The Executive Director of Crnogorska plovidba from Kotor, Vladimir Tadić, has responded to the article titled “It’s not a disaster on ‘Kotor’, a minor malfunction has been fixed: ‘Vijesti’ interviewees deny the ministry and administration,” which was published on the “Vijesti” portal.

We present Tadić’s full response:

“Following my appointment as executive director, several articles appeared in your reputable newspaper citing anonymous sources from the upper echelons of the CP, and some even referenced me in a negative light. Despite this, I refrained from an official response until the article published yesterday.

We are prompted to react now to emphasize the importance of obtaining information regarding CP through the proper channels, as I am currently the only authorized representative of the company and will do my utmost to provide you with the relevant information.

There is no necessity to seek information from anonymous sources and publish it, as your recent publication complicates an already challenging situation concerning the ship Kotor and the future of Crnogorska plovidba. While gathering information from multiple sources is generally advisable, I would encourage you to engage directly with the executive director of CP for discussions on all pertinent matters. It’s logical to contact official representatives before publishing articles, rather than relying solely on ‘anonymous sources.’

The article you published yesterday, which prompted this response, is misleading based on its headline. The situation regarding the ship Kotor is not merely about minor defects; numerous shortcomings have been identified through inspections conducted recently in the USA and prior in Colombia. The ship remains unfit for sea travel, despite the rectification of several critical deficiencies. There is still a lengthy list of issues that cannot be resolved at this moment, although the ship’s team is collaborating with the team from Montenegro to assure inspectors that these issues will be addressed at future ports. Thus, the situation is, to put it mildly, dramatic and your portrayal in the title does not accurately reflect the reality on the ground.

I want to stress that the ship Kotor cannot depart from the port of Savana without assistance from the Ministry and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro, which is expected to announce its position tomorrow regarding potential support. We also received crucial technical support from the team at Barska Plovidba, who came to assist with the ship, and I wish to personally thank them for their significant efforts. Additionally, CP staff are on duty around the clock to expedite the resolution of these issues. In this context, it is unacceptable to diminish these efforts through the title and the two-page article, framing them as nearly trivial due to claims from anonymous sources that the problems are merely ‘minor malfunctions.’

“On behalf of Crnogorska plovidba, I want to emphasize that the situation in the port of Savana is critical. I anticipate the ship will receive clearance to sail tomorrow, and I urge the Government of Montenegro to promptly allocate funds to cover the costs incurred during the ship’s detention to prevent the anticipated auction for its sale and the recovery of debts. We once again request that the Vijesti editorial office seeks all necessary information through official channels, which will be duly provided, and the seriousness of this situation is underscored by the possibility of the ship being sold if urgent funds are not secured,” Tadić concluded.

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