CorD Magazine No.134

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WE WANT THE STATUS OF A EUROPEAN THEATRE

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea

Dutch Ambassador to Serbia

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TAMARA VUČKOVIĆ MANOJLOVIĆ

DECEMBER ’15 / ISSUE No. 134

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SAŠA JANKOVIĆ SERBIAN OMBUDSMAN

Citizens are Victims of Strong

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We Want The Status of a European Theatre 06 | COMMENT - BOŠKO JAKŠIC ASYMMETRICAL ALLIANCES AGAINST ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE

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Citizens are Victims of Strong Political Will and Weak Institutions

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COMMENT

Asymmetrical Alliances Against

Asymmetrical Warfare BOŠKO JAKŠIĆ

T

For too long there has been undermining of ideology, organisation, money, campaigns of sowing fear and sophisticated use of social networks. Even when in Iraq and Syria control was establish of a territory the size of Great Britain, the Islamic state was viewed as another local phenomenon of radicalism in the Middle East

he world has got serious since vast refugee columns starting be defeated and destroyed, and in a letter to Congress he claimed that he heading towards Europe, only to definitely wince when ISIS did not envisage a “long-term” military campaign. His Secretary of State openly showed ambition to take over from al-Qaeda the leaderJohn Kerry is today just one of those who, after more than 7,300 air strikes, claims that the fight with the terrorists will be a “multiyear” operation. ship of the world jihadist movement and to leave the confines The response to this “declaration of war”, as the Paris attack was charof its self-proclaimed Caliphate “theatre of operations” in the Middle East and switch to Europe. acterised by French President Francois Hollande, will Too many intelligence services failed the test: a have to be more aggressive. It is essential, under a bomb blew up on a plane full of Russian tourists, exstrong United Nations mandate, to prepare the ground We will have to live for some future elections, but to immediately start a plosives were set in the middle of the Shiite part of with terrorism. The war against the Islamists. That could last a year or two Beirut, more than a hundred innocent civilians were ago, but that’s a quicker solution than those offered by executed in a synchronised attack in Paris, two solworld cannot live in peace plans from Geneva and Vienna. diers were murdered in Sarajevo and in Bamako a fear, because that The assumption so far for distant success is the bloody attack was carried out on a luxury hotel. widely coordinated action of Americans, Russians, The military strategy of the Islamic State is a is victory for the and all their partners on the battlefields of Syria – unique combination of urban terrorism, guerrilla and Islamists. When the from the regular Iraqi army to Assad's army, from conventional warfare. Attacks on civilian targets are metro in Brussels moderate rebels in Syria to Kurds, from Sunnis to an integral part of this strategy in the Middle East.

Shiites, from Turkey to Iran.

Now they moved to France, promising that the next is closed, they have An asymmetrical war with terrorists demands targets are the UK and Italy, and that this “ocean of got what they want. asymmetrical alliances on the other side. The West blood” will also spread to Russia. will have to downplay differences with Russia These Islamists have forced all their enemies The strategic goal over the fate of the Syrian president. Saudi Arabia to consider new ways of fighting, greatly aware that of the Islamic State might remember that it would be easier to confront there is no response in Washington, London, Paris or is to cause global the Islamists in cooperation with Iran. The Turkish Moscow.

President will have to clarify whether he considers Diplomats propose political solutions at talks on conflict, a war of his struggle against the Islamic State or the Kurds Syria in Vienna. Do they really think these solutions civilisations, the more important. are feasible in a country where a quarter of a million We will have to live with terrorism. The world people have been killed violently? The Transition proexpansion of the cannot live in fear, because that is victory for the gramme may last and does not guarantee a ceasefire, Apocalypse.

Islamists. When the metro in Brussels is closed, they because the Islamic State will continue its operations, have got what they want. The strategic goal of the and terrorist campaigns.

Islamic State is to cause global conflict, a war of civiThe violent radicalism of the Islamic State can only be defeated militarily. The aerial campaign of the coalition led by lisations, the expansion of the Apocalypse.

Americans has lasted more than a year - with symbolic results on the It is essential that immediate action is taken that, if we want longground. The exhausted Gulf countries have already withdrawn their planes. term success, must start from a single premise: Muslims will have to The Russian bombardment began on 30th September, with an equally modbe accepted as partners and not as suspects. If global players are not ready for that after Sharm el-Sheikh, Beirut, Paris, Bamako or Sarajevo, est balance of destruction of the Islamic State. when will they be?  U.S. President Barack Obama promised 18 months ago that ISIS would

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B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

INTERVIEW

SAŠA JANKOVIĆ

Serbian Ombudsman

Citizens are Victims of Strong

POLITICAL WILL AND WEAK INSTITUTIONS It is a fact that I now communicate often with the Prime Minister, but there are too many issues and problems that I can only solve with Mr Vučić , because the institutional system is not sufficiently developed and many people do not know how, do not dare, or refuse, to take responsibility

■ Since the beginning of the refugee crisis, almost half a million people have passed through, or spent time in, Serbia. You recently organised a conference on migrants and refugees at which you called on the public was to refrain from making outbursts of mistrust against them. What else do you consider as being key messages of that gathering? − The accumulated problems of the world in the 21st century cannot

I

n the eight years that the Ombudsman has existed, Serbian society has gained “an institution that is much more than the individual appointed to hold that position,” considers Ombudsman Saša Janković. As such, his obvious success in protecting the rights of citizens should be viewed in the context of the fact that in just one day more violations of citizens' rights occur in Serbia then this institution is able to uncover, prove and seek to correct. In addition to protecting the rights of Serbian citizens, the Ombudsman is increasingly dealing with the rights of refugees, which he believes must receive help here, regardless of what EU’s final response will be.

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be solved, or at least cannot be solved successfully, through the raising of walls against people. Although the migrant crisis has many dimensions, I will mention the security, economic and population-based dimensions we must not forget that the most significant dimension is humanitarian. It is a rule of civilisation, regulated by both national and international laws, that people have the right to asylum against the threat of death and destruction caused by conflict. Nobody has the right to expel those people or force them back into war, regardless of the constant influx, the collapse of infrastructure envisaged to cater for asylum seekers and the lack of, or instability of, a unified policy at the European level. None of this means that the norms of international humanitarian law no longer apply.

The fact that those from whom the refugees are fleeing may be hidden among the millions who seek refuge doesn’t make that refugees are

REFUGEES

TABLOIDIZATION

PARLIAMENT

If Europe decides to close the door to refugees, which I still do not believe will happen, we will have to find a way to help others without endangering ourselves. It would not be the first time for us; our house has long been at the crossroads

Placing state bodies in the function of media campaigns, and media campaigns in the function of state responsibilities is “the tabloidization of the state”

The fact that the 2014 reports on the work of control bodies have not yet been discussed in parliament cannot be an accidental oversight. Something like that does no credit to the parliament, but it isn’t good for independent control bodies either

terrorists, just as terrorists do not become refugees by hiding among them. We must be capable of separating the two, including the setting up of reliable and rapid channels of acquiring accurate information. It is also clear that the only real and sustainable solution is an end to the reasons why refugees flee their countries.

To clarify the terminology, migrants are all who move across borders, the refugees among them are those who are fleeing war and persecution, while other migrants mostly relocate for economic reasons.

In this crisis, all those fleeing conflict-hit areas are prima facie refugees and are entitled to protection under international law.

Among them there are particularly vulnerable groups, such as children, women, the elderly and people living with disabilities, and we must help them in particular. Those who do not qualify for refugee status are people seeking better economic conditions of life for their children and themselves. We cannot completely ignore the fact that these are tens of thousands of people, and that there is no train, ship or plane with which we could send them back, even if the norms of international law permit us to do so. The world’s economic disparities must be reduced, and not increased, if we do not wish to live with our wealth surrounded by barbwire.

− The risk of radicalisation always exists and there will always be ex-

tremists who are sincerely unable to accept others, or those who merely use the situation to fill their extremism with new fuel. It is the duty of the state to motivate citizens and encourage the best attributes in them and not the worst. This means that understandable fears and prejudices among those who lack understanding of why some new people are passing through or coming to their country must be dispelled on time.

To ensure this story is not only nice but also sustainable, the national

■ Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, the fear has emerged that Western countries could tighten procedures for receiving migrants, while there is even some talk about closing borders. What would the consequences of such a decision mean for Serbia? − I do not wish to speculate, but it has been shown, unfortunate-

ly, that such a scenario is not impossible, at least in the minds of some. Developed Europe is, perhaps for the first time, facing a challenge that is putting to the test not only its economic strength and political stability, but also the strength of the human values it is built upon – solidarity, tolerance, unity in diversity and respect for basic human rights, without borders and regardless of skin colour and religion.

The challenge facing Western countries is huge, but its economic power is also huge, as are its intellectual potential and the experience of European experts in managing crises beyond the borders of the Union. It would be fundamentally devastating for the European Union to fail this test, when its example should be used to demonstrate the correctness of the principles for which it stands, and I believe it will not fail this test. However, if someone tries to do things differently, we will have to find a way to help others while not endangering ourselves. It wouldn’t be the first time for us; our house has long been at the crossroads. Such a scenario, however, would have a huge negative impact on the attitude of citizens towards the European Union.

■ In that sense, do you fear internal radicalisation; and what should the state do to prevent that?

We need to find ways to separate the terrorists from refugees but first of all we must take account of solidarity, tolerance, unity in diversity, and respect for fundamental human rights. We need to develop connections among the people, not dig trenches

authorities must, with international assistance, find a way to ensure that the transit or arrival of new people does not impact negatively on the quality of daily life in local communities. If people are passing through, buses and trains must not be dirtier, streets needs to be cleaner and not filled with rubbish, groceries must not become more expensive and the level of security must not deteriorate. If people stay for a longer period, the capacity of schools and hospitals must be increased, infrastructure must be strengthen and local economies must adapt to take advantage of the professional profiles and business opportunities. Connections must be developed among the people, as opposed to digging trenches.

■ Your communication with the public includes annual reports on human rights. In the 2014 report you assessed

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the situation as worrying. The report noted that citizens most commonly complain about the slow pace of justice, a lack of respect for the law and abuse by civil servants, while the poor and members of marginal groups are deemed the most threatened.

What will form the basis of your report for 2015? − Unfortunately, none of the major obstacles hindering the realisation

of citizens' rights have been eliminated entirely. The judiciary is not yet up to speed and the enforcement of the law is still dependent on political or even personal will at different levels. Employment – in state

by if, by any chance, they think their job is something else - for example, objectively, fully and timely informing the public on matters of public interest – then they are not patriots and they are working to undermine the legally elected government; completely open violations of journalistic codes of conduct, ethical and moral standards, and profiting on such arrogance through increased circulations among the tabloid-reading public; the notion that the proof of the existence of media freedom lies in the fact that there are “pro-government” and “anti-government” media outlets; closures of media companies, the cancelling of programmes and the departures of journalists who are a symbol of not perfect, but provocative, free journalism; placing state bodies in the function of media campaigns and media campaigns in the function of state responsibilities, which I last year dubbed “the tabloidisation of the state”; the hope that implementing newly adopted media legislation will quickly lead to tangible improvements.

■ With 2015 coming to an end, do you see changes in the overall situation compared to this time a year ago? − Relations with neighbouring countries, regardless of specific

incidents, are more stable, which has a positive impact on the general framework of respect for human rights and the prosecution of human rights violators from the past.

■ Your 2014 report has yet to be discussed in parliament, even though that was supposed to have happened. How do you view that omission from the agenda? − That omission cannot be coincidental. The reports of other

bodies, bodies of provincial autonomy, local government and the enterprises established as public companies by these levels of government – is still a tool of social policy and prey for political parties. The reorganisation and streamlining of public administration has not been implemented, while reports, strategies and action plans look much better than the actual everyday relations between public servants and citizens. Officials and citizens still see each other through gunsights, thinking poorly of one another. Too much energy, time and money (including foreign assistance) is spent on meta-work (working on the side activities of the job), than on tangible activities of the administration in resolving life situations.

I am critical of the Prime Minister for not sufficiently encouraging the independence of bodies and leadership in decision-making, and he criticises me for “dealing in politics”

■ An unavoidable part of your report is your conclusions about the worrying state of media freedom, while your assessment of the overall situation in the media is shared by the European Commission. What do you consider as the biggest problems in this area? − The notion of the media as pro-government and pro-opposition, and

such an attitude towards them; the notion that journalists should work in the interests of the country, which was even stated openly by the director of the Military Security Agency, thereby imposing an atmosphere where-

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control institutions were also not discussed, although the report of the Ombudsman, as the umbrella control institution for the protection of the rights of citizens, which is also established in the Constitution, has special significance. Even last year, when debating the reports by two commissioners and myself, there was an incident that prompted the three of us to leave the session and return only after the Speaker of the National Assembly had issued an apology to us. Something like that does no credit to parliament, but nor is it good for independent control institutions. I do not know who that's good for, but it happens. I think that assembly loses the most with that. I also miss out on the opportunity to hear criticism and praise from parliamentarians, and, of course, the citizens lose.

■ The recent report of the European Commission recommended the strengthening of independent oversight bodies, with specific support given to the Ombudsman.

What are your relations with state bodies like today? − Generalization is a slippery slope. Actually, it is the attitude of state

bodies towards the shortcomings in their work that I establish, and the recommendations I give, more important. The first statistic sounds good – of more than 1,000 cases in which I found flaws at the expense of the rights of citizens, 90% of the offered recommendations were implemented. This would please every ombudsman.

However, this institution is intended to identify shortcomings in a system that works and correct them. If, however, the system makes mistakes as a rule, or makes too many, then the ones that the Ombudsman’s control identifies are merely examples of poor work, and if in these examples of mistakes are removed and the system continues to operate as usual, then there is no real effect. I consider that now, in a single day, more violations of

the rights of citizens occur in Serbia than my colleagues and I could detect, prove and describe in a way that the state body would have no other choice than to eliminate them in a year through our controls. It is good that the authorities generally do not try to hide errors when I start the control process, that the fulfil the duty of presenting documents and providing oral and written clarifications and explanations of the situation, with one significant negative exception - the Ministry of Defence and the Military Security Agency. It is also good that, in most cases, after initiating control proceedings, state bodies “voluntarily” agree to rectify the mistakes that led to control being initiated, without waiting to be given a formal recommendation for its removal. It is bad that they often continue to operate as usual. Sometimes this is because they do not have the manpower or resources to work differently, while it is often because that is what is expected or them, or is easier for them. For the latter there is no excuse, but unfortunately there is generally no punishment, which is why it happens.

pling” individual ministers. Were these accusations a result of ignorance regarding your role in society, or something else? − I think it was about a refusal to accept the very concept of someone ex-

ercising power and authority, who has political power, being controlled by some non-political body, and especially one personalised in the form of a single man. I remember one of the first control cases in the field of military security, four or five years ago. The head of staff came up to me and said, “I heard that one of my members filed a complaint with you.

Don’t worry about anything. I’ll free you of that burden. I already reassigned him away from Belgrade and he won’t complain to anyone again”. That general had no idea that the work of the Ombudsman is not just a show for the public; he thought that he and I should act as though we have respect for the law, human rights, to act as though we are democratic mechanisms.

I consider that now, in a single day, more violations of the rights of citizens occur in Serbia than my colleagues and I could detect, prove and describe in a way that the state body would have no other choice than to eliminate them in a year through our controls

■ However, this year and last were marked by a barrage of criticism and attacks against you for your assessment of the irregularities in the ministry of defence, the police and the MSA. You were accused of having political interests in “top-

■ You have been in regular communication with the Prime Minister recently. Do these meetings resolve misunderstandings in communication? − Often, yes. However, too many issues and problems exist that I can solve

only with Mr Vučić. Many of them should be resolved at the level of my co-workers and ministerial associates, municipal presidents or even lower

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than that. Some of them are totally banal and I find it embarrassing to speak about them with the Prime Minister. But I must, and he must do the same with me, because the institutional system is not sufficiently developed, and many people do not know how, do not dare, or refuse, to take responsibility, while human lives and social processes unfold very quickly.

I am critical of the Minister for not sufficiently encouraging the independence of bodies and leaderships in decision-making, and he criticises me for “dealing in politics”. We never even come close to reaching the end of the list of problems. But many, or at least some, are resolved after our meetings. An example is the series of tangible activities that have benefited citizens in southern Serbia.

■ You recently supported the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance in his efforts to bring to light contracts that the Ministry of the Economy concluded with investors and strategic partners. How important is your cooperation with other independent control bodies? − It’s very important, and this is one of the roles of the Ombudsman

ical, rational decision based on how fastest to reach the targeted values ■ What will be your priorities in 2016? − That which is most troubling on an everyday basis for citizens in relations

with the state must be my priority – availability of healthcare services, education, social security ... The quality of the work of the administration, which I usually call "good governance", the lack of which costs money, time, nerves and trust. When all citizens of Serbia have problems of certain types, we know that these problems particularly hit vulnerable groups - children, persons with disabilities, women, ethnic minorities, persons deprived of their liberty. So, in addition to common problems, these and other vulnerable groups have their own additional challenges and obstacles in life.

Therefore, they are always a priority. In particular, next year the prior-

as, I repeat, the umbrella control institution for the respect of human rights, in which “umbrella” does not mean leadership, but rather convergence and alignment. Commissioner Šabić is doyen of independent control institutions and cooperation with him is extremely important for me, personally and institutionally. And I dare say our cooperation is even more important for the citizens, because together we have got the ball rolling on a lot of things, accelerated or avoided much, often with great disapproval at that time from the current government, until we are proven right, when the government usually tends to forget who pointed out the problem and proposed the solution. I don’t think we have made a single mistake on important issues so far, but I am aware that it is also possible.

■ You are the first, and so far only, Serbian Ombudsman. You were selected in 2007 and reappointed in 2012 for a five-year term. What has changed since your early days in the office of the Ombudsman? − It was eight years ago that Serbia got Saša Janković as ombudsman,

while it now has an institution that is much more than the individual picked for this position, and that will remain an institutional contribution to the wealth and strength of our country and society. At first glance, the whole world and relations in it have changed during the past eight years, and so it has been for our state and society, but in the end the basic questions are the same: what is the relationship between the citizen and the state and how can we fight for human dignity. These questions will endure forever.

■ Does the process of European integration impact on strengthening the position of the Ombudsman and citizens’ awareness that there is a way to protect their rights? − Of course, and it does so in a positive way. If there was no European

integration, it is unlikely there would even be an ombudsman. It is true that it primarily would not exists without the effort, need and desire for that within Serbia, but it easily could have happened that without European integration we would still be waiting for its realisation.

Although I have received as many as three awards for Best European or contributions to Europe, I am intimately supportive of the values upon which European civilisation has been created, and I see the form of association and cooperation with other European nations as a polit-

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ity will be the territorial availability of the protection that this institution provides.

I will not have money to open offices beyond Belgrade, but I will aim to ensure that my service, my deputies and myself, do a lot more travelling and remain present in smaller cities and towns; I expect a modest increase in my Secretariat, which is planned, will enable us to reach a larger number of citizens and not only listen to then, but also adequately and quickly deal with their complaints.

However, a good part of the priorities we set in the past changed largely and were imposed by circumstances. There is simply no room for the sentence – “I’m sorry, your problem, your human right, is not a priority for me now”.

That’s why a man in the pupil of an eye is the symbol of this institution, which I believe those who sometimes passionately criticize it are even proud of, just as I am always proud of the state and society of the Republic of Serbia. ■

The authorities generally do not try to hide errors when I start the control process and they adhere to the rules, with one significant negative exception - the Ministry of Defence and the Military Security Agency

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INTERVIEW

H. E. LEE DO-HOON Ambassador of the Republic of Korea

Ready to

TAKE OFF Serbia and Korea have fruitful cooperation both at the bilateral level and in the international arena, and have a lot in common when it comes to culture, mentality and attitude towards work. Still, businesses has yet to discover the possibilities that lie ahead

A

lthough geographically distant from one another, Korea and Serbia have many similarities. However, they have yet to delve deeply into the possibilities of economic cooperation, exchanging experiences in dealing with financial hardships, developing an advanced education system. If work in such areas bears fruit, this extended collaboration will match already excellent bilateral relations and newfound interest in cooperation within international institutions.

■ Your Excellency, how would you assess relations between Serbia and South Korea today? − Relations between Serbia and the Republic of Korea, though already stable, are on the verge of some sort of take-off. The two countries are discovering new fields of cooperation, benefits and similarities every day. Our political cooperation is nowadays very close – not only bilaterally, but also in the international arena. Good examples are the OSCE and UNESCO, where Korea and Serbia cooperate successfully and fruitfully.

When it comes to economic cooperation, Korean companies invest in Serbia to some extent, but it is not sufficient. We need to find new fields of cooperation and establish new markets. Maybe that could be in the field of ICT or e-government. These are fields in which Korea and Serbia have a lot to offer and are areas that would benefit vastly from developing in this direction.

Our cultural exchange, on the other hand, is already very rich – the

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COOPERATION

REQUIREMENTS

OPPORTUNITIES

Our political cooperation is very close nowadays. Good examples are the OSCE and UNESCO, where Korea and Serbia cooperate successfully and fruitfully

Serbia has a qualified workforce and unreserved support of the government, but what Korean investors look for is also good infrastructure, transportation and a stable legal system and economy

Korea wants to cooperate with Serbia on its road towards the EU by helping to build infrastructure and sharing available technology

Embassy recently presented several events in the arts which were all very well received and appreciated by the general public in Serbia.

We organised our annual film festival in April, a recital on Korean song in June, a K-pop party in July, an exhibition in Kruševac in August, as well as an essay competition in September and scholarship programme in October. It is my pleasure to see that Korean culture has its audience in Serbia. I am confident that upcoming events, such as Korean music night and the Korean Friendship Group meeting, will be equally successful.

Korea and Serbia also have an active exchange of civil servants of various levels at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as experts in the field of education.

Furthermore, we will soon open the Trade Office (KOTRA) which will have the goal of exploring new possibilities of cooperation.

To sum up, relations between our two countries are better than ever and there is potential for opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.

■ South Korean companies, both in the automotive industry and high technology firms, are present in most countries of the region. In Serbia, however, only Jura is operating. What are the experiences of that cooperation and where do you see room for the arrival of more investors from Korea? − Korean companies have several factories in the region. There is the KIA factory in Slovakia, the Hyundai Shipyard in Romania, Hyundai Motors in Russia and an LG factory in Poland. In Serbia, Jura employs around 5,000 workers in four factories and will possibly open a fifth.

Their experience in this market has been positive, obviously.

Serbia also has great potential. It has a qualified workforce and

■ South Korea and Serbia are separated by a great distance. How much do we really know about each other and in which areas do you see opportunities for cooperation? − Despite the fact that Korea and Serbia are two geographically distant countries, they are actually quite similar when it comes to mentality, and even historical circumstances. Our two cultures resemble each other much more than one would expect, which struck me as soon as I arrived here.

Both Korea and Serbia went through territorial diviWith Korea facing unreserved support of the government, but what sion and people are similarly hardworking and diliKorean investors look for is also good infrastructure, unprecedented gent. However, because of the distance, the general transportation and a stable legal system and economy. I hope you will reach this stability on your road to publics do not know a lot about what the other councrisis, the people try has to offer and I need to point out the influence of the EU, since investments largely depend on that. accepted this fact on our economic cooperation, which would unpopular policies. ■ After a nine-year break, an office is again otherwise be much stronger.

Generally, Korean entrepreneurs are interestbeing opened in Serbia for the promotion of These events ed in Serbia. You have a highly qualified workthe economy and exports to your country. gave the country force and good conditions for establishing new This office functioned until 2006, before being relocated away from Serbia. What is the business. Electricity is of a good quality and very new potential to reason for its return and can this be considcheap in Serbia, and somewhere along the road to develop. I hope ered as an indication of the strengthening of the EU there will be a need for new infrastructure, which will attract investors and eventually conthat the same will economic cooperation? tribute to your stability. − Since closing the KOTRA office in 2006, our ecohappen to Serbia nomic cooperation was quite modest. However, Korea wants to cooperate with you on this thanks to positive experiences of Korean companies in road by helping to build infrastructure or by sharing available technology. Furthermore, Korea has extensive expeSerbia and vice versa, more and more companies are interested in corience dealing with the IMF and with financial crises, in 1997 and operation and investment, so the need to re-open the office presented 2008, which could prove quite useful to achieving long-desired staitself. KOTRA today has 123 offices in 83 countries, around 40 of which bility in Serbia and the region. are in Europe.

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It is important to know that KOTRA is independent from the government and is results-orientated. This is what makes KOTRA very business-like and practical. Re-opening the office here in Belgrade is surely a chance to enhance cooperation between Korea and Serbia. I am certain that it will contribute to strengthening the Serbian economy, trade and investments.

■ The level of Serbia's exports to your country is negligible and includes only food products. How do you believe this cooperation could be enhanced? − Personally, I am not satisfied with the volume of bilateral trade either, but there is ample room for improvement. For example, people in Korea pay a lot of attention to their health and wellbeing, often choosing 100% organic food over any other. That is why we import an increasing amount of organic beef and pork to Korea, more and more these days. Korea can be a good market for Serbian businesspeople. What you need is an in-depth study of the Korean market by Serbian business experts.

people from the public sector, a topic that is current in Serbia. How did the public in your country react to unpopular government moves? − Faced with an unprecedented crisis, the people accepted unpopular policies. They not only accepted them, but cooperated actively with the government to overcome the crisis. You probably know that people even sold their gold to help the country. The unity of the people and their faith in the government’s decisions contributed greatly to the outcome.

Thanks to that unity and solidarity, Korea graduated from the IMF programme three years ahead of schedule.

■ In the explanation of the economic upswing achieved in your country, it is noted that success came because a good development strategy was developed with a focus on high technology.

The result of that is today recognisable around the world - Hyundai, Samsung, LG. What was the key to their development? − In total, there were 64 Korean companies on the 2013 Forbes Global 2000 list, with a combined market value of $684 billion.

Hyundai, Samsung and LG are surely among those. What all these companies have in common is their emphasis on research and innovation. In the 1990s Korean companies took a leap by introducing digitisation. It was a huge change, but ICT is at the core of Korean industry nowadays, since the entire Korean society has switched to an IT society.

Furthermore, Korean companies have a strong presence in the market and high quality production, all due to not being afraid of turning to innovative technology.

As I already mentioned, Koreans are also very hardworking, which is something Serbian people can also claim.

■ Your country is considered an economic miracle of global proportions.

For readers in Serbia, it could certainly be instructive to learn how, through successful reforms, the country exited the crisis and emerged from being a stalled economy to becoming the fifth global economic power. All of that happened, as was once noted by your country’s local IMF representative, your fellow countryman Mr Daehaeng, in twenty years – thus in the tangible The Korean Business Centre period of a single generation. How do you remember that time of progress? is to open in Serbia soon and − The crisis that Korea suffered in 1997 its goal will be to explore new was a very difficult period for Korea, as was the period of reforms that followed. I possibilities of cooperation. ICT ■ World Bank analysis suggests that your country pays great attention to would say the situation was much worse and e-government could be the quality of, and investment in, eduthan the one you are in nowadays. We cation. In your opinion, how much has had to open all markets and even sell very promising fields that contributed to the economic regood companies. Unemployment doubled, covery of the country? with companies and the government sector reducing the number of employees by 20 per cent. All expenses − I am proud to say that Korea has one of the best education systems in were cut and salaries were reduced. the world, all thanks to its importance in the society for decades. After However, from this perspective, I have to say that these events gave the crisis, a large percentage of funds were allocated to improving education, since the government recognised it as our ticket out of the crisis.

Korea new potential to develop – now the banks are stronger and companies are more stable than ever. I hope that the same will happen to Serbia, Today, around 3.7% of GDP is invested in research and development, having increased rapidly from 2.8% in 2005. When you look which is why in September we organised the economic seminar entitled at the figures, it is not difficult to conclude what a major role educaEconomies of Korea and Serbia: means of potential cooperation and exchanging experience, at which Korean experts explained the process Kotion and research play in the country’s economy and development. rea went through in order to prepare their Serbian colleagues for this case.

Serbia also has a well-organised education system and we wanted to help Serbian experts benefit the most from that by organising ■ Reforms also included the release of a large number of a seminar at which we could introduce the Korean education sys-

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tem and our strategies for improving and monitoring the quality of education.

− As you point out, Northeast Asia, where South Korea is situated, is fraught with geostrategic complications. Although economic cooperation is improving, political tensions are actually rising – the so-called Asian Paradox. There is North Korea, whose nuclear programme presents a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. We have been divided for so long that we now need to find a way to reconnect with the people of North Korea. Tensions between regional powers are also) pretty much present. We believe countries in the region need to build a habit of dialogue, but Northeast Asia has no institution for regional dialogue akin to the OSCE or the EU. Hence, the Korean government launched a regional initiative: the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI) is the forum for neighbouring countries to sit together and engage in solving pending common issues. Participating countries may start with smaller issues, such as ecology or disaster management or prevention, through which they would build the trust needed for handling the most serious issues, such as instability in the region caused by North Korea and the global power shift. A forum like this was essential if we were planning to tackle the aforementioned issues and resolve tension between powers. This initiative is gathering momentum and support from countries in the region, which is a good thing because the future of the region will depend greatly on dialogue and cooperation. ■

Serbian experts recently had the opportunity to learn about the Korean education system, which is among the best in the world, and to better understand our strategies for improving, and monitoring the quality of, education

■ It is claimed that your country managed to reduce corruption in public procurement to a minimum. If information is to be believed, tender offers in your country are dealt with by computers and, thus, the possibility of misuse is minimised. How does this system work in practice? − Korea modernised its practices massively in the past decades, through various mechanisms. One of them was introducing e-government and Korea is today number one in that field, with all government procurements digitised and everything transparent.

Police databases, banking and money transactions (even cash) are also monitored electronically. Every aspect of government is secured and audited, and this guarantees transparency. Through such a practice Korea has managed to completely eliminate corruption in government and public procurements.

■ Korea has powerful neighbours and is located in an area that is often mentioned in geostrategic analysis as a possible area of crisis in the future. How do you see this part of the world developing in the years to come?

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GLOBAL DIARY

WAR

“We’re not engaged in a war of civilisations, because these assassins do not represent any.

We are in a war against jihadist terrorism which is threatening the whole world.”

- Francois Hollande, French President

EIFFEL TOWER GOES DARK

EMIRATES IS NEW MAIN SPONSOR OF ATP WORLD TOUR 2016 ▶ Emirates airline has agreed a sponsor-

ship deal with the men’s professional tennis tour reportedly worth up to US$50 million.

According to Forbes magazine in 2015, world number 3 Roger Federer is the highest-earning athlete in the world in terms of endorsements with $58m.

Rivals Novak Djokovic – current world number 1 - and Rafael Nadal, world number 5, are seventh and eighth on that list with $31m and $28m respectively.

AMAZON WANT TO SELL CROATIAN SMART UMBRELLA ▶ Global online-retail giants Amazon are inter-

ested in selling Croatian product Kisha – the world’s first smart umbrella. Demand for Kisha, a smart umbrella which connects to your moThe five-year agreement is the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the ATP. In 2013, Emirates spent about Dh1 billion (€255.7 million) on sports-related deals only including a tie-up with Formula One. Emirates is already a sponsor of three of tennis’s Grand Slam events including the Australian and US Open tournaments. Its participation in global sports and sporting events also extends to horse racing, golf, football, cricket and rugby. Its name is associated with some of European football’s biggest clubs including Real Madrid, AC Milan and Arsenal.

bile phone, has been huge since its launch, selling out the first series of production in under three months. The company have been talks with more than 30 distributors around the world.

KING AND QUEEN OF SPAIN TO BE FEATURED ON A COIN ▶ On Friday, November 13 Paris turns off its lights as

Eiffel Tower goes dark in memory of terror victims The city's signature monument, the Eiffel Tower, turned off its lights in memoriam of the more than 140 victims who lost their lives in multiple terror attacks across the city.

Another sign of the wave of humanity and compassion flooding the city after the horrific incidents.

On Friday night, suicide bombers and gunmen stormed the city, gunning down innocent citizens at a local restaurant and detonating explosives outside the Stade de France. The worst of the attacks occurred at the Bataclan concert hall.

As the Paris recuperates, residents have done more than simply shutting off the lights. Taxi drivers in the city have also gone dark, turning off their meters and getting people to safety free of charge.

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▶ It was announced in November by the Royal Mint

of Spain that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain are to be featured on a limited edition coin.

The profiles of the royal couple are to appear on one side of the coin while Miguel Cervantes’ legendary folklore hero, Don Quixote is to be featured on the alternate side.

The limited edition coin which is priced at €30 not only is to celebrate the monarchs of Spain but to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the second edition of Don Quixote, which was published in 1615.

Since it is a limited edition coin, it is made out of silver which increases its value significantly.

Around 1 million coins have been created by the Royal Mint of Spain in celebration of The King and Queen of Spain.

FREEDOM

"This attack on freedom was aimed not just at Paris, it targeted and it hits all of us. That is why we must all respond together." - Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

TERRORIST ATTACKS

In 2014 total of 13,463 terrorist attacks were recorded worldwide and around 32,727 people were killed by terrorists.

FESTIVAL OF THE SAHARA ▶ While the Christian world is occupied with snowy, Christmasy scenes, Saharan nomads flock to Douz, Tunisia’s gateway to the mighty desert, for a celebration of their culture.

The sandy town hosts camel races, hunting for rabbits with greyhound-like Saluki dogs, and fantasias. In these military displays, riders on Arabian horses skilfully canter, turn, stop and shoot their rifles.

Up to 50,000 turban-wrapped visitors from across North Africa pitch their Bedouin tents on the outskirts of town.

In the evenings, there are dances by Tunisian, Algerian and Palestinian companies and recitals of poetry, which is still a primary method of communication in the desert.

There is, of course, the odd camel tagine on offer – not to mention Tunisia’s finest dates, which are harvested in Douz at this time of year.

“In the USA 33 million umbrellas are sold every year, and 60% of our buyers have come from there. They have also gone well in Europe where 30% of buyers come from. The remaining 10% are from Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan,” Kisha Co-founder Goran Čandrlić said earlier. Čandrlić confirmed Amazon’s interest, but says they will not rush into accepting their offer.

SOTHEBY'S TO AUCTION OFF JAPANESE COLLECTOR'S 'STAR WARS' HOARD

lection of the Japanese clothing designer and entrepreneur who goes by the name of Nigo, Sotheby's said.

WORLD'S BEST WHISKY COMES FROM JAPAN ▶ In Asia, whisky producers have

▶ International auction house Sotheby's will hold its first sale of "Star Wars" memorabilia, amassed by a Japanese collector, in the runup to the release of the new film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

On Dec. 11 Sotheby's will auction off some 600 "Star Wars" action figures, replica Darth Vader helmets, autographed Lightsabers, vintage film posters and a Jabba the Hutt cookie jar.

The items are valued from $100 to $35,000 -- the highest valuation being for two sets of “Power of the Force” coins, mounted together, that were only available on special request from the U.S. toy manufacturer Kenner, Sotheby's said.

The items come from the col-

begun to stake a claim as serious rivals to Scotland's national tipple with Japan at the forefront.

Reflecting this, the Whisky Bible 2015 compiled by whisky expert Jim Murray gave the title of

world's best whisky to a Japanese single malt - the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 - with Scotch not even making the final five shortlist. To add insult to

Scots' injury, an English offering grabbed "European Whisky of the Year".

In 2014 and 2015, the Japanese Nikka Whisky Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Years Old was also voted "World's Best Blended Malt" by the World Whiskies Awards.

It was the first time in the book's publishing history that a Japanese whisky landed the title.

UK TO BAN IMPORT OF LION TROPHIES ▶ The UK will ban imports of lion

trophies by 2017 unless the hunting industry cleans up its act, environment minister Rory Stewart has said.

The killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by a US dentist sparked an international outcry over trophy hunting this summer, leading to calls by politicians and conservationists for a ban on their import to the EU and US. Last month, France became the first European country to ban the import of trophies such as lion paws and skins, which campaigners said would put pressure on the UK to follow suit.

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INTERVIEW

NEVENKA NOVAKOVIĆ Acting Director of the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia

I Know You by Your

TRADEMARK Since 1920, Serbia’s Office for Intellectual Property has registered over 69,000 trademarks, around 30,000 of which are in force today. In addition to big companies, the importance of this kind of protection products is also recognised increasingly by SMEs

T

he Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia this year celebrates 95 years of its existence.

■ During the course of its history, how much has the Office has managed to become an important factor in encouraging the use of intellectual property for achieving economic growth? − The institutional protection of intellectual property rights has existed in Serbia for 95 years, since 15th November 1920, when the then Directorate for Industrial Property was founded. In the period between the two world wars, this directorate enjoyed a great reputation in Serbia and Europe.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia is responsible for tasks that, alongside industrial property rights, patents, trademarks and industrial design, relate to indicators of geographical origin, copyrights and related rights and topographies of semiconductor products.

The results of the Office are recognised internationally as indicators of the level of development of the economy. These indicators are the number of filed patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, which impact indirectly on the creation of new jobs and maintaining and improving competitiveness in the global economy.

■ How do you explain the fact that Serbia is today lagging behind its neighbours in terms of the number of patent applications, while it is far better positioned in terms of innovation? Where is the link lost between innovation and specific patents? − As we said, the number of applications for industrial property rights is one of the indicators of the innovation potential of a country. The level of investment in science and research also has a specific influence on the number of patent applications, and in our country this investment

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is significantly less than the average of developed countries and ranges between 0.3 and 0.4% of GDP. It should be considered that the European Union set a target for the level of investment in science to reach three per cent of GDP, while the Republic of Serbia’s Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development has set a target for investment to total one per cent of GDP. The number of submitted applications for the protection of inventions by patent or mini patent at 37.5 per million people is slightly lower than in some countries in the region, but is not the lowest. According to the 2015 report of the Global Innovation Index – which analyses a number of factors that influence innovation, such as: institutional environment; human capital and research; infrastructure; sophistication of markets and business; outcomes of knowledge and technology and creative results – Serbia moved up four places compared to 2013 and is now ranked 63rd. Due to the complexity of the factors evaluated, I think it is worth pointing out where our strengths are and where we are ranked high, and that is in terms of the number of scientific and technological publications, exports in the ICT field, exports of cultural and creative services, all of which impacts on the level of investment in these areas.

■ In your opinion, why does it occur that the Intellectual Property Office approves only a few of the large number of applications submitted for patents? Are our inventors ill-informed; is this to do with the low quality of the solution offered, or something else? − The percentage of patents granted for applications in the national procedure is over 50 per cent, while the percentage of patents granted for domestic applicants is somewhat lower, ranging between 30 and 40 per cent, while the percentage of recognition of mini patents is about 80 per cent. There are numerous reasons for the lower percentage of patents awarded to domestic applicants. One of them is the quality of the application, as well as the persistence of the applicant to bring proceedings to an end. The aim of the Office is for the patent to be granted via a procedure which conducts testing according to the standards of the European Patent Office, which gives priority to quality in relation to the number of registered patents.

■ To what extent does the structure of patent applications include domestic inventions, and what percentage is based on the works of foreign inventors who have protected their patents in their own country? − During the course of the last year, the national procedure for patent recognition, which is led by the Office, saw 201 domestic patent applications filed and 65 mini patents, of which 11 are full patents and one is for a mini patent from a foreign source. At the same time, 508 (+36% compared to 2013) requests were submitted for inclusion in the National Register of European Patents that have already been granted and this number is increasing year on year. The increase in the number of applications from foreign applicants, which comprise two-thirds of patent applications, indicate the plans of foreign companies to launch economic activities in Serbia or transfer technology under patent protection.

■ How much do the grey economy and a weak judicial system discourage intellectual property protection? − The Government’s coordination body was formed in 2014 and brings together all relevant state institutions for the effective implementation

of intellectual property rights. In the area of enforcement of intellectual property rights, it has implemented numerous projects in order to improve the administrative and technical capacities of institutions. Under the IPA project ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights’, a study entitled “Analysis of counterfeiting and piracy in Serbia” was presented in April 2015. The following trends in intellectual property right infringements were identified: decreased sales of counterfeit compact discs and a reduction in the volume of sales of counterfeit goods on open markets in large cities, but not on open markets in border regions, while on the other hand there has been an increase in the sale of these goods via the

The increase in the number of applications from foreign applicants indicates the plans of foreign companies to launch economic activities in Serbia or transfer technology under patent protection

internet and postal delivery.

The Office has initiated and received the support of the Ministry of Justice with the aim of strengthening the judicial system in the field of intellectual property, so from 1st January 2014 the High Court in Belgrade and the Commercial Court in Belgrade have had exclusive jurisdiction to pass first instance judgements in disputes relating to intellectual property rights, and this change has also had a significant impact on improving the work of the courts in the area of intellectual property rights.

■ Serbia is poorly positioned in terms of indicators of innovation links, which is particularly prominent in cooperation between academia and industry. To the best of the knowledge of the Office, how much is innovation from universities applied in the economy? − The high number of publications in the field of science and technology does not correspond to an adequate number of patents in our coun-

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try, because awareness is not sufficiently developed when it comes to the need to protect research results generated in scientific-research organisations with a patent, as a means of transferring technology to the economy. The regular model for the transfer of knowledge from science to the economy is the establishing of licensing or start-up business entities by researchers themselves. The dismantling of the market and the disappearance of large systems has reduced the market for innovations that emerge at institutes and universities. The need for cooperation between academia and industry has been recognised by the state and will

be realised in the future through a project run by the Innovation Fund, intended to strengthen the transfer of technology.

We are ranked high in terms of the number of scientific and technological publications, exports in the ICT field and exports of cultural and creative services, but we lack a strong link with the economy

■ In which areas do domestic companies show the highest activity when it comes to protecting intellectual property? − When it comes to patent protection, the highest number of national patent applications are filed in the field of health and entertainment, then plant machines and pumps, transport, agriculture, and electrical engineering. In the field of trademark protection, the most common goods and services protected by trademarks are in the fields of pharmaceuticals and other remedies for medical and veterinary purposes and for the protection of plants, food products, and for managing the operations of economic entities in the area of services. Most protections of industrial design relate to different types of packaging and indicators of geographical origin for traditional food products.

■ From the perspective of the Office, how would you explain the neglect of industrial design?

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− We have great artists and a good legal framework for the legal protection of industrial designs, but many manufacturers find it easier to copy or imitate someone else who has already proven themselves on the industrial design market rather than to invest in new development.

■ Do you think regulations governing the protection of intellectual property enable the effective protection of media owners? − Media owners, or owners of newspaper publishing houses, as well as radio and TV broadcasters, are by nature of the work they do, the holders of authors’ copyrights and related rights. Indeed, by engaging in the business of broadcasting or issuing daily newspapers, magazines and the like, these same media, besides themselves being massive users of other people’s copyrighted works, create authors’ works on a daily basis or are holders of related rights (e.g., the rights of producers of shows).

The very act of creating a work of authorship, or the act of first broadcasting a protected show, the rights of authors, or holders of authors’ copyrights and related rights, begin to flow.

Also, in parallel with authors’ copyright protection for media owners, but also all other market participants, may use the protection they receive through another intellectual property right – through the trademark, in order to be recognised in this specific market segment.

Therefore, in response to your question, regulating the protection of intellectual property provides effective protection of all holders of intellectual property rights, not just media owners, who are simultaneously the owners of some intellectual property rights.

■ How successful is Serbia in protecting its national products? − Success in protecting national products depends greatly on the area to which said products belong, but also on the type of industrial property rights sought to protect the product. The most common form of protection of domestic products is the protection trademark, which allows businesses or individuals to later build a brand. Many of our well-known companies have registered trademarks at the Office. Among them are Štark, Pionir, Jafa, Merima (now Henkel), Galenika and many others. We are seeing increasing numbers of SMEs and entrepreneurs submitting trademark applications in order to protect their products.

Domestic applicants submit over 1,100 applications annually, while the total annual number of trademark applications submitted to the Office numbers around 6,500. On the other hand, when we mention Leskovac Ajvar (chutney), Sirogojno sweaters, Pirot rugs, Leskovac grilled meat, Bezdan damask, Sjenica cheese, Srem kulen salami, Bermet wine and others, we are talking about national products that are protected with indicators of geographical origin. Serbia currently has 52 indicators of protected geographical origin, but also many more typical national products that could also be protected in this way.

■ Do you feel that domestic universities study issues of intellectual property sufficiently? − Intellectual property is studied in our country at law faculties and a small number of technical universities that have educational programmes covering the field of managing innovation, such as FON, FTN Novi Sad and the faculties of mechanical engineering in Belgrade and Niš. At technical universities in Europe almost all students receive basic knowledge about intellectual property rights, in particular on the patent protection system. In the last five years, the Office has been working to encourage the introduction of a course on intellectual property rights at technical colleges. ■

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INTERVIEW

EJUB KUČUK CEO and founder at Content Creator

Region of Much Potential and

MANY PROBLEMS Start-up companies are flooding the world, our region included. In most cases these are small companies centred around “a man with an idea”. Although it could be expected for the economic problems of the region to present a major obstacle to the faster development of start-ups, in actuality a much bigger problem is the lack of creativity and basic knowledge of new technologies, as well as a lack of openness to new ideas and projects

E

jub Kucuk is CEO and founder of start-up company Content Creator from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the design of which is based on the inventing of new and efficient applications that should serve to enhance and improve communication on social networks. We spoke to Ejub about his project shortly after his return from presenting Content Creator at New York’s Next Web. ■ The number of start-up companies in the world is increasing every day and our region is no exception. Tell us briefly about the essence of your Content Creator project; what is its purpose and who does it target? − Content Creator allows small businesses, advertising agencies 24 |

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and social media enthusiasts to create professionally designed content on the move; advertising for social networks, slides for presentations or banners for online advertising. The quality of created content is the same as content designed by professionals for the world's major brands.

In a few simple steps you can adjust the ideal dimensions of images for the social networks used to share your content, add a professionally designed text template with carefully selected combinations of styles and forms, customise the template to your text and your needs, add a logo and, in the end, published it on your company’s Twitter / Facebook business page. The process of creating and publishing only takes a few minutes and the application has characteristics that can satisfy users with no experience in design, as well as professional designers who can use different tools to create original and unique designs.

■ The media sector is undergoing major change globally, while here it is also in a major crisis. How did you come up with the idea of starting a project which is essentially intended for media production?

− Large companies dominated the world of advertising until a few years ago. Hundreds of designers were busy taking care of their material, while creative processes and content design took months and the cost to entering the advertising battle was too high for small businesses. Equipment and complicated and expensive programs, such as Photoshop, served to obscure this unequal battle for small businesses even further.

Social networks changed the world of advertising. We now live in a time of content marketing and two-way communication. Today everyone has an equal chance to succeed; small businesses can quickly become large if they are sufficiently creative to be different from the competition, quick to react and win over fans with original content.

Given that we are in constant motion, a smartphone is often the only device that we have in the moment of inspiration or the need to create content. A smartphone allows us to take pictures of a product, space, event or moment that will win over fans. Decisions are made quickly, images are transferred to social networks more quickly than some people need time to turn on a computer and load their operating systems.

We have long sought a solution that would allow any member of our team to create professionally designed content on the go and even without designer, but the market didn’t offer any good solution. Mobile applications are not made for commercial use, templates do not meet professional requirements and for online design services you need a computer and an internet connection. Starting from these needs we started writing the project for the application to make all this possible, and after 18 months and 150,000 lines of code, we launched the Content Creator App for iPhone.

■ How have the public and potential users reacted? − The reactions of the public and all those who we’ve shown the application are excellent, far exceeding our expectations. We're still in a test period and test launch, but we are satisfied with the initial results, because they show that our business model works. Currently, after returning from New York, we are waiting for a new version of the application and a prize competition that will animate a large number of users to try to create original content. Stay tuned and follow us on Facebook – prizes await all who apply.

■ In what way does Content Creator make things easier for users? − You can use the services of many designers, spend a lot of money and a few months creating online content, or you can do the same in just a few minutes using Content Creator - that is the es-

sence! We like to say that we provide four very important elements to all our customers: ● Freedom to work from wherever they want, whenever they want or when they are inspired, without the need for a computer, internet connection or expensive computer software; ● Independence in the realisation of any ideas, with no need to write long briefs and debriefs, go through ideas and suffer because you have not understood how to do something. With Content Creator, finally, you control content creation and realise your ideas in a few steps and at the touch of a finger;

Today everyone has an equal chance to succeed; small businesses can quickly become large if they are sufficiently creative to be different from the competition, quick to react and win over fans with original content

● Speed of content creation is maximised. A photograph can be combined with one of hundreds of professionally designed templates for text and your content is created. In this way you can be faster, better and more relevant than the competition, while flexibility allows you to beat big companies in the marketing race. ● Cost-effectiveness means no more additional costs of design, external teams, expensive equipment and programs.

■ How hard is it to succeed with such a project when you come from a small country that is in a difficult economic situation? − The economic position of the country is not a problem for such a project. A much bigger problem is presented by the lack of creativity of the DECEMBER

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owners of small businesses and a lack of openness to new ways of executing advertising industry work, internet penetration and the necessary background for content marketing and advertising on social networks. Luckily for us, you can choose any market in the world for this kind of product, so we have selected the U.S. / California as our target, due to our language skills and education. The biggest problem for us at present is the time difference between Serbia and the U.S., because our working day starts when it usually ends in our region.

■ Where have you presented this application and what are the reactions? − Start-up Istanbul, in early October, was a major conference where we qualified as one of the top 100 start-ups from 40 Eurasian countries and where we learned a lot (e.g. How to present an entire business in 2.5 minutes, to hone one sentence to perfection, and to never give up). Along with Istanbul, we registered for TNW New York, where we were among thousands of first round applicants and where we managed to reach the top 100 start-ups to exhibit in New York, and then the Top 24, who will present their projects on

the stage in front of the biggest investors and media from around the world.

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■ How did it happen that you went to New York, what is significance to your app and what are your impressions after the conference? − I applied for the TNW New York accidentally, annoyed with advertising on social networks that I was seeing all the time everywhere. After several days, a Skype interview was organised. The organisers were very pleased with us and invited us to New York as one of the top 100 startups. During October, the voting of the public from all over the world was organised and, after receiving more than 40,000 votes, our application joined the Top 24 start-ups to present projects on stage in front of the most important investors and media from around the world. Hectic work 24/7 followed on social networks, through public relations and the constant optimisation of advertising campaigns. We designed all materials using our application, and the audience members recognised the value of our ideas, energy and creativity, giving us their support.

You can use the services of many designers, spend a lot of money and a few months creating online content, or you can do the same in just a few minutes using Content Creator - that is the essence!

■ In November you presented Content Creator at The Next Web New York. What is the importance of this conference in a digitised world? − Participation in one of the biggest startup / technology conferences in the world is an important thing for startup providing that you know what you are looking for at the conference. Talking to 99 other participants about experiences and strategies, finding investors and implementing a successful startup is just one facet of it. Listening to presentations, and questions from the jury, investors and mentors is an education in itself which you can’t get anywhere else. We are very happy with our appearance, with the things we have learned, the people whom we connected and the investors that we talked to. We have added another edge to our message, defined the market better and improved our application. What lies ahead of us is validating of our business mod26 |

el and creating a large user base in order to continue our talks with the investors. Life is moving on very quickly.

■ Based on your experience, how would you evaluate the state of IT start-ups in our region today and how do you see the future? − This is a phenomenal region that has already spawned several major IT companies - Nordeus Belgrade, Celtra from Slovenia, BelaBelt and Farmeron from Croatia – that are great examples of creativity and an indicator of the creativity of our region. All these companies are enjoying serial successes around the world; the value of their companies is growing constantly and their products are leaders in the industry. We are much more creative than the famous Silicon Valley, but our biggest problem is the small local market and the nonexistence of a common ecosystem that will bring out great things. For some reason we have left it to Bulgarians and Romanians to set up Accelerators which gave them the opportunity, with very small investments, to utilise the knowledge of the region. Together we can accomplish a lot, just by using each other’s knowledge and filling in needs.

■ Apart from a developers’ own enthusiasm, what could help in the development of this sector; should the state have its place in this or should developers rely on the market value of their product. − The most important factor for the development of the entire region is the production of a large number of mobile developers, finding ways to keep all the talent in the region, creating a positive competitive environment and raising optimism. In addition, we need a change of mentality, which implies a shift from short-term training to lifetime development and education. Instead of saying “I can’t wait to finish university” or “I have nothing more to learn”, we should have an attitude of hunger and eagerness to adopt and transfer knowledge, developing awareness that life ends the moment you cease to thrive and learn. We must all become more aware that today it is small businesses that are changing the world, not the conglomerates that slow it down. We have to stop thinking about glamour and buying new cars, and our redirect energy to thinking about investments. Change resides within everyone who is willing to go through this process, and then the change of the environment will follow. The state will recognise the importance of this industry, aimed at the development of the community; it will create educational institutions, change school programmes etc. ■

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT

DECEMBER 2015 32

A Good Leader Develops Potential Collaborators WILLIAM A. FISCHER

PROFESSOR AT IMD BUSINESS SCHOOL

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Comprehensive Treatment for Hazardous Waste MIODRAG MITROVIĆ

PRESIDENT OF MITECO KNEŽEVAC

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

LOCAL NEWS

SECURITY "Serbia is peaceful, secure and stable. Muslims in Serbia may feel secure and those who are planning terror attacks are the ones who should be afraid"— NEBOJSA STEFANOVIC, Serbia's Interior Minister

EUROPEAN UNION

HEINEKEN

Social Housing and School in Obrenovac The construction of a building for social housing at number 5 Đački Bataljona Street and a separate department of the Draževac Primary School in the village of Poljana has started in Obrenovac, thanks to funding from the European Union set aside as part of the Programme of Assistance to flooded areas in Serbia. The residential building has 32 apartments intended for families hit by the flooding of May 2014. Construction work on the

First “Selfie” from Space

Heineken® has shot the first selfie picture from space, under the auspices of the exclusive event entitled “Spyfie”, which was held at the Hoover Dam in the U.S. state of Nevada, in the presence of more than 200 guests. The project was launched in honour of Heineken’s long-time franchise partnership with

cult films featuring the James Bond character. In order to take this revolutionary shot, Heineken formed a partnership with company UrtheCast, innovators in the field of photographing the planet. The shot was taken using a high resolution Deimos-2 camera and the special Iris video camera, which were set up at the International Space Station. “The aim of the ‘Spectre’ campaign is to familiarise people with Bond’s world and we are proud that we managed to do precisely that,” said Hans Erik Tuijt, Director of Sponsorship at Heineken. Heineken has cooperated with franchised James Bond movies since 1997 and “Spectre” marks the seventh film in this partnership.

MEDIA SKILLS

Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

site should be completed by the end of May 2016. The EU allocated around €780,000 for the construction and fitting of the building, in addition to €130,000 for construction and equipping of a separate department of the Draževac Primary School in Poljana. The new building, covering 225 sq/m, will be built to cater for 30 pupils and works should be completed during January 2016.

A recent event at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when BMW’s CEO fainted, leads us to wonder whether something like that could happen to us… This unpleasant scene found its way into the media around the world at lightening speed. It is certain that it was not easy for Harald Krueger and company representatives to cope with the news. Instead of the latest BMW models, news about the unpleasant situation that befell the company director was broadcast for days. This is just one example of why it is important to practice all public appearances.

Agency MEDIA SKILLS offers its clients the latest form of training involving university professors of public appearances and diction, prominent television editors and presenters who report for the largest local and international broadcast media companies, CNN, FOX, RTS, with directors, cameramen and stylists. All clients undergo training in front of the camera. To find out more information visit www.mediaskills.rs

UNIQA INSURANCE

Nine years of Success and Responsible Operations This year sees UNIQA Insurance, one of the five most successful insurers in Serbia, mark its 9th anniversary of doing business in Serbia. During nine years of operations in Serbia, the company has invested over €60 million in various domains. In 2014 it also successfully completed the process of acquiring company Basler Insurance, in a deal worth about €9 million. At the same time, as a socially responsible member of the community, UNIQA has supported dozens of humanitarian projects. According to official statistics of the National Bank of Serbia, for the last eight years consecutively UNIQA has been declared the promptest insurer in the payment of claims on motor vehicles. UNIQA is a powerful and recognisable brand that customers recognise as a leader of innovation. As a symbol of its stable, high-quality and innovative business, it was the first insurer to introduce the concept of exclusive agencies.

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SAMSIC

Leader in Providing Services across Europe Samsic is a leader in providing services to businesses across Europe, with 70,000 employees in 360 offices serving 20,000 customers on a daily and generating annual turnover in excess of €1.54 billion. In July 2015, Samsic took over the majority stake in Eko poslovi d.o.o., which has been operating in Serbia since 2010 and is a leader on the Serbian market in industrial cleaning and technical maintenance, with a growth tendency in the security sector. Samsic is divided into two domains: Samsic Facility covers jobs within the working environment (travel services, infrastructure services: maintenance, security, home services, environment, green areas and technical services); and Samsic RH, which encompasses jobs that deal with employment and careers (identifying and hiring staff, mobility, job preparation, temporary work, training, public relations services and external cooperation).

RELATIONS

DID YOU KNOW

“The relations between Serbia and Iran, established 70 years ago, are good but there is room to improve the cooperation.”— MAJA

The Mileševa monastery’s “White Angel” fresco was one of the first scenes presenting Europe to the North America in the first satellite transmission of video signal between two continents in 1963.

GOJKOVIĆ, Serbian Parliament Speaker

SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Innovative Business Angels Network The strategic SMART INNO project, co-funded by the EU through its IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme, aims to strengthen the research and innovative capacities of SMEs through the overcoming of key weaknesses, such as inaccessibility and limitations on sources of funding, a lack of synergy among SMEs and research & innovation producers, policymakers and investors, matching demand and supply of innovations and providing training services.

The Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as a partner in the Project Consortium – comprising 18 partners from eight countries of the Adriatic region - actively supports the project and participates in the new business platform, the innovative hub, intended for all innovative companies, with the aim of developing business opportunities and cooperation. Domestic companies from Serbia had the opportunity to learn about the functioning of the SMART INNO innovative business platform during the European Week of Entrepreneurship, held in the offices of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 17th – 19th November 2015.

GENERALI INSURANCE SERBIA

Fund Assets Increase to 7.5 Billion Dinars Nine years after its establishment, the Generali Voluntary Pension Fund increased its assets to 7.5 billion dinars, thereby accounting for more than a quarter of the voluntary pension fund market. This was the first company for the management of voluntary pension funds to ANDREA SIMONCELLI be founded in Serbia, within which there are two funds – Generali Basic and Generali Index. It has a total of over 52,000 members.

Since the launch of operations, Generali Basic voluntary pension fund has realised a positive return of 9.79% per annum, while in 2014 it generated a return of 12.63%. This is the most accomplished positive return at the level of the entire industry “Generali is standing on solid foundations and is ready to compete and win in today’s highly competitive market,” said Andrea Simoncelli, Director of Generali, who is set to take charge of the company’s operations on the Polish market as of 1st January 2016.

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

H.E. EZZ EL DIN FAHMY MAHMOUD

New Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Serbia Ezz El Din Fahmy Mahmoud graduated from Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science in 1979 and joined the Diplomatic Corps the following year. He has held various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo and in Egyptian missions abroad, including posts at the embassies in Bonn, Lisbon, Addis Ababa and Bern.

Prior to his arrival in Belgrade, he served as Ambassador of Egypt to the Sultanate of Oman (2005-2009), Ambassador to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria (2011-2014) and Assistant Foreign Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (2014-2015). During his career he has been decorated with the Grand Cross for Distinguished Service from the Federal Republic of Germany and the Order of Al-No’man Medal, granted by His Majesty the Sultan of Oman. Ambassador Ezz El Din is a married father of two children.

H.E. MOHAMED BOUGAMRA New Ambassador of Tunisia to Serbia

Mohamed Bougamra (58) graduated from the Diplomatic School of Madrid, Spain, and holds masters’ degrees in English and Spanish. His diplomatic career started in 1983, first as Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Directorate of Political Affairs for Africa and then, from 1989, as first secretary in Libreville, Gabon. He has served numerous functions in his country’s diplomatic missions to Portugal and the UK. In 2005 he was appointed deputy director of the Directorate for Relations with EU Member States and from 2007 to 2012 he was deputy Head of Mission in Ethiopia. In 2012 he took on the post of Director of Relations with EU Member States and from 2014 he served as Consul General in Paris, France. Ambassador Bougamra speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish and is a married father of two daughters.

JOHANNES IRSCHIK

new director of the Austrian Cultural Forum Johannes Irschik is a graduate of the University of Vienna (History, British and American studies) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Prior to joining the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in 2013, Mr Irschik spent several years in science administration, first as Executive Secretary of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration in Brussels, and then as Academic Affairs Officer at the Institute of Science and Technology, Austria. Before arriving in Belgrade, Mr Irschik worked in several departments at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, most recently in the Department for International Organisations, as well as at the Austrian Embassy in Mexico City.

DR ALEXANDER PICKER

new Executive Board Chairman at Komercijalna Banka The Board of Directors of Komercijalna Banka unanimously elected Dr Alexander Picker as the new chairman of the bank’s executive board.

Dr Alexander Picker is an expert who has amassed twenty-six years of experience in banking. He was born in Salzburg and his banking career began in Vienna in 1989. In recent years he has worked on the boards of banks in Poland and Russia, holding the position of executive chairman in banks in Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Austria. “It gives me great pleasure that in these challenging times, two years before the planned privatisation of Komercijalna Banka, I was appointed to head this bank, which is one of the most respected financial institutions in the region. The goal of the management in the coming period will be to improve performance and enhance the services of the bank, in order for its privatisation to bring the expected success to the shareholders, the largest of which is the State of Serbia,” said Dr Picker.

DRAGAN FILIPOVIĆ

New Country Manager of Generali Serbia Dragan Filipović will be appointed the new Country Manager of Generali Group in Serbia and Montenegro as of 1st January 2016. He will become CEO and President of the Board of Generali Insurance a.d.o. Serbia and President of the Board of Directors of Generali Osiguranje Montenegro a.d. He succeeds Andrea Simoncelli, who will take over the Generali Group’s top management position in Poland.

Filipović graduated from Belgrade University’s Faculty of Economics and began his career at Delta Group in 1994. In March 2011 he became a member of the Executive Board and deputy general manager of Generali Insurance Serbia, as well as sales director of non-life insurance and product development. In addition, he is also a member of the Board of Directors and an Executive Director at Generali Voluntary Pension Fund.

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INTERVIEW

A Good Leader Develops

Potential Collaborators THE 28TH PRESIDENTIAL FORUM IEDC BLED SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

“The digital revolution brings constant change to our lives. The market will certainly – and soon – come up with some innovation that will replace email,” said Professor William A. Fischer, the main lecturer at the 28th Presidential Forum IEDC – Bled School of Management, and one of the most influential Twitter users in the business world. This year’s Presidential Forum was attended by more than 100 executives from 12 countries.

Also speaking about the refugee crisis was Erhard Busek, former Austrian vice chancellor

"T

he refugee crisis is a crisis of leadership. It would take more “dotanks”, rather than “think-tanks”, more touch with reality and more agility. In this regard, I call on politicians to learn from businessmen. Immediate measures are unfortunately too short-term and insufficient. How many new buses we need to escort refugees to the next state cannot be the right question,” said Erhard Busek, former Austrian vice chancellor and special coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, in his opening speech for the Presidential Forum IEDC – Business School.

Janez Škrabec of the Riko Group pointed out that the essence of leadership is that its essence remains the same despite always facing new challenges: “A good leader leads so that people barely know he exists.

A slightly worse leader is the one people love. An even worse is the one they fear. And the worst is the one they despise.”

“The market will soon reach innovation that will replace email,” said William A. Fischer, the main lecturer at the Presidential Forum and one of the most 32 |

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Additional information and accreditation: Tonja Blatnik, head of corporate communications, IEDC-School of Management, Bled Tel.: +386 (0)4 57 92 543; Email: tonja.blatnik@iedc.si influential Twitter users in the business world, a professor at the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, a specialist in change management and innovation in China. “Leadership in the future will certainly be ‘digital’, which means faster, more integrative, inclusive, more risky and more

transparent, but on the other hand more familiar and caring.”

The digital revolution, thus, seeks a leader who has balance between knowledge of new trends and technologies, an ability to manage complex situations and analyse large amounts of data (i.e. big data), but also to focus on the

individual. A good leader is and will be one that will enable the development of others. “Feeling for closeness has always been a characteristic of effective leadership and I see absolutely no reason to think that will change”.

Following professor Fischer’s lecture was a roundtable with internationally established business leaders, which include the participations of Ulrik Nehammer, president of Coca-Cola, Germany, Sandi Češko, president of Studio Moderna, Slovenia, Thorsten Köhler, president of YOUR SL GmbH, Germany, and Branislav Vujović, President of New Frontier Group, Austria. They stressed the importance of IT and digital thinking in business, which fundamentally changes the structure of the company – the border between users and suppliers of products and services is becoming more permeable.

Fischer, a researcher of talent and innovation, described the innovative environment and in his conclusion stated that “the best organisations are those in which employees feel like they have all freedoms, while leadership feels like has all control”. ■

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Among our worldwide references are multinational corporations, national water supply companies, local authorities, industry and hotel complexes, but also small and medium-sized enterprises.

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These systems are intended for use in locations hit by natural disasters, in order to ensure the quality and safety of drinking water. The units are compact enough for fast transportation by road or air. These prefabricated systems enable the fast production of drinking water after arrival on site.

A: Suvoborska 7a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia W: www.neoplast.rs E: office@neoplast.rs T: (+381 11) 2651 388, 2651 488, 2651 688

REGION

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

“The EU enlargement process, covering the Western Balkans and Turkey, is a powerful tool to strengthen the rule of law and human rights in these countries. It also boosts the economy and promotes regional cooperation.” — JOHANNES HAHN, EU Commissioner

REGIONAL NEWS HUNGARY

EC to ‘Carefully Assess’ Paks Deal

VIKTOR ORBÁN, Hungary’s Prime Minister

The European Commission has launched an indepth investigation to “carefully assess” Hungary’s deal to hire Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom to upgrade the country’s sole nuclear power plant.

The statement by the EC says that “at this stage, the Commission has concerns that this investment may not be on market terms, as Hungary argues.” According to the EC’s statement, in order to be compatible with rules of the EC, an aid measure must “be proportionate to the objectives pursued and address a genuine market failure” and it must “be adequately remunerated”.

Prior to the official announcement by the EC, reports suggested that until the infringement procedure is wound up, the expansion could be suspended.

Later on, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that despite an EC investigation the Hungarian government is committed to having Rosatom implement the upgrade of Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant in Paks.

Bulgarian Telecom Carrier Vivacom Sold

Roussev is best known as a one-time adviser to former primeminister Simeon Saxe-Coburg.

He is now the head of the Bulgarian office of VTB Capital, Reuters reported.

Standard Group Gets Regulatory Nod for Bobar Osiguranje Takeover The Insurance Agency of Bosnia’s Serb Republic said end November it has cleared plans by Bijeljina-based company Standard Group to become a majority shareholder in local insurer Bobar Osiguranje.

A spokesperson for the agency told SeeNews that the relevant request submitted earlier by Standard Group has been approved.

News portal Capital.ba reported that Standard Group plans to acquire a stake of 76% in Bobar Osiguranje for 3.8 million marka (€1.9 million). The takeover will be executed by mid-December.

Bobar Osiguranje is part of of the Bobar Group based in Bijeljina, recorded a net loss of 12.2 million marka in 2014, compared to a net profit of 2.4 million marka a year earlier, as operating revenues dropped by 6.9% to 16.1 million marka.

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Mega Image supermarket chain opened six new stores in Bucharest end of November, taking its network to 453 units.

Mega Image has been present in Romania since 1995 and is part of the Delhaize

EU

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

34 |

Mega Image Opens 6 Stores in One Week

Group. Over the past years it has had an aggressive expansion policy reaching a network of 453 stores at present. Out of this 244 are Shop&Go proximity stores and 206 are Mega Image supermarkets. The company also operates a store that sells exclusively frozen foods (Ab Cool Food), two dedicated to locally produced private labels (Gusturi Romanesti) and an online and drive-thru store (Mega Drive). The retailer is present mostly in Bucharest, but also in cities like Constanta, Ploiesti, Pitesti, Brasov, and Targoviste.

BULGARIA

Bulgarian telecom firm Vivacom, one of the country’s three major carriers, was sold at an auction, with businessman Spas Roussev acquiring control of the company for €330 million euro.

The company was put on sale after a Luxembourg-registered holding company, InterV, defaulted on a €150 million loan to VTB Capital, the investment unit of Russian bank VTB, the reports said.

Roussev was one of three bidders, alongside Greek businessman Panos Germanos, who bid together with Third Point, the vehicle of activist investor Daniel Loeb. A third bidder did not meet the tender requirements.

The winning bid put the value of Vivacom at €750 million.

ROMANIA

EU28 Current Account Surplus €15.9bln The EU28 seasonally adjusted external current account recorded a surplus of €15.9 billion in September 2015, compared with a surplus of €13.8bln in August 2015 and a surplus of €10.9bln in September 2014, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.

KOSOVO

NEIGHBOURS

DID YOU KNOW

“Bulgaria and its neighbouring countries Romania, Serbia and Macedonia should propose joint infrastructure projects to attract Chinese investments in the Balkan countries.” — BOIKO BORISSOV, Bulgarian Prime Minister

In 1885, Sarajevo was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, following San Francisco.

Contour Global to Build €1 billion Power Plant

The power plant will be built by the American company, Contour Global, with the capacity of 450 MW and will only have one unit, reaching net energy production of 450 MW. The construction will be financed by credit and direct investment by the company.

The estimated cost of the project is around €1 billion. Contour Global agreed to invest 30%, meaning that the direct investment will reach €300 million. The company demanded that the Internal Return Rate of

FYR MACEDONIA

EBRD Sign €64mln Agreement on Highway Construction Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski and Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR) Acting Manager Director Aleksandar their investment is at 21.5%.

Kosovo Ministry of Economic Development claimed that the agreement is favorable to Kosovo.

Source: GazetaExpress

MONTENEGRO

Sales Agreement of Share Capital of Institute "Dr Simo Miloševic" The Government of Montenegro signed an Agreement on purchase and sale of 56,4806% of share capital of the Institute for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology “Dr Simo Milošević AD Igalo” with the International Wellness Group Limited – London. Representatives of the Government, Investment and Development Fund, Health Insurance Fund and Employment Agency signed the agreement on behalf of the seller of the share capital. According to the purchase contract provisions, a deadline for meeting the pre-

vious requirements and closing of transaction is 6 month from the day of signing the agreement, but all the activities are expected to be carried out within a shorter period of time The requirements defined within the previous terms and conditions include: obtaining of all the necessary permits related to laws on environmental protection, signing of the Annex to the existing or signing a new contract with the University of Montenegro on lease of facilities under favorable terms, as well as the permits enabling the company to provide medical services. The bidder is obligated to provide an approval for the concentration at the Agency for Protection of Competition and pay a purchase price for the shares reports the Government.

Source: Balkans news

EDI RAMA, Albanian Prime Minister

ALBANIA

Zero Taxes for Startups The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama announced that the government has cut taxes to zero for small businesses whose annual turnover is between 0 – 50.000.000 Albanian LEK (around €36,400). “All businesses that have an annual turnover no more than €36,000 in a fiscal year, will not pay any tax. While any other business that has a turnover between €36,000 and €58,200 will remain subject to VAT. Also, the tax on profit will drop from 7.5% to 5%. Edi Rama promised that the Taxation Authority of Albania will move towards a more modern and friendlier approach, mimicking those that are enforced by modern European countries, reports Digitale.

Stojanov signed a €64 million agreement with the EBRD to construct the StipRadovis highway in 2016, encompassing a 39 km road.

“It is a vital investment cycle in the road infrastructure that in 2016 will be estimated at more than €200 million,” Stavreski said.

The loan has been approved under favorable conditions including a payment period of 15 years, a four year grace period and an interest rate that currently stands at 0.99 percent.

ERBD director for Western Balkans Holger Muent said by modernizing the road infrastructure in Macedonia, the country will become more attractive for foreign investors.

CROATIA

Investment in Istria’s Beaches A significant amount of money is set to be invested in beaches in Croatia’s Istria region… Istria, which is one of Croatia’s most popular tourist destinations, will spend around 1 million euros on its beaches in 2016. According to a report by Glas Istre, Funtana is set to receive the most money – €300,000, followed by Poreč – €250,000 investment, Medulin and Vodnjan – just over €100,000, Pula – just under €100,000, Vrsar – €40,000, and around €30,000 for beaches in Rovinj. The investment will see a number of new beaches developed around Istria, and a number of beaches spruced up, including creating a number of new facilities such as showers, changing areas, pathways and children’s play equipment.

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INTERVIEW

Comprehensive Treatment for

Hazardous Waste MIODRAG MITROVIĆ

PRESIDENT OF MITECO KNEŽEVAC

Company Miteco plans to establish a special unit that would, with the support of UNIDO, deal with the comprehensive treatment of areas contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and creating a 100% green industrial environment, as has already been done at “Fiat”

M

iteco is a leading company in the removal of PCB hazardous waste, which is contained in numerous active and defunct industrial plants in Serbia, and the creation of comprehensive environmental solutions for the treatment of areas contaminated by this dangerous carcinogenic substance.

■ Through the elimination of hazardous waste, you are participating in the latest round of privatisation in Serbia.

How much progress has been made with the removal of this waste from companies under restructuring and what does it mean for the environment?

- These are state-owned factories that have not been privatised, so the state is obliged to remove the old waste in them. The significance of this job is that it is the first time the government has utilised funds from the budget to begin to eliminate historic pollution. It is planned to remove about 1,600 tonnes of hazardous waste at 12 locations, while it has been shown that these locations contain more than 4,600 tonnes of hazardous waste. The last amounts of this accumulated waste are currently being 36 |

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transported to the plant and the entire work will be completed by 15th December this year, thereby meeting the deadline for its implementation.

■ How ready is Serbia institutionally to resolve issues related to the environment and EU integration?

- Chapter 27 is voluminous, because almost a third of legal norms in the EU relate to the protection of the environment.

We also have additional procedural tasks, such as compiling a post-screening document. It

institutions and a lack of professional and dedicated staff. The delegation of responsibilities to a larger number of institutions that already exist would avoid the kind of conflict of interest that would exist if all responsibilities are concentrated in one body, for example the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection.

■ The public has welcomed the re-establishment of the Green Fund. Which projects should its budget be used to finance?

In addition to extending the deadline for the elimination of PCBs, the law should introduce incentive elements to prevent the consequences of irresponsible handling of this dangerous carcinogenic substance

is important that in the pre-accession period we look at our problems and the ways in which we can raise the capacity of society and industry. Although we have the capacity in terms of experts and private investors, we are proverbially disorganised, thus the impression is that there is some overlap in the system of

- That fund is normally used for infrastructure projects that protect the environment. In our case, that fund should be out of the budget, as a separate institution, and should include the participation of those liable to pay taxes, as well as users, or works contractors. Another instrument is the introduction of landfill

fees or charges, thereby exerting pressure on landfills to sort and use more municipal waste, and to only dump the remainder. Given the current situation, the fund should be the most important for the removal of accumulated historical pollution.

■ The Law on Waste Management envisages the disposal of devices containing PCBs to be completed no later than 2015. Is it possible to meet this deadline?

- Of course not, and according to the proposed amendments to the Law on Waste Management this deadline should be extended to, for example, 2025. Serbia has significant amounts of equipment with this dangerous substance, which is a carcinogen and a mutagen.

However, the Law does not provide for incentive measures, so I would use this opportunity to appeal to decision-makers to introduce this element into the law.

Also, the aspect of pollution of the country where such devices are used has been totally neglected, while something that is particularly worrying is the malicious discharging of oil with PCBs for the purpose of obtaining a few tonnes of copper as a secondary raw material.

■ You have set the forming of a PCB unit as a long-term goal and submitted a request to the UNIDO office for assistance in so doing. What would the functioning of this unit mean for the process of taking care of these types of POPs chemicals?

- Miteco has spent the last 15 years engaged in the removal of PCB waste from the surrounding region and this year we raised this service to the level of a unified service for the protection of the environment. Bearing in mind that, in addition to removing declared PCB devices, socalled cross-contamination and contaminated land under the machine remains, we have developed a process to remove all kinds of PCB pollution, together with the Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering and the Belgrade Faculty of Technology.

With this we applied at UNIDO and we hope that such units will provide a comprehensive solution to the removal of PCBs in Serbia. The basis for this is offered by participation in the NIP (National Implementation Programme), which is funded by the same organisation. According to this programme, it is estimated that there are more than 10,000 tonnes of PCBs in Serbia.

■ At Fiat’s factories you’ve applied a special procedure for the remediation of polluted soil. What did this process involve and does it represent a new kind of service for environmental protection?

- We developed this method together with experts from Fiat and under the control of Swiss company SGS. The process involved the testing of production hall floors and walls, then also the land where such devices were used. After obtaining analytical images, we started designing the programme. It boiled down to

clearing the land and transporting it for so-called direct thermal desorption in the Netherlands. In the end, the location is covered with a bio-membrane and a layer of clay, and then covered with humus soil. By year’s end we will complete the final expert work.

Since I am familiar with the

Serbia”, which is partly financed

by IPA funds. I would point out that this project implies the complete removal of PCBs from the electric utility system. This means the removal of declared devices, the delivery of new devices, decontamination of contaminated transformers and,

The Green Fund should be a separate institution which would include the participation of taxpayers and works contractors, while priority should be given to the removal of accumulated pollution cleaning procedures carried out by other companies, I can freely say that this is the first 100 per cent green industrial production in Serbia.

■ You recently signed a three-year contract with public enterprise “Electric Power Industry of Serbia”. What is the significance of this deal?

- Miteco, as the leader of a consortium, signed a contract with PE “Electric Power Industry of

most importantly, soil testing and removing PCBs from the soil, as well as from the floors of power plants and substations.

I believe that the experience gained in this project will be later used in other industrial and municipal plants.

■ Miteco is one of this year’s winners of the Charter 44 Golden Chain special award.

What compelled you to opt to invest in culture in Belgrade?

- We strive to be a socially responsible company in a variety of ways, from supporting students in solving case studies, to photo contests, to the realisation of sporting events. I believe that every successful company in Serbia should contribute to fostering values, primarily in the field of culture and the environment.

That’s why we decided to help activists engaged in culture and education in Belgrade, who recognised that and granted us this recognition. That made us proud, but also obliged us to continue providing support, because in this way we help familiarise future generations with the true values of Serbian culture.

■ Next year marks 50 years since the establishment of the first purchase stations for recyclables in Kneževac.

What would you highlight in previous work, which plans you want to achieve in 2016?

- The establishment of the first bulk buying stations marked the beginning of waste management in Belgrade, in the settlement of Kneževac. Miteco became the brand that applies the most modern technology that was even implemented in the privatisation of this old, but visionary, company.

We are today a company that applies the model of brownfield investments and has a modern plant for managing waste as a resource. Plans for next year include greater engagement in the rehabilitation of historic pollution through partnerships with relevant ministries, investment in the technical equipment of our plant and the introduction of a new resource management system, which will be based on new software, which will be the responsibility of a team of young professionals who are experts in information and organisational professions. ■ DECEMBER

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

WORLD NEWS

OPPORTUNITIES “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” — BRIAN TRACY, Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International

FRANCE

CANADA

Petco to be sold for about $4.6 bln Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners Ltd and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said that they would buy U.S. pet supplies retailer Petco Holdings Inc for about $4.6 billion.

The company had solicited offers from private equity firms after its discussions to be bought by rival PetSmart Inc fell through over antitrust concerns, sources familiar with the matter had said.

San Diego-based Petco, which was founded in 1965 as a mail-order company, operates over 1,400 stores in the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

UK

Britain Closing its Coal-Fired Power Plants Britain aims to close its coal-fired power plants by 2025 under plans announced yesterday, becoming the first major economy to put a date on shutting coal plants to curb carbon emissions.

Instead, the country will look to nuclear and natural gas-fired power plants to complement intermittent renewable energy, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd said.

Around a third of Britain’s electricity came from coal-fired plants last year but many of the 12 still operating are old and due to close over the next decade under tightening EU environmental standards.

Cognac Producers Targeting US France’s centuries-old cognac houses are raising their bets on the US market with new products and campaigns to broaden the drink’s appeal beyond its African American stronghold.

The African American community accounted for nearly two-thirds of all cognac drunk in the world’s biggest market, say executives and analysts.

Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier make 85 per cent of all cognac, and they are competing harder than ever, trying to harness the current boom in “brown spirits” like bourbon and rum.

Producers of the drink, made by distilling white wine and aging it in oak barrels for anywhere from two to dozens of years, now need to reach other groups to help further production growth.

10 ACTION

POINTS FOR BUILDING AND SUSTAINING VALUABLE BRANDS

CHINA

NBA Team Courts Chinese Investors for New Arena Sacramento Kings, a key Californiabased franchise in the US National Basketball Association’s professional league (NBA), is courting Chinese investors for its Golden 1 Centre mixed development plan. The project will have a new basketball arena, luxury retail, hospitality and residences. It will open in October 2016.

“This is the first time that an area combined with surrounding mixeduse development has been offered as a prime EB-5 investment opportunity,” said Ginny Fang, CEO of Golden Gate Global. The EB-5 program, under the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, grants a foreign investor a US visa for making a $1 million investment that creates at least 10 new and permanent jobs for Americans. The US government finances to the tune of more than $200 million. So, Chinese investors can rest assured about the stability and security of the project, she said.

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Having a strong and valuable brand will become even more important in the next 10 years as consumer choice increases. But building and sustaining brand strength and value will become more challenging.

Here are 10 actions for building valuable brands 1. Innovate and delight 2. Be meaningfully different 3. Stand for a purpose 4. Walk the talk 5. Build and maintain trust 6. Renew and improve the brand experience 7. Rely on consumer insights 8. Think holistically 9. Get noticed 10. Keep changing

SUCCESS

DO YOU KNOW

“The only place where success come before work is in the dictionary.”

Today, there are 3.65 billion mobile users with access to the internet via smartphones and tablets

— VIDAL SASSOON, British hairdresser, businessman, and philanthropist RUSSIA

US

Sberbank CEO Calls for Bank's Full Privatization The head of Russia’s largest savings bank Sberbank German Gref called for the privatization of the bank a smaller involvement of the state in the Russian economy.

“The Central Bank could keep 25% during the transitional period. But in principle, nobody opposes a full privatization of Sberbank. In our case private shareholders are large investment funds. In terms of banking, they can better control the management of the company,” said Gref. Gref also said that the involvement of the state in the Russian economy is

too high, and “privatization would make our country much more efficient.”

GERMAN GREF As of April 20, 2015, Russia’s Central Bank is the largest shareholder of Sberbank (50% + 1 share). The share of non-resident legal entities in the capital of the bank is 43.26%, private investors hold 3.91%.

Pfizer to buy Allergan in $160 billion deal Pfizer Inc, the maker of Viagra and Lipitor, has struck a deal to buy Botoxmaker Allergan Plc in a transaction valued at about $160 billion.

UAE

HSBC Cuts 150 Jobs

ITALY

Tod Has Agreed to Buy the Roger Vivier Shoe Italian luxury goods group Tod’s has agreed to buy the prestigious Roger Vivier shoe brand from Tod’s biggest shareholder for €415 million, a price which some analysts said looked expensive.

Tod’s, controlled by Italy’s Della Valle family, currently produces and sells Roger Vivier shoes in return for royalty payments under a licensing agreement due for renewal next year.

Management had previously said it was determined not to lose the rights to the profitable French brand, famous for its buckled shoes and also owned by the Della Valle family, either by buying the business or by renewing the license.

Under the deal Gousson, a company controlled by Tod’s Chairman and Chief Executive Diego della Valle and his brother Andrea, will invest €207.5 million in buying new Tod’s shares at a price of €83.53 each.

As a result, Diego Della Valle’s stake in the group will rise to 60.7 percent from 57.5 percent, the company said.

HSBC Middle East has cut more than 150 jobs from its UAE banking operations as part of its global cost cutting efforts. Sources in the bank said the number of announced job loss this month is about 150 in the UAE, but it could be higher as full cost reduction programme is implemented across all divisions in the country. HSBC Holdings announced in June this year that it plans to shed 50,000 jobs over the next two years by closing retail branches, shrinking its investment bank and selling its Brazilian and Turkish operations as it shifts resources to more promising Asian markets.

The complex deal, the biggest ever in the healthcare sector, will allow Pfizer to shift its legal base to Ireland in a socalled “inversion” that would reduce its tax rate.

Pfizer Chief Executive Ian Read will be CEO of the combined company, while Allergan CEO Brent Saunders will be Chief Operating Officer, the companies said. The tax aspect of the deal has been seen as critical. The U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent is among the world’s highest, and compares with Ireland’s rate of 12.5 percent.

SOUTH AFRICA

Food and Beverage Continues to Attract Investment South Africa’s food and beverages industry is holding up better than many others in the economy, as both local and global companies continue to increase investment.

Total income from the food and beverages industry increased by 9.2% to R4bn (€267 million) in September this year compared with September last year, Statistics SA data showed. This was after an 8.2% increase in August.

Beverages and food sales at takeaway and fast-food outlets, and restaurants and coffee shops drove the increase in total income in the industry.

The latest food and beverages survey results point to the resilience of the industry, despite tough economic conditions and a slowdown in the growth of spending by households.

AFTER WORK

28 “TELECENTAR”

OCT

OVE FREDHEIM (left), ALEKSANDAR VULIN and HARI COLJA

TRANSLATION SERVICE

With the help of the Telenor Foundation, Telecentar, which is located within the city’s Organisation for the Deaf of Belgrade, has been equipped with the internet and a modern audio-visual service for sign language interpretation. Since being founded in 2007, the Telenor Foundation has forged more than 350 partnerships. On this occasion, 50 tablets and specialised tariff packages of Telenor, intended for the deaf and hearing impaired, were handed out to representatives of 44 organisations throughout Serbia, thereby allowing for an online network translation service that is available for 30,000 people with hearing impairment. The ability of this unique online service was first tested by Aleksandar Vulin, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs, Ove Fredheim, CEO of Telenor Serbia, and Hari Colja, president of the city Organisation for the Deaf of Belgrade.

29 FESTIVAL CACTUS 2015

OCT

Members of the creative team of McCann Belgrade, pictured with IVAN PARČETIĆ

29

OCT

MCCANN BELGRADE DECLARED MOST SUCCESSFUL IN SERBIA

McCann Belgrade was declared the most successful agency in Serbia in 2015 at the first national Cactus Festival for integrated communications. According to the jury, McCann Belgrade won the highest number of points with its campaign among the competition of 113 works submitted.

McCann Belgrade’s campaign “Taxi Drama”, which was organised for the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, was named as the best in the category of viral videos, awarded with the Grand Prix for the best integrated campaign of the year. In addition to this, the campaign “Just for the curious”, realised for the Museum of Science and Technology, won first prize in the category of Print in an integrated campaign.

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ed communications. The festival began with interactive lectures by Abraham Asefawa and Maximilian Kallhed, founders of the Pop Up agency from London, who shared their experiences in working with clients.

During the conference, participants had opportunity to hear the experiences of Marianne Prpić, from Google, Svetlana Stavro, from IBM Southeast Europe, as well as Jacob Kobi Gamaliel, founder of one of the largest digital agencies in Israel - iSOCIA.

The first national festival of integrated communications, CACTUS 2015, was held in Belgrade under the slogan “Ideas that survive”.

The festival was attended by over 400 marketing experts and communications professionals from six countries in the region, who had the opportunity to hear the experiences of recognised experts from Europe and the world in various fields of integrat-

4-6 BELGRADE CLOUD 2015 NOV The Cloud 2015 International Conference in Belgrade gathered together experts from several countries in the region. Through presentations and a set of professional training sessions, they were introduced to the latest developments in the field of cloud computing, with the aim of emphasising the necessity of the standardisation and certiGeneral Secretary of the Office of the Commissioner for Data fication of the services of companies that Protection of Public Interest and Personal Information, MARINKO provide cloud computing services in Serbia.

RADIĆ, DR. TOBIAS HÖLLWARTH Vice President of EuroCloud, H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD, Ambassador of Norway, and DUŠAN The meeting was officially opened on 4th STOJANOVIĆ, Director of Direkcije (speakers from left to right) at the opening of Belgrade Cloud 2015.

November at Belgrade’s Holiday Inn and this event, sponsored by the Directorate for Electronic Governance, was organised by compa- Marinko Radić, general Secretary of the Office nies Native Consulting, SGS and EuroCloud Star of the Commissioner for Information of Public Audit Association (ECSA), whose director, Dr Importance and Personal Data Protection, all gave Tobias Höllwarth was one of the honorary guests speeches during the event, which was opened at the ceremony. H.E. Norwegian Ambassador by representative of company Native, Peter Arne Bjornstad Sanes, Dušan Stojanović, Director Balković. The event’s partners were IBM, ORION, of Direction (Direkcije), Dr Tobias Höllwarth and Coming and HP.

06

NOV

Gottfried Helnwein is an AustrianIrish painter producing photos, instalations and performances. The exhibition “Between innocence and evil” was opened on 6th November 2015 and runs until 18th January 2016 at two exhibitions halls in Belgrade: Salon MSU and the GalleryLegacy of Milica Zorić and Rodoljub Čolakovića (Rodoljuba Čolakovića 2).

The exhibition presents 33 large-for-

H.E. CHRISTINE MORO(left), STANA BOŽOVIĆ and GORAN VESIĆ

05

NOV

GOTTFRIED HELNVAJN: BETWEEN INNOCENCE AND EVIL mat artworks from various stages of this artist’s creativity. In the Gallery are exhibited 17 paintings from various cycles: “Epiphany”, “Murmur of innocents”, “Horrors of War” etc.

In another area, the Salon MSU presented 16 photographs, mostly self-portraits, as well as photographs from the series created in collaboration with musician Marilyn Manson.

GREEN ECONOMY IN SERBIA

The conference “Green Economy in Serbia”, organised by the Embassy of France in Serbia, in cooperation with the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Serbian Green Chamber, ahead of the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) presents a key stage which should lead to achieving a new international agreement on climate change, which would be applied in all countries in order to keep global warming below 2 ° C. The conference welcomed H.E. Christine Moro, French Ambassador to Serbia, Stana Bozović, Serbian Secretary of State for the Environment, Goran Vesić, Belgrade City Manager and Chairman of the implementation of the Belgrade Action Plan for adapting to climate change, Dragoljub Damljanović, Vice President of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Veljko Jovanović, of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Saša Mihajlović, President of the Serbian Green Chamber, and numerous other conference participants.

GOTTFRIED HELNWEIN

09 CARLSBERG SERBIA’S

NOV

REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN

Carlsberg Serbia organised the reforestation of green areas in Bačka Palanka, with the planting of saplings and shrubs, donated by Carlsberg and the Dunđerski Foundation, attended by around 100 Carlsberg Serbia employees.

A total of 713 seedlings of various trees were planted as part of this campaign, which is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of preserving the environment and is an invitation for other companies to engage in the municipalities in which they operate in a similar way.

“In addition to investing in the company, we believe it’s very important to invest in environmental protection by initiating and supporting projects such as this one,” said Gabor Bekefi, Carlsberg Serbia CEO.

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12

NOV

ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Forum for Responsible Business and SMart Collective, with the support of USAID and in partnership with the UK Embassy in Belgrade, organised a panel discussion on the role of business in fostering employability and entrepreneurship in Serbia.

The panel brought together 30 leaders from various key sectors – directors of the largest companies operating in Serbia, relevant representatives of the Serbian government, representatives of civil society organisations, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions.

The panel participants discussed the role of business in the development of trained manpower for an innovative and inclusive labour market, the importance of entrepreneurship as a response to rising unemployment, as well as the necessary changes to formal and informal education for skills development.

10 MONOGRAPH - 20 YEARS OF CHAOS GALLERY

NOV

The monograph commemorating the 20th anniversary of Gallery Chaos represents the entire collection and pays homage to those who presented at the gallery, with an emphasis on digital collages.

The combined statements are really valuable information,” said Borka Bozović.

This publication is also valuable as a testimony to the vitality of the drawings, as a contribution to the art and cultural history of contemporary Belgrade. In addition to outstanding texts of Borka Bozović, Ljiljana Slijepcević, Ljubomir Simović and others, the book contains other brief statements from artists about what the artist is a depicting.

19

NOV

H.E. DENIS KEEFE, UK Ambassador, and DEJAN TURK, CEO at Vip mobile

100 TREES FOR THE LUNGS OF ŠABAC

Employees of Hemofarm and Hemofarm Foundation planted 100 trees as a part of an ecological campaign entitled “November, month of trees”, in the Šabac suburb of Letnjikovac.

This campaign is part of the national campaign “With all my heart”, which is aimed at improving environmental standards in this city, which has just 4m2 of greenery per capita – six times less

NEBOJŠA ZELENOVIĆ (left) and RONALD SEELIGER

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than the European average. Support to employees in their gardening work was provided by representatives of local government, with Mayor Nebojša Zelenović and around 60 first year pupils from the Majur Primary School. Hemofarm CEO Ronald Seeliger had the honour of starting the chain of positive ecological actions in Šabac, by planting the first oak seedings.

18 SPEA CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

NOV

DANIEL BERG

The Serbian Private Equity Association (SPEA) marked its 5th anniversary during the 4th Belgrade Venture Forum, where it participated as a partner.

“Companies in the region where the EBRD is present, and which are financed through private equity funds, achieve 35 per cent higher revenue and 20 per cent higher profits, while investment growth is 41 per cent higher for them compared to other companies,” said Daniel Berg, EBRD director for Serbia.

“In recent years Serbia has made transactions worth over €1.5 billion in key sectors. Thanks to new funds, the market is now ready for significant growth and SPEA will continue its role in supporting the prosperity of entrepreneurs and investors,” said David Schoch, SPEA President.

DAVID SCHOCH

19 TRADITIONAL CELEBRATION OF ST. MARTIN’S FEAST

NOV

MATEJA NORČIČ ŠTAMCAR, acting Slovenian Charge d'Affaires

The Slovenian Business Club in Belgrade hosted the traditional St. Martin’s Day (Martinovanje) holiday dedicated to wine. The most celebrated of all wine holidays in in Slovenia, it is customarily celebrated on 11th November, at 11.11am and 11 seconds.

Through a cultural and artistic programme, in a fun and engaging way, participants were presented with Slovenian customs and the country’s natural beauty. Martinovanje in Belgrade, which was marked with a cultural and entertainment programme, as well as a rich gastronomic offer, was attended by numerous guests from the Embassy of Slovenia, but also Catholic Bishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hočevar, who blessed the young wine, representatives of Serbian and Slovenian centres of tourism, members and business partners of the Slovenian Business Club, as well as media representatives.

DRAGAN RADIĆ

26 NINAMEDIA CELEBRATES 14

NOV

YEARS OF OPERATIONS

In the jam-packed Belgrade club Promenada, Ninamedia Agency celebrated 14 years of operations with the music of The Beatles, Queen and The Rolling Stones. The guests were able to see a short and fitting presentation of the company's history, its business activity and results. Also, various departments of Ninamedia were presented - Media Clipping, Media Content Analysis, Market and Public Opinion Research, Video Production and Translation Department.

The celebration was attended by the company's clients, associates, esteemed guests and public figures.

DANIJELA FIŠAKOV, President of the Slovenian Business Club, and STANISLAV HOČEVAR, Bishop of Belgrade

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CULTURE CALENDAR CONCERTS

HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GYPSY ORCHESTRA

DUO MODERATO

1- Sava Centre – 20:00

1 6 - S AVA C E N T R E – 2 0 : 0 0

The basic musical idea behind Duo Moderato is based on the wording and interpretations of folk songs from Serbia and the entire Balkans. In addition to these songs, the programme also includes original compositions inspired by Serbian artistic heritage.

Duo Moderato has so far released four albums. First "Milkano", then "Intima za dvoje", the third "Intima" and the fourth "P.S. post scriptum" were all released by national label PGP - RTS. Duo Moderato’s guest performers at their Belgrade concert will be Katarina Kovačević and vocal group “Constantine” from Niš, as well as Bojan Čukić, a jazz pianist from Bor. During the band’s musical and theatrical career it has realised significant artistic collaborations with famous local artists like Oliver Njego, Rade Šerbeđžija, Branislav Lečić, Slobodan Trkulja, Miki Manojlović, Ljubiša Stojanovoć-Louis, Željko Samarđzić and the Srbadija Choir from Bijeljina. Duo Moderato has also performed at the Belgrade Arena, as the support act for the concert of Vaya Con Dios.

THE FRAJLE

3- Sava Centre – 20:00 Frajle will finish 2015 in the best way – with spectacular concerts in Belgrade and Novi Sad. The opening song for the new album,

▶ The Hungarian National Gypsy Orchestra, under the direction of the “king of the violin”, Ferenc Šanta, is rightly dubbed the Pride of Hungary, thanks to the fact that it brings the rich musical heritage of Hungary to audiences Worldwide. Violins and cymbals, typical of this kind of music, lead this lively collection of virtuosos. These multiple award-winning musicians, with their energetic performances, are well known almost everywhere, from America to Japan, creating a unique musical experience that leaves the audience breathless.

The Hungarian National Gypsy Orchestra’s varied repertoire includes the widest musical opus – from pearls of traditional gypsy music to the most popular pieces of the greatest composers of classical music (List, Brahms, Bizet...). The orchestra is also visually attractive, wearing costumes with bright colours that ensure these virtuosos from Budapest leave audiences breathless with

their fast changing harmonies, styles and rhythms, and also the passion and vitality that is characteristic of Roma melodies. We invite you to enjoy and experience the passion and magic of the most beautiful pieces of classical and gypsy music.

MIROSLAV ILIĆ

10-11 – Sava Centre – 20:00

“Swapping days”, has already had a premiere through its MTV video. Part of the money earned from the album ‘B strana ljubavi’ and tickets for the concerts in Belgrade and Novi Sad will be donated to the Nataša Kovačević Foundation.

Nataša Kovačević is Serbian basketball player who, even after suffering an unfortunate accident and having her leg amputated, returned to professional basketball and resumed playing for her club, Red Star. Her foundation helps others who are forced to go through similarly unfortunate situations.

Tickets for the Belgrade concert are on sale and can be purchased at the Sava Centre box office and via Eventim.

Traditional solo concert of Miroslav Ilić, legend of Serbian folk music. Miroslav Ilić, whose popularity among fans of folk music has never faded, enduring through decades, ensures that he is still considered one of the symbols of this musical genre. On 10th December he will perform his now traditional concert for the Belgrade audience, which will represent a retrospective of his work and career on stages across the region, where he is recognised as the epitome of a real folk musician. Performing on stage all these years, this traditional con cert has made the month of December a landmark for national folk music and Belgrade’s lovers of folk music.

THE BELGRADE DIXIELAND ORCHESTRA

12- Sava Centre – 20:00

The traditional festive New Year's concert of this renowned European jazz orches-

ŽELJKO JOKSIMOVIĆ

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Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra is today the only active Dixieland band in the former Yugoslavia! As such, it represents an artistic treasure of the country and the pride of all those who enjoy jazz music.

HARIS DŽINOVIĆ

28- Sava Centre – 20:00

11- KOMBANK ARENA – 20:00

▶ Željko Joksimović is one of the most popular musicians in the region. After a break of more than eight years, he will perform at Belgrade’s Kombank Arena on 11th December.

This concert is part of the promotional tour for his latest album, which was released recently, at the peak of Joksimović’s career as a composer, author of music and performer. At the same time, this will be the first time that Željko will perform songs from his new album in front of the Belgrade audience.

tra and representative of the musical culture of our capital, The Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra, will be held on 12th December at the Sava jazz club in the Sava Centre.

The Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra was founded in 2001 and grew very quickly to become an important cultural institution of the Serbian capital and a unique representative of musical culture. As the only orchestra of its kind in the country, it is directly responsible for rebuilding the foundations that have been worked on for decades by all jazz musicians in the area. The

“After eight years, I am returning to the Kombank Arena. This concert will be symbol of rounding up my professional career, during which I have constantly studied and sought to gift the audience every year with better songs then before. I think the last album surpassed all previous ones and now I'm ready again, and eager to interact with the audience in Belgrade. I'm sure this will be a concert to remember and I can’t wait for 11th December - said Željko.

New Year’s concerts are a great joy for the audience and belong only to top artists that can provide the maximum good music, extraordinary interpretation and a specific festive atmosphere.

One of the most authentic musicians from our region, songwriter, composer, but above all superb singer whose timeless hits fill audiences’ souls with emotion each time, Haris Džinović will perform on the stage of the Sava Centre for the Belgrade audience.

His powerful voice has captivated audienc-

Ružica Aranitović-percussion Guests: Ljubomir Dimitrijević-flute, block flute Nikolina Nika Kovačević-vocals Programme: Traditional, oriental and ethno music Free Entrance

es for decades and he is a unique phenomenon on the music scene – a producer of hits, an instrumentalist and singer whose songs have become classics. Alongside his songs people rejoice, grieve, dream, fall in love...

He is the first artist from this area who has managed to bring authentic Gypsy music closer to the people, with the simplicity of his musical arrangements and interpretation. He has sold millions of copies of his albums and performed in all halls from Belgrade to Zagreb.

Haris’s gorgeous voice has enchanted the world’s giants, like Montserrat Caballe, George Michael, Elton John, Sting, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson. The Belgrade audience will have the opportunity to enjoy treating their hearts and souls with Haris’s voice and songs.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

JELICA GLIGORIJEVIĆ

2 – Kolarac – 18:00

During her decades-long concert activity, Jelica Gligorijević has made numerous solo performances and concerts in chamber ensembles throughout the former Yugoslavia, Moscow, Lavovu, Kiev, Kharkov, Minsk, Dnepropetrovsk ... She has recorded for Belgrade’s and Kiev’s radio and TV stations.In recent years, she enriched her extensive piano repertoire of different epochs and shaped with the thematic concerts: Evening Sonata, Russian music of the 20th century, Mediterranean notes, Mozart - from the nine-years old young adolescents... performing in the halls of the Belgrade City Assembly, KNU, KCB - Artget Gallery. In the framework of these projects, among others, Jelica performed the important pieces of Serbian contemporary piano music, such as integrated performance of ‘Zvona op 5’ by Vlastimir Trajković, ‘Byzantine mosaic in 9 pictures’

by Svetislav Božić, ‘Noć nad Studenicom’

by Milana Stojadinović – Milić, as well as numerous other works of our prominent composers Isidore Žebeljan, Aleksandra Vujić, Ivana Jevtić.

ROCHER BAND

6 –Kolarac – 11:00

Members of Rocher band: Radmila Vardalić-violin Đorđe Pantelić-violin Dejan Rokvić-viola Vojislav Despotović-contrabass

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

10 – Kolarac – 20:00

Conductor: Heinrich Chif Soloist: Stiven Iserlis, cello Programme: M. Bruch, P.I. Tzhaikovski

VOICES OF ANGELS

Madlenianum – 19.30 Les Miserables 9th

FILM

21ST BALKAN FILM CONNECTION also includes popular genres such as jazz, rock or pop. But the Paganini Quartet is no ordinary band. Musicians play, dance, jump, laugh, cry, and together with them the audience participates in the performance, thus creating a unique show programme – an original comedy in which the violin and cello are transformed spontaneously into new and original instruments (guitars, mandolins, percussion ...).

15 – Kolarac – 20:30

OPERA

TOSCA

4 – National Theatre – 20:00

ORLANDO

5 – Madlenianum – 20:00

Márta Sebestyén and Judit Andrejszki will hold a concert featuring old Christmas carols from European nations.

Marta Sebestyén (UNESCO Artist for Peace), vocals, flute, percussion Judit Andrejszki, vocals, harpsichord, organ Sofia Labropoulou, kanun - Zoltán Szabó, bagpipes Béla Szerény, organistrum - Béla Szerény, junior organistrum Midhat Mutapčić, percussion.

PAGANINI QUARTET

21 – Kolarac – 20:00

During the show, virtuoso violinist Ara Malikian together with three other musicians, not only brilliantly The Paganini Quartet performs some of the most famous compositions by Mozart, Pachelbel, Chopin, Boccherini and, of course, Paganini. However, the group

27th November – 6th December – various Belgrade venues The main programme of this year's Balkan Film Connection festival will include some of the best films from prestigious international film festivals. A varied programme, it is led by the winner of the 72nd International Film Festival in Venice: Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas’s debut “From afar”. The festival will present the winner of the best director award at this year's Berlinale, “Aferim” by Radu Jude.

It is also important to recommend multiple Cannes winner “Son of Saul” by debutant Laszlo Nemes, as well as the essayistic documentary film about the fate of the Louvre during World War II, “Francophonie” by great Alexander Sokurov, while the win-

Coproduction of the New Belgrade Opera and Madlenianum Theatre Art Director and conductor: Predrag Gosta Director: Alvaro Shek Singers: B. Bulatović, R. Vorgić, D. Popović, A.M. Brkić, S. Manojlović The baroque orchestra of the New Belgrade Opera performing on historic instruments

MUSICALS

TERAZIJE THEATRE

19.30

Zona Zamfirova 5th, 15th Producers 11th, 22nd Mamma Mia! 4th, 12th, 23rd, 25th Chicago 6th, 16th Ženidba i Udadba 8th Some Like It Hot 9th , 27th Victor Victoria 13th, 26th Gypsies Go to Heaven 3rd, 20th Zorba the Greek 24th Glavo Luda 10th

ner of the festival a few years ago, Miguel Gomes ("Taboo"), will this year present the Belgrade audience with a three-part Portuguese-German coproduction “Arabian Nights”, a contemporary adaptation of the classic tale from 1001 nights.

The festival takes place in several locations in the Serbian capital: Dom Omladine youth centre, the Belgrade Culture Centre, the Museum of Yugoslav Film Archives (Kosovska 11) and the Cinematheque Yugoslav Film Archives (Uzun Mirkova 1), Student City Culture Centre and Fontana Cinema. For more information, please visit balkanfilmconnection.com

COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE TEATRO CLÁSICO 2 - DOM OMLADINE – 19:00

▶ Organised by Instituto Cervantes, the National troupe of classical theatre begins its tour through Europe to present various Spanish theatre plays. The project involves three members of the troupe: Natalia Uarte, Hakobo Disent and Pepa Pedroce, accompanied by Leris Morales on vihuela. They will present excerpts of the most important achievements of the Golden Age, such as "La vida es sueño" and "El alcalde de Zalamea" by Calderón de la Barca and "El perro del Hortelano" by Lope de Vega. This dramatic-poetic work, directed by Elena Pimenta, has excellent scenic speech in verse, a rich vocabulary, eloquence and versatility of discourse. All these features reveal the relevance of the theme dealing with selected texts: love, freedom, scheming for the sake of power, accountability of authority figures and parents and, of course, the pursuit of happiness. The performances of the troupe across Europe are complemented by open meetings with professors and students, as well as those who are interested in beauty and in studying Spanish theatrical heritage. Director: Helena Pimenta

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FACES & PLACES

NATIONAL DAY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC 28 OCTOBER

H.E. IVANA HLAVSOVA and MAJA GOJKOVIĆ

On the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the creation of the independent state of the Czech Republic, the country’s embassy in Belgrade organised a formal reception on the premises of its diplomatic mission.

Following the performing of the national anthems of the Czech Republic and Serbia by Serbian opera diva Gabriela Ubavić, who enjoys a successful career in the Czech Republic, Ambassador H.E. Ivana Hlavsova gave her welcoming speech, in which she highlighted the importance of the date of 28th October 1918 to the contemporary Czech Republic – as the proclamation of independence of the then Czechoslovakia. The reception was honoured by the presence of a large number of guests, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Serbian officials, entrepreneurs, associations of the Czech national minority, media, culture and many others, as well as Maja Gojković, president of the National Assembly, and Marko Đurić, Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo.

H.E. IVANA HLAVSOVA (left) with Czech embassy staff

TURKISH REPUBLIC DAY 29 OCTOBER

Mrs and Mr BOZAJ and daughter LARA

H.E. Turkish Ambassador in Serbia Mehmet Kemal Bozaj hosted a reception to mark the Day of the Republic of Turkey at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. The ambassador read a greeting from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which it was explained that the people of Turkey are celebrating the 92nd birthday of the republic together with brotherly nations and friends in the region and throughout the world.

Ambassador Bozaj pointed out that this year marks a milestone in the strengthening of ties between Ankara and Belgrade, in the belief that good relations between the two countries will be further strengthened in the future.

The reception was attended by several hundred guests from political and public life in Serbia, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps. The “Viva” children’s choir from Šabac, which performed the anthems of the two countries, added special charm to the celebration.

Children's choir "VIVA" from Šabac

MISCHA MENSIK, Member of the Board of the SEC Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Central Europe, MAX STEINER, MD, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Central Europe SEC, MARINKO UKROPINA, President of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Veljko Jovanović, Advisor to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and NENAD BJELOGRLIĆ, Acting Director of SIEPA

H.E. JEAN-DANIEL RUCH (left) JOHANN SCHNEIDER-AMMANN, ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, MARKO ČADEŽ and ŽELJKO SERTIĆ

BUSINESS FORUM OF SERBIAN AND SWISS ENTREPRENEURS 30 OCTOBER

Johann Schneider-Ammann, vice president of the Swiss Confederation, visited the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) to take part in a Business forum of Serbian and Swiss entrepreneurs, which included discussion of the possibilities for improving economic cooperation and collaborations between companies. The forum also touched on dual education, which Serbia intends to introduce into the school system, with the support of

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Germany, Austria and Switzerland – explained Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić. Switzerland is ready to help Serbia with its experience, said Ammann at the conference, which was also attended by Serbian ministers Željko Sertić (Economy) and Srđan Verbić(Education). Marko Čadež, SCC president, highlighted the need to reform the domestic education system based on the models of Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

FIRST CANADIAN-SERBIAN BUSINESS FORUM 4

NOVEMBER

The Canadian-Serbian Business Association (CANSEE), in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada in Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, organised the first Canadian-Serbian business forum, dedicated to strengthening the potential of trade and investment between the two countries. The meeting brought together a large number of businesspeople, representatives of gov-

ernmental and non-governmental organisations, associations, unions and experts.

Discussions were held within four thematic panels on the current state and prospects of economic cooperation between Serbia and Canada - the possibilities of investing in the Serbian economy, IT resources and models of dealing with IT business in Serbia, as well as the food and beverage industry. The potential of Serbian industry in the field of energy and mining was discussed, while the biggest Canadian greenfield investment in Serbia in the pharmaceutical sector – Farmaswiss/Valeant – was also presented.

Mrs MIRJANA DONČIĆ-BEATON, Managing Director at CANSEE – the Canadian-Serbian Business Association

GORAN OBRADOVIĆ, VP Product Management and GM Europe President of CANSEE, H.E. Canadian Ambassador PHILIP PINNINGTON, and MILOŠ PETROVIĆ, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy

WREATHS LAID AT THE MONUMENT OF GRATITUDE TO FRANCE 9

ITALIAN ARMED FORCES DAY 4

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

French State Secretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Harlem Désir, Serbian Minister without portfolio responsible for European integration, Jadranka Joksimović, Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali and H.E. Christine Moro, Ambassador of France in Belgrade, attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of Gratitude to France in Belgrade’s Kalemegdan Fortress Park.

“Our two countries, as long-time friends and allies, should use their shared past and shared closeness to make tangible joint projects to bring the citizens of our two countries even closer together,” said Désir.

Italy’s Day of National Unity and Armed Forces was marked with a reception organised by Italian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, at the ambassadorial residence. This Italian national holiday was also marked by a commemoration of fallen Italian soldiers buried in the Italian military cemetery in Belgrade – soldiers who fought in the Balkans from 1916 to 1918, alongside the Serbian Army.

The Day of National Unity and Armed Forces of Italy is a holiday that has marked Italian contemporary history since 1919 and serves as a reminder of the fact that this day represents the essence of the interpretation of the victorious end of World War and the role of Italy’s armed forces in ensuring the country’s final unification.

H.E CHRISTINE MORO, JADRANKA JOKSIMOVIĆ, HARLEM DÉSIR and SINIŠA MALI

H.E. GORDAN MARKOTIĆ, Croatian Ambassador (left), with H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO Italian Ambassador and Mrs MANZO and Mrs MARKOTIĆ

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ARMISTICE DAY 11

ALGERIAN NATIONAL LIBERATION - 61ST ANNIVERSARY 10

NOVEMBER

On the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the start of the Algerian National Liberation war, the Ambassador of Algeria to Serbia, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, hosted a reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Political personalities and figures from the city’s cultural life and media scene were present at the ceremony.

In his speech, Ambassador Chebchoub expressed his satisfaction with the quality of bilateral relations between the two countries and invited economic operators to explore business opportunities in his country, where many development projects are underway.

Cutting the celebratory cake

Welcome speech of H.E. Ambassador ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR COMMONWEALTH NATIONS 11

NOVEMBER

The date of 11th November is marked every year by Commonwealth member countries paying their respects to those who fought and gave their lives for their country in World War I (1914-1918), World War II (19391945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). This year’s ceremony marking

H.E. MR. HAROLD AUGUSTUS KOKO, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who laid a wreath as a Dean of the Commonwealth countries in Serbia and ANI CHIJIOKE MCHARDY - First Secretary

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NOVEMBER

A wreath laying ceremony at the French military cemetery in Belgrade has marked WWI Armistice Day. Wreaths were laid by H.E. French Ambassador Christine Moro, H.E. German Ambassador Axel Dittmann, MEP PierreYves Le Bornj, City Manager, Goran Vesić, and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the diplomatic corps, including H.E. U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby and H.E. Russia Ambassador A l exa n d e r Chepurin. Ambassador Moro reminded that 11th November is the day when we pay tribute not only to the spirits of the soldiers who fell during World War I, but also those who gave their lives for their homeland during all conflicts to date.

H.E. CHRISTINE MORO

H.E. ALEXANDER CHEPURIN, Russian Ambassador (left), H.E MEHMET KEMAL BOZAY, Turkish Ambassador, H.E MICHAEL KIRBY, U.S. Ambassador, and H.E ANGEL SIMEONOV DUMITROV, Bulgarian Ambassador

H.E. AXEL DITTMANN (left), MEP PIERRE YVES LE BORGN’, député des Français de l’étranger and H.E. CHRISTINE MORO

the Day of Remembrance was organised by the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade. The commemoration was held at the Cemetery of Martyrs of the Commonwealth, with wreaths laid by representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Issues, the Ministry of Defence, the Belgrade City Assembly, the Society for Preserving the Tradition of Liberation Wars before 1918, and the embassies of the UK, Australia, Nigeria , India, Pakistan, Cyprus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, the U.S. and Turkey, as well as the honorary consulates of Sri Lanka and Uganda.

British Amabssador H.E. DENIS KEEFE lays a wreath

Canadian Ambasador H.E. PHILIP PINNINGTON

NATIONAL DAY OF ANGOLA 12

NOVEMBER

On the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of Angolan independence, H.E. José João Manuel, Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to Serbia, hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Crown Plaza Hotel.

The event was attended by high ranking government officials, including National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojković, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić and State Secretary for Defence Zoran Đorđević, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of political, cultural and public life.

Addressing guests, Ambassador José João Manuel highlighted that the spirit of solidarity and cooperation has always characterised relations between Angola and Serbia.

H.E. JOSÉ JOÃO MANUEL and IVICA DAČIĆ, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia

H.E. JOSÉ JOÃO MANUEL(right) with his wife and embassy staff

LEBANESE NATIONAL DAY 20 NOVEMBER

Mrs JABER and H.E NJ.E DR. TOUFIC S. JABER

Mrs and Mr JABER welcome IVICA DAČIĆ, First Deputy Prime Minister

SOGELEASE SERBIA MARKS DECADE OF EXISTENCE 24 NOVEMBER

Company Sogelease Serbia marked the tenth anniversary of its founding with a year of very good business results.

“Thanks to good strategic moves, as well as our approach to clients, our market share has grown constantly in the decade behind us.

It is extremely satisfying that we are today the leader in the financial leasing market,” said Boris Stević,

On the occasion of the anniversary of Independence Day of Lebanon, H.E. Lebanese Ambassador to Serbia, Dr. Toufic S. Jaber, organised a formal reception at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The reception was attended, amongst others, by Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Rasim Ljajić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, as well as numerous guests from the diplomatic corps, representatives of the business community, the media and many others.

Guests enjoyed the rhythmical movements of the Marhobtaine folk dance group from Beirut. Their performance conveyed a message promoting the victory of life in a troubled world.

President of the Executive Board at Sogelease Serbia.

Sogelease Serbia was founded in 2005 and was among the first leasing companies to establish operations in Serbia. Founded by Societe Generale Bank in order to offer financial leasing services, Sogelease Serbia is part of the Societe Generale Leasing Solutions global group, which is also the leading leasing group in Europe.

In the last year alone, the group has financed businesses and citizens in the amount of €13.9 billion, realising 391,000 leasing contracts.

STANISLAS TERTRAIS, Vice President of the Executive Board, Societe Generale Bank Serbia(left), BORIS STEVIC, President of the Executive Board,Sogelease Serbia, MARIA ROUSSEVA, President of the Executive Board, Societe Generale Bank Serbia, GORAN PITIC, President of the Board of Directors, Societe Generale Bank Serbia and MIROSLAV STANKOVIC, Member of the Executive Board, Sogelease Serbia

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UNESCO

Birth of an

IDEA

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations. Its Constitution was adopted by the London Conference in November 1945, and entered into effect on 4 November 1946 when 20 States had deposited the instruments of acceptance

D

uring the past 70 years, UNESCO has acted as a global labthis unprecedented initiative had a “clear positive impact on book deoratory of ideas. But how have they been translated into velopment, on literacy and on education throughout the world.” action and how have they improved the world? Answering “Whenever it is, whatever form it takes, racism is an evil force, this question is the challenge taken up by an international and to the extent that UNESCO can kill it by the truth, it will do good,” group of researchers who are currently working on a new history of the New York Times proclaimed in 1950, almost a year after UNESCO UNESCO, based not only on its ideas, but also on their launched a major campaign to combat racism. relevance and their impact on the ground.

The move towards global history, a historiographUNESCO ical trend currently in vogue which aims to study of The main objective of UNESCO is to contribute to interactions between civilizations, was preceded long peace and security in the world by promoting collaboimplements ration among nations through education, science, culago by the project for a History of the Scientific and Culits activities ture and communication in order to further universal tural Development of Mankind, endorsed by UNESCO through the five respect for justice, for the rule of law, and for the huin 1947. The collection of general and regional histoman rights and fundamental freedoms without distincprogramme areas ries now consists of over 50 volumes. Approximately tion of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of 40,000 pages were written by 1,600 international exof Education, perts. the United Nations.

Natural Sciences, The Major Project on the Mutual Appreciation of UNESCO implements its activities through the five Eastern and Western Cultural Values is another telling programme areas of Education, Natural Sciences, SoSocial and cial and Human Sciences, Culture, and Communication Human Sciences, example of how UNESCO approached history, with focus on interaction among cultures, since 1956. and Information.

Culture, and It is clear that a purely technical analysis of the re"Mission: Impossible"? Not necessarily.

Communication sults of UNESCO’s work is more simple than a study of Since 1945, UNESCO adopted a holistic approach the Organization’s ethical impact. But it is also clear to education and succeeded in convincing the world and Information that UNESCO, since its creation, has sought to “build a that education was an essential tool for development. utopia that would allow us to share an Earth on which Today that seems obvious. Seventy years ago, much no one would take decisions for other people,” as described by the Coless so, and the Organization had to fight for the idea to be accepted. lombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez in an interview in the UNESCO Another innovation: UNESCO introduced on the world scene what Courier in 1991.■ we might call today a “world book policy.” According to the experts,

ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGN

WORLD BOOK POLICY

FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION

“UNESCO came out with a study that said that Blacks – at that time Negroes – were not inferior, and there was no fundamental genetic difference between Blacks and Whites,” recalled Reverend Jesse Jackson, at a conference on Human Rights

Since its creation in 1945, UNESCO introduced to the international arena what we now might call a world book policy. This unprecedented initiative had a “clear positive impact on book development, on literacy and on education throughout the world.”

From the outset UNESCO had chosen a holistic approach to education. The first of the 12 Monographs on Fundamental Education, published in 1949, stressed that “the aim of all education is to help men and women to live fuller and happier lives”.

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SPECIAL EDITION

World's Markets and Opportunities

NETHERLANDS SUSTAINABLE URBAN DELTA

2015

THE DUTCH PARLIAMENT IN THE HAGUE

The Netherlands has two capitals : Amsterdam (the official capital by constitution since the 19th century) and The Hague (the seat of government and first capital stince 1584)

Social media in the Netherlands has always been very popular. Research done in 2014 suggests that nine out of ten Dutch citizens are active on social media

There are 1,180 windmills in the Netherlands

According to a new food database by worldwide development organisation Oxfam, the Netherlands is No. 1 in the world for having the most plentiful, nutritious, healthy and affordable diet

Keukenhof Park is the world's largest flower garden

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ROYAL FAMILY

In Love With ORANGE

OF THE NETHERLANDS

Dutch people love their royal family and each year throughout the country they celebrate Queen’s Day, which has become King’s day again, since king Willem-Alexander became the nominal head of state in the Netherlands in 2013

T

KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER, PRINCESS BEATRIX, AND QUEEN MÁXIMA

he Kingdom of the Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16th March 1815, but has been hereditarily “governed” by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since 1559, when Philip II of Spain appointed William of Orange as stadtholder.

Today orange is the traditional colour of the Dutch monarchy, the symbol of unity and solidarity of the nation, as well as the beloved colour of the whole country.

At the end of January 2013, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the longest reigning Dutch monarch, announced her abdication after 33 years on the throne, and her eldest son, WillemAlexander, became the nominal head of state in the Netherlands. During her reign, Beatrix was affectionately called “Queen Bea”. King Willem-Alexander was the long-awaited baby boy born to a throne that had seen only girls for more than 123 years.

The role of king is largely ceremonial and is officially passed down through an inauguration rather than a coronation. Before taking the throne, Willem-Alexander said he didn't want to be a “protocol fetishist”, but rather a king who puts his people at ease.

He also said he doesn't expect people to address him as “Your Majesty”. The King married Argentinean born Maxima in 2002.

Now, as the King’s wife, she holds the title of Queen. WillemAlexander and Maxima have three daughters – CatharinaAmalia, Alexia and Ariane. Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, age 13, became the Princess of Orange in 2013, when her

father inherited the throne. Like most Dutch children, she attends public school. A pair of princesses are her younger sisters: Princess Alexia, 12, who is second in line to the throne, and Princess Ariane, 10, who is third in line.

The popularity of the royal house remains strong in the Netherlands. Nearly 80 per cent of Dutch citizens support the monarchy, according to a poll taken after King WillemAlexander’s ascension to the throne in 2013.

Every 27th April the carnival-like King’s Day is celebrated all over the country, with parties, street markets, concerts and special events for the royal family.

The royal celebrations were first held on 31st August 1885, in honour of the birth of Queen Wilhelmina, and the Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) tradition was born. After Wilhelmina’s daughter (Juliana) succeeded to the throne in th 1949, the day was changed to 30th April, in accordance with the new Queen's birthday.

When she became queen, the now Princess Beatrix chose to retain the day in honour of her mother, but as of 2014 King’s Day has been officially celebrated on 27th April (the king’s birthday).

All clubs across the Netherlands organise special festivities on this day and young people move across the city from one party to another, while others prepare the next day’s market. In Amsterdam it is a unique night and day carnival-like event throughout the city, combined with the market in the streets. It is an occasion to trade all sorts of things that are unnecessary at home, representing more of a social gathering than a real commercial opportunity, and a unique family event with children actively participating. Prices are symbolic and the most important factor is fun. The event annually attracts about 700,000 visitors who are seeking a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

Every year, the royal entourage visits a town or municipality in the Netherlands as part of the celebrations. In 2015 they spent the day in Dordrecht, in Zuid-Holland.

Every year on 27 April, King Willem-Alexander’s birthday, a festive, carnival-like King’s Day is celebrated all over the country, with parties, street markets and concerts

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INTERVIEW

H.E. HENDRIK GERRIT CORNELIS VAN DEN DOOL, DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Take on the Toughest

While it has to be acknowledged that Serbia has achieved considerable success in many areas of the EU accession process, the rule of law will need a lot of attention from the government. This is one of the key areas, both in terms of enlargement policy and when it comes to media and business freedoms

TASKS FIRST

R

eforms take time to come to fruition fully and it is therefore important for each country to tackle the toughest tasks at the very beginning of the process. One of them is certainly ensuring the

rule of law, which is also the priority policy issue in the region for the Netherlands, says H.E. Hendrik Gerrit Cornelis Van Den Dool.

■ How would you assess the progress made by the Western

Balkan countries recently in terms of EU integration?

Progress made by the Western Balkan countries should be viewed from a country-by-country perspective. This has also been the goal of the European Commission’s new methodology concerning annual progress reports. Looking at Serbia, we can state that EU accession has become Serbia’s strategic goal. In January 2014, Serbia became an EU candidate country. An extensive agreement with the IMF was reached in the field of economic governance. Parliament adopted laws on bankruptcy and privatisation, which allow for the restructuring and privatisation of a large number of state companies. Likewise, a set of laws was adopted to restructure and privatise the media landscape. Furthermore, amendments were adopted to modernise the labour law and make it easier to obtain building permits – a move that could have a positive impact on attracting foreign investments;

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| S DU ES C E IMNBAEBRL E U R B A N D E L T A TA

The dialogue with Pristina led to the 2013 Brussels Agreement and several follow-up agreements, the latest being in August 2015.

There is commitment to continue the dialogue until all outstanding issues regarding the normalisation of relations are resolved.

Looking ahead, we must also admit that there are still challenges to be faced. The rule of Law will need a lot of attention from the government. Implementation of newly adopted laws is often time-consuming, slow or sometimes even lacking entirely. Reform of the judiciary is required in order to strengthen the independence, professionalism, effectiveness and efficiency of the judicial system. The business and investment climate in Serbia can be improved in numerous ways. The fight against corruption will continue to be a top priority for this government. Media freedom faces several challenges in Serbia and we have seen the drop that the country experienced on several global press freedom ranking lists.

Proper implementation of the adopted media laws can contribute to strengthening the media landscape.

■ In the context of EU integration, how important is it

to improve relations between Belgrade and Tirana?

The progress of the Western Balkan countries in the process of

PRIORITIES

PRECONDITIONS

MIGRANTS

The Netherlands feels that Chapter 35 could be opened and hopes that during its EU Presidency, in the first part of 2016, it will also be possible to open chapters 23 and 24 on the rule of law

Our mutual economic relations will increase significantly once Serbia has created a truly investorfriendly climate, tackled excessive red tape and corruption issues, and once it has reformed the judiciary

We appreciate the way Serbia is managing a difficult situation and we have secured additional funding for Serbia and Macedonia to address the continuing refugee crisis

European integration includes regional cooperation, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations. Over the course of recent years we have seen an improvement in relations between Serbia and Albania – with mutual visits of prime ministers. This was an important step and one that is welcomed in the process of regional cooperation and the strengthening of neighbourly relations.

■ How do you see the current status of the Brussels

just our future efforts accordingly, in cooperation with the relevant government institutions and civil society organisations.

■ How could already good bilateral relations between

Serbia and the Netherlands be further advanced?

In past few years we have seen a moderate increase in the interest of Dutch companies in Serbia. We see encouraging developments in energy, energy efficiency, ICT and water technologies. The bilater-

Agreement and, in that context, Serbia’s prospects of opening some of the first accession negotiation chapters soon?

Both Serbia and Kosovo have taken tangible steps to advance the dialogue in 2015, with the agreement on the judiciary in February and the agreement on four other issues in August 2015 – most notably the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities. It is to be expected that chapters will be opened soon now, but of course this is a decision that must find agreement among all EU member states. The Netherlands is of the opinion that Chapter 35 could be opened, and we hope that during our Presidency of the European Union, to run from 1st January to 30th June 2016, we will also be able to open important chapters 23 and 24, on the rule of Law. ■ Some of the region’s countries are exerting great efforts to accommodate migrants, while simultaneously struggling to assist their own asylum seekers. How well do you feel Serbia is managing these two processes?

Serbia can find a strong partner in the Netherlands on the road to creating a world with greater respect for human rights I have appreciation for the way in which Serbia is managing a difficult situation. The current situation is a pan-European one by its very nature.

It is therefore important that Serbia, as an affected country at the heart of the transit route, was involved in drafting the 17 point action plan.

al trade balance is growing steadily. Overall trade totalled about 420 million euros in 2013. We expect the final figures for 2014 to show a marked increase. There is, however, plenty of room to elevate mutual trade and investment to a significantly higher level. The Netherlands is one of the world’s main traders of goods, services and commodities, the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural goods and the 18th largest economy in the world. Serbia has much underused potential. Our mutual economic relations will increase significantly once Serbia has created a truly investor-friendly climate, has tackled excess red tape and the corruption issues that are slowing Serbia down, and when it has reformed the judiciary.

■ The Netherlands is already assisting Serbia and

Montenegro in terms of capacity building for the countries’ asylum and migration systems. How does your country intend to proceed with these efforts in the period ahead?

■ Which projects supported by the Dutch govern-

The Netherlands has indeed supported a number of projects with the goal of strengthening the asylum systems in the countries of the Western Balkans. Additional funding (€670,000) was allocated to address the continuing refugee crisis in Serbia and Macedonia, and the supported projects have just started and will unfold in the coming year. We will closely monitor progress and how the situation generally develops in the future, and will ad-

The Netherlands currently supports Serbia’s EU accession prospects through a programme called Matra, which stands for ‘social transformation’ in Dutch. The overall goal of this programme is to develop a plural democracy, grounded in the rule of law, with room for dialogue between the government and civil society. This year alone we were able to support as many as 20 projects in a variety of areas – legislation and justice, good governance, anti-corruption, media freedom, minority rights etc.

ment do you consider as being the most important for Serbia when it comes to embracing European values and practices?

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■ Considering that you have personally witnessed the transformation of societies in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in this neighbourhood, what do you consider as being crucial to their success in the broadest terms?

the experience of other countries, this is helpful in analysing Serbia’s draft law and supporting the Serbian authorities in bilateral projects. The overarching goal is to be a better interlocutor with local authorities in the rule of law reforms.

Reforms take time to come to fruition fully. In this respect, implementation and building track records are key factors.

This is why the Netherlands supports the Fundamentals First approach. By starting with the most difficult reforms, the necessary time is allowed for a society to fully embrace the underlying norms of these reforms.

■ The Netherlands is very active in assisting civil

society in Serbia in the field of human rights. How would you assess progress made by Serbia in this area, particularly when it comes to the fight against gender-based violence and discrimination against minority groups?

Serbia has made progress in aligning its legislative framework governing the protection of human rights with EU standards, but implementation still needs to be improved. We see that women in Serbia still fall victim to domestic violence and human trafficking.

We also witness violations of the rights of minority groups, such as LGBT, Roma, etc. On the other hand, we have also witnessed peaceful Pride Parades in Belgrade for the last two years in a row. So there are many steps that have been taken forward, but many that are still to be made, and Serbia can

■ Ensuring the rule of law

seems to have been one of the toughest tasks for almost all countries that have already gone through this process. How far has Serbia progressed when it comes to embracing standards in this domain?

Embracing rule of law standards is a continuous process.

Serbia has made progress in improving the relevant legal framework within which fundamental rule of law reforms are taking place. Besides adopting relevant legislation and action plans, implementing and strengthening relevant institutions is key to succeeding in these reforms.

Rule of law is one of three pillars of the Fundamentals First approach to EU Enlargement. The Netherlands subscribes fully to this. To underpin this, last year the Netherlands intensified its efforts in the area of the rule of law in the entire region by establishing a regional rule of law unit. Despite budget cuts to Dutch diplomacy as a whole, the Netherlands increased investments in priority policy area’s, such as the rule of law.

Chapters 23 and 24 are a Dutch policy priority.

The main aim of this policy intensification is twofold: First, to create a regional centre of excellence on rule of law issues – what we mean with that is to move beyond the one-liners, such as “independence of the judiciary”, and actually have evidence-based analysis of the real problems and challenges.

This is not a one-size-fits-all analysis, but rather analysis that looks at each and every country individually; the second is the regional aspect: we do not believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. All enlargement countries are aiming for the same goal: EU accession. Rule of law reforms are important, but this is not a linear process. Therefore we hope that through our regional approach we can find appropriate multiplier effects.

For instance: Serbia is the last country in the region to draft a Law on Free Legal Aid. As we have already learned from

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The Netherlands last year intensified its efforts in the area of the rule of law in the entire region by establishing a regional rule of law unit find a strong partner in the Netherlands on the road to creating a world with greater respect for human rights.

■ How is the Netherlands supporting media free-

dom in Serbia?

Promoting the freedom of expression, both online and offline, is a very important part of the Netherlands’ global human rights policy. In addition to discussing this issue in our political dialogue in Serbia, the embassy also supports projects aimed at strengthening the independent position of journalists and media organisations through the Matra programme.

A set of media laws was passed in August 2014 that marked the culmination of the media reform process and was welcomed by the EU Delegation and EU member states, including the Netherlands. Since the adoption of this new legislation, our embassy has supported projects that contribute to the successful implementation of these laws. ■

CORPORATE

HEINEKEN SRBIJA D.O.O., ZAJEČAR

Committed to QUALITY

From the very beginning of its operations, HEINEKEN Srbija company has given great importance to producing the highest quality products through investments in people and technology, as well as the continuous advancement of operations

H

EINEKEN Srbija is part of HEINEKEN company, the world’s most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through Brewing a Better World programme, sustainability is embedded in the business and delivers value for all stakeholders. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. The company employs 81,000 people and operate more than 160 breweries in over 70 countries.

HEINEKEN Srbija operates in two breweries in Serbia, in Novi Sad and Zaječar, with an administrative office in Belgrade. While the brewery in Zaječar is proud of its long tradition of brewing skills dating back to 1895, the brewery in Novi Sad is one of the technologically most advanced breweries in the region. The portfolio of HEINEKEN brands in Serbia include: Heineken, Sol, Strongbow, Amstel Premium Pilsener, Weifert, Zaječarsko, PilsPlus, Master and MB Pils.

From the very beginning of its operations, company HEINEKEN Srbija has given great importance to producing the highest quality products through investments in people and technology, as well as the continuous advancement of operations.

Transparency in everyday work and communication, respect for the individual, the local community and society, a passion for quality and corporate social responsibility – these are the key values of the company.

As an integral part of the society in which it operates, the company establishes, develops and nurtures strong relations with the cities of Novi Sad and Zaječar, through mutual cooperation aimed at improving the quality and standard of life for all citizens. Thanks to the high-tech pro-

duction and high capacities of its breweries, the company is focused on developing its core business and exporting to many different countries.

HEINEKEN Srbija has introduced and implemented all procedures and standards of the parent company, which are often even more stringent than those required by European regulations. The breweries in Novi Sad and Zaječar have the most significant international certificates of quality, operations, production, organisation and environmental protection, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 22000, with strictly controlled conditions and parameters in the production process and quality monitoring (of both processes and markets).

In addition to investments in technology and production processes, the company continuously directs its investments towards its people, improving working conditions, increasing operating efficiency, as well as on ensuring health and safety at work.

The company is dedicated to reducing water consumption and ensuring its balanced use, reducing carbon emissions and electricity consumption, and these levels are falling year on year thanks to various initiatives and programmes.

The company devotes particular attention to promoting the responsible consumption of alcohol. For the last three years consecutively, in cooperation with Belgrade Public Transport Company GSP, a CSR campaign has been organised during the Belgrade Beer Fest – "Guys, who drives home?" – in order to educate the public and raise awareness about responsible behaviour in traffic.

HEINEKEN Srbija is dedicated to environmental protection through responsible use of water, reducing carbon emissions and electricity consumption as well as to the promotion of responsible consumption

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INTERVIEW

MARIA CORNELIA WILHELMINA VAN MILTENBURG COUNSELLOR AT THE EMBASSY OF THE NETHERLANDS IN BELGRADE

Many Business Prospects Yet to be

UNVEILED

Private sector can be an important partner to the government in this case.

It is in the best interests of all companies to support the government in

Serbia has much potential that remains unknown to Dutch companies and, as such, the Embassy is putting a lot of effort into bringing Serbian business opportunities closer to Dutch businesses

fighting illegal competition. In this respect, the Netherlands could offer in-

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operate closely with many Serbian institutions and stakeholders on

teresting experiences and we are more than happy to work with the government to help further improve the business climate.

■ How interesting is Serbia as a destination for Dutch investors?

The country offers more potential than is known to most Dutch companies. The Embassy contributes to bringing Serbian business opportunities closer to Dutch firms in the Netherlands, and we co-

erbia’s success in implementing economic reforms is an import-

this matter. Right now, Serbia is attractive to Dutch ICT, trade, ship-

ant factor in attracting new investments from the Netherlands,

building, brewing and energy companies.

but additional efforts need to be made to remove administrative

country has much to offer the Dutch business community, but it also

■ How do Dutch companies already present in Serbia view the market and opportunities for its further expansion?

has a lot of gain from the Netherlands, especially when it comes to trans-

Serbia is seen as a country with much underutilised potential.

burdens and change the unpredictable business and legal climate. The

ferring knowhow in many areas, says Maria Cornelia Wilhelmina van Miltenburg, Counsellor at the Dutch Embassy in Belgrade. One of the areas of mutual connection that has advanced the most is agriculture, where numerous projects have so far been implemented.

Right now, Serbia is attractive to Dutch ICT, trade, shipbuilding, brewing and energy companies. It also has much to offer the Dutch business community, especially in agriculture

Companies generally tread carefully, but they do see potential.

Difficulties are mostly related to bureaucracy and administrative burdens, as well as an unpredictable business and legal climate.

However, many of our companies continue experiencing growth from year to year, which means

■ How would you assess the progress made to date by Serbia in the reform process?

Serbia has chosen to become an EU member state, which implies that the outcome of the reforms has to comply with the EU’s rules in the are-

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expansion is definitely possible and is occurring.

■ In which areas do you see the greatest potential to improve trade relations between Serbia and the Netherlands?

as of the free movement of goods, workers and capital, freedom to provide

The Dutch are well known as traders and international businesspeo-

services, establish companies, public procurement, company law, compe-

ple. Serbia offers a lot of room for expansion in ICT services, food produc-

tition and economic policies, financial services, transport, energy, taxation,

tion, textiles, clothing, energy, and water technologies, as well as consult-

industrial policy etc. The country has made good progress when it comes

ing services. The Dutch are particularly developed in the domain of wa-

to construction permits and the fight against the grey economy. Fiscal con-

ter and that’s why our companies played an important role in the pump-

solidation, under the framework established with the IMF, and savings

ing of the flooded Tamnava Mine last year. Trade relations in agriculture

achieved by the government, are also worthy of respect. The inspection re-

are strong. Serbia has comparative advantages when it comes to agricul-

form is also a good step forward, but it is important to continue with ca-

ture and can become a serious player in this area. It has a tradition of food

pacity building and better coordination of different inspection services.

production and the natural resources required to utilise that.

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NEDA SRETOVIĆ

■ The Netherlands has been providing Serbia with assistance in the field of agribusiness for years. What do you see as the greatest achievements made to date in this domain, particularly in terms of EU accession?

COUNTRY MANAGER WINDVISION SERBIA

Wind Farm

The Netherlands and Serbia have established a High Level Working Group on Agriculture, which represents a forum for cooperation in the agriculture field. Numerous projects in different fields of agriculture have so far been implemented. These projects predominantly aimed at accessing the market through the alignment of rules and regulations and the training of staff, especially in the phytosanitary and veterinary policy field. The focus recently shifted to agrarian policy and the need to harmonise legislation with the common market organisation and producer organisations.

Much progress has also been made in terms of harmonisation with the EU acquis, especially in the field of food safety.

■ To what extent has Serbia embraced the opportunities provided by the EU accession process in the field of agribusiness?

We believe EU accession provides a lot of advantages for Serbia in the field of market access and use of EU funds for agriculture and rural development. In our view, Serbia has made significant steps in the EU accession process.

This is, however, a huge task and will continue to take time, energy, patience and the setting of priorities. From a technical perspective, we see that Serbia has done a lot of hard work on phytosanitary and veterinary issues, food safety, agrarian policy and rural development.

Aligning procedures, rules and regulations with the EU is essential, but is not easy. From a business perspective, it is essential for companies, producers and processors to build the capacity to strengthen competitiveness for a sustainable future. The Serbian administration has a role in building a facilitating framework. However, companies must take responsibility to build towards their own future.

■ How many Dutch companies are operating in the field of agriculture in Serbia today and what do they see as the greatest opportunities for, and possible setbacks to, the development of their businesses?

Many Dutch agriculture companies are present here in Serbia and they are generally doing well. Several have invested here in Serbia, often through joint ventures. They bring much needed knowhow, technology and innovations to promising Serbian companies. The opportunities here in Serbia are good factors of production, or rather, the absence of limiting factors that are sometimes present in the Netherlands. Among the shortcomings, limited knowledge of the market and business climate is always a drawback of which every company needs to be aware.

■ In which areas could Serbia profit the most from the transfer of Dutch knowledge and experience?

Agriculture is the most promising sector where the transfer of knowledge and experience can be used to generate profit. Reducing costs, increasing yields, increasingly quality and working more efficiently in the entire production chain, from producer to consumer, are examples of what can be achieved simply by embracing knowledge and experience. Besides agriculture, Serbia can profit from transfer of knowledge in energy savings and efficiency measures, urban and water-management planning, creative industries and R&D stimulation. ■

“ALIBUNAR” W

i ndVision, as international investor experienced both in development and management and operations in RES projects, in 2010 started project development of wind farm complex “Alibunar” of total installed capacity 174MWe in Serbia as the attractive destination due to the “good” wind at average speed at 7,5 m/s and attractive tariff system.

After obtaining building permit for “Alibunar”, the most important challenge is setting up the national legal framework, i.e. its completeness and simplicity. Although the key legislation (Energy Law) has been adopted back in 2011 and updated in December 2014, majority of by-laws required for the law implementation still are not adopted and harmonized with latest amendments.

However, for the Law to be implemented in practice in such a way as to secure that construction of wind farms starts in 2015, it is absolutely necessary that the bylaws are adopted as soon as possible and in close collaboration with investor association and representatives of international financial institutions (IFIs) and commercial banks which will finance these large projects.

Essential piece of legislation that is outstanding is the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) since the actual draft has not been accepted by the banks. PPA is extremely sophisticated agreement based on which banks lend money to investors for construction of these projects. Thus, it is instrumental that banks are consulted in the process of drafting the PPA and that, at the end of that process, they find it sufficient for them to support wind farm development in the long run.

Thanks to the hard work of Ministry of Mining and Energy and other competent institutions, we may expect above mentioned documents to be in place by the end of the year. WindVision strongly believes that Serbia may be secure environment and reliable partner for development of RES projects and announces realization of project of wind farm complex “Alibunar” with the start of construction in 1Q 2016.

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ECONOMY

Constant SELF-IMPROVEMENT Yes, the Netherlands is still the land of windmills, cheese and tulips, but it is also one of the world’s largest exporters of agri-food and horticultural products, a world leader in water management, and an excellent place for investments and home to eager foreign investors

ROTTERDAM IS INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PORTS IN THE WORLD AND IS THUS ALSO DUBBED THE GATEWAY TO EUROPE

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he Netherlands has an open economy that has managed to stay relatively buoyant despite the financial crisis of 2008. In terms of the size of the economy, or the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at about 615 billion euros in 2014, the Netherlands is the world’s seventeenth-largest economy and the sixth-largest in the European Union.

In 2014, the country was the world’s fifth-largest goods exporter, with the value of exports at 83.2% of the Netherlands’ GDP. It occupies first place in the world rankings in production and auctioning of cut flowers and flower bulbs, 2nd in exports of agricultural products ($103.3 billion) and 9th in exports of commercial services ($134 billion). At the same time, the Netherlands is 8th in terms of imports of commercial services ($119 billion) and the 9th biggest importer of goods ($501 billion) in the world. All of this is achieved despite modest natural preconditions. In terms of surface area and population size, the Netherlands is not a particularly large country and ranks 133rd and 64th worldwide. Efforts are constantly underway to reclaim land from the see and keep it dry using innovative and daring solutions for water control. As they say: “God created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands”. About 20 per cent of the Netherlands’ territory is below sea level, while 55% is under direct threat of flooding. The Dutch landscape is full of polders, artificial tracts of land hosting. Through land reclamation, the Netherlands “built” a new province (Flevoland), with a population of 400,000 and large areas of arable land.

Being faced with the cold weather and not much sunshine, the Dutch invented greenhouses and today produce 2.5 times more food

per acre than other EU countries. No wonder then that the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agri-food products, the leading exporter of tomatoes and potatoes and the world’s second largest exporter (in value) of fresh vegetables in 2014. This is the result of continual investment in innovation in agri-food value chains, thanks to successful cooperation between knowledge institutes, government and the private sector, the so-called “golden triangle”.

Furthermore, the Netherlands is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of food processing machinery. Dutch industry produces 80% of the world’s capacity of poultry processing machinery, and a substantial amount of cheese production machinery.

It is well known that the Netherland is the international market leader when it comes to horticulture, with a quarter of the world’s trade in horticultural products (24%) in its hands. Dutch horticultural innovations include intelligent greenhouses that can float on water, moving platforms, robots, innovative lighting, water and waste recycling, and greenhouses that generate more energy than they consume, thereby contributing to CO2 reduction.

Holland has a 52 per cent share of the worldwide trade in floricultural products, making it the dominant global supplier of flowers and flower products. Some 80 per cent of all flower bulbs traded worldwide come from the Netherlands, the majority of which are tulips. The Dutch are the world’s largest exporter of seeds, which amounted to 1.6 billion dollars in 2014. As already mentioned, the Dutch are renowned for their integrated water management and their multi-disciplinary approach, which balances social, economic, environmental and engineering needs. Having suffered a lot from floods, the country built the Dutch Delta Works, one of the most extensive engineering projects in the world, with almost 16,500 kilometres of dykes and 300 structures, and in the meantime developed high end technology and knowhow. Today it exports water management models and technology to all corners of the world and is involved in some of the leading projects in the sustaina-

The Delta Works, with almost 16,500 kilometres of dykes and 300 structures, are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest flood defence project

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ble development of low-lying urban agglomerations, such as Jakarta and Bangladesh, and coastal development in areas such as Dubai, Vietnam and Romania. In fact, 40 per cent of the freely accessible market for water management is in Dutch hands. In the field of water technology and maritime technology, the Netherlands ranks 8th worldwide in terms of global patents; the Dutch maritime cluster comprises 12 sub sectors and 12,000 companies, employing 224,000 workers. The cluster has a strong international focus: 60 per cent of seafaring ships produced in the Netherlands are destined for export.

According to the World Economic Forum, the Netherlands has the eighth-best business climate in the world and holds seventh position in terms of the amount of FDI from Europe. The Netherlands is widely considered as being a pleasant place to live, while the high productivity of Dutch workers (the Dutch workforce is well-educated and flexible, with people often speaking several languages) has given it one of the highest per capita incomes of any country in the European Union.

The Netherlands has a great deal to offer the business community, and foreign companies in particular. It is the gateway to Europe, connecting nearly half a billion consumers on the European mainland to the world’s producers. It operates the world-class Port of Rotterdam,

THE NETHERLANDS IS THE WORLD MARKET LEADER WHEN IT COMES TO HORTICULTURE

has extensive network of waterways, Amsterdam’s internationally acclaimed Schiphol Airport, Europe’s strongest road transport sector and an extensive network of rail links. The Netherlands is home to more distribution centres than anywhere else in Europe; it has the largest inland shipping fleet in Europe and Amsterdam is the largest cocoa port in the world. Furthermore, it holds second position worldwide in terms of the number of broadband connections per 100 inhabitants (39.4%), and has a population which is highly IT literate. In spite of these achievements, the Dutch government is not resting on its laurels, but rather works constantly to adapt and improve the Dutch business climate in order to meet the challenges of the future.

In the last two decades, a number of structural reforms were implemented and resulted in the rise of employment that increased by more than 30 per cent. The high average income in the Netherlands is the result of high productivity and a high level of labour participation. Flexible work is much cherished in the Netherlands: a relatively high proportion of Dutch people work part-time and many of them (75%) are women.

Dutch businesses are constantly on the lookout for opportunities all over the world. In late 2013, investments overseas totalled in excess of $1,072 billion, making the Netherlands the seventh-largest foreign investor in the world. Dutch-based multinationals, such as AkzoNobel, Heineken, KPN, ING, Philips, Unilever and Shell, are keen investors. ■

FREELAND GROUP

Development and

CONSTRUCTION

After the successful development and sale of more than 150 apartments in four projects, Freeland Mijanović has established a solid and reliable reputation on the local residential market

S

ince 2008, Freeland Group (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and the Mijanović Group (Novi Sad, Serbia) have joined forces to develop and construct apartments, primarily in Novi Sad. These projects have been, and are still being, realised through joint venture organisation Freeland Mijanovic, typically within 18 months - from obtaining building permits to selling all apartments. After the successful development and sale of more than 150 apartments in four projects, Freeland Mijanović as established a solid and reliable reputation on the local residential market. No bank loans are used for the financing of projects. Instead, Freeland offers financial participation in each project to Dutch investors, with an average return of 16 to 18 per cent (annualised).

For more detailed information please contact:

In Serbia Freeland Mijanović Aleksander Mijanović Vojvode Mišića br. 2 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia T + 381(0)21532532 or +381(0)63532232 E freelandoffice@gmail.com www.freeland.rs

In the Netherlands Freeland Corporate Advisors Wilbert van Twuijver Weena 210-212 3012 N Rotterdam, Netherlands T + 31102013600 or +31628940151 E wilbert.van.twuijver@freelandgroep.nl www.freelandgroep.nl

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CULTURE AND TRADITION

Land of Refined DESIGN

From the golden age of Rembrandt and Vermeer, to Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian, industrial and fashion design, architecture, and the gaming industry, Dutch artists have always shown refined taste, humour, clarity and simplicity

VINCENT VAN GOGH'S LANGLOIS BRIDGE AT ARLES

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erhaps it’s easy or even natural to become an artist in the Netherlands. Just by travelling along the canals of Amsterdam, there is a feeling of admiration for this open-air museum from the 17th century. ‘A masterpiece of human ingenuity’, according to UNESCO, the Amsterdam canal district is a unique example of architecture and planning, a reflection of the Netherlands’ economic, political and cultural heyday in the Golden Age, and an area that was placed on UNESCOs World Heritage List in 2010.

The rise of masters ‘like Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer are usually explained by the fact that in the 17th century the Netherlands accumulated wealth of such proportions that the period is known as the nation’s Golden Age. In the 17th and 18th centuries, VOC, which stands for "Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie" (United East India Company), was the largest commercial enterprise in the world, with a fleet of more than a hundred ships, thousands of employees, dozens of offices in Asia, and six establishments in the Netherlands. This accumulated wealth soon led to the rise of a middle class and an increase in religious freedom, with the country becoming known for tolerance and openness, while many Dutchmen were in position to acquire artworks.

The masters of the Golden Age were followed in the 19th and 20th centuries by painters like Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian, with the latter inspiring many modern Dutch designers.

As an open society always keen to attract foreigners and nourish lib-

eral thinking, the Netherlands blended different influences in fashion, food, sport, festivals and interior design. The result – Dutch culture has grown and flourished. Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw orchestra ranks among the world’s top five symphony orchestras, while the Nederlands Danstheater is a world-class modern dance company.

Dutch designers, industrial designers and architects are present everywhere in the world.

Dutch design is at the forefront of combining commercial and artistic works. It is particularly strong in interior design, gaming, fashion, and architecture. According to Hugo van den Bos, strategy director of Dutch graphic design studio Koeweiden Postma, “Dutch design is simple and powerful,” while author and journalist Tracy Metz notes that “The Dutch have the ability to make fun of themselves. It’s also a matter of combining things that usually don't combine at all.

Dutch designers are good at utilising materials that look worthless. The designers give them a new value.”

Dutch design was led for a long time by uncompromising functionality.

Eccentric, innovative, and breath-taking, it remained down-to-earth, with a sense of humour and smart design. This period, marked by functionalism, which went in line with the Calvinist attitude of the Dutch, brought some famous works, such as those of the members of the ‘De Stijl’ artistic movement, with artists such as Mondrian and Rietveld. In 1918, Gerrit Rietveld started creating experimental furniture, including the world famous ‘Red blue chair’ – modern, inexpensive and easy to manufacture according to

According to Forbes, Eindhoven is hands-down the most inventive city in the world, with 22.6 patents filed for every 10,000 residents in the city

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the ‘De Stijl’ style. which was easily recognisable by the use of primary colours, combined with black, white, grey and straight lines.

Prior to the 1980s, the country was known primarily for graphic design, but in the ‘90s the term Dutch Design came to be closely identified with a group of Dutch product designers who gained international recognition, such as Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey, Richard Hutten, Hella Jongerius, Wieki Somers, Hester van Eeghen and Marcel Wanders, fashion designers Viktor & Rolf and architects like Rem Koolhaas and Francine Houben, as well as internationally recognised design firms and collectives like Droog and Moooi, which helped gain prominence for Dutch designers.

The Netherlands is a country of designers, but also a country that is itself a largely man-made design. Topographical and social circumstances in the Netherlands, such as the presence of large areas of water, the focus on sustainability and the lack of living space, have led to innovative architectural solutions. That is how the Dutch architecture industry became one of the most innovative in the world.

The Dutch architectural tradition is known for more than just its building design. Rather, it is also renowned for its total approach to urban planning and complex restructuring. Among the most prominent architects and firms specialising in housing are Mecanoo, Claus & Kaan,

KRISTINA ANĐELKOVIĆ VAHALI

Ambitious PLANS The aim of the Vahali shipyard is to increase the level of equipping ships in order for this to be one day carried out completely in Serbia

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ompany Vahali has been operating successfully for more than 90 years in the Netherlands and for the last 10 years in Serbia, where it has managed to put together a good team of expert shipbuilders, with the help of the decades of experience of the Dutch parent company. Since taking over the Sava Shipyard in 2013, Vahali has – through the work of its employees – completely overhauled the old shipyard in line with the latest trends in technology and construction.

■ From the perspective of your company, how do you view Serbia’s potential for the production of complex products?

Our production is primarily orientated towards the needs of river tourism transport, so the geographical position of Serbia, qualified workforce THE ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA, RENOWNED FOR BEING ONE OF THE WORLD'S FINEST ORCHESTRAS

and Atelier Kempe Thill. There are others who stand out on account of their stand-alone buildings that function as 'business cards', including the OMA (the Kunsthal), Neutelings Riedink (Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision) and Meyer & van Schooten (ING head office).

During the 20th century, Dutch architects played a leading role in the development of modern architecture. From the early 20th century rationalist architecture of Berlage, architect of the Beurs van Berlage, separate groups developed during the 1920s, each with their own view on which direction should be taken by modern architecture. Expressionist architects like Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer worked in Amsterdam, while another group, with names such as Mart Stam, Leendert van der Vlugt, and Johannes Duiker, was mainly devoted to more functionalist architecture (Nieuwe Zakelijkheid or Nieuwe Bouwen). A third group came out of the De Stijl movement, among them J.J.P. Oud and the aforementioned Gerrit Rietveld. Both architects later built in a functionalist style.

The architecture sector in the Netherlands is the fifth-largest in Europe, in terms of both employment and production value. Top architects, such as Rem Koolhaas and Ben van Berkel, are in high demand worldwide.

Some 13,100 architects were registered in the Netherlands as of 2010.

These statistics band together architects, interior architects, urban planners and landscape architects. Almost every company in the Dutch archi-

and shipbuilding tradition are recognised as key potentials for our further development.

The aim of the Vahali shipyard is to increase the level of equipping ships in order for this to be one day carried out completely in Serbia.

■ In which areas do you collaborate with local companies and do they service your needs exclusively in Serbia, or also in the Netherlands?

Ships head from Zasavice to Holland with a fully equipped engine room, installed pipelines, insulation, windows and stainless steel railings.

With this, various domestic companies are able to participate in our projects. Moreover, ships that leave are installed with air conditioning and ventilation systems, as well as cable routes and installed walls in the hotel part of the vessels. All boats are made exclusively for foreign clients.

■ Which characteristics do you primarily seek in the people you employ and how do you approach their training?

One of our main goals is to educate the younger generation in the shipbuilding industry. As such, we plan to open our own training centre in Mačvanska Mitrovica, which is a project that is under development. Our goal is to use the training of young people and the continuous improvement of our production processes in order meet the needs of the most demanding customers. ■

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tecture sector is categorised as an SME. The Netherlands is also a serious player in the global gaming industry, and performs particularly well in markets like serious and casual gaming. Serious games are simulations, or games used for educational purposes. These games can be used, amongst other things, for recruitment processes, emergency response training or practicing skills ranging from driving to performing surgery.

In 2010 there were 173 gaming companies in the Netherlands, employing a total of 2,300 people. The total turnover of the Dutch gaming industry was estimated at €145 million in 2009. Since 2004, the number of gaming companies in the Netherlands has risen to 39.

Dutch educational institutes have responded to these trends by developing courses and curricula to support development in the gaming sector. The Dutch government supports enterprises in attracting funding and provides guarantees for security, business loans and microfinance facilities, as well as support for venture capital funds investing in technology.

There are several factors contributing to the rise of design in the Netherlands. The first is a strong education system for designers; while the second is government support for new designers. Financial support from the Fonds BKVB (the Fund for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture), launched in 1988, has enabled design students to set themselves up as independent entrepreneurs immediately upon graduation.

Also playing an important role is the fact that design has become an integral part of product development in the Netherlands. Designers are included in the earliest phases of innovative processes and the production development cycle. The Netherlands is currently ranked fourth in the world in this area, according to the 2013 Global Innovation Index report, ahead of the United States, Finland, Germany and Japan.

The country’s major focal point of inventions and industrial design is Eindhoven. The Dutch Design Awards are awarded annually during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

According to Forbes, Eindhoven is hands-down the most inventive city in the world, with 22.6 patents filed for every 10,000 residents in the city. To put this into context, the second city on the list, San Diego, produces 8.9 patents for every 10,000 people. The Eindhoven Design Academy has produced many well-known designers, such as Marcel Wanders, Piet-Hein Eek, Li Edelkoort and Hella Jongerius. The academy offers courses in art, design and architecture, and designer Hellas Jongerius is a member of the alumnae. In a 2003 New York Times’ ar-

ticle it was dubbed “without question, currently the best design academy in the world”. Another well-known school is the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Eindhoven is also the headquarters of Philips, the world famous Dutch electronics company. For many years now Philips has endorsed research and innovation in industrial design, mainly in the areas of consumer electronics, lamps, communication devices and medical equipment. Since 1980, a large part of the company has been based in Amsterdam. However, when it comes to industrial design, the knowledge centres of Philips Lighting and Philips Research in Eindhoven still contribute greatly to keeping the city on the map. Well known products incluide the Senseo coffee machine, the wakeup light and various medical products.

The HTC (High Tech Campus), a technology centre launched by Philips, houses over 100 different tech companies from over 60 nations (including IBM, NXP, Intel and Philips).

These companies employ over 8,000 developers, engineers, technicians, scientists and researchers. According to the HTC website, “Here, a patent is created every 20 minutes”.

Almost all of Dutch fashion design’s big names have their origins in the fashion academies of Eindhoven or Arnhem. Large Dutch architecture and engineering firms dominate the international market for architecture services. Part of this success is due to the high level of education and training in the Netherlands, including at the Delft and Eindhoven technical universities.

Hanze University of Applied Sciences offers a programme within the field of Graphic Design and Illustration/Animation. Industrial Design is particularly strong at the Eindhoven University of Technology and The Hague University of Applied Sciences, both of which offer Industrial Design and Industrial Design Engineering respectively. Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA), one of the 14 institutes of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, follows a media-orientated approach and highlights the commercial aspects of art in its programmes.

A key organisation dedicated to supporting fashion designers is the Dutch Fashion Foundation (DFF). DFF represents the interests of top talents among Dutch fashion designers, both at home and abroad. Another key support programme for the fashion sector is DutchDFA: a multi-year programme for international positioning of the design, fashion and architecture sectors.

For game developers, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences’ four-year Bachelor Degree in Games Architecture and Design are the address most sought after. ■

The Netherlands is a hot-bed of innovation, creativity and design, thanks to a strong education system for designers

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There are some 18 million bikes in the country (Netherlands has a population of 16.7 million) and on any working day almost two million bikes take to Dutch roads

Amsterdam has more museums per square metre than any other city in the world. Amongst them are the world famous Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and House of Anne Frank

The Netherlands has the highest population density (493 inhabitants per square km of land) of any European country with more than a million inhabitants.

The term “Go Dutch” came about because in the Netherlands it’s not unusual for dating couples to split the bill. Gender equality is a big thing.

KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), founded in 1919. is the longest running national airline in the world.

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INTERVIEW

DIMITRIS PAPAIOANNOU

Painter, director and designer of costumes, production and lighting

Master of Free and

LIMITLESS EXPRESSION Our interlocutor is certainly an unusual artist with an exceptional portfolio. The creator and director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympics and founder of the EDAFOS Dance Theatre, for which he created 17 performances, Dimitris Papaioannou is also the mastermind behind the performance called Still Life, which premiered at the Onassis Culture Centre in Athens in May 2014.

ticipate in this important festival of the best choreographers and productions for many years now. I am very much focused on the quality of the picture, music and atmosphere I want to have on stage and it is always a challenge to dislocate such a complex theatrical performance from the theatre where it was originally created. The aim of every artist is to move and communicate with new audiences, but my main line of thought is focused on conquering new space and the desire for that space to become the ideal place.

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orn 1964 in Athens, Dimitris Papaioannou studied painting under Ioannis Tsarouchis. At the age of 19 he started working as a comic book illustrator, though he was also committed to contemporary dance as a performer, director, costume, production and lighting designer. He is one of the founders of the EDAFOS Dance Theatre for which he created 17 performances. The theatre’s dance troupe was active in the period between 1986 and 2002 and has left an indelible mark on contemporary Greek art.

■ In Serbia we know very little about the latest developments in Greek contemporary art and theatre, despite your country being one of our closest regional neighbours. Your work will be seen in Belgrade for the first time ever, despite the fact that you have been a regular on the world stage for years?

− I cannot hide my excitement about showcasing Still Life at the Belgrade Dance Festival. We have been planning for my company to par-

■ Who is Dimitris Papaioannou; a painter, visual artist, choreographer, philosopher, dancer, actor?

− I don’t know. I have never felt different or limited when it comes to artistic forms and professions. If we put them next to each other or verbalise them, they become separate entities, somewhat alienated from each other. I studied to be a visual artist and that is my base. However, that foundation will also serve you well if you are painting on canvas, illustrating a comic book, or performing on stage. I try to paint as best as possible on stage. I am fascinated by live performance because it is rare and unique. Also, live performance incorporates breathing together and cohabiting with other people. There is this unbelievable dimension of simultaneous unity and solitude on stage which I find incredibly attractive, perhaps because I have a hard time trying to explaining it to myself.

■ How would you explain Still Life?

− I wanted to leave all of the options open for personal experience and interpretation. There is always a great amount of mystery in art which cannot be explained or even described. That is probably the reason art DECEMBER

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is as old as humankind. What I can tell you is that Still Life is a project centred on mythology, Sisyphus and an Albert Camus essay about the irrationality of the human condition, which results directly from this myth. An attempt to strike a balance between material and spiritual, between heaviness and lightness, and between work and freedom, is somehow dominant in this piece. When you look at things from such a perspective, sometimes they sound much more complicated than the play itself. It all boils down to a series of playful and inconvenient challenges which can entertain, upset or raise questions about people and their place in this world or on stage. At least that’s how I see it.

in such shows. That is not what my foundation, my energy and viewpoint, are all about. I am a lover of true art. I find solace in the realm of limitless and free expression of myself. This is the realm where millions of human traits are intertwined and where I have the freedom to be as ironic, critical, sarcastic, erotic, gentle, classic, provocative or consoling as I want to, because I consider all of that necessary.

■ Eleven years after the Olympic Games in Athens, where do you stand and where does Greece, as a country, stand?

− As far as my country goes, the last decade brought proper understanding of a certain ‘picture’ and where we stand inside its frame. Although it might sound cruel, what we are experiencing or witnessing now is good. These times are conducive to developing self-esteem, which is based on reality, while imagination and creation are becoming our fuel. As far as I am concerned, these last 11 years were the most serious years. I had no choice but to use them wisely. I have been trying to strike a balance and concentrate on what is important. I have tried to make my work as good as possible and to discover what kind of person I would like to be when I grow old.

■ Could you describe that person?

■ Could you tell us about the situation in dance and visual art in Greece today?

− It might sound unbelievable, but there are many things happening. There are artists who have sparked my interest and audiences who are very willing to go to theatre when something interesting pops up. The long, horrible, heart-breaking crisis that has gripped Greece is even more pronounced in Athens and it looms over us like a dark cloud. However, life is pulsating behind that dark cloud.

The aim of every artist is to move and communicate with new audiences, but my main line of thought is focused on conquering new space and the desire for that space to become the ideal place

− I cannot verbalise that image. The art of living is growing old gracefully. Reaching maturity is based on doing work that each of us, individually, have to do. I feel I have left many things behind. Earlier in my life, I used my energy in a different way. You can almost call it a childish need to be loved by everybody while searching for pleasures and vanity in a rather neurotic way. For the most part, I have fulfilled my ambitions through the necessary process of being humiliated before eventually channelling it in a much more useful way. It is truly horrible when you lose the capability of supplying ‘fuel’ for the next day. Today, my ambition goes hand in hand with accepting my own insignificance and the fact that everything is in vain. This is quite difficult but quite liberating too.

■ People all over the world heard of you when you were the creative director of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens, London and Baku. Could you tell us about your experience from creating such projects?

■ In Serbia, we have had very few premieres during the last few seasons. How difficult is it to stage a performance in Greece?

− When I was first invited to be the creative director of the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, I saw it as a daunting task and a huge artistic challenge. I looked at it from the point of creating the biggest show in the world which would simultaneously be a portrait of my native country. I am so glad that it was successful. It would be devastating if the result was different. In order to accomplish everything I planned, I drew tirelessly from all the skills and resources I possessed back then. The Athens Olympics took three years of my life and I am happy that I managed to withstand the intensity of creating such piece. Later, in Baku and London, everything was easier. Nonetheless, I am not particularly interested

−The Greeks learned long ago to rely on themselves, their friends and benefactors, and certainly not on the government or official institutions. The state is always extremely late, providing that it even arrives. Sometimes, you have to wait a lifetime. We celebrate people and projects only when they are no more. The two festivals – the International Dance Festival in Kalamata and the Athens Dance Festival – have made an immeasurable contribution to bringing in audiences and producing contemporary dance projects. All of this happened only thanks to exceptional, persistent, brave artistic directors. Besides, I have a feeling that the Belgrade Dance Festival shares a similar destiny.

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■ How did the people react to your recent performances at Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, and in theatres in Florence, Milan, New York and Moscow?

− I have been lucky so far and the reactions were very much positive.

We’ll see what’s going to happen in Serbia.

■ How important is for an artist to be mobile and to present its work in different countries?

− This is a soul enriching process. Every movement forward is important. I feel that variations in perceptions in different audiences have an enlightening effect and they make you see our own work in a different way whether you are an author or a performer. Art is honed through the eyes of audience.

own strength is frightening. Of course, endurance is tied to various psychosomatic factors so losing it doesn’t necessarily have to be quick particularly if you manage to come up with new resources. Biological dimension is a difficult side of reality but you simply have to accept it.

■ How would you describe the young generation you are working with?

− I am going to start by saying that I am deeply honoured by the fact that young people are choosing to work with me. Now, allow me to moan a little bit. There are very few people who understand how val-

■ Your work always has an element of surprise. The audiences never know what to expect. Is that necessary?

− Of course it is. However, what is important is that we don’t get lost in words. The thoughts that an author expresses through images that are presented in front of audience need to be his and his alone. Sometimes, these thoughts are disappointing, sometimes reinvigorating, sometimes they make you joyful or hopeful, but the artist always has a task to present his thoughts in a courageous and bold manner. I am certain that many audiences are repelled by contemporary art because they may not understand it. To that end, I believe it is important to be consistent and engage with the audience after the performance. I have met people who came to the theatre over and over again to watch the same performance. It’s like going back to the same painting in an endless gallery.

This is not coincidence and it has nothing to do with colour and shadow composition. It is all because of the ideas and thoughts that we share as human beings.

■ Has your art changed direction in the last few years?

As far as my country goes, the last decade brought proper understanding of a certain ‘picture’ and where we stand inside its frame. Although it might sound cruel, what we are experiencing or witnessing now is good

− Ever since I collaborated with the Greek National Theatre, I am on some kind of search for the new material. I keep asking myself – what is performance? A circus? Magic? An optical illusion? The way in which I want to transform my creativity is very closely related to this question.

I would like to discover something tantamount to molecular cooking in my work. I want to find out how I can extract essential oils from raw materials and how to combine known ingredients to create new flavours and gastronomic wonders by using usual seasoning.

■ You are 51. What does that feel like?

− It’s nice. Maturity comes bearing gifts and if you concentrate on those gifts, you are in a good place. Mature age also brings losses because certain things and people are disappearing forever. Loss of one’s

uable physical work is in theatre and how important is to invest time and commitment to your body, as a natural and primary material to work with. If we apply this observation of mine in the ordinary world, we can compare it to lack of proper contact with the nature which, in turn, results in excessive attachment to technology and the life in urban environment which has been increasingly isolating us from the nature. The ordinary world is sensual but the virtual world can also be fun. I am not dismissive about the world’s direction, but I can see that children’s attention and observation span has shortened and that artisans are disappearing. Artists are artisans. I studied under Ioannis (the Greek painter Ioannis Tsarouchis) and I know this subject very well.

The alchemy of art is to know how to transform matter into something else; something that becomes poetry even when it is silent.

■ After all, we are talking about the video clip generation. Are you worried that some of your audience might be young people who simply don’t have a habit of going to theatre?

− I believe that my work is always therapeutic, in spite of the fast paced life that we are living. My view of art has changed over the years. Nevertheless, I am still capable of doing the job providing that I have an idea and material that evoke emotions. These emotions cannot be found on computer screens, but only in a live theatrical image. ■ DECEMBER

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INTERVIEW

TAMARA VUČKOVIĆ MANOJLOVIĆ Director of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre

We Want The Status of a

EUROPEAN THEATRE When she took over the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Tamara thought it would be only for a few months between the departure of the previous administrator, Branko Cvejić, and the election of a new one. It turned out that the Yugoslav Drama Theatre’s entire collective stood behind her, as she demonstrated great organisational and artistic skills, and now she has spent four years at the helm of this theatre, which was founded in 1947. It is important to note that this theatre has been a member of The Union of European Theatres (L'Union des Theatres de l'Europe) since 2006 and to date it is the only theatre in the former Yugoslavia to have joined this Union.

Since November 2014 it has also enjoyed the status of one of the three headquarters of the Union of European Theatres, which says enough about the recognition that this theatre has beyond Serbia’s borders

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ow this manager’s ambition is for the YDT to gain the formal status of a European theatre, which has been granted to only a small number of European theatres. She explains the advantages of this formal status, which is awarded by the Union of European Theatres, but she warns that what is first required is the approval of the theatre’s home country. In France that is the Odeon in Paris, in Italy it is Piccolo Theatre in Milan, then there’s the Little Theatre in St. Petersburg, while several theatres in this Union have initiated the process of YDT obtaining the same privileged status.

Tamara arrived at YDT at a very difficult juncture, with the theatre primarily in a financially precarious situation, with no money on its account for a single performance and funds lacking for the maintenance of the theatre building. However, she quickly succeeded in

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using every means possible to secure the funding required for three premieres a year. She chose to travel the road that was paved by the best of those who preceded her, and to spread that wherever possible and under the demands of modern times. She especially developed educational programmes, with which she competes for funds from the Serbian Ministry of Culture: “For nearly two years now we have been doing a joint project with the Piccolo Theatre from Milan, more precisely, this important theatre is the leader of the project and we will be part of it. All this is orientated primarily towards young people. On the other hand, I insisted, along with the theatre’s entire management team, that our competing to win a new space should be as big as possible and include the best possible contact with the environment in which we work and which we impact on, and that means better contact with the public. This is a long-term commitment the result

of which cannot be seen immediately, but which will certainly prove successful. Just like the huge success of our campaign Drama in the taxi, which had millions of views on social networks and won awards at two advertising festivals in Europe. With three actors from YDT who spent a day as taxi drivers, with a hidden camera, we wanted to announce the new theatre season in a more original way, with help from agency McCann Belgrade. These are all activities that must be envisaged on a daily basis in order for a theatre to be present in the lives of the largest possible number of people in its city.

theatre houses in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Was that door already open even before you took over? − This kind of collaboration is part of the YDT’s history and in this

respect – sometimes more, sometimes less – it has had almost unbroken continuity. We were the first theatre to visit Croatia, appearing in Zagreb, after the wars of the 1990s, as well as Slovenia, and we have continuously good relations with theatres in the region. It is less known that the Yugoslav Drama Theatre has been an active member of the Union of Theatres of Europe for nearly 10 years.

■ Belgraders witnessed the unthinkable last season – people waiting in line for YDT tickets. What sort of an effect came from selling tickets for 100 and 200 dinars at the end of the season? − In 2014 we first had the campaign Discount on art, which began in

January, when ticket sales usually decline drastically. It turned out that this discount was effective and that we had the audience not only in January, but also until the end of the season. And then the following year we decided, together with our sponsor, to offer to our citizens the opportunity to watch the performances from our repertoire at very low prices during this same period. It was a truly unbelievable image that went around the whole world, even to China, which I saw for myself when we performed with our play The Imaginary Invalid in Beijing and Shanghai. We walked through these queues and spoke to people. People of all professions were present, including professors, judges, school pupils, pensioners, housewives and many students...

■ The intensified marketing you have opted for implies translations, or subtitles for performances, which you are the only theatre in Serbia to offer? − Belgrade is a city full of foreigners, including those who live here,

those coming as tourists or those on official visits, and we considered that they should also be offered the possibility of acquainting themselves with our dramatic creativity and our culture. Thus, at present we have three to four shows per month that are performed with English subtitles. In this way we have received a new audience, and our goal is primarily to bring new people, especially new young people, to the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. However, for a new audience, as well as for our loyal audience, we need new plays, and when there is no money there are no new titles in the repertoire.

■ Circumstances have seen you develop into a skilful manager? − I hate the word manager. I am an actress in the position of manager

of a theatre that I care about deeply about, like most of the people at this theatre. All the things I would never seek for myself, I seek for this theatre. There are people who understand that, while there are those for whom culture is alien and distant. I understand these others, because they will invest their money in something else. I'm sorry that we have only a few entrepreneurs in our country who want to help the theatre, but I do not blame them because there is no good legislation that would make things easier for them, that would encourage them to invest some of their capital in culture.

■ An important segment of your engagement is the expansion of the theatre’s regional and international collaboration with

I'm sorry that we have only a few entrepreneurs in our country who want to help the theatre, but I do not blame them because there is no good legislation that would make things easier for them

There we have established some good contacts, exchanged ideas and come up with joint projects.

One of the latest and biggest projects of the Union was initiated in 2012 at the initiative of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, when the Union’s grand conference was held in our country. That project was related to the commemoration of the centenary of the Great War, 1914-2014, and our proposal, which was also accepted, was for the project to be entitled “Fallen angel of history”. That year, 2012, together with the President and the Secretary of the Union, I went to the then Minister of Culture with the intention of introducing him to the idea and asking for support to ensure Belgrade would be at the centre of this project over the next four years. However, I didn’t encounter understanding.

That entire project, which later received great financial resources from Brussels, was taken over by the City of Stuttgart – where all members of the Union participated and presented their shows in June 2015. And we were there too, of course, but all of this could have happened in our country, and could have done so with minimal investment on our side.

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■ However, you put together several performances and projects with which you marked this major anniversary? − After that, in 2014, we applied with seven projects related to this top-

ic and received money and support from the Ministry of Culture and Information. Alongside two plays, Dragonslayers and The Journal of Čarnojević, which emerged as part of this programme marking the centenary of World War I, we also made several guest performances.

The play Dragonslayers appeared in 2014 at the National Theatre in

Prague and the Schauspielhaus in Graz, after which it was performed on the stages of the Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM) in Zagreb and SNG in Ljubljana. The project culminated at the International Festival in Stuttgart at the end of June 2015.

As part of this programme, under the title “The Fallen Angel of History”, our theatre staged the plays 1914, directed by Robert Wilson and performed by the National Theatre of Prague, and Thalerhof, directed

by Anna Badora and performed by Schauspielhaus from Graz.

It is significant that this occasion brought to Belgrade famous American theatre director Bob Wilson, who gave a lecture at our theatre entitled “1. HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? 2. NO, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME - An Evening with Robert Wilson”. This was not only an event for theatre lovers who remember this great director from the early BITEFs, but also for the widest public.

May this year, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, a delegation from China visited several cultural institutions, including YDT. We used this occasion to stage a presentation of our theatre. After their return to China, within two weeks, we received a call to stage two plays in 2016 in Beijing, but we were also invited to participate in the International Festival in Beijing in August this year. From that point, everything went incredibly quickly, from our side and theirs. The décor and costumes were sent to Beijing even before we signed the contract and all details regarding our performances were arranged within a week. We performed three plays at the Beijing National Theatre: Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid, directed by Jagoš Marković, and that marked the first official guest performance of any Serbian theatre in China. The Chinese media wrote extensively about it and we showed that we care about long-term cooperation with them. That is one of the two most important theatres in Beijing, and one of the three most significant in China. We met some of their most important artists, actors, directors, writers, and found that we understood each other very well. And the play was also very well received by the audience. I’m sorry I didn’t get the opportunity to see what a modern Chinese play looks like, such as those found on their repertoire. Of course, we would be very happy to invite our Chinese colleagues here, but it is difficult for us to find the funding for that.

I have always considered it important to maintain continuous cooperation and exchange guest performances, primarily with those theatres from countries where language does not represent an obstacle. In the cases of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, that is our shared advantage

■ And in Beijing, I presume, you received an invitation to perform in Shanghai? − Yes, the artistic director of the International

■ The overall cooperation you strive for includes guest appearances in the countries of the region, Europe and, recently, in Beijing and Shanghai. Who funds that? − YDT makes guest performances at large state theatres and partic-

Festival of Comedy in Shanghai was there and he invited us to contribute one of 15 guest plays.

I had just 15 minutes to decide whether or not we would accept that invitation. I said yes, so we didn’t bring the décor back to Belgrade. The visit to Shanghai was as interesting and successful as the one in Beijing. There we also met some Serbian people who have emigrated there in recent years and who now live and work in Shanghai. These are young people, college-educated professionals who did not have a job in Serbia, or who were poorly paid. After Shanghai, we toured with the show The Deceased, performing at the Folks Theatre in Vienna, where at the same time the Annual Assembly of the Union of Theatres of Europe was held. And just prior to that, with the play The Broken Jug, we took part in the festival in Maribor, Slovenia. During summer and this autumn, this play participated in several festivals in the country and the region, receiving numerous awards.

ipates in many festivals. These performances are financed by those who invite us, with a little added from our budget and limited help which we receive from the Ministry of Culture and Information. In

■ I know that you have received invitations to work on plays in coproduction with Paris’s Odeon Theatre, for example, as

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well as some theatres in our region. What prevents you from doing this? − Money, alongside many other things. When we collect funds for a

■ You recently closed the Bojan Stupica stage. Is there any indication when it could welcome guests again? − I have no answer to your question about when this stage will re-

co-production, a problem remains as to how to maintain such a play within the regular repertoire, due to the need to cover travel expenses, accommodation, per diem costs etc., and this is very expensive for our possibilities. We will see what we will be able to do regarding this, because we care about that. And what we have already done is to restore cooperation with the Croatian National Theatre from Zagreb. After a break of 30 years, they were here earlier this summer with the play The Wolfhound by Miroslav Krleža, and in January we will perform on their stage with the play The Imaginary Invalid. It is interesting that we have performed in Zagreb regularly in recent years, so all of our plays have been performed there, with the exception of the one we will present in January 2016. I have always considered it important to maintain continuous cooperation and exchange guest performances, primarily with those theatres from countries where language does not represent an obstacle. In the cases of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, that is our shared advantage.

open. Such a decision had to be made, despite the fact that closing this stage greatly undermined the structure of the functioning of YDP, both financially and in terms of programming. That stage became extremely dangerous and was no longer safe for performances. Now we need to put together a new project, but I don’t know how long that

■ You have almost completely given up acting and you only perform in one play that was on your repertoire before you took over the helm of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. Does completing the financial structure represent a permanent problem in your work? − I have many permanent problems at many

YUGOSLAV DRAMA THEATRE IN BEIJING, CHINA

The laws governing the public sector impact on culture institutions and it often occurs that they are difficult or impossible to apply in this area. I hope that the Law on Theatres will soon find its way onto the agenda

levels. I am one of those people who do not quit when they take something on. And I want to achieve some sort of result. I came here for a year, thinking I would stay for six or seven months, until a solution was found, and while I was already in that position I wanted it to have some meaning. I kept that single play because I do not have time to be more focused on the theatre as an actress, but I don’t necessarily think that my colleagues who find themselves in such a managerial position should do the same. I got into major fights and also faced great challenges; for two years I was without a mandate or, more precisely, I didn’t have any kind of mandate. There are many problems that I cannot solve; they exceed my best will and greatest efforts, but still some things have been done. It is particularly important to me that a good working atmosphere prevails in the theatre. That is not easy to maintain when we take into consideration that during the past eight years we have not only lost a significant part of the funding, but also a great number of people. We have lost half of the technical staff, and the people who have remained invest enormous enthusiasm and work to ensure that everything works as it should. Of course, a lot of effort and understanding is required from the artists in order to maintain high artistic criteria in a situation of constant improvisation.

will take. In addition, there is the unresolved ownership dispute between the City and the Republic, which must also be regulated.

■ The Yugoslav Drama Theatre once employed 70 actors. What is the situation today? − Times have changed and today this theatre employs

just 27 actors. That’s a low number, of course, and is also one of the reasons, apart from financing, that our work is limited. However, culture regulations are often a problem and not a stimulant. The laws governing the public sector impact on culture institutions and it often occurs that they are difficult or impossible to apply in this area. I hope that the Law on Theatres will soon find its way onto the agenda.

■ How can you hire a new actor? Only when someone dies or retires? − That is decided by the Republican Commission for Employment.

We hire the actors we need using a temporary contract or honorary fee, and the number of such engagements is very large. The Yugoslav Drama Theatre has, in addition to fulltime employees, more than a hundred engaged artists and associates. And we pay all of them from our own funds.

With the full awareness I have for the difficult financial situation in the country, I still hope that the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, as one of the most important culture institutions in our country, will receive significant support and understanding for its work. ■

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CHILL OUT

INDIA

PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR ▶ Pushkar Camel Fair (Pushkar Fair or Pushkar Mela) is a fascinating annual five-day festival held in a holy town of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan, India. The initial intention behind the festival was to draw local livestock traders to do business during the Hindu month of Kartik, which begins with the new moon in November.

Being the only one of its kind in the entire world, Pushkar Camel Fair has two components: the livestock trading, where thousands of camels, cows, sheep and huge crowds congregate; and the flamboyant carnival after the first five days. Today, the fair takes center stage and has become a popular festival with locals and travelers, who come all the way for a week of immense sights and culture that seem only possible in India.

FINLAND

USA

FINLAND ROLLS OUT NATIONAL EMOJI

SEATTLE'S FAMOUS GUM WALL IS SET TO BE CLEANED

▶Finland has rolled out its own set of emoji (a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc.) to reflect "important things" associated with the country.

The first set, unveiled in November, depict a man and a woman enjoying a sauna, an "unbreakable" Nokia 3310 smartphone and a head-banger reflecting a Finnish appreciation for hard rock. Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs said the emoji will illustrate "Finnish emotions" and also be a part of the yearly Christmas calendar published by the agency. The emoji will also be visible via ThisIsFinland, the country's official website. The calendar will be available in 13 languages, including English, Japanese and Korean.

N O R WA Y

WORLD'S FASTEST LAWN MOWER ▶ A Norwegian team brought their

souped-up lawn mower to speeds of nearly 480km/h to take on the 421km/h world record.

The Norwegian Speed Factory team said they started with a Viking T6 lawnmower and rebuilt it into "The

World's Fastest Viking" for the speed run at Torp Sandefjord Airport.

The team said the rebuilt mower features 408 horsepower with a

▶ The Pike Place Market gum wall in Seattle,US is due to be cleaned after accumulating discarded chewing gum for 20 years. The Preservation & Development Authority, or PDA, announced the gum will be removed after 20 years of locals and tourists using it as a final destination for their discarded gum.

V8 engine and has the wheels of a Formula 3 car. The reservoir for collecting grass clippings was converted into a fuel tank and cooling system.

Driver Pekka Lundefaret said the runway was slippery during the initial test run and the engine filled with water, but he was able to exceed the former record.

The company said the record has been verified by Guinness World Records.

PDA spokeswoman Emily Crawford told the Seattle Times that contractor Cascadian Building Maintenance has been hired to use an industrial steam machine on the wall "because it's going to be a very large job," expected to take up to three days.

"This is probably the weirdest job we've done," said Kelly Foster of Cascadian Building Maintenance.

But they don’t expect the clean-up to deter future use of the gum wall, which was dubbed by TripAdvisor as the world's second most germ-ridden tourist attraction.

TURKEY

WHIRLING DERVISHES FESTIVAL ▶ The ancient Seljuk capital of Konya. Turkey will hosts from December 10 to December 17 the traditional annual Whirling Dervishes Festival to commemorate the life and teachings of the great Sufi saint- Mevlana. Regarded as one of the spectacular event, the festival is a true crowd puller as thousands of people gather to be a part of the proceedings. This mega festival abounds in dance performances by the dervishes (ascetic Muslim monk). The dance of the dervishes is very much aesthetic as they start to move in circles with the head leaned to one side and both hands clasped. The hand that is raised is said to be receiving the divine messages from the heaven which flows down to the earth. The clothes of the dancers are also designed to carry a message: the cloak they wear represents a coffin, their conical hat a gravestone and the white skirt signifying a shroud.

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PERU

PERUVIANS FIGHT TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS ▶ Hundreds of Peruvians celebrate Christmas and the upcoming new year in traditional style, by fighting each other at the annual Takanakuy festival.

The event, held near the city of Cusco, brought together hundreds of residents to clash over simmering disputes, in the belief that once they have fought they can start the new year in peace.

The contestants, men, women and even children, many donning colourful face masks and Andean horse-riding gear, greet each other with handshakes and hugs before lunging into battle.

Judges and referees were on hand to declare the winners in fights stemming from legal matters to stolen lovers.

CHINA

SCIENTISTS DECODE PANDA LANGUAGE

10 Things To Let Go Of Before The New Year ▶ How much stress are you carrying around? Do you feel burdened by

life's circumstances and emotional issues? Becoming more grounded and happy starts with letting go of worry and stress. Here are 10 things to let go of in order to reach unlimited happiness.

1. All thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong.

2. Feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do.

3. Fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself.

4. Regrets; at one point in your life, that “whatever" was exactly what you wanted.

5 Worrying; worrying is like praying for what you don't want.

6. Blaming anyone for anything; be accountable for your own life. If you don't like something, you have

▶ The China Research Center

for the Giant Panda has been working on a panda linguistics project since 2010. Scientists first made recordings between cubs and adults in various situations, such as when they were eating, mating, nursing, fighting and so on, said Zhang Hemin, head of the center.

two choices, accept it or change it.

7. Thinking you are damaged; you matter, and the world needs you just as you are.

8. Thinking your dreams are not important; always follow your heart.

9. Being the “go-to person" for everyone, all the time; stop blowing yourself off and take care of youreself first.

10. Thinking everyone else is happier, more successful or better off than you. You are right where you need to be.

USA

AUSTRIA

PARADE OF TRABANTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

GRANDMA CHOPPED $1.02MLN SAVINGS ON HER DEATHBED

▶ Even some of the most knowledgeable automotive enthusiasts will admit ignorance when it comes to East Germany’s most famous automobile, the Trabant; despite the fact that more than 3 million of them were built between 1962 and 1991, very few of them have left the former Eastern Bloc.

These basic two-cylinder, composite-bodied cars came to symbolize Communism and the Cold War, so it’s entirely fitting that Washington, D.C.’s International Spy Museum celebrates them with their Annual Parade of Trabants.

This year’s 7th annual Parade of Trabants, which commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall, attracted some of the finest original and restored Trabanca in North America to Washington.

▶ An 85-year-old grandmother cut up her US$1.02 million savings on her deathbed to prevent her family members from inheriting the cash Police confirmed the woman died in a retirement home in the state of Lower Austria and workers collecting her belongings discovered the woman had chopped €950,000 into small pieces on her bed in the facility.

Authorities said they determined the woman had been within her rights to destroy the money, as it was her own property.

No criminal investigation has been opened.

Bank officials said the family could recover some of the fortune if enough pieces of the bills survive.

"We managed to decode some panda language and the results are quite interesting.

Adult giant pandas usually are solitary, so the only language teacher they have is their own mother," Zhang said.

Panda cubs can barely vocalize at all except to say things like "Gee-Gee" (I'm hungry), "Wow-Wow" (Not happy!) or "Coo-Coo" (Nice!).

There were 375 giant pandas in captivity at the end of 2013, about 200 of them at Zhang's center.

Source: Xinhua

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On the Threshold of Christmas FASHION: WINTER 2015-2016

&

According to most fashion advisors, there are a few key fashion trends for winter 2016 season that are vying for attention, two of which have the most followers.

The first has at its core Nordic heritage, with colours inspired by ice and glaciers. The sweater set is probably the most important item, as well as the elongated sweater dress, wide-leg pants, cocoon coat, knitted pants, turtleneck sweaters and blanket coat.

The second tale of trend is about the ultimate comfortable urban lifestyle in an active environment. Their surroundings are reflected in their lustrous surfaces, sharp silhouettes, and plenty of contrasting details. Colours are bright and energetic, with positive energy. Digital blue, bright orange and yellow, contrast with colours of industrial steel, concrete, and glass.

Here are a few ideas for the first icy days, but also for the holiday breaks before, during and after those special days of Christmas and New Year.

PRICE:

€6.675

Omega Constellation Watch

Stella McCartney Coat Hook and bar front closures, side slit pockets, with embroidery stitching detail throughout, made in Italy.

PRICE: €4,150

Complete with diamond detailing, this is a luxury ladies watch that exudes the label’s signature sophistication.

Chloé Shoulder Bag Perfectly proportioned for dayto-night wear, this chic mini bag is a must-have investment for the season ahead.

PRICE: €1,400

PRICE:

€2.340

Oscar De La Renta Dress The pure wool skirt has a tulip shape and is embroidered with monochrome stitching in a windowpane pattern.

Team with black court shoes.

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PRICE:

€325

John Hardy Bracelet A single station lends subtle detail to a signature chain bracelet, hand-woven from sterling silver.

PRICE: €390

Tom Ford Joan Round Sunglasses Wear this glasses with vintage-inspired pieces for a retro look.

New Year Holidays PRICE:

Salvatore Ferragamo Loris Fur Boot

€800

Alice + Olivia Long Cardigan

Crafted with smooth Italian leather and genuine rabbit fur, the high ankle silhouette is elevated on a sculptural block heel and will lend luxury to cashmere knits and skinny jeans.

PRICE: €1,300

This cosy style features a draped waterfall front with a removable fox fur shawl collar, complete with long ribbed sleeves and a longline silhouette.

PRICE:

€735

Etro Patchwork Cardigan Crafted in Italy with a luxe wool blend, it boasts a stylish contrast design with lurex and cable knit detailing and is accented with an elegant cascading waterfall front.

Marco Bicego Africa Necklace This 18 karat golden boules have been hand-crafted and textured in Italian workshops to create a unique finish to each piece.

PRICE: €3,615

PRICE:

€430

Valentino Floral Lace Scarf

Showcasing a delicate floral lace print, drape this feminine piece around the shoulders to complement a whole host of outfits this season.

PRICE:

€1,690

Chloé 'Drew' Leather Prada Crossbody Bag Combat Boot A rounded silhouette mixes with a squared-off flap, while gleaming goldtone hardware highlights the bag's soft, grained leather.

Lace-up style with back zip closure and adjustable belt.

Leather upper and lining/leather and synthetic sole.

PRICE:

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FASHION: A SEMI-FORMAL DRESS CODE IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST FOR MEN TO FOLLOW

Formal, Semi-Formal &

PRICE:

€530

Peter Millar Wool Blazer This navy Peter Millar blazer, crafted from luxurious textured wool, with three slot pockets and buttoned cuffs, layer over a casual shirt and chinos for a classic heritage look.

Tom Ford Shirt Luxuriously crafted in Italy with the finest pure cotton, it boasts a soft woven design with an all-over navy and white gingham pattern.

PRICE: €540

PRICE:

€140

Corduroy Five Pocket Trousers

Informal Dressing To start with, remember that it is still a fairly formal affair and you must wear a button-down shirt, although there will be plenty of room to experiment with your attire. For example, you can wear subtle stripes or textured shirts instead of a classic white shirt, which is a must for formal events.

The classic suit is not necessarily required, but blazers or sweaters, combined with a leisure shirt, soft trousers or even jeans, are preferable. This is just one example, but there are many more. Here you can find ideas that could prove useful for the days ahead, which are bound to be filled with formal, informal and semi-formal meetings, parties and gatherings for the holiday season. Here is a guide to arrive in the right attire for your next event.

Paul Smith Leather Bracelet The perfect accessory for casual ensembles, this Paul Smith woven leather bracelet features a tri-tone metallic trim and branded clip fastening.

PRICE: €130 PRICE:

€180

Olive Twill Blazer

This stretch-cotton pair has a jean-style fivepocket construction and branded rivets.

John Lobb Combe Boot Crafted from heavyweight calf leather with a storm welt sole for water resistance, Lobb Combe boots are comfortable, practical and stylish.

PRICE: €1,590

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Coloring a stretch cotton blazer with a convertible chest pocket lining, it makes for a layering option that's ready to rock day or night, in situations both dressy and not-so-much.

Stone Island Sweatshirt

PRICE:

€495

Tod’s Leather Chukka Boots An investment in classic sophistication, Tod’s Chukka boots infuse smart and casual looks with timeless style.

PRICE:

€185

Stone Island heavy cotton jersey sweatshirt in light green, featuring a crewneck collar, raglan sleeves with flat fell seams, ribbed collar, arm cuffs, and bottom band.

Paul Smith Leather Wash Bag

PRICE:

Dolce & Gabbana Pocket Square

€115

Crafted in Italy, the classic accessory features an all-over skull print with the brand’s signature logo to one corner.

PRICE:

€940

Kenzo Khaki Coat

This Paul Smith wash-bag is the perfect home for all your toiletries.

PRICE: €345

This Kenzo parka coat features heavy pocket detailing giving it a military styling. Hooded with a drawstring waist and hem, it is effortless cool outerwear that combines practicality and style.

PRICE:

€855

Acne Studios Tweed Jacket Constructed to perfection of pure wool and lined in sherpa, this jacket boasts a hood that unzips to a large open collar.

Frederique Constant Gold Watch Burberry Classic Button Down Shirt

Paying tribute to the famous pianist and composer, Frédéric Chopin, Swiss timepiece manufacturers Frédérique Constant present the Frédéric Chopin watch. A tremendous choice for day or evening wear PRICE: €1,475

Olive green stretch cotton classic button down shirt from Burberry Brit.

PRICE: €215

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PROFILE

New Creative Opportunities After gaining experience in many exciting and responsible jobs within the hotel industry, I was excited to apply my knowledge in the marketing and communications sector

NAĐA MANASIJEVIĆ Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager at Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade

U

pon completing high school in Belgrade, my great wish was to become a journalist. I dreamt about becoming a news reporter, standing in front of a camera with a microphone. I even took an entrance exam for the Belgrade University Faculty of Political sciences, but I never studied Journalism. My wishes changed and as I grew up I became more realistic.

I graduated in Marketing and International Business at Megatrend University and during my studying I wanted to start working. My first job paved the way for me to get into the hospitality and hotel industry. I started working at Hyatt Regency Belgrade, first as a hostess in a restaurant and then as an Administrative Assistant in the Food & Beverage department. During my time in this position I learned a lot about all aspects of the hotel business, from structure and organisation, to the importance of guest service and being customer focused.

For five years I worked closely with the director of the food & beverage department and the head chef, as well as with all restaurant and banquet managers. I was involved in the organisational aspects of many corporate and business

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events, wine evenings, food tastings, cocktail receptions and celebrations, which provide me with an inside view of event planning and organisation.

I have been working at Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade, within the Sales and Marketing department, for almost three years now. Initially starting as Banquet Sales coordinator, I worked my way up to being given responsibility for the organisation of all events taking place in the hotel. During this time I have organised all kinds of events, from small business meetings, press conferences, seminars and congresses, to weddings.

The motto of Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade is “Welcome Home”, and that reflect not only on our guests’ satisfaction, but also that of our employees Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade provides a “turn-key” service, which means that the sales person takes over the complete organisation of events, from initial idea to realisation. That working philosophy gave me extraordinary knowledge and confidence to collaborate with people from different fields and cultures. Even though I have realised how much I enjoy my job, I have never given up on expanding my knowledge and developing my artistic side more.

I have had an interest in marketing and communications since the be-

ginning of my career in the hotel industry. I received training in the marketing department while working at Hyatt and enrolled in the Journalism School of the Journalism Association of Serbia. I graduated as a journalist and gained professional experience at daily newspapers Blic and 24hours, where I quickly learned about online journalism and writing, digital marketing and social media. I graduated in Online Journalism and Digital Marketing at the Journalism Association of Serbia soon after, and this experience led me to realise how I could connect my creative side and my corporate side within the hotel business. Hotels are increasingly dependent on digital marketing and social media to develop their business and generate revenue growth. As our hotel is trying to develop our marketing strategy and social media presence for the next year, I was offered to try my hand in the marketing and communications sector. I am looking forward to this new opportunity to expand my knowledge and to be creative in taking on all of our business challenges.

The motto of Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade is “Welcome Home”, and that reflects not only on our guests’ satisfaction, but also that of our employees. We all work as a team, breathing as one, and I am very happy to be part of such a young and enthusiastic company. It makes my everyday duties easier and more enjoyable. Cooperating and interacting on a daily basis with different clients, guests and colleagues ensures every working day is dynamic and challenging, but also interesting.

Hopefully, that will never change. 

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