The budget of the Municipality of Nikšić will be richer by 600.000 euros from this year, due to the compensation for Lake Bilećko.
This was agreed at today's meeting of the ministers of energy and mining of Montenegro and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska, Saša Mujović and Petr Đokić, as well as representatives of power companies, Milutin Đukanović and Luka Petrović in Trebinje.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining has officially announced that the company Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjica will, retroactively from January 1 of this year, continue to pay compensation for the land submerged by Lake Bilećki to the municipality of Nikšić, which, as it is added, has finally resolved the issue that has been going on for 30 years. .
The government department added that, in addition, an initiative was launched to use the water of Lake Bileć for the water supply of Nikšić.
The announcement states that these are the concrete results of today's meeting between Mujović and Đokić.
"At the meeting held in Trebinje, representatives of the Electric Industry of Montenegro (EPCG) as well as the Electric Industry of the Republic of Srpska (EPRS) participated," the announcement reads.
After the meeting, Mujović said that the direct benefit of today's meeting was the agreement to return the payment of compensation for submerged land.
"Or better to say that the Municipality of Nikšić will continue to collect a fee, i.e. a fee on that basis, which on an annual level amounts to some 600.000 euros. So, the fee will be returned to the Municipality of Nikšić, and we will start this retroactively from January 1, 2024, and that system will function. and in the future," Mujović pointed out.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining announced that the ministers also discussed the possibility of using the waters of Lake Bileć for the water supply of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, but this issue will be discussed more specifically at one of the next meetings.
"It is also important for Montenegro that we touched on the issue of using the hydro-potential of Lake Bileć through the possibility of supplying drinking water to Herceg Novi and Boka. This is very important for us, and I must point out that we met with the wide-outstretched hand of our colleagues from Republika Srpska who are ready to support this idea of ours and to solve this burning problem for Montenegro in the best possible way," Mujović said.
In the announcement of the Ministry of Energy and Mining, it is also written that the meeting in Trebinje is the result of Mujović's involvement in the Bileć Lake issue and a series of activities he undertook on that occasion.
"This is the first step in solving this issue that has burdened the two countries for decades. We remind you that the compensation for the submerged land was paid to the Municipality of Nikšić until 1992," the announcement reads.
Kovačević: Big day for Nikšić
"I am glad that the negotiating parties have accepted my position that the issue of compensation for the Municipality of Nikšić for Lake Bilećko should be resolved first. After the long negotiations that we conducted today, an important matter for our municipality that will generate new income on this basis has been completed. Special thanks to the leaders of EPCG and EPRS, Milutin Đukanović and Luka Petrović. This is a great day for Nikšić and an indication of how the local administration, government and state companies can work together for the benefit of the community," wrote the president of Nikšić Municipality, Marko Kovačević on the social network Facebook.
Vuković: Nikšić received a new, strong flywheel for the development and improvement of the economic image of the city
According to the president of the Nikšić Municipal Assembly, Nemanja Vuković, Nikšić "received a new, strong flywheel for the development and improvement of the economic image of the city, especially the local communities of Vraćenovići and Petrovići".
"I have emphasized several times that in friendly and good-neighborly discussions, with maximum respect for all interested parties, a sustainable solution can be found related to the use of the hydro potential of Lake Bileć. I welcome the agreement of the relevant ministers and representatives of EPCG and ERS. 44. The Government of Montenegro has achieved what has been awaited since 1994 and it's a great success. I'm looking forward to the many benefits this decision will bring to our citizens. Let's move on," said Vuković on Facebook.
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