Fischer Kam ended her term in July 2020.

Ambassador Tamara Mugoša served as the first non-resident Ambassador of Montenegro to Israel, stationed in Skopje, from June 2014 to May 15, 2018, when her term ended.

On February 2, 2021, the Ambassador of Israel to Montenegro, Yahel Vilan, officially assumed the duty of the non-resident Ambassador of the State of Israel to Montenegro by presenting credentials to the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović.

The non-resident Ambassador of Montenegro to Israel, stationed in Brussels, Dr. Ivan Leković, presented credentials to President Reuven Rivlin on February 14, 2019, thus officially assuming the duty.

The exequatur for Mr Miloš Komnenić, for performing the function of Honorary Consul of the State of Israel in Montenegro (stationed in Podgorica), was issued on June 19, 2020. The Honorary Consulate of the State of Israel was officially opened on July 16, 2020.

Political Contacts

The President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, participated in the World Forum on the Holocaust, held in Jerusalem on January 22 and 23, 2020.

On March 27, 2019, the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, visited Israel, Atthe invitation of the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Srdjan Darmanović, paid an official visit to the State of Israel on July 16 and 17, 2018.

The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel (Deputy of the  Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Benjamin Netanyahu), Yuven Rotem, visited Montenegro on July 4 and 5, 2018, as part of a visit to the region.

Economic Cooperation / International Trade

Total commodity exchange for the period January-September 2020 amounted to 1.2 million. €, of which imports are 1.18 million. €, and export 170.08 thousand. €. The most imported goods were mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances, mineral waxes, boilers, machines and mechanical devices and their parts, electrical machines and equipment and their parts, sound recording and reproducing apparatus, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles.

Total commodity exchange in 2019 amounted to 2.13 million. €, of which import is 2.02 million €, and export 101.43 thousand. €. The most imported goods: surgical and optical devices, electrical machines and their parts.

Total commodity exchange in 2018 amounted to 1.39 million. € €, with exports amounting to € 90,000 and imports 1.3 million. €.

In 2019, direct investments from Israel to Montenegro amounted to € 2.81 million. Foreign direct investments from Israel, in 2018, amounted to 1.07 million. €, and in 2017 they amounted to € 727,000.

In October 2017, the economic forum "Gateway to Montenegro" was held in Podgorica, organized by the Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Israel Nimrod Rinot, in cooperation with relevant institutions from Israel and Montenegro, attended by 28 Israeli companies and more of 50 business people and experts in the field of agriculture, tourism, cyber security, IT technology and medicine. The guest of honor and participant in the Forum was Israeli Minister of Regional Development Yitzhak Tzachi Hanegbi.

Tourism

In the period January-September 2020, in the basic types of accommodation, Montenegro was visited by 285 Israeli tourists, who spent 900 nights. In 2019, our country, in all types of accommodation, was visited by 40,764 Israeli tourists, who spent 111,978 nights.

The re-establishment of flights on the Tel Aviv-Tivat route, which stopped due to the situation with the COVID 19 pandemic, is planned to begin on March 24, 2021, by the Israeli company "Israir".