Montenegro is doing well when it comes to cultural recognition, it is synonymous with culture and history, national cultural institutions and local governments are achieving great results, and the greatest success of the Ministry of Culture and Media is that it initiates processes essentially and thoroughly.
These are some of the messages from the Minister of Culture and Media, Tamara Vujović, who was a guest on Boje jutra on Television Vijesti.
She said that in Montenegro, as a country that owes more than a third of its GDP to tourism, it is necessary for cultural products and content to be worth the price and time.
"The best example of Montenegro being a country of tourism, but also a country where people come for culture, is the large number of tickets sold this year by the Maritime Museum and the National Museum. We have already exceeded the targets in the National Cultural Development Plan for 2026. This means that tourists come to Montenegro not only for vacation, but also to visit our festivals, our immovable cultural heritage," said Vujović.
She emphasized that Montenegro sent a strong message of regional cooperation and good connections when it hosted a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Culture of Southeast Europe and when the Herceg Novi Declaration was adopted, which committed the ministers of culture to closer regional connections and the establishment of a joint fund for cultural cooperation.
"We also had a very successful Summit of Ministers of Culture, Education and Science of the Western Balkans, organized by the Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation, and specific topics were opened, the main one being how to help the Western Balkans in integration, when it comes to culture. Our first upcoming meeting is the Regional Summit, where the ministers of culture of the Western Balkans and Hungary will be present, as well as the directors of cultural institutions, who will further deepen cooperation," said Vujović.
Cooperation with Hungary, she added, is focused on three points: the development of cinematography, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the management of museums and galleries.
"We were at the opening of the European Capital of Culture in Gorica and Nova Gorica. We have a candidate, and that is the city of Nikšić for 2030, and it is always nice to see how it is done, what are the examples of good practice. At all the meetings, we saw a great commitment from countries that are already in the European Union to help Montenegro become a member as soon as possible," said Vujović.
According to her, Montenegro is synonymous with culture and history.
"As small a country as we are, no one disputes that we have a truly rich cultural heritage that we are proud of, a rich history that we talk about, but also a fruitful creativity that we are recognized for. We are doing well when it comes to cultural recognition," Vujović is certain.
He sees the greatest success of the department he heads as being that things are moving forward essentially and fundamentally.
"We are working hard on amending the texts of systemic laws in culture, namely the Law on Culture and the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property, and I assure you that these will truly be quality legal solutions," Vujović is clear.
He believes that more can always be done in the cultural heritage segment.
"We have an objective problem here, and that is human resources, or rather a lack of personnel. We have almost no CVs related to the humanities, which could certainly help us create policies in the field of cultural heritage faster and with better quality. We lack archaeologists, ethnologists, ethnographers, art historians, architects," Vujović stated.
The budget of the Ministry of Culture and Media this year was increased by 12,8 percent, or 3,8 million, which is an indicator that there is understanding for culture.
"As the relevant minister, I would say that there is never enough money for culture, but we must be realistic and acknowledge the fact that there are priorities. The Budget Law stipulates that Montenegro cannot allocate less than 2,5 percent of the total budget for culture. That is a guaranteed 34, 35 million euros and we can be satisfied with that," said Vujović.
She explained that funds are mostly distributed through competitions, and an analysis of the Competition for Cultural and Artistic Creativity, where there are six competition lines, is underway.
"Increasing the VAT rate on books and tickets is part of a broader fiscal strategy, which must bring revenue to the budget so that people can have higher salaries, pensions, and therefore be able to buy books and follow some cultural content. Research shows us that it is not only the price that determines whether someone will visit a cultural institution or cultural event. Museums and galleries are the least visited. Galleries have free admission, and museums have benefits and free admission several times a year," explained Vujović.
She pointed out that national cultural institutions and local governments are achieving excellent results in their cultural development plans.
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