Popa: We invest in large investment projects
With the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, the Ministry of Economic Development organised a presentation showcasing successful EU and other projects of the Ministry. The event was opened by the Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatovic and the Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa who addressed the visitors through a video message.
“The European Union is Montenegro’s biggest partner and donor when it comes to economic development and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. And today you can see it for yourself. We support businesses and entrepreneurs with donations. We invest in large development projects, which are part of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans,” Ambassador Popa pointed out.
As she said, only through joint EU-Montenegro programmes for education, employment and social welfare over 400 grants were distributed to start ups and entrepreneurs, with a special focus on female entrepreneurs.
“We have supported business owners to keep jobs or create new ones, especially in the north of the country. We have supported people with disabilities, the elderly, scientist and innovators, schools and school children by providing grants, equipment or networking opportunities. I am so glad many of these beneficiaries are here today.”
The Ambassador pointed out the fact that fresh funds from the EU will be available in 2022, with a big focus on strengthening Montenegro’s economy and helping the private sector improve its competitiveness. Grants worth €900,000 will be distributed to small and medium sized companies to support the implementation of Montenegro’s Smart Specialisation Strategy, while female entrepreneurs will be awarded with grants worth €250,000.
Ambassador Popa concluded her address by announcing that through the European Union's ambitious Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans, the EU will invest in large projects at the national level in key areas such as transport, energy, green transition and digital transformation.
The Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatovic pointed out that the event represents a great opportunity for citizens to see the importance of the support that Montenegro receives from the European Union and the benefits of the funds available to Montenegro throughout the pre-accession process. The Ministry has been implementing various donor and international projects for many years, most of which were financed from various EU financial instruments.
"Our plans and work so far are closely connected with the pre-accession process, which is characterised by the continuous financial support of our largest donor - the European Union. In this context, I would especially like to emphasise the successful implementation of the Self-Employment Grants Programme, which was awarded to the Montenegrin Employment Agency as the first direct grant, with a total value of €3.5 million," said the Minister of Economic Development, Jakov Milatovic.
The visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with the projects implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development within the €18 million and Montenegro Programme for Employment, Education and Social Policy, as well as activities and other projects of the Ministry of Economic Development. Opportunities for participation in future projects and calls financed with EU funds were presented at the event as well.
The event was attended by representatives of companies, NGOs, international organisations, local governments, and entrepreneurs with experience in implementing projects financed through various programmes with IPA pre-accession assistance, but also other donor and national funding programmes.
