Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić announced that the procurement of a meteorological radar will be an important step towards strengthening Montenegro's resilience to the risks of natural disasters.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) announced today that the head of that government department, Danilo Šaranović, and Ćulafić, visited the premises of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, where they discussed the current situation with the fires, the damage caused, as well as the activities that need to be undertaken in the coming period with the Director General Miodrag Bešović and the Head of the Directorate for Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction, Ljuban Tmušić.
"The ministers expressed satisfaction with the rapid and coordinated response of the protection and rescue system, emphasizing that the institutions demonstrated high readiness and professionalism. It was emphasized that the international assistance that followed is another confirmation of Montenegro's credibility in the international community and the result of the partnership relations that the country is building," the statement said.
The Ministry of Interior added that the focus of the talks was on improving capacities for early risk recognition, effective alerting of the population, timely and coordinated response to disasters and catastrophes, as well as the challenges posed by climate change and the need to protect critical infrastructure.
"The interlocutors agreed that investing in the protection and rescue system is a priority obligation," the Ministry of Interior said.
Ćulafić said that climate change inevitably reminds us how important it is to make investing in an early warning and protection system a priority.
"The acquisition of a meteorological radar will be an important step towards strengthening our country's resilience to the risks of natural disasters," said Ćulafić.
The Ministry of the Interior stated that it was agreed at the meeting that, within the budget proposal for next year, priority should be given to the procurement of a meteorological radar, as strategically important equipment that, in light of increasingly pronounced climate challenges, has become imperative for improving Montenegro's capacities in the field of early warning and risk management.
Šaranović said that the Ministry of Interior has both the will and the capacity to systematically invest in strengthening protection and rescue.
"It is our responsibility to provide citizens with an efficient and modern system that will be ready to respond to all risks - from local disasters to regional and global challenges. This is not a cost, but an investment in a safer future," said Šaranović.
The Ministry of Interior stated that after the meeting, "the ministers visited the Directorate's Operational and Communication Center and learned about the functioning of the CECIS platform (Common Emergency Communication and Information System), to which Montenegro has access as the only country in the region, which represents a significant step forward in international cooperation in the field of civil protection. This platform enables direct and efficient communication with EU partners in crisis situations, which significantly strengthens our operational readiness and international connectivity."
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