The Agency for the International Scientific, Educational, Cultural and Technical Cooperation was established upon the decision of the Executive Board of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro on July 1st 1972 as an administrative organisation with the characteristics of a legal person. Ever since its establishment, the Agency successfully coordinated the cooperation between the institutions of the Republic of Montenegro and many international partners. It has been for many years the only institution appointed by the government to deal with matters of international cooperation, which was as such, and still is, known and acknowledged by foreign partners. Throughout its 35 years of existence and operation the Agency has contributed immensely towards the improvement of international cooperation between the Republic of Montenegro and numerous countries, their institutions and agencies, justifying in full the necessity of its operation and further development. Today, the Agency represents a modern public administration institution, similar to the ones existing and operating in developed countries, an institution which deals with a form of the so-called “operative diplomacy”, a connective tissue between several key ministries. It is dealing with the activities related to the initiating, programming, stimulating, realization, coordination and records of International Scientific, Educational, Cultural and Technical Cooperation of Montenegro with other countries, regional and international organizations. A number of programme contents and their implementation is based on cooperation with eminent experts from different areas – prominent scientific workers for the area of international scientific–technical and educational cooperation, and the most famous Montenegrin artists for the area of international cultural cooperation.Source: Agency's website (September 25, 2008).