INTERVIEW
German ambassador to Montenegro, Peter Felten explains that the EU integration process is not rocket-science
We are more willing than ever to welcome Montenegro to our club
T
he European Union and its member states are more willing than ever to welcome Montenegro to our club as soon as the country has completed its “homework”, i.e. undertaken the necessary reforms to live up to what we call the EU acquis. This is not rocket science – this being a crucial message of the German ambassador to Montenegro, Peter Felten. In an interview for Diplomacy & Commerce, ambassador explains that it requires strong political will to strategically address the issues still open, and hard and resolute qualified work on the technical questions to be solved. If this happens, as he says, EU accession can be a matter of just a couple of years.
with its museum dedicated to Marko Miljanov, where you will learn a lot about the remarkable history of this Montenegrin tribal leader and writer, who participated in the wars of the mid 19th century to liberate Montenegro from Ottoman reign, and who, only after that, already in his 50s, learned to read and write and became an important author and chronist of his time, with his famous work “The Examples of Humanity and Bravery”, also available in English. And if you climb up to the castle hill right behind the museum you will find his grave on a plateau, with a beautiful view all the way to the “sacred mountain” of the Montenegrins, the Lovćen, with its mausoleum for Petar II Petrovič Njegoš.
Saratov, New York, Lisbon, Juba, Islamabad, Baghdad then Podgorica. When first read, this line may resemble a geographic trivia. Yet it is a simple dot distribution map of your diplomatic career. With a full bag of knowledge and professional experience you have arrived at Montenegro. Did you have a chance to get to know our country? Could you think of three lesser-known spots you would recommend to your friends as worth visiting?
Finally, let me recommend you to visit Ulcinj Solana. Some years after salt production there was discontinued in 2013, Solana become a nature park, and has since been internationally recognized as an environmentally valuable wetland under the Ramsar Convention. These days, the Government of Montenegro and the city of Ulcinj are working, with the support of the German Government, on a concept for the future sustainable management of Solana. Take a walk, or a bicycle ride, in this vast area and enjoy the beauty of the landscape and rich biodiversity and, in particular, the around 250 species of birds that breed, rest or winter there, including flamingos and pelicans. My favorite time for a walk through Solana are the early morning or evening hours when the birds are particularly active, especially in spring and autumn during bird migration. I really hope that Montenegro will manage to preserve this unique ecosystem.
Yes, I have been lucky to work and live in numerous fascinating places around the world during my 30 years so far in the German diplomatic service. But Montenegro is, without any doubt, one of the most beautiful and hospitable among them, and I consider it a real privilege to have been assigned the post of German Ambassador to your country. Since taking office I have seized every opportunity to explore the treasures of this great country and to meet its people.
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As to your question – of course, the first that comes to one’s mind is Montenegro’s superb coastline and its spectacular mountain region in the north. But there is much more to be seen. Let me choose the following places: First, Žabljak Crnojevica, founded in the 10th century, and the throne city of Ivan Crnojevič, the founder of Cetinje. It is just 30 minutes from central Podgorica, but still not easy to find: a hill with
the ruins of the medieval castle on top and a splendid view of the Lake Skadar wetlands and the various mountain ranges; with the houses of the village nestled against the castle hill. And all this surrounded by lushly green vegetation, rivers, canals, and lakes. Don’t expect sophisticated touristic infrastructure. Just enjoy the beauty of the place. Another gem I found is the village of Medun, again just a 30 minute drive from the capital,
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