"I think that at this pace, we will complete all the work by the end of 2027 and finally make the Španjola fortress operational, as the third fortress that will be in operation and become a visitor center," said the President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katić.
As announced by the Municipality of Herceg Novi, the Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Johan Sattler, visited the municipality today, where he discussed current topics and the implementation of joint projects with the leaders of the local administration.
"The focus of the meeting was the revitalization of the Španjola Fortress, initiatives in the field of environmental protection, and the engagement of the local government in cross-border cooperation and the use of EU funds," the statement reads.
As reported, Satler and his associates were interviewed by Katić, the President of the Municipal Assembly Miloš Konjević, and the Vice President of the Municipality Ivan Otović.
"One of the largest projects we are implementing is Španjola — an investment worth almost five million euros, of which four million come from European Union funds. This confirms that we are investing strongly, especially on the coast and especially in Herceg Novi, which is a city with some of the most significant cultural heritage sites," said Satler.
As stated by the Municipality of Herceg Novi, the first phase of the revitalization of the Španjola Fortress is being financed by the European Union, while the continuation, or the second phase, is included in the state capital budget.
Katić also said that Herceg Novi has positioned itself as the most successful Montenegrin municipality in terms of the number of project applications and funds withdrawn from EU funds, which, as he said, confirms the capacity of local government in this area, Katić emphasized.
"The Municipality of Herceg Novi, together with companies and institutions, applied for around forty projects in the last call. We are now waiting for the results, but we are pleased to hear that Herceg Novi has been praised by the European Union as a leader, as the municipality that has withdrawn the most funds so far," said Katić.
The meeting also focused on joint environmental initiatives.
"Representatives of the European Union Delegation informed about the launch of an initiative to clean up main roads in the year when Montenegro celebrates two decades of independence and will host a major European summit. The removal of illegal landfills was discussed, with special emphasis on the problem of dumping old tires in the Orjen Nature Park, and it was agreed to jointly address this issue," the statement reads.
The Municipality added that, following the meeting in the Municipality of Herceg Novi, representatives of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro were given a tour of the Španjola Fortress, during which they were informed about the completed and planned works on the reconstruction and revitalization of this fortress, which will become an art center.
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