Podgorica, 10 October 2025 – The Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, Mišela Manojlović, met with the Deputy Head of Mission and Political Affairs Counselor at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Montenegro, Lu Fangćing. The topic of the meeting was the enhancement of cooperation between the two countries, with a particular focus on opportunities for connecting Montenegrin and Chinese local communities.
Lu Fangćing expressed satisfaction with the continuously strong relations between Montenegro and China, noting that cooperation to date has been based on mutual trust and respect. “China and Montenegro have maintained friendly relations for 19 years, and we believe that cooperation can be further deepened through joint initiatives at the local level,” Fangćing said, adding that the Chinese side sees opportunities for exchanging experiences in the fields of local development, culture, and innovation.
The Secretary General, Mišela Manojlović, introduced her interlocutor to the role and activities of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, emphasizing that it represents all 25 Montenegrin municipalities and advocates for their interests before the Government, Parliament, and international institutions. During the meeting, she presented the BIOEKO project, which aims to connect health tourism with various forms of tourism, agricultural production, environmental protection, and healthy lifestyles, thereby enabling the extension of the tourist season throughout the entire year. Manojlović highlighted that Montenegro possesses numerous natural resources and pristine mountainous areas that provide excellent conditions for the development of health tourism. In this context, the possibility of cooperation with Chinese partners was proposed in promoting traditional Chinese medicine and alternative treatment methods, through the exchange of knowledge, experience, and experts in this field.
The importance of strengthening cultural cooperation was also particularly emphasized. Mišela Manojlović highlighted the readiness of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro to support the organization of Chinese Film Days, as well as other events aimed at promoting Chinese culture in Montenegrin cities, along with initiatives focused on promoting Montenegrin artists in China.“We believe that cultural exchange represents a strong bridge between peoples and contributes to better understanding and long-term partnership,” she stated.
Lu Fangćing welcomed these initiatives, emphasizing that the Chinese side is open to joint activities and ready to actively participate in the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative, which is promoted by China as a model of cooperation among countries of different systems, sizes, and cultures.“The Chinese and Montenegrin peoples share a tradition of friendship, and we believe it can be further strengthened through concrete projects at the local level,” Fangćing stated.
During the meeting, public administration reform was also discussed, with Mišela Manojlović noting that Chinese experience in this field could be of great value in the process of modernizing local administrations and improving the quality of public services.It was jointly assessed that the exchange of knowledge and examples of good practice can contribute to more efficient functioning of local governments and strengthening their capacities for local development.
The meeting was held in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect, with both sides expressing readiness to further develop the proposed ideas and establish new bridges of cooperation between Montenegrin and Chinese cities.
