The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, attended the ceremony marking December 19 - the Day of the Capital City of Podgorica, the Office for Public Relations of the President of Montenegro announced.
As it is reported, addressing the audience, he expressed his pleasure to be present at the commemoration of, as he said, one of the most important historical dates for Podgorica and for the whole of Montenegro.
"On December 19, 1944, the partisan units of the First Bokel and Tenth Montenegrin Brigades won the final victory over the occupier and raised the banner of anti-fascism high in the town near Gorica. Destroyed to the ground, bombed more than 70 times, Podgorica welcomed its freedom on its knees, without thousands of its inhabitants who died during the occupation. One of those who laid down his life for the freedom of Podgorica was my great-grandfather Anto-Labud Vukčević, so this special day awakens a personal sense of pride in me," said Milatović.
He reminded that Podgorica was carried "by the post-war enthusiasm and élan of its inhabitants and guided by the wise vision of the socio-political elites of that time", in the decades that followed, it became the social and economic center of Montenegro.
"Those Titograd years brought rapid development to this city, one after the other, economic giants sprung up, such as the Aluminum Plant, Plantaž, Radoje Dakić, Marko Radović, Duvanski Kombinat and Titeks, on whose successes and achievements the city and Montenegro were built. Dynamic immigration from all parts of our country was closely followed by large infrastructural projects and cultural achievements, so the development of this city of ours, in the post-war decades, was adapted to the measure of the common man. In that period, Podgorica became the traffic center of Montenegro, with the construction of an airport and a railway that connected it to the sea and the north. With the establishment of the Montenegrin National Theater and the University of Montenegro, Podgorica becomes the scientific and cultural center of Montenegro. The golden era of our city had its urbanistic culmination in the works of genius of Svetlana Kana Radević, embodied in the hotel "Podgorica" and the carefully planned neighborhood like Block 5 by the great Montenegrin architects Vukota Tupa Vukotić, Mileta Bojović and today's laureate Pavlo Popović. All of these are impressive testimonies of the expertise and dedication of the decision-makers at that time, when it comes to economic development, culture, science, urbanism and spatial planning," said Milatović.
He added that the dynamic economic and social changes in the last 30 years conditioned the development of Podgorica, and the crushing of practically all economic potentials in the years of transitional "winners" and "losers" inevitably caused a different shaping of the future of this city.
"The constant increase in the number of inhabitants, often unaccompanied by quality local and state policies, has led to significant devastation of space and deviations from high design and planning standards. In contrast to the huge spatial potential for the expansion of the urban area, which Podgorica has, unplanned construction "attacked" the lungs of the city, the hills of Gorica and Ljubović, which were reforested by generations of our parents, which led to irreparable damage to the identity of the city itself. However, on the other hand, it is also a fact that, especially in the last fifteen years, significant projects have been implemented that have improved the living conditions in Podgorica", announced Milatović.
Speaking about development opportunities, he pointed out that dynamization of investment activities and constant improvement of infrastructure, along with adequate spatial planning and full valorization of natural and tourist potentials, must be the basis of any reflection on the progress of this city.
"Practically, there is no capital city in Europe with a more favorable geographical position than Podgorica, from which you can reach both the sea and the winter mountain centers within a 45-minute drive. The improvement of tourist content through the promotion of the Duklja locality, the arrangement of the banks of Morača and Ribnica, as well as other localities of cultural and historical importance, will give a special impetus to the development of our capital city. In addition, the completion of the Bar-Boljare highway will create a significant precondition for the full capitalization of all the advantages that Podgorica has and will ensure faster road connectivity to European countries," said Milatović.
He stated that while daily efforts are being made to make Podgorica a modern European city, symbols of this city must occupy a special place in every corner of plans and deliberations.
"There is no Podgorica without Stara varoša, the nucleus from which the recognizable spirit of Podgorica men and women spread, a charming urban entity sung by the songs of great artists such as Ksenija Cicvarić and Žutug Serhatlić. It was at that place, above the confluence of Ribnica and Morač, that I myself took my first steps and learned what the living true values of multiculturalism and interfaith harmony mean, as implied determinants of philanthropy and the most beautiful wealth in our Montenegro. Today, when we celebrate freedom, filled with emotion towards the city where we were born or came with the intention of living there, we must be aware that what we leave to Podgorica, it will give to the generations to come. With the same love with which my parents took me for a walk in the Karađorđe and Njegoš parks, the corse and for ice cream at St. Hamza, today I teach my children to love Gorica, Independence Square and the University Park near St. Peter. With that, today I want to get out of the clichés of daily politics and from this place thank everyone who in the past, through their work, contributed to the development of our Capital City, leading this city, regardless of the fact that I do not share the same political views with many of them", he added. is Milatović.
He emphasized that in the actions of the Mayor Olivera Injac and the President of the Assembly Jelena Borovinić Bojović, he recognized the morality and passion without which there can be no success, but also the vision of the development of Podgorica, which is a prerequisite for any success.
"I am sure that their management of the Capital City, with the quality contribution of other members of the city administration, will be marked by its dynamic development, to the joy and satisfaction of all of us who live here. We must preserve the flag of anti-fascist and civil Montenegro, which our ancestors planted firmly in the foundations of modern Podgorica, as we have done for centuries in our struggles for freedom. With the wish that the upcoming year 2024 brings a lot of personal and professional success to all of you, I heartily congratulate you on Podgorica Day. Long live our capital and long live Montenegro", concluded Milatović.
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