The Cultural and Information Center of Montenegro in Luxembourg has expressed its readiness to support citizens in addressing the damages incurred from the recent fires, by facilitating payments directly to the bank accounts of the affected families or for similar purposes.

In their announcement, the organization highlighted that this decision was made due to a lost “trust in institutions.”

This response comes after a request from the Montenegrin Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg, which reached out to the diaspora for assistance with fire relief efforts in Montenegro.

“The Cultural and Information Center of Montenegro in Luxembourg has received a call from the Embassy of Montenegro in Brussels seeking financial contributions for the rehabilitation following the fires in Montenegro. ” While we support all initiatives that aid vulnerable citizens, we wish to clarify our stance on the importance of transparency and responsible management of the collected funds. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all families impacted by the fires in Montenegro. We are deeply saddened by these events and aim to help as much as we can. However, we feel a profound disappointment that the Government and institutions of Montenegro have not adequately addressed the citizens’ real issues. It is disheartening that assistance is being sought in this manner, from the diaspora and individuals who have fought tirelessly for their survival globally, while institutions have frequently disregarded their initiatives and efforts,” reads the statement from the Cultural and Information Center of Montenegro in Luxembourg.

The center asserts that aid should be directed exclusively into the bank accounts of the affected families or for similar objectives, emphasizing that “trust in institutions has been lost.” They contend that there is a valid reason for such skepticism, as evidenced by past experiences with both current and previous governments.

“The aim should be for the collected funds to be managed responsibly and transparently, ensuring that they reach those in genuine need. The assurance of this is not through committees made up of suitable individuals, but rather capable and honest members, whose identities should be made public. The KIC CG organization in Luxembourg remains dedicated to assisting those in need and will consistently stress the significance of transparency, integrity, and acknowledging the true contributions of the diaspora,” the statement further adds.

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