At today's session, chaired by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the Government established the Proposal for the Basis for Negotiations and Conclusion of an Agreement with the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Economic Cooperation and accepted the text of the agreement.
"The agreement, as highlighted in the discussion, will establish a legal framework for the continued advancement of economic cooperation in areas defined as mutually beneficial, including, but not limited to: telecommunications, aviation cooperation, investments and investment promotion, infrastructure, construction, trade in goods and services, tourism, small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, e-government and other areas of economic, technical and trade cooperation that will be mutually agreed," the Government announced.
They say that the aforementioned areas of cooperation will be specified through special protocols, agreements, programs, arrangements and/or various contracts between the competent authorities of the parties.
"The key reasons for concluding the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Economic Cooperation are: taking the necessary measures to strengthen economic cooperation, promoting cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting a favorable investment climate, exchanging information on economic programs, promoting and exchanging visits by business delegations, encouraging the participation of natural and legal entities from the private sector at international fairs and exhibitions. Furthermore, strategic projects of public interest are recognized, meaning that, after joint discussions on the priorities of economic development and the well-being of their citizens, the signatory parties can identify and explore specific strategic projects of public interest that are considered important for achieving the goals of the Agreement," the Government adds.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of a Joint Economic Commission, composed of representatives of both parties and, where necessary, representatives of other public or private sector entities, which will coordinate and promote economic, trade and technical cooperation. It will be tasked with monitoring the implementation of the agreement, developing cooperation in the areas envisaged, and, in the event that certain limitations arise, "proposing solutions to overcome them".
At the session, the Government also approved the Bill on Ratifying the Agreement on Access to Higher Education and Admission to Studies in the Western Balkans.
"The agreement provides equal conditions for students from all signatory countries when enrolling in higher education institutions. This means that students from one country will be able to apply for enrollment in public universities and colleges in other signatory countries under the same or equivalent conditions as domestic candidates. This reduces administrative obstacles and improves access to higher education in the region," the statement reads.
Another key issue that the agreement regulates, they said, is the recognition of secondary school qualifications for the purpose of continuing education.
"Each signatory state undertakes to recognize diplomas and qualifications obtained in other member states, except in cases where there are significant differences in educational standards. This enables students to move more easily from one educational institution to another, without additional bureaucratic procedures or lengthy validation of diplomas."
The third important area regulated by this international agreement, it is emphasized, is the establishment of a Joint Commission for Access to Higher Education and Admission to Studies.
"This commission is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Agreement, harmonizing common lists of recognized educational institutions, and considering any disputes or challenges in its implementation. The commission consists of representatives of each signatory state and meets regularly to monitor the efficiency of the implementation of the Agreement and propose any changes. In addition to these basic areas, the Agreement also addresses additional aspects, such as the transparency of admission procedures, the obligation of states to provide information on available study programs, as well as the possibility of further developing joint study programs between higher education institutions from different signatory states," the government said.
The Bill on the ratification of the agreement with the Government of Germany on cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science, youth and sports was also adopted.
"In order to improve broad cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science, youth and sports, the Agreement envisages significant cultural exchange with the aim of acquiring new knowledge about art, literature, history and related fields. It also envisages various forms of cooperation in all fields of education, including schools and higher education institutions with the aim of improving language learning. The Agreement will also support scientific research institutions and scientific institutions, the exchange of scientists, through the implementation of scientific research projects, as well as doctoral candidates and students within the framework of study and scientific research stays, including participation in scientific conferences and symposiums. The Agreement will support the exchange of youth and encourage meetings between athletes, improve cooperation in the field of sports in educational institutions. The signing of the Agreement will contribute to the creation of a legal framework, which will enable the adoption of cooperation programs in specific areas: culture, education, science, youth and sports in the coming period and thus intensify cooperation in these areas," the statement reads.
The Government has made a decision to determine the amount of compensation for members of the Army during their participation in international forces within the framework of missions, operations and other activities of NATO, the European Union and the United Nations.
"The amount of financial compensation for a member of the Armed Forces of Montenegro during participation in international forces is currently prescribed by separate decisions for each individual mission. This approach did not fully take into account the similarity of duties and conditions under which these duties are performed in missions, which led to an unnecessarily large number of regulations governing the same area. It was also necessary to unify the amount of financial compensation, taking into account the similarity of duties and conditions under which these duties are performed. Taking into account the above, the fact that in the last few years there has been an increase in the cost of living in countries where members of the Armed Forces are deployed to international forces, as well as the security and geographical conditions in which these activities are carried out, it is proposed that the financial compensation for participation in NATO and EU missions be 115 euros net per day, and in UN missions 70 euros net per day for the duty of a military observer, or 115 euros net per day for the duty of a staff officer/non-commissioned officer. The funds for the implementation of this decision are planned in the Draft Law on the Budget of Montenegro for 2025."
Amendments to the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Financing Local Self-Government were adopted.
"There are four amendments, of which Amendments 1, 3 and 4 relate to legal and technical harmonization, technical correction, or renumbering, while Amendment No. 2 amends the legal solution relating to the percentage of revenue transfer based on concession fees for the use of airports, ports and roads in order to adequately distribute this revenue, taking into account the specific nature of the subject of the concession. Namely, in the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Financing Local Self-Government, Article 1 is amended to read: 'In the Law on Financing Local Self-Government ('Official Gazette of Montenegro', No. 3/19, 86/22 and 5/24) Article 13, paragraph 1 is amended to read: 'The municipality shall be transferred 70% of revenue from concession and other fees (hereinafter referred to as: fee) for the use of goods of general interest located on its territory, except for revenue from concession fees for the use of ports, roads and airports, of which 20% shall be transferred to the municipality in which it is located. the port, road or airport that is the subject of the concession'", explained the Government.
The Information on the formation of a new Operational Team of the Open Government Partnership was also adopted. In this regard, the Government adopted a Decision on amendments to the Decision on the formation of the Operational Team of the Open Government Partnership, whose primary task will be to lead the process of drafting the National Action Plan (NAP) through inclusive consultations with all stakeholders.
"The operational team will be formed through a public call for nominations of representatives of non-governmental organizations and official delegation of representatives of relevant institutions. It will be coordinated by the Minister of Public Administration, and the other members will be representatives of relevant ministries, relevant agencies and representatives of non-governmental organizations whose areas of activity are: anti-corruption, public participation in the creation of public policies, digital governance, gender policy, expansion of civic space, inclusion of vulnerable social groups and transparency of public policies. The formation of a new operational team and the definition of a clear calendar of activities represent a key step in ensuring a transparent and inclusive process of drafting the new National Action Plan for the period 2026-2029. The active involvement of all stakeholders and the implementation of public consultations will contribute to the creation of a more efficient and comprehensive plan that will improve the openness and accountability of public administration in Montenegro," they said.
The Information on the conclusion of an agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for the purpose of implementing the project "Supporting the transition to Tourism Industry 4.0. in Montenegro driven by digital technologies" was adopted, and the text of the Agreement was accepted.
The project aims to strengthen digital skills in Montenegro and their application in the tourism, culture and related industries. Key objectives include: diversifying the tourism offer through the implementation of digital technologies and the creation of innovative tourism products; better branding and promotion of the destination using new digital tools and interactive platforms; supporting traditional and cultural industries by applying digital transformation in the interpretation and preservation of cultural heritage; engaging new audiences and stakeholders through digital and hybrid tourism experiences; increasing the competitiveness of Montenegrin SMEs in the field of tourism and creative industries; developing national cultural heritage and sustainable tourism, in line with the EU and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; creating new sustainable jobs and increasing revenues in the tourism and culture sectors; establishing partnerships with EU institutions and international networks such as Europeana. In addition, the project aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the tourism sector and related industries, enabling them to improve their products/services and align them with visitor expectations, thereby contributing to improving economic performance and the well-being of local communities. As stated in the material, the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Slovenia, the Entrepreneurship Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and UNIDO support the improvement of the tourism industry of Montenegro through digital innovation. This initiative aims to implement the best practices from Slovenia, developed through the project "Digital Innovation of Cultural Heritage" (DICH), with a focus on the digitalization of cultural heritage and the development of innovative tourism products. The project, worth 298.680 euros, is fully funded by donations, and the planned implementation period is 24 months from the date of its launch," the statement reads.
At today's session, the Sectoral Collective Agreement for Social Activities was adopted.
"The Government and the Union of Social Workers have previously reached an agreement on increasing the salaries of employees, as provided for in Articles 7 and 8 of the GKU. Article 10 of the aforementioned Agreement prescribes additional K2 coefficients for certain categories of employees, taking into account the complexity of the work, the working conditions under which these jobs are performed, and responsibilities. Article 11 prescribes that additional coefficients be determined for work in accommodation institutions that accommodate more than 50% of beneficiaries of level I and II support in relation to the full capacity of the institution, due to difficult working conditions, and for nurses, caregivers, and cleaners," the Government said.
They say this agreement was reached to reduce wage inequality with other systems in the public sector.
"The discussion emphasized that the wish of the signatories of the agreement was to increase the standards of employees in the social work system and restore the reputation of the professions of professional workers employed in this field. This reflects the Government's intention to recognize the efforts and sacrifices of all employees in the social and child protection system. The sectoral collective agreement for social work increased the coefficients by an average of 14.5% (ranging from 3,5% to 37.5% for social workers). For employees of the Komanski Most Public Institution, coefficients were specifically defined, which were increased by an average of 31.5% (ranging from 21.1% to 51.2% - for social workers). Also, the coefficients of professional medical staff were increased in order to align them with the coefficients of employees in the health sector."
The Government has adopted a Decision on the transfer of the right to dispose of real estate to the Capital City of Podgorica for the purpose of achieving public interest - the construction of a temporary parking lot with traffic signals, on a part of cadastral plot number 2211/1 from the real estate list number: 5690 KO Podgorica with an area of 22.244 m².
"The material highlights that the Capital City of Podgorica, in its letter to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, stated that in order to build a parking space with traffic signals and equipment at the Morača Barracks location with the possibility of expanding existing capacities, the Secretariat for Transport has developed a conceptual design for a temporary parking lot with traffic signals and equipment on a part of the cadastral plot that is registered with the Government of Montenegro as the subject of disposal, for which reason it is necessary to resolve property and legal relations, in accordance with the Law on State Property," the statement reads.
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