The Government today approved two intergovernmental agreements with the United Arab Emirates concerning investments by investors from that country in two real estate projects in Montenegro, as well as the conclusions of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly of March 21, which, among other things, relate to the fact that all investment projects in that municipality must be in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and environmental responsibility, respecting the planning and strategic documents of the Ulcinj Municipality.
This was announced at a press conference after the Government session by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Vice President Nik Đeljošaj.
Spajić said that the agreement with the UAE will be confirmed unanimously, that it will be sent to the Parliament for consideration as laws and that before that, there will be discussions with all parliamentary groups to resolve all doubts. Interstate agreements confirmed in the Parliament as laws have the force of lex specialis law and are above all domestic laws in the event of any dispute.
The Prime Minister said that the agreements and conclusions of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly were unanimously approved by all members of the Government, and that they ordered all ministries to act in accordance with the conclusions of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly and to implement these four conditions of the people of Ulcinj in all municipalities in the future.
On March 21, the Ulcinj Municipal Council adopted four conditions that should guide future investment projects as principles: 1. Sustainability and long-term development - All investment projects must be in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, respecting the planning and strategic documents of the Municipality of Ulcinj and Montenegro, taking into account economic, ecological and social sustainability; 2. Preservation of natural resources - Projects must be aligned with the principles of ecological responsibility, preservation of natural resources and environmental protection; 3. Transparency and inclusiveness - The process of approving and implementing investments must be transparent, with the active involvement of the local community and the professional public; 4. Protection of demographic structure - Considering that Ulcinj is a specific environment in which an ethnic minority makes up the majority of the population, in accordance with international standards and applicable legal regulations, investments must not lead to undesirable demographic changes that would threaten the cultural, ethnic or social identity of the municipality.
The agreement with the UAE stipulates that the country will select an investor for two real estate development projects in the south and north of Montenegro, but also, as they claim, guarantee their implementation.
Spajić stated that after the adoption of the agreement in the Parliament, negotiations with the UAE and interested investors are expected. He also claims that it is not yet known exactly what the choice of investor will be, although in recent months he has had several meetings with UAE businessman Mohamed Alabar, who presented a project to transform this location into a large city with 35 billion euros. Alabar sought a 99-year lease of a large beach.
Spajić said that this investor is considering two more locations for a similar investment, one is located in a country that has access to the Atlantic Ocean and the other is in the Mediterranean.
He also stated that all parliamentary groups and local governments should be responsible for accepting this project, so as not to explain to their children and grandchildren how they missed out on 35 billion.
The Prime Minister also stated that all tenants and others involved in tourism in Ulcinj will have the opportunity to cooperate with the new investor and be included in the project as managers of beaches, hotels,... other businesses.
Spajić also said that he has nothing against the Constitutional Court verifying the constitutionality and legality of these contracts, which President Jakov Milatović called for.
He also announced new interstate agreements that would relate to other investments, one of which will soon be with the United States.
Đeljošaj said that he was glad that the conclusions of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly were unanimously accepted, that the project will be implemented in partnership and that an end has been put to disagreements. He also said that it was agreed that nothing in Ulcinj will be implemented without the consent of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly.
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