BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen officially opened the EU–Montenegro Investment Conference in Luštica, Trend reports.
Montenegro’s growing potential for strategic, green, and sustainable investments was presented through new partnerships between leading Montenegrin and European companies.
This event, under the slogan “Smart Growth, Green Future – Accelerating Investment in Montenegro”, brought together senior representatives of the Government of Montenegro, the European Union, international financial institutions, as well as prominent European and Montenegrin investors. The aim of the conference was to encourage strategic, green, and sustainable investments and to position Montenegro as a key investment destination in the Western Balkans, fostering progress in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism, transport, and digital innovation.
At the conference, 14 new partnership projects were launched between Montenegrin and European companies, demonstrating the transformative potential of Montenegro’s European path and the strength of EU–Montenegro cooperation. These projects span a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy and transport, agrotourism, digital innovation, and low-carbon development. Among them are new solar and wind power plants that will strengthen Montenegro’s energy independence, modern transport investments to improve connectivity with Europe, and agrotourism initiatives that will help diversify the economy. Other projects include the transformation of the Port of Bar into a zero-carbon facility, the establishment of Montenegro’s first digital innovation campus, and the promotion of sustainable development in the north of the country.
“My message is very clear: do not wait for accession to invest in Montenegro, because by then you may miss the opportunities that others will seize,” stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasising that the strong presence of investors at the conference reflects confidence in the Government’s ambitious reform agenda.
“Just look at some of today's announcements. In clean energy, we will see floating solar farms, high-altitude wind power, and Montenegro's first battery storage facility which is so important for the future. In transport, the port of Bar will be the first Zero Carbon facility on the Adriatic. And in technology, Montenegro's first innovation campus can create thousands of jobs. This is just a flavour of the 14 projects we will sign today where we will unite investors from Montenegro and across Europe – with strong backing from us,” she stated.
Von der Leyen concluded that by continuing its European journey with determination and speed, Montenegro is making its goal of EU accession attainable.
“Today, we are opening a new chapter of development – we are beginning a major investment cycle, strengthening our ties with the European market even before formally joining the European family. Today, we are bringing our vision of green and smart growth to life. We are doing this together with our most important strategic partner – the European Union, which is also the largest investor in our country,” stated Prime Minister Milojko Spajić during the opening of the Conference.
The Prime Minister stressed that Montenegro now ranks among the most dynamic investment destinations in the region.
“Projects worth nearly €3 billion are currently underway – hundreds of new kilometres of motorways and express roads, modernised airports and ports, and clean energy projects that will bring tangible benefits to every citizen,” he said.
The Conference was jointly organised by the Government of Montenegro and the European Commission, with the support of the Montenegro Investment Agency, as part of the ‘Accelerating Investment in Montenegro’ initiative.