CorD Magazine No.133

FAR FROM THE EYES, BUT CLOSE TO THE HEART

NEW APPROACH TO AN OLD FRIENDSHIP

THE DEMOCRATS LOST POWER, BUT THEIR IDEAS WON

Australian Ambassador to Serbia

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Serbia

Director, Writer, President of Serbia's PEN

H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD

VIDA OGNJENOVIĆ

NOVEMBER ’15 / ISSUE No. 133

www.cordmagazine.com

H.E. JULIA ALICE PATRICIA FEENEY

interviews opinions news comments events PRICE 300 RSD

REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

THE REGION HAS A CHANCE AND MUST CHANGE RAPIDLY EU

EU LEADERS PLEDGE TO WORK TOGETHER

NEVEN MIMICA EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION & DEVELOPMENT

New Brave Goals for

ERADICATING POVERTY ISSN 1451-7833

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CONTENTS ISSUE 133

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06 | C O M M E N T - M I ŠA B R K I Ć POLYGRAPH - JUDGE OF OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

8

New Brave Goals for Eradicating Poverty

The Democrats Lost Power, But Their Ideas Won

REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

Finding Ways and Means to Help

EDITORIAL MANAGER: Tanja Banković t.bankovic@aim.rs

VIDA OGNJENOVIC

Director, Writer, President of Serbia's PEN

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chill out NEVEN MIMICA

74

European Commissioner for International Cooperation & Development

13

EU Leaders Pledge to Work Together EU

Graffiti REFUGEE CRISIS

Far From the Eyes, But Close to the Heart

after work 43

Art of living 46

78

Autumn 2015 in Pastel Hues FASHION 80

Men’s Autumn Season Trends 2015 FASHION

culture calendar H.E. JULIA ALICE PATRICIA FEENEY

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Australian Ambassador to Serbia

faces & places

15

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global diary

norway a friend when you need one

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WORLD MARKETS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The region has a chance

COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION: Snežana Bjelotomić, MRP Editorial EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGER Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Ruža Ristanović r.ristanovic@aim.rs

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PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović

PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Aleksandra Ebilji, a.ebilji@aim.rs Ljiljana Knežević, lj.knezevic@aim.rs

Business Dialogue

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ART DIRECTOR: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Mirjana Jovanović, Miša Brkić, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić

and must change rapidly

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EDITOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs

GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Dragana Skrobonja d.skrobonja@aim.rs OFFICE MANAGER: Nataša Nešić n.nesic@aim.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o., Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, 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 2015

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COMMENT

Polygraph -

Judge of Our Everyday Life MIŠA BRKIĆ

T

In the 1990s, the Topčider printing mint worked continuously, frantically printing worthless dinars. Thus we became known as the country with the highest hyperinflation in the history of the world

oday, some quarter of a century later, the polygraph in Serbia works attributed to individuals from the current ruling elite. Instead of the invisible hand according to a similar principle, also printing out an endless stream of of the market, the visible hand of politics has appeared. And where there are no completely worthless sheets of paper. rules and institutions, there is a political voluntarism.

Thus, we have received the hyperinflation of police polygraph reThese and many other signals indicate that Serbia is going through a new phase in the primitive accumulation of capital within which new party-based ecoports, which have become a kind of inexpensive folk entertainment. Anyone who has opened a company for a politician on some distant island or signed dubious nomic elites emerge. This cannot even be hidden by the deafening cacophony genbusiness transactions runs immediately to voluntarily take a polygraph test and erated by the current executive regarding the illegal accumulation of wealth by prove their innocence before the nation. Every day we see less "word of honour" its predecessor (which, of course, there was certainly plenty of). When you add symbolising a “secure” business transaction, while the importance of the polyeverything up, it is no surprise that Serbia has remained nailed to the depressing position of 94th in terms of the world’s competitiveness graph test is growing and is even en route to replacing the Court in Serbia. ranking (among 144 countries monitored), as well as the Anyone who The Court (judicairy), however, is not the only institumanagers of 224 companies operating in Serbia who contion whose collapse and devaluation we are witnessing. sider that doing business in this country during the month opened a company The Commissioner for Information of Public of August this year was much riskier than it had been in for a politician Importance files lawsuits on a daily basis against sen2014. Foreign investors feel insecure and are not satisfied on some distant with the business environment in Serbia. These are facts ior officials, due to the increasingly frequent practice of that are repeated year after year and do not need to be “manufacturing” secret agreements with selected invesisland or signed checked on a polygraph. tors, but these lawsuits don’t even have any value. Not a dubious business Efforts to embellish reality are not even helped by day goes by without the Anti-Corruption Agency catching the political banalisation and systemic manipulation of some member of the ruling elite with red hands, raising setransactions runs the public in order to cover up rampant incompetence and rious questionmarks regarding corrupt activities and reimmediately to cheap propaganda. questing their dismissal or determination of liability. But voluntarily take The fact that every official constantly hails the comit’s all in vain, with the accussed officials taking themselves for a polygraph test in order to silence the Agency. ing “investment boom”, and the arrival of hundreds of ina polygraph test In the meantime, the Commission for Securities vestors from all continents, who are flocking to Serbia and prove their has disappeared from the public scene, and the Stock because “we have implemented systemic reforms” canExchange is not feeling too well. These two indispensanot hide the devastating fact that is used as a question/ innocence before argument by local businesspeople when they ask: where ble institutions of any market economy losing the batthe nation are those major investments and tough reforms, that will tle against worthless papers and rhetoric. Institutions in bring a lot of money and create new jobs, hiding?

Serbia are becoming worthless, while economic life funcIf they really existed, television stations would not offer examples of the intions in political cabinets, between polygraph tests and “words of honour”. So, instead of insight into multimillion-euro contracts, citizens receive for their monvestment boom in the form of celebrations marking the start of work on installing a single traffic light in Novi Sad or demolishing workers’ barracks on Belgrade’s ey polygraph reports or “word of honour” – as the ultimate proof that any job has Slavija Square. been done in the best interests and “for the benefit of citizens...” Many well-meanThe impression is that the creation of the new environment is following two ing critics of the Law on Investment – who indicate that it will institutionalise the opposing lines of enthusiasm – a too small one to radically reform the system, and right of politicians to reach agreement in secret with exclusive investors regarda somewhat bigger one to build a financial base and strengthen the architecture ing investment conditions – have been marginalised. Thanks to the media, that of a longstanding single-party government.  which reaches the light of day is economic scandal and corruption cases that are

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INTERVIEW

New Brave Goals for

NEVEN MIMICA

European Commissioner for International Cooperation & Development

ERADICATING POVERTY

The current refugee crisis reminds us how vital it is for everyone to be in a position to feed their children, provide them with a safe home, education and a decent job. This is the other side of the coin addressed by the new 2030 Agenda for poverty eradication

P

romoting economic and equal opportunities, security and development, is at the core of new global efforts dubbed 2030 Agenda, for addressing poverty and ensuring a durable impact. Along with EU member states, which are the largest world donors, new donors like China are emerging and changing the long standing North-South division between donors and recipients.

■ The MDG goals have been fulfilled to a better extent than

expected. However, that’s difficult to believe when we see waves of refugees fleeing war zones and poverty. What do the facts on the ground say?

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−The MDGs have indeed delivered encouraging results. The target to halve extreme poverty has been met well ahead of schedule. The European Union and its Member States, which represent together the world’s largest donor of development aid, made a major contribution – collectively contributing €58 billion in 2014 alone.

To give you a few examples of what a difference the EU has made on the MDGs; thanks to EU support, 22.6 million insecticide-treated bed nets were distributed between 2000 and 2014, over 7.5 million births were attended by skilled health personnel

INEQUALITY

CLIMATE CHANGE

SOLIDARITY

I am extremely concerned about rising inequalities and want to place this issue at the core of development policy

Poverty reduction will not be sustainable if climate change is not halted, and climate change cannot be properly addressed without also addressing economic growth and poverty reduction

The EU is showing increased solidarity and partnership with the Western Balkan countries, as the main transit countries for refugees

between 2004 and 2012 and almost 17 million consultations on reproductive health took place.

The current refugee crisis does not bring into question the MDGs on the new 2030 Agenda; quite the opposite. The crisis reminds us how critically important it is for everyone to be in a position to feed their children, provide them with a safe home and give them the perspectives of good education and a decent job. It reminds us that reinvigorated, improved and strong themed development cooperation under the 2030 Agenda is of foremost importance.

Horn of Africa, and the North of Africa. This will be done by promoting economic and equal opportunities, security and development, including by helping those countries in their migration management.

■ The Cotonou Agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States is set to see a new revision aimed at ensuring it better serves its purposes. In what directions will the new revision head?

■ How have the decisions of the October European

Council further helped alleviate the refugee crisis? −The European Council in September focused on some key dimensions which must be advanced on: relocation, resettlement, return, readmission, reintegration and cooperation with countries of origin and transit.

On relocation, EU leaders agreed to the relocation of 40,000 persons in clear need of international protection, such as the Syrian asylum seekers, from Italy and Greece to other member states. Following this decision, the EU is now in a position to relocate a total of 160,000 people in clear need of international protection in the coming two years.

On resettlement, the EU agreed in July already to resettle over 20,000 displaced persons in clear need of international protection from outside the EU. The European Council defined a return policy for migrants with no legal right to stay in the EU. EU leaders also stressed the need to accelerate readmission negotiations with the countries of origin and transit and agreed to reinforce the role of Frontex and means made available to it.

■ How do you see the major causes of the refugee crisis in Africa and what can the global community do to help the continent prosper? What is the role of the Emergency Trust Fund?

−Over the last two decades, the EU and ACP countries have both evolved and major developments have taken place. The relationship has since long expanded beyond development cooperation and trade.

In order to guide EU reflections on the future of EU-ACP cooperation, the Commission (DG International Cooperation and Development) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) have established an informal working group to look at the future of the ACP-EU post-2020. In addition, this process of reflection has also started at the level of some EU member states.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation which will be a key component of the evaluation and assessment that the Commission will carry out in 2016 in view of proposals for the future partnership.

2030 Agenda addresses poverty eradication and sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental, and therefore hopes to tackle the root of the problems

−There are several causes behind the refugee crisis. With regard to the majority of those arriving in recent times to Europe from Syria, it seems clear that they are fleeing the internal conflict the country has been suffering for years now. The same applies to those leaving Libya. Others, such as those originating from Eritrea, are most likely to be escaping political prosecution. In many of these cases, poverty, hunger and the lack of economic and social well-being is also a strong factor.

The global community can help foster stability in the regions.

The purpose of the Emergency Trust Fund is to support stability and to address the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in in the regions of the Sahel and Lake Chad, the

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■ You recently emphasised the success of the EU-CELAC

cooperation, which benefits both sides of the Atlantic.

What particular help has the EU successfully utilised there? −The relationship between the EU and CELAC is not the traditional donor-recipient one. Many CELAC countries are themselves donors rather than beneficiaries. New opportunities for "SouthSouth" cooperation (for instance, from a more developed country in the region such as Chile to a recipient country such as Paraguay) are opening up.

achieve real and lasting progress. This will enable us to address the root causes of poverty, and ensure a durable impact, while addressing sustainable development at large.

Second, it’s key to understand that the 2030 Agenda is universal, meaning that it is applicable to all countries.

Finally, the 2030 Agenda is underpinned by an ambitious Global Partnership, including Means of Implementation, as set out in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and in the SDGs.

■ Many well respected economists warn that, although there is less poverty overall, the level of inequality is at unprecedented levels. To what extent do you consider these observations relevant to your mandate?

It is in this context that, at the latest EU-CELAC Summit, the European Commission announced the setting-up of a Regional Facility for International Cooperation and Partnership. This facility aims at fostering joint activities between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean in lower income countries of the region with the objective of reducing poverty. The facility, which counts on a budget of €12 million, will facilitate the consolidation of peer learning among countries and further promote regional integration.

−Fighting inequalities is a very important priority for me. There are countries where the share of poor increased while the country moved from low to middle income status. In other countries, inequality is not so much about income, but about access to essential services, like water, electricity, health, education or even Internet. Economists have demonstrated that less equal societies grow at a slower rate. They estimate that less inequality might drag half-a-billion people out of poverty by 2030. That is why I am extremely concerned about rising inequalities and want to put this issue at the core of development policy.

Indeed, progress in delivering the MDGs has been unequal between Goals and between countries and inequalities still remain throughout the world. For example, despite enormous progress during the past 15 years, 57 million primary-aged children, more than half of whom live in conflict-prone areas, are still not in school.

Similarly, although much progress has been made towards women’s and girls’ equality in education, employment and political representation over the last two decades, many gaps remain, particularly in areas that were not addressed in the MDGs. Persistent, pervasive and in some cases unprecedented, violations of women’s rights occur on a daily basis.

−Indeed, the international community has just adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a set of 17 SDGs (and 169 associated targets) at the core. The SDGs build on foundations of the MDGs and address their unfinished business. But what’s important to understand is that the SDGs are more than “MDG+”.

First, because the scope is much broader: the 2030 Agenda addresses poverty eradication and sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – as well as peace, governance, rule of law, accountable institutions etc. All of these issues are interlinked and must be pursued together to

−Women’s empowerment in general, and their economic empowerment in particular, is intrinsically linked with our global aims to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. For me, it is actually the key. Let me illustrate this: Increasing women and girls’ education contributes to higher economic growth. Increased education accounts for about 50 per cent of the economic growth in OECD countries over the past 50 years. But, for the majority of women, significant gains in education have not translated into better labour market outcomes, according to OECD figures.

It is calculated that women could increase their income global-

The MDGs have delivered encouraging results in halving the poverty, but progress has been unequal between Goals and between countries. The 2030 agenda will now complete the unfinished business

■ A new set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are ahead of us. How do these goals differ from the MDGs when it comes to addressing poverty?

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■ How does gender inequality influence the level of poverty

worldwide and are we seeing improvements in this area?

ly by up to 76 per cent if the employment participation gap and the wage gap between women and men were closed. This is calculated to have a global value of 17 trillion U.S. dollars.

The European Commission has just announced a new framework for EU external relations on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, which will cover the 2016-2020 period. We want to focus more on results and tailor our programmes to respond to specific needs. A gender perspective is also being reflected in all of our programming documents for assistance to partner countries.

The EU also fought for gender equality and women's empowerment to be a self-standing Sustainable Development Goal – as part of the Agenda 2030 recently agreed upon in New York by the United Nations.

Civil society should be valued for its diversity and capacity to represent and foster pluralism and participatory democracy, seeking transparent and accountable governance.

In addition to this, an empowered civil society is a crucial component of any democratic system and is an asset in itself which should not be underestimated by the states.

If CSOs are to play their role in an efficient way and if the states want to show their appreciation of CSOs, they should provide for sustained and inclusive dialogues and appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks. The EU recognises CSOs' crucial role and works for this both in its internal and external policies.

■ Climate change is coming up

on the EU agenda, with ambitious goals set for the COP21 Climate Conference in December.

How serious a threat is posed by climate change when it comes to driving poverty up again?

■ It seems that the private sector

has a much greater role to play in realising the SDGs. Do you think it is possible to secure its support even though SDGs are dealing with a higher tax burden, tax evasion and similar sensitive issues? −The problem per se for the private sector is not taxation but rather the regulatory uncertainty, trade barriers, political and economic instability, access to skilled human resources; essentially circumstances that increase the risk of investments, the cost of financing or create obstacles for a level playing field.

At the level of the United Nations, Bretton Woods, European Union, OECD, G-20, national governments, civil society and private sector, everybody has agreed that domestic resource mobilisation will require global efforts on tax reform and new forms of public/ private partnership should pave the way. The business sector understands very well that the current level of uncertainty around the world might be beneficial to the speculative few but potentially disruptive to the many entrepreneurial and forward looking segments of the global business community.

These efforts, identified and agreed on the basis of a growing consensus among the various international stakeholders, including the private sector, should be seen as an opportunity and not an obstacle for the business engagement in the SDGs as they contribute to the improvement of the business and investment climate.

−Climate change and development are two sides of the same coin. Poverty reduction will not be sustainable if climate change is not halted, and climate change cannot be addressed in a socially sustainable manner without also addressing economic growth and poverty reduction.

Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change because their economies often depend more on climate-sensitive natural resources, their societies are less resilient and because they possess fewer resources to adapt to climate change.

This is why we need to address these global challenges in a coherent way by ensuring that the 2030 Agenda and the new global climate agreement to be finalised at COP 21 in Paris are mutually reinforcing.

The emergence of new donors (e.g. China) and the rise of SouthSouth cooperation are marking an end to the North-South divide and the traditional donor-recipient relationship

■ Where do you see the most important tasks of the civil

society in addressing SDGs; and do CSOs receive enough appreciation from the states for doing their job? −The implementation of the SDGs will require the active engagement of civil society organisations for developing, implementing and reviewing specific development priorities that are in line with the SDGs.

■ Do you think the EU will be able to play the role of the biggest donor, as it has to date, or is it time for some other large countries or blocs to get on board? −It's clear that the world is a very different place to what it was in 2000, when the MDGs were put in place, with new challenges that call for global and integrated solutions across a wide range of policies.

The recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the increasing diversification of development providers are having important implications in the global development architecture.

First, the new principle of universality goes in conjunction with differentiation, meaning that both the expectation that all should contribute to the implementation of the agenda and the different national realities, capacities and levels of development need to be NOVEMBER

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taken into account into a more tailored cooperation.

Second, the emergence of new donors (e.g. China) and the rise of South-South cooperation are marking an end to the North-South divide and therefore to the way in which we conceive the traditional donor-recipient relationship.

■ Everyone is talking about the conflict in Syria as being the most important issue to tackle. However, refugees and economic migrants are coming from many countries in the Middle East.

How can we help those countries restore stability and prosperity?

■ Do you think the EU is fulfilling its role in terms of helping Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, which are struggling under the burden of refugees? −The EU has spearheaded the international response since the beginning of the Syria crisis, with over €4.2 billion mobilised by the European Commission and Member States collectively. This lifesaving support goes both to Syrians in their country and to refugees and their host communities in neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, as well as Iraq. Additionally, the Commission launched last year the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis. The Trust Fund provides for a coherent and integrated EU response to the crisis by merging various EU financial instruments and Member States contributions into a flexible and quick mechanism in support of Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Further €500 million, to be channelled through this Trust Fund, have just been announced.

However, needs are still increasing, which is why the EU has a comprehensive response to this crisis, mobilising all instruments: diplomatic and political, humanitarian, development funding, and economic stabilisation.

−The Syrian crisis has generated unprecedented large scale displacement in the region. Four million Syrian refugees sought refuge in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. An estimated additional two to three million people are at risk of leaving Syria, according to the UNHCR. The latest Frontex figures indicate over 300,000 Syrians have attempted to cross into the EU this year. They represent the single largest group of refugees arriving in Europe. The EU has stepped up diplomatic outreach, notably in the region, to promote UN-led efforts for a political solution to the conflict. These ef■ What kind of support should be forts towards tackling security crises given to transit countries, such and conflicts helps prevent forced disas those in the Western Balkans, placement of people, which is also of where the refugee crisis has fuelled concern to Libya. disputes among neighbours? −The recent High-Level Conference The EU remains committed to address the root causes of irregular mion the Eastern Mediterranean/Westgration and forced displacement as ern Balkan route triggered increased part of its comprehensive approach to solidarity and partnership with the migration, as recently stated through Western Balkan countries, as the main Persistent, pervasive, and in the European Agenda on Migration. transit countries. The European Comsome cases unprecedented, mission is supporting Serbia and the Political dialogue, development support (technical and financial) and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedoviolations of women’s rights nia cope with the unprecedented refuhumanitarian assistance helps curb occur on a daily basis gee flows, with a total of €17 million. irregular migration. Addressing human rights abuses and strengthening We have already mobilised €1.5 million to support humanitarian needs in these two countries. This migrants' and refugees' rights is also a big part of our work towards tackling the issue. Using regional frameworks that encomfunding is part of EU's overall efforts to deal with the consequencpass both Mediterranean and African countries allows migratoes of the Syrian crisis, and is helping both countries to increase ry issues to be addressed in a more global and comprehensive their capacity to effectively and efficiently respond to the migration crisis. It is also helping enhance their ability to comprehenmanner. sively implement their migration policy, including management of In order to achieve this, we are using a wide range of financial migration flows. In addition, EU humanitarian support is helping instruments in a complementary way: the European Neighbourhood Instrument, thematic funds such as the migration and asyprovide basic emergency services in view of the upcoming winter, lum programme of the Development Cooperation Instrument, and such as food, hygiene, health care, psycho-social support, temporary shelter, and protection to refugees and migrants, as well as a series of other instruments, ranging from Humanitarian Aid to coordination and data gathering on migration routes.

Common Security and Defence Policy actions. Programmes developed jointly with Member States are also a growing feature of the The European Commission has also proposed that the EU Regional Trust Fund for the Syrian crisis be extended to cover needs EU's support on migration issues (such as mobility partnership in the Western Balkan transit countries. ■ programmes in Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan).

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FEATURE

EU Leaders Pledge to

WORK TOGETHER

At the end of a contentious summit, European and Balkan leaders committed to add capacity for receiving some 100,000 more refugees and migrants to ease the plight of the tens of thousands coming from Syria and beyond and marching across the Balkans toward the European Union's heartland

that did not address the fundamental issues at stake.

Many say the EU needs to get control of the refugee flow at the bloc's external border between EU-member Greece and Turkey.

Migration experts, however, say the flood of refugees won't be halted until the world ret a hastily called emergency summit Serbian Prime Minister solves the war in Syria, which is driving millions in Brussels, 11 leaders agreed to of the country.

Aleksandar Vučić asked out Croatian slow the chaotic flow of people movPrime Minister Zoran Milanović a fundamental question asked of fellow EU nation Greece: "Why doesn't ing up from Greece and provide much more shelter as winter looms. that the 28-nation bloc Greece control its maritime half with Turkey?"

"This is one of the greatest litmus tests that Greece, criticised for being ill-prepared as a and non-EU nations like Europe has ever faced," said German Chancellor first EU buffer against the migrants, decried the Serbia have been unable lack of EU solidarity.

Angela Merkel. to answer since the "Waving them through has to be stopped and "Till today, it was difficult to find a solution, that is what is going to happen," said EU Commisbecause a series of countries adopt a stance `Not migratory trek across sion president Jean-Claude Juncker. in my backyard,"' Tsipras said. the Mediterranean and Nearly 250,000 migrants have passed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, so through Turkey started often the target for building border fences that through the Balkans since mid-September and the surge is not being deterred by either cold diverted the flow of refugees to other nations, in spring: "What we weather or the colder waters off Greece. simply said "Hungary is not on the route anyare going to do with more, so we are just observers here. The number hundreds of thousands one source of the crisis is that members of the 'Slow down the uncontrolled flow' Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said his European Union, and especially those who are of these people?" small Alpine nation was being overwhelmed by members of the Schengen Zone, are not able, or the refugees — with 60,000 arriving in the last not ready, to keep their word," Orban declared.

10 days — and was not receiving enough help from its EU partners.

As the leaders bickered, those out in the field begged them to act He put the challenge in simple terms: If no fresh approach is forthquickly and more decisively. coming "in the next few days and weeks, I do believe that the European Mahmoud Awad, a UNHCR field protection officer, said about Union and Europe as a whole will start to fall apart."

1,000 people passed through Serbia's border town of Berkasovo and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić asked a fundamental into Croatia overnight from 24th to 25th October. In the Austrian border town of Spielfeld, 2,500 people spent the night in tents and 7,000 more question that the 28-nation bloc and non-EU nations like Serbia have were expected on 25th October from Slovenia, the dpa news agency been unable to answer since the migratory trek across the Mediterrareported. In Germany's southernmost state of Bavaria, the flow of nean and through Turkey started in spring: "What we are going to do asylum-seekers from Austria remained steady, at between 3,000 and with hundreds of thousands of these people?"

Half a year later, there is no answer, it came up with some solutions 6,000 people per day. ■

A

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INTERVIEW

H.E. JULIA ALICE PATRICIA FEENEY Australian Ambassador to Serbia

Far From the Eyes, But

CLOSE TO THE HEART Although geographically distant, Australia and Serbia have been developing good political and cultural relations. Resource and water management sectors, as well as other areas of growing potential, are the way to strengthen and improve trade relations and business ties

A

ustralia is very supportive of Serbia’s EU integration and reform efforts, particularly in business and regulatory areas. The country strongly supports local communities and the empowering of women, as it strongly believes that their active participation in the economy enables society to prosper. Relations between the two countries are based, among other things, on very good people-to-people ties, for which geographical distance is of no importance, says H.E. Julia Alice Patricia Feeney, Australian Ambassador to Serbia.

■ Despite not being located on the main international trade routes, Australia has always maintained deep connections with the most important international political centres and global political and economic movements. What are the main characteristics of Australian foreign policy today? −Australia is an outward looking country that is strongly engaged with the rest of the world. Australia is strongly committed to building a rules-based international order which advances and protects the interests of all nations and peoples. We play an active role in a wide array of global and regional groups.

Australia's foreign and trade policy focuses on strengthening its already significant engagement with countries in the dynamic Indo-Pacific region.

As a founding member of APEC and an active participant in the East Asia Summit, Australia is helping to build regional institutions that foster stability, security and prosperity across the region.

Beyond its region, Australia enjoys strong economic, security, political, social and cultural ties with the United States and Canada, and continues to build on its strong and longstanding political, cultural, trade, investment, and people-to-people links with the United Kingdom and Europe. Australia is committed to a broad-based, creative partnership

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COMMITMENT

MIGRANTS

SUPPORT

Australia is strongly committed to building a rules-based international order which advances and protects the interests of all nations and peoples

Australia is willing and able to play a significant role in assisting people from Syria and Iraq.

It has already committed about $230 million since 2011 to cater for their humanitarian needs

Australia is very supportive of Serbia’s EU integration and reform efforts, particularly in the business and regulatory areas, where Serbia still has a way to go

with the European Union, addressing the contemporary challenges of economic management and international trade, development, security, and international governance. Australia plays an active role in the UN, WTO, APEC, the G20 and other trade related forums. Australia has also negotiated bilateral and regional trade agreements with a wide range of countries to strengthen trade and investment flows.

■ Due to its geographical position, Australia naturally depends most heavily on the Asia-Pacific region, which includes challenging and complex markets such as Japan, China, and the U.S. How is Australia coping with the circumstances of major market turbulences in these markets, and in the rest of the world, today? −Until the 1960s, Britain and the United States were Australia's main trading partners. Today the emphasis of Australia's trade has shifted to Asia, with four out of five of Australia's top trading partners located there. China, Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Singapore are now Australia's largest trading partners.

Australia has a very open market with minimal restrictions on imports of goods and services. This has increased productivity, stimulated growth and made the economy more flexible and dynamic. Australia supports efforts to liberalise trade, boost economic growth and encourage investments.

Australia has developed strong commercial ties with its Asian neighbours. Ten of Australia’s top 12 export markets are within the region. Australian businesses understand these markets, offering the benefits of experience and established connections.

At the same time, Australia maintains well-established links with traditional trading partner nations in Europe and North America.

Existing and new bilateral trade agreements are also set to support the flow of goods, services and investments between Australia and its major Asian trading partners, particularly Japan, South Korea and China. Australia remains a leading destination for international investment and tourism, with Asia now a fast-growing source of foreign direct investment and overseas visitors. Australia’s location also bridges the world’s major time zones, offering 24-hour access for global organisations with round-theclock operations.

ing the global economy and bolster growth. Economic growth, driven by the private sector and supported by trade liberalisation, is the key objective of Australia’s engagement in the world.

Australia is ranked third on the index of Economic Freedom, a position it held since 2009. As a member of the G20, Australia influences decisions

Economic growth, driven by the private sector and supported by trade liberalisation, is the key objective of Australia’s engagement in the world

■ What are Australia’s international economic and political priorities at present? −Trade liberalisation and economic reform have been at the heart of Australian Government policy for decades. Australia continues to push ahead with trade liberalisation – unilaterally, bilaterally and multilaterally. This will strengthen international economic collaboration, reduce the risks fac-

relating to the global economy. Australia’s strong financial sector and effective system of financial regulation means Australia is well placed to make a strong contribution to the G20s work.

■ Where are the countries of Europe, including those in the Balkans, on that list of priorities? −Australia has important economic interests in Europe. The EU is Australia’s largest source of foreign investment ($959 billion) and second largest trading partner ($84 billion). The EU is the only major trading partner with which Australia does not have, or is not negotiating, an FTA. It is logical to look at ways to expand our relationship and we are interested in making progress towards an FTA with the EU. We welcome the release of the EU’s five-year Trade Policy Strategy which identifies strengthening the Australia-EU economic relationship as a priority.

■ Australia has had plenty of experience with immigrants throughout its history. From that perspective, how do you view the waves of migration going on in Europe today? −Australia is one of the most culturally diverse yet socially cohesive nations on the planet. There are around 6.6 million Australians who were born overNOVEMBER

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seas (as of 30th June 2014), out of a total population of 23 million. Australia has a long and proud tradition of resettling refugees and vulnerable people in humanitarian need. Since the end of World War II, more than 825,000 refugees and people in humanitarian need have been resettled in Australia.

Migration to Australia has been a great benefit to our country.

The scale of the displacement of people from Syria and Iraq, and the unfolding crisis in Europe, requires a strong international response. Australia is willing and able to play a significant part. A total of 12,000 additional Humanitarian Programme places have been made available in Australia for people displaced by conflict in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Australia’s

humanitarian assistance will be extended to 240,000 displaced people affected by the conflict in Syria and Iraq at a cost of $44 million. This will bring Australia’s contribution to address the humanitarian crises in Syria and Iraq to about $230 million since 2011. The Serbian people and Government can be pleased with the way they have responded to the migrant crisis.

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■ To what extent does the Serbian expat community in Australia contribute to the promotion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and how can this potential be exploited even more effectively? −The Serbian community is very active as are most of the Balkan countries communities. Given that I am also ambassador to Montenegro and FYROM, I am equally interested in learning about all three communities and maintain good relationships with their representatives. The diaspora should actually have very important ambassadorial role. They are representing Serbia in Australia and they are bringing back home know-how and new way of life from Australia. I have seen a lot of enthusiasm from all Serbs who are living or used to live in Australia. They maintain close relations with us, at the Embassy, but are very proud of their experience of living in Australia. Our cooperation and good relations are based, among others, on excellent people to people ties.

Although we are geographically distant, there is growing interest among Australian businesses to invest in Serbia. It is my job, and that of my colleagues in government, community and business associations, to ensure this interest grows. Continuing reform of the local business environment, as your country moves towards European integration, should also help build confidence and encourage further foreign investment, including from Australia.

There is growing interest among Australian businesses to invest in Serbia.

Some Australian technology and expertise is already making its way to Serbia

■ When it comes to migration, Australia has long been one of the preferred destinations for migrants from the Western Balkans. According to the 2011 Census, about 70,000 Serbs live in Australia. How do these people fit into the daily life of Australia? −There were four principal periods of migration: the period leading up to World War II; 1948-54; 1960s and 1970s and post 1991.

The latest Census in 2011 recorded 20 267 Serbia-born people in Australia, an increase of 17 per cent from the 2006 Census. Compared to 62 per cent of the total overseas-born population, 83.3 per cent of the Serbia-born people in Australia arrived in Australia prior to 2001. They are very well incorporated into the society. They have adopted very easily to the Australian society which was known and remains to be known as open for foreigners. As with every 16 |

other expat community the first generation keeps the connection with mother land alive and kicking, which stands for all Balkan nations.

■ Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the establishing of the first diplomatic relations between Macedonia and Australia. How do you assess regional cooperation between the countries of the Balkans, and where do you see opportunities to improve political and economic cooperation with the aim of creating a more attractive business climate in this region for foreign investors? −Our cooperation and good relations are based, amongst other factors, on excellent people to people ties. The business area, including investments and trade exchange, is definitely a sphere which can be improved. Australia is such a long way away, but if the business settings and conditions continue to improve so will interest from Australian businesses.

■ Due to the distance between the two countries, it is difficult to talk about dynamic economic cooperation between Australia and Serbia. However, it is a fact that Australia is one of the very few countries in the world with which Serbia has a trade surplus. Do you see to improve the trade exchange? −The current volume of bilateral trade between our two countries is presently at modest levels. There are many reasons for this but I agree that geographical distance has some impact – even if only psychologically. However, as Serbia undergoes a process of internal reform, particularly in the business and regulatory areas, there will also be greater confidence in investing

here. Some Australian technology and expertise is already making its way into Serbia in the resource and water management sectors. These niche sectors and other areas of growing potential are the way to strengthen and improve our trade relations and I encourage the business people who are working to increase these commercial interests.

■ On the other hand, there is often mention of the possibility of Australian investments, though to date they have not been realised. What are the reasons for this, in your opinion? −Good governance and doing business successfully go hand in hand. Unfortunately, Serbia still has a way ahead of it in that respect. But with improvement of the business climate, harmonisation of legislation with the EU and easiness to start new businesses, I am positive the situation will improve. Therefore, Australia is very supportive of Serbia’s EU integration and I am confident it will have positive impact on all spheres of business.

We have also partnered a lot with the Ethno network on women’s empowerment and support for cultural heritage. We recognise and value the rich cultural heritage of Serbia and I wished to highlight some of those potentials. Therefore, we assisted two towns in Serbia, Pirot and Sombor, to form a partnership in order to promote Serbian ćilim rugs. Given the rich experience and popularity of the Pirot ćilim (one of Serbia’s main brands), we wanted to revitalise the Stapar ćilim, which is equally beautiful but unfortunately almost lost to the Serbian people. The embassy supported a project to buy looms and provide intense training which provided women from the Stapar region with an opportunity to revive the old ćilim, but also gain access to economic opportunities.

■ The Australian Embassy will organise several cultural events before the end of this year. What would you highlight and recommend to our readers? −Well, first of all we have the highly anticipated visit of Ursula Yovich, a superbly talented Aboriginal-Serbian jazz singer and actress. Her visit, the first to Serbia, ■ The Australian Embassy is very acwill be an emotional journey and has been tive in the Serbian diplomatic corps made possible through collaboration with and as a donor for social, educationmy Embassy, the Tesla Forum of WA and al, humanitarian and cultural activiEtihad/Air Serbia. Ursula is a member of ties, including sports. Are you satisthe Tesla Forum and her tour will also profied with the efficiency of donations? mote Nikola Tesla's legacy and cultural & −Each year we aim to assist local communiscientific exchange between Australia and ties by supporting grass root projects. The Serbia. Ursula will have her concert at the embassy has its DAP-direct aid programme, opening of the 2015 Belgrade Jazz festival, on 24th October 2015, and other perforthrough which we provide small grants for different types of projects. Usually we conmances in Belgrade and Sremska Mitrovica. centrate on human rights related projects, She will also be a guest at the 70th Anfor example disadvantaged groups, includniversary United Nations Concert, with ing raising awareness around issues relatVasil Hadzimanov and his band. ing to disabled children, women victims of While in Sremska Mitrovica, we also violence etc. We also tend to support womplan to announce the commencement of a major archaeological project around the en empowerment projects, given that it is city of Sremska Mitrovica (Sirmium) to a priority of the Australian Government‘s be undertaken by the University of Sydney, foreign policy. We recognise that one of the One of the most impressive with their Serbian counterpart universities. best ways to promote economic growth and cultural events to be organised by This is a very exciting new archaeological strengthen communities is to empower girls and women. When women are able to parthe Embassy is the visit to Serbia site and I am looking forward to witnessing the growing partnership between students ticipate actively in the economy all people of Ursula Yovich, a superbly from Serbia and Australia. and society prosper. The last big donation talented Aboriginal-Serbian jazz We will be marking UN Children’s Day inwe have done is the donation to the Specluding by promoting a book by an Australian cial Children’s Hospital for Cerebral Palsy singer and actress author on bulling prevention. We have partand Developmental Neurology in Belgrade.

Namely, the Australian Embassy, in partnernered with Vulkan publishing company on this ship with Serbia’s famous Radovanović Winery, organised a Charity Auction project and will be distributing this book to Belgrade’s schools. of Ambassador’s Wine in June and successfully raised almost €30,000.

We will also be organising an event around White Ribbon Day, in support of the prevention of domestic violence.

One hundred per cent of the funds raised through this charity event We will continue to exhibit “Treasure of the Spirit”, our small but unique were donated to the Special Children’s Hospital. indigenous exhibition in various parts of Serbia, next in Trstenik.

The Australian Embassy was thrilled to see the results of the recent upgrades We will also have another Film festival, followed the one in BG early this and hopes that the renovated building will significantly improve the daily lives of year. This time it will be in Novi Sad, in December.■ the children and impact on the quality of their treatments at the Special Hospital.

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WISDOM

GLOBAL DIARY

“Factually and formally, Kosovo is lost for Serbia, while the only political wisdom is in finding how to leave Kosovo with elements of dignity... I will not let someone determine what I may and not say, and what unique body of opinion I need to adhere to.”—VLADIMIR KOSTIĆ, President of the Serbian Academy of Science & the Arts – SANU

CHINA'S MASSIVE 50-LANE TRAFFIC JAM ▶ You are mistaken if you think that the

worst traffic jam in the world is in the morning at the Belgrade Branko's Bridge!

This aerial footage shows massive congestion Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway despite having 50 lanes. It was a nightmare for residents as they headed back to Beijing after the week-long National Day holiday, known also as ‘Golden Week’ (1st - 7th October).

The jam on the 2,200km-long expressway was caused by the introduction of a new checkpoint.

SANTA CLAUS ELECTED TO NORTH POLE CITY COUNCIL ▶ The rosy-cheeked 68-year-old candidate, who happens to be named Santa Claus, won a three-year term in the community of about 2,200 residents southeast of Fairbanks, North Pole, Alaska. Claus, who legally changed his name from Thomas Patrick O'Connor about a decade ago while living in Nevada, U.S., said he has been an advocate for legislation and

services that benefit at-risk children.

He could be seen in recent days wearing his trademark red velvet outfit and holding a campaign sign in North Pole, the namesake of the home of the legendary Christmas gift-giver.

Claus was one of two write-in candidates for two vacant seats in the 6th October election. He took office on 26th October, North Pole City Clerk Kathy Weber said.

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CHINA TOPS WORLD FOR RICHEST WOMEN

ZHOU QUNFEI

▶ China is the biggest creator of self-

made dollar billionaire women this year, with Chinese touchscreen queen Zhou Qunfei leading the pack with 50 billion yuan ($7.8 billion) in personal wealth, the Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2015 report released end October.

The list saw the women’s ultra wealth club expand at its fastest pace yet, up almost 50 per cent over last year to include 73 dollar billionaires as of 14th August. Forty-nine, including eight in the top 10, live in China.

By comparison, the U.S. ranks second, with 15 living there, followed by the UK, with three.

BORIS JOHNSON DANCES DURING JAPAN VISIT ▶Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, was sent to Japan to strengthen economic and trade relations last month - but instead he kicked off his tour of

the world's third largest economy by stunning locals when he danced in the aisles of a department store.

Mr Johnson took hold of professional dancer Charlotte Gooch and led her on a waltz in Hankyu, Osaka.

He gave the impromptu display of his impressive dance moves as

he visited a UK trade fair held at the shop to help launch a flagship store of Burberry, one of Britain's biggest clothing brands.

The Shard and Harrods also took part in the promotional event.

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WANT STRICTER GUN CONTROL ▶A recent Gallup poll shows a sharp increase in support for gun reforms in the U.S., with 55 per cent calling for stricter laws.

It is the first time in almost three years that a majority of Americans want increased legislation in the

QUEEN HOSTS CHINESE PRESIDENT AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ▶China's President Xi Jinping has been welcomed to London by Queen Elisabeth II for the first official state visit of a Chinese leader to the UK in 10 years.

President Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan received a ceremonial welcome to London ahead of a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, where the president and his wife joined more than 170 guests for a formal dinner. President Xi sat between the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge, who was making her debut at a state banquet. The Queen hailed the visit a “milestone” event and declared Anglo-Chinese relations were being elevated to “ambitious” new heights.

Guests dined on a menu that began with West Coast turbot and lobster mousse, followed by roast loin of Balmoral venison with a Madeira and truffle sauce. Dessert came in the form of a dark chocolate, mango and lime confection, according to the menu details released by the palace. The wine list featured French and South African selections, as well as Warre’s Vintage Port from 1977.

INDEPENDENCE “Kostić expressed his views at a time when the state is leading a difficult battle, despite tremendous pressure from those promoting Kosovo independence... SANU should make a declaration regarding Kostić’s stance and decide whether he can remain president of the Academy after such a statement.” — TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ, President of Serbia

CELEBRATION ▶ Kim Jong-Un (32) has continued the celebra-

tions of his ruling Workers' Party's 70th anniversary. The North Korean dictator and his wife Ri Sol-ju, believed to be in her late 20s, could be seen enjoying yet another anniversary following several concerts and parades held last month in honour of the end of Japanese rule in 1945 and the founding of the Korean Workers' Party the following year.

The pictures have been released days after the U.S. floated the idea of improving relations between the countries should Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

In its response, North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests and threatened a fourth as part of a weapons and missile programme that it has pursued despite a barrage of international sanctions.

KIM JONG-UN AND RI SOL-JU POSE WITH MEMBERS OF THE STATE MERITED CHORUS

have female first in line, with the heirs in Norway and Sweden having first born daughters who will succeed them. Which is why Prince Christian of Denmark, who turned ten on 15th October, is beginning to occupy a rather special position in Europe’s royal vista.

He is in line to be his country’s king and is one of just a handful of male heirs scattered across the continent.

10 Things You Should Never Do When You're Angry

Getting into a heated argument doesn't just put you in a bad mood. It can also compromise your ability to perform everyday tasks. Here, top experts discuss what you should never do when under the influence of anger:

1. You shouldn't sleep on it 2. You shouldn't drive 3. You shouldn't vent 4. You shouldn't eat 5. You shouldn't keep arguing 6. You shouldn't post about your conflict on Facebook 7. You shouldn't write emails 8. You shouldn't drink alcohol 9. You shouldn't ignore your blood pressure 10. You shouldn't ruminate

process of purchasing firearms. The largest increase is among people registered as either independent or Democrats, while fewer Republicans now support harsher laws compared to 2014.

Support among independents rose 11 percentage points from 45 to 56 per cent. Registered Democrats are traditionally the most vocal advocates on the issue, with an increase from 71 to 77 per cent. The number among Republicans declined from 29 to 27.

The poll was taken from 7th-11th October in the days after the Umpqua Community College shooting.

KING IN WAITING ▶Kings in waiting are becoming

increasingly rare in Europe. Spain, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands

PRINCE CHRISTIAN OF DENMARK

Christian is the eldest son of Crown Prince Frederik, heir to the throne of Denmark, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary.

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REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE IN BEČIĆI

The region has a chance and

MUST CHANGE RAPIDLY

The countries of the Western Balkans must seize the opportunity presented by the Berlin process and accelerate work to reform their economies, increase competitiveness and interconnectedness as necessary a prerequisite for strengthening economic growth

A

lthough negative trends in Europe are also slowing economic growth in the Western Balkans, the countries of the region must do everything in order to be ready to seize the opportunity to connect economically to the EU, it was noted at the regional Conference “Effectiveness of EU accession and improving regional competitiveness”, organised by the Association of Serbian Economists, the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro and the Association of Economists of Montenegro on 22nd and 23rd October in Bečići. The event was organised under the patronage of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić.

The gathering, which brought together more than 500 participants, including ministers, prominent business leaders, foreign investors, representatives of international financial institutions and economic analysts, included debate on progress and prospects of the European integration of the Western Balkans, the situation in the Montenegrin and Serbian economies and their connectedness, business in the region from the perspective of domestic and foreign investors, as well as other topics.

Following opening addresses by the president Association of Serbian Economists, Aleksandar Vlahović, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Velimir Mijušković, the conference was formally opened by Prime Minister Đukanović.

Welcoming guests, the Montenegrin Prime Minister pointed out 20 |

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that higher growth rates in our region, which are only 32% of the European development average, are a prerequisite for reducing unemployment and developing faster. He pointed out that alongside growing external and public debt, and an inflexible monetary policy, the region has neither the macroeconomic instruments nor the power to accelerate economic growth significantly and reduce poverty through large development projects.

“Dynamic economic growth requires that we strengthen macroeconomic stability and strengthen competitiveness and intensify connections within the region,” said Đukanović.

He stressed that Montenegro, as a country in the process of EU and NATO integration, has drawn a development path in the sectors of manufacturing, energy, tourism and agriculture. It was investment in precisely these areas that contributed to the recovery of the economy that saw 3.3% GDP increase in the first half of 2015.

Vlahović, president of the Association of Serbian Economists, said in his opening remarks that the most important issue for Serbia and Montenegro is the pace of EU accession, as well as fundamental structural reforms, for which an important prerequisite is improving regional competitiveness and cooperation. Vlahović said that until 2008 all structural problems in Serbia were masked by high

inflows of foreign direct investment and that the crisis years were eral of the Directorate for the European Integration of Montenegro, not used for stabilisation. He underlined that this year Serbia broke reminded that this country has opened 22 chapters and provisionalwith such a policy and for the first time based its fiscal consolidation ly closed two, pointing out that Montenegro was very well prepared on austerity measures, which, he said, had led to very good fiscal for this job. results. He said that in the next two or three years the speed of fulMilica Delević, Deputy Secretary General of the EBRD in London, filling structural reforms will be a key risk factor for Serbia on the underlined that the region is once again in the focus of Europe’s atroad to sustainable growth. tention, warning that if expansion happens and the applicant counSpeaking about relations between Serbia and Montenegro, Vlatries fail to introduce changes to the system of values they will not hović said that “we are striving for a common goal – EU, faster or achieve their desired goal. slower. We have already launched joint infrastructure investments, Speaking in Panel 2, dedicated to the situation, development diwith a view to the entire Western Balkans appearing on the map of rections and connections of the economies of Montenegro and Serthe Trans-European Transport Network. Highway construction and bia, Deputy Montenegrin Prime Minister Vujica Lazović stated that modernisation of the rail network this is a good year for the Montenewill contribute greatly to establishing grin economy, with GDP growth estieven better connections between the mated at 4.3%, and recalled that the two economies. Improving tourism government had opted for a further and trade activities naturally impose reduction in current consumption themselves, given that we are comand investment in capital projects plementary in these areas. In order to such as the highway, construction of take advantage of all these comparathe Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant and tive advantages it is necessary to have others, stating that from the economstrong cooperation not only between ic perspective these projects could be the real and financial sectors, but also risky for macroeconomic stability bethe creation of appropriate institufore they begin to generate growth. tional mechanisms at the level of the Finance Minister Radoje Žugić said entire Western Balkan region. An exthat the Montenegrin economy still ample of that may be the Joint Comhad numerous vulnerabilities in the mission for Economic Cooperation zone of the real economy, the main between Serbia and Montenegro, said ones being insolvency and a high unVlahović. employment rate.

“Competitiveness imposes itself Serbian Finance Minister Dušan as the central problem of our econVujović said that, in parallel with omy and we are aware that reaching the fiscal consolidation of Serbia, a certain level of national economic there had been a reversal in the tencompetitiveness is a condition for dency of a negative growth rate to a our presence and survival on the positive one, which is a success, but single European market. That also he said that the state is now on the demands a lot of work at the micro “the steep coastline of structural rePRIME MINISTER MILO DJUKANOVIĆ level,” said Veselin Mijušković, presforms”, which is quite slippery, and ident of the Montenegrin Chamber of where the government must solve a In the next two or three years Commerce. According to him, withwhole series of things. the speed of fulfilling structural out changing the behaviour of all ecoWorld Bank Director for Southeast reforms will be a key risk for Serbia Europe, Ellen Goldstein, said that economic subjects – the state, companies and employees – and securing realisnomic recovery can be expected in Seron the road to sustainable growth, tic sources of funding, it is not possibia and Montenegro, but fiscal balance warned Aleksandar Vlahović ble to achieve the planned objectives. and a lack of reform could jeopardise “The Western Balkans is for us a the entire process. Speaking at Panel 3, kind of unfinished job. European integration is seen as a guarantee dedicated to doing business in the region and including the particiof peace and prosperity for the region,” said Günter Verheugen, forpation of local businessmen and investors, Dragan Bokan, President mer European Commissioner for Enlargement and former European of Voli Trade, said that in addition to the service sector there must Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, speaking in panel 1, dedalso be investment in production, while Miodrag Kostić, owner of MK icated to the situation and prospects regarding the EU integration of Group, said that all of the region’s countries should use their comparthe Western Balkans. ative advantages, with Montenegro investing in the service sector and Tanja Miščević, head of the negotiating team for Serbia’s EU actourism, and Serbia in the development of agriculture and industry. cession, noted that Serbia is ready to open four negotiation chapters Ante Todorić, executive vice president of Croatia’s Agrokor, said with the EU: 35, 32, 23 and 24, while Snežana Radović, Director Genthat the region could not continue to develop further without real inNOVEMBER

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vestment and investment in knowledge. That is the recipe that enasector in the preparation of projects, because this is a bigger probbled Agrokor to compete with the world’s biggest companies. lem for enterprises than high interest rates.

Andrej Jovanović, director at Serbian company My Brands, said Milorad Katnić, president of the Board of Directors of Societe that certain industries in the region will be able to survive only in Generale Montenegro, highlighted the problem of NPLs and said that conditions of mergers and consolidation, which is particularly the the state should influence the fulfilling of contractual obligations recase with the food industry. Tomislav Čelebić, president of company garding loans, through the efficient resolving of court disputes and Čelebić, is of the opinion that there is a great crisis of knowledge in bankruptcy proceedings. the region and, as such, it is necessary to reform the education system, especially primary and secondary education.

Svetozar Janevski, President of the Tikveš Winery Management Board, said that the countries of the region should determine economic objectives through an open dialogue.

“Croatia and Serbia, as the biggest economies, must cooperate intensively and be the drivers of the region, to which all the others can be attached as wagons,” said Janevski.

The countries of the region have done a lot to improve the investment climate, but there is still a lot of work left to do in this direction – it was estimated in the panel discussion Doing Business in the Region - foreign investors, chaired by Montenegrin Telekom CEO Ruediger Schulz.

Carlsberg Serbia CEO and Foreign Investors Council vice president Gabor Bekefi estimated that the biggest problems for doing business in the region included the unpredictability and inconsistency of legal regulations, The Montenegrin Government is exerting If the countries of the while Ernst Bode, senior vice president for efforts to create favourable conditions for inregion become EU Southeast Europe at Messer Group, said that vestment in Montenegrin tourism, primarily members but do not this region has huge potential, but development tax policy that encourages the construction of is slowed down by complicated administration five-star accommodation facilities, said Tourchange the system of in the countries and poor legislation. In agreeand Sustainable Development Minister values in their societies, ism ment with him was also Darren Gibson, director Branimir Gvozdenović, participating in panel European integration of Luštica Development.

6 on tourism from a sector-based and regional Andrej Babache, director at Mid Europa Partperspective. Professor at the Budva Faculty of will not achieve the ners, said that skilled people are the region’s Business and Tourism, Rade Ratković, said that desired goal, warned greatest potential. “That is what will propel us to it is necessary to network tourism economies in Milica Delević, Deputy stay in Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Bosthe region, which will lead to the extension of nia-Herzegovina in the next 15 years.” the season.

Secretary General of Geopolitical circumstances do not favour Dragan Đuričin, professor at the Faculty EBRD London those aspiring to join the European Union, of Economics in Belgrade and moderator and as the refugee crisis and addressing external keynote speaker for Panel 7, on education, inshocks bring about a change the EU’s list of priorities, or rather denovation and entrepreneurship, assessed that unemployment in moted expansion to a secondary priority, said Saša Popović, presithe region is increasing, with as many as 50 per cent of young dent of the Association of Economists of Montenegro, speaking on people currently jobless. Efka Heder, Director of the Centre for the second day of the conference. However, regardless of the crisis, Entrepreneurial Training of Southeast Europe, said that it is necthe countries of the region must continue to work on reforms, imessary to establish the postulates of entrepreneurship, innovation proving mutual connections and infrastructure. and information literacy in the education systems of Southeast Speaking during Panel 5, dedicated to the role of the financial Europe, while Goran Pitić, president of the council of Singidunum sector in economic development, Zoran Petrović, Chairman of the University’s Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, Executive Board of Raiffeisen Bank, Belgrade, said that banks have said that more should be invested in knowledge and education, ever fewer creditworthy clients, while Giulio Moreno, head of EBRD and that higher education institutions should turn to business in Montenegro, urged commercial banks to act as advisors to the real order to obtain funds. ■ 22 |

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REFUGEE CRISIS

B y JAC K G ROV E

Finding Ways and

MEANS TO HELP

Universities in Munich, where thousands of migrants are arriving daily, are adopting special measures to cater for those seeking higher education

L

tuition fees and paying living costs of £11,000 a year from 2016, MU Munich has set up a dedicated programme to prewhile 10 awards for postgraduates, worth up to £40,000 a year pare refugees for regular study, and is offering free depending on the course, will also be provided. The LSE’s Institute courses in German. Meanwhile, the Technical University of Munich will permit refugees who had started or of Global Affairs is also working with the institution’s scholars to were about to start university courses in their own countries to sit develop policies to tackle the refugee crisis, and will host a series in on course modules from this semester, so as of events on migration for students, policymakers and the general public. to familiarise themselves with the German The European The University of Glasgow has so far takhigher education system. They will also be en in two Syrian academics as Ph.D. students. helped by student mentors, in preparation for Commission has It has also announced measures to support applying for a regular place on a TUM prolaunched an initiative gramme from 2016. refugee students who have settled in the UK, called science4refugees including offering fee waivers and access to Meanwhile, the European Commission has launched an initiative called science4refugees scholarship schemes. to match refugees to match refugees and asylum seekers who Syrian refugees who have temporarily setand asylum seekers tled in Jordan and Lebanon are being taught by have a scientific background with scientific who have a scientific the Open University, in partnership with the institutions prepared to offer them positions, British Council. The council, which is teaching internships or training. background with English, French and German to about 3,000 inIn the UK, several universities have anscientific institutions nounced plans to fund places for refugees habitants of the refugee camps, will select 300 prepared to offer them of the most talented students to take an online – mostly those already in the UK. The Univerpositions, internships sity of Warwick is to offer 10 student scholardegree course accredited by the OU. Some 400 ships for this academic year, and another 10 other students will also have the chance to or training for 2016-17, with the majority likely to be for take a short online course on the OU’s learning postgraduates. platform, FutureLearn.

The University of York has set up a three-year package of inThe University of East London has committed to funding 10 itiatives, worth £500,000, which will offer financial support for postgraduate scholarships to Syrians in refugee camps, 20,000 of three undergraduates a year. Scholarships of between £23,000 and whom will be permitted to come to the UK over the next five years. £28,000 will be awarded from 2016. York will also welcome two Meanwhile, the Campaign for the Public University has written refugee scholars to its campus, at a cost of almost £200,000 over to Universities UK calling for every UK university to offer at least three years, and staff will be encouraged to contribute towards a five scholarships and bursaries for those fleeing violence or persecution. It also calls on universities to improve their links with the “give as you earn” scheme to support its scholarship fund.

Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara). The organisation says that The London School of Economics is also to commit nearly it is currently in touch with more than 100 overseas academics in £500,000 (€680,000) a year to help students seeking asylum. This imminent danger, the majority of whom are Syrians. ■ will provide three undergraduate scholarships, covering annual NOVEMBER

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INTERVIEW

Fruits of

KRISTINA JAZINKA NIKOLIĆ CMO and VP at Strawberry energy

SUCCESS Strawberry energy is a start-up that operates primarily in the regional and European markets, offering its portfolio of smart devices intended for public spaces. Strawberry is also a symbol of starting movement and changing things around, not accepting the apathetic status quo or consoling oneself with “No, that cannot be done” or “No, that’s not possible”

PhotoBy MARK EHRENBOLD

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trawberry energy is a Serbian start-up company founded on the idea of its smart devices raising the quality of life in urban areas. This company designs, creates and develops smart solar city infrastructure that provides access to energy, WiFi internet and relevant local information for people in a city’s public spaces.

■ For starters, tell us how Strawberry energy came about? −Strawberry initially emerged as a group of very enthusiastic final-year students who gathered together in order to offer the world their own unique, and at that time the world’s only, public solar charger for mobile phones. Without a single day of formal work experience, and with a desire to stay in Serbia, we ventured into making Strawberry – imagining that it would one day become a big company, which will have thousands of employees and offer the latest technical and technological solutions that people will love. Today, almost five years after the initial story, Strawberry energy is a start-up that operates primarily on the regional and European markets, offering its portfolio of smart devices intended for public spaces.

Likewise, Strawberry energy represents a sort of way of thinking.

Strawberry is also a symbol of starting movement and changing things around, not accepting the status quo or apathetic conciliation, saying “No, that cannot be done” or “No, that’s not possible”. We dedicate a lot of time to the promotion of entrepreneurship among the student population. I truly believe in the power of young people in Serbia and their driving energy and, speaking from my own position, I know that when you really want something you can accomplish it.

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More than five years ago, start-up was a virtually unknown term, and those who were familiar with this concept of operations didn’t believe that a product could emerge in Serbia that would become available on the global market. Today, when I look around and see that London is the first metropolis in the world to start implementing our smart devices on the streets, I get the impression that we’re really doing a good thing and we’re succeeding in using our example to encourage young people in Serbia to start realising their dreams.

place, even if only in your local community, you see such problems as challenges that need to be repaired and resolved.

■ The company's name is very interesting. Why “strawberry”? −From the very beginning we wanted a name that differed from what people in our industry are accustomed to. We wanted to give our start-up a name that would intrigue people to learn more.

Exploring the symbols from the environment, we came to strawberries and took part of the meaning. The strawberry is among the first fruits to ripen in the spring, after a long and cold winter, emerging with its delicious fruits and taking its place in the environment. So, it heralds spring and thereby indicates some sort of a start, something that is new. On the other hand, the strawberry contains many small seeds, which makes it a good symbol for the team that started to work together and quickly became Strawberry energy.

Moreover, it is also known that when you plant a strawberry you will very quickly have a bush, so it grows quickly and prospers, expanding through its environment. And in the end, everyone loves strawberries, don’t they?

■ What are your main products and how do they contribute to improving quality of life in cities? −We are currently working on two types of devices: - Strawberry Tree - the world’s first public solar charger for mobile phones, which provides free battery charging for devices, WiFi internet and relevant local information and information from the environment (air quality, noise pollution levels, temperature, humidity etc.).

- Strawberry Smart Bench – solar street furniture offering users free battery charging for devices, relevant local environmental data (air quality, noise pollution levels, temperature, humidity etc.) and a button to make emergency calls to the competent authority (e.g. Security, Police, etc.).

More than five years ago,

■ You invented the first public solar charger for mobile phones.

Where have you presented this charger in the world and where are examples located? −The world’s first public solar charger start-up was a virtually ■ The company’s motto is “make the world a for mobile phones and other portable unknown term, and those better place”. In what ways can Strawberry devices was installed in Obrenovac energy contribute to that? town square in late 2010. Our netwho were familiar with −We live in a time of great and significant technical this concept of operations work of devices can today be found on the squares and streets of 11 citand technological change. It is noticeable that our didn’t believe that a ies in the region (Belgrade, Novi Sad, needs and expectations are changing every day. The product could emerge in Valjevo, Vranje, Bor, Kikinda, Bijeljina, recent rapid growth of technology and the internet has uprooted the way we communicate with each Serbia that would become Bogatić, Banska Bystrica, Karlovac and Sofia). A few days ago was the world other, but also with our environment. We saw this available on the global premiere and first installing of our as an opportunity that we could use to offer solumarket tions and ease people’s lives in urban areas. I could new Strawberry Smart Bench device, give you a further illustration of this need through which has been set up in several locations in East London’s Canary Wharf. This is just the beginning, bejust one example. cause our revolution of changing and enriching public urban areas There are over six billion mobile devices worldwide, so power and is just starting to take hold. connectivity have become essential for billions of people. However, a large number of people are being “disconnected” almost every ■ How did you even come upon this idea? day, and in our offline experience our portable devices become −Hardware development is one big adventure, especially when nothing but useless bricks that we carry with us. On the other you're young and in Serbia. Miloš Milisavljević, founder and CEO hand, the cities where we spend most of our lives are not intended or designed to cater for our 21st century needs. I could bet that of Strawberry energy was final year student of Faculty of Electrical most people who read this interview today will, while moving from Engineering when he started the whole story. At the very beginning point A to point B, pass at least 95 pieces of street furniture that we had only the idea and the concept of what we wanted to build. are probably older than they are – such as telephone booths. When We didn’t even have any special knowledge, contacts, experience. you are an entrepreneur with a vision of making the world a better It was clear from the get-go that we could not achieve what we imNOVEMBER

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agined on our own. We believe in a multi-disciplinary approach, so we started gathering together in one place people of different professions and profiles, who helped us to realise our plans. So we slowly developed, primarily based on the requirements of the job, and eventually created what exists today.

■ How many awards have you so far received for the best start-up and the best project, and which awards are the most important to you personally? −We do not keep count of prizes and awards, but there have been many. We’ve always considered all of this praise as a reference and confirmation that what we are doing is good and that it is recognised by some qualified and experienced jury or some votes by an audience. If I had to single out a single prize that was most important for Strawberry, that would be the award of the European Commission EUSEW 2011.

After this recognition, we gained wind in our sails and the environment began taking our projects into consideration with less suspicion.

throughs that could have broader positive effects on many aspects of society, as well as highly paid positions for young and talented individuals. In this sense, I believe this is not an overblown story in our case because, on the one hand, it must be placed in the wider context of the orientation of an economy and whether it will create an eco-friendly system for the development of entrepreneurship and, on the other hand, to much better convey messages about specific benefits of the ICT sector for the prosperity of the community.

■ What is your general impression of the possibilities and opportunities for IT start-ups in Serbia? −There is certainly a significant number of possibilities that are offered today to individuals to start a business in this sector. There are ever more incubators and co-working space which offer, in favourable conditions, start-up space and specialised services to ensure that entrepreneurs can stand on their own feet as soon as possible and begin developing their business ideas by focusing on the research, testing and development of their product or service. Similarly, initiatives such as those implemented by the SEEICT organisation and startit portal, are commendable and have a substantial impact not only on promoting entrepreneurship, but also acting directly by offering support in the form of training, mentoring, expert lectures etc.

One positive example is the work of the Fund for ■ When it comes to Innovative Activities, which for the last few years IT start-ups, there has been assisting innovative entrepreneurs financially (through small and large grants) and strives is a debate going to help innovative ideas reach the stage of scaling on in Serbia now and sustainable business models. However, despite over whether they these great initiatives, there are also significant are something of barriers, just as there are in other business sectors. an “overblown” If the institutional framework was rearranged, story. What is your if investors and VC funds guaranteed much greater view on this?

I consider it essential legal security and certainty, then we would certain−If such a debate is even being led, as you say, I to make a critical ly be able to see more investment and, thus, many consider that this is not discussed enough. The more opportunities for this sector. Investors are general public has not been properly familiarsystematic step ised with the real potential of start-ups. Apart fleeing from bad laws, and companies follow invesforward and that tors, and in such a situation you cannot expect rapid from a few exceptions, stories about start-ups entrepreneurship and revolutionary solutions that will turn a country mainly don’t reach a greater number of people, start to be treated as with a poor business environment, such as Serbia but rather tend to stay within the community. (according to all relevant international indicators, The importance of this community is what is one of the pillars of such as the World Bank’s Doing Business report, important today, because this is not about spethe modern market cific companies and examples, but rather about the Heritage or Fraser index of economic freedom), economy, as it is a general attitude towards entrepreneurship in into an investment paradise. There are good existing examples of countries that we could look to Serbia, and thus about start-ups. everywhere in the emulate, such as Estonia and Slovakia, which have I consider it essential to make a critical sysdeveloped world tematic step forward and that entrepreneurused good laws and genuine reforms that produce ship start to be treated as one of the pillars of results in order to assure investors that they can invest safely in these countries. Not to mention Israel, which has become the modern market economy, as it is everywhere in the developed synonymous for a complex, but functional, start-up ecosystem. So, I world, and that the image of the ICT sector be built as the image think there are certainly opportunities that exist for IT start-ups, but of an innovative, dynamic sector that attracts exceptionally high in order for us to feel their full splendour this must be accompanied by quality people. The share of the ICT sector in GDP is never big in consolidation of the framework in which we operate and that in itself some developed countries (the EU average is about 4%), but it is is the broader challenge confronting this society. ■ a sector characterised by significant research, innovative break26 |

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT

NOVEMBER 2015

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LINDSTRÖM: Reliable Partner

Magnet for Further Investment

NENAD BOŽOVIĆ Managing Director

DRAGAN KOSTIĆ

Director of Free Zone Pirot

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Hearts and Minds for the 21st Century

We’re Pushing Boundaries Through Innovation

DR ROB RISCH

Director of The International School of Belgrade

BILJANA NAUMOVIĆ

General Managing of the Representative Office of AstraZeneca

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

LINDSTRÖM:

Reliable Partner NENAD BOŽOVIĆ MANAGING DIRECTOR

In just one year of being present on the market, Lindström’s innovative concept of offering services in workwear and mats management has been recognised by over 800 domestic and international clients in Serbia www.lindstrom.rs

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indström’s approach to managing services of maintaining workwear and mats allows companies to obtain a professional and efficient services that allow them to devote time to their core business activities.

■ To what extent are Lindström’s services recognised today on the Serbian market?

- Although our services are relatively new concept in Serbian market, after just a year of presence we have achieved remarkable results. We are currently working with more than 800 clients at over 1,300 locations throughout Serbia, but there is still a lot more room to grow.

■ What services are offered by your new service centre in Belgrade?

- Our service centre in Belgrade offers professional textile rental services. Our workwear rental service includes design, manufacture, maintenance and disposal, while representing a unique way of managing work uniforms that are always available on time, for the right person and at the 28 |

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right place. Combined with our mat services, our workwear service guarantees health, hygiene and safety of people and processes. Moreover, our services contribute to strengthening the corporate image of our clients and better cost control without large initial investments. One of the key advantages of certified Lindström services is that they enable partners and their management to focus on their core business activities.

■ What have your first experiences of operating in the country been like, and what is your strategy for further expansion on the domestic market?

- Although Lindström successfully provides services to many international and domestic companies in various sizes and industry branches in Serbia, many other companies are yet to learn and accept advantages of our services. Our current focus is on the growth of the service network in the market, but also to ensure that the quality of our services is at the desired level, guaranteeing maximum satisfaction of our clients. ■

Lindström’s complete service enhances the business of clients through efficient and effective services of managing workwear and mats

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Magnet for

Further Investment DRAGAN KOSTIĆ

DIRECTOR OF FREE ZONE PIRO T

Free Zone Pirot is at the forefront of Serbia’s free zones, providing foreign investors with all logistical services in one place and announcing new expansions to cater for the interests of larger players

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he recent 2015 Global Free Zone of the Year Award for a sub-regional free zone, as well as new tenants in the extended zone, serve to prove that superior world standards have been applied at Free Zone Pirot.

■ Free Zone Pirot is to be expanded by 24 hectares in order to enable it to receive new tenants. Which companies are set to expand their production and how this will impact on Free Zone Pirot’s overall results?

-We expect the further expansion of the operations of Tigar Tyres and companies that provide services to Tigar Tyres, as well as the extension of 14 existing production companies which operate in Free Zone Pirot. We also expect new companies that have expressed an interest in operating at Free Zone Pirot in recent years, but which we were unable at the time to provide with the infrastructure conditions required for their operations. Besides the aforementioned, we also plan to construct a bimodal terminal (road/rail) with all logistical services in one place. We expect certain companies to construct warehouses and establish a distribution centre there.

■ Free Zone Pirot recently received the Global Free Zone of the Year 2015 Award for a sub-regional free zone.

What does this award mean for the further development of the zone?

-This is recognition for the results achieved in the last 20 years. This means that we are doing well, in accordance with world standards and requirements for the development of investment locations.

We will continue providing the best logistical services to our tenants and further extending the

trade and financial incentives Serbia offers investors for the creation of new jobs, free zone tenants and users are able to introduce goods and purchase equipment and services without paying customs duties and VAT, while they are exempt from paying local fees and taxes for the construction and exploitation of

territory of the zone as we strive to provide conditions for major tenants who require a large area for their development.

facilities. Some free zones, including Free Zone Pirot, provide all logistical services in one place: organisation of integral transport, freight forwarding services, a customs terminal with the presence of bonded warehouses and production facilities, land fully equipped in terms of infrastructure and professional staff for various activities.

We expect to attract more tenants (investors) who want to locate their investments here in the next year and employ more people.

We expect to attract more tenants (investors) who want to locate their investments here in the next year and employ more people

■ What makes free zones in Serbia attractive to foreign investors and what output do you expect from these zones in the next year?

-Free zones enable more efficient operations and significant cost savings for investors by integrating all advantages in one place.

In addition to the benefits of the

■ You recently attended the first international conference and exhibition of the World Free Zones Organisation (World FZO). What are the major global trends when it comes to developing the free zones business model?

-The first international conference of the newly established World Free Zones Organisation was held in May this year. The conference gathered together the most prominent representatives of free zones and investors from all around the world.

The most important goal of the three-day conference was to create a strategy of free zones as an effective instrument for attracting direct investment using the experience and knowledge of the world’s most successful free zones.

The point is to have a politically stable climate in the area, to decrease all taxes as much as possible (0% taxes preferred), to simplify all procedures for the issuance of construction permits, export/import procedures, to efficiently provide all logistical and administrative services for tenants in one place and to enable tenants to concentrate on taking care of their core business. ■ NOVEMBER

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Hearts and Minds

for the 21st Century DR ROB RISCH

DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE

In a warm and welcoming atmosphere, students are provided with challenging and comprehensive education that enables them to understand and successfully engage with the ever-increasing complexities and interconnectedness of our world

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he International School of Belgrade’s curriculum is holistic in nature and concerned with the whole child – it supports their intellectual growth and academic success, as well as their human capacities.

■ What criteria do potential pupils have to meet in order to be admitted to ISB? - Students need to demonstrate that they are able to meet our academic expectations, and that they will embrace and contribute to our mission, vision and core values. Regarding academics, in the early grades there is no prerequisite for English language level; students learn English quickly, while immersed in classroom situations, and in addition we provide English language support for those who need it. We can also provide English language support for older students, as long as the student is able to access the concepts within each of the subjects, given this support. We require families to submit prior academic reports for students transferring from other schools, and we examine these closely to ensure students have the capacities to be successful academically in our school. In terms of the dispositions to which we all aspire, these are outlined in our core values of empathy, integrity, re30 |

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spect and responsibility. We expect our students to be committed to developing the ten attributes of the IB learner profile: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.

These attributes are established in harmony with intellectual growth and academic success.

■ How does the IB curriculum differ from other educational programmes and why did ISB choose to join this programme?

- The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) was established to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable students to understand and successfully engage with the ever-increasing complexities and interconnectedness of our world. The academic rigour in the DP is externally moderated through exams and our students perform significantly above the global averages on these. ISB also offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students in Pre-Kindergarten to grade five, and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students from grades six to 10. The IB programmes encourage students to become active, compassionate and lifelong

Successful completion of the programmes we offer allows our students to gain acceptance at, and sometimes advanced placements in, competitive universities all over the world learners. Our ISB curriculum, based on the IB programmes, is holistic in nature, meaning that it is concerned with the whole child.

In addition to challenging academics and cognitive development, IB programmes address students’ social, emotional and physical wellbeing. ISB has chosen to offer all levels of IB programmes,

because they focus on the values and outcomes of internationally minded learning, and we agree with the belief that people who are empowered to create a more just and peaceful world need an education that crosses disciplinary, cultural, national and geographical boundaries. Successful completion of the DP enables our students

to gain acceptance at, and sometimes advanced placements in, competitive universities all over the world.

■ What skills does collaborative learning provide?

- When students learn collaboratively they reinforce and deepen their knowledge and understanding through discussion, and by exchanging ideas they are able to view concepts through different lenses and from varying perspectives. They develop important social skills like active listening and being able to disagree without causing offense. Many other important life skills are fostered, for example critical thinking when analysing data and opinions presented by others. The list of skills is quite comprehensive, and fits with the opening phrase of the ISB Mission Statement: “ISB is a collaborative learning community …”

■ How does the programme address the needs of children of different ages?

- Each level of our school, from early childhood, with our youngest learners at age three, up to grade 12, is staffed by experts in their fields. Sixty per cent of our faculty members have masters or doctorate degrees, as well as extensive teacher training and content knowledge specific to the age groups they teach. When you combine their informed and

caring guidance with an age-appropriate curriculum as framed within the PYP, MYP, and DP, the result ensures that the needs of children of different ages are addressed successfully.

■ How do students from different countries learn to fit into ISB’s community?

- Our community is warm and welcoming, and since it consists of over 40 nationalities, new students feel like they’re part of this international

School, such as yoga, model-making and aikido. In addition, we are a member of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) and participate in athletic and activity tournaments with other member schools.

■ Which of your students’ achievements make you the most proud?

- My greatest source of pride is the students’ learning in relation to providing a service to the com-

Sixty per cent of our faculty members have masters or doctorate degrees, and extensive teacher training and content knowledge specific to the age groups they teach

community regardless of the country that issues their passport, or the country in which they last resided.

The rich diversity of cultures, customs, appearances and languages is valued and celebrated, and new students naturally join and contribute to this.

■ Which after-school programmes does ISB offer?

- ISB has a comprehensive and diverse range of offers for students after school. At our Lower School, we regularly offer around 30 choices of arts, crafts, sports, dance, drama and special interest groups, like the chess club. We also have a rich variety of choices at the Upper

munity. I have had the opportunity to join our older students at the Miksaliste refugee centre and to work alongside them in the distribution of clothing, shoes, food and hygiene items. Watching them interact with the migrants showed that our students truly understand the difficulties migrants are facing, and by volunteering their Sundays they demonstrated their caring and their commitment to help.

Our entire school community has contributed to gathering items needed by the migrants. Similarly, all of our students were very devoted to helping victims of the floods in Serbia in 2014, and our

older students were involved with working to re-open a school for individuals with special needs in Obrenovac. On a more permanent basis, we have groups of students regularly spending time with orphans, senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities at a vocational school.

Students reflect in writing about their experiences, and this excerpt demonstrates some of the learning that takes place: “During the ‘Relief for Obrenovac project’, my classmates and I refurbished a day care centre in Obrenovac and prepared activities for individuals with disabilities from the centre. In this way we wished to contribute in providing humanitarian help and attending to the needs of the victims of a horrifying natural disaster.

The most memorable moment for me was when we organised an afternoon of sporting activities. They loved all three, but especially experienced tremendous joy in playing the basketball game. No matter your disability or limitation, you can accomplish great things and participate in activities you love. Another memorable moment for me was witnessing the way each of them reacted to winning or losing. To them no one was the victor or the loser. Their appreciation of each other does not let them categorise one as the victor and the other one as the loser.” ■ NOVEMBER

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

LOCAL NEWS

MERCEDES-BENZ

IMPLEMENTATION “Gradual economic recovery can be expected in Serbia and Montenegro, but the process could be hindered by a lack of reforms and inadequate implementation of fiscal consolidation.” — ELLEN GOLDSTEIN, World Bank Country Director for SEE TELENOR BANK

Sportier Choice Mercedes-Benz is combining two classes of vehicle – each with its own distinct style – to create a new model: the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé. The sporty nature of the coupé dominates, imbued with the striking characteristics of a robust SUV. With its flowing side contour, elongated and low windscreen, striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre and rearend design, the GLE Coupé boasts styling features typical of particularly sporty MercedesBenz models. At the premiere, the GLE Coupé will be available as a diesel or petrol mod-

First Online Credit Line

Telenor Banka has introduced the first online credit line offer in Serbia. This unique offer is actually a 3-in1 product. The credit line can be used as a revolving credit card, or as a loan for refinancing existing debts with additional available funds for spending, or for

contactless online payments, such as utility or electricity bills.

“With the introduction of the first online credit line, our banking value proposition is complete. By applying the synergy of telecoms and financial solutions, we continue to bring innovations and drive the further development of online banking in Serbia,” said Ove Fredheim, Telenor Serbia CEO and President of Telenor Banka’s Management Board. With over 100,000 accounts opened, Telenor Banka represents the region’s fastest growing online bank. According to NBS data, with a million more completed transactions, online banking has exceeded the turnover at branch offices for the first time ever.

HALK BANK

First Branch Opened in Serbia el with an output range of between 190 kW (258 hp) and 270 kW (367 hp). The top-of-therange model GLE 450 AMG, the first representative of a new Mercedes-AMG product line – the AMG sports models – is particularly attractive. In addition to a generous volume of standard equipment, the DYNAMIC SELECT handling control system, the Sports Direct-Steer system and the driver assistance systems typical of the brand, the GLE 450 AMG always comes with the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive.

Following the purchase of 76.74% of the capital Čačanska Bank in May this year, for a price of €10.1 million, Halk Bank has now formally opened its first branch office in Belgrade. The opening ceremony was attended by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi, H.E. Turkish Ambassador to Serbia Mehmet Kemal Bozay, and Mustafa Aydın, president of the Halk Bank Board of Directors. Minister Zeybekçi expressed confidence that Halk Bank will contribute to increasing the interest of Turkish investors for the Serbian market and improving economic cooperation between the two countries. “Halk Bank is today the fifth largest bank in Serbia, but our ambition is to be the biggest, in order for us to contribute to further improving economic cooperation between Serbia and Turkey,” said Aydın. Halk Bank was founded in 1938 and is the sixth largest bank in Turkey, with more than 900 branches and 17,000 employees in its home country.

SCHOLZ & FRIENDS

A Great Success at The Golden Drum Festival!

Scholz & Friends Belgrade has won the Golden Drum Award in Mobile Category at this year's Golden Drum Festival in Portorož. In competition of over 1200 entries from 35 countries.

Scholz & Friends Belgrade was awarded the highest award in Mobile Category for the application Sonochrome. Sonochrome "translates" colors from the environment directly into musical tones for the purpose of enabling blind and colorblind people to perceive in an entirely different way, enriching their experience of the world.

"We believe in the power of ideas and stories that are changing the world for the better," says a representative at Scholz & Friends Belgrade. The agency has already been awarded for the same application at the Digital Communication Award in, Berlin in September this year. The “golden team”, apart form the Agency team, also included four young programmers from Serbia - Lazar Radosavljevic, Djordje Relic, Nikola Cimbaljevic and Danijel Šaranovic, alongside Belgrade's Red Production.

Scholz & Friends Belgrade is the only German communications group in the Adriatic region and represents a unique blend of Germany’s well-known efficiency and the best local creativity.

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BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO

TDR Officially Joins BAT British American Tobacco (BAT) has finalised the previously announced process of acquisition of TDR d.o.o. and other company assets related to the tobacco industry and retailers of Adris Grup d.d., at a total cost of €550 million. TDR is a leading independent manufacturer of cigarettes in Southeast Europe, with a leading position on the Croatian market and strong positions in Serbia, BosniaHerzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro. “The acquisition will further strengthen BAT’s position on the Serbian market, while also providing new possibilities for our factory in Vranje,” said Thanos Trimis, General Manager of BAT for Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

REFORM

DID YOU KNOW

“The government has launched the public enterprise reform, but did not expect the people would try to stop the process in every way.” — DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ, Serbian Finance Minister

TURKISH AIRLINES

New Belgrade – Miami flight In an effort to offer lovers of distant destinations the opportunity to enjoy the tropical climate and exotic beauty of the Atlantic coast, from 25th October Turkish Airlines has introduced a new Belgrade – Miami route.

Flights are available to passengers travelling from Belgrade to Miami and vice versa, while the Turkish Airlines’ offer includes daily flights via Istanbul, with excellent connections.

Miami is today a city of two million inhabitants and one of the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in Florida. In addition to Miami, Turkish Airlines has flights to 11 other U.S. destinations, including New York, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Houston, Boston and San Francisco, as well as Toronto, Montreal, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires.

VOJVOĐANSKA BANK

Best in Realising Commercial Payments & Financial Transfers

Placements & postings

During its two-millennia-long history, Belgrade has risen from the ashes 38 times

appointments@aim.rs

STEFAN VANOVERBEKE

new CEO at IKEA Southeast Europe

Stefan Vanoverbeke has taken on the position of CEO at IKEA Southeast Europe, covering Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, headquartered in Belgrade. He started his IKEA career in 1994, as a trainee shopkeeper, and climbed up the ranks to become national sales manager for Belgium. From 2001-2005, Stefan supported IKEA Italy with their operations, and from 2005-2009 he served as CEO at IKEA Poland. Under Stefan’s lead, IKEA Poland saw the fastest sales growth in IKEA worldwide and set the groundwork for strong expansion. Vanoverbeke has come to Belgrade after spending five years as CEO at IKEA France, where he oversaw the operations of 30 retail outlets employing 9,700 workers.

Stefan is Belgian by nationality and speaks five languages (English, French, German, Italian and a working knowledge of Polish).

Stefan is a married father of two children.

NELT GROUP

Revenue Up 39 Per Cent!

After two years of consolidating the operations of all companies within the Nelt Group’s organisational system, the group achieved a turnover of €539 million in 2014, while organic growth and contracting with new principals in 2015 led to Nelt Group increases its number of employees to 461, while revenue is expected to have grown by 39 per cent by year’s end. Nelt today employs a total of 3,760 people on seven markets and in 11 companies, making it one of the most successful domestic business systems. Nelt is a leader in providing top quality services in the fields of distribution, logistics, manufacturing, retail and marketing. In addition to doing business in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, Nelt MILOŠ JELIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NELT GROUP is also expanding operations dynamically in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Zambia and Mozambique). This year saw the Group joined by company Banim Advertisements, a renowned producer of advertising materials, and Corner Shop, a retail chain that has launched a new development strategy through the modernisation of the visual idendtity of its retail outlets, advancing the range of products on offer and opening standardised facilities in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia.

“The professionalism and commitment we show are the best recommendation for the world’s largest companies, such as Philip Morris and Procter & Gamble, which have entrusted a big part of their business processes in several markets to Nelt,” said Miloš Jelić, Nelt Group executive director.

ERSTE BANK

The two largest foreign correspondent banks, Deutsche Bank and Comercbank, have declared Vojvođanska Bank the best in the field of commercial payments and financial transfer services.

The STP (straight-through-processing) Award, which was given to the bank, reflects a high level and exceptional efficiency and accuracy in transferring money destination banks and customers abroad, while reducing transmission costs.

“We are proud that for the third year in a row our bank won this award, which confirms our efforts to provide our customers with the best service,” said Vojvođanska Bank staff.

NPLs Sold to Czech APS Fund

The Czech APS Fund has bought receivables from 85 companies with a total value of €23.5 million. The unpaid loans that have been sold were made in the last 30 years and in good part were

inherited from the Novi Sad bank. Companies in this package have largely been liquidated, while a fifth represent active companies that are under other blockages. Erste Bank is the one of the first banks operating in Serbian to sell its uncollectible receivables to a foreign fund. The bank plans to sell another NPL package by year’s end.

Erste Bank’s portfolio is the APS Fund’s second corporate portfolio in Serbia. The acquisition was financed by APS and will be serviced by APS Serbia. APS has also taken over and is servicing corporate portfolios of banks and companies in Montenegro, as well as corporate and retail portfolios worth about two billion euros in other Southeast European markets.

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

We’re Pushing Boundaries

Through Innovation BILJANA NAUMOVIĆ

GENERAL MANAGING OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE OF ASTRAZENECA

Unfortunately, we’re currently in a vacuum when it comes to the innovative therapies that are available to patients in Serbia, who still lack the opportunity to benefit from innovative treatment methods

W

e’re focused on developing new therapeutic modalities that push the boundaries of treating illnesses today. We are one of the few companies that cover all fields of innovative drug development, from researching and developing substances to their production, distribution and global commercialisation, says Biljana Naumović, general manager of AstraZeneca's representative in Serbia, speaking to CorD Magazine.

■ What are the biggest therapeutic challenges facing pharmacists today’s and what are you focused on as a company?

-The future of treatment for most diseases we are fighting today lies in discovering mechanisms that have so far remained unknown. We believe the best way for us to help patients is to remain focused on scientific discoveries that would lead to an understanding of these mechanisms in order to develop targeted therapies that would work on them. This is the basis of our work and the purpose of our company – for us to extend the frontiers of science in order

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to bring medicines to the world that alter a patient’s life.

We are focused on three key therapeutic areas – oncology, cardiovascular/metabolic diseases and respiratory/autoimmune/inflammatory diseases – and we believe that in these areas we will bring the most significant contribution to patients.

combination of small molecules and biological therapies, immunotherapy, protein engineering and innovative technologies, all of which is further supported by translational science and capacities to personalise the methods and modalities of treatment.

We build relations with partners throughout the aca-

■ There are increasingly more new possibilities for treatment and the quality of your company's innovation.

How is that reflected and what is your approach to research?

-In order for us to be in the best position to push the boundaries of science, we use and develop the capacities that few pharmaceutical companies have today. We develop and use a

demic world. We are also partners of all biopharmaceutical companies that have the same vision as we do, and with whom we can work jointly to advance new possibilities for the treatment of patients.

The primary focus at our research laboratories is on scientific quality, smart risk management, new ideas and smart decisions based on a clear and intelligible science. Only

The state must be included in order for the best treatment options to be available to patients in Serbia. At the moment the gap is too big between us and even the closest neighbouring countries. Something must be done immediately and new molecules must find their place on the list of medicines as soon as possible

in this way can we adequately understand the pathophysiology of diseases that will lead to the creation of a new generation of therapies that are now only dreamt about. That which we currently have in our research programme represents the very best of innovative developments in the pharmaceutical industry.

We direct this knowledge and resources to the improvement, promotion and creation of a new world – through a vision of responsible business, insisting on the responsibility of states and the responsibility of informed patients. We all have an important role in the sustainable and advanced system that we have to build, both in Serbia and elsewhere in the world.

■ What is the situation like in Serbia when it comes to innovative therapies and are we lagging behind in relation to the region and Europe and, if so, how much?

-Unfortunately, we’re currently in a vacuum when it comes to the innovative therapies that are available to patients in Serbia. In the past few years, despite the fact that the law has defined the process of add-

ing and removing drugs from the list of drugs covered by the Republic Fund for Health Insurance, not a single legally defined deadline has been respected, nor a single process of adding innovative drugs to that list. That resulted in a huge gap in the availability of treatment and the method and quality of treatment between our country and not only this in Europe, but also neighbouring countries like Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia.

A huge problem exists in the availability of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome or diabetes, and these are two diseases that represent a huge burden on our country’s healthcare system and that is precisely as a result of the inadequate efficacy of existing therapies that the Fund covers and the consequential effects that must be addressed in more expensive ways. When it comes pulmonology, we are also lacking with inhaled medicines that should be first-line therapies and which are, due to the degree of participation, available only to a very small number of patients. Solutions exist, opportunities are there, and our healthcare system has room to cover contemporary therapies.

We are here to offer solutions, which we do for both the Ministry of Health and the Republic Institute for Health Insurance. It is up to them to fully and consistently follow their own regulations and, through good will and focus on action, as opposed to words, we can come to a reduction in the gap that unfortunately exists between us and the rest of Europe.

■ How important is education and what kind of activities aimed at educating do you carry out in order to improve the knowledge of all market participants?

-In Serbia we support numerous educational meetings at which we present scientific evidence, discuss contemporary attitudes and present the latest recommendations for the treatment of diseases that are important to the medical community. In late July this year we were the general sponsor of the

cardiovascular comorbidity.

In addition to this, we work together with professional associations on the issue of pocket editions of the GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) guide in the Serbian language, which will be published this autumn and distributed to all pulmonologists in Serbia.

Thanks to good cooperation with

We support numerous educational meetings at which we present scientific evidence, discuss contemporary attitudes and present the latest recommendations for the treatment of diseases that are important to the medical community expert meeting on Interventional Pulmonology, organised by the Clinic of Pulmonology of the Clinical Centre of Serbia and the Respiratory Society of Serbia. Besides this, we will be one of the general sponsors of the education course that will be organised by the Respiratory Society of Serbia under the auspices of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) on the topic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and

the Global Initiative for Asthma, preparations are also underway for the first guide in the Serbian language for recognising and treating the syndrome of overlapping asthma and COPD (ACOS), as well as the most relevant topics in pulmonology today.

We are also dedicated to the education of pharmacists and regularly participate in FASUS (pharmaceutical meetings) covering a variety of relevant topics, and where we will this year

present the latest innovations in pulmonology and cardiology.

■ You also participate in numerous activities aimed at educating patients. Which activities would you highlight in this domain?

-Through our partnership with the City Institute for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, in early May this year we marked World Asthma Day with the campaign “I have asthma, asthma does not have me”, at which citizens were able to obtain important information about identifying and treating diseases, as well as enabling them to consult with specialists in pulmonology. We are preparing a series of activities until the end of the year that are aimed at raising the awareness of the general population regarding asthma and COPD, while life will also be breathed into the first website for patients suffering from obstructive lung diseases and lung cancer.

All activities are aimed at ensuring patients can, with timely diagnosis and regular treatment, lead a completely normal life, without compromise and withdrawal. Besides pulmonology, we are present in the same way in two other key therapeutic areas: cardiology and oncology. Among other things, we are a partner in testing patients with lung cancer using an EGFR mutation that would enable them to have more appropriate and effective treatment; we participated in the participated in donation of devices and the organisation of the support of advanced genetic testing of BRCA testing for patients with ovarian and breast cancer.

We support the campaign “Experience Life”, which is organised by the three largest cardiology associations in Serbia, under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Institute. ■ NOVEMBER

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ILLUSION

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

"It is wrong to foster the illusion that it is possible for a small nation of two million people to stop, solve and rectify a situation where even much bigger EU member states have failed," — MIRO CERAR, Slovenian Prime Minister

REGIONAL NEWS

Croatian state-owned energy utility HEP said it has placed on the international markets a $550million (€484.6mln) bond due 2022 at 6.125%. The joint arrangers on the debt issue, which carries an interest coupon of 5.875%, were Banca IMI S.p.A., UniCredit Bank AG, and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc., HEP said in a statement.

Earlier this month, HEP told SeeNews it had offered the holders of its bonds maturing on November 9, 2017, an option for early redemption. The bonds were issued on November 9, 2012, in the total amount of $500 million at 6%. HEP group owns and operates over 4,000 MW of installed generation capacity and 974 MW of heat production capacity, including 25 hydroelectric plants and eight thermal power plants fired by oil, natural gas or coal.

Source: SeeNews

CROATIA

HEP places $550mln bond due 2022

Best Year to Buy a House in Bucharest

fered by the First House program. This year will be the best year in the history of the residential market in Bucharest, according to Coldwell Banker specialists. About 11,000 new apartments might be completed in Bucharest and in the surroundings this year, more than in 2008.

Keeping Gas Transport Under State Control Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has asserted the country is "actively working" to make sure "everything" that regards gas transportation is fully stateowned.

The gas transportation network of Bulgaria will be BOYKO BORISOV, BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER a "key asset" in negotiations to set up a gas hub in the country. After the demise of South Stream, a pipeline project which was set to supply Southeastern and Central Europe with gas via Bulgaria, was abandoned, the government has been promoting the idea to establish a gas distribution center in the country. Some 20-30 billion cubic meters of gas could be transited via Bulgaria through the interconnections with Greece, Turkey and Macedonia when they are finished and after the gas depot in Chiren (NW Bulgaria) is expanded.

For the entire gas transportation network, reconstruction works will cost to the tune of BGN 204 M (€104 million).

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Mol Group signed an agreement on the purchase of Eni Hungaria Zrt., which operates 183 fuel stations under the brand Agip in Hungary and it is engaged in wholesale business, index. hu wrote. One of the aims of Mol is to expand

10 THINGS

BULGARIA

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Mol Buys Agip

its activities around the radius of its main refineries and to increase the presence in the retail market. Thus the company gets petrol stations in key locations and also strengthens its positions in Budapest. A few things still need for the close of the transaction, including the approval of the Economic and Competition Authority. The lubricant wholesale business of Eni is not part of the agreement.

ROMANIA

Apartments in Bucharest are three times more accessible nowadays, than during the economic boom, according to an analysis made by real estate consultancy firm Coldwell Banker.

A Romanian making the average net wage (some €410 per month) must now work about 11 years to buy a 50sq/m two-room apartment in Bucharest (if he used all the money he made to pay for the apartment). In 2008, he would have had to work 33 years to get the same apartment. The difference is due to the drop in the selling prices and the increase in the average salary.

Buying a new apartment has also became easier as the banks have reduced interest rates. The mortgage loans in Romanian currency lei have now much lower interest rates, closer to the ones of-

HUNGARY

YOU SHOULD NEVER DO WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS Embarking on a new venture is incredibly exciting. The possibilities are endless, your enthusiasm is sky-high and you can’t wait to get going. That is, until you hit a snag you didn’t expect!

Here are our top ten ‘don’ts’ to bear in mind when starting on your new venture.

1. Don’t try to be someone you are not 2. Don’t underestimate yourself 3. Don’t sell yourself short 4. Don’t be afraid to try new things 5. Don’t see failure as a negative 6. Don’t be too proud to ask for help or advice 7. Don’t listen to the haters 8. Don’t be a dead fish 9. Don’t be a slave to yourself 10. Don’t lose sight of why you are doing this and what is important

BORDER

DID YOU KNOW

“Croatia doesn't wish to seal its border to refugees, but will have no other option if Slovenia, Austria and Germany decide to do so.”

ALBANIA

— VESNA PUSIĆ , Croatian First Deputy Prime Minister

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Favourable Working Conditions for Fishing

In Albania, the government has decided to reduce tax burden for fishermen in an effort to boost the fishing industry and partially meet the demands of this sector which have been addressed for years now.

The Albanian government has undertaken change in tax policies for the fishing industry supporting the drop of fishing costs. The fishing sector will benefit a refund of 80% in the value added tax (VAT) on the fuel that is purchased for fishing activities.

The longest recorded flight of a chicken was 13 seconds

Dubai Developer to Build $4.5bn 'Tourist City' in Bosnia A Dubai-based developer signed a €4.5 billion contract to build a “tourist city” in Bosnia, which has become a magnet for investment from the United Arab Emirates.

Sources from the ministry of Finance said that the amendment in the guideline for the value added tax has been made mid-October and has now come into effect. Previously, this refund was 10%. Source: ibna

MONTENEGRO

Montenegro and A2A Agree on Future Cooperation The Government of Montenegro and Italian-based A2A company have reached an agreement on the basic elements of future cooperation and the extension of cooperation once the shareholders’ agreement in the Electric Power Industry of Montenegro (EPCG) gets signed towards the end of the year, Minister of Economy Vladimir Kavarić told the press conference. Meanwhile, the interim agreement will be in force.

Both sides agreed on the obligations,

BAKIR IZETBEGOVIĆ, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOSNIAHERZEGOVINA PRESIDENCY AND ISMAIL AHMED

REGION

Marks & Spencer Leaving 5 SEE Countries UK retailer Marks & Spencer has announced it is pulling out of Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. M&S has 12 stores (employing 106 people) in these five Southeastern European countries, three of them in Bulgaria. The goal is to "firmly focus" on "successful businesses in Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary," British media outlets quote an M&S spokesperson as saying. New stores will be launched in the Czech Republic and Poland over the next two years. The closure in the countries affected is set to begin in January.

Buroj Property Development plans to build thousands of homes, several hotels, a shopping mall and a hospital in the municipality of Trnovo at the foot of Bjelasica, one of four mountains surrounding the capital Sarajevo. Work on the complex is set to begin in April 2016.

“This is my life project and I hope that we will finish it without delay”, the company’s president Ismail Ahmed said at the signing ceremony. A tourist resort built by a Kuwaiti investor around 30 kilometres from Sarajevo was scheduled to open last month. Elsewhere, a Saudi company is building a new residential area comprising more than 200 villas in the hills of Sarajevo.

The project is slated for completion by the Source:The Guardian end of 2016.

FYR MACEDONIA

Skopje Opens €1.9mln Tender for Reconstruction

VLADIMIR KAVARIĆ, MINISTER OF ECONOMY

dynamics, and financial framework for the construction of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja, as one of Montenegro’s major development projects in the energy sector. The Government and A2A have also agreed on a put option for A2A’s investment worth €430 million at the time of entering the EPCG in 2009. A2A is eligible to initiate this option in certain specific circumstances, and in that case Montenegro would be ready to pay €250 million in seven annual instalments for the A2A shares in the EPCG.

BOULEVARD SERBIA, SKOPJE

The Macedonian capital city of Skopje has opened a tender for reconstruction and expansion of Serbia boulevard with an estimated value of 119.5 million denars (€1.9 million), the European Union’s procurement journal announced last month.

The value of the contract does not include value added tax. Bids should be filed by November 2, according to the notice published on the website of Tenders Electronic Daily (TED).

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by Gregory Polek

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

AVIATION

Good News for the

Airline Industry

The world’s airlines expect to see a 31-per cent increase in passenger numbers between 2012 and 2017, according to a new forecast by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)

T

he report shows that by 2017 total passenger numbers will rise to 3.91 billion from the 2.98 billion carried in 2012. Of the new passengers, some 292 million will fly on international routes and 638 million on domestic routes, according to the report.

A consensus look at airline expectations, the report projects a 5.4 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2013 and 2017. Global passenger growth expanded by an average of 4.3 per cent each year between 2008 and 2012, largely reflecting the negative effect of the 2008 global financial crisis and recession.

The report indicates that the emerging economies of the Middle East and Asia-Pacific will see the strongest international passenger growth, experiencing a CAGR of 6.3 per cent and 5.7 per cent, respectively, followed

by Africa and Latin America at 5.3 per cent and 4.5 per cent.

Routes within or connected to China will prove the single largest driver of growth, according to the report, accounting for 24 per cent of new passengers during the forecast period. Of the anticipated 227.4 million addi38 |

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tional passengers, 195 million will fly domestically and 32.4 million on international routes, it added.

The airlines surveyed expect the Asia-Pacific region (including China) to add around 300 million additional passengers by the end of the current forecast horizon.

Domestic passengers will account for 75 per cent of the total, according to the study.

Expected to carry 677.8 million domestic passengers in

Germany will add 27.2 million passengers to the 149.4 million that flew into and out of the country in 2012 (3.4 per cent CAGR), while the U.S. adds 28.2 million international passengers, rising from 149.3 million in 2012 to 177.5 million (3.5 per cent CAGR) in 2017.

The fact that the Asia-Pacific region - led by China - and the Middle East will deliver the strongest growth over the forecast period is not surprising,”

2017, U.S. airlines will continue to comprise the largest single market for domestic passengers, although it will add only 70 million passengers over the forecast period (2.2% CAGR), said the report. The U.S. also will reclaim the top spot from Germany for international passengers by the end of the forecast period, it added. The study indicates that

said IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler. “Governments in both areas recognize the value of the connectivity provided by aviation to drive global trade and development. Similar opportunities exist for developing regions in Africa and Latin America. To reap the benefit, governments in those regions will need to change their view of aviation from a

The report indicates that the emerging economies of the Middle East and Asia-Pacific will see the strongest international passenger growth, experiencing a CAGR of 6.3% and 5.7%, respectively, followed by Africa and Latin America at 5.3 and 4.5 per cent

luxury cash cow to a utilitarian powerful draft horse to pull the economy forward.”

At the same time, IATA forecast shows improved outlook for air cargo. A new forecast shows that international freight volumes will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 per cent over the next five years, suggesting a reasonably abrupt reversal of bad fortunes for a segment whose growth rate has averaged 0.63 per cent a year since 2011. Emerging economies, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, will be the fastest growing markets, according to the report.

IATA predicts that the U.S., China and the United Arab Emirates will each add more than 1 million metric tons of freight by 2018. By that time, according to the forecast, the UAE will have replaced Germany as the third largest market. Routes between the Middle East and Asia will grow the fastest among all international markets, at 6.2 per cent a year, followed by markets within the Middle East (4.6 per cent), from North America to South America (3.9 per cent) and Europe to Southern Africa (3.8 per cent). ■

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www.mediaskills.rs

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

WORLD NEWS

Computing giant Dell has acquired data storage behemoth EMC to create what it calls the “world’s largest privately-controlled, integrated technology

POPULATION “French, Italian, German, and Austrian leaders see the refugees as a great opportunity to compensate for Europe’s population decline. As a father, I reject the idea of addressing the population decline with men who look like warriors.” — VIKTOR ORBÁN, Hungarian Prime Minister

U.S.

GERMANY

Dell Bought Data Storage Company EMC for $67bln

Deutsche Bank Shakes Up Management

company” in a deal worth $67 billion. The confirmation comes at mid-October after rumors first emerged of a possible buy-out, and the deal represents the biggest tech-only acquisition of all time.

“The combination of Dell and EMC creates an enterprise solutions powerhouse bringing our customers industry leading innovation across their entire technology environment,” Michael Dell, founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell, said in a statement.

Recently named Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan is shaking things up at the investment bank. Cryan cleaned house by removing executives close to former CEO Anshu Jain. Among

U.S.

Amazon to Hire 100,000 For Holiday Rush Amazon announced its plans to hire 100,000 people in the United States for the upcoming holiday season. The online retail giant said this was on top of the hiring of 25,000 full-time workers since August.

Amazon said it employs 90,000 people full-time at its more than 50 customer service facilities and 20 package distribution centers. But it also tends to hire many people for the year-end holiday rush.

Last year, for instance, it took on 80,000 people for the Christmas holidays. Amazon has been criticized over working conditions, particularly at its call centers that take customer orders. The company insists it pays competitive wages and offers benefits such as health care and company contributions towards retirement plans.

JOHN CRYAN, CEO, DEUTSCHE BANK

those relieved of their duties were securities co-chief Colin Fan and asset management head Michele Faissola. Additionally, Cryan has decided to merge Deutsche Bank's corporate finance and global transactions units on the way to reducing the number of management committees to 10 from 16.

10 THINGS

EVERY BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD KNOW

CHINA

Robot Sales Set to Triple by 2018 Sales of robots in China are set to almost triple by 2018, defying a slowdown in the wider economy, the International Federation of Robotics reported. .

China is trying to modernize its industrial production and has identified robotics as a major area for growth amid labor shortages and fast rising wages.

The world’s second-largest economy still has far lower robot penetration than other big industrialized economies — just 36 per 10,000 manufacturing workers versus 478 in South Korea, 315 in Japan, 292 in Germany and 164 in the United States.

China’s robot market is still dominated by foreign players like ABB, Kuka and Yaskawa but China is encouraging its own robot makers with subsidies and the number of Chinese robotics firms is growing fast.

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Whether you will be starting your first small business, have already started one or will be working on your business there are things that you should know and DO to be the most successful. Here are 10 tips that may help you.

1. Always remember: Cash is king.

2. Cash may be king, but it's not everything.

3. Character is key when hiring new employees.

4. To grow, you must first learn to delegate and to trust.

5. Products 6. Competition 7. Marketing 8. Funding 9. Measurement 10. Make a plan before you start for your exit

REFUGEES

DID YOU KNOW The average smartphone user checks Facebook 14 times a day.

“Dealing with the high numbers of refugees is the federal government’s top priority. We want to, and we must, tackle this major challenge right now.” — WOLFGANG SCHÄUBLE, German Finance Minister

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

World’s Biggest Sea Lock

Air France to Cut 1,000 Voluntary Job in 2016

Funding has been completed to build what is being billed as the world’s biggest sea lock complex at IJmuiden. The current system, used by ships heading up the North Sea canal to Amsterdam, dates from 1929 and the new lock will allow bigger freight and cruise ships to reach the Dutch capital. The new lock will be 70 metres wide, 500 metres long and 18 metres deep and should be completed by 2019.

The contract for the construction and maintenance is valued at around €848 million. The tender process

was won in July by a consortium made up of BAMPGGM, VolkerWessels and investment group DIF. The European Investment Bank has also lent money to the project.

Air France would slash about 1,000 posts next year as part of a restructuring plan that triggered violent protests and scuffles, Alexandre de Juniac, the chief executive of parent company Air France-KLM announced.

ITALY

Piaggio Sets up Think Tank to Study Mobility Solutions MICHEL COMBES (LEFT), CEO AT ALCATEL-LUCENT AND RAJEEV SURI, NOKIA PRESIDENT & CEO

FINLAND

Nokia Gets China’s Clearance for Acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent Nokia announced that it received antitrust clearance from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce for its proposed acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent. The clearance in China completes the material antitrust review process required for the transaction, said a press release. Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent will continue to cooperate with the French government to obtain formal approval from the Ministry of Economy, after which Nokia will proceed with the filing of the previously announced public exchange offer for AlcatelLucent securities.

“Through Nokia Shanghai Bell, we look forward to maintaining our deep commitment to China and playing a key role in the country's shift towards an innovation-driven economy," said Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia Corporation.

As part of its acquisition of AlcatelLucent, valued at €15.6 billion, Nokia intends to create a joint venture in China with China Huaxin Post & Telecommunication Economy Development Center to combine Nokia's telecommunications infrastructure businesses in China with Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell.

Italian scooter maker Piaggio, maker of the iconic Vespa, has established a new company called Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) with the goal of becoming a think tank to study new mobility platforms and to respond to the challenges posed by the rapid changes taking place. The new company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and among the board members are digital age experts and representatives of the high-tech world coming from companies such as Google and Trimble. The project, which was born on Piaggio's 130th anniversary, responds to the need to compete in the continuous development and the growing complexity of large urban areas which are destined to become megacities with tens of millions of inhabitants.

ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, CEO AT AIR FRANCE-KLM

De Juniac announced "measure of voluntary departure are expected for less than one third of the total (2,900 job cuts planned over 2016-2017)".

After failing to convince pilots to work more for the same wage, under new productivity measures, Air France unveiled its "Plan B" based on massive lay-offs and reduced flights to trim losses and boost productivity.

In addition, it wants to reduce the longhaul business by 10 percent over the period with a major focus on low-profits destinations mainly Asia and Middle East.

JAPAN

Quest to Discover Japan’s Top Entrepreneurs Toshiyuki Shiga (62) is on a $10 billion quest to discover Japan’s top entrepreneurs, people who can found companies as globally competitive as Tesla Motors Co. and Apple Inc. The former chief operating officer of Nissan Motor Co. described the search as an urgent mission for Innovation Network Corp. of Japan, the state-backed investment fund he took over as chairman in June.

TOSHIYUKI SHIGA Shiga was brought in to lead INCJ after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited California’s Silicon Valley, where he met Elon Musk and Twitter Inc. co-founder Jack Dorsey. The fund already has dozens of investments from entertainment startups to airlines, Internet companies and water utilities and has been shifting its focus to small manufacturers working on robotics and technology for emerging industries such as driverless cars.

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AFTER WORK

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SEPT

TIKVEŠ WINERY CELEBRATES 130th BIRTHDAY

In the presence of numerous guests from the public and the world of business, Tikveš Winery, one of the region’s leading winemakers, celebrated 130 years of its successful operations.

Tikveš produces about 12 million litres of premium wines annually and sells 50% of its products in more than 25 countries across the region, Europe and the world. Guests were welcomed by Chairman of the Board of the Macedonian winery, Svetozar Janevski, who said that, guided by the motto “quality before quantity”, Tikveš is recording growth in producing and marketing quality wines year after year.

02

OCT

SVETOZAR JANEVSKI, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

ŠUMADIJA WINES PROMOTED AT THE WHITE PALACE

Eleven of the wineries in Serbia’s Šumadija (Shumadia) region presented their wines at Belgrade’s White Palace. The winetasting event for representatives of the diplomatic corps and the cultural and public life of Belgrade was organised by the Association of Šumadija Winemakers and H.R.H. Crown-Prince Alexander and Princess Katherine.

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SEPT

PROMOTION OF EFFE

A promotion of the EFFE project was held at the Belgrade City Assembly, under the organisation of the EU Delegation in Serbia and ArtLink Association. EFFE – „Europe for festivals, festivals for Europe“ – is a project initiated by the European Festivals Association, with the support of the European Commission.

05

OCT

HRH PRINC ALEKSANDAR KARADJORDJEVIĆ (left), H.E. MOHAMMED NABHAN, Ambassador of Palestine H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO, Italian ambassador, MRS. MANZO AND H.E. PHILIP PINNINGTON, Canadian Ambassador

The reception was attended by princes Peter and Alexander, Alison Andrews and Dunja Kusturica, as well as diplomats and representatives of the Crown. Among exhibitors presenting their wines were the Royal winery from Oplenac, Alexandrović wineries and cellars, Tarpoš, Lipovac, Despotika, Stevanović, Radovanović, Rogan, Art Vajn, Madžić and Arsenijević.

Guests were entertained by the Oplenac Culture Association, which presented the traditions and customs of Šumadija.

GTC SERBIA OPENS FIRST FORTYONE COMPLEX BUILDING

GTC Serbia officially opened FortyOne, the first building of a new business complex in Belgrade. Construction of the building, which includes 10,000 square metres of leasable space, was completed in 10 months, with 60% of the area already successfully leased even before construction began, and 92% leased prior to the opening ceremony.

JOVANKA VISEKRUNA JANKOVIC, Director of ArtLink and H.E. Ambassador MICHAEL DAVENPORT

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Michael Davenport, handed EFFE certificates for 2015-2016 to 22 festivals in Serbia which thereby became part of a large European network of festivals. After a cocktail reception, the beginning of the ArtLink Festival of young talent was marked with a concert by Aron Kies (clarinet) and Nataša Starčević (piano).

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THOMAS KURZMANN, CEO of GTC (left) and SINIŠA MALI, Mayor of Belgrade, pictured during the opening ceremony

Companies including Halkbank, Regus, Robert Bosch, Tetra Pak, Avon and others already have leased office space in FortyOne. Thomas Kurzmann, CEO of GTC, and Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali had the honour of officially presenting FortyOne to the many guests at the opening.

07

OCT

ŽIVORAD VASIĆ (left), director general of Crowne Plaza Hotel, and MIROSLAV MIŠKOVIĆ, CEO of Delta Holding

08

OCT

08

Belgrade weekly newspaper Nedeljnik has marked its third anniversary by presenting the Serbian edition of selected texts from the New York Times, which will published once a month as a supplement to Nedeljnik.

Speaking at the promotion, Nedeljnik Editor Veljko Lalić said that the publication would each month publish a selection of the best articles from the New York Times, representing the first global monthly edition of this New York daily. Readers could enjoy this month’s selection of New York Times’ articles on 26 pages, covering topics such as the refugee crisis, the crisis of Western values, the work of employees at online retail giant Amazon, a story about Keith Richards and his new album, as well as the return of Bruce Willis to Broadway.

SAM POST-HOLIDAY RECEPTION

With the support of company Termovent and the Matalj Winery, the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) organized its “After Holiday Cocktail” party at Belgrade’s Ambar restaurant.

SAM members enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere for networking and tasting Matalj’s delicious wine.

Guests were welcomed by Miloš Perović, co-owner and director of Termovent, and Nikola Matalj, CEO of Matalj Winery.

With a traditional mini lottery, the friendly hosts awarded lucky winners exclusive packages of wine.

OCT

NEDELJNIK CELEBRATES THIRD BIRTHDAY

08

OCT

MILOŠ PEROVIĆ (left), JELENA BULATOVIĆ, SAM Executive Director, and NIKOLA MATALJ

DUPONT’S LATEST COLLECTIONS

DOMINIC LESUEUR, Member of the Executive Management Team

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Master Time Belgrade and S.T. Dupont Paris, organised an event revealing S.T. Dupont’s latest collections at the French Embassy in Belgrade. The event included the presenting of a collection dedicated to James Bond, named Spectra, and an homage to Jules Verne entitled Shoot the Moon. Both collections will be available at the Master Time boutique in Belgrade.

Nedeljnik Editor VELJKO LALIĆ

“WOMEN IN BUSINESS” PROGRAMME PRESENTED

Banca Intesa and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have presented the “Women in Business” programme, aimed at supporting female entrepreneurship in Serbia. The EBRD set aside a credit line of €5million for the realisation of this programme, which will be launched by Banca Intesa in the form of affordable loans to female-run SMEs.

ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ (left), DANIEL BERG, EBRD Director for Serbia, and DRAGINJA DJURIĆ, Executive Director, Banca Inteza

“The economic powerlessness of women should not be more than we allow. This struggle is not easy and that's why we appreciate every effort and every project that can help,” said Zorana Mihajlović, Deputy Serbian Prime Minister and President of the Coordinating Body for gender equality.

BANE LAZOVIĆ (left), Director at Master Time, OLGA PASTERNAK, director for EEc at S.T. Dupont, and DALIBOR LAZOVIĆ, Executive Director at Master Time

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10

OCT

OLIVIER SI TAHAR, Director „Holiday Inn Express Belgrad, (left) H.E. JEAN-DANIEL RUCH, Ambassador od Switzerland and RENÉ DE PICCIOTTO, co-owner of the hotel

12

OCT

MCCANN BELGRADE: BRONZE FOR "DRAMA IN TAXI"

McCann Belgrade’s campaign "Drama in Taxi" won bronze at New York’s Cresta Festival in the category of Media & Entertainment (online film). This campaign was created as part of a project to reposition and refresh the image of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP) and was the only campaign from Southeast Europe to feature in the finals and win an award at this prestigious festival. “This award from the Cresta Festival strengthened our belief that good ideas and a good story always find ways to ensure their realisation and a path to the people,” noted Oliver Perković, Managing Director of McCann Belgrade.

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OCT

The new Holiday Inn Express Belgrade - City represents the first Swiss investment of this kind in Serbia. The three-star hotel is primarily designed for businesspeople and family trips.

It has 123 rooms and employs 22 people.

The opening ceremony was attended by René de Picciotto, co-owner of the hotel, H.E. Swiss Ambassador Jean-Daniel Ruch, and many guests.

“I congratulate the owners on this investment and their perseverance in realising this important project. This is a sign of confidence in the future of Belgrade as a tourist and business destination,” said Ambassador Ruch.

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OCT

JAPANESE DONATION TO OBRENOVAC

H.E JUICHI TAKAHARA and MILOS DESANČIĆ, Director of the Perka Vićentijević Preschool

The Government of Japan donated €42,420 to the Perka Vićentijević Preschool in Obrenovac as part of its package of support for improving education in the Republic of Serbia. The total amount of the Japanese donation through projects for the basic needs of the population (POPOS) in Serbia since 1999, including this last donation, is around €11 million, while the total amount of Japanese aid to Serbia over the same period totals more than €460 million.

A reception to mark the official donating of funds to the Obrenovac preschool was attended by H.E. Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Juichi Takahara, Serbian Assistant Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Zeljko Radojičić Lukić, Obrenovac Mayor Miroslav Čučković, and Director of the Perka Vićentijević Preschool, Milos Desančić, as well as other respected guests.

BAT TRADITIONAL MEDIA GATHERING

British American Tobacco (BAT) organized an informal gathering with leading media representatives in Serbia aiming to thank them for successful previous cooperation, as well as to present business strategy and latest acquisition.

The host of the event, Thanos Tr i m i s , G e n e ra l M a n a g e r Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina at BAT, welcomed guests and noted that BAT traditionally have and will continue to maintain good and friendly relations with media in Serbia.

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FIRST SWISS INVESTMENT IN HOTELS

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THANOS TRIMIS (left) and NEBOJŠA ĆIRJAKOVIĆ, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs

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CULTURE CALENDAR CONCERTS

PARNI VALJAK

ST GERMAIN

02- Belexpo center – 21:00 St Germain are certainly the most important French band of the modern jazz. It has brought a new sound in the world of music combining jazz and house back in the early nineties. Their two albums "Boulevard" and

"Tourism" are considered classics of the genre and not only won the critics acclaims, but most importantly won over the audience, as evidenced by the millions of sold albums. After 12 years of abstinence from the concert stage and in studios, St Germain is back with new album and the world tour that begins right here in Belgrade on November 2 at Belexpo center!

2 7 , 2 8 - S AVA C E N T E R / H A L A S P O R T O VA – 2 0 : 3 0

▶ Group Parni Valjak is preparing this November great spectacle for Belgraders. To mark the 40 years of the band’s career on 27 and 28 November, under the name "The two faces of love" for all the fans there will be two completely different shows.

Concert "Without electricity" will be held on 27 November at the Sava Center, a concert "Electricity" the next day, November 28, at the place where it all began – Hala Sportiva, which will only confirm the fact that in the 40th anniversary year, Parni Valjak sounds even better than ever.

PINK FLOYD: SPACE & TIME

07- Sava Center – 20:30 The world's largest Pink Floyd show comes to Belgrade in November. On 7th November in the Sava Centre, concert

ŽELJKO BEBEK & SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA

04- Sava Center – 20:00

Željko Bebek, one of the most important pop-rock singers of the last four decades, will celebrate 40th anniversary with a special concert tour "Željko Bebek & Symphony and the tambura orchestra," which includes a concert in Belgrade. It is also his first major solo concert in Belgrade, and as part of this anniversary tour Bebek will hold a series of exclusive shows in Zagreb, Ljubljana, Skopje and Sarajevo.

The charismatic Bebek soared to the top of the music scene in the former Yugoslavia in the early 70s as frontman of legendary band ‘Bijelo Dugme’, and quickly became synonymous of the most succesful period of the group which he left in 1984 and started an impressive solo career.

will be held as a part of its Space & Time world tour. This is the most ambitious show to date, with spectacular new lighting effects and even greater scenography will visit Belgrade on his European tour.

Celebrating five decades of Pink Floyd since their inception in 1965 until the release of their new album, "The Endless River", a new concert includes tracks from the best-selling albums of Pink Floyd, including "The Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here "," Animals "," The Wall "and" The Division Bell "and other.

KAROLINA GOČEVA

07- Kolarac – 20:30

The biggest Macedonian music star,

REBECCA

Karolina Gočeva, will for the first time live present her project ''Makedonsko devojče'' on 7th November 2015 in the prestigious concert hall Kolarac, organized by Avalon production. Belgrade fans and media representatives will have the unique opportunity to enjoy the evening with the best songs from the album ''Makedonsko devojče 1'' and ''Makedonsko devojče 2''.

The project ''Makedonsko devojče'' started back in 2008 when, Karolina established her status of pop star, started the cooperation with Zlatko Origjanski (ex Anastasija) on tracks that are based on the roots of traditional Macedonian mu-

sic. Release was recognized as best folk album in the Sunčane Skale music festival in Budva and in Macedonia was the best-selling album of the year.

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ

08- Dom Omladine – 20:30

José González is the name of Swedish star of Argentine origin, whose three albums are full of hits played on the

acoustic guitar, with which he have managed to charm audiences around the world since 2007. During these eight years a lot has changed in the music scene, but José and his enchanting music and whispery voice still warm the hearts of millions. There is hard-

ly anyone that has not heard of him and his already legendary songs such as "Killing for Love," "Stay Alive" or "Down the Line". Famous covers of songs by Massive Attack, Kylie Minogue, Bruce Springsteen and Knife, solidified his great popularity among the generations that have grown up with the iPhone or are listening to music only from the Internet. European tour on which José embarks with his whole band promotes his third album "Vestige and Claws".

This album brings us Jose Gonzales as a mature author.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

06 – Kolarac - 20:00

23- MADLENIANUM – 19:30

▶ Artistic team led by the director Nebojša Bradić and conductor Đorđe Stanković will bring us the story of a rich Englishman Max de Winter and his new and young wife, as well as Mrs. Danvers the "mistress of the castle", who are all chased by the ghost of Max's first wife Rebecca.

What is quite interesting about this opera is that innovated new technology will be used as part of the visual scene equipment, English furniture of the epoch, which will, as well as costumes, contribute to the scenic and artistic works.

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Conductor: Zolt Hamar Solists: Andreas Bojde, piano and Aleksandar Solunac, trumpet Program: A. Rautavara: Cantus Arcticus, Shostakovich: Concert for piano and Archestra no. 1, Stravinski: Zar ptica

CONCERTS OF THE BEST STUDENTS FROM THE BELGRADE MUSIC UNIVERSITY 06 – Guarnerius, 20:00 Tamara Hadzi Đorđević, piano guest: Jovana Jovanović, piano program: Beethowen, Shubert, Rachmaninov, Listz-Vagner

ŽENIDBA I UDADBA

DANCE

Terazije Theatre, 8th, 17th , 19:00

KONFUCHIE

SOME LIKE IT HOT

15 – Sava Center - 20:00 Choreodrama "Confucius" coming to Belgrade in the big production of the China

28 – Guarnerius, 20:00 Jovana Stošić, violin Tea Andrejić, piano program: Bach, Paganini, Beethowen, Sen-Sans

OPERA

ORLANDO

01, 29 – Madlenianum - 19:30 Famous warrior Orlando is torn between Venus and Mars, love and duty. He is madly in love with Angelica, who is in love with Medor. Orlando gets overwhelmed by jealousy. Shepherdess Dorinda is also unlucky in love with Medor, who does not return her his love. Orlando’s passion for Angelica becomes destructive, he starts losing his mind and in his madness wants to kill both Angelica and Medor. The magician Zoroaster uses his magical powers to calms passions of crazed hero and returns him to the sure path of duty and reason.

ELIXIR OF LOVE

30 – Madlenianum - 18:00

VIKTOR VIKTORIJA

Terazije Theatre, 12th, 18th , 19:00

CIGANI LETE U NEBO

Terazije Theatre, 13th, 19th , 19:00

ZORBA THE GREEK

Terazije Theatre, 14th, 24th, 19:00

Ana Kaličanin, flute guest: Mihajlo Radivojević, fagot program: Borne, Jolive, Martin, Boca

Mina Gligorić, sopran Biljana Jovanović, sopran guest: Mihajlo Radivojević, fagot

FILM

Terazije Theatre, 10th, 19:00

21 – Guarnerius, 20:00

27 – Guarnerius, 20:00

in its music sensed movement, a storm of passion and swirl of feelings.

GLAVO LUDA

AMY

5 – Sava Center – 20:00 Like the hero of directors previous film ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’ (Winehouse) died before the cameras - her last appearance, or at least the most tragic part was recorded with a cell phone on June

Terazije Theatre, 25th, 19:00 National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre.

Nearly 60 players present Confucius life, human emotions, spiritual qualities, and wisdom, his powerful musical rhythm, beautiful classical costumes, magnificent scene and beautiful choreography.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

29 – Sava Center - 11:00, 17:00

Magic universal story about eternal love, the knowledge of the true values and true inner beauty, will be evoked with the help of animated 3D set design, visual and audio effects, a number of songs, dance, magicians. One of the most beautiful fairy tales ever written, in the sumptuous modern form, will provide a unique experience for small and older school children and their loved ones.

MUSICALS

ZONA ZAMFIROVA

Terazije Theatre, 1st, 19:00

PRODUCERS

22- Sava Center – 20:00

Monty Python's "Spamalot" is a musical comedy based on the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and is one of the most popular musicals ever played on Broadway. The original Broadway production of "Spamalot" was featured in 2005 and received Tony Award for Best Musical and Sara Ramirez for the role of Ladies from Lake and Mike Nichols for best directing of musical received their Tony Awards. "Spamalot" was also nominated for 14 Tony Awards. During the nearly five years on Broadway, the play was performed more than 1,500 times and seen by more than 2 million people. "Spamalot" will be performed in Belgrade’s Sava Center on 22nd November with a cast of best Serbian actors, such as Nikola Kojo, Nikola Đuričko, Srđan Timarov, Dejan Lutkić, Jelena Jovičić, Gordan Kičić...

BALLET

Terazije Theatre, 3rd, 19:00

MAMMA MIA!

MONTY PYTHON'S “SPAMALOT”

BLOOD WEDDING BOLERO

Terazije Theatre, 6th, 15th , 26th , 27th, 19:00

20, 22- Madlenianum – 19:30

CHICAGO

Drama Blood Wedding by Lorca inspired choreographer Krunoslav Simić who is

Terazije Theatre, 7th, 29th, 19:00

18th 2011 at Kalemegdan in Belgrade.

Instead of a triumphant return to the stage, Amy Winehouse died a month later from alcohol poisoning at his home in London.

NORWEGIAN FILM

1/11-13/12 Cultural Centre Grad Cultural Center ‘Grad’ continues with its film program during November and December, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway by presenting an interesting cycle of films of different genres created during 2012 and 2013. Among others, viewers will see exciting adventure Kon Tiki, then an adaptation of the famous novel by Nobel Prize winner for Literature Knut Hamsun as a story about the days when the Norwegian oil industry was in its development.

The last will be a documentary that will be screened on December 13th marking the anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch.

21ST FESTIVAL OF AUTHOR FILMS 2015 27/11 – 06/12

Elixir of Love is a comic opera composed of stories about joy, jealousy, love, play, first of all love. Beautiful Adina reads the story of the miraculous potion that solves all the problems of love and young Nemorino sees it as a way for to Adina finally fall in love with him. Arrival of doctor Duklamara in the village takes place at the right time. Nemorino buys from him a love potion and thus began a series of funny and interesting events that show what people in love are ready to do.

▶ The cult 21st Author Film Festival, the traditional city event for movie lovers and audiences who want to expand their horizons, this year will be held in several cinemas across Belgrade. Movies which will be shown at the festival are different from the majority of films in our regular cinema repertoires - not thriving on mere entertainment, but the search for a deeper, truer and more complex image of today's world and human.

For the second year in a row, as a part of the 21st Author Film Festival, educational program "Balkan Film Connection" will be held lead by director Stefan Arsenijević.

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FACES & PLACES

ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE 28 SEPTEMBER

The Italian Cultural Institute offered a preview of its programme for the upcoming season during an open house jazz event held in “Palazzo Italia”, Belgrade, which will cover a wide range of events, from musical performances to film screenings, from literature to art and design etc. The artistic focus of the evening was the concert of ItalianSerbian pianist, singer and composer Miona Deler Babić. The occasion also included the introduction of Davide Scalmani as the newly-appointed Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, who highlighted that the main features of the Italian Institute ensure that it should be considered an integrated part of the culture offer of the capital. The event, opened by H.E. Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo, was attended by members of the diplomatic corps in Belgrade and the Serbian culture scene.

H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO, Italian Ambassador (left), and DAVIDE SCALMANI, newly-appointed Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade

H.E Russian Ambassador ALEXANDER CHEPURIN, DAVIDE SCALMANI and H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO

HOMAGE TO MAHATMA GANDHI 01

OCTOBER

H.E AXEL and Mrs DITTMANN with Prime Minister ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ

H.E AXEL DITTMANN gives his welcome speech

On the occasion of celebrations marking the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, recognised as the International Day of Non-violence, the Embassy of India and United Nations Office in Belgrade organised a joint Commemoration at the Gandhi Bust in New Belgrade.

Among those in attendance to pay homage to the Father of the Indian Nation were the Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, Maja Gojković, H.E. Indian Ambassador Narinder Chauhan and H.E. Irena Vojačkova – Sollorano, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia.

H.E MICHAEL DAVENPORT is welcomed by Ambassador DITTMANN

GERMAN NATIONAL DAY 05 OCTOBER

H.E. IRENA VOJAČKOVA – SOLLORANO (left), MAJA GOJKOVIC AND H.E. NARINDER CHAUHAN

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With traditional German sausages and beer, at the residence of the German ambassador in Serbia, several hundred guests formally celebrated the National Day of Germany and the 25th anniversary of the country’s reunification at the German ambassadorial residence in Belgrade.

The reception was hosted by H.E. German Ambassador in Belgrade Axel Dittmann, who said that “Germany cultivates solid and good relations with Serbia” and that the country will remain Serbia’s “friend and reliable partner” on its road to the EU. Alongside Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, the reception was also attended by Serbian government ministers, political and economic leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and represtnatives of religious communities, as well as many friends of Germany and representatives of media and Serbia’s cultural and public life.

CULTURE AGAINST TERRORISM

KOREAN NATIONAL DAY

07 OCTOBER

07 OCTOBER

The Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Serbia prepared its traditional “Week of Iraqi Culture” for the sixth time. The motto of this year's event was “Culture against terrorism”.

The formal opening ceremony at Belgrade’s Dom Sindikata, Union House, was attended by a large number of senior officials and diplomatic representatives who enjoyed a concert by Iraqi violinist and composer Dilshad Mohammed Saeed, accompanied by the Stanislav Binički Art Ensemble of the Serbian Ministry of Defence.

The closing ceremony of the event took place on 10th October in the building of the Yugoslav Cinematheque, with a screening of Iraqi director Haider Rashid’s film “Krentina”.

H.E. Lee Dohoon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Serbia, hosted a Korean National Day reception on 7th October that was attended by some 600 guests, including National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojković and Deputy Prime Minister Kori Udovički. Guests enjoyed a performance of traditional Serbian and Korean songs by the choir CAS “Batajnica” and sampled Korean specialities. The reception continued with K-pop music hits and popular songs played on the gajagum, a traditional stringed instrument. Addressing guests, Ambassador Lee said he was receiving a clear sign of the direction in which bilateral relations between Serbia and Korea should move, inviting everyone to combine efforts in order to work together for a better future.

H.E. LEE DOHOON, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Serbia

H.E JUICHI TAKAHARA, Japanese Ambassador to Serbia, H.E Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Serbia, FALAH ABDUL HASSAN ABDUL SADAH, and Mrs SADAH

SERBIAN-ISRAELI ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED

Mrs. DOHOON, MAJA GOJKOVIĆ and H.E. LEE DOHOON

HUNGARIAN NATIONAL DAY 19

OCTOBER

08 OCTOBER

As an expression of advancing overall bilateral relations between the two countries, the SerbianIsraeli Economic Association – SIPA – has been established in Belgrade. The founding ceremony was attended by Vladimir Marinković, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, H.E. Israeli Ambassador Yossef Levy, Israeli businessman Moses Gertner, Boban Atanacković, president of the Employers’ Union, SIP president Darko Trifunović, and representatives of the diplomatic corps. Nina Kuburović, SIPA executive secretary, greeted guests, while they were also welcomed by the president of the Jewish Community, Daniel Bogunović, and SIPA president Trifunović.

H.E. Ambassador Attila Pintér hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel to mark the National Day of Hungary, in honour of the 59th Anniversary of the revolution and the war of independence, which took place in 1956. The event was attended by representatives of political, cultural and public life in Sebia, as well as members of the diplomatic corps. The event was attended by Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selaković and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Generl Ljubiša Diković. Addressing guests, Ambassador Pintér recalled the events of the Hungarian revolution of 1956, as well as the prosperous and balanced relations between Hungary and Serbia today. The Ambassador noted that Hungary is still committed to continuing its support for Serbia’s European Union integration.

H.E. Ambassador ATTILA PINTÉR

NINA KUBUROVIĆ, Executive secretary SIPA, the Israeli Ambassador H.E. JOSEF LEVI, MOSES GERTNER and President of SIPA, prof. DARKO TRIFUNOVIĆ

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LESSONS FROM THE PAST & VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE 22 OCTOBER

BRANISLAV ĐORDJEVIĆ, Director of the Institute of International Politics and Economics, SIMONA-MIRELA MICULESCU, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Office in Belgrade, IVICA DAČIĆ, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and IRENA VOJÁČKOVÁ SOLLORANO, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia

On the occasion of a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, UN70, Serbian First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić joined H.E. Irena Vojačkova–Sollorano, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, and Simona Miculescu, Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office in Belgrade, to jointly open a photography and literary exhibition entitled “Serbia and the United Nations: Lessons from the Past & Visions for the Future”, chronicling the active contribution of the Republic of Serbia to the work of the United Nations and the evolution of UN activities.

6TH DSW OKTOBERFEST 24 OCTOBER

The striking of a wooden mallet against a beer barrel by H.E. German Ambassador Axel Dittmann opened the 6th Oktoberfest in Belgrade.

To the sounds of the Dejan Petrović Big Band, numerous guests marked the start of this year’s event with mugs of German beer and traditional toasting.

Following welcome addresses by DSW president Ronald Seeliger, DSW director and director of the German Business Delegation to Serbia Martin Knapp, who gave his speech in Serbian, and Nemanja Lazić, director of this year’s partner organisation, Delta Motors, the celebration followed a pattern similar to the original German event, albeit enriched with some Serbian customs.

RONALD SEELIGER (left), H.E. AXEL DITTMANN, MARTIN KNAPP and NEMANJA LAZIC

Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Head of Mission, Ms. SABINE KROISSENBRUNNER (left) Defence Attaché, Col. THOMAS AHAMMER and BARBARA AHAMMER,Counsellor (Commercial Affairs) Mrs. ERIKA TEOMAN-BRENNER and HASAN FIKRET TEOMAN and Counsellor (Cultural Affairs), Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Mr. NICOLAUS KELLER

H.E. JOHANNES EIGNER, Ambassador of Austria to Serbia

H.E. AXEL DITTMANN German Ambassador opened the first beer barrel

NATIONAL DAY OF AUSTRIA 26 OCTOBER

RUZA RISTANOVIĆ (2nd left), aim executive director, receives a gift of appreciation from MARTIN KNAPP

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DEJAN PETROVIĆ and Big Band

The Austrian Embassy in Belgrade organised a City Hall reception marking the country's national day. The celebration was opened by H.E. Austrian Ambassador to Serbia Johannes Eigner and Mrs Susanne Heger, as well as Trade Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy, Erika Teoman Brenner. The reception was attended by numerous political officials, ambassadors of other countries, other members of the diplomatic corps in Belgrade and many public figures. This date has been celebrated as the country's national holiday since 1955, when Austria declared its longterm military and political neutrality (Immervahrende Neutralitat). The principle of neutrality is one of the foundationl pillars of Austria's contemporary foreign and internal policies.

SPECIAL EDITION

World Markets and Opportunities

NORWAY

A FRIEND WHEN YOU NEED ONE

2015

INTERVIEW

H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD AMBASSADOR OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY TO SERBIA

One of my main tasks will be to assist Serbia in its efforts to join the EU. Exploring the potential to increase cooperation in the fields of the economy and culture are also at the top of the agenda

NEW APPROACH to an Old Friendship

● To what extent could the influx of refugees in the Western Balkans threaten security in the region?

H.E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, the newly appointed ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Serbia, says he will be devoted to the task of further strengthening links between our two countries. ● The most pressing issue in Serbia today is that of the influx of refugees. How could Norway assist Serbia in dealing with the rising tide of refugees coming through the country?

The world is witnessing the worst refugee crisis since World War II, with hundreds of thousands of men, women and children fleeing civil war and unrest to find safety and new life in the European Union. Serbian people have shown great solidarity with the refugees who are passing Serbia on the way. The response on behalf of the Serbian state, representatives of civil society and the citizens at large has been honest, timely, efficient and, above all, humane. As Serbia’s friend when needed, the Norwegian Government has allocated emergency aid funds amounting to 6.5 million euros, which were used for the construction of a reception centre for refugees in the Southern Serbian town of Presevo, as well as support to civil society and international organisations dealing with refugees in Serbia.

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Security and stability in the Western Balkans is of utmost importance for both the region and the EU. A great influx of refugees represents a challenge and Serbia has so far coped with it well. It is important to keep it that way and work in cooperation with other neighbouring countries and EU. Experts from the region and representatives of diplomatic missions gathered in Belgrade on 5th October to try to find a way of dealing with the crisis ahead of a meeting in Luxembourg where participants are due to adopt a joint declaration on assistance to the countries on the refugees’ route.

● How do you assess the overall progress made so far by the Western Balkan countries in terms of the EU accession process and transatlantic cooperation?

Although it is not an EU member state, Norway has been supporting Western Balkan governments in their efforts to establish closer ties with the institutions that secure democracy, economic development and freedom in Europe. Difficulties, however, remain, and Norway will continue to support their efforts both politically and financially.

● In which areas does Norway assist Serbia the most in these processes?

In Serbia, Norway is concentrating its support in a few sectors — rule of law, the public sector, the environment and development of the administrative capacity as part of Serbia's EU accession

FRIENDSHIP

REFUGEES

INVESTMENT

Serbia and Norway have a longlasting friendship and my goal will be to work hard to continue nurturing those friendly ties

Serbian people have shown great solidarity with the refugees who are passing Serbia on the way. The response has been honest, timely, efficient and, above all, humane

As the biggest foreign investment in Serbia, with €1.6 billion, Telenor is probably the best example of our good cooperation

process and framework conditions for foreign investments. Since 2000, Norway has supported Serbia with approximately €250 million through donations and €1.6 billion of investments.

● How would you assess overall bilateral relations between the two countries, and which goals have you set as the most important during your time as ambassador?

Serbia and Norway have a long-lasting friendship and my goal will be to work hard to continue nurturing those friendly ties and further strengthen the strong political, cultural and commercial links between Norway and Serbia. One of my main tasks will be to assist Serbia in its efforts to join the EU. There is also a potential to increase cooperation in the fields of the economy and culture that has yet to be exploited.

● Where do you see the potential to improve mutual trade relations and investments?

As the biggest foreign investment in Serbia, with 1.6 billion euro, Telenor is probably the best example of good cooperation, as it opens a whole new avenue for possible technological and economic development. What we can do as an Embassy is to assist Norwegian companies to come to Serbia by being a kind of door opener to help people and companies establish contact.

● Norway helped Serbian honey producers access the Norwegian market.

How successful is that project today, and are there new Serbian products that may also be interesting for your market?

Immediately after the severe floods hit the country, the Norwegian government allocated four million euros for the reconstruction of infrastructure in 16 Serbian municipalities. The contract was co-signed by the EU, Norway, UNOPS and the Serbian government. In addition to this, Norway has provided 600,000 euros through donations to the WHO in Serbia to deal with flood recovery efforts, as well as 500,000 euros to different organisations and municipalities through the Embassy Fund.

We are very satisfied with the way our support was used. There was only one controversial issue when the embankment on the River Ribnica near Kraljevo collapsed soon after rebuilding, but it ended on a positive note, as it was repaired soon after.

● What are the major values Norway supports through its cooperation with Serbian civil society?

The Embassy has a special grant scheme providing funds needed to run and develop selected CSOs, with the aim of supporting the geographical and thematic diversity of civil society, its ability to mobilise citizens, develop volunteerism and develop a basis for its future sustainability.

In addition to this, under the Embassy Fund scheme, one of its main financing mechanisms, in 2014 the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade granted approximately €2.62 million to 99 projects in Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, covering areas such as minority and human rights, economic development, the environment, defence and security sector reform, flood relief and media support.

Although it is not an EU member state, Norway has been supporting Western Balkan governments in their efforts to establish closer ties with the institutions that secure democracy, economic development and freedom in Europe

According to preliminary data of Norway’s Statistical Office, Serbia’s export to Norway in 2014 reached a value of NOK 164 million (about €19.1 million), while Norwegian exports to Serbia were worth around NOK 78 million (about €9.1 million).

According to the figures, exports of Serbian natural honey to Norway continue to be a success story. The Embassy is especially proud of this, given that the Embassy contributed to it. This was a very small project that we supported, but in the first year some 120 tonnes of honey were exported from Serbia to Norway, which is 10 per cent of the whole consumption in Norway. And in just two years Serbian honey has taken 30 per cent of the Norwegian market. There is certainly room for other Serbian products on the Norwegian market, which is why it is important that there are companies like Norimport Consulting, which is helping Serbian companies access the Norwegian market.

● Norway was also very active in helping Serbia during last year’s devastating floods. Are you satisfied with the way your support was used?

● What are the cultural values that the two countries share the most, and how are they supported through the Norwegian Association in Serbia?

Friendships are often seen as bring of great importance in the strength and nature of the ‘special relationship’. Being forged with Yugoslav Prisoners of Wars in World War II, Norwegian-Serbian friendship has been developing in different directions, including the cultural experience. For instance, there is interest in Norway in Serbian literature, but also a large number of students are studying the Norwegian language at the University of Belgrade, and are probably our best ambassadors in Serbia. Furthermore, Norwegian artists come to Serbia and Serbian artists go to Norway. It is one of these hidden gems.

The Norwegian Association in Serbia has certainly contributed to this. These days, the Association is busy with reconstruction of the Norwegian House Museum in Gornji MIlanovac. So, hopefully, in a year’s time, the museum will get a new exhibition where biographies, photos, and other related documents on all the Yugoslav Prisoners of War will be just a couple of clicks away.

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INTERVIEW

OVE FREDHEIM TELENOR SERBIA CEO

Fantastic

JOURNEY With the combination of mobile telco and banking, we have a winning formula and we want to be very ambitious when it comes to setting goals for the times ahead

● Do you see yourself as a bank or a specific structure in between?

● Telenor just marked nine successful years in the telecommunications sector, and one year in mobile-centric digital banking. Where is Telenor Bank’s place in the banking sector today, a year after it started its work?

When we set out on this journey with Telenor Banka, we saw a somewhat conservative banking sector, a society which is highly connected to the internet, with quite high computer and smart phone mobile penetration. And we had a strong belief that, being Telenor, we have a high level of competence about how banking may work in an attractive way on smartphones. Launching banking operations is nothing new, but it is the way it is done via a mobile phone that is the differentiator. It has been a fantastic journey. As you know, we recently announced the passing of one hundred thousand accounts opened. This is a confirmation that we have been able to bring something new to the market.

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We bought a bank in order to acquire a banking licence and an IT platform offering a core banking system, and we wanted to get some skilled people who already worked with banking. We discontinued the branch offices, because we are a mobile-centric digital bank, but we kept 65 people from the core banking staff. Today, we have a team of 140 people, half of whom have traditional banking experience. So, yes, we are a full – fledged bank and we have banking staff, but we are positioning ourselves based on the huge digitisation trend in banking..

Ten years from now, what you see today as telco and the bank, are about to change. Because a bank, for a lot of people, at least when you talk about consumer-orientated transactions such as paying your basic bills and doing money transfers to friends and family, will be on your mobile phone. So, do we see ourselves as a traditional bank? No, certainly not. We very carefully target customers with transactions and the basic loan types that customers need, and this will remain our core activity because it interplays significantly with telecommunication. Going forward, we have just launched a first online credit line.

● Then how do you define your goals as a bank, when there are no similar banks to monitor or view as an example?

We want the bank initiative to be attractive on a standalone basis, but we also want to educate and challenge the market, both our own customers and the banking sector to, in a way, follow us in what we are doing. It is very rewarding to see how the overall framework for customers in Serbia developed after we

deployed our initiative. And here we can share very clear statistics on how this is progressing. For the first time, the volume of transactions carried out online is this year higher than in physical branches, and we have seen a two and a half fold increase in the number of customers doing banking via mobile relative to its one year age. So this is massive development. The Serbian tax authorities and the National Bank of Serbia appreciate our initiative, because we are bringing cash into the system that is made online. It is also indirectly increasing the taxable size of the Serbian economy, which is good as well.

● Do you see any legal obstacles to developing all the services you want?

We are pushing forward to get the digital signature more established.That is important, because for everything that’s digital online you want a digital signature.

● After almost decade of its presence in Serbia, what were the major achievements of the company within that period?

Mobile phones used to be talking devices, but now they are connected computers. At Telenor, we immediately engaged in bringing quality basic mobile voice communication services at affordable prices, and now that has converted into bringing quality data internet connectivity services at affordable price points.

And that keeps us running and awake 24 hours a day, I can tell you.

● You also applied for a new frequency?

We just finished 1800 MHz spectrum, which was done this spring and was important for us to start building 4G. And now there is another exercise in front of us, which will be most likely concluded in November or December and that is 800 MHz. From our side, this represents potential investment of 35 million euros.

This spectrum is very attractive from the aspect of signal coverage inside buildings. And it is also useful for covering bigger geographical territories.

● Which companies do you see today as your competition, given that many firms are offering a lot of services like yours, such as TV, internet, fixed and mobile connectivity etc.?

What is absolutely crucial for our customers today, and will remain absolutely crucial ten years down the road, is the core connectivity on a device as such. So, you want to be able to make that basic phone call when something is urgent – to hear your mother or your child. And that is the key to our customer relationship. And then, on top of that, you will see all sorts of convergent logics. As Telenor, we want to develop our ability to do fixed data as well, and we today see ourselves as the alternative to Telekom Serbia when it comes to combining mobile and fix services, both for retail customers and business clients. With the combination of mobile telecoms and banking, we have a winning formula and want to be very ambitious there.

This is important for Telenor in Serbia, but also represents a learning exercise for Telenor as a group.

We recently announced the passing of one hundred thousand accounts opened in Telenor Banka. This is confirmation that we have been able to bring something new to the market

● What are Telenor’s plans in terms of developing the 3G and 4Gmobile networks? You’ve said that you are doing that cautiously.

Less than 10% of the phones in Serbia today are 4G enabled.

So, if we put all our data network and investments into going after 4G, 90% of customers will be left out. There are still years ahead of us– three to four - before we would reach 50% of those with 4G. And that would still leave us with half of those highly dependent on 3G. That’s why we sayt let’s do it very fast, so we build 3G data capabiliies and plan to have 99% 3G coverage till Mach 2016.

And, of course, we will push 4G in the cities. We believe that our combination of 3G and 4G is by far the best in Serbia. We are investing more than ever in the network this year, with the exception of the year when we carried out the renovation. We decided to do this 3G in half a year, and that requires an extra EUR 10 million from our side just to do that. This is really a very cautious decision seen from what is beneficial for our customers.

● What are your goals in terms of CSR? Telenor plays an important role in Serbia. We are a very integrated and significant player in the Serbian economy, in the hearts and minds of our customers, and society at large, without me sounding arrogant about that position. It is something we are very humble about.

That sets some demands on how we behave as a company, and how we put together our CSR agenda. For us, that means no compromise on ethical standards and no compromise on corruption or bribery, so we tend to think that we also educate on how business is done in an economy within the country where we are engaged. Then we do specific projects through Telenor Foundation, where we engage in activities that are close to our operations, either by providing connectivity and internet data services to those in need, whether that is a museum that wants to digitise some photo archives and bring them online, or a school that needs a basic internet classroom, or refugees for whom we built internet parks.

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NORWAY ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Insufficiently Exploited

OPPORTUNITIES Norway is ranked third in terms of direct investments in Serbia and is also a major donor, but trade between the two countries is far below its potential. The successful export of honey shows that, in the field of agriculture and organic farming, additional export gems could be found

T

he volume of the trade exchange between Serbia and Norway is traditionally low and uneven in terms of volume and value, while Serbian business leaders rarely seek to penetrate this very demanding market. At the meeting of Nordic and Serbian business leaders that was organised last year by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, it was noted that the potential of the markets of the Nordic countries was completely unknown to the Serbian economy and entrepreneurs, and that Serbia insufficiently utilizes the opportunities available to sell agricultural products and organic food.

In terms of commodity exchanges indicators, Norway can be classified as an economic partner of medium importance to Serbia. In recent years a rapid growth has been noted in exports compared to imports, in addition to the recording of a surplus on the Serbian side, which contributed to a very successful project of incentives for local beekeepers that was accompanied by a significant jump in honey exports to Norway.

Trade cooperation between Serbia and Norway has been

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limited for years, characterised by the low value of exports and a small number of companies on both sides. According to the latest Serbian data, the value of foreign trade between the two countries stood at €31.8 million in 2014.

According to preliminary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, exports reached a value of €16.1 million in 2014, decreasing by 26.4% compared to 2013. Meanwhile, goods worth €15.7 million were imported, thereby recording a 9.5% increase compared to annual totals for 2013. The surplus achieved in the mentioned period was €396,000.

According to year’s end data of the Republic Bureau of Statistics for 2013, trade between the two countries totalled close to €36.2 million and was 57.7% higher than in 2012, when it totalled close to €23 million. Goods worth €21.9 million were exported, thus doubling the value of exports (percentage growth of 115.6% compared to 2012), while imported goods had a collective value of €14.3 million euros (an increase of 11.8% compared to the previous year), thus achieving a surplus on the Serbian

Trade cooperation between Serbia and Norway has been limited for years, characterised by a low value of exports and a small number of companies on both sides

side amounting to €7.6 million. According to the value of exports, Norway was ranked as Serbia’s 39th export partner in 2014, after being ranked 36th for Serbian exports in 2013 and 42nd among the 164 countries to which Serbia exported in 2012.

The best result in terms of the coverage of imports by exports was recorded in 2013, when it stood at 157%, while in 2014 this percentage was much lower, totalling 102.5%. Norway is the only Nordic country with which Serbia has recorded a trade surplus.

Leading Serbian products exported to Norway include food products, other winches, gearboxes and parts, honey, gearing, paper and cardboard, jet fuel, other ammunition and parts, vehicle bodywork spare parts, as well as frozen raspberries, blackberries and mulberries.

Key changes in the structure of exports occurred in the area of exports of edible products and products which accounted for one-fifth (20.1%) of total exports in 2014 and 36.1% in 2013, while in 2012 they were not represented. Parts and accessories for motor vehicles, which ranked first in 2012 with a 23.5% share of total exports, occupied third spot in both 2013 and 2014. When it comes to Serbian imports from Norway, there have been no major changes in the structure of commodity groups, except that in 2013 agricultural machinery fell from 3rd place to 10th and saw its percentage of total exports fall from 8.4 to 2.3%.

According to the statistics of the Customs Administration, Serbia’s biggest Serbian exporters to Norway in 2014 were: Sojaprotein a.d. Bečej, Rapp Zastava d.o.o. Kragujevac, Le Belier Kikinda livnica d.o.o. Kikinda, Medino d.o.o. Krnjevo, Tetra Pak Production d.o.o. Belgrade, NIS a.d. Novi Sad, Prvi Partizan a.d.

Užice, Montavar Metalna Lola d.o.o. Belgrade, Master Frigo d.o.o. Belgrade, Foka d.o.o.

Gornji Milanovac, and others.

According to the same source, the biggest importers to Serbia from Norway in 2014 were: Rapp Zastava d.o.o.

Kragujevac, Squadra d.o.o.

Dobanovci, Hemofarm a.d.

Vršac, Henkel Srbija d.o.o. Belgrade, Kristal so d.o.o. Belgrade, Fabrika kartona from Umka, Commercial Print SCP d.o.o.

Belgrade, Milan Blagojević-Namenska from Lučan, Euro Gas d.o.o. Subotica, Inter-Agrar Srb d.o.o. Čenej, and others.

Norway’s biggest ever investment in Serbia remains the purchase of local mobile operator Mobi 63 by Norwegian company Telenor.

One of the biggest success stories of Serbian exports to Norway is that of honey. Honey stood out as crucial in boosting trade between Serbia and Norway in 2013, when the value of Serbian natural honey imported to Norway amounted to around €1.2 million. This was double the 2012 total and 12 times higher than the result achieved in 2011. Altogether, some 120 tonnes of honey was exported to Norway in 2013. A major reason for this was probably the fact that the Norwegian Embassy Fund supported the project “Honey Production – Export Chance of the Branicevski Region” and “Save her Majesty - The Bee”.

Within the framework of the project "Save Her Majesty – The

Bee", which was implemented from 1st November 2012 to 31st October 2013, the Kingdom of Norway set aside 3.4 million dinars to finance training for 140 beekeepers and 30 women who were registered with the Employment Service. All participants received a certificate and honey trees with a total value of 510,000 dinars, while unemployed women received equipment to go to the apiary, as well as receiving a beehive each.

In parallel with this project, honey exports to Norway also began, with 200 tonnes of this Homolje product having been delivered previously. As its quality proved to be excellent, and the demand for honey considerably exceeded supply, the embassy pre-

pared a continuation of the

Norway is the only Nordic country with project worth €150,000.

Under the auspices of which Serbia has realised a surplus in the "Honey Production mutual trade. Honey stood out as crucial in - Export Chance of the boosting trade, with Serbian beekeepers Branicevski Region" project, the Government of Norway supported by the project of the donated hives to beekeepers Norwegian Embassy in Braničevo County, in or-

der to encourage them to expand their businesses. New beehives were given to beekeepers in Žagubica and Petrovac na Mlavi.

Part of the assistance for the Braničevski Region included a series of training sessions. The training was delivered by professor of the Belgrade Agriculture Faculty, Mića Mladenović, and expert of the Josif Pančić Institute, Slobodan Dražić. Beekeepers were divided into two groups, based on the results of their individual entry tests. Groups of 124 advanced beekeepers and 114 start-ups each received 11 days of training. The training curriculum was adapted to participants’ knowledge and experience. All participants took a final test, which assessed the level of knowledge they had acquired through the training.

The next step of the Project was to deliver beehives to 35 advanced beekeepers and 76 start-ups. The aim of the project was not only to enhance the honey production capacities of the Braničevski Region, but also to enable beekeepers to maximize yields through the implementation of advanced beekeeping techniques and systems.

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SERBIA-NORWAY RELATIONS

Norway has a long-term commitment to Serbia.

The shared experience of occupation during World War II brought Norway and Serbia closer together

TOGETHER

through European challenges

VILLAGE IN SOGNEFJORD

Ties between the countries developed as Yugoslav prisoners of war in German concentration camps in Norway were helped by Norwegian civilian. However, the friendly relations between our people were already established by then, as illustrated by volunteer Norwegian medical personnel working with the Red Cross during the Balkan wars and World War I. The relationship is broader today and we work together on challenges that are European in nature. In that regard, Norway supports Serbia’s ambitions to forge closer ties with the institutions that secure democracy, economic development and freedom in Europe.

A FRIEND WHEN YOU NEED ONE

We are all witnessing a tragedy, with people fleeing oppression in their home countries and taking risks in a bid to reach safety somewhere in Europe

REFUGEE CRISIS SUPPORT

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S

erbia has demonstrated significant dedication, solidarity and commitment in dealing with the continued influx of refugees. However, with winter just around the corner, providing sufficient assistance to the refugees remains an even greater challenge for Serbia.

With this in mind, the Norwegian government decided to help Serbia immediately by allocating NOK 60 million (around €6.5 million) for humanitarian assistance and support for strengthening the refugee reception system. A friend is one who supports you when you need help, and Serbia and Norway have a longstanding friendship. The figure of 6.5 million euros includes the costs of construction of a reception centre for refugees in the Southern Serbian town of Presevo, support to NGOs dealing with the refugee crisis, equipment for the Serbian police to register refugees, as well as support to the UNHCR and other international organisations dealing with refugees in Serbia. The date of 5th October marked the beginning of the implementation of a project that includes the thorough refurbish-

A friend is one who supports you when you need help, and Serbia and Norway have a longstanding friendship

ment of the migrant reception centre in Presevo. “There are less than 30 days until the heating season begins and this is why we will exert great effort to prepare the centre in Presevo to accommodate refugees fully,” said Jannicke Bain, Deputy Head of Mission. The total amount for this project stands at around €635,000.

On 7th October, the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade invited preselected organisations dealing with refugees to apply for financial support in the sectors of health and humanitarian assistance and response. The amount dedicated tentatively to this purpose is around €550,000.

In addition to this, the Embassy is trying to find a model to refund the costs incurred by state/local municipalities in the context of the refugee crisis. This would also be within the auspices of the €6.5 million support package.

FLOODS IN SERBIA

SERBIA'S POST-FLOOD RECOVERY

Since severe flooding hit the country last year, Norway has supported in its recovery with more than €5 million

S

erbia is still recovering from the disastrous flooding that hit the country in May 2014, taking 51 lives and leading to mass evacuations. As a true friend of Serbia, Norway has helped to normalise the lives of citizens affected by the floods through the restoration of infrastructure, reviving local businesses and recuperating from the damages and losses.

The first thing the Norwegian government did after the floods was to sign a contract to grant €4 million of aid for the reconstruction of schools, health centres, nurseries and cultural institutions in 16 Serbian municipalities. The contract was cosigned by the EU, Norway, UNOPS and the Serbian government.

The Norwegian money was spent on the reconstruction of 12 nurseries, 18 healthcare institutions and five cultural institutions,

The first thing the Norwegian government did after the floods was to sign a contract to grant €4 million of aid for the reconstructions as well as re-equipping eight schools. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is leading the coordination and organising the reconstruction, which is due to be fully completed

by July 2016.

In addition to this support, Norway has provided €600,000 through donations to the WHO in Serbia for dealing with postflood recovery, as well as €500,000 through the Embassy Fund.

Through the Embassy Fund, Norway offered grants to organisations and municipalities seeking to address the consequences of the floods. This included a wide range of projects — from distribution of livestock to especially vulnerable farmers, to helping children and their parents from the flood-hit areas overcome the trauma of the disaster and regain a sense of normalcy and security. Through selected projects, Norway also tried to help restore economic life in the municipality of Obrenovac (most se-

verely hit by flooding), providing both technical and financial post-flood support to SMEs.

NORWEGIAN MUSEUM IN SERBIA GOES DIGITAL

The fresh face of the Norwegian House in Gornji Milanovac will include a new exhibition through which the biographies, photos, and other related documents on all Yugoslav Prisoners of War held in Norway will be just a couple of clicks away

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ome 120km Southwest of Belgrade lays an unusual building shaped like a Viking ship, better known as the Norwegian House. Along with the museum it houses, the building has long been one of the favourite spots for tourists and especially Serbian youngsters on school excursions. They have been arriving for years in an effort to learn more about the Yugoslav Prisoners of War held in Norway during World War II. However, the museum has remained unchanged since it first opened in 1987. Its exhibition and presentation reflect the political situation of that time, emphasising the partisans and glorifying their actions. In a bid to provide more accurate information and make it all more appealing for youngsters, the Norwegian Association in Serbia has launched an internal and external makeover.

It all started with digging for new documents in archives, local museums in Norway, but also contacting families of the internees. Mr Dragan Markovic, Secretary General of the Association, says that they came to an approximate number of 4,500 POWs and about 2,630 Yugoslavs who died in Norway. “We got hold of the information about them all… where they were, when and where they died, who fled to Sweden and then returned, or who returned from Norway here,” says Markovic.

For years, relatives of the POWs were asking about their fathers, uncles, grandfathers in Norway, and it was not always easy to find an answer. “Every time I got these requests, I would have to go through a book to find and give them the information relating to where, for example, his grandfather was, where he was

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Everyone can become a member of the Corner and get a touch of the Nordic culture through their various activities

NORWEGIAN HOUSE MUSEUM

In a year’s time the museum will open its doors again with a completely new exhibition space, shedding new light on some destinies in the past buried, does he have a monument etc.,” Markovic explains.

Therefore, they wanted to make an online base with all the data they could find and then let the visitors search it on a touch screen with a possibility to print it out. “If you type a name of a person, you will get all the data we found about him. Unfortunately, we do not have everything for all of them,” Markovic noted adding that the process of filling up the database is still underway.

Ideally, in a year’s time the museum will open its doors again with a completely new exhibition space, shedding new light on some destinies in the past.

The permanent exhibition is designed to have panels starting from the pre-Second World War era onwards. According to Stain Brauten, from the Committee tasked with Museum reconstruction, a storyboard for each panel is developed with all information necessary to create the panel with additional information for what is going to be on the touch screens. “Only facts/short version will be on the panel – the rest plus additional information, small stories, photos, sketches, etc., will be on the screens,” Stain said.

The Museum will also get a new website where one will be able to have a sneak peek only. For the full experience however, one will have to visit the Norwegian House.

ties promoting Nordic social and cultural values. These include lectures by guests from Nordic countries, Nordic movie screenings, discussion workshops, literary evenings, stories from the North.

“The focus of our activities are, first and foremost, non-violence and tolerance, respect for differences, gender equality and human rights, promotion of healthy lifestyles, as well as raising awareness regarding environmental issues,” says Milica Nikolic. Before the grand opening in Parobrod, the first activities of the Corner started at Milica’s place, with discussion workshops. Word about the Scandinavian Corner spread quickly. “These people gave us strength to continue on this path, with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a Nordic culture centre,” added Milica.

The work of the Corner is institutionally supported today by the embassies of Sweden, Norway and Finland, the Municipality of Stari Grad and the Parobrod Institute of Culture, while financial support has been provided by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade.

Besides a wide range of activities, the Corner also has a Nordic library and reading corner, featuring fiction and non-fiction literature from Nordic countries, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. According to Milica, they are especially proud of the Nordic Choir. Its members may not all be fluent in some of the Scandinavian languages, but that does not stop them joyfully singing traditional Norwegian and Swedish songs.

Everyone can become a member of the Corner and get a touch of the Nordic culture through their various activities.

There are two kinds of memberships, the so-called Viking and Troll membership card, depending on whether you are going to take part in the events they organise or you want to be able to use the reading corner as well.

A CORNER FOR NORDIC CULTURE LOVERS

Although it was only established last December, the Scandinavian Corner has grown into an important institution promoting dominant Nordic social and cultural values St. Lucy’s Day may be marking the arrival of light in the dark mornings of wintertime, but in Belgrade it marked the grand opening of the Scandinavian Corner in Belgrade’s Parobrod culture institution on 13th December 2014. Since then, the Corner has been organising a variety of activi-

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SCANDINAVIAN CORNER

PROFILE

THORVALD STOLTENBERG NORWEGIAN POLITICIAN AND DIPLOMAT

Love can often be unrequited, especially when it comes to the relationship of an individual and a city. Thorvald Stoltenberg has officially received confirmation that Belgrade loves him back as much as he loves the city

Belgrade Through the Eyes of

THORVALD STOLTENBERG T

horvald Stoltenberg, a Norwegian politician and diplomat, was declared an honorary citizen of Belgrade on 1st October, with the charter delivered to him by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali and Belgrade City Assembly President Nikola Nikodijević. “It is always great to be here, even when I was not an honorary citizen,” said Stoltenberg, who has very fond memories of Belgrade.

As a boy during World War II, when he was making sandwiches for refugees, including people from the former Yugoslavia, he could not have even imagined that his future career would be so closely tied to the Balkans. The former Norwegian diplomat spent seven years in the Balkans and Serbian native Smilja Katić looked after his kids in both Belgrade and Oslo.

Stoltenberg recalls Belgrade in 1953, when he first visited the city. “It was a town with only a few cars; there weren’t many roads, but there were a lot of domestic animals. Belgrade has changed a lot since then and has grown into a modern capital,” says Stoltenberg.

Regardless of the change, his love for the city has never diminished, thanks to the people living there. “To me, people are always the most important element and, thankfully, the people here are still the same: wonderful,” he said. It therefore comes as no surprise that Stoltenberg has many friends in Belgrade, and is always looking forward to seeing them. This time he used the visit to his beloved city to see again the house in Koste Racina Street where he lived with his family from 1962, when he served as first secretary at the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade.

The house now belongs to new owners, looks different, and

the whole neighbourhood in Belgrade’s Dedinje has changed, but Stoltenberg still has fresh memories. He remembers how his youngest daughter Nini bathed in a small plastic pool, which they bought for the yard. He also remembers their next-door neighbours, with whom his children used to play. These neighbours had a grandmother who walked with a cane to buy groceries every day. “She was then probably younger than I am now,” adds the 84-year-old Norwegian with a smile.

When seeing the shop where the old lady used to go, Stoltenberg said in clear Serbian: “This was the grocery store”.

He no longer speaks Serbian fluently, but he can still understand and read Serbian news in Cyrillic.

He also remembered one less positive memory, when his then 4-year-old son Jens, now head of NATO, became seriously ill in Belgrade in 1963.

Serbian doctors spent days fighting for his life, managing to save him in the end.

As he watched the city grow, he also saw Serbian-Norwegian relations develop. “We must never forget the Yugoslav prisoners of war in Norway, as it was at that time that our countries got connected at this human level,” says Stoltenberg.

As one of the most vocal supporters of the Nordic cooperation model, Thorvald believes this form of cooperation could be an inspiration for the Balkan countries. This could be achieved in the Balkans with the EU as an umbrella organisation.

During his visit to Belgrade, he was accompanied by famous Norwegian filmmaker Anja Breien, whose films are soon expected to be available for screenings at the Yugoslav Cinematheque Film Archives in Belgrade.

It was always great to be here, even when I wasn’t an honorary citizen

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TOURISM

SØRLANDET

The Norwegian Riviera

W

hen we think about Norway we often think, and not without reason, of cold and long winters (which last for six months) and excellent ski resorts. Skiing is a sport that is available in Norway in winter and summer. However, everybody should consider the possibility of having a “proper” summer holiday in Norway too.

Southern Norway (Sørlandet in Norwegian) is the southernmost region of Norway, with 30 municipalities and approximately 285,000 inhabitants. It stretches from the coastal areas, with its many rocky islands and outcrops, also known as the Norwegian Riviera, via an inland belt with forests, lakes and rivers, many of them excellent salmon rivers, to the mountains of Setesdal, the southernmost part of the Hardangervidda and a popular hiking and skiing region. Sørlandet’s coast has a typical coastal climate, with relatively mild weather year-round. It is the region with the most summer days annually, while long and stable winters are perfect for wintry activities. Norway’s fairy tale southern region provides a microcosm of the country’s natural wonders. Sun baked sandy beaches, tiny islands and harbour-front houses are backed by rolling pastures and lazy rivers, which in turn make way for high mountains, hidden valleys and historic wooden churches.

The western fjord area and the coast up into the Arctic North are much warmer than one might expect, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic. Summer temperatures climb up to 25C, while the sea temperature can reach 18C or more on the south coast. Shallow

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The Norwegian Riviera has been the number one summer holiday destination for Norwegians for many years, but it is much less familiar to foreigners.

Contrary to many expectations, you won’t catch a cold here. During the summer months, the coastal riviera has a water temperature of up to 20 degrees

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lakes are even warmer and are a popular choice among bathers.

Sheltered by mountains and forests, Southern Norway may feel warmer than you would expect.

The warmest and most stable weather occurs on the eastern side of the southern mountains, including the south coast between Mandal and Oslo. Even in the north, summer temperatures are pleasantly warm, and the sun shines 24 hours a day! During the summer months, the picturesque towns and villages of Southern Norway are worth a visit. With the white-washed wooden houses so typical of southern Norway, charming narrow streets, a river traversing the town, and beaches, forest and nature just beyond the centre, the town of Mandal is the epitome of the southern Norwegian summer. Every Wednesday throughout the summer there is a fantastic party atmosphere during popular Wednesday concerts. Hundreds of people come together in the summer warmth to enjoy a beer outdoors and sing along while the local band plays cover versions from every musical genre.

The towns of Risør, Tvedestrand, Arendal, Grimstad, Lillesand and Mandal, all former timber ports that grew when shipbuilding became an industry, line the coast. They are often referred to as the “white string of pearls”, due to their white-washed houses and narrow streets. The old town of Arendal was originally built on seven small islands, hence its nickname “Venice of the North”. As early as 1680, work first began to fill in the channels between the islands in order to reclaim more land to build

new houses, with the town expanding quickly. The last channel, which separated Tyholmen (the old district) from the mainland, was filled in as late as 1933. This is why so many old wooden houses on Tyholmen can still be admired today. They survived the three devastating town fires that ravaged the city in the 19th century. The oldest house is the old customs building, dating back to 1679.

Grimstad, another town along the southern coast, is known as the place where Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen started writing.

From Grimstad the road leads to Lillesand and Kristiansand. There is a scenic sightseeing boat trip in summer between Lillesand and Kristiansand, through the area called Blindleia, where visitors are afforded a close-up view of the rocky outcrops, inlets, islands and small clapboard houses that are more than anything synonymous with the southern part of Norway.

Other southern towns, like Flekkefjord, Farsund, Lyngdal and Kristiansand, are also located by the sea. With their narrow streets, single-storey wooden houses centred around market squares and harbours, an abundance of flowers and various shops, cafés and fine restaurants, these towns are all popular with visitors. Kristiansand, known as the ‘capital’ of Southern Norway, is a place where legend and lore go hand in hand; there is the Christiansholm Fortress, the market place and the old quarter, with its traditional wooden houses, as well as he nearby Fish Market. The coast between Kristiansand in the south to Stavanger in the west offers activities such as deep-sea fishing, rafting, hiking and swimming. Due to its southerly position, the summer in Stavanger begins in May, with the blossoming of fruit trees, and lasts until the beautiful autumn colours take over in September and October.

An exceptionally scenic road connects Telemark with Hardangerfjord, and the impressive Telemark Canal stretches all the way to the foot of Hardangervidda. One can easily spend their summer holiday in this area on a boat, cruising the Norwegian Riviera, mooring on a secluded island to go swimming or visiting historic locations like Lyngør or Merdø. Fishing is good along the entire coast, and the smooth rocky slopes typical of the Southern Norwegian archipelago are perfect for sunbathing. There are also many good beaches on offer.

The island of Merdø, one of the islands furthest from the coast, faces the Skagerrak Sea and is an old outlying port. The island boasts many beautiful old wooden houses of the style typical to the Arendal Region. Narrow paths lead from Merdøgaard Museum to the sandy beach, or to the pebbled beach on the southern side of the island. In May 2015, the UK’s Guardian newspaper ranked the island of Lyngør, in Tvedestrand, southern Norway, among the top ten islands to visit in Europe. Lyngør actually consists of four islands, with around 100 residents and a vibrant life throughout the summer. This wooden village on

THE TOWNS OF LILLESAND IS FORMER TIMBER PORT

the sea is an exotic coastal idyll without roads or cars, maintaining the atmosphere of a bygone era and a dramatic story. Lyngør was voted Europe's best preserved village in 1991. And, with its old, white-washed southern houses packed close together on the waterfront, Lyngør still preserves a lot of the charm of the golden era of sailing ships in the 1800s. The polished rocks on Lyngør provide visitors with many opportunities for swimming and sunbathing. The island community is also a paradise for fishermen.

Tourists may also look to drive along the North Sea Road, explore the Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock, and enjoy southern culture in the many villages along the coast. Those who choose the Suleskar Road through Southern Norway will have a chance to see the coast, the mountains and the fjords all in one trip. One of the most beautiful parts on the road is the Setesdal Valley, where the coast and the woods slowly transform into moorland and mountains. High mountains and valleys form the landscape, as well as the River Otra, which runs from Bykle down to Kristiansand. Climbing and hiking are popular outdoor activities in this valley.

One of many characteristic features of the southern coast is the "white string of pearls", the many towns, villages and outposts dotted along the coastline, with their white-washed houses and narrow streets

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Happy and

NORWAY QUALITY OF LIFE

HEALTHY Norway ranks above average in almost all dimensions measured by the Better Life Index, such as subjective wellbeing, jobs and earnings, housing, work-life balance, environmental quality, civic engagement, social connections, health status and personal security

N

orway tops the list of the countries with the highest Human Development Index (HDI), a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries’ levels of social and economic development. According to the HDI, the country held first place for six consecutive years (2001–2006) and then reclaimed this position in 2009, holding it until 2014.

Norwegians enjoy the second highest GDP per-capita among European countries (after Luxembourg), and the fourth highest GDP (PPP) per-capita in the world. Norway today ranks as the second wealthiest country in the world in terms of monetary value, with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. The standard of living in Norway is among the highest in the world.

The OECD ranked Norway 4th in the 2013 equalised Better Life Index and 3rd in intergenerational earnings elasticity.

Norway ranks above average in almost all dimensions measured by the Better Life Index, such as subjective wellbeing, jobs and earnings, housing, work-life balance, environmental quality, civic engagement, social connections, health status and personal security.

With the average household net-adjusted disposable income

per capita at $33,492 a year, Norway scores better than the OECD average of $25,908 annually.

In terms of employment, Norway has one of the highest rates in the OECD, with over 75% of people aged 15 to 64 in paid employment, compared to the OECD employment average of 65%. Men fair better than women, with 77% of men, compared to 74% of women, in paid employment. Employability is highly connected to the level of education, with an estimated 89% of individuals with at least a tertiary education having a paid job, compared with an estimated 52% for those without higher secondary education. In that respect, Norway is three percentage points better than the OECD average (37 vs. 34 percentage points). Education is very important in Norway and 82% of adults aged 25 to 64 have completed upper secondary education, which is higher than the OECD average of 75%.

Quality of life measured in terms of the percentage of people forced to work long hours shows that in Norway only three per cent of employees work very long hours, much less than the OECD average of 13%, with four per cent of men working very long hours, compared to just one per cent of women.

When it comes to health, life expectancy at birth in Norway is 82, two years higher than the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for men is 80, while women are expected to live to 84.

When asked “How is your health in general?” 76% of people in Norway reported to be in good health, higher than the OECD average of 68%.

Norwegians have a strong sense of community and Norway enjoys high levels of civic participation. About 94% of people believe they know someone they could rely on in times of need, higher than the OECD average of 88%. They also readily vote with strong turnouts at the elections, high above the OECD average. For example, voter turnout, a measure of citizens’ participation in the political process, was 78% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 68%. The voter turnout of men and women in Norway is nearly the same.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole, rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale of 0 to 10, Norwegians gave it a grade of 7.4, higher than the OECD average of 6.6. In contrast to many other OECD countries, in Norway there is not much difference in life satisfaction between people with higher and lower education (7.7 vs 7.3).

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Norwegians gave it a 7.4 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.6.

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B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

INTERVIEW

VIDA OGNJENOVIĆ

Director, Writer, President of Serbia's PEN

The Democrats Lost Power,

BUT THEIR IDEAS WON

The Ognjenović family had nine children. At the age of three-and-a-half, Vida left for Vojvodina with her grandmother and uncle, as the forward party for the possible relocation of the whole family. She was six when she completed the first year of primary school in Vrbas, having been enrolled so early because she was hyperactive and they thought school would calm her down a little. She has remained in that permanent state that she has something to do to this very day

B

orn in the village of Dubočke in the municipality of Nikšić, for this Montenegrin Vida, the flat plains of Vojvodina became a spiritual homeland. She belongs to that elite group who graduated from the Sremski Karlovac Gymnasium High School in Karlovac, alongside Jovan Sterija Popović, Sima Milutinović Sarajlija, Borislav Mihajlović Mihiz, Dejan Medaković et al... When her uncles were sent to the dissidents prison on Goli Otok, the idea of colonising Vojvodina was over for them, and Vida’s parents, along with her eight brothers and sisters, stayed in Montenegro, where Vida would only later return, as a guest, director and tourist.

She was the director of dramatic programming and manager of the National Theatre, Professor of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, where she directed more than a hundred plays and authored a dozen dramas (published in five books), all of which enjoyed numerous perforNOVEMBER

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mances and were awarded at festivals (Sterija Award, Joakim Vujić, Vuk’s Foundation Award). She has published five collections of short stories, three novels, two books of essays and a travelogue. She received the Andrić award for her collection of short stories entitled Poisonous Dandelion Milk (1994). She was friends for a long time with writers Mirko Kovač and Danilo Kiš.

She says she misses them both sorely.

She was a fierce opponent of the government of Slobodan Milošević and was elected the Vice-President of the Democratic Party in the heyday of the Democrats at the peak of the party’s power. Vida Ognjenović was an ambassador of Yugoslavia, then

Serbia & Montenegro, and then Serbia, serving in Norway and Denmark, and today she is the successful president of Serbia’s PEN.

■ When mention is made of intellectual greats of Serbia who were members or supporters of the Democratic Party, your name is unavoidable. Do you remember what you wanted and what you advocated for when you joined DS? - Yes, I remember very well. I wanted, at their in-

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■ Why do you think we are seeing the disintegration of such a party as DS? - I wouldn’t call it disintegration, but rather simply changing the

party from within. Some people have left, others have arrived.

Some have formed their own parties, then again returned with all these groups of followers. Some have abandoned political activity. I consider all of this natural social rhythm. And that’s all better than membership in one all-powerful and all-important party, in which you should feel like you are in a religious sect, so here is a man, here are rules, they do not change and it is not envisaged for the man to change either. The moment you dare to try that, if only to skip morning prayers, you are followed by castigation. Well, such party discipline does not belong to the Democratic Party.

People, however, find it difficult to reconcile with the fact that the role of the party changes from the moment it stops taking unidirectional action – and here I am thinking of opposition activities to overthrow repressive governments. When it comes to the position of applying the ideas that led to the destruction of the previous government, energy is diverted to field testing these ideas in their application.

We could say that the fact that SNS took guidance from DS and followed the same political course is in fact a significant shift for this society. So DS lost power, but the ideas of that party won

vitation, to join people among whom I had, and still have, many friends, with which I had great confidence in their serious commitment to an open civil society, democratic government and freedom of speech. I knew about their effort to undermine and overthrow the concrete determined ideological basis for political nomenclature, which I served with a few ideas and social blackmail and so stayed in government. I didn’t know, as I still have no political ambitions, but I am also a long way from not caring what kind of country I live in and what kind of society I move through. I have not even brought up as, nor have I developed into, a person 68 |

who is their own criterion for everything. It is not enough for me that I am spared, if so many people suffer. There is no freedom even for individuals if we live in a country that is not free, because the jailer and the jailed are just as deprived of freedom, as philosophers say.

■ But we’ve also witnessed various personal frictions in that party?

- Yes, that is correct. Those are misunder-

standings about the concept of coming together in a party. Some bring ideas, while some, by God, bring interests and personal interests at that. For the role of the immediate construction of that which is different, earlier-conceived and propagated, social criteria are not only partisan merit, but rather training, qualifications and professional advantages. Some activists could not reconcile with that. They endeavoured to preserve their political advantage, so they withdrew and formed smaller party groups in order to achieve this. Some upon leaving the party expressed their disagreement with some decisions, considering that in a smaller formation, or by joining another political group, they would be able to more easily defend and promote their views. And so, talking, agreements, disagreements, arguments, and even an occasional reconciliation...

FREEDOM

PEN

POWER

There is no freedom even for individuals if we live in a country that is not free, because the jailer and the jailed are just as deprived of freedom, as philosophers say

PEN fights openly against any kind of censorship and the banning of books, texts, theatre plays, visual arts and musical works, and advocates for full media freedom

When it is said in our jargon that someone is powerful, what is usually meant is that they hold in their hands the keys to every important yes and every no

However, unlike some former main parties that today number only a few members or which have vanished completely, DS continues to hold on, thanks to those basic ideas of modern democratic order, which were, and continue to be, in the founding programme of the party, all the way from Letters of Intent to the Party Statute.

■ What would you class as the most important achievement in Serbia in the last 15 years, i.e. since the fall of Slobodan Milošević?

- You’re only asking me tough questions. I

caused by inertia or even an unchanged temper, of using bad words and insults against those who until yesterday they exerted all forces against in order to interfere with the realisation of projects that they are now writing themselves. They probably actually want to use these angry bursts to cover up their past. Still, however, I don’t believe our memories are quite that short.

will have to start behaving like a political analyst, and I am a long way from being one of those. And thus, you see, as a citizen I can say that a shift before an act is absurd, but rather predictions and visions. If so many victims had not fallen, and if the development of this society had not been so severely slowed down by angry right-wing former Radical and SNS opposition to everything that they are themselves advocating for and doing today, we could say that the fact that they took guidance from DS and followed the same political course is in fact a significant shift for this society. So DS lost power, but the ideas of that party won.

■ Is that paradoxical?

- It is a paradox, but it’s also a truth that is

accessible to everyone. The then opposition ■ You are primarily a woman of culture. How unfortunately did not choose the methods, DS continues to hold would you describe the current climate in from curses to killings, for the holders of on, thanks to those which artists and cultural activists live and these ideas in yesterday’s government to be work? prevented and blackened in the eyes of the basic ideas of modern Sometimes in difficult times it was said that citizenry and the world, which now does not democratic order, which in Chicago an honest man survivse on the thin recognize them at all. So, the former aggreswere, and continue sive right-wing opposition has taken power, line between prohibition and prostitution. Comto be, in the founding menting on this aphorism, American essayist but has significantly changed its ideological basis and course of action, thereby someprogramme of the party, and columnist Christopher Hitchens said: artists what betraying its voters, who elected it on all the way from Letters and journalists live like that in all times. Maybe a wave of denying everything that the earlithese times of ours are not so exceptional. of Intent to the Party er government did – from attitudes towards Statute ■ In your rich experience, when was golden era Kosovo, the ICTY and the EU, to foreign investments, which is today seen as a golden for the culture of Yugoslavia or Serbia?

- It’s hard to recall such an era of flourishing. straw that presents itself as a lever that the When there was state money, they “pumpkins did not blossom”, domestic economy can cling to. And they are now presenting all of when they blossomed, the money disappeared, because the state this as their own convictions and programmes. What has changed, had other things to do, for example to heat up national consciousa hair or a whim, is a matter for deeper analysis. ness, and when that passed the state collapsed and so culture However, one thing betrays them, and that’s the habit, I guess NOVEMBER

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began functioning on the principle of a child’s jigsaw puzzle. In the meantime, the cultural needs of citizens have declined visibly. This was not caused by overall impoverishment. Let us remember only that during the period of major crises in Poland the most profitable profession was that of a bookselling, because they bought books with their last penny. Here and now, cultural needs to replace the need for unbridled joy and riotousness, with free entertainment.

surveillance which little could escape. Professional observers were on guard, as well as volunteers who were even more zealous and more dangerous, because they were chasing trust and rewards. We know the censorship of that time thanks to a few brave steps that were silenced on time, while we can only make assumptions about how many of them never came out of the darkness of their own self-abnegation and fear. That’s why I think of that period and that censorship as pernicious, because it was essentially creative castration.

■ You served two terms as ambassador in Norway and Denmark. What did you want to use that position to do and what were you able to achieve?

- I consider that I should try to the best of my abil-

■ Free?

- Free, I say ironically, and I mean liberated

from any moral considerations, taste and shame. And what now? It's all a bit hysterical, quarrels, accusations, suspicions, rubbishing colleagues... Neurotic outbursts, bickering...

However, in a short period, Nada Popović-Perišić, as Minister, somehow managed to place an emphasis on culture news and fought for cultural events to be announced and discussed on the front pages, and not towards the back of newspapers, alongside classifieds, crossword puzzles and comics.

And that’s something.

Photo by GEM TV

Government positions that carry significant powers simultaneously imply a large number of obligations, but all of this should be sanctioned in such a way that the end result is a widely accepted plan and wellstudied strategy

■ Which period and government would you describe as being the worst, with the most censorship for cultural creative and artists?

- Tito's time, but that was all perfidiously premeditated and

carried out voluntarily. I hardly saw compulsion. That time appeared to be a period of soft censorship, because the borders were open and there was a free flow of news. However, political blackmail meanwhile caused one to nurture rigorous personal vigilance and to always have a beeping radar that warned of the danger of one’s own transgression. Self-censorship, and censorship within the institutions, provided a good veil to the visibility of the right ones; for the unquestioning state, party and police 70 |

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ity to show that the country I come from has civilised, educated people; that we are not all Hague Tribunal defendants or their helpers, whose images and statements were printed and published by the media there. I tried to substitute them in the papers with young mathematicians who won the first prizes in international competitions, surgeons whose operations were cited in medical textbooks worldwide, artists and scientists exploring new forms and new scientific facts. I was able to influence Denmark, which had been the third country to declare itself in favour of the NATO bombing campaign, to become the most vocal advocate for our receiving of candidate status during its EU presidency. Danish Minister for the EU, Nikolai Wammen, personally came from Brussels to relay this decision to then-President Tadić and members of the Government and the National Assembly. So, some things were shifted.

■ You have served since 2006 as president of the Serbian PEN centre. It should be noted that this centre was founded in 1926 by Andrić, Crnjanski, Isidora Sekulić etc. How would you explain PEN’s global role today?

- PEN’s role, as the global Association of writers,

is important and multifaceted. First of all, this organisation literally covers the globe through 149 centres in 140 countries. In major countries like the U.S., Australia, India, China and some African countries, there are several PEN centres. They work to promote literature, protect freedom of expression and the dignity of writers, fighting against political repression. In some countries (Iran, China, Turkey) it is quite rigorous and works to advance the connectivity of cultures, languages and peoples. Of late there has been an aggressive onslaught of kitsch and superficiality in bestseller lists. PEN also has a mission to advocate for literary values and to protect and promote them at literary festivals and conferences.

And, of course, it fights openly against any kind of censorship and the banning of books, texts, theatre plays, visual arts and musical works, and advocates for full media freedom.

■ What is the most important role of the World PEN Centre today?

- The fact that it endures like the Tower of Babel, as a kind of

global literary republic, bringing together writers for so many nations, languages, religions, cultures, traditions and customs, and relying solely on literary, moral and human criteria, as stated in the founding charter. The most important factor is that it worthily keeps the flame; that this organisation survives as a fortress for the defence of human and artistic rights and tolerance, gender equality, moral strength and human solidarity, at the expense of open conflict with the authorities in countries with repressive regimes.

International PEN, just like our Serbian PEN Centre, represents its members strongly, as an organisation, when they face any unjust attack or usurpation, and that’s why it represents a relevant institution in terms of public opinion.

This role must be respected and preserved.

simultaneously means a large number of obligations, but all of this should be sanctioned in such a way that the end result is a widely accepted plan and well-studied strategy, and not as the incidental result of power which permanently manifests as a kangaroo court.

I really think that the terms “power” and “powerful” are antiquated in their meaning. Fortunately, I have never aspired for my own example to contribute to their affirmation or renewal.

■ Some people are ready to ascribe great power to you, primarily in the world of culture. How do you see your own power?

- I can see it, first and foremost, as speed of

thought and perception, as a relative ability to endure at work, strict adherence to a moral code, and then as my sense of humour, which, I must admit, are not negligible powers. I don’t, however, have the power of clairvoyance – and I'd love ■ Why do people in Serbia still view artists to have that – or the power to see some disease, We must insist that in politics quite sceptically? both of which my name obliges me to have, if we writers be asked about - Artists are an integral part of society, inbelieve in the Latin phrase: nomen est omen. more things and for cluding politics. What do you think, has Otherwise, it’s clear to me that power with the problem of artists in politics ever been is a phrase written in red letters in everyday votheir opinions to be cabulary, as a holiday in your calendar, marked mentioned by anyone in relation to Nobel listened to, at least in by major advantages arising from superior Laureates José Samarago or Orhan Pamuk? their field of expertise, Is Celebrated British actress Glenda Jackson authority, whether that is secured by money, and not for everything followed to the parliament, in the third cona function, or some other privileged position.

However, it is rarely or never recognised as a to be decided by some vocation, and asked with amazement what such an artist would be doing there? specific creative gift or special ability, for examgeneral practitioner ple, perfect pitch, or an innovative impulse and On the contrary, actors considered this as politician contribution, but rather mainly as an opporturecognition that the experience and impornity for inviolable arbitration in social life. In tance of their industry has finally led to them contrast to placing confidence in good ideas and being respected as social factors. We don’t exploring ways for them to come to fruition, we traditionally rely seem to be able to shake off this rotten legacy of the ideological on hyperbole power. state when every writer and artist involved in politics had to dance I say hyperbole, because when it is said in our jargon that to the rhythm of strictly controlled music. Today that is an anachronism. We fought for as broad a scope as possible and the diverse someone is powerful, what is usually meant is that they hold in composition of bodies that decide on issues of society. What would their hands the keys to every important yes and every no. Unfortunately, rebellions aren’t even always against this kind of powbe so devastating for a writer to participate in that? er, but rather against the current holder of that power, so that There is even less reason for that to be deemed detrimental to change does not imply a shift in the actual relationship. culture and society, on the contrary. We must insist that writers be Of, I do not possess such power, and I wouldn’t even if I beasked about more things and for their opinions to be listened to, at lieved in its moral justification, and that is not the case. I believe least in their field of expertise, and not for everything to be decided by some general practitioner politician, who we easily criticise that no function should feed and maintain itself. There are, of for the fact that the things that bother us do not change. ■ course, government positions that carry significant powers, which NOVEMBER

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CHILL OUT

FRANCE

PIERRE CARDIN’S BUBBLE PALACE ON THE MARKET FOR €407M ▶ The bizarre mansion where fashion designer Pierre Cardin hosted debauched after-parties and runway shows for two decades has been put on sale for £300million (€407,5 million). Italian-born Cardin, 92, bought the Palais Bulles, or Bubble Palace, at auction in the early '90s after the death of its French industrialist owner. According to Cardin, who has dressed some of the world's most beautiful women, the round forms are inspired by 'the body of a woman' and 'everything is absolutely sensual'. The 1,200sq/m mega-complex comes with ten space-aged rooms, three swimming pools, luxurious gardens, an amphitheatre that seats 500 and spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

To hire the entire palace for a party or show reportedly costs €12,000 per day.

JAPAN

JAPAN IS SET TO INTRODUCE ROBOT TAXIS ▶ Robot Taxi Inc., a Tokyo-based company, is gearing up to bring self-driving robot taxis to Japan’s roads early next year. They’ve invited residents to try out the taxi service in Fujisawa, in Kanagawa Prefecture. 50 people are all set to take part in the experiment.

G R A I T B R I TA I N

ARTISTS FRAME LONDON'S STREET SIGNS ▶A team of masked artists are plac-

ing ornate picture frames around street signs in London. Working in the middle of the night, the team has been documenting their hard work on video sharing site Vine.

Short snaps depict two masked

According to Robot Taxi, the new cabs will take residents to pre-decided supermarkets about three kilometers from their homes. A company attendant will be present in the driver’s seat for safety reasons. The self-driving cars will be equipped with GPS, millimeter-wave radar, stereo vision cameras, and image analysis technologies. The local government is fully supportive of the firm’s initiative.

people placing specially created frames around signs in Teddington and Richmond, south west London, and now in central London itself.

The pair has gained the attention of media, and has appeared on London's evening news.

They've even say they considered attempting to frame the sign on Westminster's Downing Street.

But there's just one problem - pesky thieves keep stealing the frames as they're such good quality.

NEW MEXICO

WHERE DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT ▶ More than 500 hot air balloons took to the skies for the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, US. Entitled Where Dreams Take Flight, this year's festival drew pilots from 22 countries around the world. Now in its 44 th year, the nine-day event kicked off on 3rd October with a mass ascent.

A combination of factors make Albuquerque the perfect place for the fiesta: typically clear skies, cool mornings and wind patterns at various elevations that help keep the balloons aloft over the city. The mountains that border the city's east side and weather patterns help create what is known as the "box". When it is in effect, the lower winds blow south and higher winds blow north, meaning balloonists can travel one direction, then backtrack to land near their launch site by changing elevation. That keeps the balloons bobbing over the city rather than drifting away.

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I TA LY

WHITE TRUFFLE FAIR OF ALBA ▶ There are many truffle festivals in northern and central Italy in the fall harvest season, but this one’s the mother of them all. International White Truffle Fair of Alba (Tartufo Bianco d'Alba) took place in Alba, Italy from 10th to 15th October. The “white truffle” or “Alba madonna” comes from the Langhe area of the Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the city of Alba.

They can reach 12cm diameter and 500gr, though are usually much smaller. Like the French black truffles, Italian white truffles are very highly esteemed. The white truffle market is busiest during White Truffle Fair, in the months of October and November, where a 725-gram white truffle sold for $150,000 in 2009, during the 79th White Truffle Festival.

RUSSIA

N E W YO R K

THE CHURCH OF THE “SAVIOR ON DIET”

HUMAN PEACE SIGN FOR LENNON TRIBUTE

▶ Built in 2012, the Ushakov Church is one of the most strangest buildings in Russia. Located in Saint Petersburg, on top of a supermarket, locals ironically call it the Church of the Savior on Diet.

▶ John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, gathered about 2,000 people

in New York on 6 October to form an enormous peace sign in tribute to the late musician.

Guinness World Records said that the event in Central Park fell short of the at least 5,000 needed for an official record, but Ono said the late Beatle, who would have turned 75 on 9th October, would have been proud of the gathering. Lennon was assassinated in 1980 at his apartment across from Central Park.

The 35th anniversary of his death will be observed in December. th

SOUTH KOREA

U.S.

MAN OWNS GOOGLE DOMAIN NAME FOR ONE MINUTE ▶ Sanmay Ved owned Google.com for a matter of minutes after success-

fully buying the domain name of the world's most popular website for just $12. He was scrolling through Google's new domains sale service when he typed in the address and discovered Google.com was available to buy.

SALTY HUNAN FOOD BLAMES FOR POOR BASKETBALL PERFORMANCE ▶ South Korea has suffered two loss-

es to China and Qatar in the 2015 FIBA Asia Basketball Championships in Changsha. Their excuse? Salty Hunan food is bringing them down.

South Korea media has blamed the men’s basketball team’s “exotic” diet in China for their poor performance.

Assuming there must have been a mistake, Ved tried to add the domain to his cart - and was shocked to find he could. Once the transaction was complete, Ved received two emails confirming his purchase. Further inspection confirmed that ownership of Google.com had indeed been transferred to him. But minutes later, he received an email from Google saying they had cancelled the order. Sanmay Ved, a former Google employee, then alerted the firm's security team to the breach and the company finally acknowledged the incident.

In fact, the only access to the church is from the back. In order to get inside, you need to go around the supermarket and up the stairs.

Initially, the company, which built the shopping center, did not consult with a diocese, but later the matter was settled, and the church was open for services even before the consecration.

Despite the criticism, which construction has undergone, the temple has regular parishioners.

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GRAFFITI

Urban Art

Movement

DAVID WALKER’S AMAZING PORTRAIT IN LONDON.

When people hear the word graffiti, many associate it with vandalism, gang activity, and incoherent scribbles on a fence. Yet, in watching graffiti artists at work, we begin to understand and accept graffiti as an art form

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S

uppose that Leonardo, Monet, Picasso, or any of the recognised artisans of European culture were alive in the present day. Then, suppose that one of these famous artists decided to paint a masterpiece on the side of your house or on your front door or on a wall in your neighbourhood. Would Picasso or Monet's markings be graffiti, art, vandalism or graffiti art? The answer may vary across people, but most people would claim that those markings are art in the form of graffiti.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, NEW YORK CITY, U.S.

BANKSY GRAFFITI

On the other side, although its artistic merits can't be denied, graffiti is still in fact a form of vandalism. Artists tag both public and private property, which becomes costly for taxpayers and property owners Although many consider the spray-painted pieces a nuisance, graffiti has been gaining recognition from the art world more and more as a legitimate form of art.

Their markings would qualify as vandalism only if they appeared on private or public property without permission. The same answer holds for the present day, genre of graffiti known as graffiti art.

George C. Stowers, from the University of Miami, wrote that, based on aesthetic criteria, graffiti has to be considered an art form. He makes a distinction between simple tags and more complicated pieces, stating that tags have little aesthetic appeal and probably should not be considered art. However, larger pieces require planning and imagination and contain artistic elements like colour and composition. Stowers provides the example of wildstyle, or the calligraphic writing style of interlocking letters typical of graffiti, to show the extent of artistic elements that are present in these works.

"Wildstyle changes with each artist's interpre-

UNKNOWN ARTIST FROM BELGRADE

tation of the alphabet, but it also relies on the use of primary colours, fading, foreground and background, and the like to create these letters," he writes. The artist's intention is to produce a work of art, and that must be taken into account when considering street art's legitimacy.

Stowers explains that graffiti cannot be disregarded because of its location and illegality. The

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USAIN BOLT BY ADELAIDE’S JIMMY C.

has had his work shown in galleries such as Sotheby's in London. Despite his anonymity, the British artist has gained tremendous popularity. Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have purchased his work for a hefty price.

Recognition by the art world and inclusion in galleries and auctions is one way that graffiti art is legitimised as "real" art. In addition, this exposure has helped the graffiti movement launched itself towards the rest of the world.

A STYLE ALL ITS OWN

DAIM, MIRKO REISSER, GERMAN GRAFFITI-ARTIST

manner in which graffiti art is executed is the only obstacle it faces in being considered an art form.

People are used to seeing graffiti art in public spaces, after all, that's what makes it graffiti. However, after years of gaining recognition by the art community, graffiti art has been shown in various galleries in New York and London, and artists are often commissioned to do legal murals and other work for art shows.

One of the most famous graffiti artists, Banksy,

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Like all other artistic forms, graffiti has experienced movements or changes in style. From the first tag scribbled on a subway train to the large, complex mural on a billboard, the movement has experienced change. The tools and the means have changed as well. Markers were traded in for spray paint, and stencils and stickers were introduced to make pieces easier to execute in a hurry.

The messages have also evolved. Graffiti has always been somewhat political, but it has come a long way from simply tagging one's name to parodying world leaders to make a statement.

MARTIN RON’S 3D TURTLE COMING OUT OF THE WALL.

This is further proof that graffiti is a form of art and not just a result of random acts of vandalism. The graffiti community moves in different directions and the resultant artwork moves with it.

Today, we travel through city streets all over the world to explore street art, a popular and lively art movement. Street art can be found on buildings, sidewalks, street signs and even trashcans from Tokyo to Paris to New York City. This special kind of art can take the form of paintings, sculptures, cloth or even stickers. Its international presence is supported by Web sites, artist communities, books and magazines. Street art has become part of a global visual culture. Now, even art museums and galleries are collecting the work of street artists.

On the other side, although its artistic merits can't be denied, graffiti is still in fact a form of vandalism. Artists tag both public and private property, which becomes costly for tax payers and property owners.

The cost for clean-up has not been documented definitively, but it is safe to assume that it is in the billions of euros.

Recognition by the art world and inclusion in galleries and auctions is one way that graffiti art is legitimised as "real" art. In addition, this exposure has helped the graffiti movement launch itself towards the rest of the world

FAITH47 IS A SELF-TAUGHT CONTEMPORARY STREET ARTIST BASED IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

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Autumn 2015 in Pastel Hues FASHION

The fashion shows are over. Some magnificent pieces were on show, along with some of the craziest styles. But the common line is that many designers decided to bring softness and warmth to their autumn collections, using major proportions of autumnal pastel colours, from baby blues and pastel yellows to dusty pinks and lilacs Being a bit conservative when it comes to fashion, our goal was to identify the common line from all the fashion shows we saw, in or-

der to select and propose to you the true fashion and colour trends for the 2015 autumn season that will give you a feeling of comfort and confidence.

The good news is that the autumn 2015 colour trends are unisex in nature and have been used in collections for both genders.

Women’s colours are pastel. The palette is neither pastels-heavy nor brights-heavy, but rather an expression of a certain amount of poise and confidence.

In the autumn 2015 fashion trends we encounter an array of dazzling, bright and creative styles and fashion, motifs ranging from inspiring retro vibes to fresh and innovative design solutions.

Here are some of our recommendations:

PRICE:

€340

Folded Overlay Jacket This elegant evening jacket is blended with a touch of soft virgin wool.

Complete the look with the coordinating folded pocket trousers, a silk blouse and pinsharp heels.

Tom Ford Velvet Patchwork Clutch Multi green satin velvet patchwork exterior satin lining gunmetal hardware internal zip pocket and open pocket detachable chain strap (dimension 21cm x 15 X 2.5cm, length 60cm).

PRICE: €1.430 PRICE:

€375

Escada Sport Natt V-Neck Blouse Hurley Combo Jacket A classic car coat silhouette with an on-trend color blocked detail. Slim fit, exposed front zip closure and zip welt pockets.

PRICE: €440

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Expertly crafted from a sumptuous silk blend, the long-length design is cut for a loose fit with superior drape and features a flattering V-neck with rose-gold button detailing.

PRICE: €330

Céline Preppy Sunglasses Hand-crafted in Italy from smooth, red acetate, the round design features a metal aviator bar across the top.

Eldora Pant The ultimate trouser for fall, perfect for workday to weekend, features a high waist and long wide-leg finish. Pleat front, hidden side zip closure.

PRICE: €225

PRICE:

€740

Versace TexturedLeather Tote This Versace collection gray tote made of textured-leather with internal zipped and patch pocket is fully lined in mushroom twill, weighs approximately 1kg.

Valentino Lace-Paneled Crepe Dress Pastel yellow Valentino beige crepe dress is made in Italy. Sheer lace-paneled bodice, ruched front and concealed hook and zip fastening at back.

PRICE: €1,020 PRICE:

€185

Just Cavalli Striped Silk Shirt Light gray, semisheer striped 100% silk Just Cavalli lightgray shirt is made in Italy. White cottonpaneled buttoned cuffs, black piping with button-fastening keyhole at back.

Camouflage Cashmere Scarf Designed in complementary, muted hues played out across sumptuously soft pure cashmere, the Burberry will lend a distinctive finish to everyday looks.

PRICE: €880

PRICE: PRICE:

€270

Kurt Geiger Charing Suede Court New Puzzle shoulder in suede with embossed Anagram. Volume is created though precise cutting which determines how it folds. Key characteristics: hand-painted edges; textile lining and two pockets inside. Removable adjustable strap.

Reiss Sami Short Coat This Sami short coat from Reiss has been made with a luxurious wool and cashmere blend and boasts a minimalistic shape with a collarless style and selftie silhouette. Perfect for the day or evening.

€540

Escada Dixa Dress Crafted from virgin wool crepe, the relaxed shift silhouette exudes modern simplicity. Compliment the understated style with geometric jewellery.

PRICE:

€700 NOVEMBER

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Men’s Autumn Season Trends 2015 FASHION

Autumn is here and it’s time to start making all the necessary changes in your wardrobe to face the colder months ahead.

Some fashion trends are a bit “out there” for the average man’s taste, but you won't find any of those styles in our recommendations. Our goal is to help you find the best available autumn attire, whilst maintaining a conservative tone. We are of the opinion that new trends come and go every season, but elegance, good taste and appearance are always around.

Here are some ideas for your consideration.

PRICE:

€235

Tom Ford Polarized Armani Sunglasses Twill Chinos Tailored for a regular fit in soft cotton twill, they feature a straight, tight leg, embossed rivets and a polished logo plaque to the reverse pocket.

Church’s Leather Derby Shoes Crafted from polished-leather in a rich brown hue, they are finished with neat waxed laces.

PRICE: €505

PRICE:

€350 PRICE:

€175

Stefano Ricci Silk Tie Handsomely made in Italy from the finest silk, it is best knotted at the neck of a crisp white shirt.

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Cotton Crewneck Sweater Quilted shoulders and ribbed accents play up the military inspiration of an Italian-crafted sweater knit from fine cotton yarns.

Logo-embellished hinges bring modern refinement to dapper 50's-inspired sunglasses outfitted with polarized lenses.

PRICE: €345

Paul Smith Ryan Wingcap Brogue Brioni Suede Stitched Belt

PRICE:

€430

Presenting true Italian craftsmanship, this belt made from pure leather with a suede finish is handmade for an individual touch and features a silver square buckle fastening.

PRICE:

€310

Made with pure leather, this brogue is distinguished by its comfortable, rubber sole and is designed with the traditional punch-hole detailing.

Crafted in Italy with Canali’s renowned exquisite craftsmanship, this smart shirt is designed with a tonal micro circle print on light blue cotton.

PRICE:

€228

PRICE:

Hugo Boss Trim Fit Navy Wool Suit

€1.950

Salvatore Ferragamo Leather Briefcase Handsome, matte-finish hardware accents a professional briefcase crafted from textured leather and featuring a trio of divided compartments for superior organization.

Canali Shirt

Miansai Leather and Silver Bracelet Miansai's 'Casing' bracelet is a clean and simple way to add personality to everyday looks. Wear yours stacked with a tonal watch.

PRICE: €95

Salvatore Ferragamo Silk Tie Gancini emblems lend signature style to a handsome tie crafted from pure Italian silk.

PRICE: €168

Finely textured wool shapes a handsome, professional suit that features a two-button, notch-lapel jacket, subtle pickstitching and flat-front trousers.

PRICE: €710

PRICE:

€475

Lorne Slim-Fit Wool-Blend Coat Crafted from forestgreen wool-blend, it evokes military styles but has been kept simple and sleek for a dignified aesthetic.

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PROFILE

We Live in the Time of Communication The knowledge I gained, alongside the creativity and ability to implement it, took me to the world of communication

BILJANA BOBIĆ SUBIN Corporate Relations Manager at HEINEKEN Srbija

I

've always believed that the fact that I set clear objectives is the best way to recognise the path I will take through life. By combining all the details from my environment, I created a wholeness that is now my life, both in business and private terms. Over many years, doing a job that demands a high level of commitment, you begin to understand how and in what way you can improve first your surroundings, and then the broader environment.

Continuous personal improvement in structural and disciplined manner are the key elements I nourish, and I have the same expectations from the others since we all have a common task - to ensure the company where we work can be better and more successful every day.

By doing a job that I love, I have the opportunity to express myself and accomplish my goals, which I found essential. I apply the knowledge and skills I have gained over the years at a higher level, in the daily challenges I confront.

The moment I started working for a company that has a fully regulated ways of working and which maintains a high level of social responsibility, I realised that I was in the right place.

It is well known that HEINEKEN is the

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world’s most international brewer, which surprises and attracts consumers worldwide with its more than 250 beer brands and ciders. The company is present in more than 70 countries and operates more than 165 breweries, while in Serbia business operations cover two breweries (in Novi Sad and Zaječar). Working for such a company, which pioneers the beer industry, represents an excellent opportunity to learn and develop oneself from

The time we live in is the time of communication. It is increasingly faster and ever more complex.

However, every word spoken still has its weight, and the way we use them gives us significance and credibility day to day – both for myself and all my colleagues.

Our employees are constantly focused on the production of the highest quality beer. On the other hand, as a socially responsible company, HEINEKEN plays an active role in promoting responsible consumption of alcohol in all markets where it operates. Accountability and professionalism, on one hand, as well as understanding, on the other, are things that come together and, in my

opinion, make a good recipe for a successful manager.

I would like to emphasise that the company I work for thinks strategically about social responsibility. One of the responsible consumption campaigns we are proud of is the one we have been organizing for the last three years consecutively during the Belgrade Beer Festival "Guys, who drives home?", which contributes not only to raising awareness, but also ensuring a better understanding of the contemporary situation, and provides an innovative approach to the responsible consumption agenda.

The time we live in is the time of communication. It is increasingly faster and ever more complex. However, every word spoken still has its weight, and the way we use them gives us significance and credibility.

I try to respond rationally and reasonably to the daily challenges I confront in my business and private life.

Finding the best solutions through quality communication is one of the priorities of the work I do. In this regard, my advice to young colleagues who are just starting to work is to stay rational, self-controlled and open-minded, be responsible towards themselves and the environment, hear the views of other colleagues and accordingly make decisions.

Communication in the service of achieving excellent results – that is the essence of the job I do. 

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