The moment an investor shows interest in our country, it is the municipalities that must compete for their attention - therefore, it is particularly important to improve the business environment and create opportunities for development and employment for the local population, said Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
He held a meeting with the presidents of southern municipalities, with the aim of exchanging views on investment opportunities and interest in possible investments, his office announced.
Spajić informed his interlocutors about the meetings he had held in the previous period to "promote the investment potential of our country" and pointed out the increased interest of investors, but also the "lack of initiative and promptness on the part of local governments."
"The goal of all international visits is to promote Montenegro's potential, but we must understand that the realization of large investments requires synergy between central and local governments. Our task is to create opportunities, and the task of local management is to enable the realization of large projects that will ensure a better standard of living," said the Prime Minister.
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Spajić also pointed out that new investments have a positive impact on local businesspeople, as they create opportunities for improving their business.
"The moment an investor shows interest in our country, it is the municipalities that have to compete for their attention. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the business environment and create opportunities for development and employment for the local population," he said.
The Prime Minister said that after the Economic Cooperation Agreement with the United Arab Emirates expired in 2022, which "previous governments failed to renew," the Government adopted the document, and that it "will soon be signed with the Emirates."
"The agreement will be the basis for cooperation in various areas. In addition, we will sign specific agreements with the UAE, one of which will relate to large development projects in the south and north of the country, of a tourism nature. Interstate agreements allow projects to be implemented much faster and more efficiently."
The meeting was attended by the mayors of the municipalities of Tivat, Budva, Bar, Kotor, Herceg Novi and Ulcinj - Željko Komnenović, Nikola Jovanović, Dušan Raičević, Vladimir Jokić, Stevan Katic and Genci Nimanbegu.
Spajić's cabinet announced that they "welcomed the Prime Minister's initiative" to make decisions regarding development policies in cooperation with local communities.
"They emphasized that planning documents, infrastructure and resolving property-legal relations are important prerequisites for the implementation of development projects," the statement reads.
Raičević reportedly said that the Bar municipality "has felt in the past what it means to lose a credible investor and miss an opportunity."
"When you enter into interstate agreements with the UAE, please do not skip Bar. We have potential for development projects, and one of them is the Port of Bar, then the airport," said Raičević.
Jovanović noted, as added, that Budva has not had any significant capital projects for a long time, and that the valorization of Jaz and Buljarica should be preceded by resolving property and legal relations.
"Other municipalities in southern Montenegro also say that they have potential for development projects, and that they will look into which ones can specifically be candidates for interested investors," the Prime Minister's Office says.
Spajić said that bringing new investments to Montenegro is a common goal of all levels of government and that "we must have special sensitivity" towards credible investors, because this "ultimately affects the image of our country as an investment destination."
"Political and anyone's personal interests must not stand in the way of Montenegro's development," he said, adding that misunderstanding at any level cannot be an alibi for missed opportunities.
"Montenegro does not have the luxury of losing the opportunity for development. Competition in the region and beyond is fierce. If we don't, there are those who want to welcome them with open arms," said Spajić.
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