Montenegro

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has urged all Balkan countries to join NATO and the EU, adding that this is the only move that would bring the much-needed security in the region.

Speaking Friday after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, Borisov expressed hopes that Montenegro would join NATO by end-2015.

Montenegro is ready for NATO membership.

The statement was made by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov following talks with his counterpart Milo Dukanovic Friday.

''I have stated numerous times that peace on the Balkans will come when we all become members of the EU,'' Borisov added.

Bulgaria and Montenegro will boost cooperation in the field of culture by signing an intergovernmental agreement during the forthcoming meeting of delegations from the two states.

Bulgarian Minister Boyko Borisov will meet his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Dukanovic, who will be on an official visit to Sofia on March 27, the government's press service reports.

A court in Montenegro on Wednesday found Novak Uskokovic, editor-in-chief of the tabloid newspaper Informer, guilty of "allowing the publication of offensive articles about the Albanians."

Uskokovic, who edits the Montenegrin editions of the Belgrade-based daily, was fined 3,000 euros - the minimum penalty for such offences. The maximum prescribed fine is 10,000 euros.

Montenegro's Media Self-regulatory Council on Wednesday called on lawmakers and other state institutions in Montenegro to adopt a special law on defamation to guarantee more effective judicial procedures in cases of defamation in the media.

Most of the 809 journalists working for over hundred media outlets in Montenegro earn less than the national average pay, a survey published by the country's Media Insitute on Tuesday shows.

The survey finds that the average wage of journalists in Montenegro is 470 euros a month, which is just below the average monthly wage of 487 euros.

Montenegro pursues NATO admission

A slew of reforms and awareness campaigns are among the steps Montenegro is taking to secure NATO membership before the end of 2015.

French President Francois Hollande (right), with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in Paris on December 10th, said his country opposes new NATO members. [AFP]

PODGORICA/BELGRADE - Montenegro and Serbia will prepare an agreement on joint efforts in other markets, according to what was agreed at a meeting between Montenegro's Minister of Economy Vladimir Kavaric and Serbia's Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic in Podgorica on Monday.

The plan to build the cable-car route from Kotor to Cetinje over Lovcen Mountain, originally initiated several decades ago, could finally be realised if the Montenegrin government finds international partners for the construction of the route which will link the coastline and the highest mountain peak in the country.

The latest developments in the accession talks of Montenegro with the European Union were analysed on Thursday by State Secretary for European Affairs with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) George Ciamba and Montenegro's chief-negotiator for EU Aleksandar Pejovic at a meeting on Thursday in Bucharest.

Photo credit (c): ANGELO BREZOIANU / AGERPRES FILES