The President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, together with the President of the Municipal Assembly, Milica Lalatović Žižić, hosted a meeting with the EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Johan Sattler. They discussed ongoing projects being implemented in the Municipality of Nikšić, as well as the results achieved in the previous period — among which the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture 2030 stands out. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Office Nikšić 2030 – European Capital of Culture, Mato Uljarević and Nemanja Popović.
“This prestigious title is of great importance not only for Nikšić but for the entire country. Through this success, as well as through many other projects, Nikšić has made a contribution to Montenegro’s path toward the European Union. We have achieved significant progress in the field of environmental protection — we have resolved the decades-long problem of the Mislov Do landfill, and given that the Gračanica River has been environmentally degraded for decades and its riverbed is barely recognizable, we plan, in cooperation with the World Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture, to implement an important project for the restoration of the Gračanica River bed in the area of existing bridges. In addition, we have carried out numerous infrastructural projects and will continue to do so, all for the benefit of the citizens of Nikšić,” stated President Kovačević.
Ambassador Sattler congratulated the Municipality on winning the European Capital of Culture title and expressed his satisfaction that Nikšić is making extensive use of EU projects.
“Nikšić plays an important role in Montenegro’s accession to the European Union because you are the closest to the citizens, and we know that 70 percent of EU legislation is implemented at the local level. I am pleased to see that Nikšić is taking advantage of EU-funded projects,” noted the Ambassador.
Project Manager of the Nikšić 2030 – European Capital of Culture Office, Mato Uljarević, emphasized that the title of European Capital of Culture is extremely important not only in the cultural sense but also in the social and European context.
“This title represents an opportunity for Nikšić to become a platform for promoting European values, dialogue, cooperation, and creativity — and to strengthen the European identity of our city through culture and innovation. The Nikšić 2030 project will play a strong role in Montenegro’s European integration process, as through its implementation we promote the core values of the European Union — openness, solidarity, sustainability, and unity. Symbolically, the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture in 2030 will be designed in the spirit of European unity and dedicated to Montenegro’s accession to the European Union,” said Uljarević.
Following the meeting, the participants, together with members of the Municipal Assembly, took part in a tree-planting activity in the City Park, with saplings donated to the city by the European Union.
The Ambassador, along with representatives of the Municipality of Nikšić and the Nikšić 2030 – European Capital of Culture Office, also participated in a cleanup action along the Gračanica River. During his visit, he toured IPC Tehnopolis, the Nikšić 2030 – European Capital of Culture Office, and the newly opened House of Digital Revolution.