Norway 2015

SPECIAL EDITION

World Markets and Opportunities

NORWAY

A FRIEND WHEN YOU NEED ONE

2015

INTERVIEW

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

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

NEW APPROACH to an Old Friendship

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

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

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

4 |

133

| N O R WAY

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

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

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

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

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

FRIENDSHIP

REFUGEES

INVESTMENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

● Norway helped Serbian honey producers access the Norwegian market.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

N O R WAY

|

133

| 5

INTERVIEW

OVE FREDHEIM TELENOR SERBIA CEO

Fantastic

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

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

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

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

6 |

133

| N O R WAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

● You also applied for a new frequency?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

N O R WAY

|

133

| 7

NORWAY ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Insufficiently Exploited

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

T

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

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

Trade cooperation between Serbia and Norway has been

8 |

133

| N O R WAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gornji Milanovac, and others.

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

Kragujevac, Squadra d.o.o.

Dobanovci, Hemofarm a.d.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

pared a continuation of the project worth €150,000.

Under the auspices of the "Honey Production - Export Chance of the Branicevski Region" project, the Government of Norway donated hives to beekeepers in Braničevo County, in order to encourage them to expand their businesses. New beehives were given to beekeepers in Žagubica and Petrovac na Mlavi.

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

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

Norway is the only Nordic country with which Serbia has realised a surplus in mutual trade. Honey stood out as crucial in boosting trade, with Serbian beekeepers supported by the project of the Norwegian Embassy

N O R WAY

|

133

| 9

SERBIA-NORWAY RELATIONS

Norway has a long-term commitment to Serbia.

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

TOGETHER

through European challenges

VILLAGE IN SOGNEFJORD

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

A FRIEND WHEN YOU NEED ONE

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

REFUGEE CRISIS SUPPORT

10 |

133

| N O R WAY

S

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

With this in mind, the Norwegian government decided to help Serbia immediately by allocating NOK 60 million (around â‚Ź6.5 million) for humanitarian assistance and support for strengthening the refugee reception system. A friend is one who supports you when you need help, and Serbia and Norway have a longstanding friendship. The figure of 6.5 million euros includes the costs of construction of a reception centre for refugees in the Southern Serbian town of Presevo, support to NGOs dealing with the refugee crisis, equipment for the Serbian police to register refugees, as well as support to the UNHCR and other international organisations dealing with refugees in Serbia. The date of 5th October marked the beginning of the implementation of a project that includes the thorough refurbish-

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

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

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

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

FLOODS IN SERBIA

SERBIA'S POST-FLOOD RECOVERY

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

S

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

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

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

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

by July 2016.

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

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

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

NORWEGIAN MUSEUM IN SERBIA GOES DIGITAL

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

S

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

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

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

N O R WAY

|

133

| 11

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

NORWEGIAN HOUSE MUSEUM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A CORNER FOR NORDIC CULTURE LOVERS

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

12 |

133

| N O R WAY

SCANDINAVIAN CORNER

PROFILE

THORVALD STOLTENBERG NORWEGIAN POLITICIAN AND DIPLOMAT

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

Belgrade Through the Eyes of

THORVALD STOLTENBERG T

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

N O R WAY

|

133

| 13

TOURISM

SØRLANDET

The Norwegian Riviera

W

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

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

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

14 |

133

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

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

| N O R WAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE TOWNS OF LILLESAND IS FORMER TIMBER PORT

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

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

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

N O R WAY

|

133

| 15

Happy and

NORWAY QUALITY OF LIFE

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

N

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

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

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

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

With the average household net-adjusted disposable income

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 |

133

| N O R WAY