Visit-Montenegro.com : “Jadran” will Head the Convoy of Sailing Boats to Barcelona

Kotor – Montenegrin Navy training ship, sailing boat “Jadran” sailed out of Kotor’s Port at 6 pm yesterday. “Jadran’s” destination is Barcelona, where it will head the convoy of 40 sailing boats, research ships and other vessels which symbolize responsible relation of men to the preservation of marine ecosystems.

This parade will take place as a part of the congress of International Union for Nature’s Conservation (IUCN) which will last between 4 and 15 October.

On this occasion, a round table entitled “Preservation of Nature in SE Europe” took place in Kotor yesterday.

Event has been opened by Kotor’s mayor, Marija Catovic and Montenegrin Ministers of Tourism and Defense, Predrag Nenezic and Boro Vucinic.

Ministry of Tourism informed that an international initiative “Sailing Barcelona” is accompanying this conference, aiming at promoting a joint platform for the preservation of marine and coastal biodiversity in the Mediterranean. Minister announced that Montenegro would give its’ specific contribution to this initiative.

Nenezic announced that IUCN’s family would soon be enlarged, with Montenegro joining as a new member.

“We expect that our participation in the work of the expert forums and bodies of the IUCN will facilitate further development of our national capacities, first and foremost from the aspect of the implementation of the system of reforms in the field of management of nature protected areas and improvements in the efficiency and harmonization of legislative and institutional framework with standards endorsed across the world and in Europe”, Nenezic stated.

He added that the biodiversity and other natural and landscape resources of Montenegro stand as country’s most important natural resources and that these resources have been preserved in majority of cases, despite the fact that they are exposed to numerous pressures which are “unavoidable consequence of the economic development.”

Catovic pointed out that this round table was an excellent opportunity for the exchange of experiences and intensification of cooperation in this field for the entire region of SE Europe.

Vucinic emphasized the importance of the “bright tradition of sailing boat ‘Jadran’ which would be the pride of any country”, reminding that this was “Jadran’s” 20th international cruise.

“While recognizing the importance of this gathering and congress in Barcelona, we wanted to provide support to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and give our contribution to its’ mission. This is also a clear and a good sign that Montenegro wishes to take part in integrative processes and shows our clear determination for the implementation of European and Euro-Atlantic integrations and endorsement of these values”, Vucinic stated.

Beside 60 members of the crew, headed by Lieutenant Commander Predrag Supic, 29 civilians from the Institute for Marine Biology from Kotor, Naval High School, Naval Academy, environmental NGOs and representatives of the media are also aboard “Jadran”.
Jadran” will sail for the Italian port of Callari at Sardinia, where it will stay for two days following its’ scheduled arrival on 29 September. On 1 October, sailing ship will proceed for its’ two day trip from Sardinia to Barcelona.
In this Spanish port, “Jadran” will stay till 10 October when it will sail back for Montenegro.
Three Tivat Pupils Also Aboard “Jadran”

Mayor of Tivat, Dragan Kankaras and Municipality’s deputy president, Krsto Boškovic staged a special reception in honor of three young Tivat pupils, who are students of Naval High School “Kapetan Marko Martinović“ from Kotor. These pupils have been selected as guests at this cruise to Barcelona and back.

School, which is managed by professor Veljko Botic from Tivat will send four of it’s best students of the third year of nautical and mechanical departments, who are all Tivat’s inhabitants - Radojica Bulatovic, Ivan Botic and Nikola Jovanovic, as well as Igor Kernec from Kotor.

By: I.K.-S.L.