All entities participating in the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly will organize a one-hour protest at the Sukobin border crossing and in the Krute Ulcinjske settlement, on the road to Bar, on Thursday, May 15, at 11 a.m., announced the President of the Ulcinj Municipality, Genci Nimanbegu, at today's press conference.
As announced by his office, he said that they want to show that Ulcinj and its citizens are against the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism and Real Estate Development with the United Arab Emirates, but also to send a "clear message to the investor" about their position.
"You are the ones who have most often followed and reported on the developments in the relationship between the Municipality of Ulcinj and the Government, or rather the Prime Minister, in the past weeks, regarding the announced megalomaniacal investment on Velika Plaza, which is planned to be implemented by the Eagle Hills company, owned by Mohamed Alabar from the United Arab Emirates — an investment that is contrary to the laws and valid documents in Montenegro. We, as the Municipality, have made it clear from the very beginning that we are in favor of sustainable investments. Concerned by the fact that our demands have not been understood by the Prime Minister and his associates, we are forced to use all democratic means to defend our property and our resources," said Nimanbegu.
He says that Ulcinj needs development, "but not at the expense of urban, ecological and social integrity."
"That is why we believe that transparency and dialogue will remain our guiding principles. From the beginning, we have had the unreserved support of the civil sector in Montenegro, which I would like to thank on behalf of the citizens of Ulcinj. I also feel obliged to thank the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, for his visit to Ulcinj, for his concerns, views and support he provided us, and who returned the adopted Agreement to the parliament for reconsideration due to the shortcomings and shortcomings it contains. However, as can be seen, all of this has not been taken into account and the data suggests that the parliament could adopt the Agreement in the coming days."
Also worrying, he said, is "the fact that even the recommendations" made by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee have not been followed.
"We have informed embassies and diplomatic missions in Montenegro about all of this. We spoke with facts and arguments in parliamentary bodies, but we also protested in front of the parliament. However, it is obvious that the Government is determined to implement the announced Agreement, which is confirmed by Mr. Alabar's recent visit to Podgorica. We have also clearly presented our position to him in an open letter and we expect him to take into account the justified objections of the citizens of Ulcinj. We are committed to bringing this matter to an end. Therefore, tomorrow at 11 am, all subjects participating in the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly have agreed to organize a one-hour protest at the Sukobin and Ulcinjske Krute border crossings, on the road to Bar, in order to show that Ulcinj and its citizens are against the Agreement and the announced investments in this form. Also, with these activities we want to send a clear message to the investor about our position," said Nimanbegu at the press conference.
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