The Ministry of Transport of Montenegro has rejected the possibility of Serbia participating in the tender for the 30-year concession of Podgorica and Tivat airports. The Ministry emphasized that since the start of the tender process, there have been no official or unofficial initiatives from Serbia or its representatives.
Some opposition parties and analysts claimed that pro-Serbian factions within the Montenegrin government were deliberately undermining the tender process to create conditions for Serbia’s involvement. However, the Ministry stated no such interest or initiative was ever received from Serbian institutions during the concession procedure.
The Ministry also criticized the recent statement by Serbian Finance Minister Siniša Mali, saying it was politicized and misused in internal political disputes unrelated to the legality of the tender process. They clarified that Montenegro bears no responsibility for interpretations of such statements and reaffirmed that Serbia has not formally expressed interest in the Montenegrin airport concessions.
Serbian Finance Minister Mali had publicly stated Serbia’s interest in the concession, highlighting Serbia’s experience managing its own major airport, Nikola Tesla, and expressing willingness to invest significantly more than the current concession terms. Mali argued that Serbia could contribute to the modernization and accelerated development of the airports in Podgorica and Tivat, which are increasingly important given Montenegro’s growing passenger traffic.
Despite Serbia’s expressed interest, Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport insists that no formal engagement from Serbia has been made during the tender process.
