Today, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic will travel to Ulcinj for a meeting with the Municipality’s Mayor, Genci Nimanbegu. This was confirmed to “Vijesti” by Nimanbegu, who did not disclose the purpose of Spajić’s visit.

As reported by “Vijesti”, the Prime Minister is also anticipated to engage with political party leaders to discuss the recent tender by the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management regarding beach leasing.

During this public auction, the “Eagle Hills” company, funded by Arab investors, secured the rights for nine primarily contiguous beaches on Velika Plaza, a decision that has provoked significant backlash within the southernmost municipality. Longtime tenants were also sidelined in the competition for these beach leases.

Mohamed Alabar, the founder of Emaar Properties and President of Eagle Hills Properties, stated that any beach on Ulcinj’s Velika Plaza Beach leased through the Coastal Zone tender will be returned to the previous tenants at the same rental rate.

Nevertheless, local tourism stakeholders and political figures in Ulcinj contend that the tender process lacked transparency, calling for its cancellation and adjustments to this year’s contracts to prepare the beaches for the upcoming tourist season.

Spajić’s visit to Ulcinj precedes an extraordinary session of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly set for Friday, where discussions will revolve around the tender and a significant protest rally organized by beach tenants, restaurants, and coastal facilities, scheduled for Saturday.

Last week, a delegation from the Municipality of Ulcinj, alongside leaders from Albanian parties, engaged with Spajić in Podgorica.

Nimanbegu communicated at a press conference the day before yesterday that he is advocating for the annulment of the recently completed bathing area tender, proposing that existing contracts with previous tenants be renewed, ensuring Ulcinj remains a competitive tourist destination. He highlighted Ulcinj’s commitment to its principles and solidarity with other coastal municipalities concerning the Temporary Facilities program in the Coastal Zone.

Nimanbegu confirmed that he met with Alabar, the owner of “Eagle Hills,” in Prime Minister Milojko Spajić’s office last Friday.

In a statement from Spajić’s office last week, it was indicated that there were no legal grounds to cancel the tender.

“It is crucial that the local community is satisfied, and that everything adheres to legal standards. The information we have suggests there were no procedural violations during this process. We appreciate the concerns from segments of the local community and are open to further discussions that might involve potential new tenants,” said the Prime Minister.

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