Friendship in Montenegro

Friendships in Montenegro are mainly informal. No public authority records them, grants friendship-specific rights or duties, or decides whether a friendship exists. Friends do not have a legal duty to remain in contact, provide support, meet regularly or maintain exclusivity. Mutual consent, clear boundaries, privacy, respect and non-discrimination shape the relationship in practice. Young people aged 15 to 30 are covered by Montenegro's youth policy framework. Omladinski rad means non-formal education and personal and social development. Omladinski centar and omladinski klub activities can provide places to meet people, join workshops and take part in youth activities, but local availability differs between municipalities. Publicly identified examples include Omladinski centar Podgorica and Omladinski klub services in Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Šavnik, Bar, Kotor, Mojkovac, Petnjica, Plav and Pljevlja. Each service has its own contact details and opening hours, and no availability should be assumed in municipalities not listed here. Fees were not specified in the available information. Other practical ways to meet people include NVO activities, school groups, cultural or community projects, Red Cross branches and volunteering. The Red Cross of Montenegro offers local activities, school programmes, first-aid training, workshops and volunteer work. Membership is voluntary, access is not limited by origin, race, religion, age, gender or political views, and Red Cross Youth is aimed at ages 15 to 27; younger children and adults can also participate in appropriate activities. A membership fee exists, but its amount was not specified. Volunteering does not provide financial or material gain. The eNVORegistar can help locate registered non-governmental organizations. Registering an NVO has no administrative fee and requires a founding act, meeting minutes and statutes. Official processing information has been reported inconsistently as 20 or 30 days, so the current timing should be checked before relying on it. An NVO, Red Cross activity or Erasmus+ project can create opportunities for contact, but none of these establishes a legal friendship relationship. Erasmus+ Montenegro, through the National Erasmus+ Office, supports youth exchanges, virtual exchanges and capacity-building activities. Youth exchanges typically address ages 13 to 30 and require an application through an organization or an informal youth group rather than an individual friendship request. Participation and travel costs depend on project funding. Digital contact is widespread but not equally accessible. MONSTAT reported that 88.4% of people used the internet during the previous three months in 2023; among users, 90.1% used it several times a day or every day, 97.5% used internet telephony or video calls and 87.8% used social networks. Household access was reported at 85.9% in urban areas and 71.9% in rural areas, with 74.8% in the north and 93.0% in the south. Online friendships and contact maintenance are therefore common, while location and social conditions affect access. A friendship can end privately through distance, a conversation, blocking contact or changing a group or activity. There is no friendship-specific cancellation or mediation procedure. Threats, assault, defamation, privacy violations, peer violence and digital harassment may fall under general civil or criminal protections. In a safety emergency, call the police on 122. Children and young people can contact a trusted adult, school, child-protection service or the National SOS Children's Line at 116-111, which UNICEF describes as free, anonymous and available around the clock; its current operating status should be checked. UNICEF and Zavod za školstvo reported in 2023 that more than 43% of surveyed students had witnessed peer violence and 17% had experienced it themselves, figures that concern the surveyed students rather than the whole population.