Kotor marked Europe Day with a program that showed that European values are not just a political category, but live in the hands of women who knit lace, in the steps of high school graduates dancing the quadrille, and in the voices of young people who ask what it means to be free, the Ministry of European Affairs (MEP) announced.
The celebration was organized by the Department of Maida Gorčević, with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro through the EU4ME project, in cooperation with the Municipality of Kotor, the Kotor High School and the Nikola Đurković Cultural Center.
The program began with a visit to the Patience project, dedicated to the preservation of Dobrota lace, which this year won the prestigious Europa Nostra award and is listed among the world's most significant cultural heritage preservation projects.
"More than just craftsmanship, this project is about women, community and the Kotor heritage that must not be forgotten. On St. Tryphon Square, Kotor high school graduates danced a quadrille - a tradition that has been cherished in this city for years as a symbol of peace, unity and dialogue. The program continued at the Cultural Center, where students from the Kotor High School performed the play 'Reading the Little Prince Now and Here' on the occasion of Europe Day. Through a contemporary reading of the famous literary classic, the high school students raised issues of freedom, diversity and the way in which society measures the value of a person, reminding us that empathy, understanding and the right to one's own voice remain universal values," the statement said.
As part of the program, the attendees were addressed by the Mayor of Kotor Municipality Vladimir Jokić, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević, Minister of Defense Dragan Krapović, and the Ambassador of Austria to Montenegro Christian Steiner.
The President of the Municipality of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić, said that "Europe Day reminds us of values that are not measured by limitations, but by people's ability to understand each other, cooperate and patiently build the place they belong to."
"The European Union is based on the idea that patience is often the greatest strength and that lasting values are created step by step. Often with the spirited strength of ambitious and penetrating youth that carries its own vision of the future. Kotor knows this well. The city that has stood between rocks and the sea for centuries has taught us that time is not an obstacle, but an ally, that what is worth lasting precisely because it was created with faith and perseverance," stressed Jokić.
Opening the cultural program, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević emphasized that the European future of Montenegro is not built only in institutions, but precisely in schools, through culture, local communities and the energy of new generations.
"And perhaps it is here, in a city that has lived open to the world for centuries, that we can send the clearest message today about the kind of society we want, one that preserves diversity, connects people and believes in the future. Happy Europe Day, dear citizens of Kotor, with the belief that we will soon celebrate it as a full member of the European Union," concluded Gorčević.
Minister of Defense Dragan Krapović said today that we are doing everything we can to become part of the European family as soon as possible.
"I assure you that we are not doing this for the sake of laurels, but for you, dear parents, and especially for our youngest generation - our greatest wealth. You are the reason why we are working day and night these days, wanting to make Montenegro better, fairer and, as such, ready to sit at the table with other EU members from 2028. It is you, our dear little ones, that by the fact that you will live in an open and free Europe, will have the opportunity to feel the benefits that such an environment brings and be equal in every way with your peers from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria and other EU member states," said Krapović.
Austrian Ambassador to Montenegro Christian Steiner emphasized that the European Union is based on unity and concrete benefits for citizens, emphasizing support for Montenegro's European path.
"Around 70 percent of EU legislation is implemented at the local level. In this sense, the EU supports better infrastructure, stronger local economies, better services and a cleaner environment. This is where the European Union becomes a reality – where cooperation brings concrete and tangible benefits to citizens. We are very pleased that Montenegro wholeheartedly aspires to become the next member of the European Union," concluded Steiner.
After Kotor, Herceg Novi and Andrijevica, the celebration of Europe Day, organized by the Ministry of European Affairs, continues throughout May in Tuzi, Plav and Gusinje, through programs that connect culture, community and European values, with young people as their most important bearers.
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