Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The European Alliance said that the Government’s decision to continue what they describe as a compromised process of awarding airport concessions shows a clear intention to push through a deal that is harmful to the state, potentially leaving Montenegro without control over one of its most important resources.

“The request by MPs of the European Alliance for a reassessment of the value of Airports of Montenegro showed that their value significantly exceeds €150 million – nearly double that amount. This means that any decision on entering a concession arrangement cannot be made administratively or behind closed doors, which was clearly the intention of the authorities,” the Alliance said in a press release.

Despite this, the Government has decided to move forward with the concession proposal, and the European Alliance parliamentary group said it will firmly oppose such a model, both on principle and on procedural grounds.

“Awarding airport concessions through a process launched seven years ago, and one that has been questioned even by some Government members and local communities, can only be done by those who are not interested in Montenegro’s economic progress, but have other motives – motives that should be examined by the relevant state authorities,” they said. 

The European Alliance argued that the concession model is fundamentally wrong for Montenegro, as airports are not ordinary businesses but strategic economic systems on which tourism, investment, and the country’s international connectivity heavily depend.