The deadline for submitting bids for the tender for Montenegro’s airports will be extended until May 7, announced Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
He said that three finalist companies had requested additional time to prepare their offers.
“The deadline for submitting final binding offers for the airports has been extended from April 5 to May 7,” Spajić stated at a press conference following a government meeting.
He reminded that there had been a seven- to eight-year delay regarding the airports and that Montenegro had been informally placed on a blacklist by the airport consultant, which is part of the World Bank (WB).
“Let’s see what these three companies offer concretely, so we can close this cycle. If we are committed, as a responsible state, we must act accordingly with all investors,” Spajić said.
He also mentioned that the government had adopted a framework economic agreement for cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which expired in 2022.
“We are returning to a strategic component of cooperation with our partners from the UAE. The scope of cooperation has expanded to include tourism, hospitality, infrastructure development, agriculture, innovation, and new technologies,” Spajić explained, adding that UAE investors are among the largest in Montenegro.
The Prime Minister further stated that the government had a meeting with MEDEF representatives, discussing several projects that will move forward quickly. They are also working on an intergovernmental agreement between Montenegro and France, which is nearing completion. Similar agreements are also in progress with four other European countries and the UAE.
Spajić announced that he would call the mayors of all coastal municipalities to a meeting at the government headquarters on Monday to discuss a major project with UAE investors. He also mentioned upcoming talks regarding projects in northern Montenegro.
In response to a question about the investments of Eagle Hills and entrepreneur Mohamed Alabbar, Spajić stated that an important project is on the horizon that could bring significant benefits to Montenegro.
Spajić said that the development of Velika Plaža (Great Beach) is one idea under consideration, but other locations are also in the running.
“One thing is clear – we are advocating for joint investments with investors. There will be no sale of land; we have concluded that practice. We propose long-term leases, as this can bring serious benefits to the state,” said Spajić.
He noted that the dividends from a major tourism project, such as the one being considered for Ulcinj, would be enough to significantly improve the healthcare infrastructure and other projects.
“If one person offering 20-30 billion EUR is undesirable, what does that say to investors in general?” Spajić asked.
He urged politicians who make reckless and populist statements to refrain from doing so.
“The UAE government stands behind this project. States do not want to guarantee corrupt or dubious ventures,” Spajić added.
Regarding the appointment of the Director of the Maritime Property Management, Spajić said that there are procedures in place.
“We expect the appointment to be made very soon. From what I understand, there will be multiple candidates, and the reasons why one candidate is superior to the others will be provided,” Spajić concluded.
