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2nd Montenegro Summer School for Young Diplomats ”Gavro Vuković“21 – 24 July, 2009
The second Montenegrin Summer School for Young Diplomats was devoted to the challenges faced by diplomats from the countries in the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integrations. The School was organized with an aim to provide young diplomats from the region and the EU with an opportunity to exchange opinions and experiences concerning current issues and processes in the EU and NATO, but also for their networking, expert training and professional advancement. * * *
The Lecturers at the Summer School for Young Diplomats were: Dr. Gordana Đurović, Minister for European Integration, Montenegro (European Integration – Opportunities and Challenges - Western Balkan countries perspective); Mr Clive Rumbold, Head of Political, European Integration and Trade Section, Delegation of the European Commission to Montenegro (Integration of Western Balkans - EU perspective); H. E. Mr Roderick Moore, US Ambassador to Montenegro (NATO and the Region: regional cooperation as precondition for strengthening peace and security); H. E. Mr Branimir Jukić, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Montenegro Neighborhood relations – characteristics of successful diplomacy); Mr Alexander Avanessov, UNDP Resident Representative/UN Resident Coordinator in Montenegro (The role of regional and cross border development cooperation), Ms Lisa Mclean, Senior Resident Director of The National Democratic Institute (The role of Parliament in foreign policy: countries in transition); H. E. Mr Mihail Florovic, Ambassador of Romania to Montenegro (Experiences of new EU member states: Romania); H. E. Mr Petar Turčinović, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Montenegro (Diplomatic negotiation and negotiation skills); Ms Sanja Elezović, Director of the Foundation Open Society Institute to Montenegro (The role of the civil society in the Euro-Atlantic integration process); andH. E.Mr Florian Raunig, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Montenegro (The role of Diplomacy in the integration process: Austrian experience). In addition, an interactive workshop was held on the achievements and challenges in the European and Euroatlantic integration, through individual presentations by representatives of the countries from the Western Balkans. * * *
Minister Roćen also said: “Duke Gavro Vuković considered that ‘especially small nations have to have the best of consideration for the usual rules of behavior in global matters’. This is, among other things, confirmed by the universality of his messages. Luckily, here in Montenegro we had someone to learn from. Led by them, today we have set our priorities for foreign affairs, with respect to our capacities and capabilities in the regional and in the wider contexts. The doors are wide open to Montenegro, not only our neighbors’ but also the doors of the European and all other world’s key countries. Today, Montenegro is recognized as a successful European story in the region, with a role that by its importance exceeds its size and number of citizens. The Second Montenegrin School for Young Diplomats ‘Gavro Vuković’ is in the first place a challenge for the diplomats from the region, and the focus of this School is on modern tendencies and ways of development of personal characteristics of a modern diplomat. I hope that our young diplomats will gather every year, socialize and learn from the reputable lecturers and from each other, and that they will expand the circle of countries interested in sending their diplomats over to this School.’’
“I heard that Duke Gavro Vuković’s motto was that good political relations with other countries should be even better, and the complex ones should be improved with high commitment. I truly believe that as the new generation of diplomats, through your work, which is fascinating and not easy at all, you would make his motto a reality. This motto is fully supporting the priorities of the United Nations, which are piece and security, development and eradication of poverty, protection and promotion of human rights, non-proliferation and disarmamament, climate change and of course the reform of the UN, success of which depends fully on its member-states,” Mr. Avanessov concluded.
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„The School participants have highly graded the organization and the quality of lectures held by experienced experts in this domain. Also, this year’s main theme – regional cooperation in the EU and Euro-Atlantic integration processes – has been estimated by the participants as very challenging and essentially important for their actual and future work,“ said Mr. Đurić. He also added that for all the mentioned reasons he believed in further future of the Summer School, and he was convinced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could still count on UNDP and CDP’s support in further developing of the programme for the School. „I also believe that we will soon start discussions to plan regionalization of the Montenegro Summer School for Young Diplomats and expansion of its importance while making it recognizable in the region, as well as to help in providing continuity for the School. Also, allow me to use this opportunity to announce that CDP will soon start a specific project for capacity development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with an aim to support the efforts of the Ministry to strengthen its internal business and communications processes, as well as its administrative procedures and mechanisms for developing and implementation of policies,“ Mr. Đurić concluded. * * *
For Ms Natalia Panourgia, a young diplomat from Greece, the School was an excellent opportunity to get better familiarized with the neighboring countries. * * *
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Bearing in mind the role of establishing connections among diplomatic services and young diplomats in the region and from the EU countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro supported by the Capacity Development Programme (CDP) organized the second Montenegrin Summer School for Young Diplomats “Gavro Vuković“. The School was held between 21-24 July, 2009 and the participants were young diplomats from the countries of the region and EU countries, while the lecturers were eminent domestic and foreign practicians and theorists in the international politics - diplomats and experts from the European Union, United Nations, SAD and countries in the region.
The Young diplomats who attended the School were Ms Mimoza Verosi and Mr Ilirijan Cukaj (Albania), Ms Belma Sarić and Ms Daniela Čolić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ms Dubravka Popić and Mr Ivan Divić (Croatia), Mr Igor Kuzevski (FYR Macedonia), Ms Natalia Panourgia (Greece), Ms Helen Popp and Ms Liis Lipre (Estonia), Mr Costantino Tarducci (Italy), Ms Catalin Hrisca and Ms Cristina Mezdrea (Romania), Ms Vesna Verčon Ivić (Serbia), Mr Sadriu Prindon and Mr Haxhi Bajraktari (UNSCR 1244 Kosovo), as well as Ms Sanja Tomašević, Ms Ferida Mandić, Ms Violeta Berišaj, Ms Valentina Knežević, Ms Milica Đuričković, Ms Jovana Bogojević, Ms Ana Šćepanović, Ms Jelena Milačić, Ms Vana Vojinović, Ms Aleksandra Zloković and Ms Nina Ojdanić (Montenegro).
“I have the privilege of opening of the Second Montenegrin School for the Young Diplomats from the region and EU countries, that carries the name of Duke Gavro Vuković, a long- term minister of foreign affairs of the Principality of Montenegro. I believe that these are beginnings of a new, long, good tradition and at the same time one more proof of the commitment of modern Montenegro to strengthening the policy of friendly relations and regional cooperation among the countries,” said H.E. Mr. Milan Roćen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro at the official opening in Berane, at the Memorial House of Duke Gavro Vuković. „Montenegro, the youngest member of the United Nations, Council of Europe and other international organizations and institutions, in merely more than three years has been recognized as a factor of stability and peace in the region, a country of multiethnic democracy involved in all regional initiatives, a country that made strong progress in European and Euro-Atlantic integrations promoting its national and country identity at the multilateral plan. Since recently Montenegro is an independent state again, but it is a well known old European country, older than 165 UN member countries. I am sure that Duke Gavro Vuković would also be proud of contemporary Montenegro’ position and its meteoric ascent. His state and diplomatic career is related to the most turbulent period of Montenegrin history, in which Montenegro was constituted as a modern state with an enviable international reputation. Duke Gavro has left a rich legacy in the form of memoir literature which represents a historical testimony to the circumstances in Montenegro in the second half of the 19th century, and its international position and relations on the global level at that time. To him, diplomacy was ‘a good way to serve the interests of the state’s and people’s sovereignty, almost equally important as armed resistance to the conquerors’. Duke Gavro Vuković was using erudition, political wisdom, balance and tactfulness, typical eloquence of classical diplomats, with a great sense for a usual exterior etiquette, always and exclusively led by the interests of his state and the well being of its citizens. These are indeed the characteristics of true diplomats in all times, and at all meridians. He was a forerunner of modern diplomacy that cannot be imagined without its economic dimension, because he always insisted on the organic connection between the economic and political issues.”
“Needless to say that systematic communication, networking and regional cooperation are essential in diplomatic affairs, creation of trust, predictability and, in the final analysis, the enabling environment for mutually beneficial relations in all fields,” said Mr. Alexander Avanesov, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro. “Just like your colleagues last year, during this week you will have excellent opportunity for interaction, learning and knowledge sharing. I am sure you have enough topics to discuss, as all the countries of the region are going through a very challenging but fascinating process of Euro-Atlantic integration; as other countries of the world this region has to address tremendous global challenges related to climate change, social inclusion, human development, striving to achieve the goals formulated in the Millennium Declarations of 2001, including the Millenium Development Goals. We know that all this is now exacerbated by the economic downturn as a result of the global financial crisis, which put tremendous pressure on all spheres, including the development cooperation, which is UNDP’s mandate. In this regard I am confident that the very fact that the summer school is gathering in the northern part of Montenegro, which is struggling with many problems related to regional disparities, unemployment and economic slowdown, would bring you closer to reality, thus highlighting the role of diplomacy in helping the national government and society at large to tackle with the economic challenges and support the progress in human development. This role is really difficult to overestimate,” Mr. Avanessov said. 
Both Minister Roćen and Mr. Avanessov expressed special thanks to Mayor of Berane Mr. Vuka Golubović for his great enthusiasm employed in hosting the School, and they congratulated to him and to the citizens of Berane with their Municipality Day. 
“I am exceptionally honored for having the opportunity to cordially greet you all on behalf of Berane Municipality, my colleagues and myself, and I wish you a pleasant stay in our town and a successful work of the Summer School for Young Diplomats,” said Mayor of Berane Mr. Vuka Golubović. “We are especially honoured because for the second time in a row the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP have offered unselfish support to the idea of holding the School in Berane, birthplace of the first Montenegrin Minister of Foreign Affairs Gavro Vuković. In this way we repay part of the debt to a grandiose personality and work of the first Montenegrin graduate legal practicioner and direct participant in the opening of the first Montenegrin diplomatic and consular representation in Constantinople, in 1897. As a citizen of Berane I am proud that this Diplomacy School bears the name of such a man. The pride is even bigger due to the fact that this town was outside the borders of Montenegro when Gavro Vuković was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and due to the fact that, thanks to his diplomatic work, not long afterwards, this town was freed and integrated into Montenegrin state. Today, 81 years after his death, Gavro Vuković is giving new contribution to promotion of Montenegro and Berane by gathering such, under these circumstances, an impressive number of esteemed ambassadors and participants of the Diplomacy School. In this way, he once again places his town and his state in debt, for the benefit of what he virtually dedicated all his life to,” Mayor Golubović emphasized.
At the official closing ceremony Mr. Alexander Avanesov, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro said: “I am sure I am expressing the views of the UNDP by saying that we are delighted to be a part of this initiative. It is part of our work, it is part of our Capacity Development Programme, and also part of our intention and some activities in promotion of regional cooperation. I can see that the students are in good shape and probably have fully enjoyed the school, and lectures and discussions. The programme was very interesting, it covered a wide range of interesting issues, topics, and most importantly it was covered by those who are practically involved and who are dealing with these issues: ambassadors and representatives of international institutions present in Montenegro. You entered with the job that is extremely fascinating, but also rather difficult, and would require from you a lot of building up knowledge and constant learning. I believe that these sessions during the Second Summer School for Young Diplomats, gave you a new opportunity to refresh your knowledge or even to improve it, but also to those who lectured you. This is a closing session, but we consider it a session which will announce that next year we will continue the summer school, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will try to make it traditional and regular exercise and we will come up with some ideas in this time between the two schools on how to make this endeavor even more sustainable.” 
In his closing address Mr. Mirsad Bibović, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: „This project, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with our partners in UNDP and Municipality of Berane started enthusiastically last year, and for which we can satisfyingly say that is gradually becoming a tradition, represent a clear indication of commitment of modern Montenegro to promote the policy of cooperation, friendly relations and dialogue among institutions and states of the region. It is also an indication that Government of Montenegro has placed professional education and strengthening of administrative capacities to the very top of its Agenda.” 
Estimating the results of this year’s School Mr. Dragan Đurić, CDP Chief Technical Advisor said: “Already last year everyone who was involved in the School for Young Diplomats expressed hope that the School would become traditional. That positive last year’s experience created preconditions for continuation and development of the School this year, too. Therefore, it is not about hope any more, it is now about a plan that is becoming clear. One of indicators for that is an increased number of participants and participating countries. The role of the Capacity Development Programme was much smaller this year because colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covered far more larger and important portion of work concerning preparations and organization as well as managing of the School. In fact, I can say that the Ministry in cooperation with the Municipality of Berane took over almost the entire ownership of the project.“ 
About the school, Mr. Costantino Tarducci, a young diplomat from Italy said: “Probably all of my colleagues have told you the same, and I would like to remark that it is very important to organize events to get to know young people, young colleagues either from the Western Balkans or from the European Union. There was a great number of participants which made the event really great. I would like to thank the Montenegrin authorities that made this possible, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the United Nations Development Programme. What I think is that getting to know other people is very important, in order to get to know each other’s country and tradition, and this School really helped bring together different countries, sharing common values, getting to know where each country is heading to, and what are the main pathways for foreign policy.” 
Capacity Development Programme (CDP) was established in September 2003, as partnership between the Government of Montenegro, the Foundation Open Society Institute (FOSI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Montenegro. The realization of the new phase of this programme started since February 2007, with a key task to contribute to the efforts in developing institutional and administrative capacities for the process of European Integration.