D&C 13

Diplomacy&Commerce March 2017 | ISSUE No. 13 | Price 350 RSD

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OUR FIRST YEAR

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EDITORI AL

Audiatur et Altera Pars

C O N T EN T S

Dear readers, We launched a new magazine a year ago, with the clear objective of being the most objective print media publication in our country. We tried to cover both sides of stories, because we clearly knew that the truth is often so complex and vast that you can see only a fragment of it, though that will not prevent you from declaring proudly that you know “the whole truth”. We won’t tell you what “real news” is and what “fake news” is; we will bring together all sides and all opposites on one large democratic square, where they can all have their say and show who they are. When we set out a year ago, we wanted a world with fewer tears, but tears don’t seem to disappear. We still need to fight hard to reach any brighter future. And along that way we will cherish the culture of dialogue, since hate will tear us apart, again. Love can do it only sometimes. Audiatur et altera pars was one of those Latin sentences that we had to learn in our grammar schools…

Let’s hear the other side. We want you to hear them all and for that to enrich your mind. Some might say we are the “new kids on the block”, but we would like to be the fresh wind on a foggy day. We would like to be your Duran Duran from 1981, your Suede from 1993, your Oasis from 1994, you’re The Killers from 2003, your Arctic Monkeys from 2006… flashy, but with substance. You’ve helped us a lot during these 12 months, and we would like to charm you into staying, with our sharp thoughts and daring insights. We want you to know that you can be heard, and you can be outspoken. That is how we can make the world of tomorrow; a world with fewer tears, finally... hopefully. As we enter our second year, we welcome you to continue this journey with us.

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

08 MANIFESTO: THE WORLD. THE 21ST CENTURY NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

12 THE PEOPLE DESIRE CIVIL RIGHTS AND SMILES SAŠA JANKOVIĆ

Serbian presidential candidate

16 WE GIVE SMALL COMPANIES A CHANCE TO BECOME BIG DEJAN VUKOTIĆ,

Editor-in-Chief

Director of the Republic of Serbia's Export Credit and Insurance Agency a.d.

20 WIN - WIN SOLUTION FOR THE STATE AND ENTREPRENEURS

Diplomacy&Commerce www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor in Chief

zikica.milosevic@color.rs TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editorial manager

tanja.bankovic@color.rs ILIJA PETROVIĆ ”INDIGOCHILD” Art director

ilija.petrovic @color.rs JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

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Ministry of Economy

21 YOUR GOOD HABIT

40 WE NEED TO DREAM MORE OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP JASON LANE

Executive Vice President Market Development Europe Mastercard

50 AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IS THE FOUNDATION OF A STRONG STATE GORAN DRAGANIĆ Lawyer

70 NELT OPENED LOGISTICS INTERMODAL TERMINAL IN BELGRADE Nelt

57 LEARN TO SUCCEED 2017 NENAD ĐORĐEVIĆ

First anniversary of Diplomacy&Commerce

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38 DIGITALIZATION IS THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS

58 SECRET OF GOOD THEATRE CONCEALED IN MAGIC

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AJA JUNG

President of Executive Board, Generali Osiguranje Srbija a.d.o.

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T HE N O T- S O - UN I TED K I N GDO M

Britain is Sliding Towards Scoxit The decision to leave the EU appears to strengthen the case for Scottish independence. In fact, it weakens it

Little more than half a year after the vote to leave the European Union, there is talk of another referendum in Britain. This time the people who could be offered the chance to “take back control” are the Scots. They voted against independence by a clear margin less than three years ago. But Brexit, which they also opposed, has put the issue back on the table. Scotland’s nationalist government has drafted a bill for another independence vote. Polls suggest that it could have a shot at success.

No wonder: the nationalists’ argument that Scotland is a different country has never looked more convincing. Regarding Brexit, the defining issue of the times, 62% of Scots voted to Remain but will be dragged out anyway by the English. The dominant parties in Westminster, the Tories and Labour, have a grand total of two of Scotland’s 59 MPs. And many of the arguments made in favour of the union in 2014 have evaporated. Scots were told that staying with Britain was their only way to remain in the EU, since independence would require them to reapply and face opposition from Spain, which wants to discourage its own Catalan separatists. Instead, being part of Britain has proved a one-way ticket out of Europe. The strong British economy that they were urged to remain part of is forecast to slow. And rousing talk about the union—the “precious, precious bond” that Theresa May evoked in her maiden speech as prime minister—rings hollow, given the casualness with which Scottish concerns have been cast aside.

Yet if Brexit was a political earthquake, Scotland has suffered a less-noticed economic earthquake, too. At the time of the independence referendum, Scotland was growing at a similar rate to the rest of Britain. Since then it has been on a different track. In two of the past five quarters it has failed to grow at all. The main reason is its reliance on fossil fuels and finance, which are doing badly. In 2014 a barrel of Brent crude cost $110, leading the nationalist government to forecast that an independent Scotland would enjoy tax revenues from energy of £8.3bn ($12.5bn) in 2015-16. Oil’s subsequent crash (it is now $55) meant the actual figure was 1% of that forecast. And the black gold is running out: the original Brent rig will be dismantled this summer. Finance, which along with oil and gas has generated exports equivalent to up to a third of Scotland’s GDP in recent years, is also suffering. Since September 2014 Scotland has lost a tenth of its financial jobs.

(London gained some.) Last year average pay in the industry fell by 5%.

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FOR A COUNTRY OF 5M PEOPLE THAT DEPENDS ON TWO SPUTTERING INDUSTRIES, TO GO IT ALONE WOULD BE A GAMBLE. YET SCOTS MAY CONCLUDE THAT REMAINING IN THE BREXIT-BOUND UNION WOULD BE RISKIER STILL. THEY WOULD BE WRONG For a country of 5m people that depends on two sputtering industries, to go it alone would be a gamble. Yet Scots may conclude that remaining in the Brexit-bound union would be riskier still. They would be wrong. For although Mrs May’s willingness to leave the single market and customs union is likely to be bad for Britain, it also makes independence more complicated.

If the EU were prepared to readmit it, Scotland would face a harder border with England.

Nationalists say they could import whatever arrangement is made in Ireland, where a similar problem exists. But there may be no such neat solution. And rejoining the EU’s single market at the cost of leaving Britain’s would make no sense: Scotland exports four times as much to the rest of Britain as it does to the EU.

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE

This uncomfortable truth may be lost in the heat of another independence campaign. The ruling Scottish National Party has a knack for combining power with protest, claiming credit for Scotland’s successes while pinning blame for its failures on Westminster. As economic conditions in Scotland decline, the blame will fall on Brexit and Tory austerity. And whereas independence was once a frightening unknown, it now looks like a chance to turn back the clock to the safe old days of EU membership.

When English ministers warn about the risks of secession, their own Brexit lines will be thrown back at them: Scots will be urged to seize control from distant politicians they never elected; those pointing out the costs will be branded members of “project fear”; the trashing by Brexiteers of institutions from the Treasury to the Bank of England will mean that impartial warnings can be dismissed as biased or incompetent.

Many of those Scots who voted to stay in the union in 2014 did so for clear economic reasons.

Britain’s exit from the EU muddies that case. The alarming result is that Brexit has made Scottish independence more harmful—and more likely.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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COLUMN NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Manifesto: The World. st The 21 Century President of the Republic of Kazakhstan publishes his views exclusively for Diplomacy&Commerce magazine Humanity hoped that the 21st century would herald a new era of global cooperation.

This, however, may turn out to be a mirage. Our world is once again in danger and the risks cannot be underestimated. The threat is a deadly war on a global scale. Our civilisation, by scholars’ estimates, has survived more than 15,000 wars, approximately three every year.

Hundreds of millions of people have died, cities and countries have been destroyed, cultures and civilizations have vanished.

At the dawn of the 21st century, stunning scientific discoveries are being made, and new technologies are being invented. The world is at the verge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many horrific diseases are being successfully eradicated.

But the virus of war continues to poison the international situation.

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It drives the military-industrial complex, which in some countries has become the most powerful sector of the economy. It may even in the future infect the development of artificial intelligence. Militarism has deeply penetrated our minds and behaviour. There are more than

relations, the risk of conflict has increased. Conflict has engulfed the historic battlegrounds of the two World Wars – Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is not fulfilling its purpose. Nuclear

WHICH COUNTRY COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE SO-CALLED “PROXY-WARS” BETWEEN THE WORLD AND REGIONAL POWERS? WHICH TERRITORY, FLOURISHING FOR NOW, WILL BE TORN APART BY TANK TRACKS AND EXPLOSIVE SHELLS? one billion small firearms in the hands of people. Thousands of civilians die every day from their use.

We cannot exclude the risk that this military threat could become a tragic reality on a global scale.

We can see the signs of such a terrible outcome. In international

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weapons and the technology that produces them have spread all over the world due to double standards of the main powers. It may be just a matter of time before they fall into the hands of terrorists. International terrorism has gained a more sinister character. It has moved

from isolated acts in individual countries to a large scale terrorist aggression across Europe, Asia and Africa. The exodus of millions of refugees, the destruction of sites and historic monuments have become an everyday reality. Economic sanctions and trade wars are commonplace. Our planet is now on the edge of a new Cold War which could have devastating consequences for all humankind. This threatens the achievements of the last four decades.

As a result of successful negotiations, the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia have been reduced substantially. Five nuclear powers have announced and kept a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. The process of forming regional security systems has accelerated. A unique and comprehensive security structure – the Organisation of Security and

Cooperation in Europe – was created on principles of mutual trust.

Coordinated action between world powers and UN peacekeeping operations saw many conflicts ended.

However, today we are witnessing the erosion of these international security achievements. This is an increasing and serious concern for millions of people. How will the world situation develop?

Could the tensions between the leading world powers escalate into a new long-term confrontation?

Which country could be the next victim of the so-called “proxywars” between the world and regional powers? Which territory, flourishing for now, will be torn apart by tank tracks and explosive shells? In which cities will children die under heavy rocket fire? From where and where to will the refugees fleeing conflicts migrate next?

More than 60 years ago two prominent scientists Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell presented their manifesto, in which they asked “a dreadful but an inescapable question: shall we put an end to the human race, or will mankind be able to renounce war?” The most brilliant minds of the 20th century have warned the people that in a

future world war nuclear weapons will inevitably be used leading to the destruction of all life on our planet. Their demand that disputes between countries cannot and should not be resolved by military means remains hugely relevant in the 21st century. To end all wars is the most challenging task for our civilisation. But there is no other reasonable alternative. This task has to be treated by the world lead-

RY: A WORLD WITHOUT WARS”.

Through this global strategy we need to identify joint and responsible actions to be taken by all nations in order to destroy the virus of war.

This document should be based on three main principles. First, there will be no winners in any modern war; everyone would be on the losing side. Secondly, a new war will inevitably entail the use of weapons of mass destruction.

WE NEED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM “21ST CENTURY: A WORLD WITHOUT WARS”.

THROUGH THIS GLOBAL STRATEGY WE NEED TO IDENTIFY JOINT AND RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY ALL NATIONS IN ORDER TO DESTROY THE VIRUS OF WAR ers as the highest priority on the global agenda.

In the 21st century humanity must take decisive steps towards demilitarisation. We won’t get another chance. If this objective is not achieved, our planet will end as a graveyard of radioactive materials.

Our planet is unique. We have no other home.

It is why we need a new comprehensive PROGRAM - “21st CENTU-

This will lead to the destruction of all humankind. It will be too late to argue over who is responsible for this catastrophe. This threat must be understood by all current and future national leaders and politicians. Thirdly, the main tool for resolving all disputes between states should be peaceful dialogue and constructive negotiations on the basis of equal responsibility for peace and security, mutual

respect and non-interference into domestic affairs Taking all of this into consideration, the world community must take comprehensive action towards these goals.

First, there must be gradual progress to a world free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

An important step, to which Kazakhstan made a significant contribution, has already been taken in the right direction. On December 7, 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration for the Achievement of a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World put forward by Kazakhstan. 25 years ago Kazakhstan permanently closed the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

We were the first, and for now, only such country to take this action.

Our newly independent state then voluntarily renounced the world’s 4th largest arsenal of nuclear weapons - the menacing legacy of the collapsed Soviet Union. These decisions triggered a moratorium on conducting nuclear tests by world nuclear powers. Twenty years ago, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was developed in the UN and was put forward to Member States to sign but has still to come into force. Under the IAEA

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auspices, Kazakhstan is to host the Low-Enriched Uranium Bank on its territory, which will allow countries to develop civilian nuclear energy. Global nuclear security summits are of great importance.

We now need global decisions to prohibit deploying lethal weapons in outer space, on the seabed and in international waters of the World Ocean, as well as in the Arctic.We should develop and adopt international binding agreements to ban the creation of new types of weap-

26 Member States of the continent, the United Nations and other international organizations. Multilateral cooperation among the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s activities has had a positive impact. Peace zones in South America, South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean have significant potential. We should bring together these initiatives to create global

ons of mass destruction through new scientific discoveries. It is necessary to create a register in the UN of such scientific developments, which could be used for the creation and advancement of weapons of mass destruction.

Secondly, we must build on and expand existing geographical initiatives to gradually eliminate war as a way of life. There are already six nuclear weapon free zones in the world. They encompass Antarctica, virtually the entire South Hemisphere, including Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. The newest is a zone free of nuclear weapons in Central Asia created 10 years ago in Semipalatinsk by five states of the region. Now we must intensify international efforts to create a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. In 1992, Kazakhstan put forward the initiative to convene the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. This century the forum has been successfully institutionalised with participation of

NOW WE MUST INTENSIFY INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CREATE A NUCLEAR WEAPONSFREE ZONE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IN 1992, KAZAKHSTAN PUT FORWARD THE INITIATIVE TO CONVENE THE CONFERENCE ON INTERACTION AND CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES IN ASIA

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areas of peace based on a special international law. Issues of security and development in these Areas of Peace could be guaranteed by all the UN Member States as well as the UN Security Council.

Thirdly, it is necessary to eliminate such relics of the Cold War as military blocs, which threaten global security and impede broader international cooperation.

Geopolitical reality means that when one military bloc is established and developed an opposing bloc will be created. Power generates anti-power. Military blocs can include countries which are not always aware of their responsibility to promote peace and security. We have also seen attempts by some

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states to use the protection of military blocs to their advantage in their interactions with third countries, including immediate neighbours.It is how confrontation can be infinitely cloned in different regions and globally. We should also have learnt from past wars and conflicts that it is impossible to ensure our own security by undermining the security of others. That is why a Global Coalition of States for peace, stability, trust and security under the UN auspices should

be set up against military blocs. Our common task for the next decade should be to end wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, in eastern Ukraine and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. We must reduce the dangerous potential of the situations on the Korean Peninsula, the basin of the South China Sea, and the Arctic.

Fourthly it is important to adapt the international disarmament process to the new historic conditions. A short-sighted dismantlement of previous treaty limitations on anti-missile systems and conventional arms has resulted in militarization in the political space of Eurasia. This increases the risk of a new global war, even by the pos-

sible failure of electronic defense management systems.

We need a new strategy for the UN Conference on Disarmament.

The world needs to eliminate the new threat of cybercrime, which can become a very dangerous weapon if used by terrorists.

Fifthly, a world without war requires primarily fair global competition in international trade, finance, and development. During the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Kazakhstan proposed the development of a 2045 Global Strategic Initiative Plan. Its main goal is to eliminate the root causes of wars and conflicts. This can best be achieved by through equal and fair access to infrastructure, resources and markets for all nations.

The plan should be implemented in time for the 100th anniversary of the United Nations in 2045.

Kazakhstan proposes to convene a high level UN Conference in 2016. At this conference we should confirm the basic principles of international law to prevent devastating wars and conflicts in the 21st century. Calls for reason and dialogue, restraint and common sense should not be the targets of attacks by those opposing global peace.

In the 21st century, we all need peace. This is a key mission of our time. Peace is worth fighting for just as deliberately and persistently as did people in the past century.

We should think hard about the future of our children and grandchildren. We must combine the efforts of governments, politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and millions of people around the world in order to prevent a repetition of tragic mistakes of past centuries and spare the world from the threat of a war. Failing to act or putting limits on efforts to promote peace risk global catastrophe.

My Manifesto “The World. The 21st Century” reflects a sincere concern for the fate of future generations, which will live and work in the coming decades. We, the leaders of states and politicians, bear an enormous responsibility for the future of the humanity. As an individual who went through hardship and difficulties, and as a statesman who made a difficult decision to close the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and renounce nuclear weapons, I urgently call on world leaders and the entire international community to listen to reason.

We need to do our utmost to free humanity from the threat of deadly wars forever. There is no more important goal.

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I NTERVI EW SAŠA JANKOVIĆ, Serbian presidential candidate

The People Desire Civil Rights and Smiles My task as the head of state will be to establish national unity – not structured on ideological or any other guidelines, rather on fundamental human values and rules. That is a precondition for us to restore people’s smiling faces, dignity and self-respect I’m not interested in calculations of candidates, because I am orientated towards citizens and don’t fear censorship and self-censorship in the media, because I am convinced that citizens are well aware, even without them, of how tough their lives are and why they want to change that, says Serbian presidential candidate Saša Janković. From that symbolically highest position in the country a lot can be done to return the country to the citizens and stop it from being held hostage by a single man who has usurped all the power.

enough humiliation, we will not be servants to other people's self-will, which offends our common sense on a daily basis; we have the right and the power to live in the kind of Serbia we want and deserve.

It started as a snowball, but it is now already gaining the contours of an avalanche, and I see that at all of our joint meetings, at every

What do you consider as being the greatest success an independent candidate like yourself can achieve in the presidential election?

meeting of ours in every part of our country. The next success, that greatest one, will be shared and not just mine. We will prove that, no matter how much somebody insults us by calling us lazy, incompetent and spoiled, we can achieve a lot when we show solidarity and when we’re determined. We will

— There is one success I am already celebrating: citizens, awakened, gathered around the same thoughts – we have suffered

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prove that the political system does not have to be held hostage by personal ambitions and the interests of the few, alienated from citizens.

We will restore trust in it. We’ll return our kidnapped country into the hands of us - its citizens.

Do you think that Vuk Jeremić will help or hinder you in the

I HAVE BEEN MET BY THE SUPPORT OF CITIZENS IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY AND I AM CONVINCED THAT AFTER THE APRIL ELECTIONS I WILL BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

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first round, given that there are two candidates that will be options for similar sections of the electorate?

— I don’t deal in calculations – rather I am fully orientated towards my partners in this process – the citizens. The citizens are those who will evaluate when choosing

and will make a decision in accordance with what will help or hinder them, actually all of us together, and not me individually, Mr Jeremić or any other candidate.

What do the people who come to your meetings to support you desire the most and what can realistically be achieved from the position of president of the country?

— Most are eager to smile. People in Serbia today have spasms on their faces; they’re sad because of the need to constantly check their pockets, restless due to considerations of how much and whose debt will lead to the confiscating of their property, in constant fear that they will not get sick because they do not have a health card, nor envelope to replace it. They are unsure, because while accounts are being settled on the street and property is being demolished at night, the police protect the powerful. As the

nation struggles for bare survival, they are mocked in the face from the state Cabinet by those who play the role of force. Our dignity has been downtrodden, society is sick. When we heal the society and restore people’s dignity, those spasms will be replaced by smiles.

We cannot do that until we establish equal rights and equal opportunities for all, as long as institutions are patched up, and the state equates to one man who has usurped all power - Aleksandar Vučić. In that function the president of the country can do a lot, because it is symbolically the highest position in the state of Serbia and reflects Serbia as it is, but also directs towards Serbia as it should be. It is a shield for basic human values and a protector of an ordered society.

My task as the head of state will be to establish national unity – not structured on ideological or any other guidelines, rather on fundamental human values and rules.

The law must be the supreme authority, the same for all, because without legal security there is no other security. I will publicly condemn any politicisation of the judiciary and bodies of state ad-

ministration. I will seek a ban on secret contracts, return the security sector to protecting national interests, and not personal ones, refuse to sign harmful legislation adopted

will stand up publicly against favouring foreign companies at the expense of domestic firms and will halt sales and donations, i.e. covert theft, of our strategic resources,

THE LAW MUST BE THE SUPREME AUTHORITY, THE SAME FOR ALL, BECAUSE WITHOUT LEGAL SECURITY THERE IS NO OTHER SECURITY overnight and during the night; I will not appoint ambassadors who do not have diplomatic potential, will advocate for media freedom, but also for the protection of basic ethics and morality in their content; I will provide support for culture, education and science; I

such as land, telecommunications, forestry and water resources ...

How possible is it to run a campaign under conditions of media censorship and self-censorship?

— It is not impossible and mustn’t be. It is certainly more difficult

than for those that are abusing their state functions, blackmailing and pressuring, who have harnessed a large part of the media in their propaganda machinery. However, this must not be an excuse – for me firstly, nor for the people who are behind me. Serbia has today fallen to its knees – it is naked, barefoot and humiliated. We cannot defend it by whining and seeking excuses outside of ourselves. After all, even under the baton of the regime the media can no longer hide the image of that kind of Serbia. Citizens do not need to read the newspapers or watch television shows to find out how well we’re doing. They see that on a daily basis – when they open their fridges, look at their plates, wait in line at the unemployment bureau. That’s why this election will not be determined by media campaigns, but rather by this one of ours – this life, on a daily basis.

What will be your next step if you win a relatively large number of votes, but not enough to become the president?

— I’m not considering that, because I am convinced that after the April elections I will be the President of the Republic of Serbia.

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POLI TI CS Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

NOT-SOBLACK-ANDWHITE WORLD

I understand the whole mess and fuss about the controversial decisions of the new American president, but it is simply incomplete to discuss these ideas and acts without a global picture

Walls, the denial of entrance and the fear of the different have happened and are happening all around the globe.

Trump didn’t invent them.

I WON’T LET YOU IN

Okay, now the decree denying entry to the U.S. for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries has been blocked, but let’s think in this direction a little.

There are 16 countries that refuse entry to citizens of Israel. They are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the UAE. Eight of those 16 countries won’t even let you in if there is any proof – in your passport or elsewhere – that you visited Israel (including Palestinian Territory), like a stamp or anything like that.

Israel, reciprocally, won’t allow citizens of these countries in either: they are considered enemy states.

As for Malaysia, we are now pretty friendly, but until several years ago citizens of Serbia and Montenegro could not enter Malaysia under any circumstances. It was simply forbidden, like it is for Israelis.

And that all originates from the war in Bosnia during the 1990s.

You dream of visiting Mecca and Medina? Well, it won’t happen if you are not a Muslim. (As for the Puritanism of Saudi Arabia, let us note that Under Saudi rule, it is estimated, since 1985 about 95% of Mecca's historic buildings, most over a thousand years old, have been demolished.) No wonder they won’t let any non-Muslim to their holiest place. And let us go a bit further: The Dome of the

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Rock in Jerusalem is also prohibited if you are not a Muslim. You can see it only from afar. If you have visited Nagorno-Karabakh, you will be banned from entering mainland Azerbaijan. The same applies if you visit Abkhazia or South Ossetia from Russia – in which case you should forget about visiting Georgia. As for the recent war in Ukraine, definitely entering the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk or Lugansk won’t help you if you try to enter the rest of Ukraine, nor will a Crimean holiday be a good recommendation for the rest of Ukraine.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

When we say “The Wall”, some will immediately think of Pink Floyd’s famous album and some will remember the Berlin Wall, while recently the world has been paying attention to the “Mexican Wall” that Donald Trump has

holy city of Bethlehem in two.

The Berlin Wall might have come down, but there are other walls.

We all know about the wall Israel erected along the border with the Gaza Strip, but there is also a wall between Egypt, an Arab nation, and Palestinian Gaza – and that has nothing to do with Jews. And there is also the wall between Morocco and the Western Sahara Polisario held-territories. Making this one even stranger, it is built in the middle of the Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its own territory, thus separating Morocco-held and Polisario-held territories in the middle of the Sahara Desert. And on both sides there are Arabs and Berbers, speaking the same language and practising the same religion. And let us go a bit further north: Ceuta and Mellila, the two Spanish African enclaves, are surrounded by thick fences to prevent illegal African immigrants.

The Hungarian Walls are notorious

IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD FULL OF ENTRY DENIALS AND BARRIERS. EVERYONE WANTS A FENCE TO PROTECT THEM FROM UNWANTED NEIGHBOURS vowed to build. But Trump is not the first wall-maker, nor is he the only one. There is already some 930 kilometres of wall between Mexico and the United States that Barack Obama could not or would not demolish. Trump’s wall would be just an … extension; the completion. And what about the wall between Israel and Palestine (West Bank)? Banksy decorated it artistically, but it is huge and impenetrable, almost cutting the

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here, since Hungary erected its border fence between itself and Serbia and Croatia – though with Croatia they were a bit “lucky” that the River Drava forms a natural barrier. In Belfast, Londonderry/ Derry and other settlements in Northern Ireland, barriers, dubbed “peace lines”, have been built to separate the two main communities. Their purpose is to minimise inter-communal violence between Irish nationalists/republicans

(who mainly self-identify as Irish and/or Catholic) and unionists/ loyalists (who mainly self-identify as British and/or Protestant). They were first built following the 1969 riots and the start of the “Troubles”, but have continued to be built and expanded since the Belfast Agreement of 1998. In 2016 Norway constructed a barrier along a short part of its border with Russia, near the only official border crossing, while Latvia started building a fence along its border with Russia in December 2015. Nicosia in Cyprus is still a divided city, just like Berlin was decades ago. Ukraine is also building a wall along its border with Russia, while Bulgaria started erecting a fence along its border with Turkey in 2013. In August 2015, Estonia announced a plan to build a barrier on its border with Russia. Botswana began building a 480-km-long electric fence along its border with Zimbabwe in 2003.

Turkey has completed hundreds of kilometres of its border wall with Syria. The Iran-Pakistan barrier wall is 700 kilometres long and is claimed by Tehran as being part of efforts aimed at stopping the flow of illegal border crossings, stemming the flow of drugs and preventing terror attacks. Want more?

These are just facts, no fiction.

LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW?

My favourite novel title, right?

But it is true that we are living in a world full of entry denials and barriers. Everyone wants a fence to protect them from unwanted neighbours. That doesn’t mean that Trump should build his Mexican wall; it’s just a small reminder that he’s not the only one, nor did he invent any of this.

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CORPORATE DEJAN VUKOTIĆ, Director of the Republic of Serbia's Export Credit and Insurance Agency a.d.

WE GIVE SMALL COMPANIES A CHANCE TO BECOME BIG Through implementation of the government programmes, Export and Credit Insurance Agency (AOFI) has invested the biggest effort possible in supporting small and medium enterprises

Their share in the Agency’s portfolio has been increased to over 30%, which resulted in these companies also boosting their export activities. For 2017, AOFI has allocated 70% of its capital financial assets to facilitating development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.

We are talking to AOFI’s director, Dejan Vukotic about Agency’s plans and the results accomplished in 2016.

What are AOFI's goals in 2017?

— Facilitating export activities

of Serbian companies through funding and crediting export projects, and cooperating with similar institutions in countries that are our foreign trade partners are the main goals of AOFI. We are also going to focus on boosting the competitiveness of the Serbian economy and conquering new markets. AOFI’s aim is to strategically improve the conditions for doing business for export-orientated companies and improve the structure of the Republic of Serbia’s export. Considering the good results that we achieved in 2015 and 2016, as well as the fact that we have successfully implemented all incentive programmes devised during “The Year of Entrepreneurship”, our goals for2017 will not be drastically different to the ones from the previous period, apart from us providing an even bigger support to SMEs and small

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businesses through expanding our existing product range, and revising our current interest and premium rates which should help Serbian exporters with occupying a strong competitive position on the existing markets, and potentially conquering new, preferably fast-growing markets.

How much money have you allocated this year for export incentives for SMEs?

— If we analyze export-orientated SMEs and small businesses in the Republic of Serbia, we can conclude that the biggest problem they have been facing is an inadequate access to funding sources. Lack of these sources, needed both

ship”. Through implementation of government programmes, Export and Credit Insurance Agency (AOFI) has invested the biggest effort possible in supporting small and medium enterprises. Their share in the Agency’s portfolio has been increased to over 30%, which resulted in these companies also increasing their export activities.

For 2017, AOFI has allocated 70% of its capital financial assets to facilitating development of SMEs and entrepreneurship.

How aware are companies of the importance of insuring their export?

— Insuring both export claims, and the claims in the country in today’s

THE SPEED OF DECISION-MAKING, THE COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATE, AND A POSSIBILITY OF BUYING FOREIGN CLAIMS HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO AOFI BECOMING A RECOGNIZABLE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN THE FACTORING SEGMENT for funding their current assets and investments, has disenabled them from achieving continuous growth and development which in turn, inhabits the growth and development of the entire Serbian economy. Serbian government has recognized the importance of this economic segment, and hence declared 2016 as “The Year of Entrepreneurship”, and the next decade as “The Decade of Entrepreneur-

Diplomacy&Commerce

modern trade provides security and predictability of payment because the insurance covers a multitude of risks. The biggest advantage of insuring claims, apart from the obvious prevention and safety, is an opportunity to boost one’s competitiveness based on the better payment conditions they can now offer, and lower costs compared to other formats of insurance. Despite these ad-

vantages, insuring claims has still not become an integral and mandatory part in doing business in Serbia. One of AOFI’s tasks in the upcoming period will be to raise awareness about the values of this product for Serbian exporters.

To what extent have companies been using AOFI’s factoring services?

— Factoring services are just one of the AOFI’s direct financing instruments for Serbian exporters.

The speed of decision-making, the competitive interest rate, and a possibility of buying foreign claims have all contributed to AOFI becoming a recognizable financial institution in this segment of crediting. The number of our clients and the markets in which we operate has grown a lot, so I am confident that this trend will continue in the future too.

Could you tell us something about your client structure?

— Considering that the SME and small business sector has been recognized as the driving force of economic growth, and especially its export-orientated segment, and that the Serbian Ministry of Economy has declared the following period as „The Decade of Entrepreneurship“, AOFI has restructured its portfolio and is now focusing on this segment of the Serbian economy. So, today, SMEs and small businesses dominate our client structure.

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NATIONAL DAYS

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

in March

MS. KARLA ROBIN HERSHEY

Photo credit: Milan Obradovic / Beta Photo

New UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia / UNDP Resident Representative

1st March

SOUTH KOREA Independence Day

1st March

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The new UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, appointed by the UN Secretary General, will be representing UN Country Team in Serbia comprising of 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes in Serbia. UN Country Team is actively involved in supporting the advancement of the development agenda in Serbia under Development Partnership Framework 2016-2020 Ms. Karla Hershey has a total 28 years of development and humanitarian experience and has served in four ‘Delivering as One’ UN countries to date.

Karla served as the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and Designated Official in Maseru, Lesotho (2012-2017). Karla was also serving with the World Food Programme as their Representative and Country Director in Swaziland (2009-2012). Other previous posts have included WFP’s Deputy Country Director and Head of Programme in Malawi (2006-2009). Karla has also undertaken the role

of WFP Country Director a.i. in Syria (2007) and the Head of Resource Mobilization, Food Procurement, Pipeline Management, Public Information and Sub-Office Focal Point in Tanzania (2003-2006). She also served as WFP Regional Affairs Officer, Bureau for East and Southern Africa, Johannesburg (2002-2003) and Programme Officer in Ethiopia (2000-2002).

Ms. Hershey began her UN career with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as Humanitarian Affairs Officer (OCHA) in Angola (1998-2000).

Prior to joining the UN, she served in various capacities with World Vision Relief and Development in Angola, Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, American Employee’s Association in Rwanda and United States Peace Corps in Rwanda as a Business Advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Cooperatives (Rwanda 1989 – 1993) and the YMCA. Ms. Hershey holds an M.B.A in Management from the American InterContinental University and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the Southern Methodist University in Texas. She also took post graduate courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science in Sociology, Middle East studies, Nationalism and Foreign Relations.

Proclamation of Independence 1992

3rd March

BULGARIA Liberation Day

6th March

GHANA Independence Day

8th March

SYRIA Independence Day

12th March

MAURITIUS Independence Day

15th March

HUNGARY STANKA PEJANOVIĆ

New president of the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM)

PREDRAG MIHAJLOVIĆ

New Director of OTP Banka Srbija

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17th March

IRELAND

At its 10th annual assembly meeting, the Serbian Association of Managers appointed new management. Director General of Gorenje Beograd, Stanka Pejanović was chosen as the new president of the SAM for the next three years.

Stanka Pejanović has been director general of Gorenje Beograd d.o.o., a part of Gorenje Group which is the biggest Slovenian and 8th biggest manufacturer of household appliances in Europe, since November 2014.

Before Gorenje, as an experienced economy expert, she spent her 20-year-long career on building up brands like Roda and Mercator. Before she was appointed director general of Gorenje Beograd, she was a member of the Managing Board of the Mercator Group, and was responsible for Mercator’s operations in Southeast Europe in her capacity of the director general of Mercator-S. Stanka Pejanović has a wealth of experience in corporate management, managing and implementing mergers, acquisitions and other complex transactions, integrations and post-integration activities, business restructuring and downsizing, strategies and brand evaluation, category and supply management, price and sales strategies, marketing and loyalty strategies, as well as a lot of knowledge about market activities and economic trends in the regional countries.

She graduated economics and received her Masters Degree, also in economics, from the University of Novi Sad’s Faculty of Economics. She is currently working on her PhD at the same faculty.

She speaks Serbian, English, Slovenian and Russian, and has two children.

1848 Revolution Day

St. Patrick's Day

20th March

TUNISIA Independence Day

21th March

NAMIBIA Independence Day

23h March

PAKISTAN OTP Bank Serbia has implemented changes in management and as a result, as Predrag Mihajlović was appointed as President of the Executive Board of OTP Bank Serbia AD Novi Sad. His rich 25 year-old experience was built in management positions in leading international and domestic banks.

With the arrival of Predrag Mihajlović as President of Executive Board, OTP Bank has enhanced and improved its management structure, creating prerequisites for achieving better results in the Bank's operations in the future.

Pakistan Declaration Day

25th March

GREECE Independence Dayy

26th March

BANGLADESH Independence Day

31th March

MALTA Freedom Day

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MI NISTRY OF ECONOMY

Win - Win Solution for the State and Entrepreneurs Development of private sector is crucial for the growth of national economy which is why the state has been continuously supporting small and medium enterprises with the view of enabling to be more competitive both in the country and abroad JOVAN PETROVIĆ

One of the main tasks of the state is to create a stimulating business environment, empower SME to produce good quality, safe products, give them access to the know-how and the workforce, and to help them with boosting their competitiveness on the national and international markets.

The Ministry of Economy is fully committed to executing this task.

Assistant Minister for Product Quality and Safety

By getting together and creating a common market, the countries that founded the EU understood that free flow of goods and services and joint market were possible only if the same production rules and standards were applied and if only safe products were manufactured since the consumers, their safety and environmental protection are of utmost importance.

Every country wanting to join the EU or export their products to

the EU market has to incorporate these requirements in their own legislation which needs to be harmonized with that of the EU, as well as to create an efficient and internationally recognized system of quality infrastructure which will help businesses to easier implement this regulation.

How does Serbia fair in all of this? Serbia has incorporated 97% of the said standards and close to 75% of technical regulation.

Serbia has built a required system too, namely a network of institutions and laboratories that help businesses here to fulfill market requirements.

We don't view this as Serbia's obligation for the EU accession but rather as an opportunity to make our products and companies competitive, while inte-

grating ourselves into the EU's common market. This is one of the strategic goals of the Ministry of Economy.

The competitiveness of Serbian companies is closely tied to their ability to produce safe products of good quality which is something that our business community is becoming increasingly aware of. This is the reason why we have been focusing on raising awareness on the importance of the Serbian Mark of Conformity on the majority of industrially non-food products as a proof of their safety and adherence to relevant standards.

Slowly but surely we are leaving behind the issues like privatization and transition, and are focusing on what really matters – enabling fair and equal conditions for doing business.

KATARINA OBRADOVIĆ JOVANOVIĆ

Assistant Minister for small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship

GORAN KNEŽEVIĆ

Economy Minister

Small and medium enterprises make 99.8% of the Serbian economy today, their share in the national GDP is 57.7%, and they employ 65.7% of the workforce in the non-financial sector. Development of private sector is crucial for the growth of national economy hence it is exceptionally important for the state to provide continuous support to this sector– from start-up and business development programmes to acquiring fresh knowledge / information, and boosting competitiveness. Our goal is for these companies not only to be strong in Serbia, but to compete ”shoulder to shoulder” with other companies abroad too.

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Although, in the past period, the state has been focusing its capacities towards securing the stability of public finances, we have managed to pool our resources and support SMEs in a way that they really needed it. In 2016 alone, they were given 13 billion dinars through various programmes – from starting businesses, purchasing equipment, expanding operations and creating new jobs. Of course, money is not the most important thing here. We have also given them the most valuable things, as consulting services, mentoring and,

above all, KNOWLEDGE. We have been working on developing the entrepreneurial spirit, reforming the education system, implementing dual education and providing more training.

The Ministry of Economy is an institution that is in service of economy. It has to listen to it, talk and work on its behalf, in order for the provided support to have the best effect on businesses and, in turn, on the growth of the national economy.

We need to speak up about the importance of SMEs not only as the driving force behind the economic growth, but also about their potential: to create a reliable system of cooperators and suppliers of big investors and as their businesses grow they can create new jobs and facilitate the development of other value chains.

This year, the state will give even more for this cause - 18 billion dinars to be exact. Despite that, SMEs need new ways and sources of funding their development. The state has already set aside through EU funds over 160 million EUR for that purpose, and with the opening of the negotiation about Chapter 20 we can expect even more. Now it is important for business owners to become courageous and to fearlessly continue developing their companies.

So, what should we focus our strength on in the future? A transparent and predictable business environment is the priority. But additionally, it is important for the state to cooperate more with businesses on creating policies and drafting regulation, as well as to adapt the education system to market needs.

FIRST ANNI V ERSARY OF DIPLOMACY&C O M M ER C E

Your Good Habit The idea behind creating Diplomacy&Commerce was to promote a new and dynamic approach to covering topics and providing quality content in the world of national press in the English language. In the last year, D&C has given its readership an abundance of news from politics, business and culture, reported on the opinions of relevant stakeholders both from Serbia and abroad covering all segments of life, and opened up topics that were not written or talked about enough. We have tried to inform, educate, and entertain our readership, and to show them the potential that Serbia has in regard to cooperating with numerous countries in the world. Judging by the number of our readers, we are on a good trajectory.

With its latest issue, Diplomacy&Commerce is celebrating its first anniversary in Serbia. We are very proud of the fact that, in one year and 12 issues, we have managed to interview the leaders of the Serbian political, business and diplomatic world, as well as the renowned public figures in

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Do you think Serbia will stagnate or progress in 2017, relative to last year, and what changes to the business environment could play a crucial role in that?

Professor ZORANA MIHAJLOVIC, PhD Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure

CONTINUE TO IMPROVING I am sure of one thing – this year, Serbia will continue improving its ranking on the World Bank’s Doing Business List which assesses business conditions. This is unstoppable. Our plan is to make it to the top 20 countries in the world in the next two years. The land registry reform is something that we have been working hard on with the goal of reducing the time required for registration of property or an asset, and other services provided within the scope of the land registry. The activities and the communication between businesses and the

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of the world. We have presented investment groups assembled in chambers of commerce, business associations and organizations, reported about important events in economy, talked to the leaders

our country. Not only that... In these past 12 issues, we have also published special supplements dedicated to bilateral, economic, cultural and overall relations between Serbia, Europe and the rest

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of national and international companies, promoted national IT startups, written about the main trends in marketing and advertising and much more.

We have also tried to report in detail about the important global and domestic trends, to show our readership the multicultural heritage of Serbia and its vibrant cultural life, as well as to present the head chefs of Serbian restaurants, the best wines from all over the country, and interesting parts of the country, all in the shape of an attractively designed magazine.

We have asked the people we have intereviewed so far to give us their prognosis on whether Serbia will stagnate or progress in 2017 compared to 2016, and to tell us what changes in the business environment would be crucial for that happening. We have also asked them to tell us how much do magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce can contribute to exchange of opinions, points of view and facts about Serbia, and to providing better information about our country and its potential to interested parties.

How much do magazines like Diplomacy & Commerce contribute to the exchange of opinions, stances and facts about Serbia, as well as informing all interested parties about our country and its potential?

state are now being carried out electronically for the most part. The traditional stamp is no longer, and we are abolishing certain business fees too. I would like to remind that electronic issuance of build permits has given us the biggest impetus in implementing changes. The time of stagnation is behind us, and it is our goal to secure the best possible conditions for businesses while continuously moving forward.

No country can be called successful without having successful economy and successful trade with the entire world.

Also, no country can be called successful if its diplomacy is not focusing on economic development. The very name of your magazine – Diplomacy & Commerce – which is celebrating its first birthday, is the best possible fusion of these two important factors as it underlines the importance and the connection between diplomacy and commerce. Information is the most valuable commodity today, and more people find out about Serbia’s potential, more success there will be for all of us.

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D&C ANNI VERSARY IVICA DAČIĆ First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

HEALTHY ECONOMY Serbia has a big and important job to do this year. European Serbia has always been our goal which implies a healthy economy, good jobs and salaries, efficient healthcare and education system, border safety and safety of our citizens in the streets.

In regard to economy and doing business, Serbia is aware that it is necessary to have an appealing business environment in order to attract new investors, to the benefit of all citizens. This also ensures a better future which is why Serbia has invested a lot of effort in creating economic and political stability by improving the quality of its laws and making public administration more efficient.

The aim of this government is to have economic growth of at least 4% in 2017 which will be another proof that Serbia is becoming a successful country. If we do our best and achieve the 4% growth, this will translate into higher pensions and salaries, both in the public and in private sector. And that is of crucial importance for our country.

On the other hand, small countries like Serbia and its neighbours can expand their

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markets through regional trade arrangements which stipulate trading in goods of preferential origin or custom-free import of goods which is yet another thing that can help with drawing foreign investors in. Despite the challenges that marked last year, and unfortunately the beginning of this one, Serbia will continue to play its role of a political anchor to regional stability while being aware of the fact that we are a stable and prosperous region that can be attractive for investors.

In conclusion, Serbia still has to perform many tasks, but we are determined to continue implementing structural reforms. I know that the goals that we, the government, believe in are quite ambitious, but, as a government, we are obligated and simply have to think about how is this country going to look like in two to three years or even decades; whether it is going to be competitive compared to regional, European or global market.

Of course, I have to thank our citizens for their patience and the support for the government reforms which haven’t been easy. I believe that this is a proof that our society is aware that the Serbian government cannot change our country or society singlehandedly, without the full support of our citizens. And it is because of this support that I firmly believe in Serbia’s progress.

I have always believed in the value of exchanging ideas and opinions. All of us that run the country, or are actively participating in its political life, have to listen intently to the voice of our citizens, the people

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Prof. DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ, Ph.D.

in knowledge and innovation as the main sources of productivity and income growth.

Third, the fiscal consolidation and reform program introduced a new economic growth model. High GDP growth recorded during 2001-2008 period was based on domestic aggregate demand financed from external sources. With weak domestic supply response and politically induced increases in pensions and public sector wages, this model led to unsustainable domestic (fiscal) and foreign (current account) imbalances.

This trend was turned around. During the first two years of the program, investment and exports became the main source of economic growth, with simultaneous reduction in both deficits. Starting in 2017 private consumption will become an increasingly more important source of growth, this time based on a sustainable domestic incomes.

Minister of Finance in the Government of Serbia

FASTER SUSTAINABLE GROWTH I expect that Serbia will continue to make progress and again exceed projected GDP growth and general government deficit. Conservatively set economic growth rate of 3 percent has an upside potential of 0.5 or even 1.0 percent which can easily materialize and in the absence of new external shocks. We already have grounds based on actual performance to revise fiscal deficit from 1.7 to 1.4 percent. Similar improvements can be expected in the current account balance and in the public debt.

More importantly, these results are accompanied with (permanent) structural improvements in the fiscal deficcit of up to 4.4 percent of GDP. Serbia has exceeded the three year 4 percent adjustment target in only two years.

These results are only means to securing a stronger basis for faster sustainable and inclusive medium run growth. I see three main channels through which better fiscal position will positively impact growth.

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who are important for our country’s economic life, and the representatives of foreign countries because Serbia does not stand alone as a country but can only exist in interaction of regional, European and global politics and economy. Hence, I support and value this kind of exchange of opinions and visions, and I do hope that this practice will continue into the future too.

Although “Diplomacy & Commerce” targets primarily diplomats, foreign business and expat community it also influences domestic analysts and opinion makers. Collaboration with “The Economist” adds to the quality and credibility of its substantive contributions to the professional media space in Serbia. It provides minimum glare with maximum substance on carefully selected diplomatic, commercial economic, political and government developments.

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First, it will provide space to lower the tax burden on the economy, including the cost of labor to provide incentives for the creation of new jobs in existing and new companies.

Second, it will allow additional public investment with strong crowding in effect on private investment. These include business relevant infrastructure as well as investment

MARKO ČADEŽ President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

PRESERVE THE POLITICAL AND MACROECONOMIC STABILITY

SThere is no reason for this year not to be better for businesses than 2016. Last year, we have managed to surpass our growth level from 2008, and created a good basis for acceleration of healthy economic growth based on investments, bigger export and innovation.

The most important thing now is to preserve both the political and macroeconomic stability, and to continue with fiscal consolidation and structural reforms. It is vital to expedite the reforms in public and state-owned companies, to finish privatization and restructuring, and by doing so, create more space for bigger support to the private sector. It is especially important for dual education to become an integral part of the regular schooling system as of autumn which will contribute to the current education system adapting to the real needs of businesses and labour market. The reformed Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the unified chamber system, which we started implementing at the beginning of this year, will provide companies and small business owners with even more useful

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MAJA GOJKOVIĆ Speaker of the Republic of Serbia's National Assembly

BETTER INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT In the last three years, Serbia has recorded significant results in recovery and stabilization of public finances, reduction of deficit, and curbing the public debt which are all a good starting point for further development. Following the many measures and laws devised by the government and adopted in the Serbian parliament, as well as the construction of infrastructure and development of industrial zones, we have tried to create a good investment environment. I am confident that today Serbia is the best investment destination in this part of Europe which is also confirmed by our country improving its ranking on the World Bank’s Doing Business List. On one hand, our goal is for the economic growth to be at least 4% in 2017 which will be the best validation of Serbia’s success, while on the other, we want to continue reducing the deficit and public debt. I am confident that this year will be the year of development and progress for Serbia.

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First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your first successful year.

Diplomacy&Commerce has managed to occupy an important position in Serbia thanks to its unique approach to important topics. Considering the political, economic, business, cultural and other topics that you have chosen to cover, you are definitely contributing to better presentation of Serbia and the opportunities for doing business in our country which is especially important considering that your targeted readership is in diplomacy and business. I would like to wish you even more success in your future!

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and efficient services, and will more vigorously protect their interests.

From the corporate point of view, magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce give important support to promotion of Serbia as a business destination, and of both investment and export potential of our companies. Such magazines also contribute to the internationalization of our companies. At the same time, diplomatic circles and representatives of the international business community can find everything about Serbia in one place in the magazine. Diplomacy&Commerce has several advantages - variety of content, modern design, and the quality guaranteed by the licence from the renowned The Economist magazine, in addition to the availability of information, both in print and online.

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TANJA MIŠČEVIĆ Ph.D. Head of the Negotiating Team for the Accession of Serbia to EU

EU INTEGRATION PROCESS TO BE EXPEDITED In 2017, I expect the EU integration process to be expedited, as I expect the overall reforms in the society to do too, because these two processes are inseparable. The changes in the business environment are yet to come as we continue with the EU accession talks. We have opened eight and temporarily closed two negotiation chapters. We are going to continue preparing for opening of as many negotiation chapters this year as possible. We expect everything that we have recognized as important in the negotation process to translate into the everyday lives of the citizens and businesses. Every investor wants to work in predictable conditions and in a safe environment. Hence, Chapters 23 and 24, that cover the

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rule of law, are extremely important to us. In late February, we opened Chapter 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy – which is of key importance for the Serbian economy and SME, which we see as the driving force behind development. In conclusion, I would like to say that we are given a chance to make big changes.

You have taken on an important task of presenting Serbia and its development opportunties to diplomatic and business community. It is always good to question social and economic processes, and for busines community and decision makers to exchange opinions because we can all learn from that, and see the same situation from an entirely different angle. Apart from providing information, I would like to encourage you to invest some of your energy into promoting CSR because that is yet another European value that should be practiced in Serbia.

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MILOŠ VUČEVIĆ Mayor of Novi Sad

BIG ECONOMIC SUCCESSES I am confident that Serbian citizens will decide in favour of our country continuing with the reforms and economic recovery as set out by the Serbian government and PM Aleksandar Vucic. I am also confident that, by the year end, we are going to record big economic successes. The basis for all of this is political stability and continuity. Serbian government has managed to achieve fiscal balance in order to continue reforms, and stimulate economic growth. The implementation of the faster and more efficient electronic issuance of building permits, reforming the land registry, many incentives for businesses and star-ups, and construction of utility infrastructure are the foundation of our policy for further development and progress of the city of Novi Sad. Considering that we have been given the title of the European Capital of Culture 2021, and the Youth Capital of Europe 2019, we are especially going to focus on the city’s tourism potential. Our goal is for anyone having a good idea and the will to work or advance the existing business to be given an opportunity to do just that, as well as for them to plan expanding their business in Novi Sad because we offer the best conditions. As the mayor of the town that is also an important

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SINIŠA MALI Mayor of Belgrade

THE IMPETUS TO DEVELOPMENT OF SERBIA Serbia should never allow itself to stagnate again, and I believe it won't. I think that the instigated reforms and the expedited economic growth can only continue moving forward. The city of Belgrade's share in the Serbian GDP stands at 40% which drives us even more to became the impetus to development of Serbia. The Belgrade Waterfront project will certainly contribute to this since it has moved the entire economy and construction industry from a standstill.

Belgrade no longer has this decrepit location. Today, everywhere you turn you can see hoists and cranes and hardworking people. I think that we have created a good business environment. There has never been more active businesses in the city than now. For the first time in many years, there are less than 100,000 unemployed people in the city as we are providing many employment incentives.

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I think that it is very important to have a platform where all stakehodlers can get information, exchange opinions and see what novelties are there in certain fields. Both Belgrade and Serbia have a lot of potential, and a good investment environment, and it is important for all relevant stakeholders to be objectively informed.

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university centre where generations of young, talented and diligent people have been growing up, I think that the comprehensive reform of our education system, and especially implementation of dual education, is both our biggest challenge and our biggest chance for better future.

When meeting up with foreign delegations, I personally saw that your magazine is a very popular read, and that they consider you a relevant source of information about our country. Thank you for your support and an opportunity that you have given to Novi Sad by reporting about it, and about its plans and successes. I wish you to continue being so professional, and to become even better together.

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ŽELJKO SERTIĆ Director of the Serbian Development Agency (SDA)

SERIOUS TRANSITIONAL CHANGES

The serious transitional changes started in Serbia in 2014, and today, we can be proud of what has been accomplished in the last two years. There are many positive results like the GDP growth, decline in unemployment, lower inflation and growing export that corroborate the expected progress in 2017.

Owing to reformative legislation that has been harmonized with the European one, and many tax and other financial incentives, Serbia has managed to devise an incredibly appealing package for investors. Last year, the SDA worked together with potential investors on 94 projects.

A total of 22 agreements were signed which will result in 236.8 million EUR worth of investments in Serbia and creation of 16,496 jobs in the next

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few years. This is a record-breaking result in the last 10 years which is how long the FDI incentives programme has been implemented in our country. On the other hand, one of the priority tasks of the Serbian economic policy is supporting and developing the SME sector which, again, was the basis for creation of the 2015-2020 Strategy for Development of SME, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness. As a part of this Strategy, the state declared the year 2016 as ‘The Year of Entrepreneurship’. This year, we are embarking on an even bigger project – ‘The Decade of Entrepreneurship’. Numerous support initiatives for SME sector, large companies, organizations and investors will be implemented through the programmes devised by the SDA. .

Magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce contribute to objective reporting and provide quality information about important economic and business trends in the country.

Apart from the general public, the magazine also speaks to professionals and potential investors while reporting on all relevant and current activities in Serbia/.

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CORPORATE MLADEN PETKOVIĆ, Director General of Krušik

MODERNIZATION AND EXPANSION OF PRODUCTION PROGRAMME

At the moment, the value of the export agreements that Krušik has concluded is 273 million US dollars. In 2016, 90% of our production was exported, which exceeded our export plans by 28%

KRUŠIK RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE D.O.O. VALJEVO is a research and development company founded in 2007 as a successor of the Research and Development Unit that was established in 1996 when HK Krušik a.d. made a decision to extend its business activity and set a research and development unit that would engage in electrical engineering, electronics, communication technology, mechanical engineering, technology and similar activities.

How competitive is the Serbian arms industry compared to other arms companies in the global market?

— In 2016, Serbian arms industry recorded important results and exported close to 484 million US dollars worth of products. Compared to 2015, the export grew by 63%, and has even grown threefold since 2012. The fact that the products of the Serbian arms industry are exported to a substantial number of countries, and that our export has been constantly growing since 2012 just show that the competitiveness of our arms industry in the global market has had a satisfactory level of growth.

What has Krušik been doing towards increasing its export?

— Krušik is an export-orientated company. In the past period, we have been working hard on modernizing and expanding our production programme, implementing new technologies, and

boosting our production capacity.

The said activities resulted in us getting a substantial number of new contracts. At the moment, the value of the export agreements that Krušik has concluded is 273 million US dollars. In 2016, 90% of our production was exported, which exceeded our export plans by 28%. Our products can be found in over 70 countries and are synonymous with quality and reliability. Our employees are absolutely committed to preserving our company’s standing in the global market, while, thanks to contin-

half a billion dinars. The average annual productivity growth in the last three years stood at 68%. In the period from 2014 to 2016, we hired 1,234 new workers.

In order for this trend to continue in the years to come, Krušik has been educating its employees and improving the age structure of its engineers and craftsmen.

Considering that, in the last 20 years, no students at the vocational technical school in Valjevo expressed interest in becoming milling-machine operators and turners, these professions became

WE CONSTANTLY NEED YOUNG ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, AND HAVE BEEN EVEN CONSIDERING PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF STUDENTS uous improvement of our production process, growing labour productivity and advancement all the performances have resulted in higher competitiveness of our products. We are also working towards our products having an even bigger share in the global market.

Bearing in mind that both your production and export have been growing, have you managed to keep up with them staffing-wise?

— Krušik’s turnover in 2016 was 5.7 billion dinars which is a 77% hike compared to 2015. Our productivity plans for 2016 were exceeded by 28%, while we managed to generate the profit amounting to over

very scarce. In order to overcome this problem, we have concluded a contract with the school stipulating business and technical cooperation which specifies the ways in which the students can learn in practice what machinists do. The contract also stipulates scholarships for these students and getting a job at HK Krušik a.d. Valjevo once they finish their education. The practical part of their studies will be executed at the premises and in the production facility of HK Krušik starting with the students from grade two, and will last in line with their curriculum for the particular worker profile. Also, the teachers from the vocational technical school in Valjevo and experts

from Krušik, as demonstrators and student mentors, will take place in the practical education. We constantly need young electrical and mechanical engineers, and have been even considering providing scholarships for a certain number of students.

Where do you see Krušik in five years?

— We expect 2017 to be a record-breaking year in our 78-yearlong history, both in terms of revenue and production volume.

In the first half of this year, we are going to open a new cap production facility for which we laid the foundation in 2016. Also, we are going to start implementing several new investments, and continue with expanding and modernizing our capacities. We are especially going to focus on development of new and modernization of existing products. In five years, I see Krušik as one of the most development factories in the region which production capacity and staff structure will enable production of high technology products.

What resources does Krušik need in order for this vision to come true?

— In order to realize this vision, we need to implement investment projects in line with the priorities set out in our business plans. Considering to volume of contracted business, our business results and the know-how that we possess, we believe that we are going to succeed in that.

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D&C ANNI VERSARY H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO Ambassador of Italy to Serbia

FURTHER CONSOLIDATION AND REFORMS Growth is a priority, in Serbia like everywhere else in Europe. According to recent economic forecasts, Serbia should be looking towards the coming months with optimism: the EU Commission predicts that the country will grow at a rate of 3% in 2017 and 3.3% in 2018. There should also be a significant improvement in the unemployment rate, reflecting the impact of the economic reforms so far adopted. Further consolidation of a functioning market economy is fundamental – not only to pursuing the EU integration process, but – first and foremost – to raising the living standards of Serbian citizens. As the main economic partner of Serbia, with 600 of its companies having invested here, Italy has shown its concrete support and contribution. Now, in order to keep the number of Italian entrepreneurs in Serbia growing, it is crucial to continue on this path and improve the business environment by facilitating market entry procedures, continuing the privatisation of state-owned enterprises and implementing tax administration reform.

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H.E. AXEL DITTMANN Ambassador of Germany to Serbia

VERY SUCCESSFUL GERMAN-SERBIAN COOPERATION Last year was, in the prism of German-Serbian cooperation, a very successful year, and I am confident that we can deepen and broaden this close relationship even further. Germany supports Serbia’s steps on its path towards EU membership. In 2016 Serbia and the EU managed to open crucial chapters in the EU accession process, namely those covering the rule of law. Together with the EU, Serbia has developed very detailed action plans in these areas. They are a real blueprint for reform and consist of legal amendments that need to be changed e.g. in order to ensure the independence, impartiality and efficiency of the Judiciary, and to prosecute cases of corruption more effectively. We hope that these changes will be implemented in 2017 and thereby substantially enhance living standards in Serbia. At the beginning of 2017, Serbia already opened two further Chapters, which shows that both Serbia and the EU wish to maintain the successful momentum of reforms and rapprochement.

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Diplomacy&Commerce magazine is an important news provider for all expats in Serbia, but also for Serbian decision-makers.

With its intriguing stories, interesting interviews and elaborate reports, it is a substantial information tool, particularly to all of those who haven’t yet mastered the Serbian language. It brings Serbian culture closer to us diplomats and brings us closer to our Serbian friends. I am happy to cooperate with D&C and wish it a long lasting and further successful work.

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For a diplomat in Belgrade who is representing the country which is Serbia’s largest trade partner, “Diplomacy&Commerce” are two inseparable words.

Your magazine plays an important role in informing domestic public opinion, as well as expats, about opportunities and relevant news about Serbia. Your valuable insights on politics and the business community are very useful for a deeper and better understanding of Serbia, and they provide effective tools to comprehend its trends and developments.

Srećan Rođendan and wish you great success for your future!

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H.E. DENIS KEEFE Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Serbia

REFORM PROGRAMME IS SHOWING RESULTS

We expect Serbia to make further progress in 2017. The economic reform programme is showing results. Since the programme’s inception, the Serbian Government has been successful in reducing the fiscal deficit and stimulating growth. Reform is underpinned by an IMF Stand-by Arrangement. We support the idea of the extension of the IMF programme after Serbia graduates from the current one. Due to progress in improving the business environment, Serbia has seen its ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list increase. It was ranked 47th in 2016, as opposed to 91st in 2015. Despite the

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progress, there’s still considerable work to be done. Structural reforms are delayed, and public debt is still around 75%, so there is no room for back sliding. A lot remains to be done to reform the public administration and streamline state-owned enterprises. Progress on the rule of law is also central to business, in order to give legal certainty. We’re very glad that HMG is in a position to provide the Serbian Government with tangible support. We are using our Good Governance Fund to work in several key areas, such as supporting the Rule of Law, Public Administration Reform and the business environment and economy (such as the Doing Business working group).

Anything that supports an informed debate about how best to help Serbia make progress is welcome. In particular, an exchange of opinions backed up by facts is crucial in helping decision makers take the right calls about Serbia’s future.

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H.E. ALEXANDER CHEPURIN Russian Ambassador to Serbia

FOSTERING DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT The country’s stability and its openness towards creation of new mechanisms for development of active relations with all countries that favour cooperation are the main ingredients for stronger economic growth, which is already obvious, in Serbia in 2017.

From my point of view, I would say that it is important for Serbia to continue fostering dynamic development of relations with the regions which are today the centre of global development, namely with the regions that are recording economic growth.

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H.E. PERTTI IKONEN Ambassador of Finland to Serbia

TRANSPARENCY IN TENDERING PROCESSES

As you well know, knowledge is power.

Every piece of information is useful. It is important for this information to focus on relations between Serbia and both East and West.

Information needs to be important and unbiased, it has to closely follow Serbian interests and

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H.E. ALONA FISHER KAMM Ambassador of Israel to Serbia

POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF ONGOING REFORMS

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According to the European Commission’s latest forecast, expected Serbian GDP growth will be around 3%, which is more than it was in 2016. At the same time, the unemployment rate in Serbia is expected to drop to 14.3%, from 16.1% in 2016. These expectations already provide a good signal of the further revival of the Serbian economy in 2017. My only concern is that this process might slow down following elections and bring some delays in making important decisions for Serbia. I would like to emphasise the importance to the EU accession process of Chapter 5, which relates to public procurement. Significant efforts are needed to further improve competition, transparency and efficiency in tendering processes. I am confident that improvements in this field would play a crucial role in having a better business environment in Serbia. At the same time, it would send a positive signal and encourage foreign companies that are considering doing business in Serbia.

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Since its first edition in March last year, monthly magazine Diplomacy&Commerce has been highly devoted to the diplomatic and business community by covering topics related to the economy, trade, business, diplomacy, politics and culture. In that way, this magazine not only contributes significantly to the exchange of opinions and facts about Serbia, but also keeps potential foreign investors informed about Serbia’s economic and political landscapes, as well as its potential.

opportunities, as well as talk about advantages for investors. It is this kind of approach to modern surroundings that is the stamp of quality for the media. Issuing a magazine in the Serbian language and in the language spoken by the main partner of a magazine would attract even more readers. These are the languages spoken by the main trade and economic partners of Serbia, including Russian, German and Italian.

In my opinion, Serbia will definitely move forward. Serbia enjoys a favourable location which has resulted in the concluding of many free trade agreements, which stimulate export and reduce the foreign trade deficit. The country made progress on the Doing Business list and especially under the Infrastructure criteria, in which the e-permitting system contributed to a dramatic jump in ranking. A reduced fiscal deficit with high fiscal discipline, inflation below the target band and a confirmed B+ credit rating are some of the positive outcomes of ongoing reforms. I’m in the process of discovering the wide spectrum of Serbia's economy, but what I’ve seen so far is the huge potential of human resources in the tech area, which is to be developed and transformed into the leading revenue generator. In this regard, the Serbian government announced a Decade of Entrepreneurship, with many activities to be implemented. As the second largest start-up ecosystem in

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the world and a country that has based its economy on exporting knowhow, our Embassy already takes an active part in the Serbian start-up and tech community and will happily continue to support such initiatives. In addition, Israeli investors find Serbia very appealing: as a friendly country with a similar mentality and temperament and just three hours away, with good airline connections, among other advantages. Of course, not only to Israeli investors but to all of them, the issues of cutting red tape, creating and maintaining a stable legal and macroeconomic environment, with an efficient judiciary, rank highly as issues when it comes to considering investments in Serbia, or elsewhere.

Our Embassy has very good cooperation with the magazine and publisher Color Press Group. We participate actively in various conferences and events that share our agenda.

Also, we did a special “In focus Israel” supplement, with the support of Israeli companies in Serbia, which presented our economy, bilateral trade relations and tourism, and provided good insight into the potentials that we should work on in the future. So, the magazine and its special editions definitely provide useful information on bilateral relations, investments, trade and tourism, as well as opening a window of opportunities to be explored.

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D&C ANNI VERSARY H.E. HENK VAN DEN DOOL Ambassador of The Netherlands to Serbia

IMROVING BUSINESS CLIMATE The Government continued with the important reform agenda in 2016 and results should be more visible as of this year. I believe that the improved business climate will provide additional room for economic growth and attract additional investors, including those from The Netherlands. I commend the authorities for their hard work, especially the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-Government. The results achieved by these two ministries are both the most tangible and the most beneficial for businesses. Still, in order to provide a full-scale business-friendly framework, more needs to be done in strengthening the rule of law and transparency in public procurement.

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H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD Ambassador of Norway to Serbia

GOOD CONDITIONS FOR FURTHER PROGRESS

Magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce play an important role in the exchange of information among stakeholders and they

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H.E. GORDAN MARKOTIĆ Croatian Ambassador to Serbia

IMPLEMENTING AS MANY REFORMS AS POSSIBLE

I have great faith in Serbia and believe the conditions are good for further progress. The reforms undertaken and planned, as well as the prospects of EU membership, make Serbia more attractive to investors. Continued financial responsibility and further harmonisation of Serbian policy, legislation and procedures with the best achievers of the EU will boost progress.

There are difficult choices that have to be made to consolidate the advances of the last few years, and despite the resistance to change you will find in Serbia, as everywhere else, I am convinced the right choices will be made.

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When Diplomacy&Commerce was launched a year ago, my first thought was — why are they starting a new magazine in the already crowded publishing sky of Serbia? But then every new issue of D&C would prove me wrong. With its thorough analysis and coverage of political, economic and business affairs in Serbia, it is a ‘mustread’ for all foreign residents and decision-makers in the country. Given its readership, D&C is also a good platform for "spreading the good word" about Norway, for which we are grateful. Personally, I have to admit that I am very fond of the In Focus supplements, which always make a good weekend read

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contribute to the overall quality of what we can call public diplomacy. One’s work and results nowadays need to be promptly and constantly communicated in a relevant network, and in that respect this magazine is a helpful tool and an important channel.

the EU, including the progress in the EU accession talks. Hence, it is very important to implement as many reforms as possible, harmonize the legislative system with EU’s Acquis, implement European standards and values and continue the dialogue with Pristina.

Magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce are mainly intended to foreigners who live, work and do business in Serbia including diplomatic and consular staff and representatives of business associations and companies.

The magazine is an excellent vehicle for providing as much information as possible about the host country, and about business activities of the foreign countries which representatives live here with the view of further developing economic and other kinds of relations between their respective countries and Serbia. Good business cooperation, extensive trade, opening of new companies and creation of new jobs are important for any country, and it is magazines like this one that can contribute to the development of these relations by being informative and useful with its articles, analyses and interviews.

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Since the macroeconomic results for 2016 are really good, and the forecasts of economic analysts and the IMF mission for 2017 are also encouraging, we can expect this year to be very good economy-wise. Of course, we can only presume that there won’t be any major or unexpected turbulence on the global markets that could greatly affect national economies. Also, it is very important for Serbia to continue with its reforms, particularly with the further fiscal consolidation, GDP growth, new foreign investments, and privatization of public enterprises, as well as with the continuation of reforms in various fields pertaining to the accession negotiations between Serbia and

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H.E. NARINDER CHAUHAN Ambassador of India to Serbia

GREAT COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES Serbia is emerging as a premier investment location in CEE. In the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report, Serbia has climbed to 47th position and the economy showed robust growth in 2016, at 2.8%, and is expected to grow at an average rate of 3.7% over the next few years.

India-Serbia economic cooperation received a significant boost at the beginning of 2017, when PM Vučić visited India to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Economic Summit and discussed cooperation with India’s Prime Minister in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, defence, health, films, tourism and IT. PM Vučić invited more Indian investment to Serbia. The visit is expected to provide real momentum to the overall bilateral relationship, to the mutual advantage of our two peoples

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H.E. LEO D’AES Belgian Ambassador to Serbia

EFFORTS TO PROMOTE MACRO-ECONOMIC STABILITY Whether Serbia will stagnate or progress will depend on Serbia itself, and on the wider macro-economic environment. Regarding Serbia, there is a very clear Economic Reform Programme (ERP) agreed with the European Commission, the main points of which broadly correspond with the recommendations of the IMF and the World Bank. In addition to that, I think Serbia should step up its efforts to encourage the many SMEs interested in Serbia to come and prospect, and above all reassure them in a credible way about the legal stability of the business environment, which is at least as important as other factors, like permits or credit conditions. Regarding the macro-economic environment, since around 70% of Serbia’s trade relations are with the EU, the economic health and dynamism of the EU is, of course, of key importance to the furthering of economic progress in Serbia. If you follow the EU decision-making in this field, you will have noticed considerable common efforts to promote macro-economic stability and thus the creation of employment.

H.E. VERA JOVANOVSKA-TIPKO Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in Belgrade

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS- THE MAIN PRIORITIES

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Magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce, through their regularity and attractive presentation and content, certainly contribute to helping focus on the essential contribution of private initiative to lasting economic prosperity.

Interviews with dynamic businessmen and women, and with officials implementing economic policy, in close coordination with the EU and other international partner institutions, usefully enlighten us on how the way forward is perceived and/or implemented, building on Serbia’s potential.

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Diplomacy&Commerce has been kind to Indian’s efforts to raise awareness of the growing business opportunities with the friendly people and government of Serbia. Diplomacy & Commerce’s unbiased and incisive perspective plays a major role in shaping public opinion.

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time, I think that the dynamic of implementation of the key recommendations from the European Commission will play an important part in further transformation of economic environment. I am confident that Serbia is fully capable of walking down the path of economic development..

I want and I do believe that Serbia will accomplish a significant economic growth in 2017 because that is also important for the entire region, and especially for neighbouring countries. The World Bank’s forecast for Serbia in 2017 show a GDP growth that will be much higher than the one in Eurozone. Additionally, there is the expected macroeconomic stability, low budget deficit, and controlled inflation and foreign currency rate. Foreign investments will definitely be one of the main priorities of the Serbian government, and in order to attract these investments, it is necessary to have continuity in reforms like implementing e-governance with emphasis on issuance of building permits. Economic and social development is process that requires permanent dedication, implementation of higher standards, facilitation of innovation, removal of barriers and incentives for starting a business. At the same

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The role of the media has always been crucial for development of democracy in a society. Today this is truer than ever because we are living in the time of hyperproduction of information where unfortunately we come across information that is completely or partially untrue, as well as various speculations and spun news. Because of this, consumers have to be more critical, analytical and selective in order to get to the real truth.

There are only a handful of media that still endorse the principle of proven truth; the media that facilitate exchange of opinions, incite to deep thinking and evoke readers’ trust. Diplomacy&Commerce magazine is one of them. The magazine’s role in the Serbian information space is important particularly in regard to relaying quality information about your country’s potential. I have no doubt that you will continue doing that in the future too.

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D&C ANNI VERSARY H.E. JAN LUNDIN Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia

THE INFLOW OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT Serbia will progress in 2017 thanks to the inflow of foreign investment, for instance, from a Swedish point of view, the opening of Ikea in August, which will have positive long-term implications for the Serbian furniture industry.

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Such magazines are truly a valuable source of information, especially for diplomats. Diplomacy&Commerce succeeds in presenting up-to-date, relevant and interesting information about current developments in Serbian society, which is very useful in our everyday work.

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H.E. TOMASZ NIEGODZISZ Ambassador of Poland to Serbia

FURTHER DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT I believe in Serbia’s further economic progress and I wish for your country to have further dynamic development. The agenda of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, as well as the commitment of the entire government, along with the goodwill of the international community, provide a good forecast for the current year. The Polish engagement, and the good relations we have with the Serbian authorities, gives hope for further growth of the trade exchange between our countries. The best indication of that is the fact that the trade exchange has been growing constantly for a number of years now.

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For the Polish Embassy, Diplomacy&Commerce is a source of information on a number of issues, including on the economic life of Serbia.

We also share the information you provide with Polish recipients. We always point to you as our source of information, so that they themselves can access the online version of your magazine while in Poland.

On the occasion of the first anniversary I would like to wish the editors, journalists and readers further accurate analysis, a further increase in circulation and many more anniversaries to come.

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Diplomacy&Commerce

Our first year is behind us

We would like to celebrate it with you On the Occasion of the 1st Anniversary of the Diplomacy&Commerce magazine, we will present the “Diplomacy & Commerce Awards” to individuals, organisations and companies.

On 16th March we will all celebrate this anniversary together, along with the awarding of the

to those who have contributed the most to ensuring all of these themes have come to life, and left a trail.

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D&C ANNI VERSARY ZORAN PETROVIĆ Chairman of Managing Board of American Chamber of Commerce

IMPROVING THE CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE I expect that positive changes in economic environment and Serbia's further economic progress will hinge on successful implementation of both the ongoing and announced reforms. A survey which the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) conducts in Serbia every year among its members, which shows the level of satisfaction with the business climate while identifying priority tasks for the next period, showed that increasing predictability of the tax system and non-tax levies, reforming the Tax Administration, further countering of shadow economy, wider implementation of e-governance and reforming the health sector are vital steps towards improving business climate in Serbia. Considering that AmCham's members are the most successful American, Serbian and other international companies which operate on the most developed global markets, modernization of legislation to reflect the one in the EU is also high on their agenda. We

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MARTIN KNAPP Director of the German-Serbia Chamber of Commerce (DSW)

THE PHENOMENON OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

think that it is vital to continue progressing and improving the constructive dialogue between businesses and the government in order to better plan further reforms and more consistently monitor the results of the ongoing ones.

Business magazines like Diplomacy & Commerce are an important platform for providing information about the events and news from various business areas. More importantly, they are a platform for exchanging ideas and opinions of all those business stakeholders whose joint effort is crucial for further economic development, boosting entrepreneurship and advancing business environment in Serbia.

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DRAGOLJUB DAMLJANOVIĆ President of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

I hope that this year there will be no parliamentary elections.

Every time there are elections, the state's life almost comes to a halt, which in turn impacts on the economy. In Germany we also know the phenomenon that parliamentary elections are always going to happen in one of the 16 federal states and that less popular decisions are being postponed because of these elections, even at the level of the federation. In Serbia we have a similar effect caused by repeated parliamentary elections.

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The international press reports little about Serbia and if that does happen then it is mainly about problems.

This is not because of malice, but because of the fact that news about problems is always regarded as more important than other messages, however interesting they may be. To this extent, magazines like Diplomacy&Commerce fill a gap. If they are also entertaining and critical, that’s even better.

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CONTINUATION OF STRUCTURAL REFORMS

The World Bank and IMF's forecast for 2017 looks encouraging particularly in regard to Serbia's GDP which is projected to grow by 3%. We are very closely tied to the European economy which has been successfully dealing with many challenges. I think that Serbia has been quite successful in responding to the demands and trends on the European market, and is increasingly positioning itself as the regional market leader. True, an average citizen might not yet feel the effects of this, but business community is very aware of positive trends in the Serbian economy which is stable. Additionally,

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FDIs are growing, private consumption is expected to grow too, and there are many important infrastructure projects that are going to be implemented. A positive business environment has been created which is something that is very important to foreign companies. Political stability and continuation of structural reforms, especially the reforms in public enterprises, will play a crucial role. Furthermore, opening and development of small and medium enterprises which are the driving force behind every successful economy should be encouraged more.

I think that, in a very short period of time, you have managed to become a very serious medium for the Serbian business community. Business publications like Diplomacy & Commerce have a great impact on promoting best business practices in Serbia and internationally. I am sure that many serious and successful managers are subscribed to your magazine, and I do hope that, in the future, there will be more such business publications in Serbia

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YANA MIKHAILOVA President of Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Regional Director of Nestlé Adriatic

IMPROVING THE BUSINESS CLIMATE 2016 was a successful year for Serbia in terms of improving the business climate.

Even though business conditions in Serbia are improving and the country is slowly emerging from recession, challenges are still present, as they are on every market. The growth of consumption is still weak in most market segments, while the inconsistent implementation of regulations is a challenge that makes the business environment more difficult. The Government has adopted a number of important legislative changes and thus enabled companies to adapt their business to economic circumstances. Nestlé, as well as other companies, needs to adapt to changes on the market and needs time for this process. Furthermore, the advantage of Serbia is reflected in its excellent geostrategic position and well developed frame of free trade agreements. However, in order to increase the number of new investors, Serbia needs to improve its investment climate and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, as well as becoming more attractive for small and medium-sized businesses. Moreover, improvements need to be continued in areas like fighting unemployment and the shadow economy, agriculture, education, health and public sectors, considering that these

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Dr GIORGIO MARCHEGIANI President of the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

ECONOMIC GROWTH Sustainable economic growth and progress are expected, if we take into account that even the National Bank of Serbia predicts economic growth of 3% this year. The Government of the Republic of Serbia has to maintain the continuity of the high standards that it sets itself. The most important thing is for structural reforms to be completed quickly, because they have an impact on accelerating economic growth and increasing competitiveness on the market, and they are a very important sign for those already doing business in Serbia, especially for foreign investors, as well as better enforcement of laws and their compliance with bylaws. I would highlight the importance of improvements in the field of taxation, primarily the reform of the tax administration, as well as ensuring equal conditions for all participants in the business market. For everything that provides progress, foreign investors have placed their knowledge at the disposal to the state of Serbia, for the benefit of everyone.

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2.Promoting successful business, pointing out potentials in the field of market economy in Serbia, as well as highlighting examples of foreign markets that you are thematically orientated towards – those are things that are, when it comes to the media, very important for all business players. Your contribution is important because this kind of promotion is necessary, especially in the circles that your readers occupy.

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are priority topics for the country and further progress on its EU accession path.

Magazines like Diplomacy & Commerce play an important role in providing fresh and accurate information about the Serbian economy and in promoting the existing business potential on the local market. I would particularly emphasise the importance of country-focused special editions, as they help highlight trends in economic relations between Serbian and its foreign trade partners. As these special editions contain interviews with representatives of both the public and private sectors, they contribute significantly to creating better understanding of the opportunities and challenges related to Serbia's cooperation with its foreign partners.

Ultimately, this could help bring about new solutions to existing challenges, or even initiate new business partnerships

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DANIJELA FIŠAKOV President of the Slovenian Business Club (SBC)

FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND SHADOW ECONOMY these occurrences is not easy or simple. A truthful and principled attitude towards this fight always yields positive results, and even if the results are not visible this year, they will definitely have a long-term impact thanks to this approach.

Both the global and Serbian media space are bursting with opportunties for public expression of views and opinions, facts and information. The possibilities offered by the contemporary media are both fast and current.

On the other hand, the traditional written word is more permanent and irrevocable. Diplomacy & Commerce magazine has succeeded in fusing all these possibilities. Their articles are up-to-date, interesting and diverse. In the magazine, readers can find interviews with all foreign ambassadors in the country, important foreign and domestic business people and representatives of Serbian state authorities while getting to know their opinions and views about important economic, business and other issues.

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Serbia doesn't have a lot of choices. If the country wants to survive, it has advance.

Its economic fabric is a part of the global organism, and as such, is sensitive to the changes that surround it. External influences are strong and they dictate trends on much stronger economies than Serbian. Serbian leadership and business community have to step up their activities that would result in the Serbian economic fabric becoming stronger, more immune and stable in crisis situations. The main and the most important activity in this respect is fighting corruption and shadow economy. The uprooting of both of

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D&C ANNI VERSARY GEORGIOS PAPANASTASIOU President of the Hellenic Business Association (HBA)

STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC TIES According to the World Bank's forecast, Serbian economy is expected to grow by 3.5% compared in 2017 compared to last year's 2.5%. This will be accomplished thanks to investments, while domestic consumption will have a bigger impact only in years to come. I would also like to underline that these are realistic expectations considering that the three important economic reforms have been implemented that pertain to issuing building permits, property registration, and simplification of starting a business. Still, it is necessary to continue with the implementation of other structural reforms, without delay. In terms of business environment, Serbia has been working on improving the conditions for local business communities, and the country should continue along this course, particularly in terms of improving its legislative framework, reforming the judiciary, complying with the EU regualtion and increasing the efficiency of state agencies.

This, in turn, will make business environment more predictable for companies that wish to include Serbia in their operations, and lead to instigation of large-scale infrastructure projects, as well as further economic development and progress in Serbia. The Hellenic Business Association will certainly continue to give its contribution along this path through active lobbying on behalf of Serbia as an ideal destination for new Greek investments, and through strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

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ERIKA TEOMAN-BRENNER Austrian Commercial Counsellor

SME SECTOR FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH I am definitely sure that Serbia’s economy will continue to grow in 2017. We saw some substantial reforms in the business environment in recent years, which were welcomed by the business community. But there is still room for improvement, especially when it comes to the rule of law and, more specifically, the transparency and length of administrative and regulatory procedures. For example, we hear regularly from our business community that tax administration often lacks a uniform and consistent application of regulations, which in turn creates uncertainty on the part of the companies. However, in more general terms, Serbia needs competitive and diversified local SMEs for sustainable growth.

Only a strong SME sector provides for employment and growth through investments and consumption.

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02 Your magazine has been able to build up an impressive readership in its first year. This is not least due to the fact that it manages to cover a very wide range of topics, while at the same time being very focused on what makes Serbia special. For many readers from the diplomatic and business community, a magazine like yours offers unique insights into leading Serbian corporations and institutions.

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Diplomacy&Commerce

For a whole year now, Diplomacy & Commerce magazine has been informing us of new investments and other activities in the world of diplomacy, economy, business, culture, arts and sports through various reports, interviews, economic analyses and specialized publications. By doing so, the magazine is helping us to get to know Serbian social and business environment better, in addition to presenting and strengthening the ties between Serbian government, the diplomatic corps, foreign and local chambers of commerce, business associations, international and local institutions, organizations and business people from Serbia, the region and the world. By exchanging experiences and good practice cases among each other, all of these stakeholders should be credited for creating a picture about Serbia as a country that has a great potential and which has been constantly working on improving living and working conditions, as well as fostering social and economic development. I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate your magazine on its first birthday and wish you to continue with your enthusiasm and contribution to nurturing the links between all interested parties while presenting Serbia as a country that offers numerous possibilities.

02

MARIJA RADULOVIĆ President of the Croatian Business Club

EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION economic level because there are huge economic opportunties on both sides.

Magazines like Diplomacy & Commerce are important for dissemination of good ideas because they have a big readership and credibility especially when we consider their dedication to presenting a country, its economy and opportunities in a special light. Apart from reporting about companies, the quality interviews in the magazine speak volumes about it.

We do hope that you are going to continue with this good practice in the future too which will positively contribute to better cooperation and mutual relations.

02

The Croatian Business Club is advocating international business cooperation, and I do hope that 2017 will be the year for expansion of international cooperation particularly with the countries in the region, and primarily between Serbia and Croatia. The purpose of our Club, which assembles business people from Serbia and Croatia, is to boost the cooperation first at the political, and then on

01

BO UN C I N G BAC K

Asia’s Exports Rebound Trade figures augur well for the global economy

It is easy to be downcast about the state of global trade. It has faced stiff headwinds in recent years: in 2016, for the first time in 15 years, it grew more slowly than the world economy.

Regional and global trade deals are going nowhere, slowly. And America’s new president has promised to protect his country from trade-inflicted “carnage”.

Amid all this gloom, optimism seems foolhardy. But in Asia’s export dynamos, trade is picking up steam. In January, Chinese exports rose year-on-year for the first time in ten months; South Korean shipments have increased for three months in a row. Surveys reveal strong export pipelines in Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. Healthy order books for Asia’s manufacturers normally bode well for global trade and indeed the global economy. It is too soon to declare a definitive upturn in global trade, but it looks like more than a blip (see chart).

The simplest explanation for the rebound is that global demand is itself on solid ground.

Global growth is still slower than before the financial crisis of 2008, but is heading in the right direction. Both the IMF and the World Bank think it will speed up a bit this year. Investors have turned more bullish: the MSCI all-world index, which covers 46 different markets, hit a record high this week. The rebound in Asian exports is more reason for bullishness.

Structural changes may also be at play in

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Asia. A much-cited factor behind the slowdown in global trade in recent years has been China’s tightening grip on complex supply chains. As more production takes place inside a single country, fewer cross-border transactions are needed to produce final goods. Yet this consolidation within China is starting to meet more friction.

China is still aiming for a bigger share of high-

GLOBAL GROWTH IS STILL SLOWER THAN BEFORE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2008, BUT IS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION HARNESSED TO CHINA Goods exports, % change on a year earlier 60 China 40

20 + 0 — 20

tech industries, but less-developed countries in Asia are scooping up more of its low-end manufacturing, and wealthier markets are also fighting back. Over the last nine months of 2016, China’s export performance trailed the rest of Asia.

Nevertheless, there are good reasons to restrain the optimism. The rebound in exports from Asia’s commodity producers such as Indonesia and Malaysia is mainly the result of higher prices for oil and metals. Growth in their trade volumes has been much slower. For Asia’s hightech economies, the rebound’s durability hinges on the fickle tastes of consumers. Both Samsung and Apple are expected to launch shiny new gadgets this year. Semiconductor makers around the region have gone into overdrive in anticipation. If demand falls short of expectations, exports of electronics will quickly dive again.

And looming large over all these trends is Donald Trump. Fears that he might declare China a currency manipulator in his first few days in office came to naught. But his threats during the election campaign to slap heavy tariffs on Chinese products still linger in the background.

A trade war would be unwelcome at any time.

If it came just when the world was breaking free from a long slump in global trade, the irony would be all the more cruel.

Asia excluding China 40 2007

09

Sources: WTO

11

13

15

17

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

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CORPORATE DRAGAN FILIPOVIĆ, President of Executive Board, Generali Osiguranje Srbija a.d.o.

DIGITALIZATION IS THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS

We want our clients in Serbia to feel like citizens of any European or other country in the world

Macroeconomic stability was good last year.

The inflation was low and the dinar was stable which positively contributed to the functioning of entire economy, including the insurance segment – says President of Executive Board of Generali Osiguranje (Generali Insurance) a.d., Dragan Filipović

Are you satisfied with the results achieved in 2016 and what are your expectations this year?

— We are satisfied with the results achieved in 2016. The official data collated by the National Bank of Serbia shows only the results for the third quarter, but our data shows that we have solidified our position as the number two in overall premiums, we are still the leader in life insurance, and we are the most profitable company in Serbia. We expect that overall market growth in 2016 will be between 6 and 8 percent overall. The biggest growth was recorded in life and health insurance segment, while vehicle insurance remains at the same level as in previous years.

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Which factors contributed the most to the obvious growth of the entire insurance industry last year?

— Macroeconomic stability was

good last year. The inflation was low and the dinar was stable

more stable too, and more employers buying health insurance for their employees, which, in turn, was very beneficial for the labour market. At the same time, life insurance was a form of compensation for lower bank interest rates. Now, clients who want a more long-term investments often buy life insurance policies firstly to protect their families should something happen to them, secondly for long-term savings. The return on government securities, in which 95% of entire industry has been investing, is still higher than in Western countries so we are now in position to transfer some of that return onto our cli-

WE HAVE SIMPLIFIED THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR OUR CLIENTS FOR OVER 10 OF OUR PRODUCTS. WE HAVE REDUCED THE PAPERWORK SO THAT THE CLIENT NOW HAS TO READ ONLY FIVE PAGES COMPARED TO 26 PAGES BEFORE, MOST OF WHICH WERE PRETTY INCOMPREHENSIBLE which positively contributed to the functioning of entire economy, including the insurance segment.

Up until a couple of years ago, we had to take into consideration fluctuations in the foreign currency exchange rate and the inflation because premiums usually cannot be settled immediately so we opt for deferred payment in order to make our clients more relaxed.

The stable economy made our job easier in terms of prices being

Diplomacy&Commerce

ents which makes life insurance policies even more appealing.

When you were appointed President of Executive Board of Generali Osiguranje you said that the one of the tasks for you and your team was to make your products more understandable for everyone. How much did you succeed in doing this?

— We have simplified the terms and conditions for our clients for

over 10 of our products. We have reduced the paperwork so that the client now has to read only five pages compared to 26 pages before, most of which were pretty incomprehensible. We have expedited the processes in the company in order to issue our policies faster.

We are going to continue along this path because our industry is still a big unknown to people - there is very little awareness about the need to be insured and people are still hesitant to buy insurance.

We have received positive feedback from our clients who are satisfied with our improved services. We don't want our policies to have small print that is puzzling to our clients.

In partnership with Banca Intesa and the German Development Bank (KfW), you have develped Agroprotect Loan for farmers.

How important is this considering that agriculture is thought of as the future leading industrial sector, and which of the agricultural segments showed the biggest interest for the loan?

— We are satifsfied with how Agroprotect Loan has been developing in Serbia. The idea was to incorporate agriculture insurance policy into a loan that the bank gives to farmers for development of crop farming or livestock breeding. Both the insurance company and the bank have agreed to waive a part of their profit in order for farmers to be insured. Every year, we widen the eligibility criteria by 20% so

I think this year we are going to accomplish the best results so far.

Only between 8 and 10 percent of arable land in Serbia is insured, which is very low. After the flooding, the situation has improved somewhat but still not enough.

Generali is the first company in Serbia to link investing with life insurance. How popular is this product and how much did it raise awareness about this form of investing?

— This is the so-called unit-linked insurance plan which is popular in the West and has a 30% share in the overall volume of issued life insurance policies. By purchasing this product, clients decide themselves where to further invest the money spent on buying a policy.

This functions flawlessly in the West because there are many companies that have unit-linked insurance advisors. You can choose a conservative approach, with smaller but safer return, or the riskier one where you invest in stock that can substantially grow.

However, legislation in Serbia is not adapted to this kind of product in terms of making it more appealing than the products we usually offer. Hence, there are certain obstacles and limits to what funds clients can invest in, namely they can invest only in the funds locat-

ence between the two. The idea is to have laws that would allow investing in foreign funds with the client receiving the same kind of treatment as their counterparts in the West. In this way, clients will have an opportunity to invest wherever they want – in Microsoft

EVERY YEAR, WE WIDEN THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BY 20% SO I THINK THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THE BEST RESULTS SO FAR. ONLY BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PERCENT OF ARABLE LAND IN SERBIA IS INSURED, WHICH IS VERY BAD ed in Serbia. The next limit is that clients can invest up to 20% of their insurance policy value in one fund only, so, in order to invest all of your money, you have to pick five different funds. The problem is that these funds operate on the same market as insurance companies so the return on investing in them is equal to the return that insurance companies offer to their clients. All of this makes it very difficult for us to explain to the client the differ-

or Coca-Cola or any other successful company.

How important is development of technology and online services for you considering that you closely follow in the latest trends and develop your services accordingly? To what extent is Generali going to continue following the development of IT in that respect?

— We, in Generali, think that digi-

talization is the future of business.

There are certain limitations if we are talking about insurance segment. Some insurance products need the so-called preventive client examination or rather a check-up of their health situation which carries certain risks. This is the reason why such policies cannot be bought quickly, whether online or by phone. We have developed certain products in Serbia that are popular in the world at the moment so, as of March this year, clients can buy our travel insurance via their mobile phones.

It is only five clicks away, and quite easy to purchase with the help of a very simple navigator.

You can do this from the comfort of your home, a bar, a restaurant, on road. We are also going to continue selling our home insurance along the same principle. We will be more available to clients for information who can to buy this policy rather quickly. We want our clients in Serbia to feel like citizens of any European or other country in the world.

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CORPORATE JASON LANE, Executive Vice President Market Development Europe Mastercard

WE NEED TO DREAM MORE OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP We are all connected and it's only going to increase more

Business forum creates an opportunity for people to actually make points that are important to be heard, said the Executive Vice President Market Development Europe at Mastercard

In your speech you spoke about digital revolution, power of digital age and you mentioned one great word connectivity. How important is connectivity nowadays, what is the main challenge of the digital age?

— The key element is that we're already connected, we just don't even realize it. For example, you're using this dictaphone on your phone and you are so connected, because the phone knows where you are and what you're doing, we are even seamless to it. I suppose you are familiar with the term Freemium economy, with products like Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber and similar like excellent examples of it.

It's a great service, a great consumer proposition, but of course, they are making a business case in terms of marketing information.

And we feel comfortable in this connected space because we get something back for a valid proposition or a product. We are all connected and it's only going to increase more.

Big data is the business case it's only going to increase even more.

At the Mobile World Congress we presented some use cases for connectivity so for example, you will already pay for the petrol before you even get to the station.

When it comes to the financial payments in this connected world, we want us to have a seamless

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view of payments, the single check-out. Amazon, for example.

It's an amazing thing to have a onestop solution, it changes shopping behaviour. We now have the option to not carry any wallets – the smart phone with its connectivity power and contact list is the new wallet.

You also mentioned one great thing, public-private partnership. How important is it and can you please give us an example?

— I think that the most important thing is that we need to dream more today of private-public partnership. On a European stage, I find governments that are very suspicious of the private sector and you

can such a type of campaign contribute to the permanent and non-permanent solution of shadow economy?

— The most important thing about this initiative is that it's powerful, it is an existing lottery program, right? Mastercard, in a conjunction with a number of business representative groups, partnered with the government who said actually “How we can create even stronger incentive to drive a consumer change”. When we talk about the shadow economy, it's not like consumers would like to go and transact in the shadow economy. No, they are actually legitimate buyers and they believe that they are

WHAT'S SO MARVELOUS ABOUT SERBIA IS THE OPENNESS FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO ACTUALLY SEEK HELP AND INPUTS RIGHT AND IT'S DONE IN A GOOD AND BALANCED WAY always have to overjustify yourself, but I see a change coming with this great awareness to work and partner between the sectors.

We really need to see more of that. There is resistance to working with the private sector, particularly in Western Europe. What's so marvelous about Serbia is an openness from the government to actually seek help and inputs right and it's done in a good and balanced way. But it's not a case of having to justify it. I think that good use case example is businesses partnering with the government on this fiscal lottery program.

Mastercard is participating in that very good action of Serbian government. How much

Diplomacy&Commerce

interacting with legitimate sellers.

As far as a consumer is concerned, this is a legal, legitimate transaction. The problem with the shadow economy is that the retailer, be it a service provider, a plumber, electrician, or someone else, must see the necessity of reporting a revenue as income that ultimately they should be taxed on. We need to talk about not just the shadow economy, but also about the key learning there, which is how do you help the consumer understand that they have a role to play in the resolution of this problem. Anything you do is about how do you change consumer behaviour for the positive and that's what I think is so tremendous about this program, it's really unique.

Your company is a partner of Kopaonik Business Forum. How much can such types of gatherings contribute to the development of economy and interraction between government and the private sector?

— We are a company that believes

that we need to do well for our shareholders, but we also need to do good for everyone else. So we need to get the right balance, talk about sustainable economies and sustainable consumers for the future, which is why we focus so much on financial growth. We realize that we need to be working a lot closer with governments to understand their objectives and how we can help them in our own little way. In an environment like this Business forum, it is truly phenomenal. There is something unique about this, it has the right pull and more importantly, gives people the opportunity to network.

It creates an opportunity for people to actually make points that are important to be heard. I really want to compliment the Serbian organizers and Serbian people should be grateful for this openness from the government and willingness and passion from the private sector to engage, to create what is a real conversation.

Future plans in Serbia?

— As a future for Serbia we have an

open invitation from the government of Serbia to really partner and help them on creating a strongerpayment sector, that is something we will embrace. We will combine our efforts to create stronger, more viable solutions. The growth we have seen in Serbia is fantastic, and we expect that it will continue.

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS

H.E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Morten Skovgaard Hansen, Chargé d'Affaires of the Danish Embassy, H.E.Jan Erik Mikael Lundin,Swedish Ambassador, H.E. Pertti Juhani Ikonen, Finnish Ambassador, Lada Ratković Bukovčan, author of the exhibition and Jelena Popovic, curator of the MPU

NORDIC GLASS EXHIBITION OPENED

9th February

Zoran Đorđević, Defence Minister and H.E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, Norwegian Ambassador

The exhibition of contemporary Nordic Glass “Touch of Glass” started at the Belgrade Museum of Applied Arts lasting to 15 March when it will continue at the Museum of Vojvodina in Novi Sad (from March 22 to April 20) in cooperation with the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The exhibition features 80 glass objects that promote Nordic design and manufacturers of glass at the same time showing an example of the Nordic countries as a successful model of regional cooperation in all fields.

IRANIAN NATIONAL DAY MARKED

9th February

Iranian Ambassdor to Serbia, H.E. Hossein Molla Abdollahi, organised a recpetion marking Iranian National Day and commemorating the 38th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution. Welcoming guests, the Ambassador reminded those in attendance that 38 years have passed since the Muslim people of Iran, under the leadership of the late Imam Khomeini and under the slogan “Independence, Freedom and Islamic Republic”, stood against the tyranny of the shah and foreign colonisation.

H.E. Axel Dittmann, German Ambassador with his spouse Dr. Ruth Natalie Ebert

H.E.Hossein Molla Abdollahi, Ambassador of Iran

Mrs. Erica Robin Pinnington, the wife of the Canadian Ambassador, Stela Markotić, the wife of the Croatian ambassador and Aja Jung, director of BDF

JUST JAZZ

9th February

German Ambassador H E Axel Dittmann and his wife Nathalie organised a traditional evening of jazz evening at his residence in Senjak and guests enjoyed an exceptional performance of "Vasil Hadžimanov band". "Tonight is not about elections, chapters, politics, only about a good time. When we, Nathalie and I, a year and a half ago, came to Belgrade, we saw a wonderful concert of Vasil Hadžimanov and Bojan Zulfikarpašić. It is a great privilege and pleasure to have the opportunity tonight to host them here"- the ambassador said.

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Diplomacy&Commerce

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FROM ISRAEL WITH LOVE

10th February

Festival "From Israel with Love", which happened the second year in a row in the "Mikser House", presented some of the most important names of the Israeli cultural scene this year. Belgrade audience was able to use the Israeli weekend to enjoy the modern dance, a concert of the famous Tel Aviv groove band, student films, exhibitions of photographs of Bauhaus architecture, workshops for making jewellery and of course, all this seasoned Israeli culinary specialties. Embassy of Israel use this festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Israel.

Goran Kovačević, President of the NALED Executive Board and Zorana Mihajlović, Vice-President of the Government of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure

H.E. Denis Keefe, British Ambassador and H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US ambassador

NALED AWARDED ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ AS A REFORMER OF THE YEAR 2016

10th February

H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm, Israeli Ambassador, H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador with his wife and H.E.Christine Moro, Ambasador of France with her husband

National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) has awarded a Vice-President of the Government of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović with a title Reformer of the year. The award was granted for the successful introduction of electronic system for issuing building permits in 2016, at the X annual conference "The results and the direction of reform 2016/2017" held in the Belgrade City Hall.

CELEBRATION OF ITEC DAY

13th February

H.E. Narinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India hosted a reception in Belgrade on 13th February 2017 to mark the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day. H.E. Ivana Stojiljković, Member of Parliament and the President of India-Serbia Parliamentary Friendship Group was the Guest of Honour. Zoran Mihajlović, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Health, Nenad Miloradović, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Defence and Aleksandar Janković, Head of the Department for Asia, Australia and the Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs represented the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the occasion. Large number of ITEC Alumni attended the Reception.

Ivana Stojiljković, Member of Parliament and the President of India-Serbia Parliamentary Friendship Group and H.E. Narinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS PLAY UK OPENED IN BELGRADE

16th February

Welcoming everyone who came to see the modern British films in the area that is known as the house of a good film, H E Denis Keefe, the British ambassador in Belgrade, opened the Festival of New British film "Play UK" at the Belgrade Cultural Centre. At the Belgrade Cultural Centre on that occasion the exhibition "Trainspotting: What have you been doing for the last 20 years" by Maja Medić and Stefan Arsenijević was shown. Then the sequel to the cult British film T2: Trainspotting was screened.

H.E. Branislav Mićunović, ambassador of Montenegro and Merima Njegomir, singer

H E Denis Keefe, the British ambassador in Belgrade with his spouse

TO MONTENEGRO PARTY

22th February

On Wednesday night at the Top of the Hub Restauran in BC Ušće in Novi Beograd, Tourist Organisation of Montenegro organised a grand party dedicated to the Tourism Fair in Belgrade. Montenegro, being a partner country, made a lot of effort to promote the beauties of the country. The party was visited by a number of ministers from Montenegrin government, H E Branislav Mićunović, Montenegrin ambassador to Serbia and many prominent guests originating both from Montenegro and Serbia.

MARCO FERRINI MEETS BALLET DANCERS

Towards the 14th Belgrade Dance Festival, the National Dance Foundation and EU organised a meeting of all ballet dancers with the most famous Italian ballet master Marco Ferrini. The National Dance organised a cocktail with the entire delegation of the European Union and the ambassadors who supported the whole project.

23th February

Mr. Alix-Andre Michel Saint-Lot (UNICEF) and H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US ambassador

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Mr. Louis Moro, H.E.Christine Moro, H.E. Gordan Markotić, Ivan Tasovac and Princess Jelisaveta Karađorđević

Diplomacy&Commerce

H.E. Michael Davenport and Aja Jung, director of BDF

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS

Vesna Dedić, TV Personality

TO BUDVA PARTY AT TOURISM FAIR

25th February

Mrs Željka Radak Kukavičić (right), Director of TO Budva with her guests

The Tourist Organisation of Budva, leader of Montenegrin tourism, organised a party during the Belgrade Tourism Fair, where it presented its offers for this season. The Tourist Organisation of Budva had a joint stand with all the Montenegrin communities and the National Tourist Organisation, which helped the promotion. Montenegro was this year’s partner country and many important figures of political and cultural life from both countries were guests of the party.

KUWAIT NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION

23th February

Embassy of Kuwait hosted a reception in the hotel "Metropol" on the occasion of 56th Independence Day and 26th Liberation Day of that country. Hosted by the Kuwaiti Ambassador H E Yusuf Abdulsamad, it was attended by representatives of government, military, religious communities, cultural life of Serbia and the diplomatic corps. In his address, H E Ambassador Abdulsamad stressed that the relations between our countires were friendly and that they were characterized by mutual trust.

US Ambassador, Canadian Ambassador with his wife, Ambassador of Australia with her husband, Macedonian Ambassador and Ambassador of Croatia

H.E. Yousef Ahmad S. Abdulsamad, ambassador of Kuwait

Vlatko Stefanovski, musician

SOUNDS OF MACEDONIA IN BELGRADE

32th February

H. E. Mohammed K. M. Nabhan, Palestinian ambassador, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, ambassador of Algeria, H.E. Toufic Jaber, ambassador of Lebanon, H.E. Mohamed Bougamra, ambassador of Tunisia, H.E. Juma Rashed Saif Zayed Aldhaheri, ambassador of UAE and H.E.Gordan Markotić, ambassador of Croatia

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Diplomacy&Commerce

A unique musical concert of the Macedonian ethno group Ljubojna was held in the House of Unions. The special guests were the musical virtuosos Vlatko Stefanovski, Vasil Hadžimanov and Džambo Agušev. Guests enjoyed a unique synthesis of traditional and original contemporary music led by outstanding female vocals of Vera Miloševski. The event was attended by many illustrious persons from cultural, political and diplomatic life of Serbia.

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BELGRADE TOURISM FAIR

23th February

At the Belgrade Fair the International Tourism Fair was held once again this year, from 23rd to 26th of February 26, and 1100 exhibitors from 56 countries took part in it. Opening ceremony was attended by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić. The first time at the tourist offer at the fair, whose slogan is "Enjoy the weather" were Russia and China, as big potential markets, and a partner country of this year's fair was Montenegro.

H.E. Pertti Ikonen, Ambassador of Finland

Serbian PM Aleksandar Vučić opening the Tourism Fair

THE CONCERT OF FINNISH MUSIC IN THE BELGRADE CITY HALL

27th February

Embassy of Finland in Belgrade and Belgrade Cultural Centre organised a concert of music composer Jan Sibelius in the Belgrade City Hall on the occasion of 100 years of independence of Finland. The classical works of Sibelius were performed by Uki Ovaskainen, Finnish pianist, Aneta Ristić, soprano, and Vuk Ovaskainen, cellist. "The goal of the anniversary celebrations is to acquaint the public with Finland, its culture, values and social life" said H E Pertti Ikonen, Finnish Ambassador.

Nemanja Stefanović, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Narinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India and Željko Sertić, director of RAS

INDIA BUSINESS FORUM

27th February

India-Serbia bilateral relations are marked by mutual understanding and support on issues of core interest. The idea is to increase trade exchanges and the high level meetings will help realize the full potential in expanding two-way trade and investment to boost economic growth. With a view to implement the action points arising out of the meetings with Indian leadership and business community, the second meeting of India- Serbia Business Forum was held at Crystal Ballroom, Hotel Hyatt, Belgrade.

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PEOPLE & EV ENTS TURKISH CULTURE NIGHT

1st March

Turkish Culture Night was held on Wednesday, March 1, when two exhibitions were opened on the same evening at two popular central locations in Belgrade. These were the opening of a photo exhibition „The Eye of Istanbul“ by the famous Turkish photo artist Ara Güller at Parobrod Culture Center, Kapetan Mišina 6A and the exhibition of paintings “Istanbul in Red and Blue“ by Duygu Serin at National Gallery, Dositejeva 1.

Goran Vesić, City Manager and Ms. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific

Ana Crnojević and H.E.Tanju Bilgiç, Turkish Ambassador

Visiting Ethno Network

CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS IN BELGRADE

3rd March

H.E.Tanju Bilgiç and H.E. Harry Richard James Kandou, Ambassador of Indonesia

The Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Ms. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells came in a one-day visit to Serbia on Friday, 3rd March. After meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić and other bilateral meetings, Minister Fierravanti-Wells visited the exhibition of Serbian handicrafts and traditional crafts, which was organized by the members Ethno network, at the Hotel Envoy.

CROATIA – 25 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC INDEPENDENCE

5th March

Marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatically recognised independence from 1992, Croatian Embassy in Belgrade celebrated it with a concert.

The event was hosted by H E Gordan Markotić, Croatian Ambassador to Serbia and a multitude of illustrous guests were present at the event, such as H E Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador and H.E. Branislav Mićunović, Montenegrin Ambassador and many others.

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Mrs Markotić, Mrs Scott, H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, H.E. Vera Jovanovska Tipko and H.E. Branislav Mićunović

H.E. Gordan Markotić, Ambassador of Croatia

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I NTERVI EW GORAN DRAGANIĆ, Lawyer

AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IS THE FOUNDATION OF A STRONG STATE In order to have the rule of law, you must not only have institutions and adopted laws, rather you must have unconditional and uncompromising application and respect for those laws, as well as independent and effective judicial protection, as the most important corrector of respect for the legality and safety of citizens

“My many years of professional experience, as well as my maturity, has progressed from the early 1990s to the present day.

That period included very difficult and challenging phases and periods that we went through as a state and a society, but also as individuals,” says Goran Draganić, a lawyer who this year celebrates 25 years of working in the legal domain, and who during his career has represented numerous companies, media houses and journalists, as well as the most distinguished personalities from the public, culture, politics and sporting scenes of Serbia.

What did the legal system of Serbia and the Serbian judiciary look like when you first started your career, 25 years ago?

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— They were in very bad condition. The nineties, wars, unprecedented inflation, election theft, abuse of the judiciary in the creation of election results and citizens’ protests were what com-

ended up only with attempts. All political setups, from the late nineties to this day, address only the form of satisfying political criteria through the creation of proclamations in the political sense about

IF WE WANT SERIOUS ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL PROTECTION, WE MUST CREATE A SPECIALISED COURT FOR THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AN IP COURT, THE KIND THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN ALL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF EUROPE AND THE WORLD posed the Serbia of that time.

Expectations during the nineties, with the then heightened hope that Serbia would prove victorious and move in the direction of fundamental changes and building the serious rule of law, unfortunately

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the rule of law, and not the essential serious construction and functioning of institutions through the implementation of laws and effective judicial protection.

We faced a failed attempt to reform the judiciary, which was des-

tined for a bad finish from the start.

The reason is simple – we still have not cleared up the fact that political criteria in the selection of judicial functions should not be the sole and primary condition, thus implementing successful and objective reforms is prevented.

In order to have the rule of law, you must not only have institutions and adopted laws, rather you must have unconditional and uncompromising application and respect for those laws, as well as independent and effective judicial protection, as the most important corrector of respect for the legality and safety of citizens. All previous executive governments that have been changed have not grasped at all that a strong and, in the true sense, independent judiciary is the foundation of any strong and

prosperous country, a reflection of every democracy. We are faced with the permanent presence of the political defining of a desirable and servile judiciary.

Which of the EU accession chapters are very important for Serbia when it comes to the judiciary and what will represent the opening and closing of these chapters for Serbia?

— Without diminishing the importance and significance of other chapters that Serbia must fulfil en route to the EU, of incalculable importance to Serbia at this moment are chapters 7, 23 and 24, as well as closing them. These chapters represent the most important test for the state to date.

I consider that chapters 23 and 24, which relate to the judiciary, human rights, freedom of movement and security, are perhaps the most important and most crucial for Serbia’s EU accession.

Their fulfilment is conditioned by the real situation and the results of judicial operations and the rule of law, and not political proclamations, beautification and demagogy.

Also pointing to the importance of these issues is the fact that failure to achieve serious progress on these chapters can cause a problem in terms of halting negotiations on other chapters.

A strong, stable and efficient judicial system is not only a guarantee of legal certainty for the citizens of Serbia, but rather also a guarantee of faster investments for foreign investors, their certainty that their investments and operations in Serbia will be under serious legal control and oversight of government institutions and effective court protection.

There is a lot of talk about the protection of intellectual property rights in Serbia. How far have we advanced in this field and which chapters relate to this domain?

— Chapter 7 relates to intellectual property. That is a very important chapter. It is enough to say intellectual property and to know that this relates to the protection of sense, knowledge and skills.

The state must realise that

investing in the protection of intellectual property actually means protecting minds, which encourages young people to create new ideas and gives them an incentive not to leave the country. This enables the creation of new jobs and the creation of a new working environment, and with that an increased budget. These are all general social benefits of the serious protection of and respect for intellectual property rights.

strengthen education, while what is most important is to raise social awareness of the importance of protecting intellectual property.

One of the most important goals in promoting the strategy of intellectual property is the fight against piracy. The fight against piracy is not just the responsibility of a single institution. It must include the coordinating of all state bodies, customs, police, prosecution, inspectorates, the Intellectual

for implementing and protecting intellectual property rights, and we have political proclamations that Serbia will do everything necessary to create an atmosphere of protection for intellectual property.

What we are awaiting, but which is unfortunately not in sight nor even planned, is for Serbia – in such a desired atmosphere – to gain a specialised court for intellectual property.

Today we have a situation in which, in the context of the High Court, there exist only separate departments of judges that deal with authorship disputes and disputes related to trademark infringements, but also disputes concerning marital and familial relations.

That’s not good! If we want serious enforcement and judicial protection, we must create a specialised court for the protection of intellectual property as soon as possible, an IP Court, the kind that already exists in all developed countries of Europe and the world.

What more can be done in order for us to have a functional, stable and modern judicial system in Serbia?

AS FOR THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SERBIA, WE HAVE OPENED THE CHAPTER ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING AND PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS It is indisputable that Serbia has started harmonising domestic legislation with the EU acquis; that it is a signatory of the most important international agreements in the field of industrial property, copyright and related rights. Likewise, Serbia also cooperates with the most important international institutions, WIPO. Protecting intellectual property rights is extremely important for us when it comes to joining the EU and WTO. However, all of that is not enough! It is extremely important to continue to promote the strategy for the development of intellectual property. It is necessary to

Property Office and the courts, but also the holder of property rights, the publisher. The main goal of the EU in the field of intellectual property is to create an environment in which the holders of intellectual property rights will be able to freely protect their products and services from unauthorised use, copying and abuse. In order for Serbia to achieve the level of reduced piracy it is necessary to have political will in coordination between the public and private sectors.

As for the current state of affairs with intellectual property rights in Serbia, we have opened the chapter on compliance with the conditions

— In the end, the interests of the state of Serbia and Serbian citizens are recognised in the meeting of all conditions and the closing of all chapters. We can only achieve serious rule of rule if we manage to prevent political influence on the selection and work of judicial bodies, with the mandatory selection of the best, highest quality and boldest judges and prosecutors.

It is also extremely important to invest in judges via specialisation and exchanges of experience in international, especially European, frameworks. Moreover, it is essential to create conditions in which judicial officials will feel financial security, which would provide them with an unrestricted and independent position in the country. A state that succeeded in creating these kinds of principles of functioning of the judicial system would also finally succeed in enabling judges and prosecutors to hold a position in which they represented basic bastions in the protection of the state and society.

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CORPORATE NELT Miloš Jelić, Ivan Milićević, Marko Milanković and Robert Jenovai

NELT OPENED LOGISTICS INTERMODAL TERMINAL IN BELGRADE

NELT, the regional leader in the area of distribution, logistics and trade marketing, opened the first private railway logistics terminal in its Central Distribution Centre in Dobanovci and thus completed the logistics services portfolio The NELT intermodal terminal represents an upgrade to existing integrated logistics system and is open for all import, transit and export operations

and the country itself,” said Ivan Milićević, Operations and Development Manager in NELT LSP. The new NELT terminal connects all European ports and land terminals. E-75 and E-70 motorways intersect six kilometres

our operations recognised by these attributes. With a new set of logistics services, launched by activating the intermodal terminal, we will enable our clients to cut logistics cost but will also bring

away from the terminal, while the distance to Nikola Tesla Airport is only ten kilometres. A customs office with a warehouse within the NELT logistics centre enables full support and flexibility to various processes and goods trades.

THE NEW SET OF LOGISTIC SERVICES THAT INITIATE ACTIVATION OF THE INTERMODAL TERMINAL WILL ENABLE OUR CUSTOMERS TO REDUCE LOGISTICS COSTS participants in the market. It is available to shipping companies, railway operators, forwarding agents, as well as manufacturers, brand owners and other distributors.

“Intermodal transportation is a synonym for economic, efficient and environmentally sustainable global transport of all types of goods. We in Nelt strive to have

a faster and safer transportation services of higher quality. Regular weekly railway both import and export transportation of containers between the Port of Rijeka and Nelt Dobanovci is the first service offered to the market. Reduction of the greenhouse gas effect and lower usage of the road infrastructure are significant for the community

ABOUT NELT

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Nelt was established in 1992 as a trading company. Today, Nelt is Serbian and regional leader in the field of distribution of fast-moving consumer goods, tobacco and pharmaceutical products, logistics services and trade marketing. Within its logistics facilities, the company also offers services such as international transportation,

warehousing, customs intermediary, delivery, and additional repackaging, labelling and adjustment services.

Outside Serbia, Nelt holds companies in Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa - Angola, Zambia and Mozambique, in total employing 3,800 people.

B USINESS NEWS Banca Intesa

Delta Motors

MORE NEW ADVENTURES - THE NEW MINI COUNTRYMAN

SPECIAL LOANS FOR AGRICULTURE BY INTESA

Banca Intesa has created a special offer of loans for investment in current assets, in order to help registered farms secure adequate financial support for the upcoming spring agricultural works. Available credit for financing spring sowing ranges from 100,000 to five million RSD, with a repayment period of 12 months. The maturity is adapted to the specific needs of farmers, so the funds can be returned in the form of monthly, quarterly, six-month or annual repayments. The nominal interest rate ranges from 6.5 to 9.5 per cent annually, depending on the group to which registered farms belong, based on actual inflows after purchase or sale on a dedicated account in

the last 12 months, as well as based on the size of non-arable land. “With the introduction of this special offer in this period, we want to provide financing investment for clients from the segment of agriculture at significantly more favourable terms, and thus facilitate their business in the current season,” said Đorđe Radulović, director of sales management to registered farms at Banca Intesa.

Nestlé

ELIMINATION OF AT LEAST 18,000 TONNES OF SUGAR BY 2020

Nestlé has pledged to eliminate at least 18,000 tonnes of sugar from products that will appear on the European market by 2020. Thanks to this decision, Nestlé’s complete range in Europe will have an average of 5% less sugar than now. With this move, Nestlé aims to support European Commission directives and the objectives of its member states that intend to develop a plan of action to improve their food products.

The promise to reduce sugar content is part of global company liabilities that will be released on 7th March. Nestlé’s declaration was announced at an event dedicated to combatting obesity in children that was held in Malta, which currently holds the EU Presidency. On this occasion, Marco Settembri, Executive President of Nestlé and Director for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, stressed the importance of healthy eating, noting: “When one in three children is overweight or obese, it is clear that we must do more to offer healthier food choices and help in the promotion of an active lifestyle”.

MINI Serbia announced the promotion of the new Countryman model within the MINI showroom in Radnička Street in Belgrade. The MINI Countryman has a unique position among its competitors thanks to a distinctive design and aerodynamic contours, with optimised bodywork and extraordinary ease of driving. The car’s appearance has undergone a complete redesign, with a number of noticeable improvements in terms of space, functionality, sports and premium features. The new Countryman, with its powerful proportions, is the largest model to date in the 57-year-long history of the MINI brand. “The new MINI Countryman is increased in size, but retains the typical MINI proportions,” said Julius Schleppkotten, Director of the MINI Countryman project. The base price of the new MINI Countryman Cooper model, which is slowly conquering the segment of premium compact cars, ranges from €25,990, while the promotional period runs until the end of March, with a guaranteed price of €24,990.

The new MINI Countryman is on show in the MINI showroom at 8 Radnička Street and is available for a test drive.

Hemofarm

PM BOUFFIER IN HEMOFARM

Italian Agency for Foreign Trade (ICE)

"DAYS OF WINE FROM THE SOUTH OF ITALY"

METRO Cash & Carry Serbia, in cooperation with the Italian Agency for Foreign Trade (ICE) and in the framework of the “Days of Wine from the South of Italy”, has organised the professional tasting of specially selected labels from the Italian regions of Campania, Calabria, Puglia and Sicily, as well as the pairing of these high-quality wines with appropriate food.

Guests of the METRO HoReCa Centre were presented with the unique and extremely rich wine heritage of southern Italy. Guests were led through the wine list by Igor Luković, President of the Association of Sommeliers of Serbia, while Uroš Urošević, Master Chef and head of the METRO HoReCa

Centre, presented the best combinations of food and wine, creating flavours that are in harmony with the wine. The audience was addressed by Giovanni Mafodda, Director of the ICE in Serbia, who thanked retail chain Metro Cash & Carry Serbia. Some 30% of total world wine production originates from Italy and, as Luković noted, “Italian wines are reasonably the most sought-after wines in Serbia for import”.

Prime Minister of the German Federal State of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, paid a state visit to the Republic of Serbia during which he and his associaites visited the headquarters of Hemofarm in Vršac. The delegation also included H.E. Axel Dittmnan, German Ambassador to Serbia.

Bouffier toured the building, which represents an investment worth over six million euros. CEO of Hemofarm and Vice President of the STADA Group for Southeast Europe, Ronald Seeliger, met with Prime Minister Bouffier at Hemofarm, which is the biggest German investment in Serbia. Seeliger insisted that, as chairman of the board of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, he would continue to strive to constantly improve good business cooperation between Serbian and German businesspeople.

The Hesse PM said during his visit that he was pleased with what he saw at Hemofarm. “This is proof that in Serbia you can do business successfully, and nothing is more convincing than a good example like that we have seen here.”

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B USINESS NEWS SERBIA-FINLAND BUSINESS FORUM “DOING BUSINESS WITH FINLAND”

Wiener Städtische insurance (WSO)

NEW SEASON OF SPORT AGAINST DIABETES PROJECT

Serbia is the worst country in Europe when it comes to the number of children under the age of 14 who are suffering from diabetes. In order to contribute to improving the health of our youngest fellow citizens, company Wiener Städtische insurance (WSO) is supporting the project Sport Against Diabetes (Type 1) the second consecutive year. The official opening of the new season of the project was organised at Belgrade’s Senjak Sports Academy on 28th February. The opening also saw guests addressed by Borko Marinković, initiator of the project and president of SK Vašarište,

Dragana Nerandžić, Head of Marketing at WSO, Aleksandar Stanković, a doctor and representative of ZSMSRS, and Mateja Marinković, promoter of the project. Support for the project was provided by actress Anđelka Prpić, who led the programme, as well as presenter Dejan Pantelić, who practised together with children after the official opening.

Unicredit

UNICREDIT OPENS STUDENT SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME CONTEST

The UniCredit Foundation and universities have for the third consecutive year opened the competition for the Summer School Programme, which will see seven scholarships awarded to students for them to attend the London School of Economics and the School of Economics in Barcelona (Barcelona GSE) for up to three months, from June to August 2017. The scholarship is worth €1,500 and is available to

students enrolled in the final year of studies or master’s programmes in economics, finance, banking, engineering, political science and law. It is also obligatory for the candidates to be nationals of one of the countries where UniCredit operates, including Serbia, and students of any university in the world.

Applications are submitted exclusively via the site www.unicreditanduniversities.eu, and it is necessary for all documentation to be delivered in English, in PDF format, by 15th March at the latest. The Scientific Committee will choose up to seven winners by 15th April.

More information can be found on the website of the UniCredit Foundation and universities www.unicreditanduniversities.eu.

Hellenic Business Association of Serbia

VASILOPITA CUTTING ANNUAL CELEBRATION

The Hellenic Business Association of Serbia has, for the 11th consecutive year, organised its annual event in honour of the traditional cutting of vasilopita bread at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. The event was attended by HBA members and friends, as well as members of the wider Greek business community in Serbia and representatives of the Greek Embassy in Belgrade.

HBA President Georgios Papanastasiou stressed that the Greek business community in Serbia continues to contribute actively to the Serbian economy, employing 15,000 people and making investments that exceed €2.5 billion. He added that the HBA will continue

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to represent the Greek business community in a manner worthy of its size and quality.

This year’s event saw the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia award company Alumil and Metropol Palace Hotel on the tenth anniversary of their membership in the HBA, while awards also went to companies Eurofast and Rokas for their long-term contribution to the HBA’s work.

The Embassy of Finland, together with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia, organised a seminar entitled “Doing Business with Finland”, held at the Finnish ambassadorial residence in Belgrade. The aim of the seminar was to introduce possibilities for cooperation between Finnish and Serbian companies and institutions.

The event was also an opportunity for Serbian companies to discuss their business ideas with the Finnish delegation.

“This event represents a strong signal that there is ever more Finnish and Nordic interest in economic cooperation with Serbia. Finland is a reliable business partner. Our business decisions are based on solid facts and long-term business opportunities”, said H.E. Pertti Ikonen, Finnish Ambassador to Serbia, speaking during his opening remarks.

The Finnish delegation in Belgrade was led by Mika Vehnamaki, of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Siv Ahlberg, from the Finnish business partnership programme – Finnpartnership.

Slovenian-Serbian Business Association

FIRST MEETING FOR NEWLY ESTABLISHED ASSOCIATION

The members of BASS (the Business Association of Slovenia and Serbia) held their first meeting in the Zemono Castle. BASS was established in February with the aim of becoming a significant pillar of support in the integrating of economic and entrepreneurial initiatives from Slovenia and Serbia. Goran Medić, Chairman of the BASS Board of Directors and also director of Fructal, said: “During my career I have come to the conclusion that we lack certain structures in establishing connections and business cooperation between operators in the region. That is why we formed BASS,” . Participants were addressed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Slovenia, H.E. Aleksandar Radovanović, who said: “I am very happy at the founding of BASS, because I am convinced that it will contribute significantly to improving economic cooperation between Slovenia and Serbia”. The BASS Board, in addition Medić, includes Tomaž Kavčič, deputy chairman of the Association, known as an innovative Slovenian cook in “Gostilna pri Lojzetu” at the Zemono Castle, where the headquarters of the Federation and BASS are located; and Ursa Manček, owner of “Diogenes” Communications, who boasts extensive experience in marketing, public relations and event management. ind out more at: www.drustvo-bass.si

Lukoil Petrol

FIFTH PETROL STATION OPENS IN NIŠ

The 114th petrol station of ”LUKOIL SERBIA” AD, and the fifth in the city of Niš, was officially opened on 10th February 2017. In the presence of Niš Mayor Darko Bulatović and other representatives of the city’s administration, the new retail outlet was opened by Igor Semenichev, CEO of ”LUKOIL SERBIA” AD and head of the Balkan regional ”LUKOIL” network. The petrol station ”Carina 2” was built according to modern European standards and offers its customers the latest generation of fuels: ECTO Diesel, Winter ECTO Diesel and petrol ECTO Plus. Within the opening ceremony of the new building, ”LUKOIL SERBIA” AD prepared activities and surprises for consumers: the first 200 received various gifts from the assortment of offer petrol stations, while by the end of March the prices of the ECTO derivative will be equalised with standard Euro-5 quality fuels. In the next month customers will receive a voucher when making purchases of RSD2,000 or more that provides them with a discount of 60 per cent on the purchase of Vitapur decorative overlays. A partner provided a gift for each customer, while customer loyalty card points doubled.

Delta Agrar

PARTICIPATION IN EUROPE’S LARGEST FRUIT AND VEG FAIR

Marbo Product

TOP EMPLOYERS AWARDS - EUROPE 2017 AND EMPLOYERS OF SERBIA IN 2017

Company Marbo Products, which has operated under the auspices of multinational PepsiCo since 2008, has recorded a major success and secured its third consecutive award by winning the prestigious title of Top Employers Europe 2017 and Best Employers Serbia in 2017, which was awarded by the Netherlands-based Top Employer Institute. PepsiCo Europe was declared one of the top three employers in Europe, thanks to the exceptional conditions it provides for its employees. At the European level, the company is certified on 18 individual

markets, including Serbia’s. Both at the global and local levels, PepsiCo is dedicated to fulfilling the vision of its business philosophy “business for a purpose”, which is based on the belief that the company can only operate well if it does well. One of the main pillars of the company’s platform comprises people, which is why Marbo Product treats its employees, all 1,300 of them, as its most valuable investment.

Mini fair

DAY OF ITALIAN DESIGN HELD IN BELGRADE

Monini, Rio Mare, PensareCasa, IDP - Industria e Divani Poltrone, Atlas and Moreno coffee.

Within the framework of the Day of Italian Design in Belgrade, organised by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute, a round table event, entitled “#Individual #Technology #Society”, was held at Mikser House. Ambassador Manzo also opened this event which featured Italian architect Niccola di Battista, director of Domus magazine, which deals with the theme of the relationship between the individual, society and places of residence, along with other speakers: architect Vladimir Lojanica, fashion designer Dragana Ognjenović and industrial designer Marko Luković, while the role of moderator belonged to architect Zoran Đukanović.

A mini fair of Italian brands was held recently at Belgrade’s UŠĆE Shopping Centre, which was the partner of the event, providing visitors with the opportunity to learn about the excellence of Italian design.

Visitors enjoyed also a mini concert “Volare in three ways”, which was announced by the Italian Ambassador H.E. Giuseppe Manzo. This initiative in Belgrade was supported by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Piaggio, Natuzzi, Chicco,

IS SERBIA READY TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE BIOGAS SECTOR?

Company Delta Agrar participated in the 25th Fruit Logistica international fair of fruits and vegetables in Berlin, where it presented its four varieties of apples: Kiku, Modi, Pink Lady and Evelina, for which it has the exclusive right to produce and distribute in our country and the region. Delta Agrar also used this event to present the Isaaq variety, which will find itself in the company’s portfolio next year, as well as Rubens, Red Moon and Sweet Tango. Special interest was generated among visitors to the Delta Agrar stand by the possibility of using virtual reality technology to tour the Hi-Tech orchard in Čelarevo, familiarise themselves with the production technology and compete in picking apples. Basic information about each variety was displayed via an interactive panel.

The June 2016 adoption of new incentives for the production of electricity from renewable sources has created a good framework for the rapid development of new biogas plants in Serbia. These measures will be in force until year’s end 2018 - it was concluded at the recent conference on the sustainable development of the biogas sector in Serbia. The professional meeting, jointly organised by the Serbian Biogas Association, the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy and the Serbian-German programme of development cooperation implemented by GIZ, “Development of a sustainable bioenergy market in Serbia”, brought together representatives of biogas associations from Serbia and Germany.

Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Aleksandar Antić said that the topic of renewable energy

sources is of great importance for Serbia. The National Action Plan for Renewable Energy of the Republic of Serbia predicts that by 2020 it is necessary to build 30 megawatts of new capacity for the production of electricity using biogas, in order to achieve the objective of 27% of electricity production from renewable energy sources (RES). Germany has the longest tradition in the biogas sector and leads the world in the field of biogas, with over 9,000 biogas plants in Germany with over 4,500 MW of total installed capacity.

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C HO O S E S T R I FE

“T2 Trainspotting”: A Poignant Sequel to a Singular British Film Danny Boyle has not fully recaptured the gritty realism or shock value of his 1996 original

“TRAINSPOTTING” was the best British film of the 1990s. Based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh (a book one reviewer said deserved to sell more copies than the Bible), it told the interlaced stories of young working-class men from Leith, a then-rough area east of Edinburgh. “Trainspotting” made a star of Ewan McGregor, and showcased the vivid and frenetic style that Danny Boyle, the director, would use in later films like “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Upon its release in 1996, some critics claimed that “Trainspotting” glamorised drugs. It was an odd thing to say about a film that showed, in graphic detail, the effects of a heroin overdose as well as its withdrawal symptoms. It showed the cold corpse of a baby that had died as a result of neglect by its addict parents. One character, Tommy, dies from AIDS after contracting HIV from sharing an infected needle. True, “Trainspotting” showed a few highs as well as the many lows. But only a Puritan would think it made light of the heroin and HIV epidemic that swept through Edinburgh in the 1980s.

That “Trainspotting” was set in the 1980s is often forgotten. Released into the milieu of Britpop and New Labour, the film is seen as emblematic of the “Cool Britannia” years when British popular culture swaggered its way back into relevance. That is certainly true.

“Trainspotting” did the world’s cinemagoers a service by showing that a British film could be successful without having to cast Hugh Grant.

It gave lives—real, witty, complex, lives—to those dismissed as deadbeats. The hedonism

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and aspiration of its characters chimes with the songs of Oasis. The famous coda in which Mark Renton, the protagonist played by Mr McGregor, says he will “Choose Life” would have made him a target voter for Tony Blair’s revival of the British Labour party.

But while the tone of the film reeked of the 1990s its characters came of age in the previous decade. They listen to Iggy Pop, not Blur or Pulp.

They are children of Thatcher, not of Blair. Di-

“TRAINSPOTTING” DID THE WORLD’S CINEMAGOERS A SERVICE BY SHOWING THAT A BRITISH FILM COULD BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT HAVING TO CAST HUGH GRANT ane, with whom Renton has sex before realising that she is a schoolgirl, tells him that “the world is changing, music is changing, even drugs are changing.” Even then Renton and his pals had a sense of time slipping away.

That is worth remembering when considering “T2 Trainspotting”, which is loosely based on “Porno”, Mr Welsh’s follow-up novel from 2002. In the sequel, rather than avoid the past, Mr Boyle has his characters haunted by it.

Scenes deliberately ape those of the first film: Renton runs on a treadmill (rather than down a street); Francis Begbie re-enacts a violent encounter. Wistful chords of songs from the first film’s soundtrack add to the mood of a

time that can be imagined but not returned to.

“You live in the past,” Renton is told. And so too do those watching. Mr Boyle toys with our desperation for this film to match the first. It does not; but it is great.

The plot is simple. After 20 years in Amsterdam choosing life (or at least a job in “stock management solutions”) and not taking heroin, Renton has returned to Edinburgh. There live one friend (Spud, who is still using), one frenemy (Sick Boy, a cocaine addict who aspires to be a pimp) and one enemy (Francis Begbie, a sadistically violent criminal on the run from prison). It is the first time he meets them since running off with £12,000 from a drug deal two decades ago. In part because he fancies Veronika, a Bulgarian wannabe-madam playing with Sick Boy’s affection, Renton decides not to return to Holland. Instead he agrees to help Sick Boy win a European Union grant to “refurbish” (convert into a brothel) a down-at-heel local pub. But has Sick Boy really forgiven him? And will the seething Begbie find him?

Like any homecoming there are moments when life and friendship feel like they once were. These now middle-aged men have fleeting moments of youth-like abandon. After a successful (and hilarious) robbery of members of a sectarian Protestant club in Glasgow it seems as if Renton and Sick Boy have made up. They even persuade the EU that the Port Sunshine boozer must be part of the gentrification of Leith.

But the high wears off, and their powers—financial, sexual and emotional—reach new ebbs.

They watch as a new generation seem to have it better than they did; their choices are only between “Facebook, Twitter, Instagram”. In their own ways the characters slowly realise that they have made irreversible choices. They may want to revisit them but they cannot. It hurts.

Although there are a few raucous scenes, “T2 Trainspotting” does not shock like the original. How could it? At times Mr Boyle and John Hodge, the screenwriter, try too hard to stitch the two together. When Renton launches into a new “Choose Life” monologue it feels overly contrived. But “T2 Trainspotting” is still a thoughtful, funny and moving piece of cinema.

It demonstrates that the most addictive thing of all is the past.

From The Economist, published under licence.

The original article, in English, can be found on www.economist.com

I NTERVI EW NENAD ĐORĐEVIĆ, Chairman of Managing Board of Real Estate Cluster

LEARN TO SUCCEED 2017 The Learn to Succeed 2017 conference, organized by Real Estate Cluster, is the biggest and most important annual gathering of real estate agents in South East Europe

The 2nd Learn to Succeed conference is taking place in Belgrade, on 7th and 8th April, and is organized by Real Estate Cluster, a specialized association which members are companies and entrpreneurs engaged in the business of selling, designing, constructing and leasing real estate in Serbia. The Institute of Economic Sciences, based in Belgrade, is one of the Cluster's members.

What are the hot topics in regard to real estate legislation in Serbia?

— Ever since a relevant law has been passed, we saw a decline in shadow economy in this segment. Earlier, its share was over 70% while now it does not exceed 35% which is just slightly over the share that shadow economy has in Serbia’s GDP. The quality of services rendered by real estate agents has been improved while the number of fake advertisements has been reduced. Several years ago, up to 100,000 fake advertisements used to appear every week. Certain real estate agents used these advertisements to lure in potential buyers and tenants. The result of this was a drop in turnover and deferred purchase because when clients responded to such advertisements they were met with excuses such as “the real estate has been sold”, or “it has been withdrawn from the market” given by real estate agents who were behind those advertisements.

What needs to be done in order to better regulate the system in this segment?

— There is a plan to adopt amendments to the Real Eastate Brokerage Law with the view of eliminating its current flaws. Once the law is amended and supplemented, we will find out what a job contract should contain which would then facilitate real estate agents working on commission instead of being full-time employees. Real estate

agents should also be allowed to open a company or a small business with a trust account in order to be able to hold client’s fudns until the terms and conditions of a real estate brokerage agreement have been honoured in full.

What is the main topic of this year’s conference?

— The main topic of this year’s conference is making amendments to the Real Estate Brokerage Law which will facilitate an easier hiring of real estate agents and eliminate the flaws in the law that were noticed during its implementation. Improving the know-how and skills of real estate agents is an equally important subject that we are going to talk about on the second day of the conference.

Additionally, there is the topic of networking between real estate brokers here and abroad which is one of the important goals of this conference. Apart from the lecturers, we expect a substantial number of representatives of real estate brokerages, large foreign companies and our colleagues, especially from the region, to attend.

Could you tell us about the conference’s programme?

— The conference’s programme is devised in such way that, during the first day, the participants will be able to attend lectures and workshops about implementation of the relevant regulation held by real estate brokers, as well as workshops at which we are going to present the real estate markets in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, Dubai, and the US. The second day of the conference is dedicate to improving the knowhow of real estate agents with the goal of bringing in investors from abroad, implementation of modern technologies and social networks in marketing, improving agents’ negotiation skills, providing exclusive brokerage services and creating and implementing successful business strategies. The conference participants are also going to acquire practical knowledge and information that they could immediately apply in their work.

Which of the world-renowned lecturers from the real estate segment are going to appear at

THE CONFERENCE HAS AN INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER WITH LECTURERS AND GUESTS FROM THE MOST DEVELOPED GLOBAL ECONOMIES, AS WELL AS FROM AFRICA, ASIA AND OUR REGION

the conference?

— Our lecturers / keynote speakers are the presidents and representatives of international and national real estate brokerage associations, professional lecturers with decades of experience in real estate, and representatives of state institutions. Željko Stojanović from the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications will talk about the amendments to the Real Estate Brokerage Law, while other lecturers include the president of the Real Estate Brokerage Group in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Damir Borić, president of the Real Estate Brokerage Association in the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Dubravko Ranilović, the founder of FIABCI Slovenia and one of the most prominent experts in real estate brokerage regulation in the former Yugoslavia, Franci Gerbec and myself. The representatives of the State Market Inspection and the Administration for Prevention of Money Laundering will talk about the implementation of the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism.

Representatives of the real estate brokerage associations from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and the US will talk about real estate markets in their respective countries. Director of Global Alliances and Strategic Communications at National Association of Realtors (NAR) Joe Schneider and president of the Russian Guild of Realtors, Tatiana Demenok will also address the conference participants.

NAR liaison for Serbia, Anthony Macaluso is also going to be one of the keynote speakers. Mr. Macaluso has 30 years of experience in training realtors for the most complex jobs in this segment, including the training for the designation of a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS). Another lecturer will be Alicia Matheson, who has been NAR’s keynote speaker since 2003 and has 20 years of the leadership experience in working in the Walt Disney Company where she trained thousands of employees and organizations from all over the world.

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SECRET OF GOOD THEATRE CONCEALED IN MAGIC The whole Belgrade was buzzing about the very first Dance Festival, and the magic that happened there. It is this magic that we have been nurturing all these years, and that conceals the secret of good theatre

AJA JUNG

Director of Belgrade Dance Festival

“The experience of creating a contemporary dance festival in Serbia is certainly unique and valuable. It is impossible to tell you about everything that goes into one day, let alone in 15 years of commitment to creating, producing, organizing and promoting an event like this. Many incredible and inexplicable situations have turned into anecdotes over time. However, I do think that very few people are able to jump across this long line of hurdles while running at full speed.”

There have been a total of 13 Belgrade dance festivals so far.

Describe to us what is it like to develop a festival, which has already become a brand in itself, from virtually nothing?

— A lot has changed from the very first festival until today. Our audience now numbers in thousands, there are hundreds of media reports, and we receive dozens and dozens of applications from choreographers and troupes wanting to perform at the festival.

Nothing much has changed in Serbia in the meantime, except that

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there is much less hope and willingness. I believe that the Belgrade Dance Festival is for the loyal audiences that plan their time around the festival’s programme. For them, the festival is some kind of genuine need. During the festival, our theatres are home to superb performances, producers from all over the globe are mingling together, world stars are here, we are witnesses to inimitable artistic breakthroughs, and are all absorbed into a very strong energy.

very different to everything that the Serbian dance scene had seen so far.

Our choreographer was Konstantinos Rigos, and most of the music for the performance was made of Robbie Williams’ songs. The music was actually the reason why many people came in the first place.

However, what happened was a real spectacle! I don’t remember the performance that much because I had to take care of the geese which played an important role in a certain segment. The then

EACH YEAR, THE FESTIVAL GATHERS AROUND 23,000 SPECTATORS. ONE OF THE REASON WHY IT IS SO SUCCESSFUL LIES IN THE CONTEMPORANEITY OF IT AND THE VARIETY OF CONTENT The Belgrade Dance Festival was born in Tel Aviv, in November 2003, when a few friends of mine talked me into organizing it. Back then, I also devised the programme for the very first festival that took place in April 2004. The performace that opened the first festival in Sava Centre and which marked the beginning of this adventure, was

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legendary director of the Belgrade Zoo, Vuk Bojovic had lent me 20 geese which arrived in cages. I was scared stiff while contemplating returning them to the zoo because they might be frightened by the dancers, lights, the stage… As it turned out, the geese did an excellent job and we couldn’t “talk” them into going back “home”. The

next day, the entire Belgrade was buzzing about the geese, Williams, this new, elusive dance event, and the magic that had happened. It is this magic that we have been nurturing all these years, and that conceals the secret of good theatre.

And all of that has been happening in Serbia since 2004… How difficult or easy was to create this magic you talk of in a country like Serbia?

— At that time, there was no contemporary dance scene in Serbia as such. It was all on an experimental level. People were scared that they would be bored watching these “contemporary” performances.

The very small ballet audience was comprised of older, more traditional generations. We had to be very careful in creating the programme, as well as to cover a decades-long gap in absolutely no media reports about dance. We also had to discover certain anthological plays and important choreographers, and yet be modern and keep up with the rest of the world. We wowed the audiences with interesting and exceptional productions, big names,

a new marketing approach and by constantly working on promoting an artistic discipline that, in our country, had been marginalized by audiences, sponsors and the media.

On the other hand, putting a festival programme together was no easy feat because renowned troupes and choreographers were simply not interested in performing in Belgrade. When the second festival came around, and owing to our excellent references and dedication, we brought the ballet troupe of the Paris Opera here. This is what got the eyes of the world on us because they rarely had guest performances.

From then on everything was easier but the responsibility remained huge. When you win over big stars, then you have to keep accommodating them at all future festivals. Thanks to our professional attitude and huge effort, we have managed to bring the likes of Sylvie Guillem, Carla Fracci, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Angelin Preljoçaj, Dimitris Papaioannou, José Carlos Martínez, and Benjamin Millepied here. We also brought the Netherlands Dance Theatre, the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala from Milan, the Monte Carlo Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal… All of them came here, to this region, for the very first time, in response to our invitation.

tomary up to that point. A lot has happened. I have received threats, anonymous letters, the media have been criticizing me, and I was belittled and lied about everywhere I went. In time I learned how to deal with all of this and I finally came to understand that when feathers are not ruffled, you are dangerously close to becoming average.

I never want for the Belgrade Dance Festival to be average, and that’s why I can grasp certain things. On the other hand, if there weren’t so much resistance, would Serbia have one of the best contemporary dance events in the world?

Maybe the National Dance Foundation would also not exist, which

the Belgrade Dance Festival had not become a worldwide brand, I would have never forgiven it all the sleepless nights I had to endure. A small group of women created an event that the newspapers like the Guardian, the New York Times, and Le Monde have written about. We did something that was important both for Belgrade and Serbia.

At the time when almost no state-run cultural institutions are functioning properly, there is this private initiative which, thanks to someone’s boundless energy, time, contacts and knowledge, became a widely known and respectable culture project. A brand, if you like!

I am glad to hear that my festival

IF THE BELGRADE DANCE FESTIVAL HAD NOT BECOME A WORLDWIDE BRAND, I WOULD HAVE NEVER FORGIVEN IT ALL THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS I HAD TO ENDURE

All of this has been or rather is happening in Belgrade. Has your success been frowned upon?

— Belgrade is a city of my birth where my family has been living since 19th century. I love Belgrade, and my own piece of sky above Dorćol. I believe that the Belgrade Dance Festival would not have been so important or interesting as a phenomenon if it had taken place a few hundred kilometres from our city. Those who know the situation well also know how difficult is to dance here.

I had many reasons just to turn around and leave. I still do. As the festival grew and became more successful, things became more difficult. You have more enemies, struggles, backstabbing, open and hidden hatred, cheering to fail… Many have failed to understand the fact that I remained true to myself, and created the first serious, privately run event in Serbia. As if something was snatched underneath the feet of those who had imagined themselves to be the perennial owners of theatre stages and events.

I have lost many friends when I started charging the entrance fee because that had not been cus-

has regularly been working with young talent and the best teachers and choreographers. The Foundation is also the place where some rather interesting performances for very young dancers are being created, and where dancers learn, discover and create. Spite is a very flammable fuel!

Could you tell us what are you most proud of and what do you consider your biggest success when it comes to the festival?

Could you have done something differently?

— I am neither proud nor happy.

I don’t believe that any of us, considering the times and the environment we are living in, could be at peace and proud. I am glad that I have invested my energy into something that became visible. If

is being compared to the likes of BITEF at its height, but one should also consider completely different circumstances too. I am the only one that carries the risk with the each new Belgrade Dance Festival.

Success is easy to share, but the risk is sometimes unbearable. I believe that something is bound to change for better.

Could I have done something differently, you ask? Yes, I definitely could have and maybe it would have been better if I had left, mainly for my children. But that is something I don’t think about.

You have always brought the most renowned artists to Serbia.

What should we not miss at this year’s 14th Belgrade Dance Festival?

— Each year, the festival gathers

around 23,000 spectators. For fourteen years I haven’t been able to single out a single performance.

They are all attractive and I have fought for each and every one of them – there were dates to book, terms and conditions to agree on, technical problems to overcome, effort to accommodate every single dancer and choreographer, and last but not least, find the partners that would help us bring the entire idea to fruition in front of the Belgrade audiences.

This year, there is a huge interest for Betroffenheit, performed by the Kidd Pivot Performing from Vancouver. A new performace by Akram Khan, suitable for the whole family, humorously portrays the feelings of a young Bangladeshi man who is coming to London.

The extravagant Scottish Dance Theatre brings us a new performace by Damien Jalet. The three premieres brought to us by the celebrated Dutch dance troupe, Introdans will give the audience an opportunity to see Mauro Bigonzetti’s ‘Cantata’, Dimitris Papaioannu’s visual spectacle called ‘Nowhere’, and a passionate performance that is Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s ‘In Memoriam’.

Helena Waldmann has prepared a politically charged piece which will have its international premiere in Belgrade. The New York based company Ballet Hispanico will take us through a fantastic journey through Havana’s night clubs in the 1950s, while the French dance company, Kafig will perform a piece by Mourad Merzouki, showcasing incredible 3D illusions.

The Finnish dance star, Tero Saarinen is also coming to Belgrade. Serbian actor Pavle Pekić will perform in a play by Ioannis Mandafounis. The ballet company of the Croatian National Theatre from Zagreb will be performing in Belgrade for the first time in 15 years.

I should not forget the star of ‘Sex and the City’, an actor and a ballet superstar – Mikhail Baryshnikov!

On behalf of this year’s festival, we would like to thank the embassies of the countries that are participating in the festival, the Serbian Ministry of Culture, the City of Belgrade, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the Vojvodinian Government, Vip Mobile which has been our main partner for 10 years now, Societe Generale Bank, the Hemofarm Foundation, companies Nestle Adriatic, Nivea, DDOR Novi Sad, Heineken Serbia, Tikkurila, Vahali, Planmeca, Fashion & Friends, Mercedes-Benz, and others.

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COLUMN

CAREER STAGES – MY VERSION PART TWO

In the previous issue, I presented to you three career stages: Happy Backpacker, Accidental Tourist and Business Globetrotter

STEVAN VRANEŠ

Writer, corporate affairs professional, blogger

Now we will move on go to some more mature stages, though that’s not necessarily connected with your life stages and your age. Some people start young and have rocket-fast careers, while others are late bloomers. But matching career and life stages is a different and very complex topic, so let’s move to the next stage…

STAGE FOUR – WEEKEND HOME TOURIST

Now it’s time to build your base and find your safe harbour, where you will be able to feel very comfortable and give your best. It’s time for your most fruitful business years and best results.

At this stage you should be capable of creating efficient teams, leading teams that have more than one layer below you, and making difficult decisions without too much stress. You work a lot, more than you would like to, but you have the impression that you are building something big and important. This is the peak of your career.

You are still enjoying the journey more than worrying about the destination. And that’s exciting!

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What is most important to learn at this stage: more people will try to damage you than help you; you should know how to build strong relationships with loyal associates, because you can’t manage alone at this stage; you should master all timing issues and stress management. You should learn how to recognise and support innovation and talent. You should learn how to kill what is not good in a fast and efficient way.

not time to say goodbye! Now is the time to leverage all experience and knowledge.

You should assess situations and business challenges very quickly. Snapshots should be enough for you. Don’t overanalyse, just move, move, move… Don’t get stuck with one project or one company at this phase. This is perhaps your final chance to try things you didn’t manage to do in the past. A new industry, new role, new expe-

IN THE PAST, PEOPLE WOULD MAKE A JOKE OUT OF PEOPLE WHO TRY MARIJUANA VERY LATE IN LIFE, THOUGH TODAY THAT’S NO LONGER AN ISSUE At this career stage, you should leave when you feel you are at the very top. It’s cold at the top, so don’t stay there too long. There are more important things in life.

STAGE FIVE – JAPANESE TOURIST

You are a bit tired when you reach this career stage. You know a lot; you’ve seen many things, done a lot of good and bad projects, met hundreds of people… That was all exciting, but also tiring. But it’s still

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rience… But not as a fresh start that requires a lot of investments, rather more like an experiment. In the past, people would make a joke out of people who try marijuana very late in life, though today that’s no longer an issue. So, find your guilty pleasures and do some things that you have maybe skipped in earlier stages. You are not making your legacy at this stage, but you can have quite a lot of fun!

What is most important to learn at this stage: making quick deci-

sions without overanalysing them, advising instead of working handson, ignoring (people, in most cases), saying no. Polish your political skills in order to secure some good consultancy opportunities in the future.

When is the right time to leave this stage? When you’ve taken every photo you ever wanted to take!

STAGE SIX – CRUISE SHIP TOURIST

At this stage, others should do everything for you. You can enjoy a famous helicopter view.

What is most important to learn at this stage: Nothing! If you haven’t learnt everything you need by now, it’s simply too late. You can perhaps start learning to paint or cook or speak another language.

Open a good bottle of wine and congratulate yourself on everything you’ve done well, and forgive yourself for everything you failed to do well. Cheers!

Blog about personal and career development - Mission 45 https://stevanvranes.wordpress.com/

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Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

ORTHODOX CELTS

CELTS DON'T KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT The band Orthodox Celts, in the 25th year of its existence, has released its long-awaited sixth studio album, entitled “Many Mouths Shut”. The album was produced by Dejan Lalić, while the band recently launched its own label, O'Celts Records, through which the new album was released “Many Mouths Shut” includes 13 tracks, six traditional Irish songs and seven original Orthodox Celts tracks. Particularly interesting is the album cover, which is the work of the great Walter Venturi, one of the world’s top cartoonists. In cooperation with Una Isailović, the band’s first animated music video was made for the song “I Wish You The Very Worst”, which will be the best introduction to the concert that will promote the new album on St. Patrick’s Day, in the Great Hall of the Belgrade Youth Centre. For this issue we spoke to the band’s frontman, Aca Seltik.

During one birthday party, as kids, we were unable to create a relaxed atmosphere until we played the music of Irish folk-rock band The Pogues. Later we used to create that atmosphere by playing Orthodox Celts songs. Was this idea – the true rebellious joy that the Celts have – the guideline for the formation of the band?

— Well ... Yes! It’s just that we were unable to define it in this way at that point. Specifically, a group of Orthodox Celts was created virtually from the need to play and to express in a way that felt like an instinctive fit for us. It was the form that we preferred. It turned out that there was already much more metaphysics than we could assume. On the other hand, one of the main things was the fact that we had nowhere to listen to it live, so we practically played so that we could ourselves enjoy the music and the energy that is an integral part of that music and the common denominator of ourselves and the audience that reacted to it.

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Who do you consider as being your role models? The Pogues, The Dropkick Murphys... someone else?

— There are many role models who have influenced me. This is not a simple question at all. But, okay, I will confine myself to the genre in question... So, certainly the greatest literary influence on me as a songwriter was Shane MacGowan.

This is what I’ve always tried to attain: the Shane-wannabe ease of streaming images in the lyrics and that’s what makes him, in my eyes, the greatest Rocker or Celtic Rocker, one of the greatest poets of all time. I like the ability to close your eyes while listening to his song and that at the same moment you see images in your head, on your “home big screen”. And, as far as personality and appearance as a whole are concerned, two role

impossible to confuse them with any other band. And now all these new guys... All these are divided into two groups: they are either total punk or dry folk. There is nothing in between.

Genetic studies suggest that the residents of the former Yugoslavia largely originate from the first Romanised and then Slavicised Celts. The similarities in physical appearance and mentality are more than obvious. Even you, I believe, have found “the Celtic gene” in yourself?

— I belong to the haplotype R1A M45, which is the most typical Slavic gene and it suggests that my ancient male ancestors originated somewhere from the triangle between Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. But that does not mean that the Celts are not in this story.

THERE IS KIND OF PROOF THAT WE ARE CELTS, I.E., OF THE NATIONS THAT WE NOW CALL CELTIC, AND IF WE ARE NOT THE SAME PEOPLE, THEN WE ARE BROTHERS FROM THE SAME MOTHER, SEPARATED A FEW THOUSAND YEARS AGO models are unsurpassed: Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, whom I affectionately call “my grandpa”, and Ian Anderson, the Jethro Tull mastermind. Ah, yes, I can never forget, perhaps the greatest of the greatest, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. And, I might add, after The Pogues there were no other bands from this genre that would have a significant impact on us, better to say, from which we drew any influence. And that reflects their timeless greatness, making it

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My deepest conviction is that the Celts are one part of a former Slavic grouping, and the similarities that you mentioned just provide more proof of that.

Did you believe that this musical adventure would last for 25 years and that the culture of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day would be “implanted” in Serbia? How much of a pleasure is it for you to know that you have contributed to that?

— Never, not in my wildest

dreams! If someone had said back then that people would listen to my songs and force me to write and record new albums, and even ask me for an opinion, and attach special significance to my opinion, I would think they were crazy. But, well... that makes the satisfaction even greater. Then again, recognising ourselves on a genetic level or, as I like to say, the “level under the threshold” soon followed, and it is kind of proof that we are Celts, i.e., of the nations that we now call Celtic, and if we are not the same people, then we are brothers from the same mother, separated a few thousand years ago.

You have released a new album after a long break. What comes next? What promotions are planned, along with the usual St. Patrick’s Day concert in March?

We hope to see more of you as a result of this album.

— This album is unique in many ways. It comes in a year during which we have plenty of reason to celebrate, but none of that can compare with the fact that this is a true Orthodox Celts album in every sense of the word. Here I mean the fact that we did almost everything ourselves and this is what we are today, here and now, from the first tone to the last, from the first verse to the last. Special thanks go to our fans and friends, who leapt from the first rows at concerts into the studio and sang background vocals together with us. We will be sure to work hard to perform as much as possible, because the stage is our natural habitat, and I hope it will be followed by a few more videos, and many, many concerts.

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ŠARAN RESTAURANT

THE SOUL OF ZEMUN AND THE SPIRIT OF MODERN FISHERMAN Over a century ago, fisherman Vicentije Vukotić opened a tavern on the ground floor of his house which quickly became very popular for its unique fish chowder that is still prepared with the same recipe today

THE RESTAURANT IS KEEPING UP WITH THE MODERN TRENDS AND IS KNOWN FOR THE FRESHNESS AND HIGH QUALITY OF ITS FOOD

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This beautiful house, located on the right bank of the River Danube, is architecturally charming, and has always been the meeting place of famous people. For fishermen, this is the first place they come to, after a day spent fishing, with buckets full of freshly caught fish. This is something that Šaran is proud of even today.

The Šaran Restaurant wows with its warm atmosphere, exquisite cuisine, friendly service and a wide variety of drinks. The house is full of massive pieces of furniture made of solid wood, the walls are painted in warm yellows, the materials used here reflect the colours of the Danube, while the small details, intricately woven into the ambiance, give everything a special charm.

Today, Šaran is widely popular among Belgrade restaurants mainly because of its excellent cuisine. Years of work and experience, youthful enthusiasm, and the ambitious, well-coordinated team have all contributed to the unique offer and quality that the restaurant has. Šaran is a four star fish restaurant

that is known for nurturing the Danube tradition. A wide variety of traditional, but very special dishes made with freshwater fish are the staple of the restaurant. However, Šaran took a step further and now serves seafood.

The restaurant is keeping up with the modern trends and is known for the freshness and high quality of its food. There is more to eat here than fish though. Šaran also makes its own desserts.

Apart from the good food, drinks, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere, Šaran is known for the music. Every night, you will be entertained by various tambouritza bands and their lovely instruments and voices.

Welcome! The Šaran Restaurant is here for you.

Restaurant Šaran Kej Oslobođenja 53, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia, Tel: +381 11 261 82 35 Mob: +381 69 261 82 35 e-mail: slash.pro@ikom.rs www.saran.co.rs

RESTAURANT KOVAČ

ONCE KOVAČ, ALWAYS KOVAČ! ONCE KAFANA, ALWAYS KAFANA Where once a blacksmiterhy stood, on the Avala Road, the legendary tavern Kovač was opened in 1932 as a meeting place for travellers and the lovers of good food

A lot of food has been eaten and many beverages drank in Kovač since then. Many stories have been told, and many people stayed awake until dawn listening to the beautiful sounds of the tamburitza and guitar, the strong double bass and the accordion. Kovač is a fairy tale set in reality, perfect for all hedonists.

It lies amidst the most fragrant shade in Voždovac, created by old lime trees which make Voždovac one of the most interesting parts of our capital city.

Guests came and went, customs changed, but one rule remained the same – you always return to Kovač. Many started building their own happiness in Kovač. Thousands of weddings took place at the tavern, many wedding wovs have been exchanged. One of the urban legends says that the best journalists in Belgrade, who studied at the nearby Faculty of Political Sciences, actually learned everything that had to be learned about one of their career staples – the kafana (tavern in Serbian)- right here, in Kovač.

Kovač, the beautiful old corner house, restored and equipped in line with the latest catering standards, still has its visual authenticity. When you enter it, you immediately feel as a guest of the real Serbian hosts from olden days, somewhat forgotten in this day and age. At the same time, the tavern's contemporary elements complement its functionality where modern and ethno-elements go hand in hand in an archaic setting.

The menu is all about the traditional Serbian cuisine – corn bread (proja), homemade cheese, creamy cheese (kajmak) and prosciutto for breakfast. Then there is homemade

bread, veal and lamb baked under the sač (old-fashioned metal lid), stuffed peppers, young goat meat cooked in milk, smoked porked knuckles with pasta, Leskovačka

Mućkalica (a stew made of barbecued meat and vegetables), and various barbecued meats. All of our grilled meat dishes are barbecued on charcoal which gives them

KOVAČ IS THE FAVOURITE DESTINATION OF EVERYBODY WHO APPRECIATES THE CULT OF REAL KAFANA AS A FUSION OF TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY

special aroma. Our chefs also prepare their own winter stores in the old-fashioned way, using wooden barrels and glass jars. Our desserts are out of this world – orasnice, tufahije, baklava, the famous cold pancakes, homemade cream pies, and chocolate cake made with wild oranges tickle both the stomachs and senses of gourmands.

If you are a fan of young or old wine, Kovač has a little piece of heaven waiting for you. Our walls, which are steeped in tradition and history, are now enclosing on a huge wine cellar which has 300 labels and the capacity of over 2,000 bottles. Of course, this does not mean that we have forgotten the „queen of all drinks“ – rakija.

Kovač stocks this traditional Serbian brandy in all flavours – quince, apricot, herbs, plum, grapes, honey – served both in glass and čokanj (a bottle made of baked earth) which satisfy the delicate palates of the most seasoned connoisseurs and fans of this beverage.

Kovač's staff is made of young people who have a lot of experience, good education and most importantly, are very aware of the importance of nurturing the tradition. The tavern did not become successful overnight but rather it took us years to get to where we are today.

So, come over, close your eyes and enter into this wonderful world. The caring staff of the Kovač tavern will take care of everything else.

Restaurant Kovač Bulevar Oslobođenja 22 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Tel: +381 11 246 23 43 Mob: +381 63 415 215 e-mail: info@kovacgroup.com www.restorankovac.com

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CALENDAR & NEWS BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

FOR MEGALOMANIACS 4 March, 3 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Cristian Mandeal Soloists: János Benyus, István Flammer, Bence Mészáros, Máté Hamar

János Benyus, István Flammer, Bence Mészáros and Máté Hamar

French Horns A. Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht R. Schumann: Concerto for Four French horns and Orchestra H. Berlioz: Symphonie funèbre et triomphale

FOR LOVERS 4 March, 10 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation

Conductor: Adrian Prabava Soloist: Andrej Ionitâ, violoncello P. I. Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliette, overture-fantasy G. Faure: Elegy for violoncello and orchestra K. Saint-Saëns: Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra M. Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, suites Nos. 1 and 2 Concert dedicated to the memory of Zoran Đinđić

Andrei Ionită

FOR CONNOISSEURS 4 March 17, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation John Axelrod

G. Mahler: Symphony No. 6

John Axelrod

CHILDREN’S CONCERTS

„MIJA MOUSE JOURNEYS Weekdays, from 23 – 31 March at 10 am and 12 noon Belgrade Philharmonic Hall

Conductor: Radan Jovanović

2CELLOS IN BELGRADE March 25th 2017

It all began five years ago when they played Michael Jackson's hit "Smooth Criminal" on cellos, recorded a video, posted it on YouTube channel and, in less than 3 months, collected more than 5 million views! That same year, they signed a contract with Sony Masterworks and released their first album on which they played the "Smooth Criminal" too and this album has become one of the best-selling albums. They are Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser - The world's musical attraction known as 2CELLOS and they will have the concert on March 25th in Belgrade Arena starting at 8 pm.

KOLARAC Concert hall

CONCERT PROGRAMME March 2017

Wednesday, 1st at 18.00 Music Gallery

Wednesday, 8th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: ENCOUNTER WITH AN RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ARTIST “LADIES CHOSING” Bogdan Djordjević, piano Production: Music Centre Admission free Friday, 3rd at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Cristian Mandeal Soloists: János Benyus, István Flammer, Bence Mészáros, Máté Hamar/ French Horns Programme: A. Schönberg, R. Schumann, H. Berlioz Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Thursday, 4th at 20.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC – YOUR WORLD OF MUSIC

Adalisa Castellaneta, guitar (Italy) Nadja Dornik, harpsichord Conductors: Olga Milićević, Natalija Mićić, Olivera Sekulić Barac Programme: G. Verdi, J. Rodrigo, A. Ginastera, P.I. Tchaikovsky Production: RTS Music Production Friday, 10th at 20.00 Concert Hal

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Adrian Prabava Soloist: Andrej Ionitâ, violoncello Programme: P. I. Tchaikovsky, G. Faure, C. Saint-Saëns, M. Ravel Production: Belgrade Philharmonic

Katharina Uhde, violin, Bruno Canino, piano Programme: L.van Beethoven – Sonatas for Violin and Piano/Op. 30, No. 1; Op. 47 Production: Music Centre Wednesday, 8th at 20.00 Music Gallery

Thursday, 16th at 19.00 Concert Hall

CHARITY CONCERT

Production: Sebian Doctor Society Friday, 17th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conductor: John Axelrod Programme: G.Mahler/ Symphony No. 6 Production: Belgrade Philharmonic

Sunday, 19th at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

School for musically gifted children - Ćuprija Production: Music Centre Sunday, 12th at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Italian Baroque Music Ensemble Parnas interpreting Baroque music Marija Gajić, soprano, Dragana Živković, soprano, Serin Mansouri, violin, Filip Milinković, cello, Ana Rančić, harpsichord, Svetlana Stojanović Kutlača, harpsichord Italian Early Baroque: Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Caccini..

Production: Music Centre Tuesday, 14th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: ENCOUNTER WITH AN CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL ARTIST Rastko Popović, viola VUČKOVIĆ Marijana Savov Stojanović, piano Programme: Production: Music Centre

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL STANKOVIĆ

Unfinished Concert Conductor: Bojan Suđić Programme: Schubert, Mozart Production: RTS Music Production

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

KOLARAC – YOUR WORLD OF MUSIC

Wednesday, 15th at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sunday, 5th at 11.00 Concert Hall

Friday, 5th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Production: Music Centre

Saturday, 18th at 20.00 Concer Hall

Katharina Uhde, violin, Bruno Canino, piano Programme: LV Beethoven/ Sonatas for Violin and Piano/Op. 12, No. 1, Op. 12, No. 3; Op. 96 Production: Music Centre

Stana Krstajić, flute Sandra Vučenović Schnabel, piano Programme: Z. Vauda, M. Stojadinović Milić, D. Despić, I. Stefanović, A. Krstajić, K. Kovač, V. Stanojević, D. Jovanović, J.S. Bach Production: Music Centre

SCHOOL FOR MUSICALLY GIFTED CHILDREN - ĆUPRIJA

Wednesday, 15th at 18.00 Music Gallery

Monday, 20th at 20.00 Concert Hall

OPENING CEREMONY 18TH GUITAR ART FESTIVAL

A fusion of Latin American music Roberto Ausell, Aleksandar Nikolić, bandoneon & Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra Production: Guitar Art Festival March 21st – March 29th

THE 47TH INTERNATIONAL JEUNESSES MUSICALES COMPETITION BELGRADE Category FLUTE

Thursday, 30th at 20.00 Concert Hall

OPERA GALA

RTS Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Bojan Suđić Zoran Todorović, tenor Production: RTS Music Production

BELGRADE DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL - 64TH EDITION March 30 – April 2, 2017 | Belgrade Youth Center

The Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the country. Ever since its first edition it has been the most important, and during certain periods of time the only platform for domestic filmmakers to show their documentaries, experimental, animated and short films to the audience and peers from all over the world. More info on www.martovski.rs

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