Azemović: Diaspora sends hundreds of millions of euros to Montenegro annually

The eighth Diaspora Days event has begun in Montenegro, organized by the Ministry for Diaspora in cooperation with the municipalities of Rožaje, Berane, Petnjica, Plav, Gusinje and Ulcinj. The program runs until August 8, and for the first time is being held simultaneously in several cities.

Minister Mirsad Azemović said in Boje jutra that the diaspora sends hundreds of millions of euros to Montenegro annually, and that the goal is to increasingly direct this money into investments that create jobs.

Business forums will be organized in all six municipalities, and Azemović singled out the battery factory in Petnjica and the hotel in Bistrica as examples of successful investments. In addition to the economic part, there are cultural programs and a summer school of language and culture in Ivanovi korita. The Ministry is also planning a campaign to strengthen the Diaspora Registry, which has been technically completed, but has not yet been fully operational.

"Because there was a lack of money, we then issued a public call where NGOs applied and in the coming period they will promote the register, conduct certain research, be present in the media. Unfortunately, that register, which existed but was in a different form, is very burdened with irrelevant issues in my opinion. It only had about 1.500 registered persons, and you know that the census also did not show good differentiation in some way, I think that people were reporting the diaspora in a rather flat manner and that the approximately 20.000 that the census showed is a figure that is absolutely not precise for me. Realistically speaking, considering that for over 100 years, meaning more than a century, our diaspora has been leaving Montenegro, it is realistic that 4-5 generations have already been in certain countries, that another Montenegro is outside," he pointed out.