WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS
The Mayor of Ulcinj has sent an official letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressing deep concern over the alarming consequences that the agreement between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates could have for the citizens of this city, according to a statement from the Mayor’s Office.
The municipality called on the European Commission to recognize the seriousness of the situation and to take steps to protect the rights of Ulcinj residents.
Below is the full text of the letter:
“With this correspondence, we have the honor of sharing with you our deep and legitimate concern regarding the policies and practices of the Government of Montenegro which, in numerous cases, are not in accordance with the Constitution of this country nor with the fundamental European principles that protect minority rights, equality, and cultural diversity.
Unfortunately, the latest moves by the Montenegrin government are in direct contradiction with these principles. The government has, in an unprecedented manner, decided to sign an international agreement with the United Arab Emirates using an accelerated and urgent procedure – as if the country were in a state of war – in order to ratify the agreement as quickly as possible in the Parliament of Montenegro, with a final vote scheduled for April 17, 2025.
Due to the extremely short time frame, neither the Municipality of Ulcinj nor its citizens – members of the Albanian minority – have had the opportunity to undertake constitutional and legal measures to protect their rights and legitimate interests.
Moreover, there are well-founded suspicions that the UAE agreement contains serious legal deficiencies, as confirmed by the President of Montenegro, Mr. Jakov Milatović, who, according to the daily newspaper Vijesti on April 9, 2025, requested criminal accountability for the officials who signed the agreement.
Major infrastructure projects such as this agreement with the UAE foresee the importation of thousands of foreign workers – a detail already included in the agreement text – creating enormous pressure on the local economy and demographics.
According to Article 39 of the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, it is explicitly prohibited to take any actions that would alter the demographic structure of areas inhabited by minority communities. The UAE agreement and its possible implementation represent precisely that – demographic destabilization and the undermining of Ulcinj’s identity as a predominantly Albanian municipality.
Throughout Montenegro’s recent history, Albanians have shown unwavering loyalty to the state and its institutions, contributing to regional stability, cooperation, and peace. They were an active force in Montenegro’s independence process, trusting that constitutional principles and guarantees would be upheld without exception, regardless of the political orientation of any government.
The Long Beach (Velika Plaža) in Ulcinj, as a symbol of identity and economic survival, represents not only a natural resource but the foundation of collective dignity and survival.
Furthermore, the right to a healthy environment, guaranteed by the Constitution of Montenegro, European environmental standards, and the Aarhus Convention, has also been violated. Projects threatening ecosystems – such as those planned for Velika Plaža and the Ulcinj Salina – and being implemented without environmental impact assessments, blatantly violate this right.
For the authors of the UAE agreement, economic gain has evidently taken precedence over any constitutional or international limitation,” the letter from Ulcinj Mayor Genci Nimanbegu to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen states, among other things.
