The National Training Centre for Protection and Rescue has been opened

Montenegro is aware of the challenges created by climate changes, that is why it must offer an adequate and timely response in order to protect citizens and material and cultural assets, said the Minister of the Interior Filip Adzic at the opening ceremony of the National Training Centre for Protection and Rescue.

Montenegro has received a modern centre that will ensure the implementation of professional training and development, said the Acting Director of Directorate for protection and rescue Miodrag Besovic, who pointed out that the opening of the centre successfully finalised the "Safe together" project, which the Directorate for Protection and Rescue as a leading partner implemented in cooperation with the cities of Gradiska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Daruvar (Croatia).

He reminded that all project activities were carried out according to the planned dynamics, and that they aimed to strengthen resources for responding to natural disasters and other accidents in the cross-border area of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.

The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Montenegro Branimir Jukic thanked the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro and the local administrations of Gradiska and Daruvar for joining in the "Safe together" project, as well as the European Union, which recognised the need for such an initiative. We are witnesses that preparation and prevention are necessary when it comes to preventing and remediating the consequences of natural disasters, and by working together we affirm coordination and solidarity, said Jukic.

Croatian Ambassador to Montenegro Veselko Grubisic, while congratulating the successful implementation of this project, pointed out that regional connectivity is extremely important, and expressed expectation that in the coming period Montenegro will continue to improve its capacities and thereby be one step closer to its strategic goal – membership in the EU.

The adaptation of the National Training Centre was implemented as part of the “Safe together” project, which the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, as a leading partner, implemented in the previous two years with the City of Gradiska from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the City of Daruvar from Croatia as project partners. The project is implemented within the cross-border programme Intereg, IPA, Croatia - BiH - Montenegro, the total value of which is €1,276,113.89, of which the total budget of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue was €519,981.54, and 85% or €441,967.30 were covered from the funds of the European Union.