The first visit to the region ahead of summer tourist season

Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatović, Minister of Finance and Social Welfare Milojko Spajić and President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi Stevan Katić are paying a working visit to the Municipality of Trebinje. The Montenegrin delegation met with Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Staša Košarac and Mayor of Trebinje Marko Ćurić.

This meeting is part of the first regional visit of ministers, which aims to promote tourism in Montenegro. In 2019, tourists from the countries of the region booked more than 5.3 million overnight stays, or almost 40% of the total overnight stays in Montenegro. Out of that, tourists from BiH record over a million overnight stays.

Minister Milatović invited tourists from BiH to visit Montenegro this year, adding that the borders between Montenero and Bosnia and Herzegovina are currently open to the free flow of people and goods.

The Government of Montenegro provided signficant assistance to the tourism industry during the first quarter of 2021, and this trend will continue in the coming period when the second set of measures is expected.

The meeting discussed current topics and events: the change of government, the coronavirus pandemic, the immunization process, the decline of the economy and the road infrastructure.

In the context of improving economic and trade cooperation, Minister Milatović pointed out activities to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two countries. In addition to economic cooperation, the Minister emphasised the improvement of further cooperation in the field of tourism, ecology, road infrastructure, as well as the process of EU accession of the two countries.

These meetings should lead to the strengthening of regional cooperation. The meeting also discussed the reconstruction of the road between Foča and Plužine, as well as the abolition of the toll between Trebinje and Herceg Novi, emphasising the importance of road transport connections for the economic and social prosperity of these two countries.

Montenegrin Minister of Finance Milojko Spajić said thath the meeting discussed the negotiations for the purchase of a concession agreement for the road between Herceg Novi and Trebinje, expressing hope that such projects will continue in the future and that the cooperation between the two countries will intensify.

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Staša Kosarac said that this was an important meeting in the continuation of bilateral relations.

President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi Stevan Katić, said that he was especially pleased with the fact that today's meeting focused on the toll between Trebinje and Herceg Novi.