Podgorica, (MINA) – President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic has launched a program on marking the 20th anniversary of independence, strongly linking the historical heritage with the modern development of society and a clear vision of the future, the President’s Office announced.
“Twenty years of restored independence is not just a jubilee, but an opportunity to reaffirm who we are, what we have built and what kind of Montenegro we want in the coming decades, a stable, self-confident and European state, based on the values of freedom and togetherness”, said Milatovic.
The program, as announced, includes a number of initiatives promoting the values of Montenegrin statehood through culture, education, ecology, sports and international cooperation.
The President’s Office said that in the year marking 20 years since the restoration of independence, the 110th anniversary of the naval tragedy in the Medova Bay in Albania will be commemorated with the unveiling a memorial plaque as a lasting sign of gratitude to those who died for Montenegro.
It is announced that the residence of the President of Montenegro, the Blue Castle in Cetinje, a symbol of Montenegrin statehood and cultural identity, will be open for organized school visits for the first time since the restoration of independence.
The press release states that the President will be the patron of the retrospective exhibition of Jaroslav Cermak in Prague, as well as an initiative to restore and the site of Zabljak Crnojevica, one of the most important locations in Montenegrin statehood.
As they stated, the celebration of the jubilee will also have a strong ecological dimension through the initiative of planting 20,000 trees across the country.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary will also encompass the marking of the Europe Day and Victory Day, which, as stated, serve as a reminder that modern Montenegro is founded on the values of freedom, anti-fascism and European unity.
Milatovic’s cabinet announced that, in anticipation of Independence Day, the President will for the first time present a specially created Order of Montenegrin Independence to individuals who have made a special contribution to the restoration of statehood.
The President’c Office added that hosting the EU – Western Balkans Summit in the jubilee year further emphasizes the link between the restoration of independence and Montenegro’s modern European path.
