CorD Magazine, July 2018 Issue, No.165

Ambassador of Germany to Serbia

BENJAMIN SCHMID

Open-Door Policy

Life Is More Important Than A Career

Ambassador of India to Serbia

Violinist

www.cordmagazine.com

Time For Comprehensive Agreement

H.E. NARINDER CHAUHAN

JULY 2018/ ISSUE NO. 165

H.E. AXEL DITTMANN

interviews opinions new comments events KEMAL DERVIS

Toward A More

Democratic Europe?

JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ

Can The Euro Be Saved?

GORAN MILIĆ

783002 771451 9

Man Exclusive Without An Ideology

ISSN1451-7833

JOURNALIST

CONTENTS

EXCLUSIVE GORAN MILIĆ MAN WITHOUT AN IDEOLOGY A Croat by birth, for many years he defined himself as a Yugoslav. Once famous for being a television news reporter for both Serbian and Croatian national television stations, for the last few years he’s been an irreplaceable feature of the Balkan edition of Al Jazeera. He interviewed both Jimmy Carter and Tito, highly appreciated Alija Izetbegović, reported from the UN and has toured the planet

08 MAN WITHOUT AN IDEOLOGY

23 UNRAVELLING THE MACRON-MERKEL AGREEMENT

GORAN MILIĆ Journalist

EUROPEAN UNION Feature

14 TIME FOR COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT

H.E. AXEL DITTMANN Ambassador of Germany to Serbia

43 CULTURAL EXCHANGE BASED ON DIALOGUE AND NETWORKING

18 GLOBAL DIARY

JOHANNES IRSCHIK Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum and President of EUNIC Serbia

JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ Project syndicate

CORD MAGAZINE

22 AWKWARD MOMENTS AT TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT DONALD TRUMP - KIM JONG-UN’S SUMMIT Feature

Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić

EDITOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs DESIGNER: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Maja Vukadinović, Mirjana Jovanović, Miša Brkić,

52 LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A CAREER BENJAMIN SCHMID Violinist

27 BUSINESS DIALOGUE

20 CAN THE EURO BE SAVED?

@CORDMAGAZINE

PUBLICATION ETHICS Feature

ANA ANĐELIĆ Chief Brand Officer of Rebecca Minkoff, strategist & doctor of sociology

@CORD_MAGAZINE

24 CAPTURING THE ZEITGEIST THROUGH PRODUCT & NETWORK DESIGN

51 DEFINING PLAGIARISM

EDITORIAL MANAGER: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović

44 HIGH AMBITION CONNECTED WITH QUALITY NORWAY Contemporary art

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COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen

FINANCE: Ajilon Solutions m.damjanovic@aim.rs

TRANSLATION & EDITING MRP EDITORIAL Halifax Translation Services

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs

58 CULTURE CALENDAR 60 CUTE SUMMER IDEAS FOR YOUR GOOD LOOK FASHION

48 FACES AND PLACES PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Nataša Trifunović, n.trifunovic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović, v.vukajlovic@aim.rs

56 CHILL OUT

62 AFTER WORK

GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o.

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July

Comment

Toward A More

Democratic Europe?

KEMAL DERVIS

FORMER MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OF TURKEY

A

year ago, Emmanuel Macron’s decisive victory in the French presidential election, and his party’s subsequent success in legislative elections, caused many to breathe a sigh of relief. The rising tide of extremist populism in the West, it seemed, had finally turned. That has turned out not to be the case.

But the stunning emergence of a populist majority government in Italy, a founding member of the European Union, does not necessarily spell disaster.

True, populists’ growing strength is threatening traditional centre-right and centre-left parties and making it very difficult for EU-level governance, in its current form, to function. But what if populist movements’ continued electoral success helps to drive forward a broader political restructuring that ultimately strengthens European democracy?

This reading is reinforced by the experience of Macron himself. Having never held elected office, Macron created a new party centred on himself, with support from both centre-left and centreright voters. He seems to have restructured French politics in the process.

Next year’s European Parliament election is likely to reveal more about the potential for such political restructuring.The European Parliament has never generated the same level of interest as other European institutions, such as the Commission, the Council, or even the Court of Justice. European parliamentary debates rarely make it far outside Brussels or Strasbourg, and voter turnout to fill the body’s seats has typically been low. Such facts have long been cited as evidence that the EU suffers from a democratic deficit, with citizens inadequately engaged with European-level governance.

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The rise of extreme populism in Europe is coming at the expense of traditional centre-right and centre-left parties and putting the European Union at risk. But the populist threat could induce a restructuring of European politics that ultimately bolsters the EU’s legitimacy But as a series of crises have hit the EU – affecting most acutely Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy – these dynamics have been changing.

Gone are the days when Europeans quietly accepted the EU, despite some complaints. Now, the EU is at the centre of domestic political debates, which increasingly include existential questions about the survival of the eurozone and the entire European project. This means that candidates in next year’s election are unlikely just to focus on domestic issues.

While there will be some of that, there is likely also to be, for the first time, extensive discussion about Europe’s future and policies, especially in areas like migration, defence and security, energy and climate, and relations with major powers like the United States and Russia. After all, despite their differences, virtually every country in Europe is currently grappling with the question of how much Europe it wants, how open and optimistic it should be about new forms of technology-enabled globalization, and how much social solidarity is appropriate.

These discussions – and thus the European Parliament that emerges next year – are unlikely to adhere to standard party lines. After all, sticking to traditional political groupings is highly difficult nowadays, as exemplified by Macron’s party – La République En Marche ! – which does not fit neatly into traditional ideological categories. Macron has put out feelers for a pan-European party. Though truly supranational politics in Europe remains uncharted terrain, it makes sense that a strongly pro-EU politician should be one of its pioneers.

Right-wing populists, as nationalist and antiEuropean as they may be, also seem eager to support one another at the European level, taking advantage

of their common platforms on most issues, particularly immigration, cultural identity, and trade.

This will be more difficult for the far left, at least in France, which combines traditionally liberal views on immigration with protectionist economic policies that look at lot like those espoused by the populist right.

Of course, the traditional centre-right and centre-left parties – which have lost a large share of the electorate over the last five years, particularly in Spain, Italy, France, and, to a lesser extent, Germany – will try to regain their own footing.

The problem is that these parties seem outdated to many younger voters, regardless of their leaders’ age.

If they are to succeed, they will need to provide an inspiring new platform that convincingly addresses the issues of the today – all while contending with new political forces.

It is possible, however, that new political forces will in some cases absorb traditional centre-right and centre-left parties. In France, for example, Macron’s party could absorb the centre-right Les Republicains, or it could shift further to the left, with a social solidarity program to accompany the liberal market measures it has already taken.

The question is whether the party’s leaders think they can secure a simultaneous victory against Les Republicains and the centre-left Socialists.

Although the details remain unclear, a thorough restructuring of the European political scene – shaped largely by attitudes toward Europe – seems certain. If the European Parliament election next year helps to advance this restructuring, this may end up constituting a large step forward for democracy in Europe.

Interview Exclusive GORAN MILIĆ JOURNALIST

Man Without

An Ideology A Croat by birth, for many years he defined himself as a Yugoslav. Once famous for being a television news reporter for both Serbian and Croatian national television stations, for the last few years he’s been an irreplaceable feature of the Balkan edition of Qatar-based TV company Al Jazeera. He interviewed both Jimmy Carter and Tito, highly appreciated Alija Izetbegović, reported from the United Nations and has toured the planet.

Today he is doing a major TV series in which he seeks an answer to the question: did the people of the former Yugoslavia live better while the SFRY existed or in their own countries today?

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By Radmila Stanković

FRIENDS

“I left old friends all over that former country, and acquired new ones, and today’s there’s almost no part of that country where I won’t go to shoot some documentary story.”

He was the biggest television star of the former Yugoslavia. He thought quickly and spoke easily, with television appearing to be a medium tailormade for him. That’s how he has managed to survive on the small screen, with all his traits, for a full 48 years. He arrived at Croatia’s national television in 1998 and worked there until 2011. Specifically, on 23rd January that year he presented HRT’s Daily Bulletin, and the next day he turned 65 and had his working relationship cancelled, so he couldn’t even enter the building – as his computer card had already been cancelled! It was a very unpleasant feeling for him to realise in such a way that he’d entered retirement: Despite everything, I threw a farewell party and invited friends, some brought lamb, some brought wine, there were 150 of us. Among those I invited were people from both the right and the left, including both Hloverka Novak Srzić and Zoran Šprajc – everyone was there except the members of the management team, who I didn’t invite.

Milić was soon chosen as programme director at television company Al Jazeera, which opened its headquarters in Sarajevo. In those five years he has authored a hundred broadcasts and the series ‘Alchemy of the Balkans’, dedicated to presenting life in the former republics and provinces of the country that was called Yugoslavia: “I had the idea of talking about the new faces of those states that emerged from one system and, with major difficulties, transitioned to another.

And I think that was a realistic picture of all the misery that people went through, but we still saw the optimism with which they await the future.”

Today Goran is again making a series of shows on the territory of the republics of the former country, but this time based around another idea: “More than 20 years have passed since the collapse of the country, since the wars and everything that changed the borders of Yugoslavia, and now it’s possible to talk about a new trend – I’m now looking at those changes and filming, but at the same time I’m trying to get an answer to the question of whether the situation is better for the people now or whether it was better back then. I come

COMMUNISM

MARKET

“I think that communism was a respectable idea, but unimplementable, because it is ... against human nature.”

The market is cruel...You used to pay a lot in Moscow for Yugoslav wine, while today you have to pay someone to place it on shop shelves alongside the best wines from around the world

across ordinary people, businesspeople, privateers conquering new technologies; I meet new expert professionals who have new occupations.”

As a man with a high ethical structure, Goran’s father, Marko Milić raised his son not to fear the authorities, but also not to be rude and to respect people who are hardworking and high-quality: “My father was ambassador to Uruguay, and I was impressed by that country. On one occasion he staged a dinner for the then elite of Uruguayan

society, which left me breathless. He noticed this, and after dinner he led me to the bathroom, turned his back to me, dropped his trousers and removed his underpants. I was taken aback. Then he asked me: What do you see? I answered him: I see your arse! And he said: That’s right, an ambassador’s arse is the same as everyone’s arse. Remember that! He was infinitely honest and humane; throughout my life I never heard anyone utter a bad word about him.”

As a child, Goran travelled to various coun-

INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE BUSH, FORMER US PRESIDENT

The differences between the countries of the former Yugoslavia are proportionally the same as they were in 1914, prior to them being united in Yugoslavia. They may even have increased slightly

tries with his father, residing wherever he served.

He familiarised himself with the world early on and learned languages: he speaks French fluently and excellently, knows English well and can easily communicate in Italian and Spanish... He quickly realised that people lived much better in Western Europe than in the East, though it was only in Latin America that he lost all his illusions about the Left that had been close to him in his youth: “Actually, it was there that I realised that the problem is in the system. In Cuba, as a very young boy, I’d ordered fresh orange juice in a hotel, but in

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Interview Exclusive the city, in Havana, you couldn’t order orange juice in a tavern. Nor did Cubans have anywhere to buy oranges. I quickly realised that this was a problem of the society, or the system, because I could understand if there was no orange juice in Moscow, with its polar climate, but not why there wasn’t any in Krasnodar, which has a true Mediterranean climate. Or cigarettes. The two cheapest types of cigarettes in Yugoslavia were Drava and Ibar. They

were a hundred times better than cigarettes in Cuba.

And Cuba has the most expensive cigars – those that cost $20 each, but they were sold exclusively to foreigners. There were no cigarettes for the people...

“Regardless of all these discoveries, I remained loyal to the system in which I lived. I thought that Yugoslavia was okay; I accompanied President Tito on his travels to Mexico, Venezuela, Panama ... to conferences of the Non-Aligned Movement, during his meeting with U.S. President Jimmy Carter. I watched him become a great world statesman and I was impressed. Of course, I don’t glorify everything he did, because there were also great crimes, such as Goli Otok (island prison for Yugoslav dissidents) and the mass retaliation at Bleiburg, for example, then confiscations and nationalisations, but one must single out his great moves, such as the National Liberation Struggle and the Non-Aligned Movement, for example.”

This journalist, who spent many years as TV Belgrade’s New York correspondent and who

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toured the planet, was a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, because such a career was unthinkable without that condition. Nevertheless, he was highly desirable to the West – as he represented a reformed communist who was not dogmatic, with whom they could converse, and who was an important guest at embassies in Belgrade and in any company where important discussions were led:

I’m sorry that there are no more intellectuals who think “in the European way”, who are convinced that the EU is a better society. However, I think it will be educated young people who will create the conditions for a better life in this region. And change the way of thinking “I think that communism was a respectable idea, but unimplementable, because it is ... against human nature. Perhaps it would be most accurate to say that I am today a man without an ideology,

although globalisation is a huge challenge for every person on the planet, so you either have to be for it or against it. Although I am handicapped by my age, because modern technology is primarily intended for young people. Still, I have children and think it’s good that they were born later, and not in 1946, like me.”

From his marriage with his first wife, Oliver Olja Katanić – a successful former TV Belgrade journalist, Goran has his eldest daughter, Lana Marija Milić, who works as a lawyer in Zagreb.

After Olja’s death, he married Ana Lončar, who is known to the Croatian public, under the name Ana Milić, as the editor of the Good Morning Croatia programme on Croatian national television station HRT. From that marriage he has a son, Marko, who is named after Goran’s father and who, like his grandfather and father, graduated in law. He is today a close associate of Croatian Prime Minister Andrija Plenković: “Marko was 17 years old when he first went to the Parliament. He knew that he would study international law, and everything he learned in the Parliament was important to his future studies. At one point he joined the HDZ [Croatian Democratic Union], began working with current Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, serving his assistant when he became a European parliamentarian. He was also with him when he won internal party elections against Karamarko, and he’s still with him today. I love the fact that Marko is so young but wants to continue learning, educating himself, improving himself. He won a scholarship to go to China, but is still considering what he will do. There are other invitations, for example to be some type of media advisor in the Croatian Interior Ministry, but he’s sufficiently experienced and independent to decide the best option for himself.”

When war broke out on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, Goran’s 800-square-metre family house in Slano was destroyed. Goran bought an apartment in Slano and continued spending time in the birthplace of his ancestors on his father’s side: “After so many years, I’m again a Slanjanin and again enjoying it. Ana and I were there this year for Easter and I’m delighted that I again have a place where I can spend time by the sea. Admittedly, my life unfolds between Sarajevo – where I work part-time for Al Jazeera, have lectures, work on documentary films and do various other jobs – and Zagreb, where Ana and Marko live and where I spend most of my time. I have been well received in Bosnia for a long time and feel good there. I greatly appreciated Alija

Izetbegović. Actually, I left old friends all over that former country, and acquired new ones, and today’s there’s almost no part of that country where I won’t go to shoot some documentary story. I commence from the following fact: around 150,000 foreigners are living on the territory of the former Yugoslavia today – from diplomats, representatives of various organisations, institutes, associations etc. to correspondents of numerous media companies, soldiers and spies. I am someone who has passed every village, from Gorica to Đevđelija, in recent years; I know the place perfectly and am someone who will acquaint them with that place perfectly. I think that’s a good recommendation for me to also have something to do in the coming years.”

In seeking to shape himself as a journalist, Milić met the greats of Yugoslav and world journalism.

He acknowledges the great Jurij Gustinčič, who was the New York correspondent of Belgrade daily Politika, or Dragiša Bošković, who also wrote from New York, but for Ljubljana-based daily Delo. He considers Aleksandar Tijanić as having been a great journalist, but one that only functioned mentally to the borders of the former Yugoslavia:

Perhaps it would be most accurate to say that I am today a man without an ideology, although globalisation is a huge challenge for every person on the planet, so you either have to be for it or against it “Jurij, who we nicknamed Jurka, and Dragiša had global worldviews, and – unlike many other journalists of that time – weren’t dogmatic. They were the loyal system for which they worked, but they were very well aware of its shortcomings. Jurka was a communist until the end of his life, and he died at the age of 90. Today I think I was raised and educated on erroneous premises. I remember that, as Yugoslavs, we had problems with all the

neighbours surrounding us, while today we know that a good foreign policy is based on the necessity of having the best possible relations with neighbours.

We, as Yugoslavia, constantly accused our neighbours of being unfriendly towards us all the way until 1977.

And then it just so happened that I was meeting with Edvard Kardelj [celebrated Slovenian journalist and member of the Presidency of SFR Yugoslavia for Slovenia], who had invited all presidents of the presidential committees of the republics and provinces, and all presidents of the central committees, while there were only a few editors, including myself, as the editor of the foreign policy section of TV Belgrade.

Kardelj, who was then appearing as the second man in the country, said that he was speaking on behalf of President Tito as he announced that the SFR Yugoslavia foreign policy had to change and that he would personally begin this change with Austria, though it was tough for the Slovenes to accept what Austria was doing to the Carinthian Slovenes. He then spoke about new guidelines for behaving towards neighbours, which at that time was the toughest for the Macedonians due to their relations with Greece, but the country took a new

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Interview Exclusive path, which was very significant. That’s because you can’t have problems with your neighbours while your friends are Kenneth Kaunda [then Zambian president] and Julius Nyerere [then Tanzanian president]!

Pretty unnatural. Someone yelled on the streets of Belgrade during the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement ‘Long live Selassie, a communist from Asia,’ and he [Haile Selassie] was an emperor who wasn’t even from Asia, but rather Africa.”

Pondering the fact that 101 years have now passed since communism was instigated in Russia, Goran says that during that time there was a lot of wandering, lots of mistakes, many people who suffered, and that this system essentially brought no new values and no new products: “Come on, tell me which product that was made in the socialist countries would be desirable for a consumer in, say, Austria, that they didn’t already have a much better and higher quality version of.

I admit, only Elan skis – that were created, not by chance, in socialist Slovenia – were the best and have remained excellent to this day. Of course, we also had Vegeta for export, but only to the Eastern markets, as well as cables from Svetozarevo, but only exported to Algeria and rarely for the West. Some would say that all of that could have survived if privatisation hadn’t ruined everything, which is a view with which I really disagree. Because everything that realistically could have survived actually did survive. You couldn’t maintain Energoinvest with 52,000 employees after

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such a war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The market is cruel, of course, and the battle for the market has put everyone in their place. You used to pay a lot in Moscow for Yugoslav wine, while today you have to pay someone to place it on shop shelves alongside the best wines from around the world. You used to be able to live in Moscow with two pairs of Varteks jeans, but where would you go with them today?”

Goran dealt continuously with the differences

The economy is too complicated to compare, but when it comes to quality of life there’s no doubt that Slovenia and Croatia have shifted away from the others and are already close to the average European standard between the countries of the former Yugoslavia for years, and today he is again working on a series of shows that will address these countries as they stand at present. He says that the differences between these countries are proportionally the same as they

were in 1914, prior to those countries being united in Yugoslavia.They may even have increased slightly: “Those differences have perhaps actually deepened somewhat between, say, Croatia and Serbia, because the average monthly income in Serbia is less than 400 euros, while in Croatia it is 800. That’s a lot, because it never previously occurred that there was a two-to-one ratio on income. And everything else is generally the same. The largest bank in the region is still Zagrebačka banka, as it was in 1914, and it is again not owned by local people, but by foreigners. These differences between the peoples are not great, but we are still lagging far behind Austria, for example. When it comes to these differences, there is one example that is interesting, although it is not the only one: the president of the municipality of Bihać [Bosnia-Herzegovina], for example, until recently had a salary three times as high as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the same as Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović. And if we were to compare the former northern part of SFR Yugoslavia with its south, Slovenia has – on the whole – shifted a long way from Macedonia. But you have to view that in light of the fact that Slovenes are heavily indebted compared to Macedonians. While the least indebted is Kosovo, which has a debt of just a billion dollars, but that’s because nobody wants to invest there. The economy is too complicated to compare, but when it comes to quality of life there’s no doubt that Slovenia and Croatia have shifted away from the others and are already close to the average European standard.”

As long as he is dealing with issues and conditions in the states that emerged from the former republics of the SFRY, Goran is extremely interested in the political situations of other countries: “I was happy when I started touring the Balkans five/six years ago, and – with the exception of some tension – I got the impression that the borders are established and won’t be able to be changed.There are neither the weapons nor the will for that. However, over the past year I haven’t heard anymore utterings of the obligatory statement about the compulsory sentence anymore about the immutability of borders, so that worries me slightly. That has been declared impossible a hundred times in the history of the Balkans, and yet it has still happened.”

He’s sorry that there are no more intellectuals who think “in the European way”, who are convinced that the EU is a better society. However, he thinks it will be educated young people who will create the conditions for a better life in this region. And change the way of thinking.

Interview H.E. AXEL DITTMANN

AMBASSADOR OF GERMANY TO SERBIA

Time For Comprehensive

Agreement

The European perspective of the Western Balkans has not been brought into question, insists German Ambassador to Serbia Axel Dittmann, despite political turbulence within the EU and announcements of comprehensive reforms that must be carried out prior to any further enlargement of the Union. In this interview for CorD Magazine, Ambassador Dittmann says that the pace of progress towards membership largely depends on the commitment of candidate countries to carry out reform: strengthening the rule of law, regulating the market, respecting media freedom etc. And, in the case of Serbia, the European integration process also depends on the normalisation of relations with Pristina, which would be sealed with a comprehensive, binding agreement. Not responding to speculation that his country is advocating for Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations, Ambassador Dittmann does confirm that Kosovo’s status in international organisations should be part of the comprehensive agreement with Belgrade.

Your Excellency, since being re-elected as German Chancellor, Mrs Merkel has held a series of meetings with leaders from the Balkans, including President Vučić, President Thaçi and the members of the B-H Presidency. Does this confirm that Germany will continue to focus on this region?

Absolutely! This region is very important for us.

The European Union will not be complete without

Serbia has agreed, though the Brussels Agreement, to work on a solution for Kosovo, i.e. the full normalisation of relations in the form of a legally-binding agreement. In our view, this should cover all aspects of interaction, also within international organisations including the UN. We believe that the time has now come to try to reach such a comprehensive agreement - Axel Dittmann 14

July

RELATIONS

The EU has always been striving for good relations with our eastern neighbour, but a response was needed, particularly to the annexation of Crimea and events in Eastern Ukraine

the Western Balkans. We are therefore very much focused on supporting the countries from the region in progressing towards the EU by implementing the necessary reform process.

Hence, we fully support Serbia’s strategic decision to become a member of the EU. This is a long and demanding process, but a good one for Serbia and its people, because the necessary transformation and modernisation process will, first and foremost, benefit the citizens of Serbia.

Germany will continue supporting Serbia in reaching its strategic goal. For example, since the year 2000 we have committed some €1.6 billion to supporting the development of Serbia. This makes Germany Serbia’s biggest bilateral donor, while we are, of course, also a very close political and economic partner.

FREEDOM

Media freedom is a problem.

This has been described clearly several times in, e.g., the EU Country Report

When it comes to relations with Serbia, how do you think Serbian citizens should best interpret messages from the recent EU-Western Balkans summit? Is there more or less hope for the region’s prospects of EU accession?

At the summit EU leaders reaffirmed their clear support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The EU is determined to strengthen its support to the region’s political, economic and social transformation. As European Council

PROJECT

The European Union, with more than 500 million people, is a peace project, the world’s biggest internal market and a community of values

President Donald Tusk has said, there is no other future for the Western Balkans than the EU. This is also our goal. The Western Balkans is an integral part of Europe and it belongs to our community.

The Summit underlined that the way towards the EU means implementing the necessary reforms, in particular in the area of the rule of law, and also fostering good neighbourly relations, regional stability and mutual cooperation. This includes, in particular, finding solutions to bilateral disputes and dedicating additional efforts to reconciliation. The EU has

It seems that the EU and Germany, as one of its leading countries, is facing a new, major challenge in relations with the U.S. How do you think the situation will evolve following President Trump’s decision to impose import tariffs on steel and aluminium coming from the EU?

We are living in turbulent times in which many long-established cooperation mechanisms are being tested severely. For us, this means that the EU will have to be able to act more united. Nevertheless, the EU and the U.S. continue to share an interest in a close transatlantic partnership. And we continue to work very closely with the U.S. with regard to Serbia and the region – particularly when it comes to supporting Serbia’s strategic decision to become an EU member.

 What is the line of new German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas regarding Russia? Do you expect tensions to ease?

The German government, in close coordination with our EU partners, has been following a very coherent line towards Russia. The EU has always been striving for good relations with our eastern neighbour, but a response was needed, particularly to the annexation of Crimea and events in Eastern Ukraine. We will stick to this approach.

Since the year 2000 we have committed some €1.6 billion to supporting the development of Serbia. This makes Germany Serbia’s biggest bilateral donor, while we are, of course, also a very close political and economic partner

underpinned its commitment to the European future of Western Balkan countries with tangible projects in the area of connectivity, with a view to improving links with the Western Balkans and within the region itself. Increasing connections should support political stability, economic prosperity, cultural and social development in the region and beyond. Working together on common security challenges was also an important issue discussed at the Summit.

We now are working to further develop the results of the Sofia meeting at the next summit in the framework of the Berlin Process, to be held in July in London.

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Interview Many analysts believe that French President Macron sent the sincerest message to the Balkans when he reiterated that the EU must undergo serious internal reforms before any enlargement. Does that new framework also allow more time for Serbia to resolve its relations with Pristina?

The European Union, with more than 500 million people, is a peace project, the world’s biggest internal

Germany fully supports the process of reaching a comprehensive normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. This is solely in the interest of the two countries and their citizens, in particular the members of the Serb community in Kosovo.

Germany is supporting the two sides in their efforts to reach such a comprehensive normalisation of relations, mediated by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.

of relations through a legally-binding agreement.

Germany supports this process. President Vučić has expressed disappointment regarding the lack of understanding in the West for Serbia’s arguments regarding Kosovo. If Serbia rejects Western proposals to accept Kosovo’s independence by blocking Kosovo’s place in the UN, how would that impact on relation between Belgrade and Berlin?

The fact of the matter is that there is an unresolved conflict - and the EU is trying, through the mediation of its High Representative, to help the two sides to find a solution. Serbia has agreed, though the Brussels Agreement, to work towards such a solution, i.e. the full normalisation of relations in the form of a legally-binding agreement. In our view, this should cover all areas of interaction, also within international organisations including the UN. We believe that the time has now come to try to reach such a comprehensive agreement. Does the arrival in Serbia of company Continental confirm the interest of German businesses when it comes to investing in the Serbian economy?

market and a community of values. It is true that the EU is facing important challenges. At the same time, it remains the only vehicle in which we can make our voice heard in the globalised world. A far-reaching dialogue on the critical issues of the 27 member states is therefore necessary. We are working on this very actively with France. At the same time, the EU perspective of the Balkans is not in question. The speed of accession, however, is in the hands of candidate countries like Serbia – it depends on the speed of implementing the necessary reform process.

To summarise: the EU’s internal reform process and the Serbian accession process are two separate but parallel processes, both of which are very important – foremost for the citizens. Serbian President Vučić suggests that pressure is being increased to conclude normalisation negotiations with Pristina and reach a final solution. Is Germany backing the alleged proposal for Kosovo to be granted the status of a UN observer country?

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Serbia has agreed, though the Brussels Agreement, to work towards such a solution, i.e. the full normalisation of relations in the form of a legallybinding agreement. In our view, this should cover all areas of interaction What are the chances of staging a new international conference on BelgradePristina relations, which the media have already dubbed “the new Rambouillet”?

As I state previously, the dialogue, coordinated by EU, is the process that has been agreed with both sides to work for a comprehensive normalisation

I am very pleased with the activity level of German business in Serbia. It is currently stronger than ever: around 400 companies are present in this country and have created more than 47,000 jobs.

Business investments since the year 2000 add up to an impressive total of around two billion euros.

The Serbian-German Chamber of Commerce conducts an annual survey in which it asks German companies whether they are satisfied with the overall investment conditions in Serbia – around 85% of companies have confirmed that they would invest in Serbia again.

However, if we want to strengthen this positive trend and develop our excellent economic ties even further, it is important to continue to reform the country; it is important to strengthen the rule of law. Investment security is crucial to developing a strong private sector and key to achieving sustainable growth and creating attractive employment opportunities in Serbia. Strengthening the rule of law will not only benefit foreign investors. It will also have beneficial effects for domestic businesses and the people of Serbia. We want to continue working with our Serbian partners to promote reforms and thus support Serbia on its way towards the EU.

There is contentious rhetoric in Serbia about whether the arrival of this German

giant should go without a state subsidy of almost 10 million euros. In your opinion, are subsidies a good way to attract foreign investors?

Companies look at the investment environment in different countries. These include framework conditions like taxes, workforce quality, legal certainty and general support from the side of the government when entering a market. I think that German investments contribute significantly to Serbia’s positive economic development.

In his latest draft report, German MEP David McAllister – European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia – concluded that more must be done on strengthening the rule of law. He also added that the Serbian government had made no improvements whatsoever when it comes to media freedom.

Would you agree with such a description of the current situation?

Media freedom is a problem.This has been described clearly several times in, e.g., the EU Country Re-

I am very pleased with the activity level of German business in Serbia. It is currently stronger than ever: around 400 companies are present in this country and have created more than 47,000 jobs. Business investments since the year 2000 add up to an impressive total of around €2 billion port. Strengthening freedom of expression is an important topic in Serbia’s reform process and on its progression towards the EU, within the framework of Chapter 23. Among other things,

it is very important to achieve transparency of ownership and establish fair rules for financing.

It is also paramount to ensure a safe and secure working environment for journalists. We welcome the fact that work on a new media strategy has been relaunched with the active involvement of the OSCE and the EU, and we will carefully monitor its progress.

You are leaving Serbia, what are your impressions after three years here?

Serbia is a wonderful place, with people who are very passionate and at the same time warm-hearted and extremely hospitable. At the same time it is a very dynamic place. My family and I have felt very much at home here. We have made lots of friends, and that includes friends of my kids, who attended school here. We will keep very close contacts with Serbia and I will continue to follow developments in the country – politically and economically, but also culturally. I wish Serbia and its people lots of success and happiness, and I hope that it will become a member of the EU soon.

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GLOBAL DIARY

Game “We will help them (Italy) as we always did. But don’t play this game of loading with responsibility the EU. A country is a country, a nation is a nation. Countries first, Europe second.” – JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIFFERENCES ON EU REFORM German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to the broad contours of deeper European integration with a common eurozone budget as the centrepiece, but the details of how the two would pursue closer EU coordination on the economy, security and refugee policy remain vague.

For Merkel, who has faced the most serious challenge to her authority in recent days over her handling of the refugee influx of 2015 and 2016, the display of amitié was particularly important.

Macron pledged to take back refugees registered in France who try to move to Germany, addressing a key issue for Merkel’s domestic critics. Though few refugees actually travel to Germany via France, Macron’s show of support gives Merkel’s plan to secure similar agreements with other countries a boost.

FIFA FILES CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST VIAGOGO

World football’s governing body, FIFA, has filed a criminal complaint against the Swiss online ticket resale platform Viagogo after receiving “numerous complaints” over its “opaque and deceptive” practices. Zurich-based FIFA said in a statementexternal that it had acted to protect the fans and prevent unauthorised ticket resales for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The governing body said its own website was the only official, legitimate place to buy World Cup tickets, which are on sale until July 15, the final day of the tournament. Viagogo is a global online platform that re-sells tickets for live sport, music and entertainment events. It resells tickets being sold by other consumers who no longer want them or who wish to sell them for a profit. On the 12th June tickets for the World Cup were still being sold on the Viagogo site ranging from $89.09 for Iceland vs Croatia to $14,000 for a ticket for the final on July 15.

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PARADE

The tradition of British kings and queens having two birthdays dates back more than 250 years, to the reign of King George II in 1748. Although born in April, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her “second” birthday on Saturday,June 9. with an event that is one of the most elaborate and opulent ceremonies of the royal calendar: Trooping the Colour. A large-scale display of pageantry, pomp and circumstance, Trooping the Colour takes place every year in June and sees the Queen’s personal troops, the Household Division, marching at Horse Guards Parade in central London, with the Queen attending and taking the salute. The ceremony became a makeshift second - and unofficial - birthday of the monarch during the reign of King George II (1727-1760). The ceremony is one of the oldest continuously observed royal celebrations, and is believed to have been performed first during the reign of King Charles II (1660-1685).

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Supporters “Be careful, we’ll be supporters of an opening up of relations towards Russia … we’ll promote a revision of the sanctions system.” – GIUSEPPE CONTE, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER

HUSBAND OF SPAIN’S PRINCESS CRISTINA JAILED

MACEDONIAN PRIME MINISTER ZORAN ZAEV (LEFT) AND GREEK PRIME MINISTER ALEXIS TSIPRAS

MACEDONIA AGREES TO NAME CHANGE

Greece and Macedonia set aside a 27-years dispute as they agreed on a new name for the former Yugoslav republic. The foreign ministers of the two countries signed an accord to rename the former Yugoslav republic the “Republic of North Macedonia”.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Greek counterpart, Alexis Tsipras, attended the signing ceremony in the Greek fishing village of Psarades on the border of two neighbour countries. The accord still needs to be approved by Macedonia’s parliament and confirmed in a Macedonian referendum in September, after which Greek lawmakers must ratify it. In the idyllic setting of Prespes, a lake region that borders Greece, Macedonia and Albania, leaders from the two countries embraced and shook hands in the presence of European and United Nations officials.

Inaki Urdangarin, husband of Spain’s Princess Cristina, was handed a prison sentence for crimes including fraud and tax evasion. The princess had been acquitted of aiding Urdangarin. Former Olympic handball medalist and husband of Spain’s Princess Cristina, Inaki Urdangarin, reported to a prison on Monday, following an order by a court of the Spanish island of Majorca issued last week. The highly controversial case divided the Spanish royal family and hurt their public image.

The 50-year-old Urdangarin is set to serve five years and ten months on various charges, including graft, tax evasion, and embezzlement. According to the prosecutors, Urdangarin used his family ties with the royal family to score public contracts relating to sports, then overcharged for events and hid the money abroad. He had been found guilty of using his Majorcabased foundation to siphon off some €6 million in funds between 2004 and 2006.

TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT IN SINGAPORE The day began with a historic handshake, the first meeting ever between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. As Kim Jong Un and President Trump strode toward each other and clasped hands on Tuesday, June 12 at the Capella resort on Singapore’s Sentosa Island, it marked a diplomatic milestone — and the start of what seems certain to be a long negotiation process over North Korea’s nuclear program.

The two leaders first sat down for a private meeting, followed by another with their advisers. In the afternoon, they signed a brief statement calling for peace, committing to recover the remains of U.S. service members from the Korean War and asserting a “firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.” As the end, the president Trump told reporters, “We have developed a very special bond.”

But, he acknowledged, “Today is the beginning of an arduous process.”

FAIR PLAY ON JAPANESE WAY After Japan swept Colombia aside at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the country’s fans did something even more shocking: They swept up after themselves. Japan’s supporters — who traveled all the way to Russia to watch an Asian team beat a South American team for the first time ever at a World Cup — didn’t start partying once Japan clinched its 2-1 victory. Instead, they picked up the mess of wrappers, bags of food, and more they made with garbage bags they’d brought to the stadium specifically for that purpose. The Japanese government is happy with both the soccer and cleaning news. “We are thrilled with the performance of our national team and the conduct of our passionate fans at the World Cup,” Takehiro Shimada, a spokesperson for the Embassy of Japan, wrote in a statement. “Since their childhood, Japanese people learn to ‘cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.’ We truly respect our competition and appreciate the values and spirit of sportsmanship on and off the field.”

RECORD 68.5 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED IN 2017

The U.N. refugee agency reported that nearly 69 million people who have fled war, violence and persecution were forcibly displaced last year, a record for the fifth straight year. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the continued crises in places like South Sudan and Congo, as well as the exodus of Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar that started last year, raised the overall figure of forced displacements in 2017 to 68.5 million.

Of that total, 16.2 million were newly displaced last year — an average of more than 44,000 people per day. Most have been displaced for longer than that, some forced to flee multiple times.

July

19

Comment

JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ PROJECT SYNDICATE

Can The Euro

Be Saved?

Across the eurozone, political leaders are entering a state of paralysis: citizens want to remain in the EU, but they also want an end to austerity and the return of prosperity. So long as Germany tells them they can’t have both, there can be only one outcome: more pain, more suffering, more unemployment, and even slower growth 20

July

By author

The euro may be approaching another crisis.

Italy, the eurozone’s third largest economy, has chosen what can at best be described as a Euroskeptic government. This should surprise no one. The backlash in Italy is another predictable (and predicted) episode in the long saga of a poorly designed currency arrangement, in which the dominant power, Germany, impedes the necessary reforms and insists on policies that exacerbate the inherent problems, using rhetoric seemingly intended to inflame passions.

Italy has been performing poorly since the euro’s launch. Its real (inflation-adjusted) GDP in 2016 was the same as it was in 2001.

But the eurozone as a whole has not been doing well, either. From 2008 to 2016, its real GDP increased by just 3% in total. In 2000, a year after the euro was introduced, the US economy was only 13% larger than the eurozone; by 2016 it was 26% larger.

After real growth of around 2.4% in 2017 – not enough to reverse the damage of a decade of malaise – the eurozone economy is faltering again.

If one country does poorly, blame the country; if many countries are doing poorly, blame the system. And as I put it in my book The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe, the euro was a system almost designed to fail. It took away governments’ main adjustment mechanisms (interest and exchange rates); and, rather than creating new institutions to help countries cope with the diverse situations in which they find themselves, it imposed new strictures – often based on discredited economic and political theories – on deficits, debt, and even structural policies.

The euro was supposed to bring shared prosperity, which would enhance solidarity and advance the goal of European integration. In fact, it has done just the opposite, slowing growth and sowing discord.

The problem is not a shortage of ideas about how to move forward. French President Emmanuel Macron, in two speeches, at the Sorbonne last September, and when he received the Charlemagne Prize for European Unity in May, has articulated a clear vision for Europe’s future. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has effectively thrown cold

water on his proposals, suggesting, for example, risibly small amounts of money for investment in areas that urgently need it.

In my book, I emphasized the urgent need for a common deposit insurance scheme, to prevent runs against banking systems in weak countries. Germany seems to recognise the importance of a banking union for the functioning of a single currency, but, like St. Augustine, its response has been, “O Lord, make me pure, but not yet.” Banking union apparently is a reform to be undertaken sometime in the future, never mind how much damage is done in the present.

The euro was supposed to bring shared prosperity, which would enhance solidarity and advance the goal of European integration. In fact, it has done just the opposite, slowing growth and sowing discord The central problem in a currency area is how to correct exchange-rate misalignments like the one now affecting Italy.

Germany’s answer is to put the burden on the weak countries already suffering from high unemployment and low growth rates.

We know where this leads: more pain, more suffering, more unemployment, and even slower growth. Even if growth eventually recovers, GDP never reaches the level it would have attained had a more sensible strategy been pursued. The alternative is to shift more of the burden of adjustment on the strong countries, with higher wages and stronger demand supported by government investment programs.

We have seen the first and second acts of this play many times already. A new

government is elected, promising to do a better job negotiating with the Germans to end austerity and design a more reasonable structural reform program. If the Germans budge at all, it is not enough to change the economic course. Anti-German sentiment increases, and any government, whether centre-left or centre-right, that hints at necessary reforms is thrown out of office. Anti-establishment parties gain.

Gridlock emerges.

Across the eurozone, political leaders are moving into a state of paralysis: citizens want to remain in the EU, but also want an end to austerity and the return of prosperity. They are told they can’t have both. Ever hopeful of a change of heart in northern Europe, troubled governments stay the course, and the suffering of their people increases.

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa’s socialist-led government is the exception to this pattern. Costa managed to lead his country back to growth (2.7% in 2017) and achieve a high degree of popularity (44% of Portuguese thought the government was performing above expectations in April 2018).

Italy may prove to be another exception – though in a very different sense. There, anti-euro sentiment is coming from both the left and the right. With his far-right League party now in power, Matteo Salvini, the party’s leader and an experienced politician, might actually carry out the kinds of threats that neophytes elsewhere were afraid to implement. Italy is large enough, with enough good and creative economists, to manage a de facto departure – establishing in effect a flexible dual currency that could help restore prosperity. This would violate euro rules, but the burden of a de jure departure, with all of its consequences, would be shifted to Brussels and Frankfurt, with Italy counting on EU paralysis to prevent the final break. Whatever the outcome, the eurozone will be left in tatters.

It doesn’t have to come to this. Germany and other countries in northern Europe can save the euro by showing more humanity and more flexibility. But, having watched the first acts of this play so many times, I am not counting on them to change the plot.

July

21

Feature Donald Trump - Kim Jong-un’s Summit

Awkward Moments At Trump-Kim Summit IN A moment that’s been likened to an episode of The Office, Donald Trump made a comment that didn’t go down well

I

N what was surely the most awkward moment of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un’s summit, the US President made one lighthearted remark that went down like a lead balloon.

As the pair prepared to sit down for a working lunch after their morning meetings, Mr. Trump told photographers: “Getting a good picture everybody? So we look nice and handsome and thin, and perfect.”

The comment was translated for Kim and the camera zoomed in just in time to catch the North Korean leader looking shocked, then appalled.

Mr. Trump may simply have been feeling jovial, but Kim appeared to take this as a gibe about his weight.

Viewers called Kim’s unamused expression “hilarious” and compared the reaction shot to a political satire or scene from The Office.

Many wondered whether the “fat joke” directed at the notoriously aggressive leader would derail the entire encounter, since Kim is not known for his tolerance. But the pair later released an amiable joint statement after the historic summit, and were seen warmly bidding each other goodbye.

Some questioned whether the good hu-

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July

mour had been lost in translation, although Kim is believed to be a capable English speaker.

The US President has previously said of

Before their attempt at improving relations with the Singapore meeting, Kim called Mr Trump a “dotard” and the President retorted that he was “little rocket man”

the 34-year-old: “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would never call him ‘short and fat?’”

Kim said to be sensitive about his weight and was infuriated by 2014 reports that he had broken his ankles after ballooning to 130 kilograms by eating too much Swiss cheese.

Both leaders are exceptionally conscious

of appearance, with Mr Trump suspected of pretending he is taller than he really is to avoid being classified as “obese” on the Body Mass Index.

The 71-year-old’s doctor’s letter claims he is 193cm and 108kg, placing him just under the “obese” category. But questions were raised after photos of the G7 leaders standing in a row showed Mr Trump was a fraction shorter than Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is 192cm.

Kim also tried to boost his stature by wearing his custom Cuban heels, which have a secret stack to give the illusion the 174cm leader is not significantly shorter than his counterparts.

Before their attempt at improving relations with the Singapore meeting, Kim called Mr Trump a “dotard” and the President retorted that he was “little rocket man”.

While they now seem to have reached a tentative truce, they walk a fine line between exchanging wild insults and achieving real peace.

But with the promise of more meetings to come, we can only wait to see if there are more explosive moments between these hotheaded men.

Feature European Union

By Steffen Stierle

Unravelling The Macron-Merkel Agreement A meeting between Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron was meant to foster a breakthrough on possible eurozone reforms.

But the declaration brokered on Tuesday (19 June) is full of language that leaves a lot of room for interpretation

T

he result of the meeting was not surprising because the economic and fiscal interests of Germany and France are far apart, although there are significant areas of common interest in fields like defence and asylum policy.

Accordingly, the German government approached the debate with a cool-head since Macron presented his much-quoted proposals for a eurozone budget and finance minister.

After all, from the point of view of the German government, the status quo is not so bad: no communitization, hardly any transfers from strong to weak member states, with the burden of adjustment lying especially with the domestic economies in the south.

But it is obvious to many that there is no way ahead if a complete blockade remains in place.

Without additional stabilization, the entire monetary union threatens to disperse sooner or later.

What did Chancellor Merkel and President Macron actually agree on in Meseberg? On the one hand, on quite a lot of phrases: one is committed to open markets and multilateralism, one wants to deepen the single market, sustainable growth, a world-class industry and so on.

In addition, there are many convoluted sentences like “to change the intergovernmental ESM treaty to integrate a common fallback instrument, improve the effectiveness of precautionary

measures for member states, and strengthen its role in assessing and monitoring future programs”.

Many paragraphs are structured in such a way that anybody reading them can interpret them along different lines.

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) should be developed into a European Monetary Fund (EMF), according to one reading of the document, but the reality is quite different.

Many paragraphs are structured in such a way that anybody reading them can interpret them along different lines Firstly, it is meant to remain intergovernmental, but in a second step, it could also be transferred into EU law. Moreover, it is to be extended by a “backstop instrument”, while the importance of conditionality is emphasised.

The mechanism should also play a bigger role in monitoring programmes but the Commission’s role should not be diminished and the

IMF should somehow stay in the game.

In addition, the new fund should play a limited back-up role to the banking union, meaning it is both something and nothing.

The same applies to the agreements on the eurozone budget, which should be set up for the eurozone area but within the EU framework.

The budget will be filled with national and European contributions, as well as with taxes.

The size of the pot is expected to depend on the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

A “stabilization fund for unemployment” should also be examined in this context but only so that no transfers arise. A working group is being set up to work out those details.

Any hope that these agreements will actually lead to something tangible must be tempered against the fact that the last Franco-German working group on the issue recently wrapped up with no significant results to speak of.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who joined Merkel and Macron in the evening, expressly praised the agreements afterwards but his backing is unlikely to change anything.

But Juncker was at least satisfied that many of the Commission’s proposals had been taken into account and he believes that the statement is suitable to reach a consensus.

EURACTIV Germany

July

23

Interview ANA ANĐELIĆ

CHIEF BRAND OFFICER OF REBECCA MINKOFF, STRATEGIST & DOCTOR OF SOCIOLOGY

She explores the ways in which technology changes the behaviours of humans, organisations and businesses You’re a doctor of sociology and a strategist helping luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands like Tom Ford, Moet Hennessy, Olivia Palermo, Sergio Rossi etc. What’s the backstory – how did you find your passion for this niche?

The focus of my sociology degree was sociology technology, which means how the values and behaviours we design in technology then consequently shape values and behaviours as we

Capturing The Zeitgeist

Through Product & Network Design Ana Anđelić is a strategist, writer and doctor of sociology who has amassed experience working for the world’s top advertising agencies and brands, like Tom Ford, Belvedere, Sergio Rossi, Moet Hennessy, Sotheby’s and Tag Heuer, in the United States, Europe and Asia 24

July

By Miloš Belčević

use that tech. Even while I was doing my Ph.D. I started working at digital agency Razorfish, then Huge and so on. The whole idea was always like: Don’t make ads, make something the people are going to love, and going to love to use, and going to tell others about.

When the retail space started transforming rapidly, with Amazon and major retailers like Target, and mergers with a lot of direct-toconsumer brands, I became interested. For me, that was very rich territory to explore from the strategic and business perspective, from the design perspective, but also from a sociological point of view. How do we, as humans, make decisions? How do we pay more attention to what our friends say than to ads and what advertisers say? The question is how you capture the Zeitgeist - the spirit of the times - through the design of physical products.

And how do you capture the Zeitgeist through content, community and internet community management, services and so on.

person who’s going to consume those products and services, who will buy, wear, share them, and so on.

Unless luxury brands create an identity that piggy-banks on the identity of their consumers they are not going to be successful. There

it, and the 80% is about making sure that the resources I have are the right resources, in terms of human resources, tools, access to databases and so on.

The second thing is the process itself. Is the process correct? Is everyone talking to

How has the Brand Identity changed with the digital age? What are elements of a modern brand identity?

Traditionally, brands would always give the attributes of their brand identity to the media, and in the time of mass media, brand identity became separated from its execution. Modern brands don’t give their attributes to the media.

If we are seeking a tangible expression of brand identity today, that would be a network.

Modern brands are identity networks. When we look at brands like Glossier, SoulCycle or Away luggage, all of them have created identity networks by being very close to their customers.

Thanks to that close proximity to customers, they managed to create a shared identity, a shared story and a shared sensibility. In the process, they created meaningful brands that people love to talk about and that make money for their founders. In the digital age, what are some of the challenges that need to be tackled by luxury brands that often come with a rich heritage and are perhaps not so keen to shift the paradigm?

I think that heritage is worthless, unless you make that heritage relevant to the here and now.

Today it’s more about consumer identity and less about the company that creates products and services, while it’s also more about the

The service is your product, your actual physical product is a bi-product of that relationship.

Your actual thing is the experience are ways to translate your heritage. You can create a universe around the meaning of your brand, but if you keep doing that as though there’s only one-way communication and mass broadcasting, it’s not going to be successful.

everyone else? Does everyone know what everyone else is doing?

The third challenge is how do we address the strategy. How do we really implement it on a consistent basis, to ensure it is ongoing and creates a kind of snowball effect.

And then, finally, how do we empower these people? How do you make the brand strategy their own? They need to feel it, because they are going to carry it forward. I can make the best strategy in the world, but it’s just going to sit in a drawer and nobody is going to pay attention to it if I don’t actually empower the people tasked with implementing it and compel them to believe in it.

As a brand strategist, what challenges do you face?

What can big, traditional luxury and beauty brands with a long heritage learn from newcomers and start-ups, and vice versa?

As Chief Brand Officer of Rebecca Minkoff, my job is not only to come up with the strategy, but to lead its execution. Twenty per cent of the process is me thinking about

Traditional brands can learn a lot from startups in terms of proximity to their consumers, finding a way to add value to their lives; not merely telling them “this is the lifestyle you

Interview should have”, but actually enabling them to have that lifestyle. Everything should be organised around the journey of the customer’s decision and the customer experience. The service is your product, your actual physical product is a bi-product of that relationship.

I think you have to look at it in the context of a customer journey and then a media funnel. Because the media funnel traditionally generates all the attention and resources needed to create awareness, reach and then sales, pushing people towards purchases.

don’t do anything for us except interrupt our decision making.

Digital increasingly introduces numerous points of contact between the consumer and the brand, and each of those touch points is an opportunity to apply some level of service.

There’re lots of opportunities to add value. The impact of AI on our lives is only increasing. How do you think AI is impacting on luxury brands and luxury experiences?

Your actual thing is the experience.

When it comes to what start-ups can learn from major brands, I think it’s a matter of creating an intriguing story and the level of taste. If we look at the history of all these brands – like Balenciaga, Dior or Chanel – they all started from the ateliers of their founders.

People came not only to get a great design, but also to hear gossip, to discover what’s new, to find out what’s coming next, to kind of feel plugged in. There’s a big level of shifting culture, of participating in the culture conversation, and capitalising on having a very clear role in culture – not just having a seamless service, but also having a strong story. You speak about products being “highly Instagrammable” and about their “shareability” as a legitimate design decision.

This is one of the examples of social media being a crucial part of the buyer experience.

How does the digital world transform our purchases and experiences?

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Digital increasingly introduces numerous points of contact between the consumer and the brand, and each of those touch points is an opportunity to apply some level of service. There’re lots of opportunities to add value And when you think about who people actually make decisions, that tends to be through friends, influencers, taste-makers, content, communities etc., whatever creates a relationship. If the hundreds of millions of ad-blocker users are any indication, ads

There are three levels.

The first level is clearly the level of a consumer, for example via a chatbot. You can ask the most questions through WeChat, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messenger or however you want. You can automate a lot of customer service through AI, and at the same time glean a lot of data at scale, so you can provide more personalised answers.

The second level is the level of supply. How do you match supply and demand in such a way that you avoid overproduction? Through the crunching of all the data about buying and selling, and what trends are the most popular, AI enables you to know how many units you need to make, in which colours, and so on.

And, finally, there’s a creative way of using AI. How do you create big data and how do you localise it in a way that inspires creativity?

This is very rich territory in which you can explore and crunch a lot of consumer data and conversations in order come up with creative solutions. You wrote an article called “Blockchain and the Internet of Luxury”. How is blockchain, as a technology, influencing the luxury industry?

Since I wrote that piece, like a year ago, I have found that it has become a giant conversation.

I was inspired to write it while I was at MIT’s Media Lab programme, where there was a woman who has a company that uses blockchain for multiple purposes, one of the first of which was as a defence against counterfeiting. It can be a guarantee of authenticity. The other use is that you can see the entire chain of previous owners of, say, a piece of jewellery or art, so, again, transparency, the fight against counterfeiting and the provision of authenticity. It’s also an alternative currency and in some way will bubble up, with rich individuals investing and using it in transactions.

Leaders’

Plantaže

Plantaže – Planetary Giant PAGE /28

Digital Transformation

MEETING POINT BRANKO STEVANOVIĆ Plant Manager, Modine Commercial and Industrial Solutions

Current Digital Products For Transformation The World’s Trends Markets PAGE /32

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Digital business

Technology Trends To Watch Out For In 2018 PAGE /37

Entrepreneurship

The Craziest Plan That Worked PAGE /40

PLANTAŽE

Plantaže – Planetary Giant Company Plantaže, after 55 years of an uninterrupted alliance with the sparse and rocky earth of the Ćemovo Field, today boasts the largest vineyard in Europe, with 11 million grapevines, exports to 40 countries, numerous prizes and awards, enviable turnover volumes, and Vranac, one of the world’s best wines

W

e have been at the very top and among the best for a long time – not only in Montenegro, but also further afield. Our capital is estimated at almost 100 million euros; we invest in development, in our vision and in competing on the international market.

This is the beginning of the story of one of this region’s most popular wine brands, which managed to conquer even the world’s most demanding markets, primarily thanks to its renowned Vranac wine, and to win numerous awards for quality in Ljubljana,

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Brussels, London and many other cities.

Plantaže is today a modern winery with 2,300 hectares of vineyards and modern production cellars, including the impressive Šipčanik Cellar. More than 350 metres long and submerged 30 metres underground, this cellar provides ideal natural conditions for two million litres of Vranac, Krstač, Vranac Pro Corde, Luča, Vladika, Crnogorska Malvazija (Montenegrin Malvasia) and other top wines.

Today, 55 years after the first Plantaže vineyard was planted, it can only be celebrated. And there are indeed many reasons for celebrations.

One of them is Plantaže’s new threemillion-euro bottling line, with a capacity of 10,000 bottles per hour, which was ceremoniously launched into operation on the eve of the anniversary by Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković. He stated at the time that the Government of Montenegro would focus in particular on the areas in which the country has comparative advantages - tourism, energy and the production of food and beverages.

– Plantaže has spent more than half a century improving production capacities, increasing production levels and conquering new markets, and has thus also strengthened Montenegro. The standardised quality wines produced in our vineyards and cellars find their way onto tables in more than 40 countries,” said PM Marković, before emphasising that investments in production capacities should secure dynamic growth for the Montenegrin economy.

Testifying to Plantaže’s contribution in this regard is the fact that the company has generated in excess of €350 million in turnover and €30 million in profits over the last ten years.

– Plantaže is today a world giant. We are particularly proud of the fact that we have survived all social turbulence and systemic transformations, and that we’ve invested more than 40 million euros in development projects over the last ten years,” said Plantaže Executive Director Verica Maraš, speaking at

the ceremonial academy held during celebrations marking the 55th anniversary. She also emphasised that this company is unique and Montenegro’s most famous brand.

Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović also agrees that there can be no success without vision.

– Plantaže isn’t just one of the biggest exporters, but also a company that sets new standards and increasingly links its

autochthonous varieties like vranac and krstač,” said Mićunović, who was among the numerous guests from all over the world to enjoy the rich musical programme that followed the official part of the celebration.

That same evening, at the heart of the Ćemovo Field vineyard, Goran Bregovic gave a concert for violin and symphony orchestra.

On a spectacular stage above the vines,

form his hits Bella Ciao, Ederlezi, Mesečina and Kalašnjikov, which brought to their feet guests from China, India, Switzerland, the U.S., Canada and the countries of the region, mostly Serbia and B-H. - I saw that unseen wonder, that vineyard of the Ćemovo Field, the perfect ambience for a musical spectacle,” - said Bregović, who gave the hosts an artistic picture authored

by Ana Petrović, which was thematically

production to science and research. In addition to that, over the course of the past 55 years it has also provided a significant contribution to the development of wine culture,” said Đukanović.

Also speaking at the ceremonial academy was Montenegrin Ambassador to Serbia Branislav Mićunović, who said that Plantaže is an international brand.

- You found 63 varieties unknown to the winegrowing profession. By preserving a thousand-year-old tradition, you nurture

with multi-coloured led lighting effects, in front of more than 3,500 visitors, Bregović presented his new project “Three Letters from Sarajevo”. The concert began with the “Jewish Letter” and the performance of young violinist Bojana Jovanović, next the “Muslim Letter” was opened by Tunisian violinist Zied Zouari, while the “Christian Letter” was performed by violinist Mirjana Nešković, all to the masterful direction of conductor Ognjan Radivojević.

Bregović also used this occasion to per-

inspired by vineyards, while from them he received the wine that won the first gold medal at London’s Decanter.

- The combining of the largest vineyard in Europe and Europe’s greatest composer was a great hit in both business and artistic terms, a spectacular event worthy of attention in world circles,” said Plantaže Sales & Marketing Director Veselin Đurišić, thanking Bregović and promising new business moves with which this company will continue to conquer the world.

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People “I will not sign anything, instead we will go before the people.

No one should be afraid of autocracy and decision-making without the support of the people” – ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, PRESIDENT OF SERBIA

LOCAL NEWS AMCHAM

GENERALI SERBIA

On a panel organised by AmCham with Dragana Marković, Director of the Tax Administration, the participants discussed transparency and predictability in interpretation of tax regulations, risk analysis, efficiency and the direction of Tax Administration reform, and the fight against the grey economy. „The predictability of tax regulations and their consistent application are absolute priorities for members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia (AmCham) when deciding on new investment”, said Jelena Pavlović, President of the American Chamber of Commerce.

“We appreciate the willingness of the Tax Administration to engage in a dialogue with taxpayers in finding the most effective solutions. AmCham is at the disposal of the Tax Administration and other institutions to make the business environment more attractive “, said Slavko Carić, President of the AmCham Committee on Finance and Tax.

Clients who purchase travel insurance can from 1 June contact a duty assistance centre free of charge via the mobile application Generali Serbia available in the App and the Google Play Store. There are two options available: chat and call. Only a WiFi network is required for free communication with an assisting office.

“Generali Insurance Serbia is a company that keeps the client in the centre of its business. The cost of a roaming call can sometimes be higher than the cost of the client’s intervention during the stay abroad. Therefore we have created options for free calls and chats when registering travel insurance damages while staying abroad”, said Vladimir Milosavljevic, Director of the Residents Directorate.

Generali Insurance Serbia has a leading role in the insurance market when it comes to innovation in the sphere of digitization.

RESULTS OF COMBATTING GREY ECONOMY ARE ENCOURAGING

SHERATON

HOTEL OPENS IN NOVI SAD The first Sheraton hotel in Serbia was officially opened at the ceremony attended

by Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, President of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina Igor Mirović, Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević, MK Group President Miodrag Kostić as well as numerous officials and prominent figures.

With the opening of the Sheraton, the city of Novi Sad got the first international hotel brand and the best possible hotel offer for business guests and numerous tourists.

“It is my great pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the opening of this hotel. This is another very important for Novi Sad, all its citizens, all guests and all those who are still planning to visit Novi Sad., “said Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

FRONERI

NEW ICE CREAM FACTORY IN STARA PAZOVA The factory “Froneri Adriatic” opened in Stara Pazova new factory, invested €20 million and employs 400 people.

The factory was opened by the Agriculture Minister Branislav Nedimovic, Deputy Prime Minister of the Provincial Council Djordje Milicevic, Mayor of Stara Pazova Djordje Radinovic, and Director of the Frantry Company Ibrahim Najaf, who agreed that this plant is a symbol of the development of the Serbian food industry. Nedimović pointed out that the technology he saw at the Fronerie industrial plant is exactly what Serbia wants to implement at any time in every factory in the country.

“We have hired 200 new people, invested €20 million and invested 95 percent of what we produce at the factory in 24 European countries,” said “Froneri” leader Ibrahim Najafi. Stara Pazova’s mayor Djordje Radinovic pointed out that the Forneri factory is an example of good cooperation between the state and the local self-government. “Froneri” was founded in 2016 by merging Nestle and R & D as a result of joint ventures in ice food and cold dairy products.

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PRESENTING NOVELTY ON THE DOMESTIC INSURANCE MARKET

SSCC

CONFIDENCE ON THE RISE AMONG SWISS INVESTORS In a period of just one year, the number of surveyed companies from the Swiss-Serbian business community that have a positive view of the business environment in Serbia has increased by 26% The Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) conducted its 4th consecutive “Survey of the Business Climate in Serbia” for 2018, within the framework of the Swiss-Serbian business community during April and May this year. The purpose of the survey was to glean more detailed information on the perception of companies within SSCC regarding conditions for doing business on the domestic market, as well as their expectations and the challenges they face.

Majo Mićović, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SSCC and CEO of company Sky Express d.o.o., confirmed that most of the surveyed companies assessed the business climate in Serbia as being satisfactory. Specifically, the number of companies that have a positive opinion of the domestic business environment has increased over a period of just one year: to 90 per cent in 2018, compared to 64 per cent in 2017.

Most of the companies estimated that conditions for doing business in Serbia remain unchanged in 2018 compared to 2017. Among all companies surveyed, 42 per cent expect the business climate in Serbia to be better in 2018 compared to the previous year, while 58 per cent of surveyed companies consider that this climate will remain the same as it was in 2017.

The results of this survey also show that most surveyed companies expect changes to the business climate in the following areas: bureaucracy and administration, the fight against corruption, as well as in ensuring legal certainty and stability.

Progress The essence of Serbia’s faster progress is digitalization and startup projects. We plan to jointly invest €60 million in science and technology parks. A park in Novi Sad is being built, and it should be completed by the end of 2019” – ANA BRNABIĆ, PRIME MINISTER NEW MOMENT

WINS CANNES GOLDEN LION! After receiving a Bronze Lion for its work “The One” in the Print category, agency New Moment also won a Golden Lion in the prestigious “Industry Craft” category.

The project of regional agency New Moment distinguished itself among 32,000 works from 90 countries and 26 categories, winning two lion awards in the first three days of the festival.

This prestigious award was accepted by Žarko and Lazar Sakan on the main stage of Cannes Paleo, who stated on this occasion that gold in the “Industry Craft” category has special significance, because it celebrates the skill of implementing creative ideas.

“Tonight, we won our jubilee tenth lion. We are very proud of the entire team, of all of our associates from the whole of New Moment and Y&R Dubai, and we are grateful to the Inter-religious Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina for their trust,” said New Moment CEO Žarko Sakan.

SINO-CHINA INVESTMENT GROUP

CHINESE FUND READIES BILLIONEURO PROJECT IN SERBIA!

The Shanghai-based investment fund Sino-China Investment Group is interested in funding projects in Serbia through the PRESIDENT ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ AND Shanghai Stock Exchange. ~ The idea is SINO-RS COMPANY PRESIDENT, JIN FRANK LI to establish a separate investment fund for financing transport, energy, telecommunications, agriculture and construction projects, with public-private partnership as one of the models. The fund should be formed as part of China’s global Belt and Road initiative and will be established according to international standards Public-private partnership, as one of the models, would be a combination of capital and bonds. Going to international capital markets through an initial public offering (IPO) will also be considered.

The fund will be formed once all parties have completed their internal approval procedures, while in the meantime, they are looking for an appropriate pilot project in Serbia.

Placements postings

&

appointments@aim.rs

SONJA SARKÖZI, CEO OF SBERBANK EUROPE GROUP The Supervisory Board of Sberbank Europe has appointed Sonja Sarközi as the new Chief Executive Officer of Sberbank Europe. Advancing from her current position of Chief Retail Banking Officer, she succeeds Gerhard Randa as CEO, as of 1st July 2018.

All Sberbank Europe subsidiaries are reporting profits, contributing to Sberbank Europe Group’s overall net profits totalling €15.9 million at the end of Q1 2018.

Sarközi has launched implementation of a group-wide retail strategy at Sberbank Europe, with a focus on retail lending products and digital banking services.

Prior to joining Sberbank Europe in August 2017, Sarközi led easybank AG successfully as its CEO.

ZSUZSANNA HARGITAI, EBRD DIRECTOR FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS Zsuzsanna Hargitai has been appointed as the new Director of the EBRD for the Western Balkans. Based in Belgrade, she will also head the Bank’s operations in Serbia, where she succeeds Daniel Berg, who is leaving the Bank after almost 25 years of distinguished service.

Ms Hargitai was introduced to the Serbian authorities in Belgrade, including Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, by EBRD Vice President for Banking Alain Pilloux.

Speaking about her appointment, she said: “I am proud and honoured to take on this new role. My goal will be to further increase our investments and policy reform support in the region, in light of the countries’ European Union perspectives. The EU approximation and accession process is a major reform driver, and it also enhances the region’s attractiveness for private sector investments.

The EBRD is well-positioned to play an important role in this, and we are fully prepared to deliver what is needed in financing and policy advice.”

PPF GROUP

PPF GROUP TO ACQUIRE TELENOR BANKA PPF Group announces that it will acquire a 100% stake in Telenor Banka from Telenor Group, subject to obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals. The transaction is a natural follow up of the acquisition of Telenor Group’s telecommunications assets in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically in Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro. Telenor Banka became a member of Telenor Group in 2013, after the group acquired it from KBC Bank Serbia. In September 2014, it was renamed Telenor Banka. The bank specialises in innovative online financial services; it was the first bank in Serbia to introduce mobile and online banking. Telenor Banka provides its services primarily to Telenor clients; currently, its portfolio includes more than 390,000 clients. In terms of assets, the bank is in the second half of the twenty largest banks operating on the Serbian market; at the end of 2017, the bank had assets under management worth €126 million.

The transaction is subject to approval by the National Bank of Serbia and relevant antitrust authorities.

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Digital Transformation

Current Digital Transformation Trends Digital technologies and trends are redefining our world every day. Disruptive and innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, analytics and others are changing business models and driving exponential growth.

Companies which are leveraging these are and will continue to realize successful business outcomes

H

owever, enterprises that are harnessing the combinatorial power of all these technologies now are better positioned to capitalize on the unlimited growth opportunities. By unleashing the power of technology to drive enhanced customer experiences, robust ecosystems, and unparalleled innovation and growth, yesterday’s traditional enterprises are digitally transformed into today’s

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future-ready, or Business 4.0, organisations.

Enhancing customer experience Customer experience is a brand’s greatest advertisement. And with the intersection of digital technologies such as AI, analytics, cloud and interactive services, companies are transforming to personalize every interaction, transaction and touch point to enhance customer experience.

In the travel industry, customer journeys begin long before customers board flights. Dutch airline KLM is making significant investments in AI. KLM keeps passengers up-to-date with flight information using its Amazon Alexa voice recognition installations at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Moreover, KLM’s AI-led systems provide customers with relevant information when they contact the airline’s call centres. The airline is also transforming other parts of its business which have direct impact on customer

experience. KLM is currently building systems to predict when an aircraft will require maintenance.

By tapping into the 25,000 data-delivering sensors in an A380, or the 500GB of data produced by a Boeing 787 on an average flight, the airline is harnessing insights to transform customer service by minimizing delays.

In the logistics industry, customer experience is enhanced with trouble-free, on-time delivery.

Nordic postal delivery service, PostNord is in the privileged position of having a wealth of data at its fingertips. The company is capturing much of this data to transition to a Business 4.0 enterprise: using sensors in delivery vans to track distribution, while leveraging the Internet of Things to carry out predictive maintenance in production facilities. Additionally, PostNord is using AI solutions to cut mail delivery delays by 25%. Björn Ekstedt, PostNord’s Chief Informa-

tion Officer, says that the beauty of such systems is that they weed out problems before they can take root. Not only does this drive productivity by reducing the amount of human intervention, it dramatically improves customer experience.

Connecting collaborative ecosystems Companies which are succeeding with groundbreaking innovation and faster growth aren’t doing it on their own. They are connecting collaborative ecosystems that extend beyond the enterprise to span the entire value chain - including customers, peers and partners, and they are relying on digital technologies like IoT and cloud for success.

Initially, most companies moved from legacy in-house systems to cloud-based solutions to reduce the overheads associated with maintaining hardware. Today, companies are turning to the cloud to deploy cutting-edge solutions and services with minimum lead time to take advantage of changing market dynamics. Cloud technologies are also enabling growth – simplifying and accelerating business integration following mergers and acquisitions by offering companies access to infrastructure and services on demand.

The Netherlands’ leading bank, ABN AMRO is using cloud apps and providing external developers access to their developer portal, turning regulations into opportunities and gaining an ecosystem of co-innovators in the process.

ABN AMRO’s use of cloud and an expanded ecosystem of external developers exemplify how Business 4.0 organisations are fueling growth and innovation.

Fueling growth strategies By combining an agile methodology with today’s powerful digital technologies, companies can actually embrace risk, yet quickly adapt and modify, continuously driving growth and profitability.

Transamerica, a leading provider of life insurance, retirement and investment solutions, has embraced risk to transform the administration of its US-based insurance and annuity business lines.

By transitioning to a simplified, cloud-enabled platform, Transamerica is fueling growth by enabling agile new product development. Further, by simplifying and modernizing the servicing of over 10 million insurance policies, Transamerica will save millions of dollars each year.

Creating exponential value By enabling contextual insights and constant connectivity, digital technologies allow companies to go from realizing incremental gains to unlocking exponential value. IoT, for example, connects machines, devices, sensors and systems to rapidly process and interpret equipment data and intelligently manage performance to prevent potential problems from becoming real

Some of the world’s most successful companies - KLM, PostNord, ABN AMRO, Transamerica and Rolls Royce have embraced technology and risk to redefine customer experience as well as traditional ecosystems and business models ones. With continuous insights into product performance and how users are interacting with devices or services, companies now have unparalleled opportunities to fuel innovation across the product development lifecycle.

Rolls-Royce, a global leader in aerospace, engine development and the energy and marine sectors, uses IoT-enabled technologies to eliminate manufacturing and supply chain inefficiencies and to predict more effectively when equipment maintenance is required. “IoT will allow us to take advantage of fast-paced data innovation – including accelerating our application of industrial AI and a range of

other cutting-edge breakthrough opportunities,” Neil Crockett, Chief Digital Officer at Rolls-Royce, says. Rolls-Royce is now expanding its digital capabilities to deliver increased value from existing services and introduce innovative services to customers across the group. Rolls Royce’s use of IoT and adoption of a more innovative business model exemplify how Business 4.0 organisations are driving exponential value.

The future is here Some of the world’s most successful companies - KLM, PostNord, ABN AMRO, Transamerica and Rolls Royce have embraced technology and risk to redefine customer experience as well as traditional ecosystems and business models. Through technology driven business transformation, these and other future-ready, or Business 4.0, organisations are positioned to lead their industries in defining the future of business.

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Coordination “I expect a functioning coordination mechanism to be urgently adopted, otherwise the positive momentum for BiH’s EU path might be lost. BiH has to be speaking with one voice vis-à-vis the EU and the lack of coordination means also a lack of EU funds.” – GIANNI PITTELLA, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN SOCIALIST AND DEMOCRAT GROUP

REGIONAL NEWS ROMANIA

AFI EUROPE ROMANIA TO BUILT AFI CITY RESIDENTIAL PROJECT

BULGARIA

AFI Europe Romania has kicked off the construction works for AFI City this month, the company’s first large-scale residential project in Romania. The project already has a 25% occupancy rate.

TGC is the general constructor for the first phase of the project, which is scheduled to end in 16 months and involves the delivery of two buildings with 190 apartments, served by 228 aboveground parking lots.

Located in northwestern Bucharest, in district 1, the project will include several types of apartments which are focusing on the functionality of the space. The investment amounts to €16 million.

AFI City will provide easy access to the main routes from Bucharest, such as Bucurestii Noi Blvd, Ion Mihalache Blvd, Poligrafiei Blvd and DN 1, and it will be also near Bazilescu Park and Straulesti and Grivita lakes.

FARMERS TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL €358,000 FOR INSURANCES State Fund Agriculture decided to increase the budget of the state aid scheme for the co-financing of insurance premiums for agricultural products insurance by BGN 700,000 (€358,000) in 2018.

Thus, the total amount for agricultural insurance reaches €1.1mln.

Farmers will be able to benefit from the financial support for disaster insurance of their fruit, vegetables, essential oil crops and tobacco. The maximum amount of funding a farmer can receive is up to 65% of the insurance premium, the fund says.

Farmers must submit their insurance policies to the regional directorates of the Agriculture State Fund until 28 September.

MONTENEGRO

MK GROUP INTERESTED IN BUDVANSKA RIVIJERA MK Group, owned by businessman Miodrag Kostic, is interested in becoming the majority owner of the Hotel Group Budvanska Rivijera.

At the moment, MK Group, in partnership with Stratex, owns 30% of the shares of Budvanska Rivijera, which has been included by the Government in this year’s privatization plan.

The plan for the privatization of one of Montenegro’s most successful companies is planned so that Sveti Stefan and Milocer remain in the state’s ownership, whereas the state’s share in the remaining hotels, Slovenska Plaza, Mogren, Palas, Aleksandar and Kristal would be lowered by the value of the property and given to Kostic and Stratex.

Source: RTCG

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9 THINGS EVERY MAN SHOULD CARRY IN HIS BAG

Traffic jams happen, trains get delayed, and the weather can be unpredictable some days. A few handy commuter essentials will make all the difference when you’re en route to the office though. it’s always better to have what you need when you need it.

If you still need to buy a briefcase or messenger bag to hold your stuff, we’ve got you covered on that front.

1. Your PC 2. A good, cheap pair of headphones 3. A lightning or micro-USB to USB cable 4. An emergency stain-removing pen 5. A reusable water bottle 6. A portable battery pack 7. A package of pocket tissues 8. An energy-boosting snack 9. A USB flash drive

Reforms “Allowing Serbia to join (EU) through the normal accession process could delay reforms needed in Bosnia and ultimately turn the European country into a target for Turkey and Russia who could back different groups in the country.” – PADDY ASHDOWN, FORMER HIGH REPRESENTATIVE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA HUNGARY

BUDAPEST REAL ESTATES CONTINUE SKYROCKETING

CROATIA

PORSCHE ACQUIRES STAKE IN RIMAC AUTOMOBILI Porsche announced last month it has taken a shareholding of 10% in Croatia’s technology and electric sports car maker Rimac Automobili for an undisclosed price.

As part of its electrification efforts, Porsche is seeking a development partnership with the young company, the German sports car manufacturer said in a statement.

Rimac, who employs around 400 employees, develops and produces electric vehicle components and manufactures electric super sports cars. Rimac’s main focus is on high-voltage battery technology, electric powertrains and the development of digital interfaces between man and machine (HMI Development).

Rimac also develops and produces e-bikes under its subsidiary Greyp Bikes, which was founded in 2013.

“This partnership now is an important step for Rimac on our way to become a component and system supplier of choice for the industry in electrification”, Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac, said.

VISARIS

Real estate prices have been growing in the Hungarian capital Budapest. According to Duna House, a Hungarian real estate agency, everybody should calculate with more than €3,150 per square meter by 2020 in the downtown. Furthermore, the increasing demand can raise the prices even higher. This is because investing in real estate in Budapest becomes more and more attractive.

According to the Duna House, the real estate prices in Budapest have doubled since 2014. In fact, the average sum per square meter was €1,321 then. Last year this sum increased to more than €2,500. According to the latest data, growth has not stopped. In 2018 the average square meter price reached €2831 in the fifth district of Budapest.

At the moment, one-third of the flats reach this psychological barrier of 1.1 M HUF (€3,460). Motivation was mostly the intention to invest, but it sometimes happened that customers changed their small flat to a bigger one.

ALBANIA

BALFIN UNVEILS €350MLN REAL ESTATE PROJECT IN MACEDONIA Albanian investment group Balfin anounced it will invest €350mln in its Skopje East Gate real estate development project in the capital of Macedonia. The mixed-use project, with a gross built-up area of 143,000sq/m, will include a shopping mall, a residential compound and a business park. The project is the largest private investment in Macedonia which will create great business opportunities, guarantee employment, strengthen trade, attract global firms, SAMIR MANE IS THE RICHEST ALBANIAN ENTREPRENEUR AND PRESIDENT AND and offer a new approach to city life, said Samir Mane, president of the OWNER OF BALFIN GROUP Balfin Group, said. Balfin plans to make the investment through its newly created project company Skopje East Gate Real Estate Development in the span of five to seven years and will create up to 2000 new jobs, according to the statement. The Balfin Group owned

by Samir Mane engages in real estate, retail, tourism, agriculture, energy, mineral industry, investments, and services through subsidiaries in Albania, Austria, Macedonia, Dubai, Kosovo, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and the US.

15 YEARS OF DIGITAL X-RAY PRODUCTION IN SERBIA

Visaris company in Serbia produces high-tech digital systems and digital X-ray devices, which is unique in this part of Europe.

The company has been operating in Serbia since 2003 and is one of the pioneers in the development of digital imaging in the world.

The Visaris Scientific Team has developed unique digital image processing solutions that rank the Serbian company among the world’s most successful manufacturers of digital X-rays. Devices manufactured in Serbia are being used in medical institutions in 21 countries on five continents, enjoying the permanent 24/7 support that the company provides to its customers.

The high-tech products are the work of 60 Serbian workers, engineers and programmers employed in Visaris.

Exports account for 85% of the total income of Visaris, and most of the X-rays are sold in the US market. So far, over 500 digital system installations have been implemented worldwide, and the first digital 3D X-ray device will soon be presented.

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BRANKO STEVANOVIĆ, PLANT MANAGER, MODINE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS

Products For The World’s Markets Modine is an American company that has factories worldwide and deals with the production of thermal systems and components for heating and cooling systems. Present in Serbia for just over a year and a half, the company already launched the construction and expansion of its production area by an additional 50%

M

odine’s aim is to constantly improve its technology and thereby adapt to the demands of the market in order to avoid radical changes and forced operational solutions. Such an approach enables a reduction in the potential risks to clients.

Considering that Modine is a company that has factories all around the world, how would you rate the business environment in Serbia?

Since the start of our development in Serbia – then as part of the Luvata Group – we’ve had really great support from the Sremska Mitrovica city authorities, and that’s still the case today. They are always available for us, and that’s why we’re very satisfied.

However, I think the method for attracting foreign investment should be improved, because financial grants are not decisive in all cases. In our case, for example, that wasn’t taken into consideration.

When it comes to enticing investors to start a business in Serbia, I think special attention should be paid to their further growth and development plans, considering that various companies and industrial branches don’t always have the same needs.

In that sense, local authorities should initiate dialogue with individual firms and contribute wherever help is desired and required.

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This would ensure that practically every company received a support programme for its long-term sustainable development in Serbia, tailored to its specific needs and requirements. Investors would thus have the feeling that they are constantly in the

I will use this opportunity to invite engineers, technicians, and others who are interested, to join us. I want them to work together with us on the creation of a new factory, the mastering of new technologies and the development of products for the world market

focus of their host and would be willing to continue investments that could be extremely significant for the region’s overall development.

Your parent company has registered more than 2,200 patents during the 101 years of its existence. Does Modine SRB have experts who could invent some new, unique solutions?

Despite the fact that we are personally learning to work in a field that is new to Serbia, we are already seeing interesting production solutions appearing that we can propose for patenting. We are cur-

rently focusing our attention on other activities, but I believe that in the future we will be able to boast of some new, improved solutions.

As a company, Modine has a different approach to developing innovation – via the MPS method, among other things, which is based on the Toyota Kata production philosophy. According to that method, the widest possible circle of employees should be included in overseeing and analysing the process, and then also included in the subject discussions that always lead to the emergence of some improvement. You know, people only express great creativity if you give them the freedom to show you what they know. I mentor them in that, supporting them and encouraging them to try even if they make a mistake, which so far hasn’t happened once.

What are Modine’s further plans in Serbia?

Our goal is for Modine SRB to develop, expand and increase production. Proof of that can be found in the fact that we have already started building and expanding our production area by an additional 50 per cent, where three new production lines will become operational this autumn. These investments should enable us to increase the invoiced value by a certain 30 per cent in the next year.

Further development requires the continuation of work on the formation of more stable conditions in the surrounding area, and our constructing of a new factory and launch of new product lines creates new opportunities, as well as new jobs.

Feature Digital business

By Stephen Kelly

Technology Trends To Watch Out For In 2018 In 2018, we see a great deal of potential for a range of exciting new technologies that will support digital business. However, for any of them to succeed, companies will need to invest in the correct digital architectures to support their plans

I

n the next 12 months, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) will begin to work together, offering more complementary outcomes for businesses that invest in them.

AR, in particular, is already starting to reap early rewards in the world of business.The aviation industry was perhaps the earliest to adopt this type of technology, using a mix of VR and AR in training exercises for pilots. Flight simulators have now been around for some time, and the technology is gradually becoming more widely adopted by other industries, such as retail and manufacturing. We’re also seeing a boom in wireless technologies, and these will help support the expansion of the internet of things (IoT).

Blockchain also has the potential to bring real value to organisations that use IoT, by providing a method for firms to securely collect information from thousands of sensors.

Digital workspaces

As we move into 2018, the digital workplace will become more of a reality. We recently found, through the Dimension Data Digital Workplace Report 2017, that 25pc of organisations are already investing in workspace analytics tools, AR and micro-learning or training. In fact, just 12pc of enterprises have yet to make physical changes to their office environment in order to embrace digital transformation in the workplace.

In terms of enhancing well-established technology, I predict that web-based, real-time communications will become significantly easier, replacing the need for dedicated desktop programs.

Newer trends that are already emerging, yet less pronounced, include the use of voice-enabled

virtual assistants around the office. These tools, which are increasingly present in our homes, will help employees save time, and focus more of their energies on tasks that matter. We also expect to see some exciting evolutions in the way office space is used, with IoT-enabled offices providing workers with a more productive environment, and beacon-enabled stores giving shoppers a more personalised experience. By taking a different approach to office space, organisations can also reduce some of the costs associated with physical

In terms of enhancing well-established technology, I predict that web-based, real-time communications will become significantly easier, replacing the need for dedicated desktop programs workspaces, potentially opening up new revenue streams – with more creative use of space.

Experimentation with BYOA (bring your own app) – where users choose the tools they want to use rather than conform to IT-mandated tools – is also set to feature heavily in 2018. This will introduce a range of challenges and issues around security, as well as information management, but will offer benefits to companies that have a well-thought-out strategy.

Businesses will realise that the most important

benefit of a new technology will simply be getting it to work, rather than focusing on return on investment or total cost of ownership’

How will this impact digital infrastructure?

Businesses in every industry are increasingly aware of the threat posed by digital disruption. As a result, in 2018 we can expect to see incumbent companies shoring up their digital infrastructure so they are leaner, more flexible and better placed to adapt to an unpredictable market. We expect businesses will increasingly focus on speed of deployment over cost. They will realise that the most important benefit of a new technology will simply be getting it to work, rather than focusing on return on investment or total cost of ownership.

Companies that focus on innovation and differentiation will find it easiest to adapt to this market and we expect to see developers using container technology heavily.We also expect more firms to utilise APIs to add value to their products.

In fact, container technology is growing at a rate of 40pc year on year, according to 451 Research.

Another related change will be a shift in focus from technology architectures to service architectures, as firms attempt to standardise the way they use multiple different services. We will also see an evolution of big data, as firms seek to better manage the information they collect.

As we move into 2018, organisations must reconsider their digital workspaces and infrastructure, ensuring that they are both fit for purpose and future-proof. Only then will they be able to take advantage of the many potential benefits of the digital era and stay ahead of the curve.

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Message “We had 30 wasted years as a result of corruption and being hijacked by ideologies, by wrong ideas, and extremists. And lots of people were sitting in the middle saying: ‘I don’t know. My life is O.K.’ Now we are saying there’s more to life than this, please join us.”– MOHAMMAD AL TUWAIJRI. MINISTRY OF ECONOMY OF SAUDI ARABIA

WORLD NEWS GREECE

ONE-IN-TWO GREEK BUSINESSES ‘BREAKING TAX LAWS’

CHINA

CHINESE TECH EXECUTIVES ENTRANCE EXAMS

One-in-two Greek businesses audited in the first quarter of 2018 were found to have committed some kind of tax offense, according to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).

AADE agents found that 50.2 percent of businesses audited had violated tax regulations.

Lost revenue increased by 217 percent compared to the same period last year, with AADE estimating that the actual loss amounted to €21.8 million.

More specifically, the number of companies with a violation in the first quarter of 2018 amounted to 2,409 against 1,451 in the corresponding period last year, showing an increase of 66.01 percent.

A total of 9.75 million Chinese high school students have begun to take the 2018 National College Entrance Examination, also known as the Gaokao.

The once-a-year test is the world’s largest exam by the number of test takers. Since its resumption in 1977, the fiercely competitive annual exam has been decisive in determining the trajectories of the academic, and possibly professional, careers of test takers. All the founders of Chinese IT giants, including Alibaba Group, Baidu, Tencent and JD.com, had sat for the Gaokao.

KENYA

NAIROBI TO MOMBASA HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY OPENS East Africa is now more accessible than ever. After two years of construction, Kenya‘s largest infrastructure project since independence, a $3.8 billion Chinese-built high speed railway, is up and running. It’s around 500 kilometers miles long, connecting the port city of Mombasa to the capital of Nairobi.

Built by China Road and Bridge Corporation and 90 percent financed by China Eximbank, it is the largest infrastructure project since independence in 1963.

It’s named the Madaraka Express, after the day Kenya attained self rule.

NIGERIA

BARCLAYS AFRICA TO JOIN THE NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE Barclays Africa plans to join the Nigerian is exploring opportunities in three other access for foreign investors looking Garth Klintworth, head of markets for Absa Nigeria had acquired a securities increase it presence in west Africa’s bigthe third largest in Africa, has in the applications from leading global investincrease foreign investment in one of the

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Stock Exchange as a broker in July and African countries, in a move to create to tap into markets on the continent.

Barclays Africa Group, said its subsidiary licence in Nigeria, part of a wider plan to gest economy. Nigeria’s stock exchange, last few years said it was reviewing ment banks to join its trading floor to world’s least tapped emerging markets.

10 REASONS YOUR TOP TALENT WILL LEAVE YOU

There is an old saying that goes; “Employees don’t quit working for companies, they quit working for their bosses.”

Regardless of tenure, position, title, etc., employees who voluntarily leave, generally do so out of some type of perceived disconnect with leadership.

Following are 10 reasons your talent will leave you – smart leaders don’t make these mistakes: 1. You Failed To Unleash Their Passions 2. You Failed To Challenge Their Intellect 3. You Failed To Engage Their Creativity 4. You Failed To Develop Their Skills 5. You Failed To Give Them A Voice 6. You Failed To Care 7. You Failed to Lead 8. You Failed To Recognise Their Contributions 9. You Failed To Increase Their Responsibility 10. You Failed To Keep Your Commitments

Democracy “I want this government to be criticised.

Criticism makes democracy strong.

Democracy cannot succeed without constructive criticism.”– NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA ITALY

GUCCI AIMS FOR €10 BILLION REVENUE THRESHOLD

JAPAN

HONDAJET TO BE SOLD IN JAPAN Japan’s Honda Motor announse it will start selling its small business jet in the country. The firm hopes to start delivering the 7-seater HondaJet in the first half of next year after approval by Japan’s government.

The plane costs about 570 million yen (roughly $5.2 million).

The HondaJet has already been sold mainly in the United States and Europe, where demand for jets has been increasing among business owners.

Last year, Honda delivered 43 of the aircraft -- twice the figure for the previous year -- putting the plane in first place among small business jets.

NORWAY

WEALTH FUND OPPOSED MUSK’S DOUBLE ROLE AT TESLA Norway’s $1 trillion wealth fund said mid last month it had backed an initiative to wrest the role of chairman away from Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk. The proposal, which was defeated in a vote at Tesla’s annual meeting of stockholders, represented the strongest challenge yet to Musk’s grip on the Silicon Valley car company. Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which runs the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, favours dividing the roles of CEO and chairman to boost corporate governance.

The fund also voted against the re-election of board member Antonio Gracias, but backed the reappointment of James Murdoch as well as Elon Musk’s brother Kimbal. NBIM in March voted against Elon Musk’s proposed pay package, which was valued by Tesla at $2.6 billion and may ultimately become worth much more The Norwegian fund, which owns 1.4 percent of all globally listed shares, held a 0.48 percent stake in Tesla at the end of 2017, worth $252.5 million, according to the fund’s own data.

Italy’s Gucci, the biggest earnings driver at French group Kering, said it expected sales to grow at twice the pace of the luxury market in the coming years and for revenue to eventually reach €10 billion.

The fashion company did not outline a timeline for its ambition in a presentation posted on Kering’s website. But it compares to €6.2 billion in annual revenue clocked up in 2017, when it came behind Louis Vuitton as the second biggest luxury label in the world. Gucci has so far defied expectations of a gradual slowdown, after its re-invention with a flamboyant new style under designer Alessandro Michele lifted sales. The brand added that it aimed to have an operating margin of more than 40 percent, compared to around 34 percent in 2017. Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri and Michele, who both came on board in 2015, gave the brand a top-to-bottom makeover, with new product ranges.

Gucci said it would continue to invest in e-commerce, and aimed to further lift sales densities - a measure of how profitable its stores are. Source: Reuters

AUSTRALIA

€1 MILLION LOTO WINNER BAGS ANOTHER JACKPOT A Frenchman has won a million euros twice in the last eighteen months on the same lottery, a feat mathematicians said carried odds of around 16 trillion to one. Le Parisien newspaper said the unnamed player, from the eastern Haute-Savoie region, held winning tickets on both 11 November 2016 and May 18 this year through My Million.

The lottery is linked to the Euro Millions franchise, which is offered in 12 European countries twice a week and carries enormous jackpots, sometimes worth more than €100 million.

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Entrepreneurship

The Craziest Plan That Worked

In the six years since ‘Fast N’ Loud’ first aired, Richard Rawlings has turned Gas Monkey into a multi-million-dollar brand 40

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By Zac Crain

W

hen Richard was growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Raymond Rawlings always had a car or a motorcycle lying around.

“It wasn’t the nicest or the best, but it was his,” the younger Rawlings says. Ray wasn’t much of a mechanic, more of a detailer and tinkerer. On

weekends, the guys in the neighbourhood would come over, mess around with whatever car Ray had at the time, and drink beer in the garage.

One of those guys who came around also taught Rawlings a lesson in negotiating that he still carries with him: “I was around 13. He said, ‘Son, you could buy a $10,000 car all day long for five grand if you have it in your pocket.

Always carry cash.’ ” All this made an impression on Rawlings.

He started buying and selling and trading cars before he could legally drive them, getting advice from an old-timer in the neighbourhood on the technical side. (Like his father, he’s never been much of a mechanic.)

After completing high school, Rawlings worked as a suburban police officer, a firefighter and a Miller Lite delivery truck driver, but the entrepreneurial bug stayed with him. He started a company called Promo Wipes, which printed ads and logos on deluxe paper towels for car washes, when he was just out of high school.

That didn’t last, and Rawlings stumbled into a job selling printing and advertising.

He’d never sold anything but cars, but he gave it a shot and found he was good at it. He knew how to talk to people, and that was most of the job. But he also innately understood branding.

“Building brands and helping people figure out their identity -- as far as a business identity and everything -- was kind of my niche,” he says. He tried to buy the company, but the owner wouldn’t sell, so he went out on his own with the help of a $100,000 small-business loan and opened a shop, Lincoln Press, in Dallas in 1999. By 2004, the company had done well enough for Rawlings to be able to offer a new Lamborghini Gallardo as an incentive to the first client to spend $1 million.

Rawlings had always felt that there was something out there he was meant to do, something bigger. Lincoln Press wasn’t it. So he got out. The success and eventual sale of the company gave him “a little bit of pocket change to start a new business.” And he had a wild idea. Something that would combine his childhood passion with his knack for branding.

His older sister, Daphne, had seen only the first page of her brother’s business plan. She might have staged an intervention if he had shown her the rest.

Asking Richard Rawlings how many cars he owns is a question with an answer that varies depending on the hour. At the moment, he says, there are 40, maybe 50, at his compound

His vision was inspired by his father’s weekends as a shadetree mechanic. Rawlings would simply take that, soup it up, and sell it. “I based everything about the brand on the question ‘what could my dad have done when I was 10 or 15 years old?’... He was barbecuing in the backyard and drinking Coors and cleaning his Mustang.

That’s the ideology of Gas Monkey. And that’s kind of what I do on every decision we make.”

Because he needed a business before they could sell a show about a business, Rawlings hired Aaron Kaufman, a Fort Worth mechanic who had previously worked on some cars for him, and in 2004 the pair opened Gas Monkey Garage in a tiny 130m2 shop without running water or heat and air. For the next two years, they travelled around the country, sometimes for months at a time, hitting car shows, swap meets, trade events, rallies and anything else they could think of to get the Gas Monkey name out there.

All the while, like he does with the Lamborghini owner in Florida, Rawlings pestered Discovery. He had studied the credits of all the automotive shows on air, seeing what production companies they used, their management and agencies, and used that to assemble his dream team. He paid to film four sizzle reels showing off his wares. He kept getting close, almost there.

This continued for eight years. He compares the experience to the board game Snakes and Ladders: A bunch of new hires would come in at Discovery and he’d have to start all over, again and again. He jokes that they eventually

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Entrepreneurship gave him a show just to shut him up.

While he did that, Rawlings needed cash, so he and his wife bought Home Care Providers of Texas -- a home-healthcare company, of all things. He needed something more stable bringing money in, and he saw this was a good business

he could get his arms around, so he jumped on it.

“I wasn’t giving up,” he says. “I was still making my calls. I still wanted the show. But it was like, Golly. I needed to just get my mind focused and cleared. It turned out to be a good deal, because I was able to triple the size of that company in a few months. I was just trying to let my head clear.”

When Fast N’ Loud debuted in 2012, the Gas Monkey team was still squeezed into the tiny shop. But Rawlings knew that wouldn’t last for long. With the pressure of getting the show on the air gone, everything was about to get bigger - and fast. This was the part he had been waiting for. He had sold Gas Monkey. Now it was time to sell himself.

On the floor of Gas Monkey’s headquarters, there is a thick white line, more than a foot wide, separating the offices from the shop. No matter what is happening, once he crosses that line, Rawlings knows he has to be camera-ready. They film every day. That’s why he had it painted there.

Of course, it might be easier for him than most people. He swears there isn’t any difference between how he is on camera and off. When he does speaking appearances, he always asks the first question: “Is the Richard I see on TV going to be the same Richard I see today?” Then he

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cracks open a beer and tells them, “Damn sure is.”

When the Gas Monkey brand began to take off, Rawlings was ready. He’d already figured out his management style, and he knew how to handle a large workforce in a rapidly expanding business.

“I’m not an authoritarian leader,” he says.

“If I believe in you enough to hire you, and I’ve looked at your credentials, and you say you’re gonna do X, then you’re either gonna do it or not. I don’t need to micromanage you. It’ll be real evident real quick if you can or can’t.”

This is critical, because as Gas Monkey grows, Rawlings is forced to delegate more

On the floor of Gas Monkey’s headquarters there is a thick white line, more than a foot wide, separating the offices from the shop. No matter what is happening, once he crosses that line, Rawlings knows he has to be camera-ready and more. “I just keep pushing things onto plates,” he says. “And there’s a lot of plates out there spinning. It’s the one thing a lot of people don’t get: They hold on too tight.”

Besides, he says, it’s more important to him to be the owner than the boss. In his businesses, Rawlings takes on the same role he has on the show. He has the idea, he makes the deal and then he trusts his team to do the work. That gives him control and keeps his brand from becoming diluted -- the fate of many celebrity-driven brands.

“You get an amount of success and celebrity and your door starts getting knocked on: Hey, I wanna make cellphone cases with your name on it. Or all these different things. I learned that on the big items -- the restaurants, the tequila, the energy drink, the apparel and things like that -- most of the time I’m a majority owner. It’s 90 per cent of my money, usually. Other than the large-scale branding and licensing deals, I own those companies and I am backing them.

So the authenticity of Gas Monkey and Richard comes through.”

Not every idea clicks, though. He thought he could replicate Gas Monkey Garage with a show called Misfit Garage, which features a couple of his former mechanics and their Fired Up garage. He wanted a competing brand. He wanted to own both Coke and Pepsi. “And it just didn’t work.”

Even when it comes to cars, he can’t flip everything. Rawlings says he’s made as much as $300,000 on a car. But in late 2017, he sold $800,000 worth of cars at a loss of about 30 percent. He didn’t believe a market would develop for them. “It turned out to be pretty smart,” he says, “because that guy hasn’t been able to sell one of ’em.”

Sometimes he says he can tell before he walks out of the gate that a car that just arrived on a trailer is not the one he needs. He’ll decide then and there to get rid of it. Like he says: Move fast.

Asking Richard Rawlings how many cars he owns is a question whose answer varies depending on the hour. At the moment, he says, there are 40, maybe 50 at his compound. “But I’m in the business,” he says. “They’re all for sale. I only have about four or five I wouldn’t sell. The rest of them are just inventory I get to play with.”

“My goal is not to have the brand I have now,” Rawlings says. “I’d like to have a billion-­ dollar brand before I’m done. And it’s actually feasibly possible. You can put all the fluff value on stuff - like what is your tequila’s possible worth if you sold it? What is your energy drink? Well, forget all the possibilities. I look at it like: What did we do last year? If you add all the entities, we’re probably a $60, $65 million brand right now - of actual sales, not value. So what are we really worth? And that number gets to be pretty interesting pretty quick.”

PROFILE

Cultural Exchange Based On Dialogue And Networking Austria and Serbia have a lot of things in common and our relationship has numerous points of contact, be it on a historical, political, economic, personal and last but not least cultural level

JOHANNES IRSCHIK, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTRIAN CULTURAL FORUM AND PRESIDENT OF EUNIC SERBIA

W

hen I was appointed Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum two and a half years ago, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity - together with my team – to further strengthen and foster cultural relations between our two countries.

Not having previously had any working experience in Serbia or the region (prior to arriving in Serbia I had lived and worked in Austria, Belgium and Mexico), several things pleasantly surprised me upon my arrival: the openness and friendliness of the people, the professionalism and creativity of individuals working in the field of culture, as well as the ability to create innovative and interesting projects with limited means. The Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade was founded in 2001 and has since been able to build fruitful and enduring relationships with public and private cultural institutions, as well as individuals from the Serbian culture scene. Together, we implement projects in the fields of architecture/ urbanism, applied and fine arts, film, music,

dance and theatre, literature and science, and thus we are building and sustaining cultural bridges between Austria and Serbia.

Belgrade, of course, is an extraordinarily vibrant and culturally rich city in which to live and work. Every day you can choose from a menu of a wide variety of cultural events. This is why, while we are still supporting a lot of events that take place in Belgrade, we are increasingly trying to branch out to smaller cities and regions that do not see a lot of artists, movies or musicians from outside of Serbia passing through. By doing this, I have had the opportunity to visit most parts of Serbia and personally see the interest that exists throughout the country in building

The Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade was founded in 2001 and has since been able to build fruitful and enduring relationships with public and private cultural institutions, as well as individuals from the Serbian culture scene

cultural partnerships. Apart from that, I had the chance to visit historic sites, mountains and nature reserves, and to sample the local cuisine, which is always a great experience. Besides my work at the Austrian Cultural Forum Belgrade, I also have the privilege to currently hold the presidency of the local EUNIC cluster. EUNIC’s main aim (the acronym stands for European Union National Institutes for Culture) is to build trust and understanding between the peoples of Europe and the rest of the world through culture. Our local cluster currently has 16 members and together we are implementing several joint projects per year, such as the European Day of Languages or a conference for librarians, to take place this year on 26th September and 26th October respectively. To learn more about what EUNIC is and what our cluster is doing, I invite you to watch a short movie that was produced by the Swedish Institute in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy in Belgrade: http://sharingsweden.se/toolkits/ eunic-initiating-european-collaboration/ Cultural diplomacy in Serbia, as a form of international cooperation in which an open, equitable cultural exchange based on dialogue and networking leads to greater mutual understanding, has been a rich and rewarding experience so far. I am truly looking forward to the remainder of my posting, to support innovative and exciting projects and to engage with people throughout Serbia.

JOHANNES IRSCHIK was born in Vienna in 1980. After completing his studies in History, British and American studies at the University of Vienna and International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, he worked in science administration for several years, as the Executive Secretary of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration in Brussels and as Academic Affairs Officer at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. After joining the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in 2013, he worked in several departments within the Ministry as well as at the Austrian Embassy in Mexico City before taking up his post as Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum Belgrade in November 2015.

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Norway: Contemporary art

High Ambition

Connected With Quality EDVARD MUNCH: SUMMER NIGHT, INGER ON THE BEACH

Norway’s art scene boomed in the 19th century with the introduction of landscape artists such as Johan Christian Dahl and Johannes Flintoe.

Since then, it has seen an increase in local Impressionist, Realist, and Modernist artists, after a long history of importing rather than creating art works. Today, Norway is proud to have bred many internationally recognised artists, from printmakers to sculptors to jewelers 44

July

EDVARD MUNCH: THE SCREAM

KNUT ROSE: WAITING

orway owes its position in international art history to Edvard Munch, one of the pioneers of modern art.

But like most pioneers, Edvard Munch (1863-1944) remained isolated in his own milieu. His contribution had no immediate impact on modern Norwegian art, nor did it attract international attention to Norwegian artists.

After World War II, Norwegian art entered into a steadily more comprehensive alliance with the social-democratic programme of social planning. Ideally, art should play a part in public information and be an invitation to an activity which everyone has the right to enjoy. For many years this view was largely expressed in after-dinner speeches and reports on cultural policy. But the principle had been established. It was beyond dispute, and in this way the foundations were laid for a more consistent official policy towards art as soon as the opportunity arose. And the opportunity came in the 1970s, with their buoyant economy and optimistic view of the future.

Artists formed active, professional organisations. The media devoted many columns to

and professional pictorial art in keeping with growing national self-esteem.

Today, however, as the twentieth century draws to a close, the situation has changed completely. This is demonstrated by a noticeable interest in Norwegian contemporary art in international fora, and within Norway itself it is apparent in an equally noticeable optimism and a high level of activity among artists, museum staff, promoters and collectors. This energy is clearly connected with a high level of ambition and quality in the work of Norwegian artists today.

The most obvious explanation is that this is due to the emergence of a particularly large number of good artists - perhaps very good artists. But this alone is not sufficient to explain the present enthusiasm. The answer could be found in a conjunction of circumstances which together form an overall picture of current Norwegian art.

Thus, from an idealistic point of view, Norwegian art was virtually destined to be inventive and to flourish throughout the ‘70s. But in retrospect, there are many today who wonder whether this public consensus on the objectives

N

From an idealistic point of view, Norwegian art was virtually destined to be inventive and to flourish throughout the 70s their demands to be taken seriously as professionals with an important social mission.

They strengthened their position in evaluating bodies, played an active part in spreading and establishing artistic activity throughout the country and won acceptance for the principle of remuneration for the public display of their works. The result was two-sided - if not more.

Norwegian cultural activity became decentralised.

Artistic talent was discovered outside the urban concentrations in the capital - not least in local centres such as Bergen and Trondheim. At the same time, Norwegian society became aware that the country as a whole possessed an extrovert

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Norway: Contemporary art

YNGVE ZAKARIAS: DROPFLOW

Norwegian appeared as the continuation of the established course among older artists and as exciting discoveries among the very young and those who deliberately looked to the world outside Norway

CARLSEN, BJØRN: ARTIST WITH MEDICINE

of art provided only a spurious freedom and was in fact restrictive in the long term.

With an artist of the calibre of Edvard Munch as part of its heritage, Norwegian art might be expected to have a dominating expressionistic tradition. The fact that this is not so is one of the surprises that abound in the history of art. For although several of Norway’s most important artists have been distinctly expressionist, these have always functioned as outsiders, as isolated single phenomena, not representing any main stream.

But finally, towards the end of the ‘70s, a strongly expressive trend developed in Norway too. The reason to use the word “too” is because this took place parallel to international movements in art, such as “New Expressionism”, “Heftige Malerei”, “Bad Painting” and “Neue Wilden”. In international art the expression of strong emotion and individual self-expression was in vogue, perhaps as a reaction to the restraint of the technological and conceptual art of the previous decade.

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BJØRN RANSVE: MASK BEHIND YELLOW LINES

This new, artistic individuality went handin-hand with an increasing awareness of the traditional qualities of technique and materials.

In painting this meant that the aesthetic effects in the brush strokes and in the refined play of colours again became a focus of interest among the young. Young Norwegian artists were showing more interest in the history of art and a growing sympathy for artistic forms of expression which the older generation had rejected with a shrug.

Cubism, surrealism and expressionism were the current art forms, enjoying a popularity they had never known before, not even in the interwar years, when internationally they were the leading

art trends. Norwegian art seemed firmly resolved to fill in the gaps in its own recent history.

Norwegian art never made the total break with tradition that international modernism had led to elsewhere. Large sectors of our art have always been devoted to pictorial quality, sculptural modelling and graphic effects, with no apparent concern for problems in the relationship between art and reality. Back came the traditional trends such as landscape painting, psychological, figurative sculpture and graphics based on handicraft techniques. Norwegian appeared as the continuation of the established course among older artists and as exciting discoveries among the very young and those who deliberately looked to the world outside Norway.

Continuity became an important factor and in fact began to be identified with special regional characteristics as an art nation. They kept up with international trends, but could also cultivate the national identity so essential to Norwegians.

In this complex picture a number of distictive trends gradually emerged, trends which will no doubt leave their mark on Norwegian art for many years to come

TUFTA, BJØRN-SIGURD: EPHEMERALITY

ARNE MALMEDAL: COMPOSITION IN 6 COLOURS

The new, expressive, individualistic tendencies, the awakening interest in older phenomena such as cubism, surrealism and expressionism, and the firmly maintained traditions in techniques and the use of materials all fused together in a variety of surprising combinations in the Norwegian art of the ‘80s. But in this complex picture a number of distictive trends gradually emerged, trends which will no doubt leave their mark on Norwegian art for many years to come.

In this context the classical exponent is Bjørn Carlsen (b.1945). He uses very beautiful colours in his paintings, but they portray disquieting visions in which birth and death, violence and tenderness all melt together into a whole. A sort of sublime, harmonious universe revolves around mankind, which is portrayed without illusions, but also without disgust.

Another leading exponent of this disturbing use of the fantastic is Knut Rose (b.1936). His

pictures too have an alluring beauty, but the rich, glazed layers of colour reveal threatening glimpses of a hazy dream world, where man appears lost in aimless games, with no meaning and no goal.

There are of course exceptions to generalizations of this sort. An artist of the importance of Bjørn Ransve (b.1944), creates to all appearances unusually sophisticated paintings in constantly changing styles, which are all part of the debate on the relationship between art and reality The most important exponent of neo- formalism, where the content plays no decisive role is Arne Malmedal (b.1937), in fact projects an understated view of the picture, based on great pictorial experience and wide knowledge.

But, no one has gone as far in allowing the surface of the picture to dominate its expression as Bjørn Sigurd Tufta (b.1956). His dark, textured pictures are, in their strict abstraction, a kind of emblem.

Alongside pure virtuoso graphics, it could be find all kinds of transitional forms between graphics and drawing, painting, sculpture and installations. An artist such as Yngve Zakarias (b.1957) has made prints which are material pictures, and diary leaves which have almost the same form as wall grafitti.

The fact that drawing is also part of this dynamic field is something totally surprising in Norwegian art. A pioneer in this field is Zdenka Rusova (b.1939) who, in her large compositions, gives us the feeling of dramatic growth processes.

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&FACES PLACES 29/5/2018

Serbian Diplomacy Day Marked

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs celebrates the Day of Serbian Diplomacy every 29th May. Speaking at this year’s event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić said that Serbia is committed to achieving full EU membership and expects the enlargement process to enter a new phase during which, as he said, Serbia would contribute to the Union becoming stronger.

On the occasion of Serbian Diplomacy Day, Minister Dačić awarded the highest diplomatic recognition, Knight of the Pacifism of Saint Sava, to prominent Serbian figures from the worlds of culture, the arts, humanitarianism, business and diplomacy.

AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER CHEPURIN

AMBASSADOR AND MRS CHEPURIN WITH ZORAN ĐORĐEVIĆ, IVICA DAČIĆ, NEBOJŠA STEFANOVIĆ, MAJA GOJKOVIĆ AND ANA BRNABIĆ

12/6/2018 DEPUTY PM AND FOREIGN MINISTER IVICA DAČIĆ

MINISTER DAČIĆ WITH RECIPIENTS OF DIPLOMATIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Russia Day Marked In Belgrade

On the occasion of the annual Russia Day holiday, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia H.E. Alexander Chepurin hosted a reception to which he welcomed government officials, MPs, ambassadors of foreign countries in Belgrade, representatives of international organisations and public figures.

“We need a stable and safe world of mutual understanding and cooperation...

Russia and Serbia share a thousand years of mutual respect and understanding. Russia and Serbia are today very active in developing cooperation, and I am sure we will reach new levels in the coming years,” said Ambassador Chepurin.

AMBASSADOR JAN LUNDIN

5/6/2018

Swedish National Day Celebrated In Belgrade The Embassy of Sweden in Belgrade marked the National Day of Sweden with a reception in the garden of the Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art, hosted

by Swedish Ambassdor to Serbia H.E. Jan Lundin.

Sweden supports Serbia on its path to the EU, which is reflected in the fact that this country has invested more than €200 million in development projects with Serbia since 2001.

The festive reception was attended by Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Minister Zoran Đorđević, members of the diplomatic corps and officials from cultural and public life.

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AMBASSADOR AND HIS SPOUSE MILICA LUNDIN WITH SLAVICA MARKOVIĆ SANDIĆ, JOACHIM WAERN AND OTHER EMBASSY REPRESENTATIVES

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

14/6/2018

British Embassy Celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday

The British Embassy, headed by Ambassador H.E. Denis Keefe, held a reception marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 92nd birthday.

This year’s celebration, held at Belgrade’s British ambassadorial residence, Elsa Inglis House, was also organised in the framework of the ‘Music is Great’ programme, which is promoting British music around the world. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Keefe reminded guests of the upcoming Western Balkans Summit to be held in London from 9th to 10th July.

The celebration was attended by government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and many guests from AMBASSADOR DENIS KEEFE public life.

20/6/2018

27th Anniversary Of Slovenian National Day The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia marked the 27th anniversary of Slovenian National Day with an official reception at Metropol Palace Hotel. The celebration was attended by several hundred guests, including members of the political and diplomatic corps, church dignitaries and many guests from Serbia’s public and cultural life.

Slovenian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Vladimir Gasparič pointed out that Slovenian companies employ more than 25,000 people in Serbia. As a token of gratitude, the Embassy of Slovenia awarded a certificate of thanks to the Slovenian Business Club for engaging in business networking, and to the Slovenian Society in Pančevo for preserving the Slovenian community in Serbia.

AMBASSADOR GORDAN BAKOTA

AMBASSADOR VLADIMIR GASPARIČ ADDRESSING GUESTS

21/6/2018

Croatian Statehood Day Commemorated

AMBASSADOR GASPARIČ WITH ZORAN ĐORĐEVIĆ

The Croatian Embassy in Serbia celebrated Croatian Statehood Day and Croatian Armed Forces Day at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Welcoming guests in his opening address, Croatian Ambassador H.E. Gordan Bakota said that relations between Serbia and Croatia are improving, as shown by the recently opened representative offices of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Serbia.

The reception was attended by Serbian Government officials, Mayor of the City of Zagreb Milan Bandić, representatives of the diplomatic corps, public figures and representatives of Croatian companies operating in Serbia.

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SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

&FACES PLACES 21/6/2018

Farewell Reception For Ambassador Chauhan

The Embassy of India to Serbia organised a farewell reception at the Indian ambassadorial residence for outgoing Ambassador H.E. Narinder Chauhan, who is departing Belgrade after completing a successful four-year term in Serbia.

The formal event was attended by senior government officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

AMBASSADOR KATI CSABA

26/6/2018

Canada Day Celebration

INDIAN EMBASSY STAFF WITH AMBASSADOR CHAUHAN

An official reception of the Embassy of Canada in Serbia marked this country’s national holiday, known as Canada Day, at which Ambassador H.E. Kati Csaba said she is grateful for the friendship and support she has received from so many people during the past year, which marked the first year of her term in Belgrade.

Ambassador Csaba said that this year has been a significant one for CanadaSerbia business relations – with work having been launched a month ago to build Cukaru Peki, a copper and gold mine that will represent the largest Canadian investment in Serbia to date.

The ambassadorial residence reception commemorating Canada Day was enjoyed by representatives of the diplomatic corps, the government and the cultural, academic and non-governmental sectors.

PRESIDENT VUČIĆ WITH PRESIDENT RADEV

21/6/2018

President Radev Attends Opening Of “Applied Nostalgia” Exhibition

Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović and Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Radko Vlaykov jointly opened the exhibition ‘Applied Nostalgia’ at the National Bank of Serbia, in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. The exhibition includes photographs of both Belgrade and Sofia.

Joksimović pointed out that the exhibition represents the manifestation of efforts to connect the people and capital cities of Serbia and the countries presiding over the EU. The Belgrade-Sofia Exhibition is the 14th exhibition within the project ‘Applied Nostalgia’, which represents a series of joint exhibitions of photographs of artists from Serbia and EU presiding countries.

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AMBASSADOR CSABA, MR CSABA, EMBASSY’S COUNSELLOR BRIAN EBEL AND MS BIBI EBEL

Feature Publication Ethics

By Michaela Panter, PhD

Defining Plagiarism Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct and can thus lead to dismissal from universities and other research institutions, article rejections or retractions from journals, and decreased credibility as a researcher

R

esearch manuscripts typically build upon or revise previous work and are often critical for academic career success. However, improperly referring to or recycling previous work can both decrease the likelihood of publication and damage career prospects.

The U.S. Office of Research Integrity defines plagiarism as “the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.” Said differently, plagiarism is the misrepresentation of someone else’s original thought as your own. In fact, the Latin root of plagiarism means kidnapper or thief.

Such theft is a form of academic misconduct and can thus lead to dismissal from universities and other research institutions, article rejections or retractions from journals, and decreased credibility as a researcher.

Unfortunately, individuals may still be tempted to plagiarise for myriad reasons, including feeling a pressure to publish, driven by their desire for recognition and/or career advancement; experiencing anxiety about writing in English; or struggling to express complex ideas in their own words. Although we often think of plagiarism as intentional, it can also be accidental. Carelessness while writing, heavy reliance on few sources, the cultural belief that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and a lack of understanding of what plagiarism is may all lead to inadvertent intellectual theft. The two most widely recognised forms of plagiarism are as follows:

Verbatim plagiarism

Copying text word-for-word from someone else’s work. If content from several sources is duplicated, this form of plagiarism is known as mosaic or patchwork.

Loose paraphrasing

Paraphrasing someone else’s work with only slight changes, effectively maintaining the other author’s logic while mentioning most or all of the same ideas. Note that the flow of an argument is indeed an original idea.

Plagiarism from alternate sources

Oxford Dictionary defines Plagiarism as utilizing someone else’s work and pretending it to be your own work. It is, in fact, more than simply copying someone else’s work Plagiarism of ideas

Mentioning someone else’s unique idea, whether in the form of a theory, an interpretation, data, a method, an opinion, or new terminology, without citing your source, even if explained in your own words.

Other forms of plagiarism

Moreover, there are several less commonly understood but equally concerning forms of plagiarism that should be avoided:

Failing to cite the source of publicly available knowledge that is not in the scholarly literature.

Similar to journal articles, sources such as books, webpages, blogs, lectures, and personal communication (including descriptions of unpublished ideas, with permission) should be referenced if they contributed unique information to your manuscript.

Self-plagiarism and duplicate publication Recycling your own previously published text on a small scale (such as reusing a paragraph from one manuscript in the methods section of a second manuscript) or on a larger scale (such as the publication of the same manuscript in two separate journals), respectively. This is perhaps the most often overlooked category of plagiarism.

Although self-plagiarism and duplication do not entail the theft of another’s original ideas, this practice is unethical, particularly given that many journals ask for a confirmation that your research has not been published elsewhere, and is sometimes a violation of copyright law.

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My life

Benjamin Schmid, Violinist

LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A CAREER One of the most versatile contemporary violinists, Benjamin Schmid, speaks exclusively to CorD about his life, which he says is “more important than a career�. A particular strength of his can be found in his exceptionally broad repertoire and very personal style. At the core of his career are works by Austrian composers like Berg, Goldmark, Korngold, Kreisler, Mozart, Muthspiel, Schoenberg and Webern 52

July

By Zorica Kojić

Regarding the reference to me as a “superstar”, I know it’s part of the business, but, for me, life is still more important than my career – I’ve got family, students and life beyond the limelight. My career is crucial to me, but it is not easy at all to find the right balance and handle constant pressure. To become great, you have to confront that pressure.

A

s one of the greatest violinists of our time, Benjamin Schmid (50) visited Belgrade in April to perform with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Tchaikovsky’s famous Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major op. 35 at Belgrade’s Kolarac Endowment Hall. The audience was thrilled with Schmid’s distinctive ability to project his superstar appeal in interpreting one of the most fascinating pieces of classical music while remaining an artist with human warmth. We found him between rehearsals with the Belgrade Philharmonic, on the day of the concert, discussing Mozart, ironing shirts and old violins. This was a unique opportunity for the conversation that we are now relaying to you, CorD’s readers.

You are followed wherever you go with the reputation of a superstar of classical music. That must be flattering, but perhaps also overwhelming. What is your opinion about this kind of promotional label that is more common in the worlds of rock music, Hollywood, fashion... Does it help classical music to enhance its visibility and increase audience numbers?

Classical music is way behind rock and pop music, and way, way behind sports, so I think that the more classical music can get into the centre of the attention of society, the greater audiences it will win over.

Photo: Marko Đoković

You were born in Vienna and raised in Salzburg – two cities that are important to the culture of European music in many aspects. How did these cities influence you, and what would you define as the strongest and most authentic impulse of music emanating from these two cities?

Classical music is, in my opinion, one of the most significant achievements of humankind ever, and a lot of people agree with this statement We never had audiences as big as we have today, never as many concerts. Classical music is, in my opinion, one of the most significant achievements of humankind ever, and a lot of people agree with this statement. Education is also growing, but the big gift is heritage – music is one of the greatest inventions ever made by humankind. Anyone who has access to the world of classical music is going to be enchanted! I am definitely in favour of the popularising of classical music, growing audiences, including open concerts, but I also believe that music has to have the right frame, especially in an acoustic structure. So, we should do everything to expand audience figures – classical music has a bright future – we must keep it interesting by allowing new music to venture into classical music.

Otherwise we’ll end up in the funny museum, and we do not want that, do we?

That must have been Mozart, who was a native of Salzburg who then lived in Vienna, which is the opposite to what happened to me – I was born in Vienna, while I now live in Salzburg. I grew up with Mozart – he was one of the great geniuses of music, a talent of the millennium, and music came to him effortlessly. The way he seems to have put things in place appears so natural and spontaneous. He had the desire for organisation, for order, for clarity, and all of that falls into place. We grew up with this kind of phenomenon. He was a central figure in my musical upbringing, but that upbringing was not confined to Mozart. At the turn of the last century, Vienna experienced the most exciting period in classical music. Prior to that, Vienna had the greatest musical minds, with Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms and even Beethoven all spending most of their lives there. Vienna has the planet’s strongest music scene. It’s an incredible place for music, and I spent my student years in the Opera and Musikverein concert hall. At that time, you must remember that the Alban Berg Quartet had eight double concerts with the best string quartets in the world, and a waiting list for subscription ticket holders! That illustrates how central music is for the heart of society in Vienna, and it is quite incomparable with anywhere else. Viennese people love music.

Vienna also gave us the most important innovations in the history of interpreting classical music. What is your routine like when you’re touring; with concerts tightly scheduled one after another almost every day, how do you preserve your vitality? Do you have a particular habit that you practise before a concert?

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Benjamin Schmid, Violinist

Photo: Srđan Stevanović

My life

It becomes more important as you age that you take care of things. When I was 20, I practised all the time. Today I still practise a lot, but it is more mentally – I might be with an instrument for three hours a day, while there are many days when I practise for eight hours – but three hours is enough to go through the repertoire.

I always try to eat something substantial about five hours before a concert. Another ritual for me is to iron my shirt myself before a concert.

The thing with ironing is that you can’t hurry, you must take your time to do it properly, so it is a kind of meditation... What you try to do that is sometimes challenging is to save your energy before the concert; to save it for that moment, at eight o’clock, when you have to do everything right. It’s important to be able to store your concentration, output and emotionality.

How important is a good instrument to achieving faster progress or achieving one’s musical vision? You perform on one of the best Stradivarius violins – an “ex Viotti” from 1718. What can you tell us about its origin?

I play on a Stradivarius violin from 1718, which means it’s 300 years old, and I’m 50, so we are celebrating our anniversaries together. It is an “ex-Viotti” instrument, and Viotti was the famous Italian violinist who made the premiere performance on it during the time of Mozart, after which renowned Austrian violinist Arnold Rosé, who spent half a century as concertmaster of the

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I grew up with Mozart – he was one of the great geniuses of music, a talent of the millennium, and music came to him effortlessly Vienna Philharmonic, performed on this violin for 50 years. It is now under the ownership of the Austrian National Bank, and I am happy to have it on loan. I have played many Stradivarius violins in my life, and this is one of the best when it comes to purity of sound and clarity of modulations. I feel very blessed to be able to touch this instrument every day. When I tune the strings, it is already miraculous; I don’t know where this sound comes from or how it was possible to produce such an instrument 300 years ago...

On the other hand, I am a great fan of modern instruments – but for a specific repertoire and special hours, the Stradivarius is just totally unbeatable, and brings tears to my eyes immediately.

You have to find an instrument that responds to your abilities and you as a person. And maybe the most important questions of all are how I relate to my instrument and does it really relate to my playing; can I express what I am able to

deliver on my instrument, because every finger and every hand is different – and how do I feel my instrument? That is even more important than the absolute quality of the instrument. You want to get inspired as a musician – and the instrument has to be your unconditional partner.

Apart from your professional career, you are also a wonderful father to your children.

How do you and your wife – a fellow musician in pianist Ariane Haering – take care of your family life? Have your children started practising and are you happy for them to do so – considering how demanding the life of an artist can be?

I am fortunate to have four children and a pianist wife. Kids grow so fast ... and we have our own castle of love at home. My wife refrained from playing a lot when the kids were young, and that is the great sacrifice she made, and I was basically freed to do a lot and some of the

By Zorica Kojić

score for years, and a new interpretation with a few changes is now available, and it is also original. I like that kind of classicistic approach – we try to take a sober look at it, and I think the emotion gets even stronger. Take from what is there and profit from the great ideas of tradition, clean up where necessary, find your statement towards the score and period of music history, which is eternal anyway. But if we look at the qualities of Tchaikovsky and his incredible potential of making long, dramatic developments – that is why I like him, because he can sustain tensions for such a long time and cause them to explode, and I love to explore this and go in that direction as long as possible. This is my approach, but it took me quite a long time to figure it out, three decades in fact, but it is the quality of a masterpiece – it is a learning process for a lifetime.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra is excellent, but I have to say that 80 per cent of musicians in orchestras in this part of the world are over-qualified most important things in my career during that time – and that is only possible if you have a team, and that team was made possible by my wife. She is now playing more, as the kids are in school, but we are constantly struggling over who has to do what with which kid every day.

When I am at home, which is more than half the time, I try to be there for the kids, and we spend quality time together.

The kids are the most important thing in our life now – we raise them with music and they have to learn an instrument or two, that is part of the deal in our house – of course, they don’t have to become professional musicians, because we know how difficult and complex that can be – but they want to have access to music and they do; and they play music, and quite a lot of it. We play together, and you cannot express the feeling of playing with your own kids. I go home tomorrow and can’t wait to see them.

At your Belgrade concert, you will perform a famous Violin concerto by Tchaikovsky with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra – announcing one more classical, fresh and sober version. What does that mean precisely, and how do you see the interpretative direction of understanding this great piece; why do you think it is necessary to go back and reinterpret its original form?

I’m not saying that tradition did any damage to the piece. It is over a hundred years old and is quite difficult, but it has been performed worldwide and has become one of the most popular pieces.

Of course, it is by a Russian, but I must remind everyone that it premiered in Vienna, which makes us very proud. Tchaikovsky can appear more classical than we think if you look at the setting of the orchestra, the combination of instruments and the writing of the score. It is very effective and reduced to what is necessary. I was looking at the

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra is excellent, but I have to say that 80 per cent of musicians in orchestras in this part of the world are over-qualified. We are now dealing with the incredible potential of professional musicians, and smart ways of preparing and strategizing our energy before a concert. When I practised with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra yesterday, I witnessed them playing incredibly at the rehearsal, but they still reserved some of their strength for the concert. We now have smart ways of preparing for a concert. Everybody knows how to do it, but it is the challenge of the moment that you have to deal with; the fact that you have to perform on stage with improvisation as if this is the first or last performance ever – otherwise the music does not come to life. It is our duty to deliver it like that, and I felt that every member of the orchestra was doing their best to be ready for that special moment of the concert.

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CHILL OUT

CHINA

Terracotta Warriors Theme Of An Family Hotel

RUSSIA

Broke Student Marrying Russian Billionaire Broke student Yulia Sveshnikova (29) hit the jackpot by winning a Russian game show where she competed for the heart of a billionaire.

She was chosen by oil oligarch Konstantin Scherbinin’s kids as their dad’s “hot” new bride. About 2,000 women competed on the Russian TV smash Millionaire for Marriage for the right to be Mrs. Scherbinin.

Billionaire Konstantin Scherbinin (55), watched as his children picked his new bride on a bizarre Russian TV show. Two of the billionaire’s kids are older than his new bride.Wed five times, Scherbinin has vowed that his new bride will be the last.

No date has been set for the wedding.

Ten years ago, Guo Zhihua was a cab driver in Xi’an, home to the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). He loves them and came up with the idea of turning his three old houses into Terracotta Warrior-themed family hotels, spending 100,000 yuan ($15,600) to decorate his 260s/m properties with replicas of the famous artifacts. The interior design for the bedroom, bathroom and living room incorporates warriors, from miniature figures to those taller than human beings.

“My target customers are foreign visitors, to let them better understand the culture of the Qin Dynasty,” Guo said, and sometimes the flats can be rented for as much as 1,000 yuan per night during holidays.

USA

US ‘Teacher Of The Year’ Charged With Sexually Assaulting

A former US Teacher of the Year has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly groping and having sex with multiple students.

Spencer Herron, 48, was arrested after teaching for 15 years at Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia. He was awarded Teacher of the Year during the 2016-2017 school year.

The warrant for his arrest states that Herron groped one student and repeatedly had sex with two others, the Daily Mail reports. Herron has been held on bail.

ENGLAND

SOUTH KOREA

3D printer creates first human corneas

The annual Boryeong Mud Festival which takes place in July in Boryeong, a town around 200 km south of Seoul, South Korea, attracted so far more than 2.2 million visitors.

The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats, and trucked to the Daecheon beach area, where it is used as the centrepiece of the ‘Mud Experience Land’. The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics.

Although the festival takes place over a period of around two weeks, it is most famous for its final weekend. During the festival several large attractions are erected, such as a mud pool, mud slides, mud prison and mud skiing competitions. Coloured mud is also produced for body painting.

Human corneas have successfully been 3D printed for the first time by scientists at Newcastle University in England. By mixing stem cells from a healthy donor cornea with alginate, a gel derived from seaweed, and collagen, researchers managed to create a “bio-ink” solution that can be printed. This bio-ink then would be successfully expelled out of the printer in concentric circles in the shape of a cornea in less than 10 minutes, according to a paper published in Experimental Eye Research.

By taking the dimensions of the patient’s actual cornea with scans, scientists can use the data to print a cornea that matches its size and shape. Currently around 10 million people worldwide each year require surgery to prevent corneal blindness, and another five million already suffer total blindness from corneal scarring caused by burns, lacerations, abrasion or disease.

’Mud Experience Land’

DOCTOR STEVE SWIOKLO AND PROFESSOR CHE CONNON

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USA

Burning Man – Issue 2018

Once a year (this year from August 26th until September 3th), tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. In this crucible of creativity.

Burning Man Project’s mission is to produce the annual event known as Burning Man and to guide, nurture and protect the more permanent community created by its culture. Intention is to generate society that connects each individual to his or her creative powers, to participation in community, to the larger realm of civic life, and to the even greater world of nature that exists beyond society.

ITALY

Italian Parents Forced To Change Daughter’s Name A couple in Milan, Italy, who had chosen to name their baby daughter “Blu”, was recently ordered by a court to change the name to something more suitable for a girl or risk having it changed for them.

According to a presidential decree issued in the year 2000, “the name given to a child must correspond to their sex” and Italian authorities apparently don’t consider “Blu” – the Italian spelling for ‘blue’ – to be a suitable name for a girl. Despite having already registered the 18-month-old child’s name on her birth certificate and passport, the parents were recently summoned to appear in court in order to choose another, more feminine name.

CHINA

“Freshness Sniffer“

Researchers at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the nation’s largest missile-maker, have turned their expertise to designing and producing a handheld gadget meant for homemakers and other food market shoppers.

The small “freshness sniffer”, as the developers at CASIC’s Beijing Institute of Radio Metrology and Measurements call it, is an electronic device that determines the freshness of meat you are about to buy or cook. It’s based on sensor and measurement technologies long employed in missiles and space equipment.

NORWAY

Norwegian Humour You are wrong if you think that Norwegians have no humour. They don’t laugh out loud or tap each other on the back when they think something was funny, they probably have a straight face like other days, but they are totally cracked up inside. Tough love, but you’ll eventually know how to recognise it. Look out for a face cramp. There is even a typical Norwegian humour. To be fair, it is true that Norwegians don’t have the reputation of being the clowns in the room, which is probably why many foreigners believe that Norwegians laugh only when they have a facial cramp. But it’s not because Norwegians do not laugh out loud and crack your back open with a strong arm when they think something is funny. They might not laugh like HAHAHA but they could be laughing inside, finding something hilarious by showing a faint smile. It is just that like all feelings people have in this country, they are hidden inside of them.

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Culture

calendar

Angie Stone

1 - Bitefart Café, Mali Kalemegdan 2 - 20.30

American R & B and soul diva and a powerful voice behind the planetary hit “Wish I did not miss you”, Angie Stone will perform for the first time in Serbia, within the Musicology Barcaffè Sessions, on July 1, in tennis courts on Kalemegdan.

Grammy-nominated pianist Angie Stone plays here in July with special guests still to be announced.

The singer’s buttery smooth honey-toned pipes, undeniable gritty soulfulness and major songwriting talents have been called by everyone from Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Alicia Keys, Mantronix and Lenny Kravitz.

Rock Opera

6 - Palić - 21.00 Opera of the Serbian National Theatre prepared a concert Rok opera, which is being realised in cooperation with the Novi Sad Big Band and the Choir and the Orchestra of the SNP Opera.

In the mix of music genres of rock,

jazz and opera, the exclusive concert program features 18 anthological music hits of pop and rock groups whose names are included in the encyclopaedias of the world and domestic music scene of the 20th century. Among the songs that the audience will have the opportunity to hear are Smoke On The Water, Somebody to Love, Aquarius, and Love Rock & Roll, Who Wants to Live Forever, Eye of Tigar, Help, We’ll rock you, Another brick on the wall...

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Ana Popović

6 – Student Cultural Centre (SKC) – 21.00 Our celebrated blues guitarist and singer Ana Popović, who is born in Belgrade, based in Los Angeles, is back on the road! The concert will promote her so far the most ambitious project - the triple album “Trilogy”.

Exhibition Contemporary French Women’s Comic 1-10 - National Museum, Leskovac

In the National Museum in Leskovac, the exhibition “Contemporary French Women’s Comic” will feature a number of French female comic writers who are currently creating comic books, like Claire Wendling, Anabel Bluso, Klemens Vaser, etc. This exhibition is the first of its kind in the region and offers a very special approach to the French that creates in the ninth art.

Klemens Vaser Dem, who will be the guest of the event, will share her view of the place of female authors in today’s comics in France during her lecture with visitors of the festival, but also her as a comic author in the French-speaking area.

The opening of the II International Summer School of Latin American Studies The concert is organised by the Belgrade Youth Centre, in cooperation with BELEF. “Trilogy” is three albums in one. Blues, rock, funk and jazz melodies are played in one breath, along with Ana’s top contributors, such as Grammy Award winners, Laurin Hill, Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, and Delgado Marsalis, one of the best trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today. In some songs, contemporary blues stars like Joe Bonamassa and Robert Randolph also appear as guests.

10 - Institute Cervantes - 19.00 The second edition of the International Summer School of Latin American Studies focuses on the issue of international relations and contact between the two continents: Europe and America.

Building Bridges: Europe and Latin America aimed at linking Latin America and the Caribbean to the old continent, with particular reference to the significance and place that the Balkans occupy in this relationship.

The theme of this year’s edition is focused, first of all, on international relations between the two regions, with the aim of encouraging thoughts and actions on this topic. Europe, and therefore Serbia and the Balkans, can learn a lot from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Polyglot Club Matiada Argentina 4 - Elektropionir - 20.00

Polyglot Club Serbia and the Embassy of Argentina in Serbia have the pleasure of hosting the next co-hosted event: Polyglot Club MATIADA ARGENTINA. Beautiful, defiant and intense, Argentina seduces with its streetside tango, wafting grills, fútbol (soccer), gaucho culture and the mighty Andes. It is one great cocktail of wanderlust.

Polyglot Club Serbia has teamed up with the Embassy of Argentina in Serbia to help you meet Argentinian community in Belgrade, learn more and speak about Argentinian language, history, festivals, cuisine, sports, traditions, arts, music, dances, cinema, theatre, family, holidays ... From the mighty Iguazú Falls in the subtropical north to the thunderous, crackling advance of the Glaciar Perito Moreno in the south, Argentina is home to a vast natural wonderland. Diversity is a big part of it. The country that boasts the Andes’ highest snowbound peaks is also home to rich wetlands, rust-hued desert, deep-blue lakes, lichen-clad Valdivian forests and Patagonia’s arid steppes.

Tango is perhaps Argentina’s greatest contribution to the outside world. Also, what about fútbol (soccer)? Add a distinctive Argentine take on literature, cinema, music and arts, and you have a rich, edgy culture - part Latin American and part European - that you can not help but fall in love with. Hopefully, you can learn a thing or two more about Argentina by joining us.

RECOMMENDS

Bokantè feat.

Michael League and Malika Tirolien

26 - Bitefartcafé - 22.00 A magical voice and texts in Creole and French with innovative bass lines are the ones that launch the entire sound of Bokante. For the newly-formed band BOKANTE, the connection is the essence of which each of the eight musicians starts.

Members have linked the music

worlds and the members of its members with a mission to convey essential messages about social responsibility and awareness in today’s conflict times.

The very word Bokante means in Creole precisely that - the “exchange”, which makes it possible, by dividing its diversity and uniqueness, to see how inextricably linked to universal values. The band’s music mixes influences from four continents.

18th International Organ Festival

Until July 4 This year’s 18 th international festival “Organ Days - Dies Organorum” will be held from 24th June to 4th July, organised by the Belgrade Culture Centre. The inexhaustible capabilities of this magnificent instrument and the richness of its sound is each year presented to the audience through a dynamic programme of an inexhaustible treasure of musical heritage, including periods from Baroque to modern times. The programme concept of the 18th edition of the Festival is based on concerts of the recital type, and on this occasion, Belgrade will visit and present to the audience some of the most wanted concert organs of today.

On Monday, 2nd July, Italian organist Ricardo Cossi from Trieste will perform pieces by Schuman, Franco, Bossi, Rachmaninov and Schreder. The concert is srealized in cooperation with the Italian Institute for Culture in Belgrade.

At the closing ceremony, on Wednesday 4th July, organist Nenad Đukić (Serbian resident in Switzerland) will perform together with French organist Auror Bal. The central part of the repertoire is the famous Nutcracker by P. I. Tchaikovsky, but also on the repertoire are compositions by Mozart and other authors. The concert is realised in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland in Serbia.

The concert programme for the education of the youngest audience will take place at the Museum of Science and Technology.

On Sunday, 1st July, at the Museum of Science and Technology, Višnja Dimitrijević and the Artish Association will present a programme for children aged two to five. This will be followed by a concert held by Marija Družijanić with students of MŠ Stanković for preschool and primary school children. This year’s programme will include a concert at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the first time. This concert, entitled ‘Meeting with the Queen of Instruments’, will be held on 3rd July, with performances

by Nenad Đukić and Aurora Bal. Entrance to all concerts is free of charge.

Japanism 2018

5-8 – Belgrade Youth Centre (Dom Omladine) The year is ahead of us, and as you are accustomed to, it’s time for another Japanism Convention 2018. At the ChibiCon 2018, we conducted extensive research, and visitors could give their opinion about the future of the summer convention, and as a result of your proposals and wishes, this year we have Japanism 2018 - “Balkan Asia Convention”. The shortest point is the same format as the convention you used to, but we have expanded the number of topics we will handle. Namely, in addition to Japanese themes, there will be items from other parts of Asia, which may be interesting to you.

Programme: sakurabana.rs

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THE ADVENTURES & MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 350rsds

In these twenty-three tales, collected here in one volume, you have some of the best detective yarns ever penned. In his consulting room at 221B Baker Street, the master sleuth receives a stream of clients all presenting him with baffling and bizarre mysteries to unravel. There is, for example, the man who is frightened for his life because of the arrival of an envelope containing five orange pips; there is the terrified woman who is aware that her life is in danger and cannot explain the strange whistling sounds she hears in the night; and there is the riddle of the missing butler and the theft of an ancient treasure. In the last story, there is the climatic battle between Holmes and his arch-enemy, ‘the Napoleon of Crime’ Professor Moriarty. Holmes, with trusty Watson by his side, is equal to these and the other challenges in this splendid collection.

THE ART OF WAR & OTHER CLASSICS OF EASTERN PHILOSOPHY (LEATHER-BOUND CLASSICS)

Mencius, Confucius, Lao-Tzu, Sun Tzu 2970rsd

The words of ancient Chinese philosophers have influenced other thinkers across the world for more than 2,000 years and continued to shape our ideas today.

The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy includes translations of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, the teachings of the master sage Confucius, and the writings of Mencius. From insights on warfare and diplomacy to advice on how to deal with one’s neighbours and colleagues, this collection of classical Eastern philosophy will provide readers with countless nuggets of wisdom.

STARS OF ALL TIME Illugi Jokulsson 1650rsd

Stars of All Time highlights both iconic pioneers of world soccer, including Pelé, Johan Cruyff, and Maradona, and more recent all-star players, such as Messi and Ronaldo. Young readers will learn about where each player grew up, how he made it to the top, and what makes his playing style unique. Filled with facts and illustrations, showcasing the most exciting players of the past and present, this book will wow both July the soccer novice and the passionate fan. 59

Cute Summer Ideas For Your

GOOD LOOK With each new season comes a new batch of hues that absolutely take over the fashion world. And A Cute Summer Ideas For your silhouette this time, they're lovelier than ever. Summer 2018 colour trends are what bright, dreamy, ethereal dreams are made of, so get ready to swap your edgy darks for some super sweet alternatives.

Typically, trending colours are determined by what walks down the high fashion runways for each respective season. This summer, it's no different. But what made the summer 2018 runways so unique was that colours took shape in head-to-toe form across the board.

If you're into wearing a lot of pastels and various shades of pink, you're in luck. If bright, vivid shades are more your style, you'll also be happy.

Here are some ideas:

Jimmy Choo Emily Sandal

Crisscrossed straps and a curved, plunging topline add to the alluring look of a shimmery metallic-leather pump handcrafted in Italy with a straight stiletto heel. €635

Bikini

Cotton V-Neck Pocket Tee Rinsed with a special enzyme wash for extra softness, this lightweight tank is super versatile and comes in all your favourite colours, so stock your wardrobe for the sunny months ahead. €23

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Made of 95 % Polyester, 5% Spande x €40

Rustic Simple Stripe Leather Tote

This impeccably crafted tote shaped from richly burnished Italian leather and trimmed with suede makes organising your workday tech or packing weekend essentials a luxury €420

Zoe Straw A sleek ban Fedora airy straw fe d accents an d with open-w ora jazzed up eave detaili ng at the crow n. €210

Joplin Tee

This relaxed-fit tee is the perfect base for looks layered with cool-girl style. €23

Flora printed cotton-voile

Comprising of a cotton-voile top layered over a sheer chiffon dress, this maxi style is printed with flowers inspired by traditional Hungarian embroideries. €530

lley Fendy Tro Rimowa, time, RIMOWA For the first es with iconic rc has joined fo FENDI to create se u o h Italian vailable ind piece, a a one-of-a-k d quantities. in limite €970

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AFTER WORK 30 SEMINAR “PUBLIC PROCUREMENT MAY - NORDIC EXPERIENCES” Nordic Business Alliance (NBA) organised seminar “Public Procurement - Nordic Experiences” with the aim to provide defining conclusions on joint efforts towards further improvement of the public procurement area in Serbia.

Ambassador of Finland H.E. Pertti Ikonen said that “successful implementation of the new law will require the improvement of the skills of those who deal with public procurement”.

A representative of the Danish Public Procurement Organization, Morten Kure Ringgård, said the institution’s contribution to public sector savings amounts to more than €130 million annually. According to Deputy Minister of Finance Milena Kovačević “The experiences of developed countries and EU members are important to us on the path to EU“.

“Through the improvement of the public procurement process, Serbia has the opportunity to create a better business environment,” said Director of the Swedish Development Agency in Serbia, Ola Andersson.

“Our greatest expectations from the new law is to apply the criterion of the most cost-effective economic offer. In the long run, it can lead to greater efficiency and higher savings in the public sector,” said Jasmina Vignjević, President of the NBA.

04 “BEST OF SERBIA 2017” JUN AWARDS PRESENTED The Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) and the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications awarded the most successful domestic products and corporate brands at the final ceremony of the “Best of Serbia 2017” campaign.

“Best of Serbia” awards is our way to say “bravo” - to reward, support and promote the most successful brands and also encourage good brands to become even better,” said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that Serbian brands are our best ambassadors, as the image of a brand changes the image of the country in the country.

Winners of the “Best of Serbia” are ‘Bakina tajna’, ‘Nectar Family’, ‘Merix’, ‘P.... S.... fashion’, ‘Gorenje’, Pirot’s pork sausage, Sremski Kulen, Spanać, Vrtlari, Bambi, Aura, Alfa Plam - Vranje , NIS - Novi Sad, Nikola Tesla Airport, Energy Net, Happy Honey, HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel, Alumil YU Industry, Tamburica Fest, Grand Hotel & Spa, Vrdnička Tower, Harder Digital Sova, and the Knez Petrol.

WINNERS OF THE “BEST OF SERBIA 2017”

AMBASSADOR IKONEN, JASMINA VIGNJEVIĆ, ANDREJA PAVLOVIĆ, MILENA KOVAČEVIĆ, IGOR MADŽAREVIC AND KURE RINGGÅRD

05 JUN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY MARKED In the presence of representatives of the Government, state bodies and institutions, diplomatic corps, professional and scientific public, NGOs and the media, the Ministry of Environmental Protection marked World Environment Day at the Botanical Garden “Jevremovac”.

Minister of Environment Goran Trivan, stressed the importance of the World Environment Day, pointed out that the responsibility for the quality of the environment is on all of us individually and society as a whole. He thanked institutions and individuals who are dedicated to environmental protection.

PRIME MINISTER ANA BRNABIĆ

05 JUN IWC END OF THE TERM GATHERING

The Residence of the Kingdom of Belgium opened its doors for the IWC End of the Term Coffee Morning. The Event was organised and hosted by the spouse of the ambassador, Mrs Monique JL Driesmans - D’aes.

Mrs Milica Lundin, IWC President, MINISTER GORAN TRIVAN addressed guests and thanked Mrs D’aes for her warm hosMONIQUE D’AES AND pitality.

IWC PRESIDENT MILICA LUNDIN Mrs D’aes took the guests through the cultural heritage of Belgium in her speech, followed by the tour of the Residence, and a beautiful musical programme performed by professional musicians.

With this charming summer gathering the International Women’s Club officially closed the Term 2017/2018 and celebrated the results achieved.

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06 BELGRADE FAIR JUN CELEBRATES

GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS DAY

Belgrade Fair, the exhibition industry holder in this part of Europe, celebrated the Global Exhibitions Day. This day was promoted in 2018 as the opportunity to highlight the global importance of the exhibition industry and its positive impact on jobs, business, innovation and local investment. Under the slogan “Think Global – Act Local”, the idea is to perform various activities on this

AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN JUNICHI MARUYAMA

06 AMBASSADOR MARUYAMA HOSTS JUN BUSINESS NETWORKING LUNCH Ambassador of Japan H.E. Junichi Maruyama held an annual Business networking lunch for the representatives of the Japanese companies and their partnercompanies in Serbia. H.E. Maruyama, welcoming guests in his Residence, expressed his satisfaction that increased number of Japanese companies are coming to the Serbian market and reminded of the successful visit to Belgrade by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in January of this year.

Goran Pekez, President of the Japanese Business Alliance, thanked Ambassador Maruyama, Serbian Government, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Development Agency for the workshop organised for Japanese delegation during the Prime Minister Abe’s visit. As he said, it was a good opportunity for JBAS to demonstrate business opportunities in Serbia.

DANKA SELIĆ, BELGRADE FAIR GENERAL MANAGER

MINISTER ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

07 “THE FUTURE JUN OF WELFARE

Day all over the planet with the mutual objective of highlighting the outstanding importance, but also the vitality of the exhibition industry.

Danka Selić, General Manager and Aleksandar Ivković, Director of Marketing of Belgrade Fair were hosts of the event held at the Vinoteka, a wine cellar opened at the Fair premises 22 years ago.

STATE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS” CONFERENCE HELD

07 JUN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “USA – SERBIA PARTNERSHIP” In light of the latest events unfolding on the international political scene, and to mark the occasion of the 136th anniversary of the establishing of diplomatic relations between the United States and Serbia, the International Conference “U.S.A.-Serbia Partnership: How to use history as a basis to build a better future” was held in Belgrade on 7th and 8th June.

“Europe is the hub of our interest, our biggest economic partner, and we believe strongly in the idea of the European Union. The United States is the second biggest donor to your country because our goal is to help Serbia’s development and its path towards the EU”, said Ambassador Kyle Scott.

The conference was organised by the Faculty of Political Science’s Centre for American Studies and Centre for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives, with the support of the Embassy of the United States and the Belgrade University Faculty of Political Science.

AMBASSADOR KYLE SCOTT

“More than five million people in the past ten years have left the region, and therefore joint initiatives are needed to achieve a higher quality of life for all,” said Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlović at the conference “The Future of Welfare State in the Western Balkans”. She emphasised the importance of the whole region working together on achieving political stability.

Leading Western Balkans think tanks dealing with welfare state issues, have launched an initiative to establish a regional platform, aiming to provide additional input by influencing existing processes focused on sustainable reforms in the region, such as economic governance and economic reform programs, the process of accession negotiations with the EU, employment policy reform programs and social policies.

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AFTER WORK 07 AMBASSADOR DITTMANN HOLDS JUN TRADITIONAL SUMMER RECEPTION German Ambassador H.E. Axel Dittmann and his wife, Dr Natalie Ebert, hosted a traditional Summer Party at the ambassadorial residence’s garden.

In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Dittmann invited guests to socialise and have a good time, instead of discussing politics. “This evening we just want to have a good time,” he said.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps, political, public and cultural life of Serbia attended the reception at the residence.

AMBASSADOR SEYF ALLAH REJEB ADDRESSING ATTENDEES

12 EXHIBITION “BELGRADE – TUNIS: JUN CENTENARY OF FRIENDSHIP”

AMBASSADOR DITTMANN AND MS NATALIE EBERT

Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia H.E. Seyf Allah Rejeb opened an exhibition dedicated to the century of friendship between Belgrade and Tunis, capital cities of Serbia and Tunisia.

In the presence of members of the diplomatic corps, scientific and cultural life, Ambassador stressing that the title of the exhibition “Belgrade-Tunisia: the Friendship of Friendship” marks the centennial of solidarity, respect, understanding and compassion between Tunisia and Serbia. As he said, Tunisia still remembers that Yugoslavia was among the first countries to recognise its independence.

12 JAPANESE COMPETITION POLICY JUN ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCES Embassy of Japan in cooperation with Japan Free Trade Commission (JFTC), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Commission for Protection of Competition organised training sessions on the current and future challenges of Japan in the fight against cartels and bid rigging in public procurements.

These training sessions were undertaken with the prospect of gaining new knowledge and understanding not only by employees of the Commission for Protection of Competition but also representatives of other institutions, as well as stakeholders on the best global practices in competition policy enforcement. The event was opened by Ambassador of Japan H.E. Junichi Maruyama and President of the Commission for Protection of Competition Dr Miloje Obradović.

AMBASSADOR MARUYAMA, DR MILOJE OBRADOVIĆ WITH JFT AND JICA REPRESENTATIVES

12 JUN AHK SOMMERFEST PARTY HELD On the occasion of the coming summer break, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK), held its traditional ‘AHK Sommerfest’ in the pleasant atmosphere of Brener restaurant. Dr Ronald Seeliger, President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, welcomed member companies of the Chamber, the diplomatic corps and many of the chamber’s partners. The guests also were greeted by the President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Dr Ronald Seeliger and the Director of Finance at Siemens Serbia Jelena Veljić. Mr Seeliger announced that preparations are on the way for the upcoming Danube suppliers days to be held in Frankfurt, as well RONALD SEELIGER, AMBASSADOR DITTMANN AND MARTIN KNAPP as for the AHK Oktoberfest and the multi-congress Serbian Visions.

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13 AMAZING JUN SHANGHAI

PRESENTED IN BELGRADE

The capital of Serbia got to know “Amazing Shanghai” through the manifestation that opened at the “Cvijeta Zuzorić” art gallery at Belgrade’s Kalemegdan fortress.

The exhibition attended by representatives of the cities of Belgrade and Shanghai, tourist organizations of Belgrade and Serbia, Chinese embassy to Serbia and Chen Danyan, famous writer from Shanghai, featured 30 photographs offering a glimpse on the different aspects of one of China’s biggest cities - from its busy economic life, vivid cultural scene and passionate sports contests to the everyday life on its streets and parks as well as its blend of traditional and modern architecture.

AMBASSADOR CHEPURIN, NIKOLA SELAKOVIĆ, BRASIL AMBASSADOR ISABEL CRISTINA DE AZEVEDO HEYVAERT AND SWISS AMBASSADOR PHILIPPE GUEX

14 AMBASSADOR CHEPURIN MARKS JUN THE OPENING OF THE WORLD CUP Ambassador of Russia to Serbia H.E. Aleksandar Chepurin hosted an event at Ruski Dom, marking the start of the World Cup 2018.

He expressed his hopes that Russia and Serbia will go further in the competition and play in the final phase, adding that President Aleksandar Vučić will travel to Moscow to support Serbian team. Ambassador invited football fans to be guests of the Ruski Dom where all matches will be live streamed.

20 SSCC EXPERT MEETING JUN ON DUAL EDUCATION 19 HBA SUMMER JUN GATHERING The Hellenic Business Association of Serbia organised this summer, its traditional summer gathering attended by representatives of member companies, as well as representatives of non-member companies.

The attendees had the opportunity to meet and socialise in a friendly atmosphere, enjoy Greek music and a beautiful evening.

ZAFEIRIOS LAMPADARIDIS, VASILEIOS KAKAGIOTIS AND ATHANASIOS ALIKANIOTIS

PRIME MINISTER ANA BRNABIĆ AND DUBRAVKA NÈGRE

Swiss Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) Conference on dual education, planned for October 2018, will take place as part of the continuing Swiss-Serbian dialogue contributing to the development of the new educational system in Serbia and promoting the Swiss Vocational Education and Training System (VET).

In order to effectively prepare the Conference, SSCC organised the “SSCC Expert Meeting on Dual Education” with Dr Gabrijela Grujić, Assistant Minister at the Ministry for Education, Science and Technological Development. Aim was to share experiences of SSCC members related to recruiting skilled workforce, to identify key issues to be addressed during the Conference and to encourage actions needed to better align the local education system to the needs of the economy.

MAJO MIĆOVIĆ, GABRIJELA GRUJIĆ, DRAGICA TOMČIĆ AND ANA GOVEDARICA

DUBRAVKA NÈGRE, EIB DIRECTOR FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS

22 FOUR DECADES JUN OF EIB IN THE

BALKANS

At the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and its 40th anniversary in the Balkans, EIB Director for the Western Balkans Dubravka Nègre said that the bank has been present in the Balkans since 1977. So far we have invested more than €10 billion in the region, and half of these funds have been allocated for projects in Serbia, Nègre said. Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that EIB is Serbia’s most important partner in reform and modernisation.

Brnabić said that the government of Serbia with the bank currently works on projects worth €1 billion.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia Sam Fabrizi also attended the celebration, as well as numerous members of the diplomatic corps and prominent public figures.

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AFTER WORK 22 “HEROES OF JUN THE BELGRADE MARATHON” AWARDED CorD Magazine was one of the recipients of this year’s special awards for humanitarian effort, given by Belgrade Marathon. CorD Charity Masters is the first humanitarian run organised under the auspices of the Belgrade Marathon, this year celebrating its 13th anniversary.

Andreja Mladenović, Assistant Mayor of Belgrade, presented certificates, diplomas and acknowledgements to organisations and individuals, as well as the special award “Heroes of the Belgrade Marathon” - to individuals who left a distinctive mark on the 31st Belgrade marathon. He mentioned “Belgrade on the Runway” held on 10th June in Nikola Tesla airport runway, a race with around 600 competitors that was hosted by the Airport Nikola Tesla Belgrade, and organised by the Belgrade Marathon under the auspices of the City of Belgrade.

MIRJANA DONČIĆ-BEATON, CANSEE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND AMBASSADOR KATI CSABA

22 JUN BUSINESS FORUM MACEDONIA 2025 Canadian Serbian Business Association (CANSEE) have organised Business Forum in Belgrade with the purpose to inspire networking and cooperation between companies and individuals in Macedonia, Serbia and the region, in the areas of foreign investments, agri-business, regional tourism capacities, responsible mining, renewable energies and smart technologies.

Special emphasis was placed on sharing best CSR practices across the region through addresses of representatives from well-acclaimed corporations like Nevsun Resources Ltd., Delta Holding and Apatinska Brewery...

Around 100 distinguished guests from renowned companies, institutions and organisations from Macedonia, Serbia and SEE attended the event.

25 “EMERGING PAKISTAN & MANGO SHOW” JUN OPENED AT THE REPUBLIC SQUARE

RECIPIENTS OF THE AWARD FOR HUMANITARIAN EFFORT

24 JUN AFRO FESTIVAL The 21st Afro Festival was held at the Museum of African Art. During the two days of the program, with the support of the African Diplomatic Community in Belgrade, the cultural treasury of Africa was celebrated. Especially arranged stands with handicrafts, fabrics, jewellery, and gastronomic specialities, were presented to many visitors. The Kingdom of Morocco was this year’s Honorary Guest of the Festival.

H.E. Ambassador Mohammed Amin Belhaj gifted museum with a valuable exhibit, an eighty years old traditionally handmade saddle.

Director of the Museum, Dr Marija Aleksić, thanked the ambassador for a donation that will introduce future generations to the part of the rich culture and inexhaustible creativity of Morocco.

AMBASSADORS OF THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES RESIDENT IN SERBIA

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Pakistani Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Syed Adil Gilani opened an exhibition titled “Emerging Pakistan and Mango Show” on the Republic Square marking the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Serbia.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by members of the diplomatic corps and many AMBASSADOR GILANI OPENED friends of the Embassy as well as THE EXHIBITION WITH THE HELP OF a large number of guests from the business sector and civil society. AMBASSADORS OF KOREA, INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA

25 JUN AMERICAN FASHION NIGHT Within the traditional fashion event Belgrade Fashion Nights, in cooperation with the Embassy of the United States of America, the fashion agency Fabrika hosted the American Fashion Night.

H.E. Ambassador Kyle Scott hosted the fashion show presenting the latest collection of the famous American fashion house Sherri Hill, at the garden of the U.S. ambassadorial residence.

Relaxed atmosphere and beautiful clothes were enjoyed by all present, including members of the diplomatic corps, friends and other guests.

KumodraĹĄka 42/9, 11 000 Belgrade mob.tel: +381.63.47.47.51; e-mail: office@ekounijasn.rs www.ekounijasn.rs