Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić, speaking about the construction of a hotel by the company "Carine" in Baošići, said that there is conflicting information that can be read in the media about whether permits have been issued and whether the procedures have been carried out according to the law.
"This is not my direct responsibility. As the Minister of the Environment, I believe that it is very important to preserve the nature of Montenegro. On the other hand, it should be borne in mind that the Bay of Kotor is under UNESCO protection. As a member of the National Commission for UNESCO, the principled position has not changed, which is that the current landscape environment in the Bay must not be disturbed, especially not by construction that could be treated as devastation of nature," said Ćulafić, reported the MINA agency.
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He said that he could not specifically say whether it was technically possible to restore the coast to its previous state.
"I advocate for nature to be preserved in its authentic form, especially in a protected form," said Ćulafić.
Conduct a broader dialogue on the facility for the destruction of infected animals
The Minister, commenting on the Municipality of Nikšić's opposition to the construction of a facility for the destruction of infected animals within the Ironworks, said that a similar facility had previously been considered for construction in Berane, but that a combination of political circumstances prevented this.
"I believe that this facility does not mean the construction of some kind of flat-rate system, but a serious project according to modern standards that will improve the quality of life," said Ćulafić.
He said that during the Gračanica River cleaning campaign, he saw garbage and the remains of dead animals.
"I think that this ecological situation is not acceptable. Whether it will be built in Nikšić should be a broad dialogue. We try to have a dialogue regarding every infrastructure project, because without dialogue with the local community, the project cannot be successful," Ćulafić added.
He appealed to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Vladimir Joković, the President of the Municipality of Nikšić Marko Kovačević, and the Electric Power Company of Montenegro to conduct a broader dialogue.
"And if possible, the project can be brought to an end based on dialogue. If not, I assume it would be reasonable to seek solutions that are acceptable," said Ćulafić.
"The goal is to resolve the issue of the red mud basin as efficiently as possible"
Responding to the question of when the state could become the owner of the red mud basin, he said that the goal is to resolve the issue as efficiently as possible.
Ćulafić said that several criminal proceedings are underway regarding the red mud pool.
He stated that the Government is unsure of which direction to take in resolving this problem, that is, which method would be the most efficient, but also legal.
"If some of these criminal proceedings turn out to be completely justified, or if they end to the detriment of the persons against whom they are being conducted, then this may have an impact on a decision that might be hastily made regarding the price the state should pay for the purchase of that land," Ćulafić said.
He said that their idea was to intensify communication with the prosecutor's office, but without affecting their work.
"Let's see what actions the prosecution has taken so far based on which criminal charges, considering that the environmental inspection alone has filed five criminal charges, and that further steps are planned based on that," said Ćulafić.
He said that one of the options is a conversation with the book owner, which the Government will consider.
"But the Government must first of all review the inherited situation and continuity of movements in the real estate cadastre and in the Commercial Court," added Ćulafić.
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