DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Montenegro's Parliament approves agreements with Alabbar amid criticism and opposition from Albanian MPs

2025-04-23 18:44:10Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Montenegro's Parliament approves agreements with Alabbar amid criticism and
Montenegro's Parliament approves agreements with Alabbar

The Parliament of Montenegro has approved, through an accelerated procedure, the laws ratifying the Agreement on Economic Cooperation and the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism and Real Estate Development with the United Arab Emirates.

The approval, at the request of the Government of Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, was necessary for the agreements, which Spajic signed on March 28 with Emirati officials, to enter into force.

The agreements were opposed by Albanian MPs.

But they were supported by the deputies of the parliamentary majority, Spajic's Europe Now Movement, the New Serbian Democracy of parliament speaker Andrija Mandic, the Democrats and the Bosniak Party.

The debate, during which all the deputies' amendments were rejected, lasted over 12 hours and ended one hour after midnight, on April 23. Out of 81 deputies, the Agreement on Economic Cooperation was supported by 50, while the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism and Real Estate was supported by 46. Ten were against both agreements, while part of the opposition left the hall before the vote.

Some activists and the non-governmental sector consider that with the approval of these Agreements, the Constitution and some of the laws of Montenegro have been "suspended".

In fact, agreements between states that were adopted take precedence over domestic legislation in the event of any dispute.

They do not foresee compliance with local provisions on public procurement and tenders, although the Constitution establishes a free market and prohibits the distortion of competition and the promotion of monopolies.

Although the agreement does not specify the location of the investments, the Government has previously announced that they are related to investments by Arab businessman Mohamed Alabbar in Ulcinj's Big Beach, to which there are strong objections from the local community, ecologists and the opposition.

It is a 99-year lease of a part of the Grand Beach, which together with the surrounding area includes about 20 million square meters, where tourist and residential facilities would be built, Prime Minister Spajic has announced several times.

In early April, he stated in Parliament that Alabbar is ready to invest around 35 billion euros. Later, he relativized this statement, saying that it is about the potential of attracting investments in that amount.

The agreement obliges the Government in Podgorica to prepare planning documentation in accordance with the wishes of Arab investors, build infrastructure for the projects, and assume expropriation costs.

There is no clear estimate of how much this will cost Montenegro.

Alabbar has also been involved in the construction of the "Belgrade on Water" project.

Albanian MPs against

Apart from the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly, all members of the Montenegrin Parliament from this city have been against this agreement.

Before the debate, the mayor, Genc Nimanbegu, said that the deputies who will support the proposed laws "will become enemies of Ulcinj."

"Twenty million square meters of the Great Beach of Ulcinj are being leased for 99 years. How could anyone think of doing this without public discussion, without the involvement of local government and the professional public?" said Nimanbegu.

MP Mehmet Zenka, during the debate on the agreement, stated that "in the last 100 years, a greater disaster has not occurred for Ulcinj."

The president of URA, Dritan Abazovic, said that this agreement is enabling the sale of Montenegro and is violating the Constitution, as "the confiscation of citizens' property is being planned without any justification as to where the public interest lies."

"How can apartments for sale and a hotel-condo be of public interest?" asked Abazovic, referring to the provision that qualifies the project as public interest.

On April 17, he announced that URA had filed a criminal complaint with the Special Prosecution Office against Spajic and unknown persons for signing the agreement.

Albanian Alliance MP Ilir Çapuni, supported by other Albanian parties, stated that the agreement violates the rights of minorities, based on the Law on the Rights and Freedoms of Minorities. On behalf of the Government, as the proposer, the Minister of Public Administration, Majda Adxheviç, responded, saying that the request is unfounded, as the agreement does not mention any city or municipality.

Even the opposition and the president of the state are against it.

The largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), has presented several reasons why it is against this agreement.

"The main reasons are related to: non-transparent procedures, lack of sufficient communication with the public, and the content of the agreement itself," said DPS MP Nikolla Rakocevic.

His party colleague, Ivan Vuković, stated that figuratively, we are dealing with an "attempt to rob Montenegro."

"The government, supported by the majority, aims to donate land worth 20 billion euros, prepare planning documentation, legally clear the property in the name of public interest, bring electricity, water, sewage... which will cost hundreds of millions of euros," he said.

He asked why Alabbar is mentioned if it is not known who the investor is, and why the Prime Minister mentions Ulcinj if the specific location is not known.

"All those who support this agreement will be held accountable one day," Vukovic said.

The DPS left the chamber before the vote on the agreements. Opposition Social Democrats MP Boris Mugosha said that no one is against investments, but that the Constitution of Montenegro must be respected.

"As well as national legislation, local community interests and obligations on the path to the EU," he said.

The country's president, Jakov Milatović, also considers the government's agreement with the United Arab Emirates to be "illegal" as it "suspenses" Montenegrin laws. He has asked the European Commission for an opinion on its compliance with European legal standards.

Supporters of the agreement

Deputies from Spajic's Europe Now Movement received the greatest support from the Serbian New Democracy party, whose president is also the Speaker of the Parliament, Andrija Mandic.

He stated that for the first time in the history of the state, "we are being presented with such a large investment and an opportunity to reborn this country."

His party's MP, Marko Kovacevic, said that the opposition is bothered by the fact that the government will reach such an agreement with foreign investors.

He added that "we have never voted for treason against the country and we will not do so now."

MP from Spajic's movement, Jelena Nedovic, stated that instead of feeling "joy for a reliable investor," Montenegro is today hearing different stories, manipulations and attacks on MPs. She said that the potential investor, Mohamed Alabbar, is reliable.

She also emphasized that everything was done in accordance with the Constitution and laws.

Debate without the Prime Minister

As previously announced, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic did not participate in the debate, as he is on an official visit to the US.

In his place, the agreements were presented to the deputies by the Minister of Public Works, Majda Adxheviç.

She assessed that voting against the agreement could only bring about one result, a permanent cessation of cooperation with the Emirates in the field of tourism.

"The news of the refusal to ratify the agreement would be a kind of diplomatic slap," Adxević said.

According to her, the investment will not be realized in municipalities that do not want it, including Ulcinj, but the Government will not give up, it will support municipalities that are interested in investments.

The Ministry of Public Works, which is the main carrier of the Government's project, was formed this month.

Adxević was elected minister on April 14.

Ecologists and part of the non-governmental sector are against

Even the non-governmental network MANS, which has been fighting against corruption for decades, emphasized that the agreement excludes the investor from the jurisdiction of the local judiciary and suspends the Constitution and laws, especially in the field of public procurement and tenders.

They warned of the high risk of money laundering, given that data on the real owners of companies registered in the Emirates is not publicly available, so the Government will not be able to verify to whom it is giving state assets.

Ecologists also warned that planned construction on Ulcinj's Grand Beach would severely damage the environment of Sollana.

Sollana is one of the most important bird habitats in Europe./ REL


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×