KEY MESSAGES

KEY MESSAGES

H.E. Thomas Schieb, German Ambassador to Serbia

Speed Of Accession In Serbia's Hands

There is a danger of imbalance between the overall pace of negotiations and pace of rule of law reforms. Therefore, the basic equation is quite simple: The more progress in rule of law, the more chapter openings are possible - Thomas Schieb

The annual report of the European Commission, which has been announced for publication in October, should evaluate how far Serbia has progressed in the imple menting of reforms linked to EU membership. At that time there will be discussion within the EU over whether some new chapters in the accession negotiation pro cess could be opened,” say H.E. German Ambassador Thomas Schieb, speaking to CorD Magazine. Turning to the recent renewal of dialogue on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Priština, ambassador Schieb says that the essence is to ensure that “both sides reach a legally binding agreement that enables both Serbia and Kosovo to pursue their EU accession aspirations and fulfil their rights and obligations as EU members”. Asked whether that process also implies that Serbia must recognise Kosovo’s independence, Schieb says: “In my political imagination ... it would be hard to envisage such a solution without Serbia recognising Kosovo”. Ronald Seeliger, President of German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) and CEO of Hemofarm (STADA Group)

We Can Still Do Wonders

You don’t need to be a businessman to know that the shortfalls in production during the spring will affect balance sheets for 2020. However, there is a window of opportunity for institutional changes that may help the business community and keep us all healthy and in our workplaces. And then it will be possible to break new records, as we have done at AHK over the past decade. “I feel a great pleasure when I look back and see the way in which German investments developed in Serbia. This year is of special importance to us because we symbolically mark two decades of the presence of the German economy in this region. About 450 German companies operate in Serbia today, employing over 60,000 employees. Figuratively speaking, an entire Pirot or Kikinda work at the companies that came to Serbia from Germany,” points out Dr Ronald Seeliger, President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Hemofarm, speaking to CorD.

KEY MESSAGES

Martin Knapp, Executive Member of the Board of Directors of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbien)

We've Quickly Learnt To Live With The Crisis

Companies have learnt over time to work under new circumstances. We are now waiting to see the results of the survey among German companies operating in Serbia and 16 Eastern European countries in early 2021, in order to get a clear picture of how the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way they see the world. The results might give us a better idea of whether the idea of nearshoring will gain momentum. Like in the case of many other organisations in the previous period, AHK had to face the challenge of shifting many of its activities online. One of the most challenging would be the organisation of the AHK-su pported Serbian Visions, the traditional annual festival of civil society with 60 co-organisers that used to see thousands of visitors over the course of one weekend in November. Yet some of the signature activities, such as bringing German industrial companies into contact with potential suppliers from the Western Balkans, took place almost as usual this year, only in electronic form.

“Many things are still unclear and we will have to wait a little longer before we see clearly what has hap pened in 2020,” says Martin Knapp, Executive Member of the Board of Directors of AHK Serbien. Frank Baumann, Director, Goethe Institute

It Will Be Continued

The Goethe-Institut in Belgrade adapted its programmes to the conditions imposed by the pandemic, preparing for the time when it will again be possible to function without the threat of the virus The commemorating of this year’s great jubilees – the 30th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany and the 50th anniversary of the establishing of the Belgrade centre of the Goethe Institute (Goet he-Institut) – has been adapted to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t reduce the quality of the celebrations. Apart from these major anniversaries, here we also discuss the experiences of the previous seasons for this German cultural centre with its director, Frank Baumann.

KEY MESSAGES

Ivan Smiljković, Member of The Executive Board of Procredit Bank

Supporting Clients At All Times

We are aware of the consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic, but we were also ready to face them, so their impact on our operations will be much smaller than will be the case with companies that weren’t orientated towards their own priorities – and those are clients and employees, and digital services, where we have been pioneers in many areas Udo Eichlinger, Ceo, Siemens and Siemens Mobility Our Company Is Here To Stay Siemens, a company with a rich history and a pioneer in the field of digitalisation, today offers solutions and technologies that help its customers and partners respond far swifter and more efficiently to crisis situations and changing market demands Zoran Mitić, Director, Dr Oetker Srbija

We Offer Consumers Joy

Dr Oetker will be celebrating two decades of its existence in Serbia next year, while in Germany the brand will celebrate 130 years of operations. It operates today in more than 40 countries, has more than 16 000 workers and 3,500 different products, but is continuing to expand

and works constantly on innovations Ljiljana Topić, Director, Galenika Pharmacia

We're Here When Times Are Hardest

Galenika Pharmacia is a factory that produces complete sanitary consumables – from compresses, gauzes and bandages, via disinfectants, to surgical masks that have become the number one product. Although exports at the beginning of the pandemic would have been the business move of the decade, no Galenika mask left Serbia

KEY MESSAGES

Michael Stauch, Zf Managing Director – Technical, and Milan Grujić, Zf Managing Director – Commercial

The Vision Of Next Generation Mobility

ZF is a global technology company that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF enables vehicles to see, think and act Kruna Gavović, Ceo of The Lean Six Sigma Company Cee and Tms Cee Marketing and Academy Manager FFE Has Got The Momentum The Lean Six Sigma Company CEE has high occupancy of its LSS courses. This is because the number of companies organizing training for their employees is increasing, as is the number of experts who independently invest in their education Vladica Stanković, Director of Gruner Serbia

Gruner – Every Young Worker's Dream

In just 13 years, Gruner has, as a company, succeeded in changing the economic situation in the south of Serbia and providing adequate earnings for almost 600 workers and their families through the expanding of production

facilities and conquering of new markets and technologies Nikola Ćatović, Director, Macs Energy & Water Doo

Serbia Will Need To Speed Up

In a world affected by climate change, Serbia will need to speed up its transition to alternative, low carbon sources of energy

KEY MESSAGES

Milan Manić, Deputy General Manager of Leoni Serbia and Head of The Leoni Malošište Plant

We Offer Secure Jobs

LEONI has invested in excess of 146 million euros in its facilities and equipment since 2009. The company currently employs around 10,000 people in Serbia and plans to increase that number when its Kraljevo plant begins operating at its full capacity. One of the 15 lar gest exporters in Serbia, LEONI also has a network of approximately 500 domestic suppliers Predrag Skoković, Managing Director, Quality House "Bug" Hunters Quality House was founded in 2004 as a home for software testing professionals driven by a passion to find “one more bug”. Today, with offices in Bulgaria and Serbia, Quality House is a leading provider of software testing services in Southeast Europe Bojan Lasković, Managing Director, CFND Belgrade

Logistics Of The New Era

CFND deals in logistics services and is specialised in the transport of goods on inland waterways in the Danube Basin. A member of several national and international associations, since 2015 it has been part of the Rhenus Group, one of the worlds leading logistics companies.

“What distinguishes CFND Ltd. from the majority of companies on the local market is precisely its synergy

of all modes of transport,” says Bojan Lasković Vladan Marković, Director, Vlado Baumaschinen

New Challenges Drive Efficiency

Vlado Baumaschinen, a Surčin-based company that deals in construction, transport and services, has been engaged successfully in civil engineering for more than a decade and has achieved successful cooperation with both domestic and foreign construction companies