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.