Background Note: Montenegro

Background Note: Montenegro

PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:

Montenegro

Geography

Area: Montenegro (13,938 sq. km.) is slightly smaller than Connecticut.
Cities: Capital--Podgorica. Other cities--Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Herceg Novi, Kotor, Niksic, Pljevlja, Tivat, Ulcinj.
Terrain: Varied; mountainous regions with thick forests; central plains; southwestern Adriatic coast with high shoreline with very few islands off the coast.
Climate: Generally continental; Mediterranean along the coast.

People

Nationality: Noun--Montenegrin(s); adjective--Montenegrin.
Population (2003 Republic census): 630,548.
Population growth rate (EU 2008 Progress Report): 3.0%.
Ethnic groups (2003 census): Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 31%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, Muslim 5%, Croatian 1%, Roma 0.5%.
Religions (2003 census): Orthodox 74%, Muslim 18%, Roman Catholic 4%.
Languages (2003 Census): Serbian 63.49%, Montenegrin 21.96%, Albanian 5.25%, Bosniak 3.2%, Bosnian 2.28%, Croatian 0.45 and Roma 0.4%. The October 2007 constitution established Montenegrin as the official language, and decreed that Serbian, Bosniak, Albanian, and Croatian also may be used officially.
Health (2008 EU Progress Report): Infant mortality rate--7.5 deaths/1,000 (2008 data). Life expectancy--male 71.2 yrs., female 76.1 yrs. (2008 data).

Government

Type: Republic.
Constitution: Adopted October 19, 2007 and proclaimed October 22, 2007.
Independence: June 3, 2006 (declared by parliament after referendum in favor of independence from state union of Serbia and Montenegro).
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--Montenegrin parliament. Judicial--Constitutional Court and Supreme Court.
Political parties (in alphabetical order): Albanian Alternative (AA), Albanian Coalition “Perspective”, Bosniak Democratic Party, Bosniak Party (BS), Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI), Democratic Center (DC), Democratic League in Montenegro (DSCG), Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Democratic Party of Unity, Democratic Serbian Party (DSS), Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA), Democratic Union of Muslims-Bosniaks, FORCA, Green Party of Montenegro, Homeland Serbian Party, Liberal Party (LP), Montenegrin Communists, Movement for Change (PZP), New Serbian Democracy (NOVA), Party of Democratic Prosperity, Party of Pensioners and Invalids of Montenegro, Party of Serbian Radicals (SSR), Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ), People's Party of Montenegro (NS), People's Socialist Party (NSS), Serbian National List, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Socialist People's Party (SNP).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy

GDP (2008): $4.448 billion (€3.025 billion).
Real GDP growth rate (2007/2008): 8.1%.
Per capita GDP (2007): $7,168. (€4,877).
Inflation rate (2008): 8.4%.
Natural resources: Bauxite.
Tourism: 20% of GDP.
Industry: 13.8% of GDP.
Agriculture: 8.4% of GDP.
Services: 49.6% of GDP.
Trade (2008): Exports--$728.2 million (€495.18 million). Major markets--Italy ($196.1 million; €133.3 million), Serbia ($168.4 million; €114.5 million), Greece ($80.7 million; €54.9 million) Slovenia ($57.1 million, €38.8 million); Kosovo ($55.6 million; €37.8 million). Imports--$2.865 billion (€1.948 billion). Major suppliers--Serbia ($1.119 billion; €761.3 million), Italy ($216.5 million; €147.2 million), Bosnia and Herzegovina ($207.1 million, €140.8 million); Croatia ($201.2 million, €136.8 million), Slovenia ($195.8 million, €133.2 million).

PEOPLE AND HISTORY

Montenegro resisted the rule of the Ottoman Turks, maintaining its independence and playing off its powerful neighbors against each other. Montenegro was recognized as an independent and sovereign principality by the Great Powers of Europe assembled at the Congress of Berlin on July 13, 1878.

During World War I, Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies but was defeated and occupied by Austria. Upon Austrian occupation, the Montenegrin king, King Nikola I, and his government went into exile. In late 1918, an Assembly met in Podgorica, and under the eyes of the Serbian army, deposed King Nikola and declared unification with Serbia. The government of Montenegro in exile denounced the Assembly's action, to no avail. From 1919 to 1941, Montenegro was part of what became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, despite armed resistance in the early 1920s to rule from Belgrade.

When Yugoslavia was invaded and partitioned by the Axis powers in April 1941, Montenegro was appropriated by the Italians under a nominally autonomous administration. While some Montenegrins sided with Italy, motivated by antipathy against past rule from Belgrade, the Partisan Revolt in Montenegro began early, on July 13, 1941, and initially scored impressive successes against the Italian occupiers. Throughout World War II, Montenegro served as an effective base and refuge for Tito's Partisans. After the war, Montenegro was granted the status of a republic within Yugoslavia.

The breakup of the Yugoslav federation after 1989 left Montenegro in a precarious position. Between 1991 and 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia all seceded from Yugoslavia. On April 27, 1992 in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro joined in passing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Though Montenegro reaffirmed its political attachment to Serbia, a sense of a distinct Montenegrin identity continued to thrive. The government of Montenegro was critical of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's 1998-99 campaign in Kosovo, and the ruling coalition parties boycotted the September 2000 federal elections, which led to the eventual removal of Milosevic's regime.

In March 2002, the Belgrade Agreement was signed by the heads of the federal and republican governments, setting forth the parameters for a redefinition of Montenegro's relationship with Serbia within a joint state. On February 4, 2003, the F.R.Y. parliament ratified the Constitutional Charter, establishing a new state union and changing the name of the country from Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro. On May 21, 2006, the Republic of Montenegro held a successful referendum on independence and declared independence on June 3.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Following Montenegro's declaration of independence, the first parliamentary elections were held on September 10, 2006. Both domestic and international observers assessed the elections as being generally in line with international standards. Zeljko Sturanovic of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) was appointed as Prime Minister. The newly elected Montenegrin parliament began work on the country's first post-independence constitution, which was adopted on October 19, 2007. The constitution, among other things, changed the country's official name to "Montenegro." European and Euro-Atlantic integration has been one of the driving forces behind the reform process that led to the signing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) on October 15, 2007.

Following the resignation of Prime Minister Sturanovic due to health reasons in February 2008, President Vujanovic nominated (and parliament approved) the leader of the ruling DPS, former Montenegrin President and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, as head of the government. Presidential elections were held on April 6, 2008, and incumbent President Vujanovic was elected for a second five-year term with 52% of the vote. Domestic and international observers assessed this election as being generally in line with international standards. On March 29, 2009, Montenegro held its second parliamentary elections, which according to international observers met almost all international standards. On June 10, 2009, the new parliament re-elected Prime Minister Djukanovic to a sixth term. Prime Minister Djukanovic’s new government includes several new ministries and ministers.

The Government of Montenegro continues to promote reforms that will bring the country closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions. Despite considerable progress since independence and success in maintaining inter-ethnic harmony, some ethnic tensions remain. The country must also cope with rule of law issues and uneven regional economic development.

Legislature

The parliament is Montenegro's lawmaking body. Parliament has 81 members elected in general elections. The governing DPS/SDP/BS/HGI coalition has 48 members of parliament, followed by the SNP (16 seats), NOVA (8), the PzP (5), DUA (one), FORCA (one), Albanian List coalition (composed of the Democratic Alliance in Montenegro and the Albanian Alternative) (one), and the Albanian Coalition-Perspektiva (composed of Party of Democratic Unity of Albanians and a group of citizens represented by Amir Hollaj) (one).

Principal Government Officials

President--Filip Vujanovic (DPS)
Prime Minister--Milo Djukanovic (DPS)
Foreign Minister--Milan Rocen (DPS)
Defense Minister--Boro Vucinic (DPS)
Speaker of the Parliament--Ranko Krivokapic (SDP)

DEFENSE

The Montenegrin Government has established a military and a Ministry of Defense. Further reform and transformation of both institutions is underway. The Montenegrin military operates under the joint authority of the Security and Defense Council, which consists of the president, prime minister, and the speaker of parliament.

Parliament also maintains oversight through its Security and Defense Committee. Montenegro officially entered NATO's Partnership for Peace in November 2006 and in April 2008 was invited to join an Intensified Political Dialogue with the Alliance. On December 4, 2009, the NATO foreign ministers invited Montenegro to participate in the Alliance’s Membership Action Plan (MAP).

ECONOMY

Montenegro has natural resources, primarily bauxite, adequate water supplies, and a climate conducive to agriculture and tourism. The establishment of the bauxite-alumina-aluminum industry after World War II provided Montenegro with a core strategic industry, which has suffered from high production costs since the first energy crisis in 1973. In the 1960s, tourism began its initial growth, largely attracting visitors from Eastern Europe. War and sanctions in the early 1990s hit Montenegro hard, and recovery only really began after the end of the Kosovo crisis in 1999 and the adoption of the deutschmark (DM) in November 1999, which largely disconnected Montenegro's economy from Serbia and the Serbian dinar.

During the last few years, Montenegro has begun creating a business-friendly investment climate. The Euro replaced the DM on March 31, 2002. The country established the lowest corporate tax rate in the region (9%) and Standard & Poors confirmed the long-term (BB+) and short-term (B) credit rating for Montenegro in November 2008. It also confirmed the AAA rating, which concerns the transfer and assessment of convertibility. According to official statistics the inflation rate in 2008 was 8.4%. More than 85% of capital value in Montenegrin companies had been privatized by June 2009. The banking sector, telecommunications, and oil import and distribution in Montenegro are 100% privately owned. Capital structure analysis shows that the state still has shares in 65 companies, and in 53.8% of those the state has more than 50% ownership. The biggest improvement Montenegro has made has been in the area of tax policy. Montenegro introduced value added tax (VAT) in April 2003, and introduced tax rates of 17% and 7% (for tourism) as of January 2006. The lower VAT rate for tourism is to encourage growth in this strategic industry. Montenegro also decreased the personal income tax (PIT), and a 12% flat rate was implemented in January 2008; a 9% rate will be implemented in January 2010.

There has been a rapid growth in tourism and tourism investments, particularly along the Adriatic coast, in the years since independence. The independent World Travel and Tourism Council repeatedly has ranked Montenegro as the top-growing tourism destination in the world, with growth estimated at 10% annually through 2016. Net foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2008 reached $1.223 billion, which was almost ten times higher than in 2004, and investment per capita in Montenegro is one of the highest in Europe. However, investment has slowed recently, in part as a result of the global economic crisis. According to preliminary data from the Montenegrin central bank, the amount of foreign investment in the first quarter of 2009 was $279 million, which represented a decrease of 38% compared with the same period in 2008.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Since the June 3, 2006 declaration of independence, the European Union, Serbia, and all permanent members of the UN Security Council have recognized Montenegro. The UN General Assembly voted on June 28, 2006 to admit Montenegro as a new member state. Montenegro joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on June 22, 2006, and the Council of Europe on May 11, 2007.

Montenegro signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU in October 2007, concluded a World Trade Organization (WTO) bilateral agreement with the EU in April 2008, and was invited to join an Intensified Political Dialogue with NATO at the April 2008 Summit in Bucharest. On December 15, 2008, Prime Minister Djukanovic formally submitted Montenegro’s application for EU membership to French President Sarkozy, whose country held the rotating EU presidency. On December 9, 2009 in Brussels, Prime Minister Djukanovic submitted Montenegro’s answers to the European Commission (EC) questionnaire, which will be reviewed by the EC before it recommends to member states whether to grant Montenegro candidate status in 2010. As of December 19, 2009 Montenegrin citizens were permitted to travel without visa to the Schengen area for up to 90 days per six-month period.

U.S.-MONTENEGRO RELATIONS

The United States recognized Montenegro on June 12, 2006 and formally established diplomatic relations on August 15 of that year. The U.S. maintains an Embassy in Podgorica. There are currently a variety of U.S. assistance programs in place in Montenegro to help improve the economic climate and strengthen democracy. These include initiatives to promote local economic growth and business development and strengthen rule of law and democratic institutions. In order to further develop commercial ties between the U.S. and Montenegro, the first American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Montenegro) was launched on November 19, 2008, and as part of the strategic partnership between Montenegro and State of Maryland, the U.S.-Montenegro Business Council was formally opened in Podgorica on December 16, 2008. President Vujanovic met U.S. Secretary of State Rice on May 1, 2007 during his visit to Washington, DC. Speaker of the Parliament Ranko Krivokapic visited Washington in November 2007 and met with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Montenegrin military also established a partnership with the Maine Army National Guard, and efforts are underway to broaden this relationship to include cooperation in the civilian sector.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--Roderick W. Moore
Deputy Chief of Mission--Ben Lowenthal
Political-Economic Chief--David Muniz
USAID Officer-in-Charge--Ramsey Day
Public Affairs Officer--Alexander Titolo
Consular Officer--Corey Gonzales

The Embassy is located at Ljubljanska bb, 81000 Podgorica Telephone: +382 20 410 500; Fax: +382 20 241 358. The Embassy website is http://podgorica.usembassy.gov

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.

Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov.

For additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.

The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada. The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.

Further Electronic Information

Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more.

The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.

STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.

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