Visit-Montenegro.com: Russian should not have closed the fortress

Herceg Novi: Yesterday Public Company “Coastal Management Zone” announced that the organizer “neither asked for nor he would have got the approval” to close the fortress Mamula, which is located at the island Lastavica at the very entrance of Boka Kotorska bay, and to prevent other tourists from visiting it.
Tourists who tried to visit the fortress Mamula two days ago faced closed door. The fortress was rented for two days by a Russian millionaire Ildar Temirbulatov for organization of the private party. For two days he “was holding the key to the gate” and only the chosen were allowed to enter the fortress. His personal security took care of that.
Two days ago PC “Coastal Management Zone” from Budva said to journalists that a Russian citizen got approval for a two-day use of Mamula without paying for that, but under condition to leave everything clean and to inform the police about the party.
“For a two-day excursion at the island Mamula, during which tourists could not visit the fortress, as it was announced in media, we would like to say that the organizer neither asked for nor he got the approval for such a request. If those claims were true, the given permission for organization of the excursion was abused. The approval was given under the condition to report a two-day excursion to the police department in Herceg Novi and to leave everything as it has been before the party. The popularization of the potentials of the Montenegrin coast – its beaches, cultural and historical values and other characteristic amenities through organizing visits, shooting films, spots, concerts and other similar things - is something that we have always approved without payment,” it was concluded in the statement given by PC “Coastal Management Zone”. They also said that this company would “never give permission for preventing the public from using public areas”.
It has remained unclear why Temirbulatov asked for the approval from PC “Coastal Management Zone” for organizing excursion.
Goran Colovic, the owner of the travel agency “Gorbis” from Herceg Novi, claims that for organizing excursions in Montenegro no approval is necessary if the purpose of the excursion is to visit the state property.
Dusko Sucevic, the owner of the excursion boat “Pajo” is embittered because during two previous days he could not put in at the island Lastvica. He said that putting in anywhere at the Montenegrin coast is free and that no permission is required for that.
A two-day closed door at the fortress Mamula for organizing private party caused negative reactions among other owners of excursion boats, citizens and tourists.
Excursion is an open gathering. In the case of a closed gathering, such the one organized by a Russian citizen, no approval from police is needed. Under the condition that PC “Coastal Management Zone” did not know into what this “excursion” would turn, it has remained the open issue why they gave approval which is not necessary to other excursion organizers and why they requested from the organizer to inform the police about the excursion, which is also not a common practice.
By S.K.