EAJC Leaders Met with the President of Montenegro

During the official visit of President Milo Đukanović of Montenegro to Israel, he met with international Jewish leaders. The meeting was attended by Mikhail Mirilashvili, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), Haim Ben-Yakov, Director General of the EAJC, and Ari Edelkopf, Chief Rabbi of Montenegro. The EAJC representatives discussed with the President of Montenegro the development of the local Jewish community, the study of Montenegrin Jewish history, and the role of the country's Jewish diaspora in strengthening bilateral relations between Montenegro and Israel.

President Đukanović noted that Montenegro is one of the few European countries where the Jewish population increased after the Second World War. He added that the small Balkan state is free of antisemitism, unlike other countries in the region where this issue remains highly acute. Mikhail Mirilashvili expressed his gratitude to the President of Montenegro for allocating land for the construction of the country's first Jewish center, as well as for the government's active involvement in support of the Jewish community and the preservation of historical memory.

Haim Ben-Yakov, Director General of the EAJC, outlined plans to establish a regional office of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in the capital of Montenegro, which will focus on operations within the Balkan region.

The development and support of the Jewish community in Montenegro stood as a key theme of President Đukanović’s visit to Israel, alongside promoting cooperation in trade, economic, diplomatic, and tourism sectors. These matters were further discussed during his meetings with senior Israeli leadership: President Reuven Rivlin and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

The Jewish community of Montenegro is one of the youngest in the world, having been officially registered in July 2011. In 2012, Judaism was recognized as one of Montenegro's four traditional religions.
Each year, with the support of the EAJC, the community hosts the Mahar regional Jewish conference in Montenegro, which typically attracts over 300 representatives from the Jewish communities of Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia.  In addition, Montenegro is visited by several thousand Israeli tourists annually.