CorD magazine 114

ON A MISSION TO EMPOWER WOMEN

DR (MRS) PATIENCE JONATHAN

CLOSE PARTNERS

H.E. DANIEL BANU

Ambassador of Romania to Serbia

DEMOCRACY IS SOMETIMES DEMONOCRACY TATJANA MANDIĆ RIGONAT Director

APR ’14 / ISSUE No. 114

www.cordmagazine.com

First Lady of Nigeria

interviews opinions news comments events PRICE 300 RSD 25 YEARS OF BITEF THEATRE

Totally Different From Others JAPANESE WAY FOR BUSINESS IN SERBIA

Changes That Lead to Success Marathon of Good Vibrations 27th BELGRADE MARATHON

H.E. ŠTEFAN FÜLE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR ENLARGEMENT AND EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

Unified

EUROPE EXCLUSIVE

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114 April 2014 | 3

COVER H.E. ŠTEFAN FÜLE, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy

Unified Europe

CONTENTS

PAGE 10

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Of the many European politicians with ties to the Western Balkans, Štefan Füle is among the best known. The European Commissioner for Enlargement is the man with the greatest responsibility for bringing the former Yugoslav states into the EU fold, a process, he says, that is key to creating a unified Europe.

P RECONDITIONS FOR REFORM

ALEKSANDAR VLAHOVIĆ, President of the Association of Economists of Serbia

10

April 2014

46

NATAŠA SAVIĆ, CEO of PD Rio Kostolac

47

UNIFIED EUROPE

H.E. ŠTEFAN FÜLE, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy

16

ON A MISSION TO EMPOWER WOMEN CLOSE PARTNERS

U RGENT FOCUS ON THE ECONOMY

SLAVKO CARIĆ, CEO of Erste Bank

47

C OLLABORATION WITH FIAT

AD Fabrika Šećera Te-To Senta - Sugar Factory Senta

DR (MRS) PATIENCE JONATHAN, First lady of Nigeria

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R ETURNING LAND TO NATURE

H.E. DANIEL BANU, Ambassador of Romania to Serbia

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A FTER WORK

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GLOBAL DIARY

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F ACES & PLACES

26

D EMOCRACY IS SOMETIMES DEMONOCRACY

58

C ULTURE CALENDAR & NEWS

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T OTALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS

TATJANA MANDIĆ RIGONAT, Director

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C HANGES THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS Japanese way for business in Serbia

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JELENA BOGAVAC, Author of the Bitef Theatre Monography

C OULD IT BLOW UP THE GLOBAL ECONOMY?

Ukrainian Crisis - by DANNY VINK

35

Business

I NVESTING IN EMPLOYEES

43

ART DIRECTOR: Ilija Petrović i.petrovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Mirjana Jovanović, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Tanja Banković t.bankovic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović, Časlav Vukojičić COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION: Snežana Bjelotomić PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Marina Pilipović, m.pilipovic@aim.rs Dunja Filipović, d.filipovic@aim.rs Darko Novaković, d.novakovic@aim.rs Milica Pajić, m.pajic@aim.rs EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Ruža Ristanović r.ristanovic@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs

OFFICE MANAGER: Nataša Nešić, n.nesic@aim.rs

Comment PAGE 6

NEBOJŠA GRBUŠIĆ, CEO of Energotehnika

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ASSISTANT EDITOR: Jovana Gligorijević j.gligorijevic@aim.rs

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Ana Besedić a.besedic@aim.rs

Dialogue

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EDITOR: Saša Marić s.maric@aim.rs

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M ARATHON OF GOOD VIBRATIONS 27th Belgrade Marathon

I N THE CLIENT’S SHOES

ANASTASIA SAGIANNI, Transfer Pricing Advisor, Eurofast Global, Belgrade Office

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P UBLIC-PRIVATE COOPERATION NECESSARY

82

PROF RAJKO HRVAČEVIĆ, Ph.d., Director of Fresenius Medical Care Serbia

Profile PAGE 82

M OVABLE HOLIDAY Easter 2014

PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o., Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fax: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.rs www.cordmagazine.com www.allianceinternationalmedia.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliance international media 2014

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This issue is audited by ABC Serbia

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COMMENT

Preconditions

for Reform The main conclusion of this year’s Kopaonik Business Forum regards the necessity of immediately reforming the public sector and implementing a set of structural reform measures. Long-term fiscal sustainability, as well as overall economic competitiveness, will depend on the success of public sector reform ALEKSANDAR VLAHOVIĆ, president of the Association of Economists of Serbia

T

his year’s 21st Kopaonik Business Forum (KBF), organnies undergoing restructuring. This is an “open wound” for the ised by the Association of Economists of Serbia and Serbian economy, given that these companies produce large the Serbian Association of Corporate Directors, was losses, fictitiously employ large numbers of workers and in held from March 4th to 6th, under the main topic title many cases have lost their market position. When it comes to “We’re changing Serbia in a changing Europe”. For many years large public enterprises, most of them are operating at a loss the KBF has brought together key figures whose analysis and and some of them are beneficiaries of government guarantees decisions dictate the overall business environment. Thanks to that ensure the sovereign debt of the country increases; its tradition and proven quality, the KBF is the most imporc) Pension insurance system reform. Currently almost a tant and influential event of its kind to be organised during the third of all public revenues are directed towards the Pension year. The forum’s special guest this year was Professor Michael Fund. It is difficult to speak of an increased level of public inLandesman, programme director of the Vienna Institute for vestment if these transfers take place at the level mentioned, International Economic Studies, while also participating in the increasing from year to year; KBF were the Serbian Prime Minister, the governor of Serbia’s d) Improving the business environment. A large inflow of central bank, the NBS, the Serbian Finance Minister, as well foreign capital cannot be expected if almost a year is required as the president of the Fiscal Council, president of the NBS to obtain a building permit, if the most ordinary registration of Advisory Board and the president of the Securities Commission. a mortgage loan takes months, if there is confusion and amNoting the indisputable results of the Serbian government biguity, regulations are sometimes unenforceable, if enforcin the past 20 months (the Brussels Agreement with Pristina, gaining a date for the start of accession Insisting on savings without changing the talks and starting those negotiations with the EU, fighting corruption and continuing the fight against structure of the budget will have an adverse organized crime), participants of the KBF pointed effect on economic activity out inconsistencies in the implementation of two rounds of short-term fiscal consolidation, which resulted in the need for additional savings. However, further reing proceedings and bankruptcy procedures are slow and cumduction of public expenditure is difficult to be realised without bersome. All this is particularly important for encouraging the structural reforms. Moreover, a one-sided emphasis on savdevelopment of domestic entrepreneurship and SMEs. This ings without the changed structure of the budget will adverseis precisely where a way to increase employment and rapidly ly affect economic activity, i.e. threaten a deeper recession. grow living standards should be sought.

The limited range of short-term fiscal consolidation was Long-term fiscal sustainability and overall economic comdiscussed at the KBF back in 2013. The clear message was that petitiveness will depend on the success of public sector refiscal stabilisation was only an assumption of substantial reform. The aforementioned measures do not provide shortforms, without itself being a reform issue. Therefore, the main term benefits, but without them it will not be possible to conclusion of this year’s KBF is that it is necessary to immebuild an efficient economic structure. They require a waiver diately address public sector reform and implement a set of and cannot be successfully implemented without general sostructural reform measures. This relates to four blocks reform: cial consensus. At the same time, there is insufficient consena) Labour market reform in order to increase flexibility, essus among political parties, but also all other participants in pecially when it comes to hiring young people; civic life: trade unions, employers, members of the intellectub) Restructuring and improving the efficiency of public enal elite and the public. In short, it is necessary to create an enterprises, as well as completing the privatisation of compavironment for change. ■ 6 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

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Belgrade Marathon

Become a Master of Charity!

For the eighth consecutive year, Belgrade Marathon and CorD magazine will be holding the CorD Charity Masters – a race in which it is more important to be charitable than first.

The Charity Masters race will take place in correspondence with the upcoming 27th Belgrade Marathon, to be staged on Saturday 27 April 2014.

We are inviting you to run (or stroll if you so desire) at least 5km to raise money for the charity of your choice.

Over the last seven years, runners in the CorD Charity Masters have raised more than â‚Ź123,000, which has been donated to more than 40 institutions and individuals in need.

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

Saturday 27 April 2014.

HOW TO RAISE FUNDS Each participant should secure sponsorship of at least RSD 400 per every kilometre they run during the race.

HOW TO MAKE A PAYMENT Donations should be paid either to CorD’s special account or directly into the accounts of the organisations you wish to benefit from your donation.

WHERE TO DONATE Race participants have complete freedom to choose any humanitarian organisation they wish to run for. Every CorD Charity Master will receive a certificate and a commemorative T-shirt as proof of their participation.

The results of the race and details of funds raised will be published in CorD magazine, as well as on www.expat.rs and www.cordmagazine.com, while the formal presentation of donations by teams will feature in the June 2014 issue of CorD.

FAQS • How can I apply to compete in the CorD Charity Masters?

- Send an email to charitymasters@cordmagazine.com or a fax to (+381) 11 2450 122 with a completed registration form. The closing date for registration is 20 April.

• Who checks how many kilometres have been completed by runners?

- This is a charity race, with each runner expected to calculate the length of their own race. In addition, special referees will be tasked with assisting for half- and full-marathon runners.

• How does one become a sponsor or obtain a sponsor?

- Sponsors can be any individual, company, organisation, association or mission that agrees to pay the runner. Sponsors can also include work colleagues who are willing to collect funds for the charity of your choice. You can obtain sponsorship within your company or from family members, friends… whoever wants to join the race. CorD magazine will sponsor the first 10 runners who apply.

• How many participants can compete in the CorD Charity Masters?

- In agreement with the organisers of the 27th Belgrade Marathon, all participants who apply for the CorD Charity Masters will be accepted.

• Is there a minimum sponsorship level per kilometre?

The amount of money individuals give to charity is not always the most important factor.

Accordingly, there is no set minimum.

• What percentage of the money raised goes to charity?

One hundred per cent of the money raised goes to charity.

• Will CorD Charity Masters run alongside other Belgrade Marathon participants?

Yes. Members of the CorD Charity Masters team will start the race at the same time as all other runners competing in the 27th Belgrade Marathon.

MORE INFO www.cordmagazine.com cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 9

INTERVIEW

H.E. ŠTEFAN FÜLE

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR ENLARGEMENT AND EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

Unified

EUROPE

EXCLUSIVE

Of the many European politicians with ties to the Western Balkans, Štefan Füle is among the best known. The European Commissioner for Enlargement is the man with the greatest responsibility for bringing the former Yugoslav states into the EU fold, a process, he says, that is key to creating a unified Europe 10 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

A

s ever, Štefan Füle has been a busy man. Recently he has been in Ukraine dealing with the crisis that has erupted there over the last month. Before that, he was in Bosnia & Herzegovina after tensions flared up in the face of political stagnation. He is a man who knows what is at stake when eastern European states seek to bring themselves closer – and into – the European Union. Here he speaks exclusively to CorD about the European perspectives of Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

CRITERIA

CHAPTERS

BOSNIA

The criteria set out in 1993 require a democratic state under the rule of law, a functioning market economy and alignment with EU laws and standards.

There are 35 negotiation chapters – or policy areas – which will now be analysed so we know exactly where Serbia stands compared to current EU legislation.

More than €350 million of funds are available to Bosnia, of which €210 million are under implementation and €150 million have not yet been contracted.

■ To what extent have the Western Balkan countries overcome their traumatic past, and how much still needs to be done? Do you believe that, following the signing of the Brussels Agreement, the view of the Balkans as an unstable, conflict-laden area has changed forever?

Union is the way through which both can ensure a stable, peaceful and prosperous future for their citizens.

■ The intergovernmental conference between Serbia and the EU took place on 21st January. Based on this event, can

we anticipate the course and future of Serbia’s EU acces- This view stems from the still-vivid images of the conflict that erupted after the breakdown of Yugoslavia. sion negotiations?

But the Western Balkans of today is a different place: - The conference opened a new, work-intensive phase in Croatia has joined the EU; Belgrade and Priština have our relations. There are 35 negotiation chapters – or policy struck a historic deal; Serbia and the EU areas – which will now be have opened accession negotiations. More and more people across Europe are also discovering – be it through tourism or other exchanges – the beauty of the Western Balkans, as well as its rich culture. All this is gradually changing the perception of the region in Europe and beyond.

Of course, this is not happening overnight: there are important challenges to be faced, many wounds still to be healed and grievances to be addressed. Full reconciliation will take time: post-conflict healing takes generations. But the course has been ŠTEFAN FÜLE and ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ set and, as I strongly believe, is irreversible.

I am encouraged by what has been achieved analysed so we know exRather than focusing already. actly where Serbia stands on dates, the focus compared to current EU should be on meeting legislation and what it has ■ The European aspirations of both Serbia to do to align its laws and and Kosovo were the key factor behind the the accession criteria standards with those of the agreement. Do you think these aspirations in all of the 35 policy EU. This extensive review are sufficient to ensure the permanent norareas. Serbia’s capacity will prepare the ground for malisation of relations between the two? to adopt the necessary the opening of each of the - Yes, I do believe that sustainable normalisation is possible. The agreement reached reforms and align with EU 35 chapters. We have been between Belgrade and Priština last April legislation and standards impressed so far by Serwas a landmark in the modern history of the bia’s preparedness for this will be instrumental here exercise and we expect this Western Balkans. It allowed both Serbia and Kosovo to put the past behind them and focus will continue in the coming on their European future. Of course, this is not an easy promonths. The course of Serbia’s accession negotiations will of course depend on Serbia’s own merits and the pace of cess for either side; naturally, its pace may vary and there internal reforms. will be setbacks along the way.

A great many things still need to be done: the agreements need to be implemented and agreements on other ■ Do you concur with EU parliamentary emissary Jelko Kaissues of importance will require further difficult decisions cin that 2022 is a realistic deadline for Serbia to become and compromises in the months and years ahead. Howevan EU member? er, I have no doubt that both sides will be able to tackle the - I never speculate on dates, particularly accession dates. challenges in front of them and continue on their respecThe country I come from, the Czech Republic, started active paths to the European Union. After all, the European cession negotiations in 1998 and joined the EU in 2004. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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Our newest EU member state, Croatia, started accession negotiations in 2005 and joined the EU last year. But these are only examples to provide a rough idea, as every country is different in many aspects. Rather than focusing on dates, the focus should be on meeting the accession criteria in all of the 35 policy areas. Serbia’s capacity to adopt the necessary reforms and align with EU legislation and standards will be instrumental here.

■ The country’s accession date depends on how fast internal reforms are conducted. Where does Serbia stand today in terms of its capacity for fast, efficient implementation of reforms?

- I was glad to see that again at these elections the Serbian people gave very clear support to the determined and committed EU orientation of the outgoing Serbian government and its leaders. Commitment and delivery on reform needs to continue throughout the EUaccession process. I believe that Serbia has the capacity to deliver sustainable results in good time, thanks to both strong political will and administrative capacity, which is an important asset, particularly when it comes to aligning Serbian law with EU legislation. Joining the EU will be a challenging process, but I have full confidence in Serbia’s capacity to succeed.

■ Fighting corruption and organised

crime is a big priority. How much has Serbia advanced in this field?

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seen with Romania and Bulgaria, with all future EU members expected to be thoroughly reformed economically ahead of accession. Economic reform in Serbia has been stagnating. What is your perspective in this regard?

- One of the criteria for accession to the EU is a functioning market economy and the ability to cope with the competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.

Economic reforms are therefore of paramount importance during accession negotiations and Serbia must pursue them actively. In fact, the Commission’s enlargement strategy places heavy emphasis on economic governance and I have recently presented new initiatives on this to all Western Balkan countries.

Through the March 2014 parliamentary elections, Serbian voters have overwhelmingly supported a party that has campaigned on a thorough economic reform agenda. It is therefore my understanding that the newly elected Serbian representation has chosen to tackle this challenge early in the accession process, and I welcome that resolution. The European Commission Voters have supported a will assist Serbia through targeted party that campaigned expertise and financial support.

on a thorough economic reform agenda. It is my understanding that the elected Serbian representation has chosen to tackle this early in the accession process and I welcome that resolution

- Fighting corruption and organised crime are key challenges to be addressed by Serbia before accession.

Progress has been made over the past years and there is still much to be done. Our so-called new approach means relevant negotiating chapters are opened at the beginning and closed at the end of the process, so Belgrade has enough time for the fundamental improvements requested. Serbia has been on the right path already. The recent arrest of Darko Šarić, the alleged leader of a prominent organised crime group, illustrates Belgrade’s commitment and operational capacity to contributing to the dismantling of international organised crime groups in the best possible manner. It also shows successful international cooperation, in particular with Montenegro, as well as other countries in and outside Europe.

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■ It is expect that the EU will not repeat the scenarios

■ How much has Serbia improved with regard to stabilising and fostering good relations, not only with Kosovo, but with other neighbouring countries too?

- Serbia has maintained good relations with its neighbours and was actively involved in regional cooperation initiatives, such as the Regional Cooperation Council and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). By jointly working with Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro in the context of the Sarajevo process, Serbia has started to provide housing solutions to the most vulnerable displaced persons in the region. This brings stability and fosters reconciliation.

At the same time, the country’s leadership stepped up high-level contacts with neighbouring countries, for example through bilateral visits and exchanges with Croatia and Montenegro. Serbia needs to continue making this positive and constructive contribution to regional cooperation and reconciliation.

■ You have been directly involved in recent events in Bosnia & Herzegovina. In the region there are different interpretations of the causes and consequences of the unrest, each in accordance with the national interests of each country. What is your interpretation of events right now in Bosnia & Herzegovina?

Once Bosnia’s politicians start implementing a policy of anchoring the country to the EU, the vicious circle of stagnation will be cut and we will see investment and economic growth. It is not an easy path, but they really need to start walking it

- Wherever you live, you expect politicians to run the affairs of your country in such a way as to provide the prospect of building a sustainable future for yourself and your children. The citizens of Bosnia & Herzegovina are no different. The interesting aspect is that they did not take to the streets over some particular action of their political class. Rather they protested over their inaction.

I believe that once politicians in Bosnia & Herzegovina start implementing a future-orientated policy of anchoring the country to the EU, the vicious circle of stagnation will be cut and we will see more investment and economic growth. It is not an easy path, but they really need to start walking it. I am aware it is difficult to expect concessions and compromises half a year before general elections, but

working together on the wellbeing of the country would still be the quickest and simplest way forward.

■ What can the EU do right now to prevent the escalation of unrest in Bosnia & Herzegovina and prevent the possible spread of protests to other Balkan countries?

- I have unveiled three initiatives to help Bosnia & Herzegovina tackle some of the underlying causes of the unrest. First, a new national economic reform programme and a competitiveness and growth programme will focus on economic governance. Secondly, we established a joint EU-Bosnia & Herzegovina working group to accelerate the implementation of EU-funded projects in the country. Its first meeting took place on 13th March with the chairman of the Council of Ministers and the two entity prime ministers participating.

More than €350 million of IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) funds are already available to Bosnia & Herzegovina, of which around €210 million are under implementation and around €150 million have been allocated and programmed, but are not yet contracted. We

SUMMER CAMP

2014

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have to speed up these projects and make sure they address concerns in economic and social areas. These are still funds from IPA I (2007-2013).

Thirdly, we are broadening the structured dialogue on justice to include topics falling under Chapter 23, such as anti-corruption measures. In all of this we want to bring citizens into the process: civil society should participate in all these initiatives, which in return should entice the authorities of Bosnia & Herzegovina to engage with civil society.

■ We said at the start of this in-

terview that Kosovo and Serbia have almost identical pro-European aspirations. What is Kosovo’s perspective on its way to EU membership?

- Kosovo shares the European perspective of the region. While differences among member states continue over the question of its status, Kosovo continues to make good progress on its European path. The European Commission is currently negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo, which we hope to be able to initial in the summer. We also want to sign an agreement with Kosovo that would allow it to participate in EU programmes and we want Kosovo to become a full participating member in the European Transport Community Treaty. Kosovo is also making progress in its visa liberalisation process.

We are looking forward to Kosovo building on these steps, notably by continuing to normalise relations with Serbia and by addressing the priorities for reform we identified in our 2012 feasibility study.

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coming a better home to her citizens already while on her accession path.

■ How much did the election in Serbia slow down ongoing reforms and what is the EU’s stance on this matter?

- We have encouraged Serbia to ensure a smooth electoral process and to resume full governmental and parliamentary activity in the shortest timeframe possible. The elections did not prevent active cooperation at the working level and expert meetings continued. As I said already, I am glad to see that Serbia has chosen a government policy of continued EU orientation. By giving it an absolute majority in parliament, voters have entrusted the winning Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) with a great responsibility.

As Serbia is in the first year of its EU accession negotiations, it is indeed all the more important that parliament is constituted and a new government is formed in good time.

■ This year Europe marks the centenary of World War I. The Europes of 1914 and 2014 are two very different places with completely different values.

What is Europe’s future in light of further enlargement?

- We see the future unfolding even now. Just look back – only a The whole Western few months ago the EU grew again Balkan region has a clear when Croatia joined. And we started European perspective. accession talks with Serbia, made This is a real perspective. further progress and opened more chapters with Montenegro. The This daring political vision will not materialise whole Western Balkan region has a clear European perspective. This is a overnight, but the real perspective. This daring politidirection is irreversible cal vision will not materialise overnight, but – as said in the very first lines of this interview – the direction is irreversible.

The construction of a unified Europe will not be com■ Over recent months there has been a lot of talk about the criteria Serbia must fulfil to become an EU member. plete without the Western Balkans firmly anchored in. I do What does Serbia get in return for fulfilling these criteria not have a crystal ball and prefer to focus on the present during the pre-accession period? and make sure, with my work and with my efforts, that the future is better and more stable. And enlargement, as the - In return? Full membership. most powerful instrument of transformation and stabilisaBut even before that, during the accession process, Serbia is going to be getting a lot. The so-called Copention, will contribute to that because it is credible and one of the most successful EU policies. So I imagine a strong, hagen Criteria, set out in 1993, require the existence of respectful, respected and influential EU that remains a a democratic state under the rule of law, a functioning source of inspiration for all people who cherish human market economy and an alignment with the whole body rights, democracy, peace and stability. ■ of EU laws and standards. So Serbia will gradually be be-

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INTERVIEW

DR (MRS) PATIENCE JONATHAN

FIRST LADY OF NIGERIA

The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) was established in 1996, following the Beijing International Women’s Conference, with the aim of promoting peace and harmony in Africa. The initiative for its formation was taken by the First Ladies of Nigeria, The Gambia, Benin, Uganda, Lesotho and Burundi, who agreed to undertake a mission of peace for the rest of Africa

On a mission to

EMPOWER WOMEN M 16 |

rs Patience Jonathan, the First Lady of Nigeria, visited Serbia last month. On March 18th she gave a lecture at the Belgrade Faculty of Philology about her own humanitarian work, her dedication to women’s rights and her hard work on emancipation and fighting for the educating of women in her country. On that occasion, Serbian First Lady Mrs Dragica Nikolić presented an award in recognition of her humanitarian work around

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

the world and expressed gratitude for her having visited our country.

“I am extremely honoured that Dr Patience Jonathan, in her mission and struggle to promote women’s rights around the world, recognised in Serbia a friendly country where her ideas resonate in the right way,” said Nikolić.

Patience Jonathan started her career as a teacher at the Stella Maris College in Port Harcourt and later became an administrator at the Isake Sports Institute. From there

she moved to the banking sector in 1997, where she established the first community bank in Port Harcourt called the Akpo Community Bank. She served as Marketing Manager of the Imiete Community Bank. She returned to the classroom briefly again as teacher and was eventually transferred to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, where she served until 29th May 1999, when her husband became Deputy Governor of the state. On 12th July 2012 she became a permanent secretary of the State of Bayelsa. She and her husband have two children.

Mrs Jonathan has been recognised locally, nationally and internationally for her philanthropic work and political pragmatism.

■ Can you tell our readers about your first NGO called the A-Aruera Reachout Foundation and your charity work?

Which humanitarian award are you most proud of?

and what is the position of women like in Nigeria?

- Nearly two decades after the declarations of the United Nations’ Beijing conference on the rights of women and girls, most countries of the International community are yet to take positive action, especially on the proposed 30 per cent affirmative action on female emancipation. This is the background to the Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI), which I founded in 2010 and for which I serve as Grand Patron. It is a non-governmental and non-partisan Nigerian gender focused movement designed to serve as a strong and unifying voice for women in Nigeria. It also works to improve the status of Nigerian women socially, politically and economically. It strives to ensure that all issues concerning women and girls are given priority in Nigeria.

The objectives include: advancing strategies for gender equality, and promotion of affirmative action principles; developing mechanisms to enhance legislative action on gender issues, including domesticating international

- The A-Aruera Reachout Foundation (AARF) was founded over eight years ago when my husband was the Governor of Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria. It is an NGO which I founded with the objective and vision of positively impacting on the less privileged and the needy and empowering them to actively and meaningfully contribute to national development. AARF helps women, children and youth to acquire skills for economic empowerment and self-reliance.

Since its establishment the foundation has trained over 4,000 women in different skills, such as tie and dye fabric work, soap and candle making, plantain flour and chips production, bread and pastry baking, electrical and plumbing works and other waste to wealth projects.

H.E. MR HAROLD AUGUSTUS KOKO, MRS DRAGICA NIKOLIĆ AND MRS PATIENCE JONATHAN The trainee undergraduates are given starter packs to enable them to set up their own busiinstruments, of which The distance between nesses. The foundation also makes farming and Nigeria and Serbia should Nigeria is party; engagfishing equipment available to farmers and ing in mobilising and not be an obstacle to fishermen in order to improve their yield and sensitising women for economic cooperation harvest. It has also extended its focus to assist politics in the three tiers children with health, especially heart-related, of government in Nigebetween them problems. The children are sponsored for mediria; drawing on the best practices in other countries to ensure that constitutions cal attention and treatment in Nigeria or abroad, with and party political manifestos support women’s participapartnership hospitals like the Apollo Hospital in India and the Samsung Hospital in South Korea. The foundation’s tion in politics and decision making; developing women’s 250 bed hospital in Abuja, which will cater for the health leadership skills in every field; promoting the economic needs of these children, is now nearing completion. I have empowerment of women through the provision of microreceived many local and international awards in recognicredit and business skills; and promoting the peaceful coexistence of all citizens, regardless of gender, religious aftion and appreciation of my intervention to uplift the less privileged. It is not fair to say I cherish a particular award filiation or ethnic origin. more than another. I am proud of them all and I am enIn terms of achievement, due to the activities of W4CL there has been development towards uplifting the status couraged that my small contribution to assist the needy is of women in Nigeria. The movement mobilised Nigerian recognised and appreciated. women to participate fully in politics during the 2011 elec■ Your other pet programme is the Women for Change and tions in the areas of campaigns, voting and contesting for Development Initiative. What does it deal with specifically positions. This has achieved 35 per cent affirmative action cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 17

for women in all tiers and levels of governance in Nigeria.

Today 35 per cent of all political appointments in Nigeria are reserved for women.

Other W4CL achievements include integrated health projects, the lady chauffeur training scheme, credit schemes for female empowerment, tree planting, landscaping and beautification projects and facilitating the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals projects as they affect women.

■ You are the President of the African First Ladies Peace

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every five black people in the world is Nigerian. That is one aspect of Nigeria I am proud of. The second aspect is that Nigeria is a country of diverse ethnic groups, languages, cultures and religions. There are over 250 different language groups in Nigeria. A fact to note here is that, despite all these differences, Nigeria has survived as one indivisible country. This year we are celebrating 100 years of the founding of modern Nigeria – a milestone that came about with the amalgamation of the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria into a United Nigeria in 1914. This is a classic example of unity in diversity.

Mission. What is the importance of this mission?

■ What do you think of Serbia? What do you know about the country and how much can our two countries cooper- The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) was established 1996, following the Beijing ate in an economic sense, considerInternational Women’s Conference, ing the geographical distance bewith the aim of promoting peace and tween them? harmony in Africa. The initiative for - I think of Serbia as a country of its formation was taken by the first brave and enterprising people, a ladies of Nigeria, The Gambia, Becountry of friendly and hospitable people who are eager to forge friendnin, Uganda, Lesotho and Burundi, who agreed to undertake a mission ly relations with those they come into of peace for the rest of Africa. This contact with. I used to think of Serbia was followed by activities and conas being at the end of the world. Now I know that Serbia is easily accessible sultations at the regional level and via a flight of about five hours from the formal declaration of the MisNigeria. I know that Serbia has a very sion at the 1996 Summit of the then rich cultural heritage, with historical Organisation of African Union in Hamonuments and sites. Serbia is also rare, Zimbabwe. Its headquarters, or a secular country with different relipermanent secretariat, is located in Abuja, Nigeria. In 2012, as AFLPM gious adherents living together, even President, I organised the 7th and though the majority of its 7-8 million inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. most successful Annual Assembly My job is to improve Traditionally, Serbia’s geographical of the Mission in Abuja, where I was the position of position puts it at the crossroads of Cenunanimously re-elected for another two-year term (2012-14). tral and Southeast Europe. This has givNigerian women The mission intervenes in crisis socially, politically and en it a moderating role in relations beareas in Africa to assist the less privitween the East-West divide. Even now economically and to Serbia is a country in transition from leged and those affected by conflict. In ensure that all issues the conservatism of the Cold War to a June 2013 the AFLPM donated 87 tons more progressive country. This can be of foodstuffs to refugees in Kenya. I concerning women seen in the on-going accession talks to presented the items to the First Lady and girls are given enable the country join the EU by 2020. of Kenya at a brief ceremony at the Napriority in Nigeria The distance between Nigeria and tional Museum in Nairobi. This year Serbia should not be an obstacle to ecothe mission also donated tons of food and materials for the needy in the Saharawi Republic. nomic cooperation between them. The important thing is to identify and reach agreement on the areas of cooperation.

Trade in goods, both in industrial products and primary ■ From a European perspective, Nigeria is a huge country, goods, can be an important area of economic cooperation with over 170 million inhabitants, a wealth of natural rebetween the two countries. Businesses and entrepreneurs sources and many ethnic groups. Which facts about Nigein both countries can also enter into joint ventures and inria are you most proud of?

- It is true that Nigeria has a huge population, as you have vest in production processes, especially in agro-based inpointed out. A population of over 170 million is about that of dustries, as well as infrastructure development. The comfour or five average European countries put together. It therepetent authorities should embark on awareness campaigns to bring knowledge of the many areas of possible cooperafore follows that Nigeria is the country with the greatest concentration of black people on Earth. In other words, one in tion to interested business leaders and investors. ■

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 19

INTERVIEW

H.E. DANIEL BANU

AMBASSADOR OF ROMANIA TO SERBIA

Close PARTNERS “Besides our traditional partnership, projects of regional and cross-border cooperation remain of utmost importance, as they can attract further investments to both countries”

R

omania and Serbia are next-door neighbours and traditional regional partners. Speaking about bilateral relations and how they are growing at this time of change and regional consolidation, Ambassador Banu says it is important that the region develops further into a common business destination that would facilitate investments and benefit all.

■ A tripartite meeting of the prime ministers of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria was held in Ruse, Bulgaria, on 7th March. How would you assess the significance of this meeting?

- First of all, I’d like to emphasise that such high-level trilateral meetings represent a useful framework for tackling issues of bilateral, regional and European importance. Secondly, it is a clear expression of Romanian and Bulgarian readiness to assist and support Serbia on its path towards the EU, including through sharing their European integration experience. At the same time, it sends a strong message of co-operation and partnership for the region. It is equally important for the three countries that the region develops further into a common business destination that would allow for investments and benefits for their peoples.

■ What are the most important results of that meeting?

- I would single out the mutually agreed decision to formalise the trilateral co-operation format during 2014, taking the Visegrad Group as a model. Craiova, an important city in the south of Romania, was chosen as the location for the next meeting, as it is situated, geographically speaking, at an almost equal distance from Sofia and Belgrade.

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

■ In addition to friendly relations between our countries, can you tell us about our common goals at the international level? How do those common goals fit into the relationship towards major centres of world politics, from Brussels to Washington?

- The essence of these common goals should be seen first of all through the necessity to promote and further consolidate peace, stability and prosperity at the regional level and beyond, but also to share common European and universal values. Romania’s EU membership, along with Serbia’s goal of becoming a member of the European family and their partnership at the regional level, bring added value to this equation. These important goals go hand in hand with the shared vision by Brussels and Washington vis-à-vis Serbia’s EU membership. For instance, I am aware that in recent years the U.S. has contributed significantly to helping Serbia align its economic and legislative environment with EU standards. When it comes to Brussels, it is important to emphasise that European institutions have constantly offered political, financial and technical support to Serbia.

TRADE

DANUBE

VLACHS

Romania is ranked 3rd in Serbia’s commercial exchanges with EU members, while Serbia remains Romania’s main trading partner in the Western Balkans.

The Danube Strategy outlines a new vision of territorial approach across national borders to meet the objectives defined in the Europe 2020 strategy.

Romania’s position on the so-called “Vlach minority” has not changed. The present division between Romanians and Vlachs is artificial and unjustified.

■ How important for Romania are geographic proximity and good neighbourly relations when it comes to Serbia?

- We feel that Romania and Serbia need to further develop and strengthen their traditionally solid relationship in areas of common interest: political and economic dialogue, regional and crossborder co-operation, European integration and the protection of national minorities. Besides our traditional partnership, projects of regional and cross-border co-operation remain of utmost importance, as they can attract further investments to both countries.

Of particular significance in this regard is the European Strategy for the Danube Region, initiated by Romania and Austria and strongly supported by Serbia and the region’s other countries. Here I would like to emphasise the very specific role played by representatives of the Romanian minority in Serbia and the Serbian minority in Romania when it comes to bringing the two countries closer together. They represent not only an important part of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the state they live in, but should also have a positive influence on the two countries’ political and economic dialogue.

backbone of economic cooperation between Romania and Serbia?

- The Danube Strategy, which is a new mechanism created to carry out the EU’s cohesion policy, outlines a new vision of territorial approach across national borders to meet the objectives defined in the Europe 2020 strategy. The existence of solid European regional cooperation formats – such as CEI, SEECP or RCC – provides the opportunity to step up a gear in developing regional related core projects through the newly created macro-regional strategies. Romania is committed to improving European territorial cohesion and creating sustainable growth across the Western

■ How do you assess the level of development of economic cooperation between our two countries?

- Over time, our bilateral cooperation in the economic field has been marked by an upward trend, especially when it comes to projects of strategic importance for both countries.

Despite the serious economic crisis the region is going through, our bilateral economic relations Balkans by streamlining the objecIt is important to remain strong and dynamic. The total volume of bitives of the Danube Strategy into emphasise that the cross-border and transnational lateral commercial exchange last year amounted to European institutions cooperation programmes in the approximately €800 million. Romania is ranked 3rd fields of transport, energy, environin Serbia’s commercial exchanges with EU members, have constantly while Serbia remains Romania’s main trading partment and IT&C, and by coordinatoffered political, ner in the Western Balkans. However, the positive ing among the national objectives financial and technical in terms of regional connectivity. At developments in the area of trade do not reflect the support to Serbia real potential of the two countries, whose economies the same time, we appreciated the are, in many respects, complementary. leadership of Serbia for issuing the Better co-ordination of our efforts in identifying new economreflection paper on “Innovative solutions to facilitate the paric opportunities will help both countries overcome the current ticipation of the Danube Western Balkans countries in impleeconomic difficulties. In this sense I would like to reemphasise mentation of the Danube Strategy”. This document was of great the important role played by the European Strategy for the Danvalue to Romania’s endeavour to firmly support the interest of non-EU countries in the Council Conclusions on macro-regionube region, which brings added value to the EU neighbourhood cooperation dimension and enables non-EU members to achieve al strategies and their enhanced access to EU investment and their EU accession roadmaps. pre-accession funding facilities. Therefore, Serbia remains an important and active partner for Bucharest within this strat■ Serbia and Romania are among the signatories of the Danube egy, including in developing a common zone of activities and Strategy. How much potential does the Danube have to be the benefits on the Danube. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 21

■ How does Romania view Serbia’s progress in the area of European integration?

- Serbia has come a long way since initiating the process and I would like to welcome and congratulate Serbia on the formal launch of accession negotiations. This is a result of tremendous efforts by all parties involved in the process over the past year.

Secondly, I would like to underline that the European integration of the Western Balkans is an important priority of Romanian foreign policy. Romania has been one of the most vocal supporters of the European perspective of Serbia from the very beginning of the process. The presence of Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlăţean at the intergovernmental conference in Brussels on 21st January was another clear sign of our support.

■ How do you rate the efforts of the Serbian authorities in the past year and a half, especially in terms of stabilising relations with Pristina and tackling the issue of economic recovery?

- The efforts of the Serbian authorities towards a modus operandi with Pristina demonstrate political realism… The 19th April Agreement was a milestone, along with subsequent implementations agreement and concrete steps taken in recent months. One of the most visible achievements is the successful holding of local elections in Kosovo. This is a key element of the April Agreement and a key step in the process of normalising relations. At the same time, we encourage further efforts by all sides to implement the already agreed arrangements and overcome future difficulties in a constructive manner and good faith.

■ When it comes to Kosovo, how much does Romania feel part of the same region where Serbia is and how much does the stability of the Western Balkans impact on the stability of Europe?

■ Based on your personal experience of accession negotiations, could you offer some advice to Serbia as a country that has just entered that process?

Romania is committed to improving European territorial cohesion and creating sustainable growth across the Western Balkans

- The negotiation framework adopted last December provides the necessary instruments to guide Serbia’s efforts in completing key reforms and implementing legislation necessary to accomplish all accession criteria. I would like to underline that all 35 chapters are equally important.

The basic conditions for all applying countries have remained the same since 1993, namely the Copenhagen criteria, including the political and economic criteria and the country‘s capacity to adopt EU legislation. In order to successfully close negotiations, Serbia will need to adjust large segments of its social and economic landscape to bring them in line with EU standards. Romania will continue to provide political and technical support to Serbia on its European path, while paying special attention to the concrete steps taken by Serbia to meet its commitments with regard to non-discriminatory treatment of persons belonging to national minorities throughout its territory.

However, the speed of EU accession depends solely on Serbia and how soon it introduces necessary reforms, aligns its laws and norms with those of the EU and meets its obligations to fulfil the necessary criteria.

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

- As I mentioned earlier, the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans represents one of Romania’s chief priorities. As an EU Member and a NATO ally, we will continue to flag the relevance of this area among the top priorities of European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. Harmony, prosperity and a safe and secure environment in the entire region is an objective that has to be defended. Only a long lasting solution based on the agreement of all sides involved in the Kosovo case can contribute to that. At the same time, regional cooperation and economic development does have a clear benefit for the region and the whole of Europe. That is why we need to support WB to achieve the EU integration goal and ensure the irreversibility of reforms already under way.

■ Romania and Serbia have successful coopera-

tion in the military domain, in the field of science and through IPA funds. Which projects is it most important to highlight in these fields?

- Excellent cooperation in the military domain was reconfirmed

by Lt. Gen. Stefan Danila, Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, during a recent visit to Belgrade, and his Serbian counterpart, Gen. Ljubiša Diković. On this occasion these high officials expressed their determination to continue using joint capacities, such as the Capu Midia training camp and surface to air firing range in Romania, the CBRN defence centre in Kruševac and the Jug military base near Bujanovac in southern Serbia. All activities in the framework of regional cooperation in this field are aimed at contributing to regional security and further strengthening trust among the region’s countries.

The Romania-Serbia IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme is among the best success stories. The Regional Office for Cross-border Cooperation has its headquarters in Timisoara, a city which has proved to be a strong bridge of economic and cultural relations between Romania and Serbia. The programme has

three priority areas addressing projects regarding economic and social development, environmental protection and emergency preparedness and promoting people-to-people activities. Great interest in the programme was confirmed from the beginning by the large number of project proposals submitted - 166 project proposals, of which 46 were selected for financing under the first call for proposals.

■ Apart from Serbia, Romania also neighbours Ukraine. How do you see the situation in that country and how could it influence European and global security and stability?

ment: while the Romanians, living mainly in Vojvodina, benefit from the rights necessary for fostering their national identity, the Vlachs have none of these rights, although they have constantly stressed their Romanian origin and declared their culture as part of the Romanian spiritual heritage.

We expect the Serbian authorities to ensure the same level of protection of rights to the Romanian minority regardless of the region where they are living or the name under which they are known. All minorities in Romania benefit from the same level of protection, no matter where they live. These are natural rights pertaining to the common European values for any EU candidate state.

- When it comes to Ukraine, we are neighbours and partners.

Ukraine’s future is intertwined with Europe’s future and that is why we all need a stable Ukraine and safe and prosperous Ukrainian people. The recent signing (21st March 2014) of the political provisions of the EUUkraine Association Agreement is a step towards acknowledging Ukraine’s European agenda and support to achieving it. It is important for Ukraine to continue fulfilling its commitments on the European path and to resume the necessary domestic reforms without delay.

Russia’s recent annexation of the Crimean Peninsula has a strong impact on regional stability and security.

Romania, alongside the EU and its partners, has firmly condemned the illegal process that led to the annexation (the so-called referendum in Crimea), which was itself an action disregarding international law. Direct dialogue between Kiev and Moscow remain essential for a lasting solution to the current situation.

The ■ At one time there was controversy about the Vlach minority in Serbia and the attitude of the Serbian authorities towards that community. How does Romania view this issue today?

speed of EU accession depends solely on Serbia and how soon it introduces necessary reforms, aligns its laws and meets its obligations

- Romania’s position on the so-called “Vlach minority” in Serbia is very well known and has not changed.

The present division between Romanians and Vlachs is artificial and unjustified. There is no scientific opinion or historical evidence to endorse this distinction, not even at the level of the denomination used: Vlach is a name under which the Romanian population was denominated in the Middle Ages, Wallachia is the name of the Southern historical province of Romania and Vlach is an archaism that means Romanian. Romania has always considered that the discussion regarding the persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Serbia refers to all people who share the same culture, language, traditions and spirituality.

In this spirit was signed in 2004 the bilateral agreement on the protection of national minority between Romania and, then, State Union Serbia and Montenegro.

The policy applied by the Serbian authorities in Eastern Serbia to support the creation of an artificial distinction within the Romanian minority between Romanians and so-called Vlachs is unfortunate and does not consider the reality within the community or the principle of self-identification. In practice the consequence of this attitude resulted in a completely different treat-

■ How developed is cultural cooperation between our two countries?

- Cultural cooperation between Romania and Serbia can be described by a lively exchange of values and an invigorating experience for the general public. It gives me great satisfaction to note that Romanian artists are regularly well received by both Serbian critics and audiences.

Let me briefly mention that Romanian productions won at the Palić Film Festival and the Slavija International Theatre Festival in 2013, adding their contribution to the inspiring work of poets, painters, writers and musicians on both sides of the Danube. A consolidating argument for the development of cultural cooperation between Romania and Serbia has always been our respective national minorities and our common obligation to preserve and promote the cultural identity and diversity of our citizens. We consider the Romanian and Serbian minorities to be an important resource as well as means to the development of our bilateral relations.

We constantly strive to ensure the best possible legal and institutional framework for the improvement of cultural cooperation between our two countries. In this respect, I would like to underline that we strongly promote the signing of a new agreement in the fields of education, science, culture, youth and sport.

Moreover, we are working together to identify new ways for the development of our cultural presence in the neighbourhood. ■ cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 23

GLOBAL DIARY

Sanctions “West has not reached a stage that implies the imposition of economic sanctions (on Moscow). I am not interested in escalation. I am working on de-escalation of the situation.” — Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Pays $1.8million for Volvo AD

Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimović got paid $1.55-1.86 million for his performance in Volvo’s new Youtube video ad, according to Swedish media.

The ad is part of Volvo’s campaign tagged “Made in Sweden”.

“This is as Sweden looks like 2014. I don’t speak perfect Swedish, but that’s the way it is. A mix everywhere. I can be Swedish all the same. We are all different yet similar,” Ibrahimovic told DagensIndustri.

“My father is from Bosnia and Muslim. Mum is from Croatia and Catholic. But I was born in Sweden and am a Swedish citizen. You can’t change that. That’s the situation, accept it.”

In less than two days, the film had more than 1.2 million hits.

CULTURE

Vatican Library Digitise 82,000 Valuable Manuscripts

A 1,600-year-old manuscript featuring the poems of Virgil is among the collection being digitised by the Vatican Apostolic Library with the help of a Japanese IT firm.

The Vatican Apostolic Library, founded in 1451 and considered one of the world’s most important research libraries, is hoping in the next four years to archive its collection of 82,000 manuscripts, comprising more than 41 million pages.

The €8 million project will mean that the Roman Catholic Church’s most precious documents will be available to the public for the first time.

The library announced that it will work with experts from the Japanese IT systems specialist NTT Data Corporation to digitise 3,000 handwritten works by 2018. While the library has already begun to digitise around 6,000 manuscripts, the collaboration is designed to enhance current archiving methods with special measures that will improve long-term storage and safe24 |

keeping. It will also speed up search methods and broaden access for academics and scholars.

Viewers were also wowed by the performance, with some saying it helped to bring the Catholic Church “closer to the people”.

ENTERTAINMENT WATCHES

Italian Nun Wows in Singing Depardieu launches 'Proud Contest to be Russian' line of Sister Cristina, a 25-year-old nun from Sicily, southern Italy, was watches performing on the Italian musical talent show “The Voice” during a blind audition on Wednesday night where the show’s judges have their back turned to the stage for part of the song.

When the judges were finally allowed to turn and see the performer, their shock was evident.

French actor Gérard Depardieu, who left his home country for Russia following a proposed tax law change, has partnered with Swiss watch manufacturer Cvstos to launch a line of new stylish timepieces that are being marketed under the banner ‘Proud to be Russian’. The exclusive new watches are on sale for up to $30,000.

Early last year he was allowed to become a Russian citizen, with his new passport delivered to him personally by Vladimir Putin. He

bought a property in the Mordovia region, saying after registering the flat, “this region doesn’t have oil or gas, but has rich people who make their wishes come true in life.” His move followed a proposed change in French tax law that would see the wealthy taxed 75% of their income

above €1m a year, which was later deemed unconstitutional.

He later claimed that he still loved his homeland, insisting: “I refuse to be trapped within borders... I’m a free man. I feel at home everywhere in Europe.” In August last year he also became an honorary citizen of Belgium.

Oysters Celebration in Croatia Undaunted, the nun continued her energetic performance, cheered on by three nun supporters backstage.

After the performance judge Raffaella Carrà asked her: “How did you end up on The Voice?”

“I have a gift and I’m giving it to you,” replied the contestant.When asked what the Vatican would think of her performance on national television the nun replied: “I hope that Pope Francis will call me now.”

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

With the approach of spring Croatia would like to present an annual gourmet event dedicated to oysters occurring in Mali Ston, near Dubrovnik.

Days of Mali Ston Oysters, centred around the festival of St. Joseph, takes place when the oysters are at their peak and taste the best. Oysters produced in the area belong to the Ostrea edulis type, also called European oysters. Once prevalent throughout Europe they are now only found in large numbers in this micro location, which had been spared from parasitic infections that wiped out plantations in Europe during the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Due to its specific location, these oysters were able to continue their long tradition of excellence, being adored among the Dubrovnik nobility as well as the Austrian court and were even awarded the Grand Prix and golden medal for quality at the World Exhibition in 1936.

Preasure

LIFE

"If you compress the spring all the way to its limit, it will snap back hard. You must always remember this."

— Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Boss gives away €1.2m firm to become full-time dad

Simon Cohen, the leader of PR firm Global Tolerance, which represented the Dalai Lama and the Prince of Wales, is giving his company away, worth up to £1m (€1.2m), to become a full-time dad.

Cohen said he wanted to focus on his family as he thought “jet-setting around the world” as head of Global Tolerance was missing the point.

He will hand over 95% of the company, with £10,000 and 10 years’ worth of business contacts, he said. Cohen will stay on to mentor the new boss for a year.

“For me, raising my daughter is worth more than a million,” said Cohen.

MARKET

Luxury Brands Are Targeting “Yummies” Luxury fashion may be switching gender and age roles. In much of the

world now, the most attractive demographic for such companies as Burberry and Coach isn’t middle-aged women with sky-high credit limits; it’s twenty-something men with smart phones and self-esteem issues.

At least that’s the theory put forth recently by three researchers at HSBC. The future of retail is in young, urban males—or as HSBC dubs them, “Yummies” (a handy verbal shortcut if one can say it without gagging).

“The metro-sexual, that cliché from 20 years ago, is now becoming a commercial reality,” the HSBC team writes.

INOVATION

Facebook Replacing Reality At the end of March Facebook announced that it would pay $2 billion for Oculus VR, a two-year-old, California-based company that has developed a virtual reality headset meant to give video game players the most realistic possible experience of digital worlds. Slipping on the Oculus Rift headset “provides a truly immersive experience that allows you to step inside your favourite game and

explore new worlds like never before,” claimed a recent review.

It may sound futuristic, but Facebook’s new deal signals nothing short of Steven Spielberg-level ambitions.

Michelle Obama Plays Table Tennis

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who was joined on her first solo trip to China by daughters Malia and Sasha and her mother Marianne Robinson, visited the Beijing Normal School, a school that prepares students to attend university abroad. Mrs Obama arrived in Beijing to kick off a seven-day, three-city tour where she will focus on education and cultural exchange. She was hosted by Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Obama and Peng were later ushered to a table tennis practice session, where six pairs of students squared off against one another.

One of the instructors asked Obama if she’d like to play and she leapt at the opportunity.

“Alright, wait,” she said. “How do I hold the paddle properly?” After a few volleys, Obama finished her game as the students applauded.

While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the first step will be to help Oculus VR develop as a platform, his ambitions for the technology extend far beyond that to mimicking real-life experiences - from giving people the impression they’re looking at chalkboards in a classroom to simulating the sense they’re in a thundering stadium at a live sports event.

BUSINESS

Britain to Import Russian gas The UK will begin importing gas from Russia this year under a formal contract for the first time, just as European calls to loosen Moscow’s grip on energy supply mount as a result of the crisis over Ukraine.

The country’s biggest utility, Centrica, signed a deal in 2012 with Russian state-controlled Gazprom to import 2.4 billion cubic metres of gas over a period of three years and the supplies will begin flowing

in October 2014.

Exports generally go to central and southeast Europe rather than to the UK, which still has significant domestic reserves and gets most of its imports from Norwegian pipelines or liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from further afield.

Gazprom estimates it sends around 11-12 billion cubic metres (bcm) to Britain each year, accounting for around 15 per cent of total UK supplies.

These sales involve volumes that Britain sucks in from mainland European countries during times of peak demand. The majority of Russian gas imported into Britain in recent years has been sourced from storage sites in Germany, largely filled with Russian supply. Source: Reuters

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 25

INTERVIEW

TATJANA MANDIĆ RIGONAT

■ By Jovana GLIGORIJEVIĆ

DIRECTOR

Democracy is sometimes

■ Photo: VREME - A. ANĐIĆ

DEMONOCRACY

Rather than step into democratic socialism we plunged into chauvinism, wars, pillage, the devastation of everything. We now live in the time after the great fall. It is not easy to lift yourself up and walk like a human. At the same time we are learning now to walk in capitalism, like our ancestors from a hundred years ago, except today's capitalism is monstrous 26 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

D

irector Tatjana Mandić Rigonat is known primarily on the dramatic scene in Serbia for the social critique of her artwork.

In her work she resorts to art that is always socially engaged, but never banal and pamphlet like. Her works are primarily theatrical performances, but are such that they cause the viewer to reflect on their own time and environment and ask questions, and not feel like they got a slap in the face or should be ashamed of themselves as citizens and stakeholders in social reality.

■ With the January premiere of Naši sinovi (Our Sons) you

■ In that sense does Belgrade have its own Marambo to-

returned forgotten writer Vojislav Jovanović Marambo to the scene. In the interviews you gave subsequently you mentioned that Maramba scandalised the Belgrade of the time. With what did he scandalise it and does that speak more about Marambo or Belgrade?

day, or has the city changed, opened up and become difficult to offend?

- It all depends on how we view openness. The drama Naši sinovi (Our sons) won second prize in the competition of the National Theatre. When it is performed it is received heartily. The youth accepted the drama with cheers and enthusiasm, while a typical older city audience who loved operetta and vaudeville accept it with indignation. They reproached him, insisting that the Belgrade he presents in his drama does not exist, that it is all his wicked imagination and mocking. So certain groups recognised the value of this young artist. And for me that is the beginning of the story about the openness of some who know how to recognise what is new and valuable. And he then wrote the first social drama as a cry for truth in the theatre, photographic precision, painful and humorous. Mirjana Miočinović ranks this drama in the same

- Marambo was a modernist and a highly educated man.

He studied literature in Lausanne, Geneva and London, obtained his Ph.D. in Grenoble, translated Voltaire and Ibsen, wrote dramas, authored an anthology of Serbian folk songs and Serbian folk tales and was also a theatre critic, art photographer and teacher of comparative literature. A man of a troubled and searching spirit, he was a democratically-minded citizen. During the First World War he was in the War Press Bureau of the Serbian supreme Command as head of the Press Bureau of the Serbian Government in London and Washington. He listed in detail everything that was loaded in wagons and delivered to Vienna at the outbreak of World War II from our archives and just a tenth of that archival material has been returned to date.

He left behind his witness testimony about that theft. Thanks to him, the film of the Coronation of King Petar I Karađorđević was preserved. He personally purchased the film material from the cameraman in London. And the fascinating biography of this man has been forgotten. It is a forgotten story about us. How easy it is to forget an exceptional individual, a citizen of the world who drank in everything of class as Bond’s Saved and Politicians change their most value from European culture and the best Vesker and Osborn entire spectrum of ideas worked in favour of the spiritual propieces. And because of his eccentric look for some he gress of his people. As a young man at overnight, they go to sleep was a nincompoop. Who the start of the 20th century he dressed chauvinists, their dreams today bears the label ninin an original way and sewed himself transform them into an overcoat from material used to compoop, and all those cosmopolitan gents, angry who loudly think critically, make potato sacks. With a cigar in his mouth, a top hat made of straw on his neoliberals dress themselves who have their autonohead and that “sack”, he walked around mous view of life and are in left-wing attire; those town when the streets of Belgrade saw not subject to the artistic who were rigid communists fashions and politically decollisions of traditional Serbian dress, until yesterday have become sirable modes of thought, fashion from Vienna and Paris and Serbian civic suits. Marambo provoked uniformity. Let Marambo monarchists today Belgrade, as an eccentric surrealist, by the code for those types. a clown of modern outrage and humour. He would have For the dedicated, educated, truthful, brave and talented been provocative anywhere with such an appearance, who require neither visual nor “mental” stylists. even in Paris, London or New York, everywhere beyond artistic circles. That was the beginning of the 20th century.

■ Naši sinovi is a story about the clash of tradition and modernity, about degrading dimensions of poverty, about He dressed like that in 1904, the year when another mahow poverty and fear deform a man and disturbs his soul. jor global eccentric, Salvador Dali, was born. Shocking a This is a play written a century ago, yet it remains up to European philistine or a Belgrader in 1904 was the same. date. Does this mean that nothing has changed?

All philistines are the same. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 27

- What is archetypal in it, universal, multi-layered, well- designed like the character and human situation, replica, represents a clip from any future time. However in this case, apart from those universal moments, what’s important to us is that period of time and the social context of the play.

We now live in capitalism, as they did a hundred years ago.

In the Serbia of Marambo and Nušić, at the time of Boss Riste, a character from the play who says with a smile that not everyone can have shoes, that someone has to starve and suffer. That boss amassed a fortune through fraud and looting. That cynical management logic is close to us today and is not specifically ours. Also close to us are the fear of the future, poverty

28 |

■ It seems that poverty is commonplace here, but sometimes commonplace is stronger and more specific than usual. What is it that makes our poverty, both material and spiritual, “shine” darker and creepier than usual?

- We live it, so to us it is darker and creepier because it is ours. It has lasted a long time, breaks bones, breaks the spirit. We live it and do not imagine reading about it and do not see an end to it. There are also living generations who can compare how it was back in the time of socialism to how it is now. And no propaganda can erase the memory of the time when our school system was different and cultural life was more advanced than it is today. Back then there was not as much violence at every turn. The city was as tame as a schoolyard where on duty police officers were not needed and parents didn’t follow their kids to school and wait for them afterwards. Our books used to be widely translated. We had serious publishing houses with excellent editions, rich cinematography, a library network, numerous theatres, cultural centres and cinemas were built. We did not live behind the Iron Curtain, nor were we spiritually deprived of the most valuable achievements made throughout the world. Rather than step into democratic socialism we plunged into chauvinism, wars, pillage, the devastation of everything. We now live in the time after the great fall. It is not easy to lift yourself up and walk like a human. At the same time we are learning now to walk in capitalism, like our ancestors from a hundred years ago, except today’s capitalism is monstrous

and hunger that imWhy do we have the phrase pacted on the large “painful reforms”? Man family of Colonel ■ In October you had the premiere of Gospođa is afraid of pain, naturally, ministarka (Lady Minister), in which the role Ostoje. Also close to us is the rebellion of of Živka is played by actor Goran Jevtić. With and painful change does the poet Danilo, Osyou wanted, if I understand correctly, not inspire even the freest that to bring to light political and social travesty. toje’s son, who does association with positive What is this travesty reflected in? not agree to a marchange, but rather riage of convenience, - Well it’s obvious. I mean the long-term, daily without love, nor to game of disguise in the political and public arewith death life in a philistine na. Politicians change their entire spectrum of framework. Danilo, who rebels against the expectations of ideas overnight, they go to sleep chauvinists, their dreams his parents and against the wider environment and who transform them into cosmopolitan gents, angry neoliberals burns in his rebellion. We are now rapidly passing through dress themselves in left-wing attire; those who were rigid the flows of class differences, struggles, social antagonism, communists until yesterday have become monarchists tocompetition and the parliamentary system, except that today, and so they will be anything that they assess will effecday’s capitalism differs greatly from that in Serbia a huntively lead them to the throne, to political victory. A great topic of Nušić’s humour is power, power madness, lust for dred years ago. That was also the time of powerful emanpower, greed for authority. In this play that audiences litercipatory left-wing ideas, which one could not say about today’s Serbia. Serbia is definitely lacking a new party on ally love all the roles are played by men except the child the left, but that will be created by some new young people Rake, who is played by an actress who looks at where that who do not find themselves in the rightist extremes, which political vaudeville, that travesty, leads. From the start of admittedly were blown away at the last elections, or in the the play we know that Živka is played by a male actor bepolitical mainstream. cause he disguises himself as a woman in front of us, then

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

acts virtuously, only to scream when he loses power “I will not give up power, I will not!” wipe his face with a newspaper and then change into men’s clothing, announce to the audience that he will return to power and dances the democratic circle and in the vortex of that circle again resurface as some ominous new leader who puts the masses into a trance.

■ We live in a society where the right advocates anti-glo-

balism and the left promotes a liberal market, where we have a phenomenon like some kind of 21st century Saint Sava brigade, warriors for the rights of sexual minorities to openly express contempt and hatred for people from the provinces. Is that also one of the manifestations of this travesty? What is it really all about and is there any chance that this conceptual, ideological and thoughtless confusion will ever be resolved?

- When it comes to the conceptual and ideological confusion, did she not give her soul to the unravelling journalists, intellectuals and artists? Some do that and are worthy of respect, while some consciously feed that confusion. They do not place principles before problems, phenomena, people, but rather fillet their political opponents and ensure their mistakes are great and unforgivable, while the politicians and parties who they support are forgiven anything or given credit for the future according to the system – those were our mistakes, but we will improve. They perform a travesty against the people, a travesty of ideas in the name of conquest and retaining power. Nothing is as it is presented and that is the theme of our play Gospođa ministarka.

■ A few years ago you staged young Russian writer Konstantin Kostenko’s drama “Hitler and Hitler” at the Atelier 212 theatre. It seems that it is more topical in Serbia today than it was then. Taking into account current world events, it may sound strange, but is Hitler, in terms of a great demagogue who seduces the masses, dead?

- No he’s not. He changed his name and is not only one.

Hitler had Goebbels, a propaganda magician. In the drama Hitler has his own chef, photographer, tailor, doctor, wifemother Germania between whose legs he exhaled. And he would never have been what he was if he had not had a mirror. His mirrors were those who allowed him to become a paradigm of

We need to measure the awareness of those who say we should change our awareness according to the budget for culture, education and science

evil. This piece and the play were and are current because of the dismantling of the mechanisms of manipulation and seduction of the masses.

■ Speaking in an interview and commenting on campaign promises, specifically the Belgrade on the Water project, you said: “What does beauty have to seek in a story about investing money? Money is beautiful! Who gives money will also seek beauty! Period!” Is our spiritual poverty best reflected in the fact that money dictates aesthetic criteria?

■ In Kostenko’s drama Hitler says: “The whole of politics is the ordinary inflating of multi-coloured condoms. And the winner is the one who has the biggest lips and the strongest lungs.” Is this still the case today?

- That was a response to the statement of Aleksandar Vučić that we must learn to respect money and the presentation of the future appearance of Belgrade on the Water with two pre-defined symbolic points like the giant skyscraper and shopping centre. That was served to us as something about which any discussion is inappropriate. We should be silent and admire. Money can be invested to raise the aesthetic criteria in specific communities, provided they announce an international tender for that exclusive location, respect the choice of an expert jury, architects and citizens’ opinions.

- Lips and lungs are the media machine today. Today it is not necessary for anyone to scream and fall into a heap or ecstatically advocate ideas and consume themselves fanatically. They can perform more calmly and with a lot more cunning and let the media scream and raise tension, send the people insane and mock their political opponents.

Today the media are the lungs and the mouth. Hitler may have silk gloves and a silk handkerchief and not a drop of sweat on his brow. And those inflated condoms - they are colourful lies, delusions, lures, behind which hide practical aims and objectives. The more condoms there are and the cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 29

bigger they are, the greater the gap between real life and the problems that plague modern man and what is offered as an interpretation of the phenomenon of cause and effect. Ukraine is an example of this, above which the stories of democracy and international law in the EU smashed to grotesque proportions. When Hillary Clinton says Putin is Hitler that is an inflated condom. The struggle for human rights and democracy is sometimes an inflated condom behind which the struggle for oil or geo-strategic position and theft is often hidden. Democracy sometimes appears as “demonocracy”.

■ Instead of culture and art, today we have politicians on the scene who want to change our awareness. Should we resist that or surrender to it?

30 |

and have doubts and ask questions and do not live onedimensionally, are harder to tame with propaganda and to convince that a courgette is a carnation. I truly believe in the power of art and I feel it in the theatre whenever that thought, emotional and sensory connection is established between the audience and the stage.

■ Finally, I’d like us to say a few words about fear. It is

as thought fear has once again crept into all spheres of society. Suddenly, the basic criticism of politicians has become some great act of civic courage. What’s that about?

- I don’t think it is only fear, but rather a combination of fear and frustration and disappointment in everything we’ve seen and experienced over the past two decades.

- We are, of course, conSome are scared and some sciously resisting it, while are weary from walking on on a subconscious level who the spot or going backwards, knows what’s happening. I going about their business measure the degree of sein the style ‘this can pass riousness and civility of a without me, let me see how country and the level of good I can survive’. intentions of those who rule From the year 2000 we it according to how much a have heard about the paincountry invests in the educaCan journalists be hostesses ful changes necessary. Pain, tion of cultural institutions in to politicians as well as artistic creativity and artists. In pain, pain! Why do we have the this country there is definitely a intellectuals? But then again phrase “painful reforms”? Man great number of talented people is afraid of pain, naturally, and they are no longer called with ideas, top artists and propainful change does not inspire journalists and intellectuals, even the freest association with fessionals. The country destroys rather simply sycophants, positive change, but rather with them with its laws that prevent death, some sort of agony. You the normal functioning of the conformists, accomplices wonder what can hurt more domain of culture and creativity. than that which is already painful, from injustice, lawWhether it is a case of sheer ignorance or the continuity of knowingly committing bad deeds, we’ll see how ready lessness, crime, corruption, non-expert party members the new government will be to correct bad laws. We need in positions requiring expertise, hunger, a lack of work. to measure the awareness of those who say we should There was war, sanctions, bombing, the disintegration change our awareness according to the budget for culof Yugoslavia, so why should peace and the future be painful? As for the fear of politicians and possible conture, education and science. As things stand now it seems to me that culture is being pushed into bankruptcy. sequences for those who criticise them, I think it is an obligation and a measure of goodness to criticise the deviation of government and society in spite of every■ Culture in Serbia is systematically starved, drowned in bureaucracy, politicised... Despite this, does it still have the thing. Where trade begins between truth and material power to help us, despite our material poverty, to win spirexistence, there truth and existence suffer, existence in the sense of the fullness of life, not just a full fridge. Here itually? To push us to at least doubt and pose questions?

I am thinking of journalists, intellectuals, university pro- Those who love to read, to go to the theatre or have other artistic loves know the power of art and how it affects the fessors and artists. Can journalists be hostesses to politisoul and life. They know that a human is not a one-dimencians as well as intellectuals? But then again they are no longer called journalists and intellectuals, rather simply sional being, that nothing needs to be explained to them. sycophants, conformists, accomplices. ■ They are already in the world of beauty and imagination

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 31

JAPANESE WAY FOR BUSINESS IN SERBIA

■ By Jovana GLIGORIJEVIĆ

Changes That Lead to Success In cooperation with the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce, consultants from Japan, Takashi Kimura (CEO, Kijiku Consulting) and Masashi Yamanaka (CEO, United Leaders Inc.) held a daylong symposium with consultants CMC Miodrag Kostić (Director of Business Knowledge-Relation Ltd.) and Marko Burazor (Director of BCA agency) entitled “Japanese way for business in Serbia”

O

for companies that have gone through opportunity to talk to project creators n Tuesday 18 th March the this mentoring project the number of Marko Burazor and one of the consultMedia Centre of the Belgrade employees rose by nine to ten per cent, ants from Japan, Masashi Yamanaka.

Chamber of Commerce hostwhile revenue was up 15 per cent.

“This was my idea from the start, ed a first-time event in Perhaps the most interesting part as we are already working together Serbia which saw consultants from of this consultation is the KAIZEN with Messrs Yamanaka and Kimura unJapan share experiences and offer spemethod, which a number of comder the auspices of a mentoring procific guidance to help Serbian compapanies in Serbia are already familiar ject in cooperation with the National nies become better and more successwith and which is applicable not onAgency for Regional Development and ful. All participants had the opportunily in business, but also in many other JICA - Japan International Cooperation ty to familiarise themselves with the aspects of life. Kaizen means “change Agency,” says Burazor. “We are conJapanese business model. towards success”. It was first impleducting this project for five years alIn cooperation with the Belgrade mented in several Japanese compaready in Serbia. As consultants for Chamber of Commerce, Japanese connies after World War II, under the influJICA, we came up with the idea, as we sultants Takashi Kimura (CEO, Kijiku ence of American companies and their are already working together, of bringConsulting) and Masashi Yamanaka successful managers. This successful ing something different to the market (CEO, United Leaders Inc.), along with method later spread all over consultants CMC Miodrag the world. The most imporKostić (Director of Business Statistics compiled by the National Agency for tant thing is to utilise all the Knowledge-Relation Ltd.) and Marko Burazor (Director Regional Development show that for companies “little tricks” to make your life of BCA agency), held a daythat have gone through this mentoring project easier and the main goal is to work less to achieve progress long symposium entitled the number of employees rose by nine to ten and success. KAIZEN is a busi“Japanese way for business per cent, while revenue was up 15 per cent ness philosophy, but also an in Serbia”, At the conference approach to life and work. included the modules: Kaizen Kaizen marks continuous progress and and this is the first time the Japanese - Display of practical examples to imcontinuous improvement. The essence companies that are already on the proprove the quality of operations that of the KAIZEN philosophy is in applying ject have passed on to Serbian compaare used in Japan Communication and the principles of continuously improvnies their own know-how of their busiCorporate Culture - How to motivate ing the management and all employness model.” Burazor adds that in the people without raising wages? Why the ees. Assumptions of advancement are part of the project realised so far the Japanese work hard and, thirdly, Sales the measurement of results - the effocus was mainly aimed at small and How to increase customer numbers unfects (duration of activities undertakmedium-sized enterprises. Official stader difficult business conditions - B2B en, costs, quality etc.), determining the tistics compiled by the National Agency Japanese know-how. causes which affect the achievement for Regional Development show that The CorD Magazine team had the

32 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

of results, working and acting together on the causes and proposing solutions that will improve results. All this is achieved by applying simple and logical methods and techniques.

Speaking to CorD, Masashi Yamanaka, one of the speakers at the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce symposium, highlights the uniqueness of this event: “Each of the three modules is designed such that we explain to participants how Japanese companies achieve great results in their business.”

Yamanaka emphasises that in order to understand the Japanese mentality and work ethic it is necessary to first become well acquainted with the history of the Japanese economy, especially in the post-WWII period. At that time the entire country, and with it the whole economy, was completely destroyed.

“We had to revive our economy,” says Yamanaka. “That’s why we developed models of self-improvement. We developed the philosophy which aims to reduce losses within a company, that is, eliminating moments involving costs and in that way avoid generating any new costs. This way of thinking does

not apply only to a job in a company, but rather covers the entire process of labour, suppliers and the health of individual employees. It can also be applied to the entire mind-set of a person who strives for continuous improvement in the quality of their lives.”

Yamanaka notes that similar methods are applied in Japan as early as primary school and that the essential message it sends is: “If you can im-

MASASHI YAMANAKA

TAKASHI KIMURA

prove yourself by one percentage point compared to yesterday, every day you will do better and better. If you repeat every day small improvements every day for a year, you’ll be 365 per cent better than you are today.” Yamanaka says this is the way the Japanese achieve their goals and it does not have any special secrets, besides progress in small steps, but changing mind-set is the key. This approach is applicable in the fields of management, manufac-

MARKO BURAZOR

possible to expect that type of stimulation. Managers of companies had to change the way they motivated workers, through communication, a shared vision and the desire for self-improvement,” says Yamanaka, noting that it is precisely this segment of methods that is applicable to enterprises and companies in Serbia, since it does not entail financial costs.

When it comes to the business culture in Serbia, Yamanaka says that his

Perhaps the most interesting part of this consultation is the KAIZEN method, which a number of companies in Serbia are already familiar with and which is applicable not only in business, but also in many other aspects of life

turing and communication and is one of the main features of Japanese corporate culture. “From World War II until 1991 we were striving to catch up with other major world economic powers. That year our economy stopped progressing. In order to restore it, we had to change our way of thinking.

Until then we were able to motivate the workers with money. But then there was no more money and it became im-

first impression of the country was the general friendliness and hospitality, which, according to him, is crucial to good communication, and communication is crucial for a good corporate culture: “On the other hand, here people are not inclined to hurry and are often late,” he adds with a laugh, noting that employees in Serbia lack a little higher work ethic and working discipline.

The symposium at Belgrade Chamber of Commerce included forty representatives from various companies doing business in Serbia. Through three modules they were introduced to the Kaizen method, the corporate culture of Japan, the secrets of communications and sales. The general impression is that after this day of learning everybody departed satisfied.

“This is the first time we’ve brought something Japanese that’s not a donation, but rather knowledge,” concludes Marko Burazor. ■

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 33

FEATURE

UKRAINIAN CRISIS

Could It Blow Up the Global Economy?

As the crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate, the United States and the European Union have increasingly imposed harsher sanctions against Russian officials, but have stopped short of imposing them on Russian companies. However, as Russian President Vladimir Putin orders his troops further into eastern Ukraine, the West will have to seriously consider them—and the potential economic calamity that could follow

By DANNY VINK

E

send the EU into recession.

email. “The timing is bad given that

The same would happen in

the U.S. economy appears set to final-

Russia, where firms would

ly kick into a higher gear. In this sce-

conomic sanctions can be

lose access to liquid for-

nario the U.S. economy would at best

a powerful tool to gain lev-

eign financial markets and the Kremlin

remain stuck in the slow growth envi-

erage over another coun-

would find a major hole in its budget.

ronment that has prevailed since the

try. Over the past few years

“If it escalates along the lines you

the international community has used

suggest, it will lead to a global reces-

If the United States unilaterally

them to good effect to drive Iran to the

sion with a particularly strong negative

imposed severe economic sanctions

negotiating table. Unlike Iran, though,

effect on Europe at the wrong time,”

on Russian firms, the economic ef-

where Western nations did not fear

said Michael Spence of the Council on

fects would be much smaller. Trade

causing a global recession, Russia is a

Foreign Relations.

between Washington and Moscow to-

recovery began.”

large, energy-rich nation that is deeply

As for the United States, the out-

talled less than $40 billion in 2013—a

interconnected with the global econo-

look is bleak as well. The U.S. is not re-

rounding error compared to the U.S.’s

my. In 2010 more than 30 per cent of the EU’s oil and natural gas came from Russia. The opposite is true as well. Moscow receives more than 40 per cent of its revenue from staterun oil and natural gas com-

$5 trillion in trade worldwide.

The EU could cut Russia off from European financial markets or prohibit European firms from doing business in Russia, but Putin could respond by cutting off natural gas and oil exports to the EU

Some U.S. companies, like Coca Cola, Pepsi and Exxon, would take a hit, but even retaliatory sanctions from Russia would only have a small effect.

That leaves European officials

panies, and more than 80 per cent of

liant upon Russia for energy resources,

with an impossible choice. They can ei-

that comes from the EU.

but the price of oil is set on the glob-

ther risk an economic meltdown by im-

That makes European sanctions

al market. If Europe faces an energy

posing strict sanctions on Russia or al-

against the Kremlin a double-edged

shortage, the price of crude oil could

low Putin to invade and annex east-

sword. The EU could cut Russia off from

spike and create an economic crisis in

ern Ukraine with few consequences.

European financial markets or prohibit

America as well.

The latter scenario has scary geopolit-

European firms from doing business in

“The worst case scenario could

ical implications, but the possibility of

Russia, but Putin could respond by cut-

be very dark—surging energy pric-

another recession in Europe may out-

ting off natural gas and oil exports to

es, crumbling stock prices and much

weigh them.

the EU. This would entail mutually as-

weaker trade and foreign direct in-

“Given the economics of such a sce-

sured economic destruction. The re-

vestment,” said Mark Zandi, chief

nario, it is hard to believe global leaders

sulting energy shortage would likely

economist at Moody’s Analytics, in an

would go down this path,” said Zandi. ■

34 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

APRIL 2014 BUSINESS LEADER’S MEETING POINT

PAGE 38

PAGE 42

NEBOJŠA GRBUŠIĆ

ANASTASIA SAGIANNI

Investing in Employees

In the Client’s Shoes

CEO of Energotehnika

PAGE 43

PROF RAJKO HRVAČEVIĆ, Ph.D., Director of

Fresenius Medical Care Serbia

Public-private Cooperation Necessary

Transfer pricing advisor, Eurofast Global, Belgrade Office

PAGE 46

NATAŠA SAVIĆ

CEO of PD RIO Kostolac

Returning Land to Nature cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 35

36 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 37

Business Dialogue INTERVIEW

NEBOJŠA GRBUŠIĆ, CEO OF ENERGOTEHNIKA

Investing in Employees The result of our work is increased business revenue, which tripled in the first three years following privatisation and was followed by a significant increase in the number of employees. The projects we have implemented in Germany since 2011 are a logical consequence of activities previously undertaken

E

38 |

nergotehnika Južna Bačka is one of the few successful so that to date we have signed partnership agreements with privatisations in Serbia. In the last three years it has alalmost all major international manufacturers of equipment. most doubled the number of employees, while its operaThe result of our work is increased business revenue, tions are based on international standards. CEO of the comwhich tripled in the first three years following privatisation pany, Nebojsa Grbušić, explains that privatisation in 2010 and was followed by a significant increase in the number of was followed by significant personnel and organisational employees. The projects we have implemented in Germany changes within the company. “The most important changes since 2011 are a logical consequence of activities previously were made in the section dealing with sales and contracting undertaken. new projects. The company performs on the open market, All of this is based on people who are employed in Južna expanding the range of services offered and boosting its Bačka. Aware of this fact, we constantly invest in our employees through various training that we offer to our associates, presence in traditional business lines in which it was present ranging from electricians and welders, representing the largest during the period when it was part of Elektrovojvodina. The segment in the company, to engineers and project managers consequences of the aforementioned are reflected in the negotiation and successful realisaresponsible for monitoring the imtion of complex projects accordThe German market is the first foreign plementation of the projects. All of ing to the “turnkey” principle. market where we have performed to these employees represent the key These kinds of projects require quality that Energotehnika Južna the full extent and we have been doing Bačka possesses and what makes the companies that implement business there since 2011 them to be qualified to carry out it recognisable. Thanks to specific technical, organisational, comknowledge and a professional apmercial and financial work. The company has been further proach in the implementation of projects by all participants, strengthened financially in order to create conditions to parincluding the complete management, Energotehnika Južna ticipate in and implement these types of projects.”

Bačka has been recognised for many years in Serbia, Germany and neighbouring markets as a reliable and competent partner ■ What are the other activities of Energotehnika? for the most complex projects.

- In addition to the previous, we have begun to position ourselves in the part relating to renewable energy, which results in ■ In February you received the ISO 50001:2011 certificate, our participation in the implementation of major projects in this which envisages the implementation of standards for the area, especially in projects related to new wind farms and plants system of energy management. How will these standards for the production of electricity and heat using biomass and gas. impact on the company’s future operations?

All of the aforementioned is accompanied by important - With the official presentation of the ISO 50001:2011 certificate we were formally and legally identified as one of the connections with partner companies from Serbia and abroad, 114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

promoters of the need to optimise the consumption of all energy resources. In this regard, our company responsibly acted towards energy resources in the past and we will continue in the future. This is primarily related to the reduction of energy consumption. Among other things, we constantly carry this out in the way we identify the largest consumers of electricity and take measures to reduce consumption, both within our company and in consultation with the partner companies we work with. In the field of heating and cooling, analysis is underway of the costeffectiveness of replacing the existing gas boiler and increasing the use of existing systems for geothermal heating and cooling systems that we have been using since 2005. Will take appropriate action based on the results of this analysis.

four months prior to beginning work, as a condition of employment in the joint venture in Germany.

■ How do the business standards of Energotehnika match the standards of your international business partners, which is one of the major problems in communication with foreign investors in Serbia?

- Energotehnika Južna Bačka has operated for a long time in accordance with all the requirements set by foreign business partners, as this is not only a demand from a partner, but also a natural need imposed on companies like ours. In connection

■ You have very important and high references in the field of thermal power, oil and gas, and as of late you have also been acquiring jobs on markets such as Germany.

What are your immediate

With the official presentation of the ISO 50001:2011 certificate we were formally and legally identified as one of the promoters of the need to optimise the consumption of all energy resources plans when it comes to doing business on foreign markets?

- While working on foreign markets over the past few years, we have faced specificities that result in the need to approach any market in a specific way, paying full attention to each business activity. The German market is the first foreign market where we have performed to the full extent and we have been doing business there since 2011. The results are reflected, among others, in the partnership we have established with R + S Solutions from Fulda. R + S Solutions realises the majority of its projects at a low voltage, 0.4 kV, and in 2013 they generated operating income of about €270 million. In the next two months we will finalise all activities related to the establishment of a joint company with R + S in Germany. Through this joint venture we will perform together on the German and Serbian markets, as well as other markets. From this cooperation, both parties will benefit : R + S receives a reliable partner that will extend the offer of this company to medium and high voltage, while Južna Bačka gains a stable partner that will significantly increase the credit and financial potential of the company for demanding projects on third markets. In line with the needs of the German market, we have established a training centre in Novi Sad, which all future employees of the joint venture we are establishing there will pass through. We conduct the training in two parts: German language training and training in the area of technical regulations to be applied in the implementation of projects in Germany. We plan for each employee to pass intensive training for a period of

with that, special attention is paid to existing demands regarding health and safety at work. In this section we have gone a step further than the requirements set by the current law governing this field. Moreover, we have gained valuable experience in the realisation of projects we have done for foreign partners or for which the supervision of implementation has been conducted by representatives of foreign companies.

Regarding other business standards of foreign business partners, it is important to note that we use each contact and business relationship with these companies to learn something new in order to increase the quality of services that we offer and achieve efficiency in the implementation of the projects we do.

In this regard, we are open and willing to adopt new standards and implement them in our daily operations. ■ cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 39

LOCAL NEWS

Business Dialogue 01

Independence “The future government of Serbia will be neither pro-Russian, nor pro-European, but rather pro-Serbian.”

— Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian President

02

TELEKOM SRBIJA

Investment Brings Profit

Safety for Health

In 2013 Telekom Srbija achieved net profit of RSD 15.3 billion, which is four billion dinars more (36%) than in the previous year. In terms of taxes, contributions and benefits (public revenue) for the budget of the Republic of Serbia, Telekom Srbija paid RSD 14.3 billion.

With awareness of the fact that only investments can ensure companies retain their leadership positions on the highly competitive Serbian telecommunications market, during 2013 investments amounting to RSD 13 billion were realised, which is 605 million dinars more than in 2012. These significant funds were used to procure base stations, expand fibre optic infrastructure along highways and regionally and extend the national IP/MPLS and multi-service networks.

At the same time, by increasing the amount of funding intended for investment projects, the company succeeded in reducing the state of debt in 2013 by around €205 million compared to year’s end 2012, so that during 2013 a total of more than €296 million was repaid on the basis of prior commitments (loan principal and accrued interest).

Also testifying to good business results is the fact that Telekom Srbija managed to pay all of its shareholders interim dividends totalling in excess of RSD 7.5 billion.

03

40th INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION FAIR

Under the motto “Construct according to your needs”, the Belgrade Fair will host the 40th international building fair, the South East Europe Belgrade Building Expo, SEEBBE, from 8th to 12th April. This year once again represented at the fair will be all areas of construction activity: from research and innovation in design, construction and maintenance of buildings, across a wide range of advanced materials, construction machinery, devices, equipment and tools, information technolo40 |

WIENER STÄDTISCHE INSURANCE AND VIZIM

Employees who engage in the Wiener-Vizim programme of collective voluntary health insurance will be able to get treatment in Vizim health centres throughout the entire year

Company Wiener Städtische osiguranje (insurance) and Vizim Health Centres have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of voluntary health insurance. Employees involved in the Wiener-Vizim collective voluntary health insurance programme and their families will be able to receive treatment at Vizim health centres throughout the year, with a monthly payment of just €16

04

per person. The basic package includes unlimited use of basic medical services throughout the entire year: a check-up by a general practitioner and certain specialised examinations, the receiving of therapy (injections, infusions) and diagnostics (laboratory analysis, ultrasound examinations, doppler diagnostics, Holter ECG and TA, audiometry, spirometry and ultrasound examinations of pregnant women).

58th INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Future of Construction

Step Into the Future

The largest and most important event in the construction industry is held right next to the future largest building site of the entire region of Southeast Europe: “Belgrade on the Water”

The fair will bring together more than 600 domestic and foreign exhibitors from 20 countries on over 15,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space

gy, equipping buildings and interiors, prefabricated houses etc.

Among the innovations this year are the latest hardware systems for windows and doors, automation of the production of doors and windows, new machines for processing aluminium and PVC, innovations from the construction chemicals and industrial flooring sectors, renewable energy etc.

The general sponsor of this year’s Belgrade Building Expo is Roloplast Mošić from Sremska Mitrovica.

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

The Fair of Technology and Technical Achievements, which this year will be held from 12th to 16th May at the top exhibition centre in the region – the Belgrade Fair – will bring together more than 600 local and foreign exhibitors from 20 countries on over 15,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space, where they will present the latest achievements in almost all industries deemed strategic for economics and technology today - the Integra - factory of the 21st century, electro-energy engineering, electronics, telecommunications, process engineering, air conditioning, heating and cooling, logistics, materials, shipbuilding, transportation, equipment for professional and scientific purposes and innovation.

This year’s offer includes exhibitions such as “KGH - air conditioning, heating, cooling”, made in collaboration with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, and a robot that plays basketball and a basketball duel between a robot and a human.

Observation

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“We are observing world events very closely and we will follow the best examples from the world once the time for that comes.”

— Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska

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ALPHA BANK

CONFLUENCE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Cash Loans With Fixed Instalments

Leader in Property Management

Interest rates on Alpha Bank’s cash loans with fixed instalments in Dinars are very attractive and there is no need for a deposit or transfer of salary to the bank

CPM manages 45 facilities, including the UŠĆE Shopping Centre, Immo Outlet Centre, UŠĆE Business Centre, Belgrade Department Stores and the Alta Shopping Centre in Sarajevo

In order to help its clients to fulfil their daily financial needs and counterbalance their wishes with their financial capabilities, Alpha Bank grants cash loans in Dinars with fixed interest rates with the view of enabling quick and easy cash for its clients with fixed loan instalments during the repayment period. Interest rates on Alpha Bank’s cash loans with fixed instalments in Dinars are very attractive and there is no need for a deposit or transfer of salary to the bank. The repayment period ranges from 6 to 36 months and clients are able to choose the size of the instalment which suits their monthly income and the loan amount they require. In the case of this loan, the amount can reach up to half a million Dinars. Another benefit that comes with the loan is credit protection insurance in the case that a client is prevented from repaying a loan due to an accident or job loss.

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Confluence Property Management (CPM) is the leader in property management, which is confirmed by the fact that the company has been collaborating with the biggest national and international companies like Probus, MPC Properties and Marfin Investment Group.

CPM manages 45 facilities, including the UŠĆE Shopping Centre, Immo Outlet Centre, UŠĆE Business Centre, Belgrade Department Stores, and Alta Shopping Centre

in Sarajevo. This year, the UŠĆE Shopping Centre is celebrating its 5th anniversary. The centre spans six levels and 46,500 square metres, where over 135 brands, restaurants and café bars are located.

Visitors can also use a mobile application to find their way around the centre. We have managed to make the UŠĆE Shopping Centre more than just a place for shopping. It is also a place for socialising and having a good time.

AVIATION

Competition on the Up at Belgrade Airport Star Alliance, the world’s first and largest global airline alliance, has been hit by a steep passenger decline on its flights to and from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, as the group faces indirect competition from Wizz Air and a much more competitive Serbian national carrier. Its members operate the largest amount of flights to and from the region and carry the greatest amount of passengers. Star Alliance also boasts two EX-YU airlines as its members - Adria Airways and Croatia Airlines. While the alliance has been strengthening its hold at some airports, such as Sarajevo, the reverse has occurred in Belgrade. In the first two months of 2014 the alliance increased its operations to the city by 7%, but has been recording a passenger decline since

December last year. Slovenia’s Adria Airways was the first airline to buckle under pressure and suspend services to the Serbian capital after facing competition for only three months. However, the biggest decline in passengers has been recorded amongst members of the Lufthansa Group, which include Austrian, Swiss International Air Lines and Germanwings. Together these airlines recorded an average 21.5% decline in numbers.

Overall, the biggest loser among Star Alliance members so far this year is Austrian, with its figures plunging by 24%. It is followed by Germanwings, with a loss of 23.9%, Greece’s Aegean Airlines (operated by Olympic), which is down 22%, and Swiss, decreasing by 12.8%.

Source: Balkans.com cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 41

INTERVIEW

ANASTASIA SAGIANNI, TRANSFER PRICING ADVISOR, EUROFAST GLOBAL, BELGRADE OFFICE

In the Client’s Shoes Initial implementation of the new Transfer Pricing Rules in Serbia this year has certainly generated interest on the topic and there is a natural adjusting period

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ransfer pricing worldwide is probably the most important tax issue that Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are currently facing and an estimated 60 per cent of world trade actually takes place within MNEs. Tax authorities from around the globe are determined to set a tax burden on their revenues as MNEs are consistently trying to “park” earnings in low tax counties, as quoted in an article by Bloomberg on 12th March 2014, which wrote “….the largest U.S.based companies added $206 billion to their stockpiles of offshore profits last year, including Apple and IBM”.

its from the jurisdictions in which these profits arise. As a result, income may not be untaxed anywhere and this significantly reduces the corporate income tax paid by MNEs in the jurisdictions where they operate, affecting competition, distorting investment decisions and reducing overall trust in the tax system. The OECD’s work on tax base erosion with the support of the G20 aims to create new international tax rules with defined paths for income and new standards and guidelines are expected soon.

■ Which are the issues deriving from the initial implementation of the new law?

- Initial implementation of the new Transfer Pricing Rules in Serbia this year has certainly generated interest in the topic and a natural adjust-

taxpayers consider that transfer pricing documentation is an issue that affects and is limited only to a parent company. However, this is not the case even if the parent company has prepared a master file each Serbian entity that is part of a group which does not meet the exemption criteria is obliged to prepare its own transfer pricing file.

Taxpayers should be in a position to defend their transfer pricing strategy and consider both the tax benefits they can capitalise on, as well as the overall design of their transfer pricing policy to limit their potential tax exposure.

■ What should a taxpayer do?

- From our experience, the Tax Authorities usually concentrate on areas where high risks are probable, evaluating whether a taxpayer makes large deductible payments to related parties or whether the loEurofast has a team of highly skilled cal member of the Multinational ■ Why is Transfer Pricing so professionals in each country across the Enterprise (MNE) group engages important? region. We work together with clients to in material transactions with as- Through transfer prices comunderstand the philosophy behind their sociated companies in jurisdicpanies attempt to reduce their tions that have low tax rates. worldwide tax liabilities and business and achieve the best results As such, a taxpayer must: profits are transferred from • be aware of the new legislation and ing period for the application of the countries with a higher tax rate to Transfer Pricing Risks new regulations can be expected from countries with a relatively lower tax • avoid situations and areas where both both the taxpayers and the authorirate, either by under-charging or overmaterial and high risk transactions beties. The Serbian Tax Authorities have charging the associated entity for intratween related parties have taken place issued an informative Transfer Pricing group trade. In addition, MNEs are also • always be alert about new risks, new Rulebook, but the initial response highly motivated to maximise their tax chances and alternatives!!! from the local business community is benefits, for example from intra-group Eurofast has a team of highthat it still lacks clarity on the infortax losses, by taking advantage of any ly skilled professionals in each counmation communicated and this seems such losses from associated companies try across the region. We work togethto be one of the most important conas soon as possible. er with clients to understand the phicerns. Furthermore, a large number of In February 2013 the OECD released losophy behind their busia report on Base Erosion and ness and achieve the best Profit Shifting (BEPS), which results. We advise our clinoted that under the existents by getting in their ing rules MNEs are often able shoes and not comfortato artificially separate the albly staying in ours. ■ location of their taxable profCONTACT ANASTASIA SAGIANNI • Transfer Pricing Advisor • anastasia.sagianni@eurofast.eu 42 |

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

INTERVIEW

PROF RAJKO HRVAČEVIĆ, PH.D., DIRECTOR OF FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE SERBIA

Public-private Cooperation Necessary “It is clear that we have to achieve functional integrity between private and public healthcare, which will bring numerous benefits to patients, the government and employees”

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resenius Medical Care is the world’s largest provider of dialysis products and services. The company has 3,250 dialysis centres treating 270,122 patients worldwide, which is approximately a tenth of the world’s total dialysis population.

The company has been present in Serbia for 30 years and in addition to the production of medical devices for the treatment of chronic renal failure, which are manufactured at Fresenius’s factory in Vršac, the company also operates four dialysis centres in Serbia: two in Belgrade, one in Novi Sad and one in Niš.

■ Considering your current operations in Serbia, do you think the company was right to decide to come to the country and start investing here?

- The decision was the right one and the company is continuing to invest in Serbia and increase its production capacity and dialysis services. The latest investment is the construction of the new factory in Vršac, which began with the official laying of the cornerstone in the presence of First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and German Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Heinz Wilhelm, in September 2013. The new factory is scheduled to become operational in November this year.

■ How much are you investing in the factory and will you create new jobs for the local population?

- More than €16 million is being invested in the new factory. It is expected that 460 new jobs will be created at the factory, after which the company will employ a total of 830 people

in Serbia. Long-term plans foresee us reaching a total 1,150 employees.

With this new factory, Fresenius Medical Care Serbia will double our capacity for certain products and placements on the export market.

Working at full capacity, the new plant will produce bloodlines for more than 150,000 dialysis patients.

Factory under construction in Vršac

■ Do you think there is room for a private healthcare sector in Serbia?

- There is definitely enough room for a private healthcare sector, especially for private dialysis centres, since the public ones are over-

Our centre in Niš represents Germany’s first greenfield investment in Serbian healthcare and is one of the most modern dialysis centres in Europe booked and lack adequate capacity. Because of this, some patients from Belgrade have to travel for treatment, for example to Lazarevac, or finish dialysis late at night, which I must say is ethically and economically unacceptable. On the other hand, our dialysis centres are wait-

Fresenius Medical Care centres

ing for patients. We even had to close one due to a lack of patients and we fear that the same will happen to our centre in Niš, which represents Germany’s first greenfield investment in Serbian healthcare and is one of the most modern dialysis centres in Europe.

■ What can be done to resolve this issue?

- It is clear that we have to achieve functional integrity between private and public healthcare, which will bring numerous benefits to patients, the government and employees. We have already spoken several times to the relevant state institutions – the Ministry of Health and RFZO – and we hope that through further dialogue with them we will come to a solution – a solution that is in the best interests of these very sick patients and, as such, is greatly needed. ■

All Fresenius Medical Care dialysis centres in Serbia are equipped with the latest technology and with exclusive use of the most contemporary modality of hemodialysis – hemodiafiltration – which can lower mortality rates in compared to normal hemodialysis treatment. It also enables better quality of life for patients. During the last three years, Fresenius Medical Care centres in Serbia have ranked highly in terms of the quality of dialysis treatments when compared with other dialysis clinics elsewhere in Europe. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 43

REGIONAL NEWS

Business Dialogue 01

Twitter I “Twitter was applying double standards, shutting down accounts when the U.S. or the UK demanded it, but defending freedom when Turkey, Ukraine or Egypt had concerns.” — Recep Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister

02

MACEDONIA

New Railway Infrastructure

Withdrawal from Mineral Water Business

Realisation of the project for PanEuropean Corridor VIII, the biggest infrastructure project of its kind to be realised in Macedonia, will consist of three stages and will include a total of 89 km of new railway infrastructure.

Macedonian companies will be actively involved in the project’s realisation, which will be beneficial to Macedonia’s economy and will lead to a growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) in the years while the project is realised – until 2022. The project is estimated at about €527 million, which is only in terms of construction, and this is a sum which has never been invested in the Macedonian railway infrastructure.

Cooperation with Bulgaria in economic respects will be improved through the project’s realisation, trade will be developed as well as merchandise exchange and the whole project will greatly contribute to the economic significance of the entire region.

Source: Vecer

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Investors Withdraw from Bulgarian Mineral Water Business Lawmakers backing the proposal for amendments say they would help increase competitiveness and prevent the withdrawal companies from Bulgaria’s mineral water industry.

Water spring concessions in Bulgaria have dwindled from 25 to 15 over the last few years.

Amendments to water legislation are the cause for this pullout en masse, Asen Lichev, an expert for the Ministry of Environment

04

CROATIA

"Black February" Brings Record Unemployment The unemployment rate in Croatia reached 22.7 per cent in February, the worst in the past 12 years in the country and one of the highest unemployment rates in the European Union (EU), official figures indicated.

According to the latest statistics published by the National Statistics Bureau, the 22.7 per cent unemployment rate in February is 0.3 per cent higher than the figure in January.

The Croatian Employment Agency said there were 384,376 unemployed persons in February. The total workforce in this country of 4.3 million inhabitants stands at 1.7 million.

The unemployment rate in Croatia averaged 18.22 per cent from 1996 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 23.6 per cent in January 2002 and a record low of 12.2 per cent in July 2008.

The National Statistics Bureau in Zagreb announced that February is the sixth month in a row that unemployment has increased. This negative trend is expected to stop in March, as seasonal employment starts and the employment numbers will naturally improve.

People who will be employed in the tourism industry, a vital sector for the Croatian economy, will improve the national statistics.

Source: Xinhua 44 |

BULGARIA

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

and Water, was quoted as saying by website Expert.bg The changes approved a few years ago stipulate that a water deposit could only be exploited by a single concessionaire.

They have led to an increase in the number of companies leaving the sector, with 21 operating in 2012 and only 15 at the beginning of 2014, according to the Ministry’s official data.

HUNGARY

Great Opportunities in Poppy Seed Production Hungary can again become a major industrial poppy seed producer. Developing its own production capacity, poppy seed production might earn up to €64 milion in revenue per year and can provide opportunities for tens of thousands of households to grow poppies in their gardens and backyards to supplement their income – said Medicinal Plants Research Institute Executive Director Péter József Pallós.

Building new poppy processing plants would cost approximately €16 million and the Institute is currently seeking investors to finance the project. The company has already submitted an application for official permits to process poppy-based drugs. Alkaloid production is a basic drug substance and is subject to authorisation governed by strict international rules.

Hungary was a major poppy producer several decades ago but currently the industry provides employment for only 600 to 700 families.

05

MONTENEGRO

Deripaska sues Montenegro The Central European Aluminum Company, CEAC, owned by Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, has filed a request to the international court for arbitration against the government of Montenegro over the KAP aluminium plant’s bankruptcy.

CEAC is seeking over €600 million in compensation for losses sustained due to the aluminium plant’s bankruptcy. The biggest creditors of the KAP aluminium plant are the Montenegrin government and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, through CEAC. Cyprus-based CEAC claims that the Montenegrin government interfered with the investment process, causing major damage to the company and the subsequent loss of investment. According to CEAC, Montenegro also breached an agreement on mutual encouragement and protection of investments, signed between Cyprus and Montenegro.

Montenegro rejected the claims, describing the CEAC’s demands against Montenegro as unfounded and criticising the company for its problems. “Owing to poor corporate management, KAP’s debt to its creditors exceeded €350 million,” the government said. Source: BIRN

Twitter II

06

ROMANIA

“It is not legally possible to shut down the Internet and such platforms (as Twitter). I believe this problem will be over soon” — Abdullah Gul, Turkish President

Placements & Postings

Forecasts: Steady 3.0% Growth Through 2016

APPOINTMENTS@AIM.RS

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta called on lawmakers last month to back his VICTOR PONTA, Romanian Prime Minister new left-wing government’s programme, promising three per cent annual growth until 2016 and improved utilisation of EU funds.

“It is important that the steps we take towards spurring growth and fighting tax evasion lead to higher revenues for all, be that pensioners, civil servants or the private sector,” Ponta told parliamentarians.

Last year the Romanian economy expanded by 3.5 per cent, the highest rate among the 28 EU members, while the public deficit was brought down to 2.5 per cent of output.

The coalition government, in which Ponta’s Social Democrats are the main component, pledged to respect a deal signed in July 2013 with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to introduce structural reforms aimed at making the economy more competitive.

The agreement on a €4 billion precautionary credit line, which the government intends to tap only in the case of a crisis, was the third accord signed with international lenders since 2009, when Romania obtained a €20 billion bailout package in exchange for austerity measures.

Romania lags behind in the use of European Union funds aimed at helping it catch up with more advanced EU members.

07

KOSOVO

EIB to Support Private Sector

Ivan Tasovac was re-appointed director of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra on March 17 th. Tasovac was born in Belgrade in 1966 and mastered piano at the Conservatory Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Moscow. He became Director of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2001. During this time the Philharmonic became “one of Europe’s leading orchestras” (The Independent), “the cult Serbian band” (Financial Times), “the most successful cultural institutions in Serbia” (Jutarnji List, IVAN TASOVAC re-elected Director of the Zagreb) and “the most powerful PR weapon of Serbia” Belgrade Philharmonic (Kvallsposten, Malmo). He launched the Belgrade Philharmonic Foundation “Zubin Mehta” in 2004, which is Orchestra considered the founder and main promoter of arts funding model through cooperation between the private and public sector in Serbia. On September 4th he was appointed minister of culture and information in Serbian Government.

As of 1st March the new CEO of FIAT Automobili Serbia doo (FAS) is Silvia Vernetti (49). Born in Barcelona (Spain), Vernetti graduated in computer science from the Universitat Politecnica de Barcelona. From 1988 to 1992 she worked for Andersen Consulting company in Spain and from 1992 to 2004 was employed at Bain and Company in Italy, where she held various positions and worked with numerous clients. Ms Vernetti joined FGA Capital Company in 2004 and was responsible for business development and the coordination of joint projects. In 2009 she took up the position of head of business development and joint management at FIAT and from 2011 she has served as Director of Business Development of FIAT, EMEA – a position she will retain alongside her new function.

SILVIA VERNETTI new FIAT Automobili Serbia CEO

BESIM BEQAJ (left) and DARIO SCANNAPIECO

The European Investment Bank, EIB, plans to help businesses in Kosovo, particularly SMEs, and part-fund key infrastructure projects. It has expressed its willingness to invest in Kosovo in fields such as transport, telecommunications and energy.

Dario Scannapieco, deputy head of the EIB, spoke after a meeting with Besim Beqaj, Kosovo’s Minister of Finance. He said that “sustainable growth cannot happen without strong support for the private sector, in particular small and mediumsized companies.

“We will provide finance under very cheap conditions for local intermediaries and they, who have branches on the ground, will lend

[the money] to the companies,” said Scannapieco.

Thus, private banks in Kosovo will receive money from the EIB in order to lend to private companies at agreed rates of interest, lower than those of most banks.

Beqaj said the bank was also interested in supporting the reconstruction of railways and highways in Kosovo, which he said would cost about €180 million.

Part of the amount, set aside to restore and continue building the motorway from Pristina to Peja, according to Beqaj, will be covered by the budget, while the rest will come from the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction and the EIB.

DEJAN TEŠIĆ new Deputy Managing Director at Piraeus Bank Belgrade

BRANKO GLIGORIĆ New director of the Belgrade Media Centre

Doctor of Economic Sciences, Dejan Tešić, has been appointed Deputy Managing Director of Piraeus Bank Belgrade. Tešić will be responsible for the bank’s branch network, retail sales, alternative channels and operations cards, product development, marketing and public relations. Tešić has extensive banking experience, having amassed over 15 years of experience in management positions in the retail banking sector. During his career he has held the position of assistant general manager of Delta Bank and been a member of the Executive Board responsible for Retail Operations at Banca Intesa and at AIK Bank.

The Executive Board of the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) has named Branko Gligorić as the new director of the Belgrade Media Centre. Gligorić graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and was director of the Dom Omladine youth centre from 1984 to 1993. During this period, under the umbrella of that institution, the first independent youth television - channel OK - was created, followed by Radio B92. The Democratic Party was established at Dom Omladine prior to the introduction of the multiparty system in Serbia. The same youth centre also saw the establishing of the Nezavisnost (Independence) Union and the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia. From 2000 to 2004 he was director of the Belgrade Fair and from 2004 to 2008 he served as director of the “Official Gazette”, with which he twice received the Publisher of the Year award, in 2007 and 2008.

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 45

Business Dialogue INTERVIEW

NATAŠA SAVIĆ, CEO OF PD RIO KOSTOLAC

Returning Land to Nature The key areas of activity for RIO are the restoration and protection of the environment and it gained its expertise in this field primarily through constant work on restoring the surface of mines in the Kostolac basin and environmental activities related to TE-KO Kostolac. During its work to date RIO has rehabilitated 2,000 hectares of land in this way

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ompany Rekultivacija i ozelenjavanje d.o.o. (Reclamation and greenery Ltd.) is an enterprise highly specialised in taking care of the land and green areas, with decades of experience in the local eco system and the reconquering of territory that has been constantly exposed to stress and disorder. RIO emerged in its current form in 2004, following the decision of the Board of Electric Power Industry of Serbia and the Serbian government. But the experience of the company has been cultivated since the 1970s, through successive organisations with the same vision - permanent work on the restoration of the land of surface mines in the Kostolac basin.

RIO collaborates regularly with educational and research institutions on environmental projects and land development.

Cooperation in scientific/research activities, as well as enabling the application of research results in practice and production, have resulted in a number of projects realised with partners with which RIO has signed agreements on scientific and technical cooperation. The key areas of activity for RIO are the restoration and protection of the environment, and it gained its expertise in this field primarily through constant work on restoring the surface of mines in the Kostolac basin and environmental activities related to TE-KO Kostolac.

■ Company RIO strives to take care of the re-cultivation of degraded land

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

surfaces damaged by the surface mines and ash from the Kostolac thermoelectric power plant. Which methods do you apply and which areas of land have you so far re-cultivated?

- Reclamation comprises technical and agrobiological works. The technical part entails flattening surfaces of abandoned mining areas and introducing a humus-accumulative layer over the tailings, thus the dump areas immediately become suitable for modern agricultural purposes and use by agricultural machinery. The agro-biological part is actually bio-reclamation, i.e. planting certain species, which ensures the overburdened area is

Reclamation of land opens up great potential for further development through the planned cultivation of certain crops on the area in question prepared for conversion into productive land qualified for agricultural production. During its work to date, RIO has rehabilitated 2,000 hectares of land in this way. Such rehabilitation is important not only from an ecological aspect, but also from an economic perspective, because the reclaimed land opens up

great potential for further development through the planned cultivation of certain crops on the area in question.

■ RIO Kostolac is one of the few companies to be successfully restructured.

What was done to ensure the restructuring was successful?

- On the one hand it was necessary to strengthen the expertise of staff and define a new organisational structure of the enterprise, alongside the rationalisation of operating costs. Then market competitiveness was created continuously through an uncompromising commitment to the highest quality of services and products. And, finally and perhaps most importantly, is the setting of long-term development plans and the investment that followed, with the constant support of reputable scientific institutions - through the creation of projects and their planning, but also the evaluation of work realised as a guideline for further steps.

■ What are the most significant projects you are currently working on?

• Protection of soil from air erosion and protection of facilities and settlements from filling by sand and other materials in the areas of activity as a result of strong air currents.

• Biological land reclamation • Converting tailings from the “Drmno” Kostolac mine into land suitable for viticulture and winegrowing. ■

Business Dialogue CORPORATE

SLAVKO CARIĆ, CEO OF ERSTE BANK

AD FABRIKA ŠEĆERA TE-TO SENTA - SUGAR FACTORY SENTA

Collaboration With Fiat Urgent Focus on the Economy The government will have to work on multiple fronts simultaneously. The job will not be easy but, at least to begin with, these changes will pave the way for further reforms. A strategy for Serbia’s development for a 10year period should be adopted, which would contain intermediate objectives that would be measured every year. It is necessary to drastically reduce all kinds of administration and introduce e-governance

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uring its election campaign, the Serbian Progressive Party, the undisputed winner of the elections, sought the support of the people for comprehensive reforms to repair the economic environment. It gained the mandate for reforms and it is up to the future government to improve the business climate and attract investment. The elections are over and now we urgently need to focus on the economy.

I think the focus of the new government should be on several things. First of all, I believe we need to adopt a ten-year strategy for the development of Serbia. This would need to contain inter-

SNS gained the mandate for reforms and it is up to the future government to improve the business climate and attract investment

mediate objectives that would be measured annually. Then I think it is necessary to drastically reduce all kinds of administration and introduce e-government. This would also reduce corruption drastically.

When it comes to public enterprises, the solution for their operation can be found in a combination of corporatisation and partial or full privatisation. Of course, it is also necessary to continue to improve the investment climate and promote Serbia in major world financial centres.

As is evident, the government will have to work on multiple fronts simultaneously. The job will not be easy but, at least to begin with, these changes will pave the way for further reforms. ■

In the opinion of the Italian owners of AD Fabrika šećera TE-TO Senta (Sugar Factory Senta), the establishment of cooperation with Fiat is a very significant business step which opens up a wide array of new opportunities for both companies in the field of promotion and sales of products

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D Fabrika šećera TE-TO Senta has started collaboration with Kragujevac-based Fiat Automobiles Serbia with the purchase of a fleet of Fiat 500L cars for the company’s business needs.

Delivery of 12 Fiat 500L models began with the handing over of the car keys to Teodora Deak, General Manager of AD Fabrika šećera TE-TO Senta, by Zoran Antić, Sales Manager, at the facilities of the sugar factory in Senta.

“We have renewed the fleet of cars our employees use in their daily operational tasks and work obligations. These cars are intended

Delivery of 12 Fiat 500L models began with the handing over of the car keys to Teodora Deak, General Manager of AD Fabrika šećera TE-TO Senta

for the agricultural sector, commercial sector, supply department and all those who need a vehicle as essential operating equipment,” said Deak. “We opted for Fiat vehicles because we want this gesture to show the importance of cooperation between Italian companies in Serbia.” This investment is worth €135,000.

In the opinion of the Italian owners of AD Fabrika šećera TE-TO Senta, the establishment of this cooperation is a very significant business step which opens up a wide array of new opportunities for both companies in the field of promotion and sales of products and it will certainly contribute to business success on the local and international level. They believe that strengthening relations between Italian companies is of great importance, especially considering that both companies are leaders in their respective industries, are among the leading companies with foreign participation in Serbia and are the drivers of economic development in their regions. ■ cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 47

WORLD NEWS

Business Dialogue 01

Responsibly "It is up to Russia to act responsibly and show itself once again to be willing to abide by international norms and...if it fails to do so, there will be some costs." — Barack Obama, President of US

02

GREECE

Piraeus Bank Returns to International Markets

Alibaba Plans U.S. Float

Piraeus Bank announced at the end of last month the successful sale of a three-year bond issue worth €500 million, signalling the return of Greek banks to international markets for the first time since 2009.

The bank said that the new bond carried a fixed interest rate and an annual coupon of 5.0%. The order book remained open only for a few hours, as it attracted more than €3.0 billion (six times more than the requested sum) from 240 institutional investors from 25 countries, evidence of the appeal of the issue among international investors.

Piraeus Bank said the bond issue offered the bank access to international debt markets, diversifying its funding sources and strengthening its goal of supporting the recovery of Greek business activity. The bond issue was made by Piraeus Group Finance Plc, a subsidiary of Piraeus Bank, through a Euro Medium Term Note – EMTN programme. BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and HSBC acted as advisors to the issue.

03

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has announced that it is planning a U.S. listing after a months-long tug of war battle between New York and Hong Kong for what could be one of the world’s highest initial public offerings.

The flotation is expected to generate proceeds in excess of €10.9 bilion, ranking the company’s listing alongside recordbreaking IPOs such as Visa and Facebook.

Alibaba, the world’s largest online retailer, with over 500 million customers, did not release details

04

FRANCE

David Versus Goliath FIODOR RILOV

Around 20 French former employees of the luggage manufacturer Samsonite are travelling to the U.S. to defend their case against Bain Capital, a former owner of their company, in what French media have labelled “a struggle between David and Goliath”.

Bain Capital Private Equity acquired the troubled luggage manufacturer in 2003.

Two years later the firm sold its only French factory for €1.00 to EnergyPlast, which pledged to use the factory to produce solar panels. In 2007 the new owners filed for bankruptcy and the 205 staff members’ redundancy packages had to be paid with taxpayers’ money.

French courts have since convicted the management 48 |

CHINA

of EnergyPlast for organising their fraudulent bankruptcy.

In 2012 a Paris appeals court sent three French managers to prison and ordered they pay back €2.5 million they had illegally siphoned off from the company.

The employees’ lawyer, Fiodor Rilov, told reporters that “Bain Capital orchestrated a manipulation to get rid of the Hénin-Beaumont factory by precipitating its bankruptcy”. By selling off its French subsidiary for one euro, the complainants argue, the shareholder made undue savings on redundancy packages and other disposal costs. Rilov says this helped Bain make a $1.7 billion profit on its holding in Samsonite when it sold the company on in 2007.

Bain was founded in 1984

by Mitt Romney, who went on to become governor of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

of the size or date of the listing, but sources said that it will be in the second half of the year.

The company is in talks with six banks – Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs Group, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley – for lead underwriting roles, which would yield an estimated €190 million in fees.

Alibaba said that listing itself in the U.S. would make it “a more global company and enhance the company’s transparency”.

RUSSIA

Volkswagen to Continue Russia Expansion Germany’s Volkswagen will stick with ambitious expansion plans in Russia even as European leaders consider imposing sanctions over the country’s seizure of Crimea.

Europe’s largest automotive group, which spent €1 billion on Russian operations from 2006 to 2013, said in December 2012 that it would invest a further €840 million in its sixth-biggest market until the end of 2015.

Volkswagen is building a new engine factory in Kaluga, where it already employs more than 5,100 people at an assembly plant that makes VW and Skoda models.

The company has a goal to boost sales in Russia by more than 60 per cent to 500,000 cars, from a total of 303,000 last year.

05

GERMANY

Fresenius Helios Completes Acquisition Of Rhön-Klinikum Hospitals German medical giant Fresenius Helios has completed the acquisition of 38 hospitals and 11 outpatient facilities from Rhön-Klinikum AG. For two hospitals, HSK Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken in Wiesbaden and Klinikum Salzgitter, the approval of municipal shareholders is still pending. Approximately 70% of the acquired business is already consolidated.

The Company expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings per share in 2014, excluding integration costs, and clearly accretive from 2015 onwards including integration costs.

In addition, an agreement was signed

by the hospital operators Helios, RhönKlinikum and Asklepios to establish and develop a hospital network.

Fresenius Group provides products and services for dialysis, hospital and outpatient care of patients. In 2013 the Group generated revenue of €20.3 billion and by year’s end 2013 the Group had 178,337 employees worldwide

Consequences

06

JAPAN

“Democratic choice in line with the international law and the U.N. charter. ... unacceptable and will not remain without consequences.” — Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

07

Hitachi Switches Global Rail Business to London

European Banking Union

Japanese electronics giant Hitachi will move its global rail business to London, as it seeks expansion in the UK and elsewhere in Europe The group appointed London-based Alistair Dormer, the former head of Hitachi Rail Europe, as the new chief executive officer of its global rail systems business with effect from April 1st, it said in a statement.

Hitachi aims to bid for lucrative contracts on Britain’s new €60 billion, High Speed 2 (HS2) railway which will be built in two stages from 2016 with completion slated for 2033.

“The focus of the international leadership team based in London is to grow Hitachi’s global rail business in international markets,” a Hitachi spokeswoman said.

The news comes after Britain awarded Hitachi’s European division a €1.5-billion contract in July to build high-speed trains at a new factory in north-eastern England, where 750 staff will be employed.

British finance minister George Osborne welcomed Hitachi’s announcement as “fantastic” news for the economy.

08

SPAIN

Vodafone Finalises ONO Takeover Bid British multinational Vodafone is firming up the final details of a buy-out with shareholders of Spanish cable company ONO, which is rumoured to involve a price tag of €7.2 billion Part of the takeover bid will involve Vodafone paying off ONO’s debts for another €3.33 billion, based upon figures for September 2013.

At present, no agreements have been reached as a few loose ends need to be tied up with ONO’s shareholders.

Vodafone, which is British but has its head office in Düsseldorf, Germany, is working on a massive

09

EGYPT

Citadel to Sell Sudanese Egyptian Bank

BANKING

fibre optic roll-out in a joint effort with Orange which will increase its current 14 million mobile customers and 900,000 landline clients by providing high-speed broadband to over seven million households across the country.

The network will give the Vodafone-Orange venture exclusive coverage over a 45,000-square-kilometre area throughout Spain.

European Parliament negotiators reached a deal with their member state counterparts on the single resolution mechanism to deal with failing banks. The elements agreed will help ensure that the system cannot become a hostage to political power games and can deliver swift and credible decisions Europe struck a deal to complete a banking union with an agency to shut failing eurozone banks, but there will be no joint backstop for a fund to pay the costs of closures.

The banking union was shaped in part by Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, but it falls short of his vision.

In 2012 he described it as a European deposit insurance guarantee, a European fund to cover bank closures and a central supervisor for banks.

Only ECB supervision has gone fully to plan. Although there will be a fund to pay for bank closures, it is small, lacks eurozone backing and will take years to build. Common deposit insurance has been long ditched.

How does it work?

The process of shutting a bank will be started by the ECB, but the process is complex, involving the new ‘resolution’ agency, the European Commission and possibly even ministers from individual member countries.

It is hard for countries to prevent an emergency bank closure at the last minute. In reality, because the ultimate responsibility for a failed bank remains with its home country, imposing an order on laggard banks

Citadel Capital is in talks to sell its 66.1% ownership in the Sudanese Egyptian Bank as part of a programme to shed non-core assets.

Citadel is narrowing its focus to energy, transport, agrifoods, mining and cement and plans to gradually shed other holdings over the next few years and convert it into a hold-

will remain intensely political.

Why has it been introduced?

Governments were forced to pour trillions into their banks to keep them afloat during the financial crisis. The banking union should prevent a repeat of that.

Spain and France had hoped to see the burden of bad banks spread across the shoulders of the entire eurozone, including economic powerhouse Germany.

But Berlin believes the key to the new regime is not a common back-up fund, but rather new rules to imposes losses on bondholders and other creditors of failed banks, as happened in Cyprus. Only afterwards would the fund be needed.

Strong-arming governments into taking such steps may prove difficult because it can rebound on their own credit rating.

When does it start?

The ECB will become the supervisor of banks at the end of this year.

The agency to shut banks and the fund will be launched shortly afterwards.

Germany has always insisted that ‘bail-in’ rules forcing losses on creditors would come into force then, which means they could be applied if a bank is condemned to closure in ECB health checks this year.

ing company from a private equity firm.

The firm, which has $9.5 billion under management and includes holdings in dozens of companies, mainly in Egypt and east and north Africa, has suffered losses over the past two years, partly due to the turmoil in the Arab world.

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AFTER WORK 25.02.2014

ICT Hub Project

H.E. MICHAEL KIRBY, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, and DEJAN RANĐIĆ, General Manager of DNA Communications

Agency DNA Communications has become an official partner of USAID under the auspices of the 20-month ICT Hub project, which should contribute to job creation and the promotion of entrepreneurship by establishing a platform for information and communication technology. The official ceremony saw U.S. Ambassador in Belgrade, H.E. Michael Kirby, and USAID Director, Susan Fritz, award Dejan Ranđić, General Manager of DNA Communications.

28.02.2014

SuisseGas Becomes Title Sponsor of Belgrade Marathon

FRANCOIS ALLAIN, partner at Delice d.o.o. (left) and DAVID LESAGE, Rolland Collection

MARIJA JOVANOVIĆ ALLAIN, director of Delice d.o.o.

27.02.2014

Wine for the Privileged Wine and gastronomy specialist Marija Jovanović Allain and her Belgrade-based company Delice d.o.o, in collaboration with internationally renowned oenologist Michel Rolland, one of the most influential winemakers and consultants in the world, presented an exclusive selection of some of the best premium French wines and foreign products from the acclaimed Michel Rolland Collection. The exclusive wine tasting event, held at The Square restaurant, was hosted by David Lesage, son-in-law of the great oenologist and general manager of the Rolland Collection. A few privileged Serbian guests toured a Selection of seven wines, from the top ranked French Chateau Le Bon Pasteur or Fontenil, to the acclaimed Argentinian Val De Flores, with a stop by the South African “Bonne Nouvelle”.

06.03.2014

EGallery in Belgrade A contemporary art exhibition called ‘Egallery’ was staged at the premises of integrated communications agency Executive Group at 9 Knez Mihailova Street. The exhibition comprises works of art by 26 young painters, graphic artists, costume designers, sculptors and photographers assembled in an association called Š.U.N.D. (Šta Umetnost Nudi Društvu or What Art Offers to Society). The exhibition will be open for six months at a new, uncoventional gallery in central Belgrade. This is the first in a series of exhibitions that form an integral part of the eponymous art project launched

by Executive Group in collaboration with Š.U.N.D. The exhibition was officially opened by Executive Group CEO Darko Matijašević.

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DARKO MATIJAŠEVIĆ, CEO of Executive Group, and MILICA NIKOLIĆ, Genaral Manager of Š.U.N.D. Group

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

Aleksandar Đorđević, President of the Belgrade Marathon, and SuisseGas’s top man, Gianluca Borelli, signed three-year contract at the Belgrade City Hall on the title sponsorship of the Belgrade Marathon.

Belgrade’s interim city authorities and the head of the Organising Committee for the 27th Belgrade Marathon, Siniša Mali, confirmed that the City would provide maximum support to the Belgrade Marathon, which so far this year has over 1,400 registered runners from 45 countries.

Belgrade Marathon president Đorđević said that it was the duty of all of us to send a beautiful picture of Belgrade and Serbia to the world. “The three-year collaboration with SuisseGas will help us do that,” - said Đorđević.

The traditional 27th SuisseGas Belgrade Marathon will be held on 27th April.

06.03.2014

11.03.2014

Love, Magic and Ceremony

Successful Year for Ringier

The Australian Embassy in Serbia and the Museum of Modern Art staged an exhibition called “Yilpinji: Love, Magic and Ceremony”, dedicated to thematic prints on the love magic practiced by Australia’s indigenous people. The exhibition was officially opened

by Australian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Julia Feeney. A group called “Čudesmo” performed at the opening ceremony, while the ladies from Etno Mreza also presented one of their works. The Yilpinji: Love, Magic and Ceremony exhibition addresses a rather obscure part of Aboriginal visual arts and depicts images of love magic practiced by the Warlpiri and Kukatja people of Australia’s Central and Western Deserts.

Ringier Axel Springer celebrated a successful 2013 business year together with its clients and business partners. Welcome speeches were given by Ringier Axel Springer CEO Jelena Drakulić Petrović, as well as executives from the company’s HQ in Zurich – CEO Mark Dekan and Deputy Chairman of Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, Martin Werfeli.

JELENA DRAKULIĆ, Managing Director, Ringier Axel Springer, Serbia

26.03.2014

German-Serbian Business Association Annual Assembly

GORDAN KIČIĆ, Actor and ROLF-JUERGEN SEYER, general manager of Star Import

The German-Serbian Business Association held its annual assembly on Wednesday 26th March, during which the most important issue on the agenda was the re-election of the current members of the association’s managing board. Speaking on the occasion, Hemofarm-Stada CEO, Dr Roland Seeliger, said that all existing managing board members were eligible for re-election as a result of the good results they have achieved to date. He added that he was personally extremely motivated to represent and advance the association’s operations over the course of the following two years.

Mr Seeliger noted that in the last two years the German-Serbian Business Association has managed to solidify its position and significantly expand the scope of its activities.

11&12.03.2014

New Mercedes Benz C-Class and GLA Company Star Import, general distributor of Mercedes Benz in Serbia, has made the premiere presentation of the new C-Class and brand new GLA model.

During both evenings at the attractive Promenada event centre venue guests enjoyed performances and good music, but primarily enjoyed what they’d gathered to see – the new models from Mercedes-Benz SUV and GLA. Many clients, media representatives and figures from public life enjoyed the culmination of the unveiling and the music of Ana Štajdohar and her band, who ensured this evening beside the River Sava was an unforgettable one.

“When you see this model for the first time you simply want to immediately sit behind the wheel and take it for a test drive” - said Rolf-Juergen Seyer, general manager of Star Import.

The Mercedes Benz GLA represents the new experience of a compact SUV that convincingly combines advanced design, great inner city drivability and superb off-road capabilities.

The previous period has seen the association’s membership grow to over 260, while the association also formed a very active HR taskforce and introduced new event formats including the Speed Business Meeting, After-work and the GermanSerbian Career Fair.

The members of association’s newly elected managing board, who will continue to direct its activities for the next two years, are: Dr Ronald Seeliger (HemofarmStada), Martin Knapp, Head of the German Business Delegation to Serbia, Christian Braunig (Confida Consulting), Nikola Ivošević (Rehau), David Piegazki (Pewo Energietechnik), Bojan Predojević (Profine), Tihomir Rajlić (Siemens), Rolf-Jürgen Seyerle (Star Import – Mercedes-Benz distributor), Thomas Urban (Dr Oetker) and Nenad Vučinić (TeleSign Mobile). cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 51

AFTER WORK 12.03.2014

Modernised Refinery A delegation of the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) visited the Pančevo Oil Refinery, where they were met by NIS CEO Kirill Kravchenko, who introduced them to the modernised processing facilities in which NIS has invested €550 million since 2009.

The delegation, comprising 25 members of SAM’s Executive Board, were given the opportunity to see the technological innovations that NIS has implemented with the aim of increasing fuel production quality.

KIRILL KRAVCHENKO, NIS CEO, and MILAN PETROVIC, President of SAM

H.E. Mr. ARTURO LACLAUSTRA BELTRAN, Ambassador of Spain to Serbia 26.03.2014.

Spanish Companies in Belgrade

22.03.2014

Knjaz Miloš marks World Water Day Company Knjaz Miloš marked the occasion of World Water Day on 22nd March 2014 in cooperation with famous Serbian actress Tamara Dragičević, who informed passers-by in Knez Mihailova Street of the importance of regularly drinking water, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Citizens were offered Aqua Viva water to drink and were able to ask questions about the proper use of water.

Knjaz Miloš maintains a responsible attitude towards consumers, promoting healthy lifestyles and stressing the importance of regular hydration and reminding of the importance of water and a responsible attitude towards water resources available in Serbia.

MR. AITOR JOSÉ MATE RINCÓN, Economic Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of Spain to Serbia

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

The Spanish Institute for External Trade and Investment Promotion, along with the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce and the Spanish Embassy in Belgrade, hosted a delegation of Spanish investors comprising 16 companies. The delegation came to Belgrade to identify new opportunities for investment and cooperation in Serbia. The event provided a good opportunity for Serbia to present the Serbian market as an attractive investment destination. The representatives of Spanish companies also attended bilateral meetings with local companies and institutions interested in developing strategic alliances.

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• Latest news about local events and on-going projects • Easy and friendly search based on your personal requirements

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114 April 2014 | 53

FACES & PLACES 25.02.2014

Roma Empowerment The situation of Roma from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina has been improved through the Norwegian-funded CARE Serbia project “Empowerment and Integration of Roma in Serbia and Bosnia“. Beneficiaries, partner organisations and civil society sector representatives, together with Norwegian ambassador H.E. Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg, gathered at the Norwegian ambassadorial residence to mark the culmination of the project, which has lasted three and a half years.

25.02.2014

Days of Indonesia Commemorating the 36th Belgrade International Fair of Tourism, which saw Indonesia participate as a partner country, an event entitled “Wonderful Indonesia, the World’s Heart of Wonders” was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Indonesian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Semuel Samson, hosted the gathering, which marked the beginning of the Days of Indonesia event. Numerous guests attended the event, including Serbian Patriarch Irinej, Dragica Nikolić, wife of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, and many others figures of public, cultural and political life.

MRS SAMSON, MRS NIKOLIĆ and H.E. SEMUEL SAMSON, Indonesian Ambassador

H.E. MASAFUMI KUROKI, Japanese Ambassador to Serbia and IVAN MRKIĆ, Serbian Foreign Minister 26.02.2014

Equipment Donated The Japanese Government has donated 200 million JPY (approx. US$2 million) towards the acquisition of Japanese-manufactured equipment. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić and the Japanese Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Masafumi Kuroki, signed an agreement and exchanged notes at the Ceremonial Hall of the Serbian Foreign Ministry.

H.E. MERCEDES FELISITAS RUIZ ZAPATA, Mexican Ambassador to Serbia, and H.E. ARCHIBISHOP ORLANDO ANTONINI, Apostolic Nuncio

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

26.02.2014

Dance of the Spirit

IVAN TASOVAC (left), AJA JUNG and H.E. MICHAEL DAVENPORT

The Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and its head, H.E. Michael Davenport, hosted a cocktail reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade to honour the 11th Belgrade Dance Festival, in the presence of many representatives of the diplomatic corps and foreign press. The reception was attended by Serbian Culture Minister Ivan Tasovac, Vojvodina Culture Secretary Slaviša Grujić, as well as the ambassadors of Germany, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Croatia, Finland, Australia and Turkey, and numerous other representatives of the diplomatic corps, the media and the festival’s sponsors.

26. 02.2014

Business Bridge The Serbian Chamber of Commerce hosted a conference to commemorate the founding of the Economic Senate of Serbia. Welcome speeches were given by both Raša Ristivojević, Deputy President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and Professor Dragan Glamočić, Ph.D., Serbian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. The confernece also included the participation of Hans Harer, Chairman of the Economic Senate of Austria, Aleksandar Vučić, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Foreign Minister, Dr. Erhard Busek, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria and President of the Economic Senate of Austria, Professor Zorana Mihajlović, Ph.D., Serbian Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Minister, and Ivan Gros, MBA, Chairman of the Economic Senate of Serbia.

SEBASTIAN KURZ, Austrian Foreign Minister, (left) and ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia

MRS and MR NIKOLIĆ and MR and MRS CHEPURIN

27.02.2014

Defenders of the Fatherland Day The Russian Embassy hosted an official reception to celebrate the annual Defenders of the Fatherland Day. The reception was attended by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, Serbian Patriarch Irinej, Serbian Defence Minister Nebojša Rodić, Serbian Army Chief of Staff Ljubiša Diković, Serbian Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning Minister Milan Bačević, Serbian Youth and Sports Minister Vanja Udovičić, Minister without portfolio Aleksandar Vulin, former UN Generan Assembly president Vuk Jeremić and numerous other public and official figures.

H.E. ALEXANDER CHEPURIN, Russian Ambassador to Serbia, (left) and NEBOJŠA RODIĆ, Serbian Defence Minister

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114 April 2014 | 55

FACES & PLACES 27.02.2014

Tourism Fair Opens Acting Serbian Economy Minister Igor Mirović officially opened the 36th International Fair of Tourism, as well as the Hotel and Catering Equipment Fair, the Souvenir Fair and the Wine Fair, which all began at the Belgrade Fair on 2nd March. This year’s partner country to the Fair of Torusim was Indonesia. Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Nebojša Stefanović, noted that Indonesia was also the partner of the Great Tourism Fair in Berlin last year.

27.02.2014

Annual AmCham Assembly For the first time ever the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia presented its annual Leader in Change Award in six categories. The winners, who had been chosen by the Chamber’s members, were recognised by AmCham members as prominent members of the business community known for their innovative skills, business results, ethics and socially responsible behaviour. The award recipients included SBB, Stacey Kennedy of Phillip Morris, STACEY KENNEDY, newly Jasmina Knežević of Bel Medic, Miloš Blagojević elected President of the AmCham Board of Directors of Coca Cola Hellenic and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation. A special Award of the AmCham’s Managing Board was presented to Nordeus, which is the creator of Top Eleven – the most popular sports game on Facebook, which has been played by over 12 million people around the world.

H.E. GORDAN MARKOTIĆ (left), Croatian Ambassador, H.E. ANGEL DIMITROV, Bulgarian Ambassador, and H.E. OSZKÁR NIKOWITZ, Hungarian Ambassador 03.03.2014

Bulgarian National Day Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Angel Dimitrov, hosted an official reception at the ambassadorial residence commemorating the National Day of Bulgaria, which this year marked 136 years since Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule. The reception was attended by many representatives of the diplomatic corps and public figures.

Maja Piščević, Executive director of AmCham, Svetozar Cvetković, actor, and keynote speaker IVAN TASOVAC

Winners of the AmCham Annual Awards 2014 ceremony and members of the AmCham Board of Directors

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

12.03.2014

Australia at the Guitar Art Festival Australian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Julia Feeney, hosted a cocktail reception at the embassy’s premises in honour of the 15th Guitar Art Festival. Famous Australian guitar manufacturer and guitarist Zbigniew Gnatek was the guest of honour. Numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps attended the reception and were able to enjoy wonderful guitar melodies.

H.E. JULIA FEENEY, Australian Ambassador, and guitarist ZBIGNIEW GNATEK

20.03.2014

Tunisian National Day Ambassador of Tunisia in Belgrade, Majid Hamlaoui, celebrated the 58th anniversary of Tunisian independence with guests at his reception at the city’s Hotel Hyatt Regency.

The Tunisian Ambassador noted in his welcome address that this year the national holiday falls during two major events in the history of his country. Just two weeks ago a referendum was held in Tunisia at which the country’s new National Constitution was endorsed, while at the same time Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić made his first visit to Tunisia.

The Ambassador of Tunisia surprised his reception guests, especially the Algerian Ambassador, by cutting another celebration cake – this one in honour of the Algerian Ambassador and to mark the occasion of his birthday.

H.E. CONSTANTINE ECONOMIDES and Serbian PATRIARCH IRINEJ 25.03.2014

Greek Independence Day The Greek Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Constantine Economides, hosted a reception in celebration of Greek Independence Day. The reception took place at Stari Dvor with over a hundred guests in attendance, including Patriarch Irinej, Serbian officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps and cultural and public figures in Serbia. Greece is marking 193 years since the beginning of the national uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which resulted in the formation of the modern Greek state. March 25th 1821 is officially considered the day when the uprising began, namely when Germanos, the Patriarch of the City of Patras, blessed the flag of the insurgents at the Agia Lavra Monastery at the Peloponnese peninsula and proclaimed the national uprising against the Ottoman Empire.

MR and MRS HAMLAOUI with their children

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114 April 2014 | 57

CULTURE CALENDAR CONCERTS

Đelem, Đelem Sava Centre, 8th April @ 20.30

They will perform in Belgrade for the first time after 30 years.

Entrance will be free to the exhibition of photographic images, paintings and video about the life of Roma, which will be displayed in the main hall of the Sava Centre throughout the day.

All information is available via www. djelemdjelem.org

Parni Valjak On the occasion of International Roma Day, 8th April, the Sava Centre will host an event entitled “Đelem, Đelem”, which will feature one of the most famous Russian gypsy music bands, Ivanović Gypsies, accompanied by local gypsy music bands Ođila and Amaro Del. In addition to the concert, the whole event will be complemented by an exhibition of photographs from the life of the Roma people, an exhibition of paintings, as well as a series of video installations through which organisers will try to approach the culture and customs of the Roma people.

International Roma Day has been celebrated since 1971, when London hosted the first World Congress of the Romani people on 8th April.

Marking this day serves to indicate their difficult situation and encourage the countries in which members of this minority live to pay special attention to improving their place in society. The song “Đelem, Đelem” became the event anthem and the Roma flag was appointed.

Ivanović Gypsies (Les Tziganes Ivanovitch) originate from Belgrade and since the late 1960s its members have been living in Paris, performing Russian Gypsy songs in many cabarets and restaurants. Their first album “Me Sem Rom” was released in 1971 and since then the band has continued to give a new freshness to traditional music and gain worldwide acclaim.

Spens, Novi Sad, 16th April @ 20.30 Following the release of their new album “No surrender”, which includes songs that have become hits all over the region, one of the greatest pop-rock bands of all time, Parni Valjak, has scheduled a concert at Spens in Novi Sad on 16th April.

Given Parni Valjak’s numerous hits with love themes, this is bound to be an emotional concert to remember.

Parni Valjak is one of those bands which sound better with time. Aki’s singing continues to mesmerise and the band has energy rarely seen on today’s music scene, despite 38 years of performing.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Jurij Revich & Natalija Mladenovic Kolarac, 14th April @ 20.00 Violinist Jurij Revich and pianist Natalija Mladenović will hold a concert on 14th April at Kolarac, performing works by Ravel, Debussy and De Falla.

Jovan Kolundžija Guarnerius, 18th April @ 20.00 Famous violinist Jovan Kolundžija, together with the Mokranjac string quartet, will hold a concert on 18th April at Guarnerius Concert Hall. They will perform Mozart and Bach.

Zona Zamfirova

Nina Badric Sava Centre, 12th April @ 20.00

Nina Badrić is one of the most respected and successful pop singers whose career success spans 20 years. Her achievements, awards and popularity follow her beyond the borders of her native Croatia.

Nina, who will perform at Belgrade’s Sava Centre on 12th April, began singing at the age of nine in the Stars children’s chorus, where she quickly became one of the leading soloists. There she gained experience in choral and gospel singing, as well as gaining confidence in performing in front of large audiences.

In the 1990s Nina began her solo singing career, with the song “I will not pray for love” hitting the top of the charts. Shortly afterwards she announced the release of her second album “Personality”, which won her the top Porin Award (singer and pop album of the year).

Nina’s career then swiftly moved upwards and in 1998 she became the first Croatian singer of the younger generation to win the first of European charts with her cover of “I’m so excited.”

She has held many concerts in Italy, France, Spain and

Kemal Gekic Kolarac, 27th April @ 20.00 Pianist Kemal Gekić will hold a concert at Kolarac on 27th April, performing Liszt.

OPERA

Tosca, National Theatre 2nd April @ 20.00 The latest premiere of the opera Tosca will be held at the National Theatre on 2nd April.

BALLET

Terazije Theatre, 10th April

Queen Margo It was a little known fact for a long time that Stevan Sremac based his best work on real-life events that took place in Priština in the late 19th century. Sremac heard the whole story from Branislav Nušić, who was the Serbian consul in Priština in 1895. After arriving from Priština at Kalemegdan one summer evening, Nušić, met with Sremac and told him the story. Sremac was delighted and

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National Theatre, 3rd April @ 20.00 The famous Queen Margo ballet will be on the repertoire of the National Theatre on 3rd April.

MUSICALS

Les Misérables asked his friend to let him retell it. That is how Zona Zamfirova was born.

114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

Madlenianum, 12th April @ 19.30 This premiere of the musical Les Misérables actually marks the restoration of this famous musical and will bring several new features.

The musical is back following numerous

many other countries, becoming a star in Italy with her ultimate hit single that became one of the biggest club hits of the late 90s. She has released seven solo albums, numerous live albums, singles and duets with renowned musicians across the region and the world, such as Montell Jordan. She has won eight Porin Awards - the most prestigious industry award - as well as many others. She is a multiple winner of the Oscar award for popularity voted for by the public of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

Nina is one of the most popular artists in the region, whose albums always go gold. Besides a great voice which many compare to divas like Angie Stone, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige, many characterize Nina as being the most complete singer today. Her personality, charm and looks contribute to her being proclaimed one of the best singers for years.

requests from the public. Since it was first set up in 2007, the play was a regular part of Madlenianum’s repertoire until 2011.

Its resurrection, after three years and 43 performances, will be set up with the same team of authors, but with major changes in the division of roles.

Chicago Terazije Theatre, 5th April Chicago is one of the most popular Broadway musicals and is interwoven with passion, lust, intrigue, murder, showbiz and bribed judges and lawyers. This high-quality Broadway hit tells the story of America from the time of the turbulent 1920s in a satirical way, through a variety of musical hits, such as “All That Jazz”, and a series of expressive and high-quality choreography numbers. The story begins when unfulfilled musical actress and singer Roxie Hart, who dreams of success on the stages of Chicago, kills her lover. In prison she meets her idol - the famous Velma Kelly. The two of them will stop at nothing to reach their desired goals and they are assisted by extremely corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn...

CULTURE NEWS

Cigani Lete u Nebo Terazije Theatre, 16th April This musical, directed by Vladimir Lazić, which translates as Gypsies Fly in Heaven, includes the most beautiful Russian songs with memorable choreography by Krunoslav Simić as if tells the story of the love between a gypsy woman and a horse thief...

Zorba the Greek Terazije Theatre, 4th April

Based on the 1946 novel “The Curious Adventures of Alexis Zorbas” by Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek director Michael Kakojanis made a film in 1964 entitled ‘Zorba the Greek’ under a GreekAmerican production. The film starred Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas and Lila Cedar.

The music was composed by Mikis Theodorakis.

The film was a great success and was honoured that year with three Oscars. Especially notable was Theodorakis’s music, who used the film to promote traditional Greek music and the folk dance called “Sirtaki”, which subsequently became very popular around the world.

This literary masterpiece by Kazantzakis provides a good basis for adaptation and dramatization, primarily in musical theatre. In addition to an interesting plot, where the old and patriarchal clash with the modern, this piece also has unusual characters and popular Greek music.

DANCE

11 Belgrade Dance Festival th

various locations, 30th March – 14th April The Belgrade Dance Festival has become a traditional first-class cultural event that is eagerly anticipated each year. Performances of renowned ballet and modern dance companies, renowned choreographers and current

productions, resulted in the formation of new audiences and establishing high standards in dance arts. A top programme and good communication with local and international cultural public and the media have determined the prestigious position of Belgrade and Serbia on the European festival and dance map.

During the previous year’s Belgrade Dance Festival, hosted the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet from St. Petersburg, with choreographer George Balanchine, the Ballet of the Paris Opera with William Forsythe, Rudolf Nureyev and Maurice Bejart, the National Dance Company of Madrid, with the creations of the famous Nacho Duato, the Netherlands Dance Theatre I and II, with choreography by Jiri Kylian, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Cullberg Ballet settings Mats Ek and Johan Inger, La Scala Ballet with Mauro Bigonzetti, Monte Carlo Ballet with choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot...

Some of the performances also successfully toured Novi Sad, Niš, Kruševac, Užice, Sombor etc. Another exceptional event under the organisation of the festival was certainly the visit of Mikhail Barišnjikov and Ana Laguna, who performed at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad in May 2009.

Belgrade Dance Festival was founded in 2003 at the initiative of the International Dance Council CID UNESCO from Paris and the festival’s selector is local choreographer Aja Jung.

For further information visit belgradedancefestival.com

OTHER

Resonate 2014 various locations, 3rd – 5th April Resonate is a platform for networking, knowledge sharing and education. It brings together artists, designers and educators to participate in a forward-looking debate on the position of technology in art and culture.

Held each year in Belgrade, the festival lasts for three days and provides an overview of current situation in the fields of music, visual arts and digital culture. Guest artists, lecturers and other participants are chosen to represent the cutting edge of the contemporary creative industry in the world.

For further information, please visit www.

Cirque Éloize Sava Centre, 26 – 27 April@20.00 th

th

Exciting circus acrobatics and urban dance will be presented to the audience in Serbia for the first time by Cirque Éloise in its play “iD”. This show for all ages, directed by Jeannot Painchaud, is a combination of high production, acrobatic skills, street dance and hip hop. The show “iD” will be performed at the Sava Centre on 26th and 27th April.

Cirque Éloise is part of the famous Cirque du Soleil troupe.

Since its formation in 1993, Cirque Éloise has become a world leader in applied

circus arts. Audiences are captivated with their innovative shows, specialising in creating performances that combine circus arts with theatre, dance and music in an original way.

The Rhythm of Mother Earth Kolarac, 18th March

The Rhythm of Mother Earth Exhibition, organized by Kolarac Gallery in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, presents a series of works by Italian painter Katarina Benedetić.

The common source of inspiration for this exhibition’s paintings is the unavoidable relationship between man and Mother Earth, which displays four dramatic natural disasters recorded in

the collective memory: the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 and the destruction of Pompeii, Herculaneum and other centres of the Vesuvius area, large smog that killed thousands of people in London in December 1952, the poisoning of thousands of people in the Indian city of Bhopal in 1984 as the result of a leakage of deadly toxic gas from a large factory for the production of pesticides, and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

Benedetić is a Belgrade-born artist of Italian origin. She graduated from the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 1985, where she also completed her post-graduate studies in the painting department.

Balkania, Spanish Embassy

National Ballet of Spain

4th March The latest edition of “Balkania” magazine was presented at the Embassy of Spain in Belgrade on 4th March. This annual publication, which is produced by the Spanish Embassy in Serbia and Mr Andreu Miguel Rodriguez, addresses Balkan studies from different perspectives: political, economic, cultural etc. Published once a year with a circulation of 300 copies, which are distributed free of charge, the new edition of Balkania once again confirms its intention to thoroughly analyse the essential aspects of regional realities.

The presentation was attended by His Excellency Arturo Laklaustra, Ambassador of Spain in Belgrade, among others.

Sava Centre, 28th March The National Ballet of Spain performed in front of a Belgrade audience for the first time, at the Sava Centre on 28th March.

The Serbian public finally had a chance to enjoy the masterpieces of the great Carlos Saura: “Carmen” and “Flamenco, flamenco”.

The world famous Spanish dance formation presented its latest two settings - the famous “Seville World”, choreographed by artistic director Antonio Nahar, and “Gritto”, choreographed by Antonio Canales.

Spanish “bajlarines” have already presented their new repertoire outside of their homeland from America to Japan and China, winning over audiences and garnering media praise for the performance of their magical spectacles.

5th Francophone Film Festival Dom Omladine 21st – 24th March

Dom Omladine, together with the embassies of francophone countries, organized the Francophone Film Festival for the fifth consecutive year, which is dedicated to films from francophone countries and included works from Tunisia, France, Canada and even Serbia.

The event was organized in cooperation with the embassies, culture centres and institutions of francophone countries, as well as the Serbian Ministry of Culture and France’s TV5MONDE. This year’s selection focused on recent cinematic work from francophone countries, but the programme also included a few classics that delighted the audience. The film “Extinction”, created as a Serbian-Swiss co-production, proved particularly popular.

IT Corner opens Dom Omladine, 20th February The new IT corner opened at Dom Omladine on 20th February. It is planned to provide young people from Belgrade and Serbia with another opportunity to learn, train and develop their creativity. IT Corner was opened by Tatjana Matić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications; Steven Stark, press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Serbia, and Marko Stojanović, acting Director of Dom Omladine. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the media, youth organizations, universities and research institutions.

IT Corner is located in the front lobby of the Americana hall and is designed as a youth educational centre intended primarily for high school and college students, aged 14 to 25+. It is equipped with the latest Apple Macintosh computers, which operate using the leading platforms Mac OS, Windows, Linux and Android. Plans include the purchases of another computer, 3D printers and 3D scanners, as well as materials for robotics. It will function as a space where exclusively educational activities will take place and where young people will be able to launch Start-Up projects.

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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■ By Sonja ĆIRIĆ

25 YEARS OF BITEF THEATRE

Totally Different

FROM OTHERS With Jelena Bogavac, author of the Bitef Theatre Monography, about the life of this special Belgrade theatre

B

itef Theatre was founded 25 years ago as a result of the ideas and energy of theatre director Mira Trailović, a great and important lady of our theatre and the European scene.

Bitef Theatre differs from all other theatres in the Serbian capital. Starting from the exterior: it is located next to Bajloni Market in the building of a never consecrated Evangelical Church, which is one of the trademarks of this theatre. It grew out of the famous Bitef Festival, which influenced its concept of openness to all kinds of new expressions, overcoming established limitations, researching and supporting artists who are willing to take bold steps. Its repertoire includes avant-garde and free-form performances, plays of independent groups and, in the last five years, dance-theatre performances that solidified the specificity of this unique theatre's repertoire.

Bitef was founded by The silver anniverMira Trailović in the final sary was marked by years, or rather the final exhibitions, meetings, memories, performancmonths, of her life, with es, the screening of Arsa the enormous energy Jovanović's self-explanaof her farewell to her tory film "Birth of a Theaprofession tre", covering the opening of Bitef Theatre on 3rd March 1989. The celebration was the reason for the guest appearance of Alkestide, a play of the Slovenian National Theatre in Ljubljana, which is the same name of the Euripides drama directed by Boris Liješević.

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grade premiere of Biljana Srbljanović’s Mali mi je ovaj grob (This tomb is small for me), directed by Dino Mustafić, a provocative look at the Sarajevo assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand through the story of Gavrilo Princip and the organisation Young Bosnia. The world premiere of this play took place in Vienna’s Schauspielhaus in October last year.

The jubilee also provided the occasion for the publishing of a monograph on Bitef Theatre, whose author is Jelena Bogavac, playwright of Bitef Theatre and therefore currently the most qualified to tell the story of the life of this theatre.

■ What is the speciality of Bitef Theatre which sets it apart from other theatres?

- Bitef is a theatre without an ensemble, open to all kinds of theatrical genres, from broader theatre to para-theatrical forms.

Bitef is an engaged theatre addressing political and ethical aspects. It is inspired by daily life and influences the daily scene. Bitef Theatre is like a repertory of the constitution of the Bitef Festival, to the extent that they set new forms of freedom in one sense or another in the postmodern bleakness. Bitef Theatre is a "cult venue" where the urbanity of the capital is formed, practicing styles of freedom, improvised metropolitanism. The theatre is torn between politics, rock and roll and circus.

The theatre is open to all sorts of genre, striding between music, video, dance and dramatic theatre in the strictest sense.

■ How would you describe the biography of Bitef Theatre to

an admirer of the theatre?

- Bitef was founded by Mira Trailović in the final years, or

rather the final months, of her life, with the enormous energy of her farewell to her profession. Bitef is her "youngest child". As the theatre of the Bitef Festival, through several related artistic practices - repertoire of the policies of the art director who created them, Bitef Theatre has always offered author's freedom in relation to the existing patterns of expression in the classical repertoire of the theatre. Mira characterised Bitef Theatre as a "world theatre that’s as green as a lettuce". A clumsily paraphrasing would be: a theatre that refreshes and relaxes the eyes with the greenness of its permanent youth/newness.

Marković, Tamara Bosak et al.

Bitef Theatre has also promoted local choreographers, ranging from Dejan Pajović to Isidore Stanišić, Dalija Aćin and many others who have cooperated and collaborated with the Bitef Dance Company. Bitef constantly presents new global artists: choreographers, directors, writers. Bitef Theatre has never stopped its organic and basic connection to European theatre – at both the production and the aesthetic levels.

■ The idea of forming a dance

theatre was born in the time of Nenad Prokić. Why did its realisation take such a long time?

- The idea for Bitef Theatre to

present contemporary dance projects started with its inception. The first performances on the repertoire of Bitef Theatre were "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "The Home of Bernnarde Alba" by Dejan Pajović.

They had a major world tour.

Then the artistic director of Bitef Theatre was Ivana Vujić. Then ■ Which plays/shows have been came Nenad Prokić, who prothe trademarks in this quarter moted and assisted independent century of Bitef Theatre? dance troupes in production and - A lot has happened in the 25 programming. years of its existence. Bitef grew During those years Bitef through its fast and crazy youth, Theatre welcomed Dah Theadealing with the widest variety of theatrical opportunities, tre, Ister Theatre, Mimart, Erg examining theatrical agents status, Madlenijum and the Ad and their limitations by interhoc lom company. Bitef Theavening in life. It has examined tre launched the careers of the world that we live in both Dalija Aćin, Isidora Stanišić, Boformally and in terms of content. jana Mladenovic, Ivana Tabori and Bitef Theatre’s repertoire The most important is that it has many others. Jelena Kajgo formed is progressive and free, worked in continuity to defend the Bitef Dance Company – an elite inextricably linked to the its artistic freedom in a relentless dance troupe which develops construggle against kitsch and trash of temporary dance in the region in an world of theatrical trends all kinds, offering a bold and new, authentic way, working with many and local social events ready and engaged reflection of the international and local choreograworld of daily reality. It records a tradition of avant-garde phers very successfully for the past five years. and Bitef’s continuity.

At Bitef Theatre many established directors have ■ Initially, Bitef was established as the theatre of the Bitef made important theatrical performances: Ivana Vujić, Festival. What is the relationship between the two today?

Egon Savin, Gorčin Stojanović, Milutin Petrović, Abu el - Bitef Theatre organises the Bitef Festival. In an aesthetic Rub, Nenad Prokić, Sonja Vukićević, Nikita Milivojević, and organisational sense they are inextricably linked - the Tanja Mandić Rigonat, Alisa Stojanović, Miloš Lolić, Ana same house, same people, same poetics. Those of us who Tomović, Iva Milošević, Stevan Bodroža and many others work throughout the year at the Bitef Theatre work to rewhose names can be found in the monograph. Bitef Thealise the Bitef Festival. We endeavour to ensure that Bitef Theatre productions are presented in some form at the festiatre promoted new Serbian dramatic playwriting for 25 years, starting from Nebojša Pajkić and Brana Crnčević val, depending, of course, on the annual concept of selectors to Maja Pelević, Minja Bogavac, Filip Vujošević, Milan and material possibilities. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 61

■ Many plays, especially new ones, have been realised in co-productions between Bitef Theatre and foreign partners. What are the most significant of these?

- Bitef Theatre is a central service for cooperation with foreign culture centres in Belgrade. Bitef Theatre has close cultural and production links on many projects with the Goethe Institute, the French Cultural Institute, the British Council, the Italian Institute, Instituto Cervantes and others. In addition to that, we established significant cooperation with the Venice Biennale, Dance Umbrella platform, Jasmin Vardimon Company, Budva City Theatre, MESS Festival and many other regional theatre houses.

Bitef Theatre defends its artistic freedom in a relentless struggle against kitsch and trash of all kinds, offering a bold and new reality

■ How do you rate the production

of Bitef Theatre in relation to other

MEMORIES When she was sent into retirement after 18 years as the administrator of the theatre Ateljea 212, at the end of her life the experienced Mira Trailović established Bitef Theatre.

In the Bitef Theatre monograph Jelena Bogavac describes this time by quoting passages from Felix Pašić’s book "Mira Trailović - lady from the big world."

Shortly after his retirement, Aleksandar Bakočević, the then mayor of Belgrade, gave her the abandoned Evangelical Church next to Bajloni Market to convert it into the Bitef Theatre. "It would not be a copy of any existing or alternative theatre. It would be the centre of Yugoslav international theatre collaboration, a point at which all those in Yugoslavia and abroad who have something to say, something new to say, would get their stage area,"explained Mira Trailović.

"Todor Lalicki, a set designer who she called on for cooperation, remembers that the church was a complete wreck, with rubbish piled up from the rotten decor. She managed to get some money from a bank and a foreign company, just enough to convince the city government to help in its adaptation. According to Lalicki, she wasn’t indifferent about the fact that the theatre would be located in a church. "In every public appearance she emphasised that the church had not been consecrated, probably looking for an intimate cover for that fact that she had changed its purpose.

“The Germans did not look on it favourably. In contact with German diplomats in Belgrade she tried to reach some kind of agreement, to sign a memorandum on the use of space that had been legally assigned to the theatre, but had no legitimacy. She wanted it to be clean before God and before men.”

Director Arsenije Jovanović, an associate of Trailović in the creation of the Bitef Theatre, recorded all the details of the cooperation in his

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theatres of a similar profile elsewhere in the world?

- During bad times for institutional theatres, Bitef Theatre found its lifebelt in the possibilities of different coproductions with independent artists and theatre organisations in the region and internationally. Bitef Theatre has, conditionally speaking, great seasonal productions, such as dance and drama, which enables its institutional and substantive formulations and the structure of a theatre service centre, with a large range of production models.

Bitef Theatre’s repertoire is progressive and free, inextricably linked to the world of theatrical trends and local social events. It is always here and there, playing its difficult role of "world" style, with one foot always placed in the small town. ■

journal. Initially she complained to him that Jovan Ćirilov had betrayed her. His betrayal consisted of the fact that Ćirilov, now director of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, had no time for her venture. 'He is selfishly dedicated to the Yugoslav Drama Theatre – she said. – He does not understand where important things are happening.”

She invested all of her strength into raising Bitef Theatre. However, her strength was running out. Her sister, Olga Milićević-Nikolić, remembers that the first indications of her illness emerged in the spring of 1988.

Bitef Theatre opened on 3rd March 1989. She barely made it, already broken by illness, thin and weak, with dull eyes. (...) Complete silence accompanied the departure of Mira Trailović. Many know, some suspect, that this was her farewell. She spoke in a voice that had lost its tone: “Dear Belgraders, Dear guests from the country and the world, See for yourself how nice this theatre is, how unusual, and you can imagine the opportunities provided and the events that will unfold within it.

This space was designed to serve the faithful of the evangelical denomination, but the winds of war changed the fate of this building. They will forgive us for our noble intentions. This church, never consecrated and intended to be a temple of God, becomes a temple of theatrical muse, always close to the human belief in goodness and nobility. The gods of art have long been complicit in our theatre loves.

In order to open this theatre a lot of concerted energy, knowledge, ideas, perseverance and strength were required. (...) When those who come to us are overcome with imagination, strength and skill, I'll be happy. Few people know that through all these decades in the theatre I have just as much been in a battle with my own doubts, as much as I’ve been in a conspiracy with my energy. Art begins where some mysterious and unknown forces meet within the human epoch. I am happy that Belgrade will have another place where artists and viewers will attempt to occasionally touch that secret of human existence.”

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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■ By Slobodan GEORGIJEV

27th BELGRADE MARATHON

Marathon of Good

VIBRATIONS

In less than a month the sound of the starter gun will mark the beginning of the 27th SuisseGas Belgrade Marathon in the centre of the Serbian capital. Here we talk to Dejan Nikolic, general manager of this event that continues to survive against all the odds

D

ejan Nikolić, once a top athlete, is today middleaged Belgrader who has worked industriously and with dedication to keep the marathon going all these years, promoting athletics and improving Belgrade's reputation internationally. Nikolić is a quiet and calm man, but one who is determined, just like a real marathon runner should be. His work on launching and maintaining the Belgrade marathon all these years has been a veritable marathon task in itself.

“Since the time we started in the late 1980s Belgrade has seen many different governments, but we have always managed to gain support for the marathon, which is the biggest sporting

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event in Serbia,” says Nikolić speaking to CorD. Marathon organisers expect the new mayor, provided one is elected by the time the marathon starts, to be present at both the start and finish line and to invite Belgraders to support the event, both as participants and spectators.

“The day of the marathon is a day when we should all be on the course,” says Nikolić.

As has been the case for many years, Nikolić is in a great rush at this time of year, with so many pieces needing to fit in order for the marathon to start on April 27th and thus prove, yet again, just how important it is for the city and for Serbia.

“Our analyses reveal that the promotional value brought to Belgrade by this year's marathon is in the region of around €50 million,” explains Nikolić.

With this race through Belgrade, Nikolić brings together the City authorities and the national government, the tourist organisations of Belgrade and Serbia, as well as private companies and the media. His personal route is much longer and more complicated than the one run by professional and amateur runners in Belgrade every April.

The Belgrade Marathon began 27 years ago at the personal

“Currently, we have a group of close to 1000 people who initiative of a group of enthusiasts and has since grown to berepresent some sort of “marathon migration”. These are the come an international athletic event. It is special because it has people who plan their annual holidays around the world’s marcontinued despite all the troubles and a lack of institutional assistance. The marathon was even staged during the 1990s, athons. So far we have managed to increase the number of these when the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was under heavy people participating in our marathon by 25% annually and we international sanctions, as well as during the 1999 NATO bombhope that trend will continue,” says Nikolić.

He adds that the success of a marathon is not all about seting campaign. Nikolić remembers those days and says that he is proud of the fact that, despite everything, the marathon reting records and having the biggest names in the marathon world participating, but is rather mained an international event in about amateur runners, people 1999, when many foreign runners who dare themselves to take part participated. in such a huge and difficult sport“During the bombing we sent letters to the international athleting event.

He also explains that it is ics association and NATO informnot easy to join the ranks of the ing them that the race would take world’s biggest marathons and a place in Belgrade. There were no lot has to be done throughout the air raids on the day of the race, whole year to promote Belgrade’s which speaks volumes about the race at similar major events importance of this event,” explains around the globe, including other Nikolić, adding that on the day the CARL LEWIS and DEJAN NIKOLIĆ marathons and marathon fairs 1999 marathon took place some in London, New York and Berlin.

17 Russian towns also staged Thanks to the latest These cities have a problem with high marathon races in a show of solidarity demand because so many people want with Belgrade. successes of the Serbian Today the annual marathon ranks national team, athletics has to participate that there aren't enough for them. as a major and important regional become an important sport numbers Nikolić is aware that there is a event which attracts over 15,000 for many and this provides lot of room for improvement when it participants each year and has mancomes to the Belgrade marathon, paraged to become a regular event on the an additional opportunity agenda of Belgraders, who view it as ticularly in terms of promotional marto increase the popularity of a one day festival of sport and healthy keting, and is hopeful that in the future running and the marathon lifestyles. there will be plenty of opportuni“We get letters from various ties to work on raising awareness parts of the city in which people about the Belgrade Marathon ask us to extend the route of the within Serbia, the region and othmarathon to include their neigher parts of Europe and the world.

He says that Novi Sad’s EXIT bourhoods too,” says Nikolić, ilFestival is an event to look up to lustrating just how connected Beland that it’s organisers carry out graders are to this event. promotional work year round. In Over many years the Belgrade doing the same, the marathon can Marathon has grown to become attract an even bigger number of one of the city's landmark events, people who would like to come to just like marathon races in world’s Belgrade to run, spend a few days biggest cities. What is yet to be here, tour the city's landmarks done is to use this traditional event and spend some money. He also says that estimates show that for an even bigger global promotion and to make the marathon during its marathon New York generates close to $400 million even more popular among professional and amateur runners of 'tourist revenue'. who participate in similar races worldwide.

People who like marathons, the runners, comprise the bigNikolić adds that marathons, regardless of their location, provide many opportunities for cities and local communities to gest movement in the world and sometimes all it takes is to promote themselves in the best possible way by tying in their keep the track open for several hours and thus attract thouactivities with the concept and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. sands of people from all over the world who would like to cover Nikolić also reminds that the number of international amateur the marathon course even if it takes them six hours. runners participating in the Belgrade marathon continues to “The marathon is a challenge and participating in it actually grow year-on-year. means changing your attitude towards life,” explains Nikolić. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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€123,000. Participants in this race are supposed to find a sponApart from promoting the event and getting important athletes to participate, this sporting enthusiast and his colleagues sor to donate at least 400 dinars for each kilometre they cover have been trying to set up a system which would ensure the and the minimum requirement is to complete (running or walkevent’s financial stability and bigger ing) at least the 5-km Fun Run event. prize money and, in that way, raise So far over 100 participants have Belgrade Marathon the rating of the whole event within signed up to run in this year’s CorD promoters who have come to Charity Masters, with corporate supthe global marathon movement. promote the event over the port coming from the likes of the “This year we have managed to cover almost all of our costs with Foreign Investors Council, Telenor, Piyears have included many great help from the City and the nagreat names from the world raeus Bank and Coca-Cola HBC. Their employees have been participating tional government, as well as thanks of athletics, such as Carl in the race since day one, while many to our new general sponsor – comLewis, Bob Beamon, Michael other companies and organisations pany SuisseGas – with whom we have have also joined the effort. signed a three-year-contract. I expect Powell and Rosa Mota In terms of the official marathis to be a good foundation for the future and that with stable thon promoters, over the years funding we will be able to focus we have had great names from more on other important acthe world of athletics promoting the event, including Carl Lewis, tivities involved in organising a Bob Beamon, Michael Powell marathon race,” notes Nikolić. and Rosa Mota. Nikolić explains Apart from SuisseGas as the that the marathon’s organisers general sponsor, the marathon have always strived to bring the organisers have been seeking biggest stars of athletics and, other corporate sponsors who in a way, make a connection recognise the value of the event between them and young loto them and thus agree to sponsor it. In order for everything to cal athletics hopefuls like Ivana function better and for compaŠpanović and Emir Bekrić today and Olivera Jeftić in the past. nies to be given a chance to do “This year our plan was to something for the local commubring the queen of women's athnity in which they operate, there is also the CorD Charity Masters letics, Irina Isinbayeva, but she race, which has been taking is unfortunately prevented for place during the main marathon attending due to health probfor eight consecutive years. This lems. We are now trying to bring is a special race that company 400-metres-hurdles world reemployees and company sponcord holder Kevin Young, who is the second best competitor in sored runners participate in. this discipline of all time after “Not many people here know the legendary Edwin Moses. By that the London Marathon is doing this we want to place an also one of the biggest charities Promoting sports among emphasis on the importance of the rein the world, which manages to raise the youngest members tens of millions of pounds each year sults achieved by our own Emir Bekrić through various charity programmes,” and to promote him as a future star of of the population and Nikolić says, adding that that charity world athletics. We have always tried creating conditions for the component is becoming increasingly to tie in our athletes with the biggest development of recreational stars and thus encourage them to imimportant. He also hopes that more sports are among the money will be raised this year and prove further,” says Nikolić. that this money will end up in the Thanks to the latest successes of priorities set by the Serbian hands of those who need it the most. the Serbian national team, athletics Ministry of Youth and Sport Nikolić also expects the corporate has become an important sport for community in Serbia to recognise the media potential of the many and this provides an additional opportunity to increase marathon and the opportunity it provides for companies to tie the popularity of running and the marathon. Nikolić says that in their operations to the values promoted by a healthy lifestyle. he can envisage both individuals and institutions becoming Over the last seven years CorD Charity Masters has raised over aware of just how important is to invest in a basic sport like

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athletics because, by doing so, we are not only creating champions, but also a nation of healthy people.

“The marathon stories are always about individual successes and we would like the media to cover more stories about how different people with different backgrounds decide to run the marathon and how this becomes a turning point in their lives. Through running I have met many people and heard many stories. All of them have a common thread and that is that this is a movement that accepts everybody and the most important thing to have is the will to run,” encourages Nikolić.

This will is also clearly demonstrated by the pupils of Belgrade’s grammar schools and high schools, who run in the marathon in great numbers, as well as by races like 'The Children's Marathon', 'The Ladies' Race' and 'The Race through History', which are becoming increasingly popular. To date over For the eighth consecutive year, The Belgrade Marathon and CorD Magazine are proud to be organising the CorD Charity Masters – a race in which it is more important to be charitable than to be first.

The Charity Masters race will take place under the auspices of the upcoming 27th Belgrade Marathon, to be staged on Saturday April 27th 2014.

We are inviting you to run (or stroll if you so desire) at least five kilometres to raise money for the charity of your choice.

Over the last seven years runners in the CorD Charity Masters have raised more than €123,000, which has been donated to more than 40 institutions and individuals in need.

HOW TO RAISE FUNDS Each participant should secure sponsorship of at least RSD 400 for every kilometre they run during the race. Sponsors are most commonly the companies that the participants work for.

So far over 100 participants have signed up to run in this year’s CorD Charity Masters, with corporate support coming from the likes of the Foreign Investors Council, Telenor, Piraeus Bank, Coca-Cola HBC etc.

CorD's Masters of Charity!

HOW TO MAKE A PAYMENT Donations should be paid either to CorD’s special account or directly, which will be then forwarded to the individual or organisation of choice, or onto the accounts of the organisations or individuals participants wish to benefit from their donation.

Race participants have complete freedom to choose any humanitarian organisation or individual they wish to run for and donate money too. Every participant in the CorD Charity Masters receives a certificate and a commemorative Tshirt as proof of their participation.

18,000 children have participated in 'The Children's Marathon', which takes place annually at the Belgrade Zoo. “We have received a lot of help from the Belgrade Secretariat for Youth and Sport, which appeals to kids and teenagers to participate. It is also worth mentioning that promoting sports among the youngest members of the population and creating conditions for the development of recreational sports are among the priorities set by the Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sport and its minister Vanja Udovičić,” adds Nikolić.

Nikolić would like to invite Belgraders to register and participate in the Belgrade Marathon on April 27th and not concentrate on the result, but rather on the fact that they have joined a huge positive global movement which brings with it a specific lifestyle.

“The marathon’s doors are opened to everybody,” concludes Nikolić.” ■ You can find more information about the race by visiting: www.cordmagazine.com Click on the ‘CorD Charity Masters’ icon, complete the application form and submit it. Alternatively, you can send an email to charitymasters@cordmagazine.com or fax the completed registration form to (+381) 11 2450 122. The closing date for registration is April 20th.

Race participants are invited to gather near Pionir Park, at the corner of Knez Miloš and Kralj Aleksandar streets, on April 27th at 9 am.

Any individual, company, organisation, association or mission that agrees to pay the runner can be a sponsor. Sponsors can also include work colleagues who are willing to collect funds for the selected charity. You can obtain sponsorship within your company or from family members, friends… whoever wants to join the race.

CorD magazine will sponsor the first 10 runners who apply.

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 67

EASTER 2014

Movable

HOLIDAY

Easter is not only a movable holiday, but a multiple one: in most years, Western Christian churches and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on different dates. In 2013, for example, Easter was celebrated on March 31st by Western churches and May 5th by Orthodox churches. This year, however, the two celebrations occur on the same date: April 20th

T

he theological inconsistency of two Easters has remained a thorny problem for the Christian Church. According to the World Council of Churches: “It has long been recognised that to celebrate this fundamental aspect of the Christian faith on different dates gives a divided witness and compromises the churches’ credibility and effectiveness in bringing the Gospel to the world.”

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The formula for Easter—”The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox”—is identical for both Western and Orthodox Easters, but the churches base the dates on different calendars: Western churches use the Gregorian calendar, the standard calendar for much of the world, and Orthodox churches use the older, Julian calendar. That much is straightforward. But actually calculating these dates involves a bewildering array of ecclesiastical moons and paschal full

moons, the astronomical equinox and the fixed equinox— and cording to the story of Christ’s death and resurrection, death is that’s in addition to the two different calendar systems. defeated from within. It is a day of watchful expectation, when The two churches vary on the definition of the vernal mourning is transformed into joy. Holy Saturday is part of the equinox and the full moon. The Eastern Easter period observed by both OrthoChurch sets the date of Easter dox and western churches according to the actual, asalike, although Easter dates often tend to differ between tronomical full moon and the the churches. actual equinox as observed The Council of Nicaea esalong the meridian of Jerusalem, site of the Crucifixion tablished the Easter date for and Resurrection. churches around the world in The Eastern Orthodox 325AD, but not all Christian Church also applies the forchurches converted to observe Easter according to the Gregomula so that Easter always falls after Passover, since the rian calendar after it was first Crucifixion and Resurrection introduced in 1582. Many Orof Christ took place after he thodox churches still observe entered Jerusalem to celeEaster in accordance with the earlier Julian calendar. Therebrate Passover. In the Western Church, Easter sometimes prefore the Orthodox Easter pericedes Passover by weeks. od occurs later than the Easter The Western church does period that falls around the Midnight Easter Liturgy at Saint Sava Cathedral Church not use the actual, or astrotime of the March equinox.

The formula for Easter— In Orthodox circles, tensions exist benomically correct date for the vernal equinox, but a fixed date (March 21st). tween New Calendarists – those who use ”The first Sunday after And by full moon it does not mean the the revised Julian calendar for calculating the first full moon astronomical full moon but the “ecclesithe feasts of the ecclesiastical year – and on or after the vernal Old Calendarists – those who continue to astical moon,” which is based on tables equinox”—is identical use the traditional Julian calendar. There created by the church. These constructs have been a number of proposed Easter allow the date of Easter to be calculated for both Western and in advance rather than determined by Orthodox Easters, but the date reforms. In 1997 the World Counactual astronomical observances, which cil of Churches proposed a reform to churches base the dates solve the Easter date difference between are naturally less predictable. on different calendars Orthodox Easter churches that observe the The Easter period as Gregorian calendar and those defined by the Eastern Orthat observe the Julian calenthodox Church is officially dar. So far, this reform has not observed in countries inbeen implemented. cluding Serbia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, the EASTER IN SERBIA Republic of Macedonia, RoThe 46-day Lenten fast for Serbians and other Orthomania and Ukraine. There are no federal Orthodox Holy dox Christians is strict. WestSaturday public holidays in ern Christians, for whom countries such as Australia, Sundays are exempt, fast for Canada, the United Kingdom 40 days, unlike Orthodox and the United States. HowChristians who also fast on the six Sundays in Lent. ever, it is a time for families Not only do believer aband friends of the Orthodox Christian faith to gather tostain from eating meat for the POPE FRANCIS leads his first Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square entire 46 days, but also eggs gether and celebrate the Orand dairy products. Now is thodox Easter period. the time for vegetarian Sarma and other Serbian Lent recipes.

Holy Saturday is the day between Jesus’s death and his resFirst and foremost, Easter is a celebration of the resurrecurrection. Many Orthodox churches contemplate the mystery of Jesus Christ’s descent into Hades, the world of the dead. Action of Jesus Christ, but it’s also the opportunity to break the cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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cross is made in the doorway with the soot to protect the fast with great quantities of food. house for the coming year.

Easter church services are followed by families having their An Easter liturgy is also held on Saturday night in many baskets of painted eggs blessed by the parish priest. These eggs Russian Orthodox churches. Worare usually dyed red, symbolising happiness, joy, rebirth and shippers congregate in a the blood of Christ. Famidarkened church and as midnight approaches they lies exchange eggs and say, light candles and church Hristos Voskrese (Christ bells announce the resuris risen). The response is Voistinu Voskrese (Indeed rection of Christ at midHe is risen). night. An intensely joyful Only then do the fesOrthodox liturgical chant can be heard throughout tivities begin. Families the streets in some parts have their favourite dishof Russia until the conclues, but traditionally the meal begins with appetizsion of Easter liturgy at dawn. ers of smoked meats and In Lebanon, which also cheeses, ajvar (roasted observes Orthodox Easter, aubergine and pepper The Easter period as defined by it is traditional that on the afternoon chutney), boiled eggs and red wine.

Then the dinner is laid on a the Eastern Orthodox Church is of Easter Saturday people visit seven table set with the finest hand-croofficially observed in countries churches to be blessed at each of them. Some people place a piece of cheted tablecloth, china, crystal including Serbia, Bulgaria, dough in a tree on Saturday night, glassware and silverware, while Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, believing it will be blessed by Christ. the table also holds a candelabrum On Sunday evening they place small containing three beeswax candles the Republic of Macedonia, pieces of that dough in other food representing the Holy Trinity.

Romania and Ukraine containers so that these The meal usually starts will also become blessed. with chicken noodle soup On Holy Saturday or lamb vegetable soup, folmany people flock to the lowed by spit-roasted lamb.

Church of the Holy SepulMany Serbian Orthodox churches have a commuchre in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the site nity spit where each family of Jesus Christ’s burial. has its spring lamb cooked.

They come to this place The offerings are roundto experience an annual ed out by meat Sarma (pickevent, which is deemed le cabbage leaves folded a miracle, known as the and stuffed with mincemeat Holy Fire. According to and rice), numerous salads, many Orthodox Christian vegetables, bread, gibanica sources, this fire occurs (cheese pie) and pastries annually at the same place and time and tortes of all types for dessert. and in the same manner. The Holy Fire liturgy is broadcast live in countries such as Greece and Russia.

EASTER IN EASTERN CHRISTIANITY Easter in Western Christianity In Greece the day of Holy Saturday is filled with the In Western Christianity, Easter is always celebrated on the anticipation of celebrating Easter Sunday. In some areas Sunday immediately following the Paschal Full Moon. Though people begin to gather in churches and squares in cities, it is true that Easter was always celebrated on the Sunday imtowns and villages for the Easter liturgies. Many people carry large white candles, while the church bells toll as the mediately following the first full moon after the vernal (spring) priests announce “Christ is Risen!” at midnight between equinox back in 325 AD, when it was established by the Council Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Fireworks are set off and of Nicea, the course of history has modified the meaning of this each person in the crowd responds with traditional joyous instruction and, therefore, a clearer, more accurate explanation responses. After this everybody goes home for a meal – the is necessary today. fasting period is over. If their candles are still burning, a There are, in fact, as many misunderstandings about the

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baptisms at this point or not, it is traditional for the congregacalculation of Easter dates as there are reasons for confusion about Easter dates tion to renew the vows of their baptismal faith. This act is often The Easter festival is observed in many different ways. sealed by the sprinkling of the congregation with holy water The traditional, liturgical obfrom the font. The Catholic sacservation of Easter, as pracrament of Confirmation is also celebrated at the Vigil. tised among Roman Catholics, The Easter Vigil concludes Lutherans and some Anglicans, with the celebration of the begins on the night of Holy Eucharist (known in some traSaturday with the Easter Vigil.

This, the most important litditions as Holy Communion).

Certain variations in the Easter urgy of the year, begins in total Vigil exist: Some churches read darkness with the blessing of the Old Testament lessons bethe Easter fire, the lighting of the large Paschal candle (symfore the procession of the Pasbolic of the Risen Christ) and chal candle and then read the the chanting of the Exsultet or gospel immediately after the ExEaster Proclamation attributed sultet. Some churches prefer to to Saint Ambrose of Milan. keep this vigil very early on the Eggs are usually dyed red, After this service of light, a Sunday morning instead of the Satsymbolising happiness, joy, number of readings from the Old urday night, particularly churches, rebirth and the blood of Christ. to reflect the gospel account of the Testament are read. These tell the Families exchange eggs and stories of creation, the sacrifice of women coming to the tomb at dawn Isaac, the crossing of the Red Sea say, Hristos Voskrese (Christ is on the first day of the week. These and the foretold coming of the Mesrisen). The response is Voistinu services are known as the Sunrise service and often occur in an outsiah. This part of the service climaxVoskrese (Indeed He is risen) es with the singing of the Gloria door setting, such as the church and Alleluia and the proclamacemetery, yard, or a nearby park.

Additional celebrations are tion of the Gospel of the resurusually offered on Easter Sunday rection. At this time, the lights itself. Typically these services are brought up and the church follow the usual order of Sunday bells are rung, according to loservices in a congregation, but cal custom. A sermon may be also typically incorporate more preached after the gospel. highly festive elements. In parThe focus then moves from the lectern to the font. Traditicular, the music of the service often displays a highly festive tionally, Easter was considered tone to supplement a congregathe ideal time for converts to receive baptism and this praction’s usual instrumentation. A congregation’s worship space tice continues within Roman is often decorated with special Catholicism and the Anglican banners and flowers. ■ Communion. Whether there are

The most famous decorated eggs

Decorating Easter eggs has been a long-standing tradition within the Christian faith. It has since turned into a form of art, however, combining deep religious meaning with delicate, superficial beauty. During its long history, the Easter egg has evolved from a simple dyed or painted chicken’s egg to much more intricate and elaborate representations, including ones made from chocolate, plastic, candy, and even gold.

Perhaps some of the most famous decorated eggs are the Fabergé eggs commissioned by Russian Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II. Of the fifty jeweled eggs that were made by the House of Fabregé between 1885 and 1917, only 42 have survived.

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114 April 2014 | 71

CHILL OUT their full potential, the event will feature sports courts, cooking stations, and, of course, Easter egg rolling in addition to live music and storytelling.

White House Easter Egg Roll tickets will be distributed through an online lottery system, allowing guests from across the United States to participate in a tradition that dates back to 1878. Tickets are free of charge.

White House Easter Egg Roll As part of their ongoing effort to open the People’s House to as many people as possible, the President and First Lady announced that this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll will be held on Monday, April 21st. In support of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to help kids grow up healthy and have the opportunity to reach

Rainy Mardi Gras

Machine Turns Water Into (Artificial) Wine The ‘Miracle Machine’ takes only three days and just a couple of dollars to make wine that would normally cost at least $20, its developers Kevin Boyer and Philip James claim.

The fermentation chamber in the machine turns water, grape concentrate, yeast and a finishing powder into wine.

The chamber uses an array of electrical sensors, transducers, heaters and pumps to provide a controlled environment for the primary and, as needed, secondary fermentation stages.

An accompanying app, linked to the Miracle Machine via Bluetooth, tracks the progress of the wine.

It can also be used to select the perfect wine for your taste, telling you which ingredients to purchase in order to make the wine of your choice.

The machine costs $499. Cheers!

Despite unusually cold and rainy weather at the beginning of March, Mardi Gras festivities continued throughout New Orleans, especially the city’s oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter.

The Mardi Gras have been an annual tradition in the city since 1857. The parades, which are organized beginning of March by various krewes, or organizers behind the various parades during Carnival season, were filled with colorful floats, costumed revelers and of course throws such as the iconic Mardi Gras plastic beads and Mardi Grasthemed doubloons.

This year was somewhat different because of the cold and rain, which kept larger crowds from making their way out for Mardi Gras. But those who braved the cold and wet weather were greeted with the cheerful krewe floats and more intimate crowds.

Wilson ball found on Queensland beach Remember Tom Hanks’ trusted volleyball companion “Wilson’’ in the 2000 film Cast Away?

He floated away as Hanks’ character tried to sail to safety after years of solitude on a desert island.

The volleyball was never seen again.

Now, thanks to the investigative prowess of the Queensland, Australia police, Wilson — or at least his lookalike, basket72 |

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ball cousin — has been found safe and well on a Queensland beach. The Wilson who turned up on Eastern Beach, covered in barnacles but otherwise looking pretty good.

A volunteer police member from Maryborough was travelling along the Eastern Beach on Fraser Island when they saw the lookalike Wilson basketball — barnacles and all — washed up on the shore.

It is unknown where the ball came from or how long it may have been floating in the Pacific.

Painting With Tongue In an attempt to be a “different kind” of artist, Indian schoolteacher Ani K has developed a method whereby he paints exclusively with his tongue.

“I didn’t jump straight to the tongue.

I have tried painting with my nose, tried

painting with my chin, my elbows and feet,” the 35-year-old said. “I also tried drawing with both hands simultaneously, and also while riding on a moving bike.”

With a slip of his tongue, Ani K has painted more than 1,000 works — including an eight-foot Da Vinci and a portrait of Jesus Christ.

Walnut Headbutting Record Cracked A new world record is set at the Punjab Youth Festival in Pakistan as a martial artist smashes walnuts with his head A martial arts expert has broken a world record by cracking 155 walnuts with his head in just one minute.Mohammad Rashid set the new record at the Punjab Youth Festival in Lahore, Pakistan. He beat the previous record of 44 walnuts, held by an American.

The world record was one of several set at the festival.

Another man, Mohammad Arbab, claimed a world record by performing 65 push-ups while saddled with a 40-pound weight.

Hard to Say Goodbye Here’s why you should never attempt to kiss a turtle, especially a clingy one.

A hapless animal lover got a shock when he decided kissing the reptile goodbye before releasing it was definitely not a good idea.

Misinterpreting the signals, the ungrateful animal latched on to his lips, leaving the recipient of its affection in hospital in Dongguan, southern China.

The creature was eventually prized away from the man’s lips, but the unsavoury incident almost certainly spoiled their final goodbye.

A friend of the unfortunate victim apparently posted the above picture online, according to reports in China.

The animal is believed to be an alligator snapping turtle, commonly found in the south-eastern United States.

Expensive Protest Maximo Caminero (51) a painter of some local prominence is facing vandalism charges after picking up a $1-million ancient vase inside a Miami art gallery and letting it smash on the floor.

The destroyed vase — part of an installment called Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn — belongs to renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

“It was a spontaneous protest,” said Caminero. “I was at the gallery and saw Ai Weiwei’s photos behind the vases where he

drops an ancient Chinese vase and breaks it.

And I saw it as a provocation by Weiwei to join him in an act of performance protest.”

Regrettably for Caminero, the vase was actually an ancient relic.

He told the New Times the pot looked like anything you might find “at Home Depot, frankly.” Guess he doesn’t think much of ancient Chinese potters, either, or he has a very high opinion of Home Depot.

Caminero also claimed smashing the vase was a complaint against Miami galleries who don’t exhibit local artists. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 73

TECHNO TALK CORPORATE

LENOVO INCREDIBLE DEVICES www.lenovo.com/rs/sr/ www.facebook.com/Lenovo.Srbija lenovosrbija@lenovo.com

The Ultimate 14" Business Ultrabook

Re-engineered to deliver premium features including up to 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors and touch navigation, the ThinkPad T440s is a new generation thin and light business laptop. From its ultra-long battery life to its Full HD IPS display, the T440s will drive your performance to the next level In-Plane Switching (IPS) FHD or HD+ (1920 x 1080 resolution) LCD displays with high brightness. With optional multitouch you can enjoy the smoothest navigation experience with impeccable response times. The standard configuration of T440s includes (2) 3-cell batteries, one internal and one swappable.

Affordable 15.6" Dual-Mode Notebook

If you think a convertible notebook is out of your price range, think again.

The Lenovo Flex 15 is a unique, thin and light, dual-mode laptop that flips 300 degrees from laptop to stand mode. It is a perfect way to enjoy movies on the go or make the most of touchscreen applications The Flex 15’s unique design means it adapts to whatever you choose to do.

With up to 9 hours’ battery life between charges, the Flex 15 is an ideal companion for users on the go. Lenovo Energy Management protects the long-term durability of the battery and uses advanced energysaving technology to increase time spent between charges.

Affordable 10.1" Dual-Mode Notebook

The Flex 10 is an ultraportable dual-mode laptop that flips 300 degrees from laptop to stand mode, a perfect way to enjoy movies on the go or make the most of touch applications Flex 10’s unique design means it adapts to whatever you choose to do. Thin and light laptops usually bear a hefty price tag, but the affordable Flex 10 is only 17.3mm (0.68”) thick and weighs in at just 1.2kg (2.6 lbs). Lenovo Energy Manager protects the long-term durability of the battery and uses advanced energy-saving technology to increase time spent between charges.

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ADVERTORIAL

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The ThinkPad Yoga delivers flexibility for business. It's 12.5" display rotates 360 degrees to offer four different usage modes: Laptop, Tablet, Tent, and Stand. Boasting legendary ThinkPad reliability and a range of business and security features, it's the ultimate multimode business Ultrabook. Easily change between four modes — Laptop, Stand, Tablet, and Tent — while your system automatically switches system settings and locks the keyboard in place With up to 256GB SSD storage, the ThinkPad Yoga has plenty of space for all of your important files, videos, photos, and presentations.

Lenovo® Yoga Tablet

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The Lenovo® Yoga Tablet is the industry’s first tablet with a multimode design. The innovation lies in the unique kickstand on its cylindrical battery, as it enables 3 different usage modes – hold mode, stand mode and tilt mode. The battery lasts up to an incredible 18 hours, ensuring unplugged usage, anytime. It comes in variants of 8” and 10” screen sizes along with built-in multimedia features, for entertainment on the go. Overall, it’s a device that takes your tablet experience to the next level.

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The Intel®-inspired Yoga 2 Pro is a PC, tablet, and more. Its super-high resolution, multitouch display flips back 360° to offer four different usage modes: Laptop, Tablet, Stand, and Tent. A PC when you need it, a tablet when you want it, and more. Easily change between four modes — Laptop, Stand, Tablet, and Tent — while Lenovo Transition automatically switches system settings and locks the keyboard in place Enjoy powerful performance and vibrant visuals to multitask with ease, amazing battery life to keep up with you, and built-in security features to help keep your data safer.

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ThinkPad ColorBurst Display (WQHD, 2560 x 1440) and antiglare screen mean text is crisper, images are brighter, and colors are truer. Constructed with satellite-grade carbon fiber, X1 Carbon is the toughest ThinkPad ever made. In fact, we perform eight separate military specification tests—all under extreme conditions.

cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 75

TECHNO TALK

BEST GADGETS OF 2014 (SO FAR…)

Tech gadgets can introduce great time-saving advantages to your day, as well as making life easier. However, we are bombarded with gadgets and various applications today more than ever before and very few of them are actually worth the money. We’ve gone through the best tech gear out there and narrowed it down to a dozen new gadgets that can assist you in a variety of aspects of your life.

Our selection is dedicated to those of our readers who are always seeking innovative and fashionable gadgets.

Here is our collection of the best gadgets of 2014 (so far...)

The Withings Aura

YotaPhone 2

PRICE: €216

PRICE: TBC

The Aura, a new sleep-tracking smart device, is made up of two parts: a lamp and sound system that helps you fall asleep or wake you up with specially colored lights; and a sensor that goes under your mattress and measures movement, heart rate, and breathing.

Russian company Yota Devices come up with the second-generation of YotaPhone, equipping it with 2 features a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display up front and a 4.7” 540 x 960-pixel e-ink one on the back. Design-wise, the YotaPhone 2 is a huge improvement over the original one. The handset should launch globally by the end of 2014.

Plantronics Voyager Edge Bluetooth PRICE: €95

HP ElitePad 1000

PRICE: €532

The ElitePad 1000 is a Windows 8.1 tablet built for the business user who wants to maintain a connection between work and play. The ElitePad 1000 G2 is an enterprise-focused tablet, touted by the firm as a “total business solution.” Flexibility is the tablet’s main focus, with full-sized HDMI ports, multiple accessories 64-bit Intel processors, dual cameras and enterprise IT integration software.

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The sophisticated, performance-driven Plantronics Voyager Edge Bluetooth® headset is an inspired blend of elegance, comfort, and signature Plantronics audio technology. Voice commands keep you in control, audio alerts keep you informed, premium noise cancelling keeps calls clear in any environment, and a portable charging case keeps Voyager Edge ready when you are.

The Voyager Edge will be available from April.

iPro Lens System

Huawei E5786

PRICE: FROM €35

PRICE: TBI

The iPro Lens System range, a set of interchangable lenses -- Macro, Wide Angle, Super Wide, Fisheye, and Telephoto -has now been expanded to include the iPhone 5, 5S, and 4/4S, as well as Samsung Galaxy S4, and current iPad models.

Schneider Optics says that a new clip fits the latest models of the iPad Mini, Air and iPad 2, allowing you to fix the lens on the back without damaging your tablet.

Huawei E5786 supports downlink speeds of up to 300Mbps, while the uplink rate can reach 50Mbps.

It means E5786 support large files and movies of a high-definition download to be completed within 30 seconds. In addition, Huawei E5786 use carrier aggregation and high-frequency technology to support 10 mobile broadband WiFi access, and is the first mobile hotspot to support WiFi 802.11ac 2 × 2MIMO, while supporting 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band, dual antenna, to provide users with better internet access.

The Huawei E5786 will be available from May 2014

Epson Moverio BT200 PRICE: €500 The Moverio glasses are in essence, two small LCD projectors, alongside Android 4.0 support, Bluetooth, head motion tracking and a front-facing camera. Unlike Google Glass, the Moverio is aimed more to improve professional productivity than for consumer use.

Digital Storm Bolt II PRICE: €1,370 Digital Storm’s Bolt gaming PC measures just 9.1 cm wide and about 35cm square. It looks more like an HTPC than anything else.

Inside that lithe custom-built chassis is (up to) an Intel Core i7-3770K, an ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe motherboard, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (2GB), and 16GB of DDR3-1600MHz RAM. For storage, the Bolt features a 120GB SSD paired with a 1TB (7200RPM) hard drive, and there’s a slim 8x DVD-RW optical drive, as well.

Sony SmartBand PRICE: €99 It doesn’t even carry a display, opting instead to vibrate when the wearer receives a notification like a phone call.

You can also press the SmartBand’s button to create “bookmarks” of specific events or places in time and go back to check the log later. Aside from logging steps, calculating calorie burn and sending notifications, Sony’s SmartBand can act as a media remote, letting you control playback of music on your smartphone. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

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FASHION

SPRING 2014

Escape to a S Relaxed Vibe

pring and summer are the perfect time to plan a picnic with your friends. Head to the nearest place to relax and enjoy a day or two in the sun and natural surroundings! As temperatures can be a little unpredictable, you'll want to pair your shorts or skirt with a long sleeved button down top or cardigan to protect against chilly breezes. Look for separates in bright patterns and vintage washes for a look that's appropriate for a picnic.

With sportswear influences being among the most simply sizeable developments for the new season, loose fitting trousers and sweatshirts are certainly great picks for those in search of a sporty vibe.

Since you'll be spending the afternoon outdoors, bring your sunglasses and a cute hat to keep your skin protected. Keep the rest of your outfit simple and fuss-free and you're set for a perfect picnic.

Here are some of the ideas we’ve selected for you.

Elliott Shirt A crisp plaid pattern has a borrowedfrom-the-boys appeal, while a subtle pastel ombre earns extra credit.

PRICE:

€143

Frankie B Shorts Starlight in Indigo Ike Borrow from the boys with these Frankie B shorts-leather suspenders accent the bleached-out cutoffs for a tomboy remix.

PRICE:

€125

PRICE:

€140

PAM & GELA Romper - Pigment Dyed Fleece

Cotton/polyester, machine wash, round neck, cap sleeves, raw-edge arm opening with elasticized drawstring waist, two exposed zip side pockets and exposed partial zip back closure.

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Ditsy Patched Scarf This gorgeous scarf features a ditsy floral print across the fabric.

PRICE:

€22

TOTAL:

€1,040

Shirt, Skirt & More

ETRO Hat

Get into the swing of spring and summer with Adriano Goldschmidt chambray shirt, Citizens of Humanity patchwork pencil skirt, block-heel sandals and a fresh white bag.

Adriano Goldschmied Shirt €122.00 Citizens of Humanity Pencil Skirt €130.00 Aerin Sandals €215.00 Michael Kors Tote €267.00 Chloé Capucine Sunglasses €200.00 Rachel Zoe Bracelet €105.00

Blue Printed Cotton Drill Straw Hat, Printed cotton. Made in italy.

Open Toe Sandals French craftsmanship and signature, laidback style defines pairs from this loyally followed brand.

PRICE:

€114

Moschino iPhone Case Treat your iPhone 5s to the delightfully whimsical aesthetic of this Moschino case.

PRICE:

PRICE:

€112

Salvatore Ferragamo Crossbody Crafted in an always-classic silhouette, this luxe Salvatore Ferragamo crossbody is built to last.

€1,254

Jeans & More Flex your style savvy, teamed with a line-up of crisp white jeans and studded gladiator sandals, your weekend wardrobe is fashion-bracket winner.

Jersey Twist Seam Muscle €83.00 2b Paige Denim Jeans TOTAL: €130.00 €783 2c Chan Luu Wrap Bracelet €156.00 2d Gucci Polarized Sunglasses €200.00 2e Brian Atwood Flat Sandals €115.00

PRICE:

Ready to play from season to season, these ankle booties play it cool with ankle straps and cute cutouts.

€135

PRICE:

€40

Ankle Booties

PRICE:

€250

Maje Jacket Cotton/viscose/polyester, hand wash with round neck, exposed front and two front zip pockets.

Michele Tahitian Black Watch

PRICE:

€340

Styled in polished stainless steel with bright, multicolored numbers and black 3-eye subdial chronograph display. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 79

FASHION

Let's Add More T Colour to Our Lives

his year’s spring & summer fashion season demands a more casual look. Perhaps this shift can help lighten spirits in the context of the circumstance we are all living in.

So, let’s put the economic crisis aside with this year's fashion, which is resisting the negative mood by bringing more colours and casual and relaxed sportswear into our lives.

Spring/Summer 2014 men's fashion trend is also flamboyant, displaying all the colours that are neither muted nor neutral, in line with the contradiction which characterises this season.

PRICE:

Vivienne Westwood Shirt

€280

Featuring turn-up cuffs with a salmon pink lining, team it with everything from shorts to chinos to channel weekend cool.

PRICE:

DeWitt Tourbillon 008 Watch

€240

Gucci Sunglasses

Distinctive teardrop lenses front updated aviator-style sunglasses with polarized lenses for crisp clarity and vision protection.

Designed, crafted and handfinished in Geneva, Italy this fine 18 karat rose gold watch will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

PRICE:

€235

Billy Reid Jacket & Chino Shorts

Handsome brass buttons detail a lean-fitting denim jacket in a vintage-inspired wash.

PRICE:

€145,000

PRICE:

€70 PRICE:

€435

Regular Fit Cotton Sportcoat

Two-button sportcoat cut from cotton and styled with a high notch lapel.

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114 April 2014 | www.cordmagazine.com

Billy Reid Shorts Crisp, lightweight chino shorts are crafted from washed cotton in a comfortably slim, mid-thigh cut.

PRICE:

Suit & AG Pants

PRICE:

€70

€435

Fine wool shapes a classic suit featuring a two-button, notch-lapel jacket and flat-front trousers for a timeless look.

Fine wool shapes a classic suit featuring a twobutton, notch-lapel jacket and flat-front trousers for a timeless look.

Stripe Webbing Belt

PRICE:

€14

PRICE:

Earthy leather trim touches up a casual belt marked with clean-cut stripes.

€30

€73

Cotton Handkerchief (12- in-pack)

Tonal stripes pattern soft, absorbent handkerchiefs cut from pure cotton.

'Logan' Oxford Shoes Copper toned rubber grounds a plaintoe oxford with a distinguished PRICE: asymmetrical cut at the heel.

Grayers Sport Shirt

PRICE:

€130

Tailored Leg Pants Cleanly styled back pockets highlight the long, lean look of slim, straight-leg pants cut from richly dyed cotton in a classic five-pocket style.

PRICE:

G-Shock Gravity Defier Aviator Watch

€157

Borsalino Downbrim Panama Hat

G –Shock designs a sophisticated time piece with triple g resist construction that stands up to the forces of impact, vibration, and G forces.

PRICE:

Natural color, 100% genuine Panama straw, hand oven in Ecuador.

Alexander McQueen Silk Chiffon Scarf A skull print pattern defines a smooth, lightweight silk-chiffon scarf.

PRICE:

€215

Stripe Webbing Belt Earthy leather trim touches up a casual belt marked with clean-cut stripes.

Gold Cup - Authentic Boat Shoe Gold-hued hardware and practical rawhide laces top a well-made boat shoe crafted in a classical silhouette and grounded with a siped sole for traction on wet surfaces.

PRICE:

€600

Marc By Marc Jacobs Backpack Crafted from sturdy cotton canvas, the charcoalcoloured backpack is finished with tan leather detailing in the form of a front pocket, oversized zip pulls and straps.

PRICE: PRICE:

€58

€30

€110

Slim Fit Sport Shirt & Slim Fit Chinos

A gingham sport shirt with a button-down collar is cut from soft cotton.

PRICE:

€70 PRICE:

€350

Slim Fit Chinos

Classic straight-leg chinos with a trim cut that’s brought in at the knees and thighs are crafted from soft, wrinkle-resistant cotton for a stay-sharp look. cordeditorial@cma.rs |

114 April 2014 | 81

PROFILE

Step Ahead

of the Rest Different times bring with them different challenges, but the dynamics of my work and the need for continuous improvement of knowledge and skills in order to successfully respond to the new challenges is the aspect of my work that I particularly like

I

SLAVICA PAVLOVIĆ Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Eurobank Serbia

began my career as an auditor at Ernst & Young, followed enced a period of rapid growth and development of the bankby PriceWaterhouse Coopers, where during six years in the ing system that required the constant introduction of new external audit business I progressed from a novice to the products, rapid access to relevant information for decisionposition of manager. I joined the Eurobank team in February making and rapid responses to any changes in the market in 2006 and took up my current position in August that same order to remain one step ahead of other competitors. This year. I found myself at Eurobank “accidentally”. At that time was followed by a period of crisis, when there was an overall I was the PWC manager in charge of auditing Eurobank and change in priorities and with it a change in the demand for inNacionalna štedionica, which were going through the process formation. The essence is that financial statistics provide the or merging, and at the urging of the then finance director of basis for every business decision and without them operaNacionalna štedionica I came to the bank as her assistant tions or strategic decisions cannot be adequately managed. In the goal was to at some point take over her position, since order for us to remain competitive and retain a place among she was a colleague from abroad with a limited mandate in the major participants in the market over a number of years, Serbia. She completed her term in the country earlier than we have to be able to provide fast and accurate data and inplanned, so in August 2006 I went through a veritable “bapformation, and in order for us to be able to provide that quick tism of fire” and took over the position of Financial Director and accurate data and information and thereby meet the reand Member of the Executive Board. quirements of all interested parties – management, shareThe job I do is a kind of family heritage, as my father was holders, the regulatory authority – we must have a strong, a financial director for many years and my mother was a chief well-coordinated team. Teamwork is key to the success of any accountant, so I have a propensity for numbers and inherited manager. That is why one of my priorities is maintaining a stamy logical thinking from them. ble, committed and satisfied team.

Since I graduated regular high school, Teamwork is key to the success of any manager.

I didn’t have any contact with economic matters before enrolling in college. When That is why one of my priorities is maintaining a we were given the subject of accountancy stable, committed and satisfied team in the second semester of the first year I “fell in love”, not only with accounting, but also with all other I believe it is also necessary to constantly work on oneself subjects that are in some way related to finance. Compared to and improve one’s abilities, primarily at two levels: in terms of theoretical subjects, they were a genuine relief, so it was then professional competencies you need to keep up with regulathat I realised I had found the field that I wanted to work in. tions, trends and market innovations, and that involves readDifferent times bring with them different challenges, but ing professional publications, from the IFRS onwards; it is althe dynamics of my work and the need for continuous imso essential to develop as a manager. Different times call for provement of knowledge and skills in order to successfully redifferent ways of managing people and motivating them to spond to the new challenges is the aspect of my work that I do their best. particularly like. After taking over the position of chief finanIf I could sum up my business philosophy, I would do so in cial officer, I went through the process of legally and operthe following way: constantly move forward, improve yourationally merging with Eurobank, which for me was and reself and the people you work with and try to always remain a mains my greatest professional experience. We then experistep ahead of the rest. ■

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