The inaugural event celebrates a new magazine linking business and diplomacy.
The British Ambassador’s Residence in Podgorica hosted an exclusive reception yesterday evening to celebrate the launch of the first issue of The Diplomacy & Commerce Montenegro magazine. The event brought together members of the diplomatic community, business leaders, and cultural figures to mark the new publication aimed at connecting diplomacy and business in Montenegro.
In her welcome remarks, British Ambassador H.E. Karen Maddocks spoke of the importance of the magazine in covering topics relevant to diplomats and the business community. “Montenegro is a small but growing market for British business. There are challenges to working in Montenegro’s business environment, but our business people are also seeing the opportunities and the benefits. This kind of publication will build an understanding of best practices for business here and familiarise the business and diplomatic community with others working in their fields of interest. I am delighted that a magazine with strong British links is doing this”, H. E. Karen Maddocks said.
The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Robert Čoban, President of Color Press Group, the publisher of Diplomacy & Commerce magazines across the region. In his speech, he said: “It was March 2016 when we launched Diplomacy & Commerce at a British residence in Belgrade, Ambassador Denis Keefe was our host. Next year, at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Zagreb, we launched “Diplomacy & Commerce Croatia.” In February 2019. in Vienna, we started our Austrian edition. Our publishing house has 110 magazines in all 6 countries in the region in different local languages. For example, in Montenegro, we publish the magazine “Ljepota i zdravlje” since 2009. “Diplomacy & Commerce” is our unique brand in English. Today I’m very happy to see that in cooperation with our partners from Podgorica, D&C has its Montenegro edition too.” He also said, “Dear Miloš, thank you for the great cooperation in this publishing achievement, dear ambassador Maddocks, thank you for hosting us today at your beautiful residence.” Mr. Čoban thanked all guests for arriving and concluded the speech with a quote from the “Casablanca” movie: “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!”
Mr. Miloš Dragaš, Editor-in-Chief of Diplomacy & Commerce Montenegro, thanked supporters and contributors to the first issue. He especially thanked “the companies that supported the publication of the first issue, as well as numerous interlocutors and collaborators whose interviews and texts are in the issue.”
In the first issue, interviews were given by the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, German Ambassador to Montenegro, Peter Felten, and the British Ambassador who wrote a text on the occasion of the end of her mandate in Montenegro.
The reception was attended by ambassadors and representatives of the embassies of many countries: Germany, France, USA, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Italy, Croatia, UN, and UNDP, as well as the head of the EU Delegation in Podgorica, Oana Cristina Popa. Also, many personalities from the economic and cultural life of Montenegro were present.