Montenegro negotiates €13 million loan for maritime and fire safety equipment

The Montenegrin Ministry of Finance is negotiating a €13 million credit arrangement with Erste Bank to fund the purchase of critical safety equipment. The loan is intended to finance two major acquisitions scheduled for next year: a multifunctional tugboat (remorker) for the Port Authority of Montenegro and an Air Tractor AT-802 firefighting aircraft for the Ministry of Internal Affairs' aviation unit.

Erste Bank has proposed a split credit structure consisting of €8 million for the tugboat and €5 million for the aircraft. The terms include a 60-month repayment period, a 4% fixed interest rate, a three-month Euribor, and a 1.6% variable rate.

The tugboat is designated to improve navigation safety in the Bay of Kotor, providing assistance during vessel maneuvering, transit, and emergency situations such as ship fires or oil spills. The firefighting aircraft will support the Ministry of Internal Affairs in emergency response operations.