Podgorica

Montenegro's Ministry of Finance said it is considering new measures to help the poorest segment of the population, including a write-off of debts.

Around 1,500 homeless, mainly Roma refugees from Kosovo in Podgorica's Konik camp have been moved to temporary homes in more than 100 containers, the government announced on Wednesday.

The containers are a mid-term solution for people who lost their homes and belongings when a fire broke out in the camp in July 2012.  Since then, they have been living in tents and shacks.

Montenegro's government on Monday announced that the country will allow same-sex marriages in the near future.

Jovan Kojicic, Human Rights Adviser to the Prime Minister, said Montenegro was drawing up the legal framework to permit same-sex partners to legalize their relationships soon.

Montenegro, once a close ally of Russia, is among the countries facing Russian counter-measures, having joined Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its role in the Ukraine crisis.

On Wednesday, Russia declared a one-year ban on the import of agricultural products from those countries that had either imposed sanctions against it, or had supported those measures.

Following a two-month political crisis over who should run the capital city, Montenegro's Social Democratic Party, SDP, which is led by the speaker of parliament, Ranko Krivokapic, has asked the opposition parties to support the formation of a provisional "technical" government.

SDP-DPS Feud Escalates

A massive storm caused record rainfall in Montenegro on Sunday night, sparking severe flooding, particularly in coastal areas and the capital Podgorica, with further heavy downpours predicted. 

Police and marine security officers saved about 40 tourists, mostly Russians, from beaches in Budva, Bar and Kotor after they were trapped by strong winds and high waves. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Titus Corlatean on Friday, while paying an official visit to Montenegro, highlighted Romania's support for the national objectives of this state for the integration in the EU and NATO, shows a press release The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) remitted to AGERPRES.

Slovak FM: Balkan criminals bought passports

BRATISLAVA -- Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak has said that "someone in Slovakia took money to help drug dealer Dragoslav Kosmajac obtain the country’s citizenship."

Travel agencies, hotels and private accommodation have already recorded a decline in the number of tourists compared to the same period last year, the Montenegrin National Tourist Organization announced on Monday.

The EU Enlargement Commission on Monday said the EU delegation in Podgorica would monitor implementation of a grant given to the NGO MANS, following complaints by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS.

"As a grant recipient, MANS is responsible for implementing the project in accordance with the applicable national law," spokesperson Peter Stano said.