“The EU and Montenegro have a common interest in identifying and addressing challenges related to the protection of the environment as well as maritime security and safety at sea,” said EU Ambassador to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa during the ceremonial handover of equipment to the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management in Bar.
The equipment worth €940,000 is intended for search and rescue operations and the protection of the sea from pollution and represents a donation from the European Union to support the transport sector. The donated equipment was displayed to the public at the anchorage of the Montenegrin Army at the Port of Bar.
“This new equipment complements the one we provided to Montenegro back in 2013, which is still in use. The equipment is worth almost one million Euros and will support Montenegro to better protect the marine environment and respond efficiently in case of pollution accidents. It will also help in responding to potentially dangerous situations at sea, thus improving Montenegrin search and rescue capacities. This is especially important in the context of the migratory crisis” said Popa, adding that the EU will continue to support efforts to protect the sea and strengthen maritime security for the benefit of citizens, businesses, and ecosystems in Montenegro and the EU.
The new equipment includes, among other things, a multipurpose vessel for open sea, an oil collection device (skimmer), a propulsion package (diesel generator and hydraulic pump) with hoses, a floating protective barrier for collecting light oil sludge, a floating absorbent barrier, granulated absorbents, and accompanying training.
Minister of Capital Investments Ervin Ibrahimovic thanked all institutions that contributed to the successful implementation of this project, which is, as he said, just another confirmation of the successful cooperation between Montenegro and the European Commission, of which there have been many in the recent period.
He reminded that the EU recently granted €30 million for overcoming the energy crisis, as well as an additional €6 million for preparing documentation for the continuation of the Bar-Boljare highway project implementation.
“The project, whose concrete, tangible results we can see today, aimed to ensure the implementation of preventive measures against pollution in accordance with IMO conventions and EU regulations, and to strengthen the capacity for environmental protection and response to new ecological challenges. I believe that we will be able to implement the lessons learned and that a successfully completed project should be an incentive for new initiatives and new cooperation,” said Ibrahimovic. This donation represents another successful example of the EU-Montenegro cooperation, and this support for the Montenegrin transportation sector does not end with it, the Minister added.
As Ibrahimovic points out, the realisation of numerous other strategic projects is being planned, such as the continuation of the Bar-Boljare highway project implementation and the continuation of the reconstruction of the Bar-Vrbnica railway. In addition to EU Ambassador Oana Cristina Popa and Deputy Prime Minister Ervin Ibrahimović, the management of the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management and the Port Captains’ Offices were also present at the presentation of the equipment.