Montenegro can join the group of successful European countries if  foreign direct investment FDI  will work  with local investment and wealth creation, said the CEO of Erste Group, Andreas Treichl.

He believes that the state can not make a living from foreign currency, but must create a wealth of FDI.

“We hope that in the next five years, the Government of Montenegro  will do everything in its power to maintain a stable financial situation, which will help create local wealth,” said Treichl at a news conference in Podgorica.

According to him, the advantages of Montenegro is that  Montenegro is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and with  the financial situation, which is not  excellent, but not bad as well , , the state is in the middle, he said..

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“You have some problems in the financial system, but they are not dramatic. I think that the Central Bank is doing a good job in  solving these problems,” said Treichl.

The disadvantages of Montenegro, he added, is  that  Montenegro is  very small and that it  will never have the level of FDI such as Poland, which has a market of 40 million people, cheap labour and low taxes.

“Montenegro does not have  40 million people and you need to go a different route. Few people see Montenegro as an investment destination,” said Treichl.

Banks, he added, can help create local wealth by helping small and medium-sized enterprises, craft shops, construction of hotels and ect.

However, he said, the state must ensure that 90 to 95 percent of the things in the project is produced in Montenegro and 99 percent of the workforce is local workforce.

“This is ten times more important than to develop some kind of industry,” said Treichl.