Party No. 65 Joins the Agreement - AEWA Welcomes Montenegro

Bonn, 20 October 2011 - The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is very pleased to announce that Montenegro has submitted its instruments of accession to the Depositary and the Agreement will enter into force for Montenegro as of 1 November 2011, thus increasing AEWA’s membership to 65 Parties.

Montenegro is a country located in Southeastern Europe and in the western part of the Balkan peninsula. To the west, north and east it borders Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo, and to the south it borders Albania. Montenegro is a maritime country, with 200 km of Adriatic coastline. Its territory measures 13,812 km2 and most of the country is covered by high and extensive mountain massifs intersected by river gorges and deep valleys.

Diversity of geological base, landscape, climate and soil, as well as the very position of Montenegro on the Balkan peninsula and Adriatic sea, created conditions for formation of biological diversity with very high values, that puts Montenegro among biological „hot-spots“ of European and world’s biodiversity. The number of species per area unit index in Montenegro is 0.837, which is the highest index recorded in all European countries.

Montenegro lies within the Black-Sea/Mediterranean Flyway and provides habitats for many migratory bird species. Five of these habitats meet the criteria for Important Bird Areas (IBAs): The Ulcinj saltpans, Biogradska woods, Durmitor, Lake Sasko and Lake Skadar. According to the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool 131 different migratory waterbird species occur in Montenegro, including the Corncrake Crex crex (Near Threatened), Great Snipe Gallinago media (Near Threatened), Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni (Near Threatened), Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (Near Threatened) and the Eurasian Curlew Nurmenius aquata (Near Threatened) – all species of global conservation concern.

The accession of Montenegro will help to protect the country’s migratory waterbird species and the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is looking forward to closely cooperating with Montenegro in order to implement the Agreement.