Diplomacy and Commerce 25

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March 2018 | ISSUE No. 25 | Price 350 RSD

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ED ITO RI AL

CO N T E N T S

Brave (Same) Old World

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WE HAVE A WINNING BRAND

Dear readers,

VOJIN DJORDJEVIĆ

There's nothing new under the skies. For a brief moment the world was celebrating the (almost) utter defeat of the Islamic State, while the new clouds gathering on the horizon reminded us of the real situation in the world. The Syrian Civil War was not at all „a civil war“ and the Islamic State was obviously not the „autochthonous movement“ of the Syrian people, despite the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamists and so on. The real enemies created, at first, a proxy war (Russia, America, Turkey, France as the EU's combat spears, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia...), and now these powers are preparing to clash directly. Poor people of Syria! They really thought it was a fight for democracy. Now they know there is one or two things actually worse than the lack of democracy: peace under the Islamic State and the absence of peace because of the superpowers' interests. Not to mention the Kurds, and their everlasting fight for self-governance! In the meantime, Olympic athletes from Russia were adamant to show, come hell or high water, that they were the best of the best, despite the sanctions and sometimes open hatred coming from the new OC leadership. In Germany, the satyrical magazine mocked „Bild“ tabloid with the fake news about the Russian involvement in German politics: it is so easy now to believe that Russian plot is everywhere in this anti-Russian frenzy.

Saakashvili is ousted from yet another country with his story ending in him becoming a stateless person, although it began with the splendid Rose Revolution and high hopes. There is indeed nothing new in this world; it is not becoming any better, and although the end is always near, it never actually comes.

Creator of the VODAVODA brand

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WE ARE DEVELOPING TOGETHER WITH CORRIDOR 10 DRAGAN KOSTIĆ

Director of the Pirot Free Zone

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DIPLOMACY AND COMMERCE FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE D&C Anniversary

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WE CONNECT NATIONS TROUGH INDIVIDUALS VASILIOS PROVELEGGIOS

President of Citizens’ Party of Greeks in Serbia

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OPPORTUNITY TO CONQUER NEW MARKETS DEJAN VUKOTIĆ

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Director of the Serbian Export Credit and Insurance Agency a.d.

Editor-in-Chief

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CLIENT IN THE FOCUS OF ANY BUSINESS DECISION GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Editor in Chief

zikica.milosevic@color.rs

TANJA BANKOVIĆ

Editorial manager

tanja.bankovic@color.rs

VANJA KOVAČEV

PR&Event support Nord Communications

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

Magazine director

ruza.ristanovic@color.rs

vanja.communications @gmail.com

ROBERT ČOBAN

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

robert.coban@color.rs

Director Photos

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD

Advertising manager natasa.nesic@color.rs

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

Translation

Art director

JOVANA MARKOVIĆ Advertising manager

jovana.markovic@color.rs

Advertising manager

dragana.radovic@color.rs

SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

UNIQA Osiguranje

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CONSUMERS ARE IN THE HEART OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY’S BUSINESS ABHAY PARNERKAR

General Manager of The Coca-Cola Company Serbia

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HEALTHY AND STABLE BUSINESS MODEL SLAVICA PAVLOVIĆ

President of the Executive Board, Eurobank ”Color Media Communications” LTD, 21132 Petrovaradin, Štrosmajerova 3 TIN 107871532 • Matriculation number 20887303 · Phone: +381 21 4897 100 • Fax: +381 21 4897 126 Office: Vase Čarapića 3/IV/38, Belgrade • 011 4044 960

CIP - Katalogizacija u publikaciji Biblioteke Matice Srpske, Novi Sad 33 Diplomacy & Commerce / glavni i odgovorni urednik Žikica Milošević, 2016, br. 1 (mart)-.Novi Sad: Color Media Communications, 2016 - , -33cm Mesečno.

ISSN 2466-3808 = Diplomacy & Commerce COBISS.SR-ID 303269895

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DIGITAL REVOLUTION IS ALSO HAPPENING IN SERBIA QUENTIN ROYER

COO of Delhaize Serbia

WE HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR DIGITALIZATION CHALLENGES DIANA GLIGORIJEVIĆ CMO, TeleGroup

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HUNTING TALENTS WITH DIGITAL THINKING EDWARD TONCHEW

Managing Partner for West Balkans Boyden

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TRUTH HAS NO PRICE MILAN ĆULIBRK

Editor-in-Chief of NIN Weekly

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BELGRADE IRISH FESTIVAL JAS KAMINSKI

Director of the Belgrade Irish Festival

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CHARM OF THE BYGONE ERA NEVENA RELJIN

Latino and jazz singer

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THE NAME GAME

Might the Question of What to Call Macedonia Finally be Resolved?

An ancient row with Greece

It was a veritable tale of two cities.

On February 4th Macedonians ambled around the centre of their capital, Skopje, enjoying a quiet Sunday. Athens, meanwhile, was jammed with protesters against any compromise in the 27-year-old dispute about what Greece will accept as a name for its northern neighbour.

The organisers claimed a crowd of 1.5m; the police put it at a still-impressive 140,000. After a flurry of diplomatic activity, a deal could be struck within weeks. If so, it would be a huge breakthrough—and put pressure on the other Balkan states to solve their own disputes with their neighbours.

The roots of the conflict run deep. When the Ottoman Turks were driven from the region in 1912, Macedonia was carved up by Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria. The bits grabbed by Serbia ended up as part of the new Yugoslavia. When Yugoslavia collapsed in 1991, Greece objected to that part of it being recognised as the Macedonian republic, arguing that this implied a claim to its own region of the same name.

From then on Greece, the United Nations, the EU and many other international organisations have had to call it FYROM—the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

In 2008, breaking an agreement with Macedonia, Greece used its effective veto to stop the country from joining NATO, and has since prevented it from even starting EU accession talks. A UN mediation process got nowhere. But now a recent change of government in Skopje and greater goodwill in Athens offer a real chance of a resolution.

Among names being circulated are Upper Macedonia, Northern Macedonia, New Macedonia and Macedonia (Skopje). But the terminological difficulties do not end there. For example, even if everyone agreed on Upper Macedonia but the Greeks insisted that in future its people must be called “Upper Macedonians” who speak “Upper Macedonian”, then, says Nikola Dimitrov, Macedonia’s foreign minister, there will be no deal. “Macedonians need to be assured they will remain Macedonians,” he insists.

Time is of the essence, says Mr Dimitrov.

Macedonia wants an agreement as soon as possible so it can get an invitation to join NATO and open negotiations with the EU in the next few months. To help things along, from February 6th Skopje’s airport will no longer be called Alexander the Great, a source of immense irri-

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AMONG NAMES BEING CIRCULATED ARE UPPER MACEDONIA, NORTHERN MACEDONIA, NEW MACEDONIA AND MACEDONIA (SKOPJE). BUT THE TERMINOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES DO NOT END THERE tation to the Greeks. After the NATO rebuff the previous Macedonian government had begun to claim symbols which the Greeks had considered theirs alone, but Mr Dimitrov’s government has rowed back on this. “National identity can’t be projected back to the time of Alexander the Great,” he says. “I agree with [the Greek prime minister] Alexis Tsipras that 2,300 years ago there were no nations. We are the result of historical processes.”

Although it is clear that Mr Tsipras would like a deal too, his government relies on the support of a small nationalist party which objects

to compromise. The Greek opposition can use the issue to beat the government with, and the costs to Greece of failing to strike a deal would be small. But that would leave Macedonia “locked in the waiting room”, unable to progress to either the EU or NATO, says Mr Dimitrov. “It is the forces of the past battling the forces of the future...Myths, glorious defeats and victories and pride are all important. We can’t change the past, but we can shape the future.”

On February 6th the European Commission unveiled a new Balkan enlargement strategy.

It is aimed at revitalising the otherwise stalled accession process of the six western Balkan states: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo. A breakthrough on Macedonia might demonstrate to the rest of the region that no outstanding issue is too difficult to solve.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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D &C ANNI VERSA R Y

Diplomacy and Commerce From Different Perspective In the past two years, Diplomacy&Commerce magazine has given to its readers abundance of news from politics, business and culture, has 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. With its latest issue, Diplomacy&Commerce is celebrating its second anniversary in Serbia. We are very proud of the fact that, in two years and 24 issues, we have managed to interview the leaders of the Serbian political, busi-

What do you think are essentially the most important changes that Serbia should make in order to be ready for EU membership by 2025?

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ness and diplomatic community, as well as the renowned regional and the global public figures. In these past 24 issues, we have also published special supplements dedicated to overall relations between Serbia and European and world countries.

We have asked Serbian officials - Serbian PM, government ministers, ambassadors and representatives of business associations in Serbia - to give us their opinions about the most important changes that Serbia should make in order to become an EU member, and about the investment climate in the West Balkan region.

Do Serbia and the Western Balkans have enough capacity to attract large multi-nation companies to their markets?

BUILDING INSTITUTIONS AND RULE OF LAW ANA BRNABIĆ Serbian Prime Minister

The government’s main goal is to build its institutions which is equally important for the citizens of Serbia, the economy and the business environment. The EU's strategy for the Western Balkans is a positive sign for the entire region.

We are continuing to implement reforms, procedures and anti-bureaucracy measures, with the aim of creating a country that is a partner to the private sector - says the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić for Diplomacy & Commerce magazine.

In order to be successful in the EU accession process, it is important that we have excellent organization and coordination at both the central and local level, as well as a cooperation with civil society and businesses in the implementation of reforms.

Our main goal is to build institutions that will be the guarantor of the implementation of the rule of law. This is very important for the Serbian citizens, the economy and the business environment. This is precisely why working on chapters 23 and 24 is the priority for the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The Ministry of European Integration has been established with the purpose of enabling better work coordination and more economical use of resources at our disposal. The Ministry is working on programming IPA funds and on

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BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL CITIZENS OF SERBIA IS THE KEY GOAL THAT GUIDES US preparing the society for the use of EU funds.

The recently presented EU Strategy for the Western Balkans is a positive sign for the entire region, while better quality of life for all citizens of Serbia is the key goal that guides us.

Multinational companies, with some of them being on the prestigious Fortune 500 list, are already operating in Serbia. They have recognized the safe macroeconomic environment and the Serbian government’s commit-

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ment to the continuous improvement of the business environment. Owing to that effort, we had upwards of 2.6 billion EUR of foreign direct investments in Serbia last year.

We are creating a country that is a partner to the private sector. We are facilitating procedures and reducing bureaucracy. We are transforming the Tax Administration to become more efficient. We are continuing to fight against shadow economy and we are creating the prerequisites for fair market competition.

The new co-operation with the IMF will signal that we are committed to preserving macroeconomic stability and focusing on a higher GDP growth in the coming years, which is another good indicator for investors.

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D &C ANNI VERSA R Y

LEADER IN THE REGION ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure

Everything that Serbia needs to do to become a full-fledged member of the European Union by 2025 is contained within the European Commission's Strategy, recently adopted by the European Parliament. The tasks that we have to do are not at all easy, starting with the issue of the relations with Kosovo and accepting the EU's single foreign policy to the rule of law.

Serbia is recognized in this document as a leader i the European integration process, and now everything rests only on us. The full-fledged EU membership continues to be Serbia's vital interest.

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All the countries in the Western Balkans, including Serbia as the biggest of them all, are considered small markets for large multinational companies. However, if everyone supported the idea that the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic had regarding establishing the Western Balkan customs union until we join the EU, than we would have a market of close to 20 million consumers that would be interesting to big stakholders in the global market. Although Serbia today has the biggest external trade in the region and prospers from that the most, we are still promoting this idea because it would facilitate progress in the entire region, not just in Serbia. We are not going to benefit if Serbia alone has healthy finances, foreign investments and is progressing when everybody around is at a standstill.

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CHAPTERS 23 AND 24 HOLD THE KEY TO REFORMS IVICA DAČIĆ

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

OVERALL PROSPERITY IN SERBIA The key to the reform process 1 is contained within Chapters 23 and 24.Oour focus will be on judicial reform and the fight against corruption and human trafficking, as well as on making substantial progress in the areas of data protection, gender equality, free legal aid and minority protection. An independent judiciary, which implies the integrity of judges and courts, their impartiality and high standards, constitutes the basis for the stability of democratic institutions and the rule of law. Equal importance will be devoted to increasing inclusiveness and transparency, improving the quality of drafting regulations and effective control of executive powers, as well as the limited use of urgent procedures in the National Assembly and more meaningful consultations with civil society. In practice, these reforms will give citizens a greater legal certainty in terms of exercising their rights in front of state bodies in the short term, while in economic terms, they would provide

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additional guarantees for a greater security of invested capital, thereby simultaneously improving the investment climate.

These two chapters have a cross-border character and affect the rights of all EU citizens. One of the changes I expect to happen is higher awareness in general public about the EU membership being a goal to accomplish. This path is long and difficult, but every individual is responsible for an organized society and it is in our best interest to nurture and preserve such a functioning system That is the essence of the two chapters. By changing its legislation, Serbia seeks to create an institutional environment for doing business modeled after the developed EU countries which is a prerequisite for economic growth and attracting large investments.

In the first ten months of 2017, FDIs in Serbia amounted to 2.12 billion EUR, and which makes us the absolute leaders in the region.

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IGOR MIROVIĆ

The President of the Government of Vojvodina

Serbia has made substantial progress in the EU accession efforts, and has launched initiatives with the aim of building up all segments of the society to reach the levels that joining the EU requires. The EU officials have confirmed this quite clearly in their statements, while the progress is evident in everyday life in Serbia too. This also entails an initiative on the part of our state leadership to permanently resolve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija as the key issue firstly for the future of our people and our country, and secondly for the country’s accession into the EU. The initiative also entails an internal dialogue and intense international activity, which, I believe, will lead to a lasting solution, thus contributing to regional stability as the crucial prerequisite for the overall prosperity of the entire region.

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The experiences from the last few years confirm that Serbia has capacities for this, as evidenced by the continuous arrival of large foreign companies in our country and the constant growth of FDI which value reached 2.6 billion EUR last year. In terms of the region, its capacities are indisputable, but their utilization will depend on what Serbia’s priorities are and is most actively engaged in - namely peace and stability in the region. The initiative launched by the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic to form a common regional market that would have over 20 million consumers which would certainly be incomparably more attractive for large companies than the current fragmented markets with much lower individual potential in an integral part of this effort.

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LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE MAJA GOJKOVIĆ President of the National Assembly of Serbia

EU membership is a priority for Serbia, and the European integration process is significant both for Serbia and the region, as well as for the EU itself.

There are difficult tasks ahead of us, and the fact that 2025 is mentioned as the year of accession is a validation of the success achieved in the previous period, and a significant incentive to continue even faster with the reforms. We have great expectations from Bulgaria's presidency over the Council of the EU in the first half of 2018, since EU enlargement is the top priority for Bulgaria. The National Parliament plays a significant role in the process of harmonization of our legislation with the European Acquis, and in the segment of the adoption of the reform regulations. Also, the National Parliament’s committees are involved in the process of monitoring the negotiations while our Members are closely cooperating

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with the members of the European Parliament through the Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee.

Serbia has demonstrated that it is committed to implementing structural reforms, and that, in a short period of time, has managed to sort out its public finances and achieve economic growth. These results are the most noticeable in the 2018 budget which proves that Serbia has overcome the deficit, that the public debt has been on the downward trend, and that we have managed to increase wages and pensions in the civil sector, as well as public investments. A number of laws have been adopted to improve the business environment. Another commendable fact is that, out of the all regional countries, Serbia has received the biggest FDIs, which just goes to show that our country can attract large companies. Nevertheless, through the formation of a common market, the Western Balkan region would be a far more interesting destination for investors, which is why President Aleksandar Vucic’s vision for one regional economic zone is extremely important.

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EUROPEAN VALUES

CHANGES IN THE RULE OF LAW

JADRANKA JOKSIMOVIĆ

TANJA MIŠČEVIĆ

Minister of EU Integration

Head of the Serbian negotiation team for the EU accession

property are both guarantees that go hand in hand with the strong positioning of the rule of law. If all of this is missing, there is no good lasting process or any other reforms. This is why I consider this change the most important, but not only with the EU accession in mind, but also because of our life and work in Serbia.

tion of the best European values in our social pattern, political action and economic governance. I think that solidarity and respect for human rights, responsible management of economic resources, and cooperation as the pillar of security and regional development are the dominant social and political values in today’s Serbia.

In order to be fruitful, every change must be a result of a peaceful and systematic approach by the changemakers. Changes must allow for a period of adaptation of both systems and people in order to become an integral part of a new behaviour. In this context, the European integration process is the best mechanism for introducing new standards and models of behaviour, or those that we have forgotten. Deadlines are important so we can plan well, as it is to have a clearer timeframe, i.e. the said year 2025. It is equally important how we see ourselves in the mirror, so to speak, and what others see in us, in addition to continuing with the implementa-

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I am not too fond of the 2 syntagm called the Western Balkans, as I think it is an incomplete reflection of an important part of the SEE to which we belong. But since it has already been put into use, and since the EU sees us as a region, then it should also be used for the common benefit. We have already significantly improved our economic, fiscal and investment capacities in order to be able to compete in the EU market of a nearly half a billion consumers. We are working on further developing the transport and business infrastructure. The prerequisites have already been met, numerous companies have already arrived in Serbia, and we expect more big investors to come this year too. The future of Serbia, and I believe the so-called WB, is in the EU but we all have to make additional effort to strengthen the trust and cooperation in the region. Serbia has demonstrated its responsibility in this respect.

There are several important prerequisites that we need to meet in order for the region and its individual countries to be more appealing to big market players.

First and foremost, we must understand that our individual markets are small and that only connectivity can create an area of

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Apart from what is, undoubtedly, the most important political issue, namely the normalization of the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, the progress that we have achieve in the rule of law segments carries equal weight. I am not referring here only to the measures foreseen in the action plans for chapters 23 and 24, but their full implementation and introduction to our practice and lives. This should be done not only for the sake of the individual rights and freedoms, but also because of the importance that legal security has for all those who invest or intend to invest in our country. Additionally, the fight against corruption that brings very clear results and the security of individuals and

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IF THERE IS NO CONNECTIVITY, THERE IS NO INTEREST FROM MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES at least 20 million consumers, which is not negligible. Connectivity means networking, i.e. interconnection, traffic, energy, digital… If there is no connectivity, there is no interest from multinational companies. Last but not least, the progress we make in the EU accession is a point of connection that makes our region more competitive than others.

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D &C ANNI VERSA R Y

SIGNIFICANT STEPS FORWARD DANIEL BERG

EBRD Director for Serbia

GREAT PROGRESS IN REFORMS DUBRAVKA NÈGRE Head of EIB Regional Representation for the W. Balkans

The significant progress with structural reforms has strengthened Serbia’s economic growth potential and improved country’s fiscal stability. However, persisting in the implementation of the structural reforms is of a paramount importance. The continuation in building up Serbia’s infrastructure, such as transport, energy, municipal infrastructure, in particular water and wastewater, health, education and development of country’s judiciary, are equally important, and all these sectors are supported by EIB investments. Progressing the chapter 25 in the EU negotiation process on the rule of law and completing it will certainly raise confidence amongst investors. All this reforms should help to improve Serbia’s external credit rating, which will on the other side help attracting more private capital necessary to support country’s socio-economic development. EIB has many products to offer to support the private sector and we are already doing so, be it the development of public-private partnerships, or helping the local financial sector in taking more risks when lending to SMEs. As an EU Bank, we work under the mandate of the European Commission, with the aim to foster Serbia’s integration into EU.

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Markets of the region are small and fragmented, so it is not easy for them to attract large multinational companies. More political and economic stability will certainly help that process as well as more regional economic integration, which has been launched successfully under the Berlin process. As the largest multinational borrower and lender in the World, we are happy to look into the opportunities of supporting investments of multinational companies interested in the region

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Serbia has made significant steps forward, raising economic resilience through reducing fiscal imbalances or by important reforms as acknowledged by its improved ranking in the World Bank Doing Business index. However, there is still a lot to be done. EBRD is keen to help as we do now at the electric company, EPS, Railways and Belgrade transport company, among others. We expect to continue and expand our focus on improving governance in both public and private companies, as well as in the way Government regulates the business community.

Considerable growth enhancing effects come from improvements in infrastructure, given several decades of underinvestment. Engaging more young workers through traineeships opens up untapped resources. Further improving political and economic ties with neighboring countries is also key to create stability and a larger, more attractive market.

Access to finance can be made easier by reducing non-performing loans (NPL) or bolstering the deposit insurance system.

EBRD assists in both areas through technical assistance and/or lending.

The new EBRD strategy for Serbia (2018-2023) acknowledges these development needs and focuses on building a more competitive, well-governed, better integrated and greener Serbian economy.

EBRD investments support companies that bring new technologies and new ways of doing business. As a recent, EBRD

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invested Euro 101.5 m to support two wind farm projects which have a total investment of Euro 488 million. We will continue to focus on investments in the green economy. Another area of potential EBRD engagement is to support the private provision of infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions. We are working with the government and other financiers to support private infrastructure in areas such as lighting, parking, water and waste.

Clearly yes as demonstrated by many multi-national companies settling in Serbia and in other WB countries in recent years. For now, Serbia’s attractiveness as an investment destination has been based at least in large part on low wages and government subsidies.

However, it has other advantages, including geographic location and ability to produce quality workers, and therefore an emphasis on connectivity improvements and training can help to produce a more sustainable attractive investment climate. Serbia must also continue to focus on improving the business conditions by making the economic and regulatory environment more stable and predictable. These efforts make Serbia attractive not only for multinational but also for domestic investors. In turn, new investments will bring the technology and ways of doing business which make the economy more competitive.

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D &C ANNI VERSA R Y

CLEAR PATH TO EU MEMBERSHIP KARLA HERSHEY

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative

INTEGRATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL GOALS MICHEL SAINT-LOT The EU enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans, presented by the European Commission in early February, offers a clear path to membership of Western Balkan states including the Republic of Serbia. Like its neighbors, to join by 2025, Serbia would have to strengthen rule of law and governance.

Further efforts are also needed to increase the competitiveness of country’s economy addressing unemployment, especially among young people, increasing prosperity and creating business opportunities. In addition, Serbia would also need to nurture good neighborly relations.

The UN Country Team in Serbia remains committed to work hand in hand with the Government and people of Serbia on this path. Our five-year Development Partnership Framework 2016-2020 with the Government of the Republic of Serbia presents a comprehensive basis for the development cooperation with the UN system, including 19 UN agencies, funds and programmes, aimed at encouraging and improving the overall economic, social and environmental development of the Republic of Serbia. The strategy is fully aligned with the national development priorities

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of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, as well as with the priorities of the accession negotiations of the Republic of Serbia and the EU and the Agenda 2030.

We recognize the role of culture in Serbia as a development factor, and many programmatic activities in our five year Development Partnership Framework are focused on efforts to anchor culture with the country development strategy.

Serbia shares the same cultural values as members of the EU – the same cultural heritage, the same interests, the same challenges the same opportunities. Serbia is home to many ethnic minorities who speak many European languages; the second longest European river Danube flows through Serbia. Stretching through 14 countries from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, and home to over 115 million inhabitants of diverse cultures, traditions and ethnicities, the Danube region is bursting with tourism potential. The potential of sustainable tourism in Serbia, as key driver of development, is especially recognized through work of World Tourism Organization, who as a member of UN Country Team in Serbia, has many programmatic activities in the country.

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UNICEF Representative in Serbia

It is clearly acknowledged within the European Union that only through integration of economic and social goals can societies achieve durable prosperity. Within this strategic frame, Serbia is making decisive steps forward.

Looking through the UNICEF lens, the systematic process of comprehensive reforms and investments in the social sectors are showing positive results in the improved status of most children in Serbia. But the overall progress has still not benefited all children. Therefore, there is a need for specific and decisive action to remove the remaining obstacles to service provision and social inclusion of the most vulnerable and marginalised children. Not only because every child has the right to have the chance to reach his/her full potential, but also because investing in children is a precondition to growth and development.

Quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the governance system must be thoroughly reviewed in consultation with the Serbian society, including adolescent and youth.

Policies, strategies and programmes must be constantly monitored, and their impacts analysed. Simultaneously, adequate levels of social expenditures which benefit children need to be safeguarded.

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Europe, as a continent, is very diverse. There is no one thing which can make a country “European”. In fact, the European Union is based on the preservation and support to diversity in language, culture, education, and political and economic systems of its member states, but also within its member states. In that sense, Serbia can be proud that it celebrates and fosters diversity.

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EU MEMBERSHIP IS THE RIGHT PATH H.E. KYLE RANDOLPH SCOTT US Ambassador to Serbia

We agree with the people of Serbia that EU membership is the right path for Serbia’s future and will continue to support the decision of the Serbian Government to pursue membership. The European Commission’s Strategy for the Western Balkans is good news for Serbia. It’s an opportuni-

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ty--a path and a target date for membership, an indication that Serbia and Montenegro are frontrunners, and most importantly a statement that the EU sees Serbia as part of its European family. The strategy is also tough love. Serbia has work to do, particularly regarding regional relations, rule of law, public administration, and media freedom. These are challenges, but they are not insurmountable.

Serbia can count on America as a partner in this process.

Many U.S. companies obviously think so. They have made significant financial

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commitments in order to conduct business in Serbia. They see the high-quality workforce and economic opportunities and have invested accordingly. There have been U.S. investments of almost $4 billion since 2000, and U.S. firms in Serbia now employ over 18,000 people. U.S. companies are good partners and job creators. Helping these companies to succeed is important for Serbia’s future - success stories and a transparent and welcoming business environment in Serbia are the best marketing tools to attract additional U.S. and other international investors.

PROGRESS IN OPENING THE CHAPTERS H.E. AXEL DITTMANN

German Ambassador To Serbia

FURTHER SUBSTANTIVE REFORM H.E. DENIS KEEFE

UK Ambassador to Serbia

2018 has the potential to be a crucial year for the Western Balkans, with a series of opportunities for the countries of the region to engage with wider Europe and make a reform breakthrough. PM Brnabić attended the EBRD Summit in London, where she also met our Prime Minister to discuss the issues. There is a busy programme of work under the Bulgarian Presidency, and in July London will host the 5th Berlin Process Summit. We are working to ensure this Summit takes forward regional security, economic stability and political cooperation.

Serbia has to meet the standard – and extensive – requirements of the EU Acquis, in terms of legislation, institutions and so on. That is a big task, but running through it are some key principles, particularly to do with the Rule of Law. It is not a bureaucratic checkbox exercise. Rule of Law is fundamental, not just for success in the EU, but in building a modern, prosperous and stable society. The EU has made clear in negotiations, particularly over Articles 23 and 24, the areas where specific progress is needed, but the issue of course goes wider – modern societies need strong and independ-

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ent media, vigorous institutions, clear accountability and robust democratic debate if they are to be able to surmount the challenges that they face.

In the case of Serbia there is also the commitment to normalise relations with Kosovo. It is good that there is an Internal Dialogue on this, launched last year by President Vučić.

The key question is the extent to which business sees opportunities. There was certainly a buzz at last week’s EBRD event in London, which I attended. Participants wanted clarity on governments’ plans, information about the opportunities and certainty on Rule of Law. Businesses want predictability in law and fair market conditions. So, for them, the process of reform and EU accession is central, along with improving economies and ease of doing business. Serbia has been able to demonstrate real progress on ease of doing business in recent years. I hope that will continue along with further substantive reform, particularly in regard to e-Government and digital services. The British Government is working to support this through the programmes under our Good Governance Fund.

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From my point of view, a very important point of reference and milestone for Serbia’s EU accession process was the opening of the chapters regarding rule of law in summer of 2016. This area is key for Serbia’s transformation process.

Before Serbia joins the EU there are several important challenges that need to be addressed: It has to be ensured that trials cannot be influenced and that the overall independence of the judicial system is strengthened. Media freedom is also a very important topic. High-level cases of corruption have to result in convictions of those who are responsible. Lawsuits must not last as long as it is often the case so far. These are both expectations of Serbian citizens and also important requirements for EU accession. I hope that further progress in this area will be made soon and we stand ready to offer our support.

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2 Serbia is becoming an ever more interesting destination for foreign direct investments. More than 400 German companies have invested in Serbia with an investment volume of over 1.8 billion Euro and the creation of more than 40.000 jobs. The latest poll of the German-Serbian chamber of commerce, which comprises many important German companies operating in Serbia, proves that. According to the poll, 84% of participants confirmed that they would take their investment decision again. As positive factors they name the quality and availability of local suppliers, as well as the availability of a skilled workforce. However, the poll also shows that some expectations have not been met completely: Here again, the topic of rule of law is very much in the focus and this shows that it is very important also for investors.

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GRADUALLY CLOSER TO THE EU H.E. LEO D’AES Belgian Ambassador to Serbia

From the most recent communication of the EU Commission on Enlargement, on 6th February 2018, I would highlight the following changes: The rule of law must be significantly strengthened in a number of essential fields such as the independence of the judiciary, anti-corruption, public procurement, fight against organised crime, freedom of expression and independence of the media, and public administration reform; close consultation and cooperation with all

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segments of civil society so as to build a joint genuine public support for the EU; the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises need breathing space (in terms of both finance and legal certainty) so that they can develop in a confidence-inspiring business climate and generate employment in a white (as opposed to grey) economy; regional cooperation also entails a determination to move towards reconciliation, and to contribute actively to implement all Berlin Process commitments, so as to have the entire region prosper and move gradually closer to the EU. Yes, provided the required changes outlined above are carried out effectively and sustainably, and that all six WB-partners contribute actively to attaining the objectives set forth within the framework of the Berlin process.

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THE DOORS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE OPEN H.E. RADKO VLAYKOV

Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia

SERBIA HAS A REAL ECONOMIC POTENTIAL H.E. FRÉDÉRIC MONDOLONI Ambassador of France to Serbia

2025 is not a fix date for accession but a realistic horizon if Serbia realizes all necessary reforms. These reforms are set out in the 35 negotiation chapters: they will need to be completed before 2025 which means all of them are equally important, even though some are more complex than others.

Serbia has already reached very positive results in economic reforms, regarding its macroeconomic situation or fiscal and budget consolidation. But difficult reforms are still ahead. For example, the chapters on rule of law will imply reforms guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and media freedom, while crime and corruption will have to be

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public governance, the economic development and opportunities, the civil society role. And all in all, Serbian citizens will feel that the reforms are not for Brussels ‘sake, but for their better life.

fought efficiently. Serbia will need to normalize its relations with Pristina through a legally binding agreement that will reflect an acceptable compromise. France is aware that these reforms are numerous and difficult, and stands ready to provide to Serbia with any support which would be useful.

Serbia has a real economic potential. Its workforce is well educated, competent and hardworking. Its geographic situation is an asset for trade in Southeast Europe. Even though work remains to be done in infrastructures, Serbia has already invested a lot to upgrade them.

These features are positive to attract major companies and several French ones have already made such investments: Suez for the Vinča dump, Vinci for the Nikola Tesla airport, Michelin for the tire factory of Pirot etc.

Opportunities exist and, by implementing the reforms set out in the EU accession plan, Serbia will be able to turn them into concrete realizations.

2Only united, peaceful, prosperous, interconnected Balkans with good neighborly relations between all states has the capacity to attract large multi-nation companies to their markets.

The consolidation of cooperation and connectivity of the Balkan countries, whose population amounts to 18 million people, could provide more opportunities to attract foreign investors.

Over the past several years, especially the Serbian economy has experienced growth due to strong foreign investments and continuous improvement of its business environment. Major steps to improve the business climate and reduce the state’s footprint in the economy have been implemented with the aim of providing momentum for investments, economic diversification, and sustainable private sector growth in order to create jobs. All these elements are key for the future attraction of large multi-nation companies.

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The doors of the European Union are open. I am convinced that the Serbian political elite perfectly understands the importance of this very moment. I am convinced that they will carry out the necessary reforms so much needed to meet the membership criteria, in particular with focus on areas, encompassed in Chapters 23 and 24 like the rule of law, justice reforms, protection of minorities, as progress on these chapters remains essential for the overall pace of the negotiations. However, the purpose of the reforms is often forgotten. Reforms are aimed at strengthening the democratic and

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GREAT POTENTIAL TO LURE FOREIGN INVESTORS H.E. ARNE SANNES BJØRNSTAD Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia

STABLE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT H.E. ALONA FISHER-KAMM Israeli Ambassador to Serbia

What is seen as important by 1 some may seem less important to others, but the most difficult task will probably be to change the way public administration in a broad sense functions.

Although the reforms undertaken and underway are quite impressive, there is still some way to go concerning transparency, fair and efficient public procurement, predictability based on laws, bylaws and court decision, abolishing subsidies and privileges enjoyed by some companies, the grey economy etc. This is not only necessary for EU membership, but for sustainable economic growth.

statements by Serbian ministers are damaging Serbia’s prospects for membership by clearly having a very different approach to what EU membership means. Serbia will not be able to join such a closely-knit group as the EU without accepting that the other EU member states are your best and closest friends. EU is not an open marriage, and there is no place for a “it’s complicated” relationship within the EU family.

As far as I can see, it is already the case. Fiat-Chrysler and Siemens being but prominent examples. Earlier this month, a

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ALTHOUGH THE REFORMS UNDERTAKEN AND UNDERWAY ARE QUITE IMPRESSIVE, THERE IS STILL SOME WAY TO GO CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY Then, of course, Serbia should bear in mind that every EU country has a veto on accepting a new member. Membership is not only about fulfilling the formal conditions for membership. Neither is it only about normalising relationship with neighbouring countries. It is also about being a trusted part of a tightly knitted family of nations. You respect common policies, avoid raising tensions with other member states and non-aligned or not you stand by them when they are facing external threats. I am afraid some

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Norwegian telemarketing company Novicom just moved into their new and bigger premises as they are expanding their businesses and opening new work places.

This proves that Serbia has great potential to lure foreign investors in different fields.

Investment and products follow money and business opportunities, but stability shouldn’t be underestimated as a factor. For Serbia, EU membership will certainly attract both investors and increase the number of products you can find on the market.

EU accession path is a good opportunity and tool for the country to upgrade its regulations and standards to the level of the global world. Serbia’s reforms agenda resulted in significant achievements recognized by the IMF, World Bank and other international creditors and institutions. The results of conducted reforms such as: fiscal consolidation, e-permitting, the start of Cadaster reform, broader portfolio of E-government services, high standards in renewable energy and other, are very appealing to foreign investors including Israelis.

Stable political environment is essential to keep the taken course of reforms. Of course, the issues of cutting the red tape, creating and maintaining a stable legal framework with an efficient judiciary, transparency of procedures, rule of law, are of great importance for Israeli and other investors with room for further advancement.

Improved credit rating, positive macroeconomic indicators and perspective of growth, will contribute to more investments in the years ahead.

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I think we should make a distinction between multinationals coming as investors in the region and opening R&D offices compared to those solely interested in distribution and trade of different goods and services. For such, the main criteria for investment would

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be consumption per capita.

In today’s global environment, even small countries with their unique advantages can make the impact and position themselves favorably. It is essential that Serbia would explore its existing competitive advantages and unique features in order to position in the global market.

Israel is an example of that. Our country has similar population as Serbia and is three size smaller in sq. m. Taking into consideration geopolitical challenges and demographic factors as well as the size, our government decided to shift the economy to technology and innovation driven, export oriented.

Nowadays, Israel is home of global multinational tech companies which located their R&D offices. Serbia has skillful labor force, geographic position between East and West, favorable preconditions for agriculture, tourism etc.

Its numerous free trade agreements with countries outside of the EU add to attractiveness in serving as a bridge between different markets.

All should be taken into consideration when formulating a brand image with finding a unique feature that merges everything.

Serbia has capacity to take a leading role in the Western Balkans in terms of economic and political agenda and as such to position the region on the map of EU and globally based on its uniqueness and defined driving forces of the economy.

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EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR INVESTING H.E. SHEIKH MUBARAK BIN FAHAD AL-THANI Ambassador of Qatar to Serbia

Serbia is on the path to progress and prosperity, with EU membership as the country’s ultimate goal. The authorities have been noticeably and persistently working on comprehensive reforms in the country, and on fulfilling tasks that have been put in front of Serbia. We believe that these efforts will result in the opening of new accession chapters, and in finding acceptable solutions to outstanding issues, which will all

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bring the country closer to the European community. We wish Serbia and the friendly Serbian people a lot of success and to achieve their goal in the desired period.

Absolutely! This is seen in an increasing number of foreign investors from all over the world, including Arab countries, who have recognized the benefits of doing business in this region. We would like to highlight the good geostrategic position of the country and the region as a whole, the wealth of its natural resources, the highly qualified people and the benefits that are available to foreign investors. From our point of view, Serbia is an extremely attractive destination for investing in different areas, and the reforms implemented by the government, as part of the European integration process, will contribute to the efficiency of operations and project implementation. We expect the cooperation to intensify in the coming period.

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SERBIA IS A FRONTRUNNER IN EU ACCESSION H.E. HENK VAN DEN DOOL Dutch Ambassador to Serbia

SERBIAN AUTHORITIES AND CITIZENS ARE KEY PLAYERS H.E. PERTTI JUHANI IKONEN Ambassador of Finland to Serbia

EU accession is a merit-based 1 process. The conditions the different candidate-countries must meet have been known from the beginning and I’m happy to see that Serbia is a frontrunner. Nevertheless, comprehensive and convincing reforms are still required, most notably on the rule of law. There can be no compromise on essential EU-values such as media freedom, an independent judiciary and respect for fundamental rights.

Furthermore, we strongly support all efforts aimed at reconciliation with neighboring countries as well as genuine attempts to reach a comprehensive and legally binding normalization of relations with Kosovo. The goal is set – reaching it will take hard work and strong political commitment.

A region comprising 20 2 million people, sharing a European perspective as well as good prospects for economic growth, makes for an interesting market for any company – especially for large multinationals.

The successful presence of a number of large and well-known corporations in Serbia and the region, several of them Dutch, is proof of this. That said, companies as well as e.g. the recently published EU Western Balkans Strategy agree that persistent weaknesses in the rule of law and poor functioning of institutions are still holding the region back. If the region is to unlock its potential and attract more multinational companies and FDI, addressing these issues is key.

I strongly encourage Serbia to carry out the necessary reforms particularly in the area of rule of law, fundamental rights and good governance, as they are of utmost importance and urgency, and take time to be established.

Also, corruption must be rooted out without compromise, and a strong framework for its prevention needs to be put in place. In the reform process, the focus should be on measurable track record.

The EU and its member states are here to support Serbia, but the key role is to be played by the Serbian authorities and citizens. The most important changes are often the most difficult ones but ultimately, it is all about creating a more prosperous and equal society and improving the citizens’ quality of life, which is our common goal.

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I am sure that Serbia and the Western Balkans have the potential to attract large companies to their markets. The key to success is to invest in education, intellectual capital, added value technologies, innovations and to utilize all available resources in order to create a sustainable and prosperous business environment.

The reforms Serbia is carrying out especially in the area of rule of law, increasing transparency and efficiency in tendering processes and creating a more competitive environment, will also attract more international investments and trade to the country. Already, more than 70% of overall foreign direct investments to Serbia come from the EU, which is a good sign and creates ground for further advancement.

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INCREASED INTEREST FOR INVESTMENT IN SERBIA H.E. JAN ERIK MIKAEL LUNDIN Swedish Ambassador to Serbia

MAIN CHALLENGES - NEIGHBORS AND THE PAST H.E. PHILIPPE GUEX

Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia

Without doubt, continued 1 efforts are required concerning Rule of Law, i.e. what is referred to as Chapter 23 and 24 of the EU acquis. Serbia has during the recent two years moved in the wrong direction on the global corruptions perceptions index produced by Transparency International. Serbia was recently put on the “grey list” by the G-7 initiated Financial Action Task Force against money laundering, which is both a setback, and a serious warning signal with repercussions for the Serbian financial sector. I know the Serbian government is working hard on institutional reform underpinning the court system and the fight against corruption, but this has yet to produce desired outcomes. A strong track record needs to be established which shows that the institutions are working as intended. For instance, nearly two years after the incident, we are still waiting for the full picture as to the promised investigation of the Sava Mala eviction incident. Nearly one year after Montenegro requested the extradition from Serbia to jail in Montenegro of Montenegrin citizen former President Svetozar Marović, there seems to be little movement on the matter. If one analyzes the implementation of the National war crimes strategy announced by the Serbian

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government two years ago, there is still a wide gap between what was promised in the strategy and reality today. Out of 1500 cases under investigation, charges have been made against only eight people, and some of the on-going trials, such as the Lovas case, move at a strikingly slow pace.

The European Union will continue to follow these issues closely, and work hard to support necessary reforms. Sweden through the EU budget contributes both to the general EU-support to Serbia, and in addition bilaterally invests some 13 million euros a year in e.g. police and administrative reform.

Multi-national companies indeed look at Serbia in a regional context, and as the largest economy of the Western Balkans region. We see a gradually increased interest for investment in Serbia, in particular greenfield investment, where the arrival last year of IKEA to the outskirts of Belgrade being an especially positive signal. The multinationals appreciate the fact that cost-levels and difficulties for investments have gone down in recent years, and in this respect, Serbia is quite competitive both in an international and European context. In order to attract truly large investment flows, however, Rule of Law reform – and a good track record - remains essential.

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To my view Serbia will have to tackle two main challenges. First, key outstanding issues with its neighbors will have to be solved, ranging from border issues to legacy of the past. Most importantly, it will have to cut the Kosovo Gordon knot by concluding a legally binding agreement with the authorities in Pristina. Second, Serbia will need to improve substantially the rule of law, which should materialize

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proven their capacity to attract some large multinational companies, including from Switzerland – Nestlé Adriatic is a case in point.

Key already existng attraction factors include: the proximity and connexion to European markets; the availability of a relatively well-educated and affordable labour-force; and a visibly increasing „ease of doing business“ which includes significant progress in the field of digitaliza-

I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT REFORMS UNDERTAKEN BY SERBIA IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS EUROPEAN INTEGRATION SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN NOT TO PLEASE BRUSSELS BUT FOR ITS OWN SAKE AND FOR THE ONE OF ITS CITIZENS by the establishment of an impartial, independent and efficient judiciary. Improving the rule of law should also contribute to create an adequate environment for journalists work and to guarantee the independence of media. I want to highlight that reforms undertaken by Serbia in the context of its European integration should be undertaken not to please Brussels but for its own sake and for the one of its citizens.

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Serbia and the region in general have actually already

tion. Macro-economic stability is also an essential consideration for large multinationals and in this respect, Serbia is certainly the most attractive country for foreign investors in the region.

Improving legal predictability are undoubtfully sine qua non preconditions for both domestic and international investors alike. And you get predictability by improving rule-of-law, guaranteeing judicial independence, fighting against corruption and making the tax administration transparent, issues where countries from the region including Serbia are still lagging behind.

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D &C ANNI VERSA R Y

FASTER COMPLIANCE WITH EUROPEAN REGULATIONS MARKO ČADEŽ

President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

The most important thing for the Serbian economy as a whole and the companies individually is to improve their capacities for greater production and export, make more investments, carry out technological modernization, and become more productive and more competitive in order to be better equipped to deal with the competition at home but also in the EU, after Serbia’s accession. Opening of borders, free flow of goods and services, customs-free trade and no need for additional certificates will create more export opportunities for our companies, but also bring more competition to the domestic market. The faster we harmonize our regulation with the European one, successfully deal with the harmonization costs, adopt European values,

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standards and business models, and progress in the regional and European integration, the faster is our economy going to become more stable and more competitive, with greater chances for success in the new circumstances.

Yes, but as a single regional market with 18 million consumers and a unique investment destination. Global companies are less prone to viewing us as an individual player, but rather see us in the context of the region as a whole, and its capacity for doing business and investing. Only after analyzing the region, they decide which country to invest in. Hence, our online investment platform, as the first product that our regional chamber has created, represents the entire region and contains all relevant data on all six Western Balkan economies. If we want to become a more stimulating place for domestic companies and more attractive for foreign companies, and to eliminate the remaining barriers that stand in the way of more efficient business, more trade and investments, better links between businesses and infrastructure, and harmonization of regulations, procedures and practices, we have to bolster the rule of law and transparency.

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RULE OF LAW IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE

IMPLEMENTING NEW REGULATIONS YANA MIKHAILOVA

President of the Foreign Investors Council

MARTIN KNAPP

Director of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

FIC advocates Serbia's economic integration into the EU, as it brings predictability and transparency to businesses, as well increases the competitiveness of the Serbian market.

In order to be ready for the EU accession, Serbia needs to conduct comprehensive reforms, in addition to raising administrative capacity to implement new regulations which is one of the key problems in Serbia today. Moreover, opening of concrete negotiation chapters should be accompanied by the acceleration of reforms in the areas which are being negotiated. Serbia will have to fulfill the two main economic criteria – it has to become a functioning market economy, and it has to have the capacity to cope with competition and market forces within the EU.

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The rule of law is the most important issue, not only in theory, but also in the real, everyday life of everyone.

Fighting against bureaucracy is closely connected to the rule of law. Naturally, there is still a lot of bureaucracy in the EU, but it is somewhat different. The worst case scenario would be the co-existence of the traditional bureaucratic forms like notes and authorizations with the new ones like audits and certificates. That would simply be too much both for the economy and the citizens.

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It depends! If Western Europe’s economy continues to perform well, an increasing number of people will go there to find jobs. At the same time, companies from Western Europe will try to come to the Western Balkans in order to employ the same profile of workers here. If the Western European economy turns for worse in the near future, this mechanism would come to a standstill. Companies would stop coming here and people would stop looking for a better future over there. The situation would be the same as it was ten or fifteen years ago.

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In the last decade, Serbia and the 2 Western Balkans have been successful in attracting investments of large multinational companies. The foreign investors’ growing interest for Serbia is supported by the country’s economic stability as investors are looking for opportunities to sustainably develop business both short- and long-term. However, the projected GDP growth in Serbia remains low and in that sense. The Foreign Investors

Council advocates instigating the stronger economic growth and sustainable fiscal consolidation in the country, improving implementation of law, continuing with the business environment reforms and efficient compliance with the EU regulation. Growing FDIs will be a good indicator of Serbia’s increasing competitiveness. The improved business environment will generate benefits for everybody – the state, the existing and future investors, and above all, the Serbian citizens.

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BETTER INVESTMENT CLIMATE

countries are successful, for the most part, because they have a highly developed private sector that is dominant in creating GDP, generating stable growth, and boosting employment. We must work more on bolstering our SME sector, as it is expected to make a significant contribution to employment and our country’s compliance with the EU standards.

JELENA PAVLOVIĆ Chairwoman of AmCham’s Managing Board

Our country is facing an extremely long process 1 of adapting our legal norms to the EU standards, be it through the adoption of new laws and amending the existing ones, or, even more importantly, through their effective implementation. This also implies a key priority that we need to deal with - an uncompromising struggle to improve business conditions, which includes working to establish the full rule of law, abolishing parafiscal charges, investing even more effort into curbing the shadow economy, securing full media freedom, and last but not least, reforming the public administration and public enterprises. Furthermore, the developed EU

Members of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), which have invested in our country and have been accomplishing exceptional business results here, are an excellent proof that Serbia has enough potential to attract multinational companies. This is the healthiest part of the Serbian economy, and as such, the best reference for other international companies planning to come to this area. On the other hand, there is still a lot of work ahead of us on further regulating the business environment and creating equal conditions for doing business for all so that we can keep the present investors here, and attract new ones to invest in Serbia.

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ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMY DRAGOLJUB DAMLJANOVIĆ

President of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KEY REFORMS Serbia is implementing important reforms at the system level and this should be welcomed. The state implements a single and responsible budget and fiscal policy which should be perpetuated. Some of the most important issues for investors include fighting against corruption, combating shadow economy, reforming the tax administration, ensuring the predictability of business operations, and the harmonization of market regulations with the market laws in the European Union. I would like to also underline the importance of bilateral cooperation with the most important world economies like France. The biggest French companies are coming back to Serbia like Vinci Airports that will manage Belgrade airport, or Sueza that will be working on the Vinča landfill. Their expertise will be extremely useful to Serbia. Even more significant is the fact that such large

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global companies will bring with them small and medium French companies too, and this will also result in cooperation with domestic companies thus encouraging the development of the Serbian economy.

Undoubtedly they do! At present, French companies are interested in Serbia and the regional countries and this should be used wisely. I believe that the state has been pursuing a rather smart policy in this context with the aim of attracting large foreign investments. In May, for example, an important business forum for French companies will be held in Belgrade. At the Forum, the twelve regional countries, including Serbia, will present their markets. In this sense, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has positioned itself as a regional coordinator for French companies, and we expect an excellent response from companies.

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ANA GOVEDARICA

Vice President of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

A lot has been done in terms of harmonization of local laws with the Acquis Communautaire. There has also been a significant improvement of the regulatory landscape in Serbia over the last few years. However, the implementation of laws is still lagging behind. In order to be ready for the EU membership by 2025, the Republic of Serbia should ensure the full implementation of the key reforms and legislation. With regards to the business environment, further improvements are expected in the following areas: bureaucracy and administration, tax system, fight against corruption, and ensuring legal security and stability.

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Prosperity and stability in the region are essential for attracting foreign investors. Serbia has been recently declared as the most successful country in the Balkan part of Europe in terms of attracting FDIs. As for the Swiss multinational enterprises, many of them are already present in the Serbian market - Nestlé, Roche, Novartis, SIKA, Ringier Axel Springer, etc. However, attracting small and medium foreign investors is equally important. Further development of activities required for the sustainable growth of the SME sector would contribute to attracting more foreign investors to the region, as well as to Serbia.

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SME-SECTOR IS THE KEY TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

law has to be improved. A functioning market economy requires a predictable business environment and structural reforms which ensure higher competitiveness in the private sector.

Serbia, being the largest country in the Western Balkans, has probably has that capacity. However, it is doubtful whether such investments are really crucial for generating growth and employment. Experience has shown that in both the mid- and long-term, a strong and competitive SME sector is the key to sustainable growth, job creation and balanced regional development. Hence, every effort should be made to support SME in the Western Balkans and transforming them into the backbone of their respective economies.

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ERIKA TEOMAN BRENNER Austrian Commercial Counsellor

The Copenhagen Criteria define very clearly the conditions to be met by any country that wants to join the EU. In essence, this means that public administration has to be reformed to become more efficient and transparent and that the rule of

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REFORMING CONSCIOUSNESS IS VERY IMPORTANT DANIJELA FIĹ AKOV

President of the Slovenian Business Club

RESOLVING LONG-STANDING ISSUES ZAFIRIS LAMPADARIDIS

President of the Hellenic Business Association

At first glance, the list of 1 prerequisites that Serbia needs to fulfill and reforms it needs to implement in order to join the EU seems quite long and demanding. However, in essence, we are talking about only one, most important reform and change. This reform is the most difficult to carry out because it entails, first and foremost, changing the consciousness of both political elite and every citizen of Serbia. The reform of consciousness, which needs to happen in the mind of every person in Serbia, does not eliminate Serbian historical and national interests, but it makes it clearer that economy is the most important part of politics. Joining the EU is an important goal, but achieving the EU standards is even more important.

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The Western Balkan 2 countries, with Serbia above all, occupy a very important geographical position. This position is not an essential parameter only in the geo-strategic and geopolitical sense, but it is also of great importance when large multi-national economies are in the process of planning their production projects and making investments. However, large economies also require large markets, i.e. lack of borders and both physical and administrative barriers. The political leaders of the countries in the region have a task to minimize these limitations and by doing so, to ensure that this condition is met. A great area with clear game rules is a bait for any player, including large multinational companies.

We are very confident that Serbia is on the right path to join the EU by 2025. Some changes still need to be made in terms of legislation and procedures that would enable and ease the business environment in the country. Serbia will need to harmonize its laws with the EU

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We believe that Serbia and Western Balkans have enough capacity to attract large multinational companies having in mind the great geographical location and ongoing infrastructure improvements. The market is still underdeveloped hence the costs of doing business are still

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SERBIA WILL NEED TO HARMONIZE ITS LAWS WITH THE EU ONES THUS ENABLING DOMESTIC MARKET TO ADJUST TO THE OPEN MARKET RULES AND REGULATIONS ones thus enabling domestic market to adjust to the open market rules and regulations. Also, it is important to resolve long standing issues such as restitution, company law and last but not least, the fight against illicit trade.

low which creates opportunities for potential investors. Having more efficient rules and regulations will definitely lead to a positive feedback from the FDIs and encourage multinational companies to invest.

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SERBIA NOW HAS A 2025 PERSPECTIVE DR GIORGIO MARCHEGIANI President of the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Serbia's and the region's European perspective is clear and unambiguous. Serbia's EU accession is not only this nation's own strategic goal.

Serbia now has a 2025 perspective. If the country does its part and meets the conditions, it could potentially be ready for membership by then. Serbia has therefore a lot of reforms to enact and implement until then, particulary in the rule of law area and the economy. Serbia should step up its efforts to build up its institutional capacities and reinvent effective mechanisms for evidence based and inclusive policymaking. Open dialogue between the govern-

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ment and civil society, transparency in the accession process, are prerequisites in this regard.

Serbia may be small, but it’s one the fastest-growing countries in Central Eastern Europe. The IMF forecasts growth up to 3% in coming years. Multinational companies investing in Serbia find significant benefits. As for the political stability of Serbia, foreigners do appreciate a relaxing climate and a government that sustains the foreign investments by offering varied incentives, a proper administration, and a trustworthy fiscal background.

As the goal is to support economic development and cooperation in the region even more strongly, the online Regional Investment Platform, launched by the end of February 2018 should provide a one-stop shop for foreign investors interested in the Western Balkans. It was developed by the regional chamber of commerce, the Chamber Investment Forum, established in July 2017 in Trieste, and bringing together the national chambers of the WB6.

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E-GOVERNMENT IS A CRUCIAL PROCESS HUGO VAN VEGHEL

President of the Belgian-Serbian Business Association (BSBA)

DIGITALIZATION AND E-COMMERCE ARE ESSENTIAL Serbia is well on its way to 1 the EU but there are still several big tasks to be completed.

We all know that judicial reform is still a challenge. However, certain important activities have been initiated. E-government is a crucial process that will ensure substantial improvement in the administration in general. It will also have a considerable positive impact on mitigation of red tape and corruption. Reforming the educational system is, in my opinion, another crucial change to make. And we are not only talking about higher education here, but kindergartens, primary and secondary education. Studies conducted by the University of Leuven (Belgium) have shown that the kindergarten period has an important impact on the results secondary school pupils achieve on the OECD PISA tests. For many, this might sound a bit strange but they are facts which have to be seriously considered in the light of

JASMINA VIGNJEVIĆ the dire need for a versatile, educated and skilled workforce.

Large businesses require more skilled workforce.

Serbia is currently implementing a pilot dual education project which aim is to respond to the industry’s / business’ needs for workforce in an efficient and flexible way in an era where technology develops at high speed. The government had recognized that something has to be done in this respect thus establishing the cooperation with the CCIS. However, I think that dual education and school reforms are only a part of the solution.

Professional excellence can be a valuable complementary asset in the local centres. These centres specialize in short-term, focused training which is tailor-made to local needs of local industry, companies, and businesses which participate in the operations of these centres.

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President of the Nordic Business Alliance

There are certainly many important reforms that need to be implemented in different segments of society on the road to the European Union. In terms of business environment, I would single out a few things. First of all, it is important that the laws, which we have already harmonized with the EU ones, are consistently interpreted and applied. There is nothing that prevents us from implementing the best European practices before the formal accession takes place. Also, it is very important to improve the predictability of the business environment, especially in the domain of parafiscal charges. When it comes to the public sector, greater transparency in public procurement procedure and the efficiency of public administration is required. Finally, digitalization and the transition to e-commerce are essential for the positioning of our economy.

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As an individual market, Serbia is not that appealing to multinational companies. Big market stakeholders are traditionally present in large and stable markets such as the EU. Also, in recent years, the trend of businesses expanding to the Asian region has been quite strong as it also brings a huge number of consumers. Thus, multinational companies strive towards predictable and regulated markets, but also towards having more new consumers. I believe that Serbia should implement clear rules of the market game that are conducive to the development of competition, and should work on improving the conditions for doing business and the efficiency of public administration. In this way, as the business centre of the Western Balkans, we can attract large players who regard the region as a unique economic space.

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I NTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

We Connect Nations Trough Individuals We want a million more people like Ritsoudis!

President of Citizens’ Party of Greeks in Serbia

Greeks and Serbs have been sharing the same destiny for centuries, especially since both our medieval states, Byzantium and the Serbian Empire, were conquered by the Turks. Many people from the two nations have been helping each other in political uprisings, like Rigas Feraio. Even today, Greece is one of Serbia's greatest friends and has not recognized Kosovo’s independence, among other things. We are talking to the President of the Citizens’ Party of Greeks in Serbia, Vasilios Provileggios.

As a Greek in Serbia, how would you describe the relations between Serbs and Greeks?

— For centuries, the relations between Greeks and Serbs have been constantly on a very high level.

This is, in part, due to the Serbian "welcoming temperament", as well as the Greek "Mediterranean spirit" that intertwine between us through faith. The political actions that we undertake are largely focused on cultivating and promoting exactly those relationships that are the foundation for the preservation of our friendship. We recently donated Marinos Ritsoudis’ mural to Belgrade. This is a man who refused to participate in the bombing Serbia in 1999, saying that he could not bring himself to kill

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his Orthodox brothers. Our goal is to draw in another million people on both sides who share the same moral values as Captain Ritsoudis!

Tell us about your family history.

We know that many Greeks came to Serbia as independent merchants or with Migrations, as I mentioned in my book “Lost in the Plains”. However, they assimilated with the Serbs. Just look at the former Greek School

THE SERBIAN "WELCOMING TEMPERAMENT" AND THE GREEK "MEDITERRANEAN SPIRIT" HAVE BEEN INTERTWINED BETWEEN US THROUGH FAITH in Novi Sad. So, how did the Proveleggios family manage to remain Greek?

— The history of the Proveleggios family is extremely exciting. In the 1920s, my great-great-grandfather used his wealth to save many of my ancestors who had come from Smyrna and had managed to escape to Athens and Piraeus to avoid

We should also mention an interesting experiment that was Bulkes (today’s Maglić). How much have the Greeks managed to heal the wounds from the civil war and military junta? People in Serbia, Croatia, and Ukraine all have the same stories about two opposing groups in the history.

— The Bulkes experiment shows

us the two dimensions of the relationship. In political terms, the struggle at the time between communism and capitalism deeply scarred the Greek people, and the biggest price was paid by ordinary people who, manipulated by ideological stories, turned against their brothers. The second dimension is human and friendly. A large number of them remained to live in Serbia while the rest returned.

Ony the time heals wounds.

Your party represents the Greek minority in Serbia. What is your operational concept?

— The Citizens’ Party of Greeks in Serbia is a natural progression in bolstering the organization of the Greek community in Serbia after several associations were founded in late 18th century and re-established in the modern day and age.

There is also the Greek Minority National Council founded in 2004. We are trying, through various projects that are immediately applicable, to connect our two nations even more, and we are putting an emphasis on an individual. In the previous elections in Belgrade, we successfully delegated and launched the topic of blockchain technology, which is already used in the world today. We have all the prerequisites to start using this technology on time and be at the forefront of it.

GREEK CULTURE IN SERBIA What are you planning on doing in the party to promote the Greek language and culture in Serbia, regardless of politics and national minority protection?

— One of the basic segments of our party is more the preservation of the Greek language and culture among our members than its promotion. In this regard, we are planning to launch free Greek language courses where we are going to provide communication with the native Greek speakers while processing the language to improve the level of understanding between our two countries. We are loyal citizens of this country and stand firmly with the people we live and identify with. We do not view assimilation as a problem, but as a natural evolutionary process of the people living in one territory. We have even renamed it into ‘acculturation’.

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Photo: Žikica Milošević

VASILIOS PROVELEGGIOS

the catastrophe in Asia Minor. My grandfather, a Greek soldier, was captured by the Italian fascists in 1942 and taken to the Trepča camp in Kosovska Mitrovica together with 500 other Greeks. While in the camp, he found out that his entire family in Piraeus had died in the horrendous bombing by the German fascists so he decided to stay in Kosovo, Serbia. Like many Hellenic patriots, my grandfather insisted that we kept our full names, and as a third generation of Greeks in Serbia, I carry the Greek name. The former Greek School in Novi Sad testifies about the friendship, love and coexistence of our two nations throughout the territory of today's Serbia. The school was founded by the Greeks living in Novi Sad in the second half of the 18th century.

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NATIONAL DAYS

ARRI VALS & D E PA R T UR E S H.E. AMR ALJOWAILY New Egyptian Ambassador

in March

H.E. Amr Aljowaily is new Egypt’s Ambassador to Serbia, who presented copies of credentials on January 19th, 2018. Previously, he held various leading positions in multilateral negotiations including United Nations’ Special Committee on Peacekeeping, Peacekeeping of the African Group Experts, Disarmament of the Arab Group, UN Disarmament Commission, Chair of WTO’s Committee on Information Technology Agreement in 2007, etc.

Mr. Aljowaily’s previous diplomatic postings are New York, Geneva and Washington, DC. He served as Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for United Nations Affairs, Egypt, Director of UN Affairs, member of the Cabinets of the Minister and First Undersecretary and the departments of multilateral political and economic issues. He was also Coordinator of

International Relations at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. He started his career in print and broadcast journalism, and in research centers. He published analytical works on ICTs and International Relations, and continues to publish in the field of multilateral diplomacy, international peace and security.

His latest publication is an edited book titled “Serbia in Egyptian Eyes: Diplomatic Memories and Cultural Memoirs” due to be issued on January 17, 2018. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo (AUC), a MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a Post Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy from the University of Malta.

H.E. MUBARAK SAEED BURSHAID AL DHAHERI

HUNGARY

1848 Revolution Day

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IRELAND

St. Patrick's Day

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TUNISIA

Independence Day

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PAKISTAN

Declaration Day

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GREECE

Independence Day

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MALTA

Freedom Day

New Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Serbia

The second Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Belgrade presented the credentials to the President of the Republic of Serbia His Excellency Mr. Aleksandar Vucic on 16th of February, 2018. Al Dhaheri was born on the 18th of May 1970, he is married, and the father of 5 children. He holds Master’s degree of Administration, Science, Strayer University, Virginia, USA. In 2014 he obtained Master’s degree of Strategic Security, National Defense Collage, Abu Dhabi, UAE. During his career we has been present Advisor to the Chairman of the Executive Affairs

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Authority Abu Dhabi, and before that, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Labor of the UAE, Director of Legal Affairs in General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, Director of the Office of the Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Offset Programme Office “Mubadala” and Financial Supervisor for Abu Dhabi Electric and Water Authority. During the employment mentioned above H.E. Mr. Mubarak Saeed Burshaid Al Dhaheri participated in numerous important conferences and meetings in GCC, Arab countreis and internationally.

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H.E. NADA AL AKL

MILOŠ NEDELJKOVIĆ

New Lebanese Ambassador to Serbia

New member of the Executive Board of Sberbank Serbia in charge of banking operations and IT

Nada AL AKL is appointed new Lebanese Ambassador in Serbia.

She graduated from AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT (AUB), Beirut, Lebanon with Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance, in 1996. She continued working for Lebanese Foreign Service as the First Secretary, Embassy of Lebanon in Ottawa (Canada), First Secretary, Embassy of Lebanon in Amman (Jordan), Deputy Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Office & International

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Organizations in Geneva, Department of International Organizations, Conferences and Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants – Beirut, Consul General of Lebanon in Istanbul (Turkey), Chief of the Cabinet of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Beirut, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of Lebanon in Warsaw (Poland), Head of the Desk for Asia, Africa & Australia at the Department of Political and Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants – Beirut and finally Nicosia where she worked as Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Lebanon. She also participated in UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC & SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (UN-ESCWA) (Lebanon) in 1998 as a Programme Assistant, Programme Planning & Coordination Unit and AL IKTISSAD WAL AAMAL GROUP (Lebanon) in 1998 as a Financial Editor, Banking & Financial Sector Department.

Miloš Nedeljković has been appointed as a new member of the Executive Board of Sberbank Serbia in charge of banking operations and IT (COO). Since 2013 to date, he was the Head of the Department of Digital Banking and Partnership Development. Over the last four years, he has made a significant contribution to the transformation

and development of Sberbank's operations. Miloš Nedeljković was born in Belgrade, in 1974. He graduated from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering. He started his career in the banking sector in 2001. Miloš actively participated in all phases of digital banking development in the Republic of Serbia. He made a significant contribution to the development of payment card operations, including POS terminals and ATMs, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Direct Marketing. Upon joining Sberbank, Miloš sourced his motivation in the continuous improvement of products and services tailored to the needs of today's clients and accompanied by simple, reliable, efficient and user-friendly processes based on state-of-the-art technology solutions, which have distinguished Sberbank Serbia as an innovative customer-oriented bank.

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JELENA PAVLOVIĆ

ZORAN PETROVIĆ

PMI Services, New President of Steering Commitee of AmCham

CEO of Raiffeisen Bank a.d and the departing Chairman of the AmChamerican Chamber of Commerce's Managing Board

The General Assembly of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) presented the results of work in 2017, and the majority of the new Steering Committee was elected by the vote of the member companies. The former First Vice President Jelena Pavlović, Philip Morris International's Managing

Director, was elected President of the AmCham Board of Directors.

Jelena mastered International Law at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law. Before joining PMI, Jelena was engaged by the US Treasury and the World Bank in programs supporting reform of the banking and real sectors in Serbia.

In more than 13 years of experience with PMI, Jelena enjoyed an enriching cross-functional career in Serbia and abroad. She advanced through number of roles, including Director Corporate Affairs in 2010, Deputy Managing Director Serbia and Montenegro in early 2013 and Managing Director Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2015. As of January 1, 2016, Jelena was appointed Managing Director South East Europe, reflecting her exceptional performance track record as well as impressive portfolio of leadership skills.

Zoran Petrović graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade. He completed executive management program at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne. He is experienced banker with a long-standing track record at senior executive positions.

Mr. Petrović started career at the Economics Institute in Belgrade. In 1992 he joined Jugobanka, where he spent four years in Corporate and five years in Treasury Division. He joined Raiffeisen Bank in July 2001 as Head of Treasury and Investment Banking Division.

In 2005 he was appointed Member of the Managing Board. From 2007 to 2013 he held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board. In August 2013 Mr. Petrović was appointed Chairman of the Managing Board and in January 2016 he assumed CFO function.

Mr. Petrović is also and Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Serbian Banks. He is a founder of money market curve in RSD - Belibor&Beonia and one of key contributors to the development of Forex market in Serbia.

MAJO MIĆOVIĆ

YANA MIKHAILOVA

New SSCC President

CEO of Nestlé South East market – Adriatic region

Majo Mićović became a new SSCC President. He is a graduate fromFaculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, graduated IT engineer at TEKO business High School, Luzern, Switzerland and holds SIZ Schweizerisches Informatik-Zertifikat (English: Swiss Computer Science Certificated Engineer; Switzerland), bringing more than 20 years of high-level ICT global experience and start up development and investments.

Previously, he was a consultant and/or Board member in a number of current and past organizations: banks, insurance companies, public sector organizations, health care and food sector. Investee and executive officer in several current companies in the Region: Sky Express. leading ICT Security company (CEO), City Facility (leader in facility management in the Region, Board Director), Direktna Banka Serbia (one of the leading banks in Serbia, Advisor to Chairman of the Board), Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (Board member), IT Multimedia Global Director at one of the most successful global multimedia broadband startups in 1998-2002, The Fantastic Corpora-

Yana Mikhailova has been appointed to the position of CEO of Nestlé South East market– Adriatic region, Bulgaria and Romania, as of December 2017.

In addition to leading senior management position in the Nestlé company, Mrs. Mikhailova is a President of the important business association in Serbia - the Foreign Investors Council and from the beginning of 2018 she voluntarily withdrew from the presidential position of the Serbian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

Yana Mikhailova joined Nestlé in 1996 as Regional Sales Manager in Nestlé Russia and during these 20 years Mrs. Mikhailova led and contributed to the development of different businesses. As from 2000 Mrs. Mikhailova was in charge of marketing for Nestlé Confectionery Business in Russia. Afterwards she advanced to the position of Regional Director Nestlé Purina Petcare Russia, Ukraine & CIS region managing growth of pet food business in Eastern Europe. From 2012 to 2015, Mrs. Mikhailova was appointed to the position of CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Moldova, where she has significantly contributed to the

tion, empowering and managing successfully projects in more than 30 countries in the World. Thanks to Evolution Equity Partners Fund’s Consultant role, he was for 3 years involved in GDPR strategic and practical projects and developments. Starting November 2016 and onwards, actively supporting GDPR related projects in Serbia and Region, representing, selling and integrating GDPR certified ICT products and solutions like EPERI, DFLabs, Carbon Black, Onapsis, Logpoint and many others.

development of Nestlé in the region.

As of 2015, Mrs. Mikhailova joined Nestlé Adriatic on the position of CEO with operations in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

Yana Mikhailova holds diploma of Tomsk State University in Russia (biological department) and Novosibirsk State University (psychological department). Mrs. Mikhailova has a Russian Federation citizenship, she is married, has a daughter and a son.

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C O RPO RATE AOFI

Opportunity to Conquer New Markets The main objective of insuring claims is to protect exporters and enable them to continue their business

DEJAN VUKOTIĆ Director of the Serbian Export Credit and Insurance Agency a.d.

In the last 13 years, since its foundation as a state agency, the Serbian Export Credit and Insurance Agency (AOFI) has insured 1.6 billion EUR worth of claims of Serbian exporters. If we compare this to the results of similar institutions in the region and in the EU countries from Central and Eastern Europe, our goal is to insure about 5% of total exports annually. One of the Agency's basic tasks in the coming period is precisely to promote this product and its importance in the Serbian business community.

ated with delay or failure to pay due to insolvency or bankruptcy of the buyer. With the help of this product, the Agency can provide Serbian exporters with an additional opportunity to conquer new and retain existing markets.

The value of Serbian export last year was 13 billion EUR, and AOFI insured 2.3% of that amount. What would you consider a "healthy" percentage that would reflect the high awareness among exporters about the benefits of insurance?

— Undoubtedly, there is a large segment of potential export that remains unrealized because businesses are not sure whether their

from non-payment can be covered by the Agency. This is why an increasing number of clients (although still relatively small) use this service and therefore the percentage of insured exports has been increasing year-on-year.

The current percentage of insured claims is at the planned level. If we compare this to the results of similar institutions in the region and in the EU countries from Central and Eastern Europe, our goal is to insure about 5% of total exports annually and that is exactly what the Agency is aiming for.

Why are big companies still the most frequent users of AOFI services, although you also have

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The Agency has been more frequently allocating funds towards investment loans for export projects. How big are these investments and which economic segments do they cover?

— The Agency supports investment projects implemented by Serbian exporters through its guarantee programmes and the amounts vary from project to project. I have to say that the Agency does not support investment projects through direct lending, but in cooperation with banks.

Since its foundation, AOFI has insured 1.6 billion EUR worth of claims of Serbian exporters.

Still, your capacities are much bigger. Why are Serbian businesses reluctant to utilize them?

— Although collecting accounts receivable is one of the biggest problems that the Serbian economy has been facing after the onset of the global economic crisis, the majority of businesses still, unfortunately, view cinsurance of claims as an "unnecessary expense". It should be noted, however, that this financial instrument is still developing in our country and one of the basic tasks of the Agency, in the coming period, is precisely to promote this product and its importance in the Serbian business community The main objective of insuring claims is to protect exporters and enable them to continue their business. This is a strong support measure as it provides the coverage of the risks associ-

tioned, a product that only large multinational companies operating on the territory of the Republic of Serbia are familiar with. However, I must point out that since the Serbian Government and the Ministry of Economy have launched the campaigns 'The Year of Entrepreneurship’ and ‘The Decade of Entrepreneurship’, the Agency’s business, and therefore its portfolio, has completely changed in the credit and guarantee segment which is now dominated by small business owners and SMEs.

You have insured close to 2,500 foreign buyers for the benefit of Serbian companies. How much do changes in their structure speak in favour of the diversification of the Serbian export?

THE AGENCY SUPPORTS INVESTMENT PROJECTS OF SERBIAN EXPORTERS THROUGH ITS GUARANTEE PROGRAMMES goods or services will be paid for.

Our product (insurance of claims or receivables) greatly helps them in alleviating or eliminating this obstacle in further expansion of their export activities, since any problem that could potential arise

attractive offers for SMEs?

— By observing the overall portfolio of the Agency, which includes all of its products and services, it is evident that large companies dominate, mostly because of insurance which is, as I have already men-

— All economic indicators point to the fact that Serbian export has been growing. Serbian products are present in an increasing number of foreign markets. Although products from the automotive industry and agriculture still dominate, are no longer the only ones that our country exports. The increasing export of IT services, as well as in other industrial branches, is quite evident, and all of this changes and increases our client portfolio. The ever growing number of companies that we insure on behalf of our clients, as well as the growing range of industries in which these companies operate, point to an increasingly diversified export.

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T H E E CO N O M IS T ’ S G L A S S - CE IL IN G IN DE KS

The Best—and Worst—Places to be a Working Woman America rises in the ranking, Germany falls and the #MeToo movement makes its mark in South Korea

“Press for progress” is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8th. As our sixth glass-ceiling index shows, disparity between countries remains wide. But women have made some progress towards equality in the workplace in the past year.

The index ranks the best and worst countries to be a working woman. Each score is based on average performance in ten indicators: educational attainment, labour-market attachment, pay, child-care costs, maternity and paternity rights, business-school applications and representation in senior jobs (in managerial positions, on company boards and in parliament).

Equality-conscious Nordics typically do well while workplace parity for women in Japan, South Korea and Turkey still lags badly. America under President Donald Trump rose from 20th to 19th place thanks in part to a higher female labour-force participation rate. This year Sweden ranks first, scoring well in female labour-force participation, which is over 80%,

and the share of women in parliament (44%).

Women broadly lifted their presence in the workplace. There has been an increase in the share of women in the labour force, with a tertiary education and of those taking business-school entrance exams, which are a pipeline for senior executive jobs. Yet advances may be slower than expected. MSCI, a financial-data firm, has pushed back its estimate by a year to 2028 for when the global share of women on boards will hit 30% (the figure is now 17.3%).

Countries at the bottom of our index show signs of change in cultural attitudes. Last year

the Global Summit of Women, a business and economic gathering of over 1,300 leaders from 60-odd countries, was held in Japan for the first time. The #MeToo movement, a social-media campaign against sexual assault and harassment, arrived in South Korea with fervour.

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour against senior prosecutors, chaebol owners and board members there have since come to light as more women are feeling empowered.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

Economist.com

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55

C O RPO RATE

UNIQA Osiguranje

Client in the Focus of Any Business Decision UNIQA occupies the leading position in the private health insurance segment where we have been recording constant growth year-on-year

GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ UNIQA Osiguranje

Our business is stable, which is confirmed by the fact that the company has been among the top five leading insurers since our arrival on the Serbian market.

While following the vision of our group and constantly trying to fulfill the demands of the modern way of living, we have achieved great success and have became leaders in innovation.

We can see that the insurance market in Serbia and the region has been consolidating while the number of insurance companies has been decreasing. What is UNIQA Osiguranje's strategy and are you contemplating acquiring some of the weaker insurance companies?

— Each company adapts its business strategy to the conditions in which it operates. If the market is prosperous, the number of companies that see the market as conducive to their growth increases.

On the other hand, there are also companies that make a complete opposite desicision, i.e. to withdraw from such market. The strategy of UNIQA Group, under which we operate, was such that we came to the Serbian market after we acquired Zepter Insurance. In early 2014,

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UNIQA also acquired another company – Basler Insurance - both in Serbia and Croatia. So far, the total amount of our investments in Serbia has exceeded 70 million euros.

Our strategy remains unchanged and it focuses on the development and expansion of voluntary types of insurance, with the exception of the liability insurance segment. We are observing and intently listening to the market and we are on a lookout for investment opportunities. If relevant conditions are met, we are ready to invest in business expansion.

A transparent legislative framework and insurance promotion campaigns both aim to change people's attitude towards insur-

about all the benefits it brings.

One of the important parts of this mission is certainly protecting the rights and interests of our clients. Therefore, we strive to carefully prepare all our policies and to use clear and direct communication that is easy for everyone to understand. All our potential clients can use the benefits of pre-contractual consulations through which they can inform themselves about all the elements that are important for making a decision before purchasing insurance in a very simple and comprehensible manner Having regulation that fully protects client interests and rights will be one of the biggest challenges in the future. It is a well-known fact that the pool of information and the size of required documentation are constantly growing while, on the other hand, our clients have less time and would like to have a quicker and simpler way of purchasing insurance. This is why we

ALMOST 80% OF ALL OFFERS AND POLICIES ARE COMPLETED VIA WEB APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED INTERNALLY AND CAN BE IMMEDIATELY DELIVERED ONLINE, AT THE CLIENT'S REQUEST ance. Do you think that the Serbian insurance market has been progressing and growing?

— As a company that puts its clients in the centre of every business decision we make, we try to fulfill all of their expectations on a daily basis. Our sales advisers are available to citizens 24 hours a day to deal their concerns. This is just one of the ways in which we, as a company, tend to promote insurance and educate the population

are trying to ensure that our clients can purchase certain insurance policies in our webshop too.

How satisfied are you with your company's business and how can the company have an even better market position?

— The insurance market, which comprises of 15 insurance companies, where 35% of the total premium is compulsory car insurance, 8% life insurance, 7% household

insurance, about 2% private health insurance, and where online purchases are under 1%, where clients are naturally inclined to buy insurance mainly in insurance offices, and where the annual insurance premium per capita is under 110 euros, are all clear indicators of the prevalent conditions in this market. Despite operating in a such conservative and traditional business, our strong team that consists of young, creative people who are ready to tackle everyday challenges, have achieved success and are willing to make a step forward to find new solutions and innovations, is our greatest accomplishment. We are proud of the fact that we are a company which, thanks to its services and a recognizable brand, stands out among the competition.

UNIQA occupies the leading position in the private health insurance segment where we have been recording constant growth year-on-year. Our clients greatly value what makes us so unique in this market, and that is that our insurance policy is accepted in over 600 private and state healthcare institutions all over Serbia, where our clients don't have wait for their checkup and for their chosen doctor to see them. Depending on the terms and conditions of their insurance policy, only in UNIQA Osiguranje clients have an annual budget of 2 million euros at their disposal for treatments abroad.

UNIQA is also No 1 in the travel insurance segment. In addition to selling travel insurance in a traditional way, UNIQA also has a website where clients can purchase travel insurance online 24/7.

We have recently started selling home insurance online too.

UNIQA Insurance has already

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positioned itself as the leader in Affinity insurance, i.e. simple insurance with low premiums that are tied to and sold together with certain products and services, but also individually.

Global device manufacturers want insurers to provide them with insurance policies "with the purchased device" in all countries in our and other regions. They implement their sales polices on the regional principle (the same campaign and the same activities for the whole region), and they have recognized that UNIQA Osiguranje can be their reliable partner in all countries of our region.

How important is digitalization for insurers and what is your approach to this challenge?

— Since its arrival to Serbia, UNIQA Osiguranje has been doing a lot on introducing new technologies and digitizing all business segments.

Since 2009, our sales network can conclude insurance contracts through web applications. Each sales agent is equipped with the necessary technology which enables them to complete the sales process in a quick and easy way in the location that suits the client the most. At the same time, we transferred most of the back office applications to web-based applications, which enabled us to work from remote locations, and gave us a greater flexibility and ability to better service our customers. Every beneficiary of our private health insurance can access our web portal My MedUNIQA Insurance via their own account and actively monitor how much of their policy coverage have they spent.

In the upcoming period, we are definitely going to work on increasing our product offer on this platform. Our clients can report a damage, and leave a complaint or a commentary on our website in a fast and efficient manner. At the same time, our parent company has been working a lot on digitalization of our operations and implementation of new platforms, which will be of assistance to all our employees and will facilitate a better service for our clients through the use of the artificial intelligence modules.

Technological development has improved both the processes and communication, but has also substantially changed the value system. Everything happens fast and immediately. Some industries are based on traditional values such as trust, loyalty, and high

FOR YEARS, UNIQA HAS BEEN THE LEADER IN THE BANKING INSURANCE SEGMENT, AND WE PLAN TO CONTINUE IN THIS FASHION moral standards, and this is built over time and through consistent action. Insurance is one of them.

You have recently received a prestigious award „The Entrepreneur of the Year in Insurance Industry in Eastern Europe“ from the London-based organization, European CEO. How big of a motivation are such awards for you to become even more successful?

— UNIQA Osiguranje’s goal is to be the No 1 in the market in terms of the quality of service. To this end, this company is implementing the mission of modern, strategic management, efficient and professional operations and the provision of services that are on par with European standards.

I am proud to have found myself in a selected company of the best in Europe. Nevertheless, I like to point out that team is the

most important factor in building a successful business. Every day, we work together to put the client in the centre of every decision we make, to constantly innovate, to create services and products to suit the modern man, and to constantly grow and expand our business.

Considering the challenging times in which we operate today, but also the demanding insurance market, I can say with certainty that the greatest challenge is to maintain the quality and reputation that UNIQA Osiguranje has. This, like other awards we have won as a team, gives us additional motivation, but is also an added responsibility for me as a leader.

For past 12 years, UNIQA Osiguranje has always started each new business year by investing in humanitarian projects all over Serbia. What are your plans for 2018 in this regard?

ABOUT UNIQA OSIGURANJE — UNIQA Osiguranje is the leader in travel, private health insurance, and bank security. It operates in 36 branches, as well as at more than 400 outlets throughout Serbia, with the support of more than 500 employees. Through day-to-day, demanding work with clients, UNIQA insurance employees are the brand ambassadors, the company's face and those who represent the work and values of the company in the best way. Each of the next step and each goal fulfilled depends on them.

— This year, we are also continuing with this charitable tradition and we have donated funds in the total amount of 1,500,000 dinars to institutions for children without parental care and children with disabilities Veternik, the Duško Radović organization from Niš for the purchase of needed electrical appliances, medical accessories and equipment, as well as to the Kulina Hospice for the purchase of hygiene products. We have also donated funds for scholarships for students from Dr. Milorad Pavlović Children Village from Sremska Kamenica, while SOS Children Village in Kraljevo was given air-condititoning. Additionally, we have donated money to the SOS telephone for the victims of violence which this organization needs in order to continue working.

UNIQA Osiguranje’s employees have also joined in the charitable activities by donating sweets and books to the children from the aforementioned institutions so that the can start a new year on a positive note. The UNIQA team collected almost 300kg of sweets that will be distributed to children institutions all over Serbia.

In just under 12 years, which is how long we have been operating in the Serbian market, UNIQA Osiugranje has spent over 85 million dinars on corporate social responsibility projects. In the last few years, the company has been recognized for its dedicated charity work thanks to which we received the Business Planet Award in 2017.

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C O RPO RATE

Coca-Cola Company Serbia

Consumers are in the Heart of the Coca-Cola Company’s Business We are aware of the role our drinks have in people’s daily lives

ABHAY PARNERKAR General Manager of The Coca-Cola Company Serbia

Abhay Parnerkar has been with the company for more than 16 years.

His professional journey has led him from his native India through Africa to Serbia providing him with extensive experience and understanding of different markets. During this time, he’s been able to witness how one of the world’s biggest beverage companies changes, evolves and innovates over the years with determination to always be one step ahead of the consumers’ ever-growing needs and changes in taste preferences.

In 2017, Coca-Cola continued its evolution into a total beverage company. What is your global philosophy? How does it change?

— Coca-Cola is very much aware of the changes in both global and local consumer behavior, and all those changes induced changes within the company, its perception of the market and the entire industry. Our consumers are at the heart of what we do, which resulted with some amazing innovations and new products.

The overall philosophy is that the company is focusing on driving revenue growth by building and bringing to market “consumer-centric” brands – including more low- and no-sugar options and drinks in emerging categories as the iced-teas, enhanced waters, plant-based milk, etc. We’ll see many of these coming to Serbia and the first one that was intro-

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duced into the market in January was Fuzetea, a complete innovation when it comes to ready-todrink teas. In the coming period new products will be introduced to the Serbian market that will up the game both for us and the competitors.

Coca-Cola Sugar is already a staple and the new formula introduced last year has helped it make many new fans. Many of our products on Serbian market which contain sugar will be reformulated in near future as well and offer consumers an even wider choice.

You’ve also introduced Our Way Forward strategy, can you tell us more about what it means?

In what aspects are these global changes affecting your business model in Serbia and the Balkan?

— Consumer preferences have changed as well as their daily habits when it comes to food and beverages they’re purchasing. We hear and the WHO recommendation that consumption of too much sugar isn’t good for anyone and agree with them. We are adjusting our business strategy to World Health Institutions recommendations and give people around the world more of the drinks which can contribute their daily nutrition management. We became a part of the solution in global and local fight against obesity.

As the result of increased researches, the company is taking added sugar out of its drinks across the portfolio by reformulating existing beverages while preserving the taste consumer’s love, and by rolling out low-/no-sugar brands across the globe. Expanding availability of smaller packages like mini cans is another top priority.

We have introduced numerous reformulated beverages which includes natural sweetener Stevia, as well as an array of low or no calorie beverages – Coca-Cola Zero sugar, Sprite, Fanta Zero and many more. In Serbia, we introduced Sprite with 78% less calories than before, in Fuzetea up to 30% of sugar is substituted with stevia,

— We’re more than successfully bringing innovations such as WOAH mobile app for teens that provides them with unique, personalized and locally relevant content they’re interested in. So far, WOAH app has more than 50.000 downloads and we have recently started airing first vertical series specially made for mobile phones, which makes WOAH very unique content hub for teens.

Likewise, we’ve just launched the local version of Coca-Cola Journey website, a digital hub that provides company news and activities in a way that is very engaging for readers and Coca-Cola fans.

Together with these digital innovations, we’re constantly inspired by what Serbia has to offer and it is reflected in our portfolio, the latest addition being three new flavors for neXt, pear, raspberry and grapes.

What is the role of the global company like yours in enhancing domestic capacities in the field of industrial production and innovation?

— We are using the latest technologies and recipes and together with some very devoted employees this is what contributes to us being the leaders. At the same time

E-COMMERCE How is Coca-Cola Embracing the e-commerce Revolution??

— Ecommerce gives companies the opportunity to reach people using their mobile devices in their homes and due to the popularity of the Coca-Cola’s products this channel even boosts the growth among online retailers.

One of the company’s priorities is to adapt to the changing retail landscape and use technology in its favor, without foregoing the traditional retail, so it is partnering with many progressive tech companies and delivering some interesting and innovative shopping experiences for our consumers.

wherever our operations are situated we do our business in a way that leaves a minimal impact on the surrounding environment, which is not always easy to achieve but we consider it to be of strategic importance. Exactly this reflects our efforts to keep innovating constantly reducing energy consumption, resources consumption, introducing new standards for our suppliers and making improvements for the entire value chain.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability are an indispensable part of Coca-Cola culture.

What activities are to be in your focus over the next five years?

— Our approach begins with an understanding of needs of communities we’re operating in, so we can align our business interests with the interests of communities and work as partners to make meaningful social impact.

In Serbia, Youth programs and female empowerment programs are something that we see as our way of enabling a better future together through education and creating new job opportunities. “The Future for 5” a locally implemented program for high school children has involved in just one year as many as 5.260 students from around 70 schools from 11 towns all over Serbia. These students attended more than 230 different workshops and lectures that will hopefully help them in making decisions about their professional future.

One of The Coca-Cola Company’s strategic priorities is water replenishment. Although the initial plan was for the company to safely return to communities and nature an amount of water equal to what we use in our finished beverages by 2020., on a global level it was achieved even earlier. Consumers around the world want and expect global companies like ours to be leaders and help make a litter-free world possible. Through our ‘World Without Waste’ vision, we are investing in our planet and in our packaging to help make the world’s packaging challenges a thing of the past.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

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C O RPO RATE Eurobank

Healthy and Stable Business Model

In addition to no less important regulation, consumer education is necessary and very significant, namely showing consumers how to utilize new channels that are fast, secure, cheaper and comfortable to use

SLAVICA PAVLOVIĆ President of the Executive Board, Eurobank

Every bank has different priorities, but I think that we are all moving in the same direction which is providing our clients with a quick service, or, in other words, giving them the best possible service as quickly as possible. In 2018, we expect further growth, both in our retail and corporate sector, improved services and further digitalization of our products - says Slavica Pavlović, President of the Executive Board, Eurobank.

Eurobank in Serbia achieved good results in 2017, recording a growth in both lending and profit. How satisfied are you with the achieved results?

— In 2017, we achieved a close to 10% growth of our loan portfolio.

We are proud of the fact that we also recorded growth in our retail and corporate sector. The bank's net profit in 2017 was just over 20 million EUR before taxes, and we expect the profit to grow to between 23 to 25 million EUR in 2018. We do not expect a spectacular boost in profits. The market is competitive, and banks continue to compete against each other with interest rates, which are at the historical minimum. We also expect a further economic growth in the country. We need private investments that we can finance, as well as to encourage the development of entrepreneurship.

My expectations for 2018 are further growth which implies a further increase in the profits

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which is something that banks have been struggling with in recent years. If we analyze the results of the banking sector in 2017, we could see that profits came largely from a decrease in the level of reserves. Revenues, as such, do not show a significant increase, and this remains the biggest challenge for us.

Switching to cashless payments is one of the ways to combat shadow economy. How important is it to raise awareness among people and educate the market about the benefits of cashless payments?

— The relevant regulation and educating clients are two key things, as are joint coordinated activities between the state and businesses entities in the market.

Switching to cashless payment is one of the tools that contributes to combating shadow economy.

Therefore, it is necessary that all of us, who are in the market - namely the state that drafts regulation, banks and technology companies - work together to educate consumers about the benefits of cashless payments. I do not think that we are lagging behind the developed countries in Europe in terms of the development and application of new services, but we have to understand that the use of cash is embedded in our society. For instance, the millennials prefer paying their bills via PayPal and we should definitely develop services aimed at this target group.

In addition to educating the population and our clients, regulation is also very important. State's initiatives, such as e-government, are good but we need to take a step further. Consumers should develop a habit of using electronic services, just like they have developed

MY EXPECTATIONS FOR 2018 ARE FURTHER GROWTH WHICH IMPLIES A FURTHER INCREASE IN THE PROFITS WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT BANKS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH IN RECENT YEARS

a habit of paying for parking via a text message.

Habits of both consumers and companies have been changing with the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and the use of artificial intelligence. What is the banking sector going to look like in the future?

— There was a lot of talk about the arrival of new market players in the segment of payment transactions. We should cooperate with these companies because this is an opportunity for us to develop new types of services and offer them to the market. It is certainly a good opportunity for banks too to develop new services and their creativity. When fintech companies enter the market, all banks should view that as a challenge.

The banking industry in Serbia already offers all the services that are available in Europe, and this will be a big challenge for us, as well as an incentive to expand digital services and offer more novelties to our clients. Of course, we should not neglect the personal contact with our clients, because artificial intelligence cannot replace the advice and the service that our staff can give to them.

What are Eurobank's future plans in terms of developing the existing and new services?

— We are planning to further improve of our product and service offer in order to meet the everyday needs of our clients, along with having a stable and healthy business model. We will pay special attention to improving our retail and SME segment, but also to maintaining strong presence in the corporate sector by providing support to our existing clients. The expansion of the customer base and an increase in business volume are our priorities.

Also, digitalization of our products and services in retail and corporate banking, as well as the improvement of user experience, are the integral parts of our strategy.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

C O RPO RATE

Delhaize Serbia

Digital Revolution is Also Happening in Serbia

QUENTIN ROYER COO of Delhaize Serbia

In today's modern world, where everything happens at such a high speed, changes have become an integral part of business; changes that create new opportunities to get even closer to customers, to have more solid relationships with partners and suppliers, and last but certainly not least, to be there for your employees who represent the company's driving force.

Concurrently, digital revolution is at our door and it will fundamentally change the way we live, work and communicate with each other. Digitalization is something that has already entered our lives.

It makes life simpler and faster, therefore, the reaction from from stakeholders, the public and the private sector to academia and civil society, must be comprehensive and quick.

As a result of digital revolution, people will turn to services, and store employees will be given more information about products through one click.

Owing to digitalization, retail sector is changing, the digital influence is growing and consumers now expect a new kind of shopping experience. Customers want this kind of service, they expect trust, and want to have a good neighbour. We, at Maxi supermarkets, are striving to be just that. Our customers are making a great use of Ebay, Google and other applications, they know what is going

on around the world, they want to keep up with the latest developments and have all of that in their neighborhood too.

Our company, Delhaize Serbia will help them to meet their expectations because we have responsibility towards them and the community we operate in. We are going to continue with our business as the market leader. Digitalization will connect consumers to shops.

For example, when someone goes into a shop, they will be detected and they are going to receive the

the previous year. Electronic commerce is booming even in the food market. In Serbia, 65% of citizens use smartphones. This is a great potential, and here lies the opportunity that we will use because we want to invest to benefit the consumers and improve the Maxi Online platform.

Digital transformation in retail creates new opportunities to include consumers during their decision-making process. You have to keep offering new products in your stores, closely follow consumer habits and educate them, but also help them to choose healthier options, and support them in their ever growing need to follow all the trends relating to healthier lifestyle.

OWING TO DIGITALIZATION, RETAIL SECTOR IS CHANGING, THE DIGITAL INFLUENCE IS GROWING AND CONSUMERS NOW EXPECT A NEW KIND OF SHOPPING EXPERIENCE best offer for the groceries they want on their mobile phones. In line with all these changes, we have invested heavily in an online platform that is efficient and contemporary. Online sales in Maxi have been growing on a daily basis. The number of online orders has increased by 50% compared to

You need to be constantly innovative. Innovation yields progress, and it creates and maintains competitiveness. At the highest level of development, when the economy is led by innovation, the only way to achieve competitiveness is through having a new and unique product that encourages compa-

nies to use innovative, contemporary production techniques.

Investing in growth and modernization is very important for us. Annually, we invest about 30 million euros in network expansion, reorganization, and IT. Last year, we invested 3 million euros in technological advancement.

We also invested in food trucks that now comply with the highest standards of food safety. Our priorities are to maintain our leadership position, to operate in accordance with a sustainable business model and to digitalize business processes. We are developing a sustainable retail concept that includes healthier food, less unused food and a safe and inclusive working environment.

Last year, we implemented SAP and, in the coming period, we are going to continue investing in the digital segment. Delhaize is also developing e-commerce and additional business methods which will facilitate the purchase of food products for customers of the 21st century.

Serbia has educated young people, ready to create a new world.

Only 2,000 students graduate in information technology or in a similar major, while Serbia and the region still need at least 30,000 IT specialists annually. In the coming decades, most of today's professions will disappear, while some new ones will emerge. Hence, education is the most important task for the Serbian government. The cooperation with local startups in the digital sector is very important as it represents the future. Our company plans to invest in this segment too.

Serbia has a good foundation for fast digital development, but the infrastructure, organization and human resources have to be further improved to enable the national economy to achieve dynamic long-term development.

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C O RPO RATE VODAVODA

We Have a Winning Brand Our mission is to offer a product that has the perfect composition and the perfect design, first of all in Serbia and then the rest of world. This is where our biggest advantage lies

of VODAVODA in the future? After acquiring Laroucci Water, do you now have enough capacity to satisfy the market needs?

VOJIN DJORDJEVIĆ Creator of the VODAVODA brand

When everybody finds out what kind of treasure has Banja Vrujci been hiding all these years, there is no doubt in our mind that we will again make it to the top in the flat mineral water segment – says Vojin Djordjevic, the creator of the VODAVODA brand, with whom we talked about the brand's current position in the market.

What is VODAVODA's current share in the domicile and foreign market?

— The market presence of VODAVODA is growing by the day, not only in the domicile but also in foreign markets, above all thanks to our reliable partners. In addition to being present in the markets of Singapore and Korea, last year we launched in two more countries - Kuwait and Qatar. This year, we expect to finalize the negotiations with Saudi Arabia, and in a few months' time, we will be able to launch in Vietnam too. I also hope to obtain access to large markets such as the People's Republic of China and Russia soon.

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The market conditions have changed drastically mainly because our two largest water producers were acquired by multinational companies and investment funds. In 2004, when VODAVODA was launched, it had a 30% market share thanks its natural properties, high quality and good design.

— Nowadays, just merely surviving in the market, side by side with powerful companies, is a huge success in itself regardless of product quality. Our mission is to offer a product that has the perfect composition and the perfect design, first of all in Serbia and then the rest of world. This is where our biggest advantage lies. The market did change since the time when VODAVODA was the second most popular water in the country, but our mission remains to speak the truth about the quality we possess, and to offer consumers freedom of choice. VODAVODA has important quality certificates - from the NSF (which gives us permission to sell in the US) to the Medical Faculty in Belgrade from which we have obtained an official opinion about the impact that our water has on human health. This is what sets us apart from the competition.

— As artesian water, VODAVODA belongs to the category of the world's finest water, and this has been globally recognized. The Middle Eastern market, where we have had the biggest success, where the brand is well received, and which has the biggest demand for our water, is a validation that product quality is the most important. We have sufficient production capacities, and following the re-purchase of the facility that was illegally taken from us ten years ago, we now have enough storage space. Although I prefer to call it loading space because everything we produce we immediately sell, and we have no stock.

You are one of the few domicile companies that has managed to develop a clearly recognizable

brand. Why aren't there more recognizable brands in our country?

— Our country has very few products that are recognizable worldwide. The main reason for this is that the global production is not at such a high level as it was before, and everything can be produced nowadays, including water. It is hard for domestic producers to be competitive, which also makes it difficult to think in global terms in the very beginning. Given that natural mineral water is a scarce commodity globally, and that we have exactly such water, as well as good design which is very important, and a vision of the future, we have invested a lot and continue to invest in order to make the brand recognizable worldwide . There are still good water brands in Serbia, but it is very challenging, if not impossible, to survive alongside multinational companies that have unlimited marketing resources.

OUR MARKETING BUDGET IS MUCH SMALLER, BUT WE HAVE THE PERSEVERANCE AND BELIEF THAT THE QUALITY OF CONTENT AND BRAND STRENGTH ARE SUCH THAT VODAVODA WILL CONTINUE TO GROW

Which markets do you see as the most interesting for the launch

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

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More than reasons to visit the Kornati NP

Photo: Najada Diving

The Kornati archipelago comprises of 150 islands, islets and cliffs which make the most diverse island group in the Mediterranean.

Due to the exceptionally beautiful landscape, interesting geomorphology, quite indented coastline, and especially plentiful biocenoses of the marine ecosystem, 89 of these islands make the Kornati National Park.

Public Institution Kornati National Park

Butina 2, HR - 22243 Murter • Tel: +385 (0)22 435 740 www.np-kornati.hr • kornati@np-kornati.hr kornati_national_park

Kornati National Park

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C O RPO RATE

Pirot Free Zone

We are Developing Together With Corridor 10

Year-on-year, the Pirot Free Zone has been receiving awards as the best free zone in Serbia, and one of the best in Europe and the world. The new project called the Pirot Logistics Centre, implemented by the town of Pirot and the Pirot Free Zone, will enable the companies in the free zone to have simpler and more flexible operations

DRAGAN KOSTIĆ Director of the Pirot Free Zone

We are talking to Dragan Kostić, Director of the Pirot Free Zone, about the opportunities that the completion of the construction of Corridor 10 will create for Pirot and the Pirot Free Zone and what this means for further development of the zone itself.

"The previous activities on the construction of the Corridor 10 have had a significant impact on the development of the local economy. Also, the construction of the Niš-Bulgaria segment of this Corridor will have a significant impact on the further development of the Pirot Free Zone and will contribute to better accessibility of the zone, in addition to establishing better connections with companies from the surrounding area," Kostić says. „Based on the existing studies, the construction of the motorway near the Pirot Free Zone will contribute to a significant increase in the number of domestic and international transporter companies, which is something that and the Free Zone can benefit from“, Kostić adds.

Could you tell us more about the logistics centre and its synergetic effects on the Free Zone's operations?

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— The new project, called the Pirot Logistics Centre, implemented by the town of Pirot and the Pirot Free Zone, will help zone users to quickly transship goods from rail to trucks and vice versa, connecting them with other intermodal nodes of Southeast Europe. This will improve the existing transport links between the industrial zone in Pirot and ports such as Varna, Bourgas, Thessaloniki, Smederevo, Constanta and other intermodal hubs in Southeast Europe and the world.

Also, the intermodal terminal will create new jobs and expedite the economic development of the Free Zone and the surrounding area, while the indirect benefits will be much more extensive in

needs of investors and what are your further plans for its development?

— The Pirot Free Zone was founded in 1998, when it spanned 17 hectares of land. Today it covers an area of 122 hectares, and our plan is to expand it to 450 hectares, in the close proximity to the Corridor 10. The Zone is currently occupied by 120 companies, out of which 20 is engaged in production.

The freight forwarding department of the Pirot Free Zone, which has all customs clearance licenses, enables a very quick realization of the import and export procedures.

The fact that we have a customs official and customs examination terminal at our premises also boosts our efficiency. Furthermore,

BY BUILDING THE LOGISTICS CENTRE WITH AN INTERMODAL TERMINAL, ALL LOGISTIC SERVICES WILL BE NOW CONCENTRATED IN ONE PLACE, AND WE WILL INFRASTRUCTURALLY REGULATE THE LAND TO PREPARE IT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF FACTORIES, WAREHOUSES AND RELATED FACILITIES terms of reducing the number of traffic accidents, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, and traffic jams. Furthermore, the project will facilitate transport efficiency and promote modernization of railway infrastructure in Serbia.

To what extent do the Zone's do current capacities meet the

we have a parking lot for trucks with provided security services.

In addition to this, we organize domestic and international transport, and provide warehouse and transshipment services.

We are connected to the local self-government, government and customs authorities, all with the aim of providing good ad-

ministrative support to our users.

As a result of meeting the needs of businesses, and continuously working on improving the business conditions for domestic and foreign companies in the Zone we have established the District Chamber of Commerce in Pirot, the first of its kind in Serbia. We had a great feedback from businesses which understood our desire to service them at the local level. In just 5 months, the District Chamber of Commerce in Pirot has brought together a number of domestic businesses and laid the foundation for cooperation with various associations and chambers in the country and abroad.

At the 21st AFZA free zone conference, which took place late last year, the Pirot Free Zone received 5 awards. Could you tell us more about these awards and their effects on further development of your business?

— In the last few years, the Pirot Free Zone has been considered the best free zone in Serbia and one of the best in Europe and the world. Last year, for the fifth consecutive time, we were ranked high by fDi magazine, a business magazine published by the Financial Times. In terms of export support, the Pirot Free Zone is one of the two zones that are thought to provide the best possible support to the companies that operate in them. As a result of this, we have received an export support award.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

C O RPO RATE TeleGroup

We have Solutions for Digitalization Challenges We share our knowledge and flexible business style with our clients in order to help them to adapt their business processes to emerging changes in information technology

DIANA GLIGORIJEVIĆ CMO, TeleGroup

TeleGroup has been growing and progressing for years because it is one of the first companies to implement innovative ICT technologies in our region. We are talking to Diana Gligorijević, CMO of TeleGroup, about the challenges of digitalization for the domestic business sector and citizens.

What does promoting digitalization mean in practice for business users and state structures in the region, and what kind of changes in their everyday work they need to carry out? What projects are you currently working on in Serbia and the region?

— Digitalization of our society and economy is one of the greatest ongoing tasks and challenges that we all have to tackle together and successfully complete in the coming years. We have experienced an exponential increase in the amount of data about every change in an environment which have been recorded with a digital code.

Business results of all companies will depend on the degree of their integration into the new digital world during the fourth industrial revolution.

This means that the changes will affect all economies and countries of the world, including our region which countries have the opportunity to adapt to the technological changes more quickly than others, and, by doing so, compensate for the economic decline in the last decades, as well as to generate more than just eco-

nomic surplus that will be created in the new ecosystem.

Technology has also made it possible for all citizens to increasingly participate in public life.

Social media, e-government and digital identities are just some of the examples of changes that state bodies have been implementing.

Creation of smart and safe cities, better quality and longer lifespan, and a reduced impact of polarization of power and wealth are all changes that are expected to happen at the global and local level. However, a third of current occupations and jobs will disappear due to automation, and both individuals and societies will have to learn and be flexible just like during previous industrial

systems in the city of Belgrade and on the motorways in the Republic of Srpska, digitalization of radio systems in the power industry, airports and oil industry, digitalization of agricultural production through the AgroLife platform developed by TeleGroup engineers, and many others.

Your Infosec conferences are particularly focused on the systemic introduction of cybercrime protection mechanisms.

What solutions do you offer to your customers in this segment?

— The Infosec conference has become TeleGroup’s brand in Cyber Security. The conference was launched with the aim of boosting the information security in the

the most important resource of each state, as well as to the existence of increasingly sophisticated threats in cyber space, which could jeopardize the stability of the regional economy and societies.

TeleGroup’s security solutions contain a complete portfolio of solutions for protection of network resources, databases, web applications, remote desktop or mobile devices, e-mail systems and the like, as well as the solutions for the protection of power systems and SCADA systems, which has been a very popular topic recently, protection of information systems in healthcare institutions and hospitals, and the protection of digital business practices for business and government entities.

The new ICT technology market is known for having significant innovations emerging on a daily basis, unlike other industrial sectors, which can change market competitiveness in a very short amount of time. How do you cope with such market conditions and what innovative solutions are you working on now?

THE INFOSEC CONFERENCE HAS BECOME TELEGROUP’S BRAND IN CYBER SECURITY, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IT SECURITY EVENTS IN THE WESTERN BALKAN REGION revolutions. Since its inception, TeleGroup has been the synonym for constant learning and advancement in a flexible manner.

Some of our current projects include TeleMedicine, which enables a quicker and more efficient access to specialist medical examinations for patients, intelligent transport

Western Balkan region and quickly became one of the most important IT security events in this region.

As an IT company dealing with security technologies, we wanted to support the efforts of regional IT associations in drawing attention of state structures and the general public to information security as

— TeleGroup has been growing and progressing over the years because it has been implementing innovative ICT technologies among the first in our region. Our company has been working hard on Internet of Things solutions that can increase revenue in different industries; from smart sensors that will be embedded in many devices in the coming years, through to transport layer and software for the sensor-generated management and analysis data. Our software development engineers are creating innovative, special-purpose applications for clients which then use them to boost their market competitiveness.

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C O RPO RATE

Belmax Group

Keeping Trade Development Through Difficult Years

After a story in December about Belmax Center, unique trade and logistic center in Serbia specialized for fashion goods wholesale, we tried to meet better Belmax Group and its activities. It was very interesting experience

Among other things, we found out that Belmax Center is one of the youngest companies in Belmax group. Entire group is very good example of trade relations and care for customers and SouthEast Europe market.

In four different market areas, Belmax companies showed how commitment to customer needs and dedication to business can deal with market changes and economy shakes.

As the oldest of four companies in group, Safran is one of the

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biggest wholesale companies in Serbia in field of shoes. For more than twenty years this brand serves to millions of customers in former Yugoslavia. Network with hundreds of shops which distribute Safran products spreads even to Poland. Each collection counts more than 500 different models of shoes for women, men and children which shows the best size of shoe market and variation of assortment.

On the other hand, Diplon, although company with much different products, has same business method – following market trends and customer needs.

Working both in wholesale and retail, for over a decade, Diplon products found its place in millions of homes around Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary and Germany.

During 2017 this company presented rebranded branch Diplon Kupatila, renewed its showroom and exhibited new series of sanitary ware and bathroom faucets, fixtures and accesories on South-East Europe Belgrade Building Expo.

History of successful business is characterized exactly by monitoring trends in the industry, good

ratio between price and quality, new products and professional team ready for cooperation at all levels of business. Beside wholesale and retail network, Diplon Kupatila provides service, transport and designer and architect support in creating complete solutions for customers bathroom.

The youngest of all Belmax Group companies, founded in 2017, Belmax Electric started distributing elevators, escalators and spare parts. Day by day, this company gains attention of Serbian clients.

Professional team dedicates special attention to strict quality control in order to provide best quality and satisfy needs of each client.

With long history and experience and great cooperation with Chinese factories and exporters, DHL and other logistic services, all resources finally connected into one group which stands out as very strong trade and logistic platform.

In 2017, as a result of dedication in developing this kind of trade system, Belmax Group signed important partnership with Zhejiang, one of the most developed regions in China. This region is characterized by strong export power and is one of the main world business

centers with representative offices of 500 most successful world companies.

Through a project called „2017 Zhejiang Export Fair (Serbia)“ which gathered almost 80 manufacturers from China in fair located in Belmax Center, this partnership showed just a small piece of its power and potential. After new fair, which is planned for 24 - 26th May this year, it will be proved that, with trade platform and partnership like this one is, importers in this part of Europe can easily connect to manufacturers in China, even if the distance between them is so big.

Result of making this kind of trade system will also be shown in future plans of Belmax Center, which always aims for the goal of stronger and stronger international trade and exporting products of domestic manufacturers to other world countries. Our products deserve to be exported to other markets and, with this platform, final result is guaranteed.

At the end, we can only say it was nice experience meeting this kind of company and testify continuous development of this unique system.

www.diplomacyandcommerce.rs

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C O RPO RATE

Boyden Executive Search

Hunting Talents with Digital Thinking Most companies in the West Balkans are increasingly investing in talent management. We are here to support them in taking strategic actions to identify, recruit, develop, support and maintain talent, and to align it with company goals

management, how do you access a pull of talents in the area?

EDWARD TONCHEW Managing Partner for West Balkans Boyden

Boyden Serbia has a wide portfolio divided into several areas of consulting, such as: executive search, executive appraisal and assessment, board consulting, strategic and HR consulting. We spoke with Mr Edward Tonchew, Managing Partner for West Balkans Boyden about the company’s expertise.

Which consultant services from your portfolio clients in the region seek the most?

— Our portfolio is wide and divided into several areas of consulting, such as: executive search, executive appraisal and assessment, board consulting, strategic and HR consulting.

Our clients are increasingly asking from us to support their operations with finding appropriate solutions in two aspects: firstly, how to keep and further motivate their best people (top talents) and, secondly, how to attract and recruit the same quality of professionals from the market. Therefore, talent

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management became a responsibility that in recent time most of the companies in West Balkans are investing in. Talent has become a valuable commodity - particularly executive talent. Because having the right executive can be such a decisive factor in a company’s success, many recognise the need to strategically manage their talent. This means taking strategic actions to identify, recruit, develop, support and maintain talent, and to align it with company goals. We try to deeply understand the needs

— Finding the right candidates is not easy, but we continuously search for them even when we don’t have an open position to fill. We try to stay connected and engage with people, follow their career path and their professional aspirations over the years. We need to combine several approaches to get desired result and fulfill our client’s expectations. Our personal network of contacts within the region proved to be invaluable in searching for top level professionals. However, social media is such an ingrained part of everyday life that companies are continually trying to augment their engagement strategies. We have seen this across all industries, even higher education. The ability to develop a digital experience to engage with your audience is crucial today.

Our philosophy when we look for a talent on social media is not simply to find someone with the right education and experience,

OUR OFFICE HAS SPECIFIC EXPERTISE DRIVEN BY THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL ECONOMY AND WE ARE HERE TO SERVE CLIENTS DOING BUSINESSES IN THE GROWING ECONOMIES OF WEST BALKANS of the particular company so we can more effectively address its business goals in order to improve business performance in the long run. A talent management plan, usually supported by succession planning plan, will enable the business strategy through the company’s employees.

Having in mind that you are responsible to provide your clients with HR solutions for the highest-level executives in senior

but to engage and understand if the people are the real experts in their field. LinkedIn is the gold if you are recruiting but only if complemented with other market intelligence so we are constantly trying to find unique and creative ways to connect with the right people. However, above all, a key to good recruiting is having a strong IT support infrastructure such a contemporary CRM. Having that kind of useful information at your fingertips can be a killer competitive advantage.

A good CRM enables us to develop a candidate pool, to be closer to the community and therefore to deliver more value to our clients.

How are your services complemented by the partnership with it “Boyden Global Executive Search”?

— Since 1946, when Boyden founded the business of international retained executive search, the firm has been delivering The Right Leaders worldwide. Boyden is recognized as one of world’s premiere leadership solutions and talent advisory firms, led by Trina Gordon, CEO. In 2017, I joined Boyden as a Managing Partner for West Balkans, working closely with CEE office in Vienna (led by Andreas Landgrebe). Being part of the global Boyden network, I am in position to support clients even more, with Boyden’s global experience, support of experts from every industry, market “know how”, corporative digital marketing and global sophisticated IT platform. Our office has specific expertise driven by the regional and local economy and we are here to serve clients doing businesses in the growing economies of West Balkans.

Which organizational and market challenges companies which operate in your geographical area of coverage are usually facing?

— Our approach is very much to work in partnership with our clients, to understand where they are trying to get to and how they plan to do that. This will tell us what skillsets they need today and how those skillsets need to evolve over time. On the other hand, it is very crucial for managers to understand the importance of employee’s motivation, their

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further education, the coverage of critical roles and their complete performance in order to contribute to higher levels of business performance and results. A network of trade agreements and a strategic location have propelled Serbia into becoming a manufacturing hub which has attracted world-renowned corporations, but doing business can be challenging without the right help on board. Many multinational companies and foreign investors are hiring experts from around the world on the top management positions. But, we are here to advice companies to go local, since we know the market and we know that top managerial positions could be filled with local professionals. It’s important to identify local talent early on, and then provide the mentoring, training, and support to keep those employees happy. Another challenge that companies are usually facing when looking for the right people to hire locally is the problem of “salary discrepancy’’, because the salaries vary for the same job title from company to company. We support companies in a really lot of ways and It’s not an easy work, but our mission is to solve any problem.

To what extent are the prominent domestic companies in the region aware of the need to address corporate culture transformation and make use of HR development programs?

— In the past years, our company

continue to add on value to our clients. Consulting, after all, is the matter of trust and we are carefully building it and preserving it. Our clients are aware that we will do our utmost to fulfill their needs and we are proud to state that we have over 92% client retention rate.

OUR CLIENTS ARE AWARE THAT WE WILL DO OUR UTMOST TO FULFILL THEIR NEEDS AND WE ARE PROUD TO STATE THAT WE HAVE OVER 92% CLIENT RETENTION RATE have faced the development of HR functions in many large and successful companies and we are proud to say that we have been included in the creation of their right strategy. The reason why the human resource strategy is important is because we are the ones that keep employee satisfaction, employment engagement and their proper education. But, not every company understands or values the human resource functions on the level it should, and we are here to help them to do so, making them aware of the market challenges, trends and innovations. Most companies consider employees as their most valuable asset, and, therefore, human resources strategies have extreme value. Moreover, if the company is about to change the organizational structure, HR department and HR consultants

must drive the wheels of that change, and that is where HR’s true role comes into play. This is why particular attention in searching for right professional for our clients is paid on proper fit into the company’s corporate culture.

How do you assess the future potentials of this market for the services offered by your company?

— War for talent will only get worse. But we are ready for it. As company under strict corporate guidance, we are already fully compliant with General Data Protection Regulation imposed by EU, which our clients appreciate a lot.

It has been complemented by “File Finder”, one of the best global CRM solutions for our industry. After almost two decades in supporting clients with top executive talent and other HR solutions, we will

Since Digitization is rapidly affecting businesses across industries, which changes it brings to the human capital market in the Balkans?

— Digitization is very important today, since it support better decision making, enable stronger performance tracking, and deliver deeper customer insights, so labor market in the Balkans has to respond adequately. It is very important to embrace the new trends and changes as a positive thing in order for a digital strategy to be successful in all business functions. Therefore, in order to successfully realize the benefits, it is important for companies to develop human capital strategies that guide the implementation of these capabilities, delegate tasks, and ensure seamless transitions into a more digital state. We are helping our clients in fundamental aspect of creating and implementing a digital strategy by identifying and recruiting talents with digital experience, relevant skills and, moreover, digital thinking. So, hunting talents with digital thinking is a challenge for which our team has expertise, knowledge and persistence.

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I NTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Truth has No Price

Today we criticise this government, tomorrow the next one

MILAN ĆULIBRK Editor-in-Chief of NIN Weekly

NIN is one of the bards of Serbian journalism.

Along with Vreme and Nedeljnik, which emerged somewhat later, and the former Globus from Zagreb, NIN weekly has been asking questions that have been crucial for supporting critical thinking from the time of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until today. I interviewed the editor-in-chief of this uncompromising weekly, Milan Ćulibrk.

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How did the situation in NIN evolve with every change of political regime?

— During its 83-year-long history, NIN has had a lot of ups and downs, but, in spite of that, it has managed to preserve everythingg that the generations of journalists and editors had been building, namely the right to critical thinking and having a different point of view. In its first year, after only 26 published issues, NIN paid a dear price for such a stance. We were banned by the then state authorities. After the weekly was re-launched in January 1951, there were no more draconian measures despite government not

being that benevolent towards the magazine all the time.

On several occasions, the staff replacements at NIN were a result of political decisions. One of the greatest legends of NIN, Frane Barbieri, who should be credited for NIN's transformation into a modern news magazine, was a victim of political purges which happened after the Communist Party clashed with the Serbian liberals. NIN's editorial board was entirely replaced after the Eight Session of the League of Communists of Serbia. Every ruckus on the political stage and in the country caused a ruckus among NIN's editorial staff. Still, truth has no price! Every new generation of journalists at NIN is mindful of the words of the former magazine's editors – „NIN is read by influencers, not by those subjected to influence“ and „almost every journalist at NIN can be a government minister, but many government ministers are not fit to be NIN journalists“. In the meantime, things have drastically changed, but we are always doing our best in maintaining the quality and edgy criticism of society's anomalies. Unfortunately, in today's Serbia, there are too many people willing to commend the government when the government did absolutely nothing to deserve it. On the other hand, these people cannot withstand any criticism even if they had a thousand reasons to be criticized.

Apart from the government's treatment, this is one of the reasons why NIN has positioned itself as a provocative, critical, blunt, no-nonsense magazine.

We are often labeled as belonging to the 'political opposition' which is not true because I am first to believe that our job is to criticize any government. Today, I am looking for flaws in the current government, yesterday, I did the same with the previous government, and tomorrow, I am going to continue doing so with the future government. I think that it is exceptionally important to mention that, despite being often critical of the people in power, NIN has not been penalized once in the last five years, i.e. since I have been the editor-in-chief. We did receive one warning from the Press Council though. This is the best proof that harsh criticism of bad and negative occurrences does not have to go against abid-

ing by law and the norms of professional journalism.

How would you rate press freedom in Serbia and generally in Europe today? Do you think that interest groups, lobbies, tycoons, political parties and information ministries in 'illiberal' and 'liberal' democracies are now exerting more pressure than ever before?

— Every day I hear from my fellow journalists that these are absolutely the worst times ever for journalism. I believe they are right.

And I feel that, albeit indirectly. We are not only talking about political pressures here which I have to face sometimes too, but in a somewhat different form. These are not direct pressures, like someone phoning me and demanding from me to explain myself, or asking me for 'a favour' or 'strongly advising' me to keep mum or not to report about something. I think that NIN did manage to secure that kind of freedom for itself even before I became its editor-in-chief. Even if the magazine did not succeed in that, everybody who knows me will tell

SERIOUS ADVERTISERS NEED SERIOUS MEDIA THAT CAN BE TRUSTED

you that such pressures can only backfire and be counterproductive.

Simply put, I would rather resign than make such a compromise. On the other hand, we can see that the media situation in other countries is not that much better either.

Journalism has become a business and profit, rather than quality, has been the crucial criterion for publishers. As it turns out, only tabloid press can count on huge circulation figures in Serbia. And there lies the dilemma – should we offer to readers what they allegedly want to read and thus raise our circulation, or should we insist on covering serious topics, that our future depends on, and give in-depth analyses that are not that popular? We, in NIN, have decided to take a road less travelled while being aware that our readers would not forgive us if we caved in to tabloidization. Doing so would be hugely unfair to the older generations of NIN readers and our 83-year-long tradition.

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I won't even go into how that would in contradiction to NIN's annual best novel award, which is the most prestigious literary award in the Balkans. Many of my fellow journalists complain about pressures they feel from advertisers which they claim can be worse than political pressures. It is only logical that huge advertisers do not appreciate bad publicity. However, I am not giving in to this false dilemma.

The media can choose whether to publish something truthful or keep quiet in exchange for an advertisement. Speaking long-term, those media which pick the second option have signed their death penalty, and it is only a matter of time when they will realize that.

Serious advertisers need serious media that can be trusted.

Many media outlets will go under by the time advertisers realize this. There is another, even greater problem called project financing. This was devised as a model of media assistance but it has evolved into something completely different. We often see that public funds for project financing are allocated to quazi-media which were founded only after a public call had been launched. In this way, the taxpayers' money is being given to 'your own people', and this is how the government 'buys' silence. Let me corroborate this with an example. Last year, at a competition launched by the Serbian Ministry of Information and Culture, NIN was given just over 10,000 EUR for the project that lasted eight months. Lo and behold, we ended up on the front page of a tabloid which accused us of receiving money from the very government that we had been critical of. What we were supposed to do?! Keep mum because we got a small amount of money for a project?!

Let's not even go into how those media that had been constantly praising the goverment got ten, twenty, even thirty times more than we did, or that certain companies are afraid to advertise in NIN because they don't want to

be ostracized by the government which is very vocal about not liking what and how NIN reports.

Soros and Orban have been going against each other in Hungary, calling their conflict Darth Vader vs JEDIs. Are there actually forces of dark and light in the conflict between politics and media?

— We don't have to go over our state border to realize that there is the full-blown Star Wars going on right here, in Serbia. Back in the day, the media were so powerful, and yet today they are secondary.

Even worse, in our version of Star Wars, there is no Yoda and JEDIs, but Darth Vader is getting stronger by the day, and his subordinates, as if instructed, are quick to label those media that they are not

media. Since they fail to do so, we are under the impression that the only aim of their increasingly louder criticism and objections is to discipline the very few media that are left which are spoiling their perfect image and question claims that Serbia is the regional leader when all the country is actually the champion in slow growth.

How does Serbia fare in these tumultuous times when strong winds blow from every side? Do you think that the pressures from superpowers could result in the so-called 'Ukrainian Scenario', i.e. the division of Serbia? We can see that Macedonia has become rather unstable for this reason.

— These tumultuous times, as you call them, have been going on for three decades now, with an odd

ALMOST EVERY JOURNALIST AT NIN CAN BE A GOVERNMENT MINISTER, BUT MANY GOVERNMENT MINISTERS ARE NOT FIT TO BE NIN JOURNALISTS happy with as being under the influence of Miskovic or tycoons or Djilas or whomever. And would you believe it that none of these subordinates are bothered with corroborating their claims?! If substantiated, such accusations would be very easy to prove. All you need to do is to check the publicly available financial reports of the media.

Of course, they couldn't be bothered with that because it would prove that they were lying so, in this way, they are free to continue deceiving the public.

As if accusing NIN of being run by tycoons is going to change the fact that, in the last six years, the Serbian GDP grew only 5.3% while the GDP of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for instance, was twice higher. The growth of the Macedonian GDP was three times higher than the Serbian, while the Romanian GDP grew four times more. Just like the media look for proof before they report about something, the government should do the same before it accuses the

break here and there. It seems that most people in Serbia have made their peace with the fact that we are not going to live in a normal country, like others, for a very long time.

While people in other countries care about the quality of their lives, in Serbia, we are still preoccupied with national interests which, by the way, nobody has ever completely formulated. This is the reason why politicians can hide very easily behind these national interests. The Ukrainian Scenario will not happen here, and even if the superpowers (Russia, EU, the US) stopped meddling, the situation in this part of the world would not be normal for a very long time. This is not surprising because we still don't know what are Serbia's exact borders.

Our Constitution says that Kosovo and Metohija are an integral part of Serbia, and yet Serbian authorities are not allowed to participate in the investigation of Oliver Ivanović's murder. Even if they were allowed to, things would be the same

because in the two years since the demolition in Savamala, the public still doesn't know who exactly used bulldozers to destroy a part of Belgrade on that fated night.

Some people say that you were not that critical of Vučić when you debated him in a TV programme, compared how harshly you criticized him in your column. The same was said for Jakša Šćekić, Boško Jakšić and other experienced journalists.

How does Aleksandar Vučić always manage to paralize his interlocutors?

— If I had the opportunity, I would have asked president Vučić about his views of numerous problems that I had been talking about in my column in NIN. But I was not given that opportunity. I came to this TV programme not to argue, but to ask the President the questions that most citizens would ask him.

Like... Why was the average wage in Serbia in 2017 under 400 EUR when he had promised it would be 500 EUR? What is his basis for claiming that pensions are now higher than ever although, according to the official data from the Ministry of Finance, the average pension today is 15% lower than in 2012? Unlike other interlocutors, whenever I dared to ask him something, Vučić got angry at me for allegedly interjecting while Milomir Marić, the programme's host, constantly tried to divert the debate. Have a look at the recording of that programme, and you can see for yourself how many times I allegedly interjected him, and how many times did he (Vučić) respond to Marić's questions. I really don't know what Vučić uses to paralyze his interlocutors, but, truth be told, I was not even allowed to ask questions. If you think that this is because I was scared, let's wait and see if Vučić will ever agree to be interviewed for NIN. After the programme, I told him that I hoped I would never have to go to Marić's show again and sit there for three and a half hours in order to ask him just a handful of questions.

NO FUTURE? IS SERBIA IN A DREAM STATE? What does future hold for the press in Serbia and the rest of the world?

— The future can be bright, but the press will have to adjust.

They will go under if they don't realize that they are no competi-

tion to web-portals and websites which publish news the moment it happens. Hence, the print media have to take a step further and analyze why did something happen and what kind of consequences it will have.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

08 FORWARD: FEB

WORKS AND PROCESSES

The opening of the Argentine exhibition: “Forward: works and processes”, was held on Thursday February 8th, at the Cultural Center of Belgrade. The works of Argentine artists

H.E. Ricardo Fernando Fernández, Ambassador of Argentina and H.E. Mohammed K. M. NABHAN, Ambassador of Palestine

Mateo Amaral, Mano Leyrado and Cecilia Rosso, and curated and produced by Ariel Ireneo Chavez and Luisa Tomatti will be on show from February 8th until March 1st, 2018.

H.E. Augusto José Pestana Saraiva Peixoto, Ambassador of Portugal and H.E. Emílio José de Carvalho Guerra

09 ISLAMIC REVOLUTION FEB

ANNIVERSARY

On the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran H. E. Molla Abdollahi and his spouse organised a solemn celebration and reception for the National Day at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade. The reception was visited by many dignitaries and public personalities.

H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia

H.E. Nada AL AKL , Ambassador of Lebanon to Serbia, H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador Of The Kingdom Of Morocco To Serbia, H.E. Yousef Ahmad S. ABDULSAMAD, Ambassador of Kuwait and H.E. Abdelhamid CHEBCHOUB, Ambassador of Algeria to Serbia

H.E. Molla Abdollahi, speech delivering

23 EGYPT AT BELGRADE FEB

TOURISM FAIR

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt has organised, during the Belgrade Tousim Fair, at the Egyptian booth a short press conference with short press remarks by H.E. Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia and Dr Adel Elmasry, Deputy Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority and Director of Egyptian Tourist office in Paris. The occasion included honoring the frequent Serbian visitors to Egypt, as well as welcome cocktail.

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23 FATHERLAND DEFENDERS' DAY FEB

CELEBRATED IN BELGRADE

Members of the Russian Embassy celebrated the Fatherland Defenders' Day by laying wreaths at the memorial of Russian soldiers, defenders of Belgrade in 1914 and 1915. Wreaths were laid by the Russian Ambassador to Serbia H. E. Alexander Chepurin, members of the Russian military mission, representatives of the Serbian Parliament and numerous Russian citizens living in Serbia. The Fatherland Defenders' Day is celebrated since 1993 instead of the Red Army Day.

H.E. Yousef Abdulsamad, Ambassador of Kuwait to Serbia

H. E. Alexander Chepurin

26 THE EMBASSY OF KUWAIT IN SERBIA FEB

Nebojša Stefanović, Interior Minister, Ivica Dačić, FM, Nenad Popović, Minister for Innovations and Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veterans' Affairs and Social Affairs

CELEBRATED INDEPENDENCE DAY

On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the National Day of Kuwait, the embassy organized a ceremonial reception at the Hyatt Hotel. Ambassador Kuwait to Serbia, H. E. Yousef Abdulsamad, in welcoming speech, welcoming all the officials, pointed to the importance of good relations between Serbia and Kuwait and on the further progress of comprehensive bilateral co-operation. The reception was attended by Serbian government ministers, state and military officials, representatives of religious communities, members of the diplomatic corps and other public figures. Kuwait is the first state of the Persian Gulf to gain independence from the UK in 1961.

H.E. Kyle Randolph Scott, US Ambassador and Zoran Petrović, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank a.d

Jelena Pavlović

28 AMCHAM GENERAL FEB

ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) presented the results of work in 2017, and the majority of the new Steering Committee was elected by the vote of the member companies. AmCham traditionally

awarded the annual AmCham Hero Award to young Dr. Kosta Jovanović, one of the best students at the ETF, where he works today. The former First Vice President Jelena Pavlović, PMI General Manager, was elected President of the AmCham Board of Directors.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

01 BULGARIAN MAR

LIBERATION DAY

H.E. Alexander chepurin, Ambassador of Russia to Serbia

Bulgarian Liberation Day was celebrated solemnly in Belgrade Metropol Hotel with the cocktail, in memory of the liberation of the country from the Ottoman rule. H. E. Radko Vlaykov, Ambassador of Bulgaria greeted the guests, who

H.E. Hossein Molla Abdollahi, Ambassador of Iran, H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico and Gordan Bakota, Ambassador of Croatia

enjoyed Bulgarian wines, Niško pivo (newly acquired by a Bulgarian company) and received traditional martenitsa amulets. Ambassador Vlaykov underlined never better relations between the two brother nations.

H.E. Radko Vlaykov

01 HILTON HOTEL MAR

OPENED

A hotel from the Hilton chain was ceremonially opened in Belgrade.

President Vučić cut the tape together with PM Ana Brnabić, Minister of Tourism Rasim Ljajić, Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali, US Ambassador H. E. Kyle Scott, Hilton's Vice President Jochem-Jan Schlaffer, Belaga Management Belgrade representative Zlatko Zdunjić and general manager of "Hilton Belgrade" Nicholas Huvert. The "Hilton" on eight floors, with an underground garage, is located on the corner of Kralja Milutina and Kralja Milana Street.

H. E. Giuseppe Manzo and Vanja Udovićić, Minister of Sport

H.E. Giuseppe Manzo, Aja Jung, BDF and Ivan Tasovac, Belgrade Philharmonics

Nicholas Huvert. General Manager of "Hilton Belgrade"

H.E. Giuseppe Manzo with his wife Alma

07 H. E. GIUSEPPE MANZO MAR

Siniša Mali, Ana Brnabić, Aleksandar Vučić and Jochem-Jan Schlaffer

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FAREWELL PARTY

On 7 March 2018 the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Sergio Monti hosted a Reception at the Embassy of Italy on the occasion of the departure of Ambassador H. E. Giuseppe Manzo from Belgrade. The Farewell Party was attended by many personalities from diplomatic, political, business and cultural life of Serbia.

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21 CREDO – RESTAURANT FEB

THAT IS ON EVERYBODY’S LIPS

Downtown Belgrade, which is the location of the CREDO restaurant, is the place where hedonists, wine connoisseurs, and lovers of the top notch service and food prepared by Chef Nenad Jovanović gather.

Prior to CREDO, Nenad was a chef for two Copenhagen-based restaurants, one boasting two Michelin stars and another one three stars.

The beautiful CREDO restaurant is located on the first floor of the Marriott Hotel in Belgrade. The restaurant is the place to meet famous people from Belgrade, enjoying in the dishes from the restaurant’s Five Senses menu that are made from the best homemade ingredients.

These incredible delicacies should be enjoyed with a selection of fine wines and accompanied by a great music from acoustic bands playing at the restaurant.

Fashion designer Verica Rakočević and her husband Veljko Kuzmančević, President of the Color Press Group Robert Čoban and his wife Sandra, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Province of Vojvodina Ivan Đoković, the owner of Allegra Cruise Mihailo Vukić, TV personality Suzana Mančić, art historian Tamara Ognjević, Director of the Media Association, Dalila Ljubičić and her husband Zoran, journalist Slobodan Georgijev, opera singer Dragana del Monaco, songwriter Biljana Spasić and TV personality Gordana Predić have all relished in the restaurant’s selection of the wines from the Pusula Winery.

The guests have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and in the excellent food, wine and ambiance of the restaurant.

Ivan Đoković and Dragana del Monaco

Dalila Ljubičić

Slobodan Georgijev and Gordana Predić

Verica Rakočević and Suzana Mančić

Mihailo Vukić

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B USINESS NEWS NEW BUSINESS A+ CLASS FACILITY IN NEW BELGRADE

Heineken

PREMIUM NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER

After many years of careful research and use of cutting-edge beer production techniques, a team of top experts from HEINEKEN has found a recipe for its first non-alcoholic beer Heineken® 0.0. A 0.5 liter can and a 0.25 liter non-return bottle with premiere blue color, containing 100% natural ingredients drink, with a quality and recognizable Heineken® flavor, with only 21 calories per 100 ml. In order to present its innovation to the domestic market, Heineken® organised an interesting event in which cooking time was prepared in which beer is served. On that occasion, a large number

of brand friends tasted the new Heineken® 0.0 and checked out if is the perfect match with the favorite food. In addition, Heineken® 0.0 ambassadors talked about why this non-alcoholic beer is ideal for those who care about health, for athletes, and responsible drivers.

Philip Morris Srbija

TOP EMPLOYER

The company Philip Morris Serbia won the third year in a row in recognition of the top employers in the country - Top Employer Serbia 2018. At the same time, this multinational company has won this award both at the Europe-

an and global level. The certificate "Best Employer" is awarded by the eponymous Netherlands-based international institute after a comprehensive assessment of the work environment, based on criteria such as salaries and benefits of employees, career development, working conditions, training and development... "Last year for Philip Morris globally, but also for us in Serbia, was especially challenging because we have put in front of ourselves an entirely new goal - a future without tobacco smoke" said Tatjana Jovanović, Human Resources Director for South East Europe at Philip Morris.

Mayor of Belgrade, Siniša Mali and member of the Board of Directors, Tijana Vujović, have solemnly laid the foundation stone on the site of building a new A+ class business facility, Ušće Tower Two. This marks the beginning of another successful project of MPC Properties, whose value is estimated at around EUR65m. Located at the very heart of business events in Belgrade, at the confluence of the Sava into the Danube, the Ušće Tower Two will have an excellent connection with all parts of the city and will be an ideal place for business support and development.

Designed as a business A+ class building, Ušće Tower Two will have 22 floors and a surface area of 23,200 m2. In addition to the exceptional flexibility of the facility, a special feature is the natural ventilation system, which is a novelty in the domestic market, which provides fresh air in the entire area. The facility will have an underground garage with a net area of 21,000 m2 with 740 parking spaces. "Our modern and prestigious office building will be built in accordance with the highest standards of green construction of BREEAM excellent standards with the ultimate goal of providing employees with a new level of comfortable and healthy working environment" said Tijana Vujović, a member of the Board of Directors.

Miele

PRESENTATION AT HORECA FAIR

UNIQA

DONATIONS TO INSTITUTIONS ACROSS SERBIA

For the past 12 years, UNIQA Insurance has started investing in humanitarian projects throughout Serbia.

This year, this successful company continued this human tradition and donated funds in the total amount of 1,500,000 dinars: institutions for children and children with disabilities "Veternik", "Duško Radović" from Niš for procurement necessary electrical appliances, medical supplies and equipment, as well as the Adult Home for Culinary Supplies.

Children's Village "Dr. Milorad Pavlović" from Sremska Kamenica, funds for student scholarships were sent, while SOS Children's Village in Kraljevo was provided with air-condititoning. The SOS phone for

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the victims of violence was paid the money necessary for the work of this organization. "We are very pleased that this year we have the opportunity not only to continue the tradition of investing in humanitarian projects, but also to raise awareness of such problems in our society with such actions," said the director of marketing and corporate communications at UNIQA Insurance, Sonja Marić.

In the framework of the International Fair of Hotel Catering Equipment - HORECA in the Hall 2 of the Belgrade Fair, Miele company has presented professional washing and drying equipment, top quality wine cellars and coffee machines, designed with the mission to enable and simplify the provision of top quality service to consumers.

On this occasion, the prefabricated wine-fridge KWT 6422 IG is presented, which will meet the needs of the most demanding wine connoisseurs. This unique device, thanks to its operation in three temperature zones and separate cooling of the compartment, enables simultaneous cooling of red, white and sparkling wines. Miele's fridge is easily adjustable, and its FlexiFrame slats are adapted to the shape of wine bottles contributing to stability, as well as to the visual presentation of exposed labels. Miele's presence attracted numerous visitors who, enjoying coffee drinks and presentation of Miele devices, convinced that modern design, functionality, innovation and proven quality are the most important reasons for confidence that caterers around the world are donating to Miele products.

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Generali Insurance Serbia

INSURANCE DONATION TO BOR Generali Insurance Serbia Company gave a donation worth 4.2 million dinars to the Health Centre in Bor, in the form of a new medical vehicle with special medical equipment. The keys to the reanimobile were given to director of the Health Centre Vesna Radosavljević by Boško Petrović, president of the executive board of Generali Reosiguranje Srbija, and on that occasion he pointed out: "The new medical vehicle symbolically demonstrates Generali's commitment to its clients and citizens and contributes to the development of the community in which it operates. I am convinced that this donation will help to provide better and better quality health services to the citizens of the Bor District and will improve the quality of people's lives." Expansion of the health center in Bor with new reanimobile will contribute to the faster response of the emergency medical service, which is crucial in saving the patient's life.

UniCredit Bank

WORKSHOP UniCredit Bank recently held a workshop for its clients and partners entitled "How to achieve success in project financing". As a market leader in the region of CEE and Serbia, when it comes to financial consulting, structural financing and financing of complex transactions, colleagues at the CEE Business Unit within the UniCredit Group and the local finance and advisory team presented market trends and project financing structures within renewable energy sources and infrastructure. Paolo Bocolo, Director of the Directorate for Financing Projects and Resources of Raw Materials in the CEE region, explained the importance of renewable energy sources in the region and Serbia, saying that "the use of renewable energy sources has an impact on the

environment, the improvement of citizens' lives, economic growth, but also provides significant opportunities for investors in emerging markets." He added that Serbia is one of the most promising markets in the region in terms of renewable energy sources. In his presentation he presented the complete process of financing the investment for renewable energy sources from the conceptual concept to the realization of the transaction.

LEAD.ART 2018 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

MAXI

THE FAVOURITE SUPERMARKET IN SERBIA Consumers chose Maxi supermarkets as a recommendation for purchase for 2018. Within the "My Selection 2018" campaign, Maxi was awarded the "Trade" category, while "Tempo" took the second place in the same category. The "My Serbia" Association and the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce organized the awards "My Selection" for the best local products and brands in the opinion of the consumers in the ceremonial hall of the City Assembly. "When customers recognize you as the first choice and confirm that Maxi is their recommendation, you have even greater responsibility and obligation to be just better. At the same time, this is an indication that they really recognize the effort made by us to make ourselves a better place for shopping and to be a better neighbor each day. We will continue to improve our offer, have a wide range of quality products and that we can make healthier choices for ourselves and our family every day" says Quentin Royer, general manager of Delhaize Serbia. The research, conducted by the My Serbia Association, covered 1910 consumers in 10 cities in Serbia, who voted for the best in 24 categories.

Lead.art 2018, conference for building leadership culture, held on March 1st, was visited by 140 people. The goal of the conference was to give insights on different ways of building healthy leadership culture in organisations, regardless the nature of their business.

Participants, who were mainly HRs, development specialists and managers, were actively engaged and interested until the very end of the conference.

Methodology was mixture of sessions, lectures, workshops and panel discussions with the topics mainly in the field of

leadership, management and HR. Some of the speakers were presenting their experiences with development projects, together with the challenges they were facing through that process. During the whole conference day, there were discussions about the current leadership trends and how to implement new globally recognized models into organizations from our region. This conference gave us awareness on how many people are interested in building better leadership culture and how that kind of community grows every day

NLB Banka Beograd

VII ORGANIC COMPETITION For the seventh year in a row, NLB Bank launched a competition for the best projects in the field of organic food production and processing. As the quality and number of registered producers are constantly increasing, the prize fund of 1,500,000 dinars this year will be evenly distributed to three winning projects. The competition lasts from March 1 to May 20, 2018, and the right to participate is by agricultural producers who have registered agricultural holdings, have been certified either in the process of certification for organic production.

Participation is also enabled for producers who are in the system of control through a

group certificate, or who have a contract with the organizer of the production that owns the certificate. More detailed information on the competition and the project preparation form are available at the following link: www.nlb.rs/organic, and you can also be informed in all branches of NLB Banka as well as through the Contact Center.

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CLO T H O F CO N T E N T IO N

In British Schools, the Wearing of the Hijab

by Young Girls is an Explosive Issue Reconciling the two sides of the debate seems impossible

Yesterday was World Hijab Day, an annual event set up by a Bangladeshi-born woman who migrated to New York, Nazma Khan. Ms Khan’s aim is to “foster religious tolerance and understanding” by encouraging women who don’t normally cover their heads (non-Muslims or non-hijabi Muslim women) to try wearing the garment for just one day.

Despite such efforts, the headscarf remains a matter of controversy in Western societies. In Britain, the question whether young girls should be allowed to wear the hijab at school is emerging as one of the most bitterly divisive issues in debates over the limits of cultural freedom.

All over the Islamic world, the age at which girls start covering their head (usually around the time they hit puberty) has been falling.

British Muslims have begun to follow the trend, which has caused pushback among the more secular-minded. At a school in greater London, a head teacher recently tried to ban girls under the age of eight from wearing the hijab. She was forced to back down after pressure from parents and Muslim community leaders. This week Ofsted, the government’s chief inspector

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of schools, weighed in on the side of the head teacher, Neena Lall.

Amanda Spielman of Ofsted said her agency would always “back [school] heads who take tough decisions in the interests of their pupils.”

She added that school leaders “must have the right to set school uniform policies as they see fit, in order to promote cohesion” and expressed “deep regret” over the fact that the Ms Lall’s initiative had incurred a campaign of abuse.

The argument over Ms Lall’s school is the tip of a large iceberg. In September the National Secular Society (NSS), a lobby group which campaigns to oppose religious privilege, drew attention to the number of British schools which mandate Muslim garb for female pupils, including girls as young as four.

A study of schools’ uniform policies by the NSS found that out of 142 Islamic schools which accept girls, 59 have uniform policies on their website that suggest a headscarf or another form of hijab is compulsory. This includes eight state-funded schools and 27 primary schools, three of which are state-funded.

In some cases, the schools laid down that

girls should cover not only their heads but their entire bodies (in other words, wear a jilbab) or their faces. At the somewhat more liberal end, the study found 18 schools which said the hijab was optional.

These findings prompted the NSS and a number of prominent personalities, several of them women of Islamic heritage, to write to the education secretary and demand that no young girls (especially not in state-funded schools) should be forced into conservative forms of dress. Among the signatories was Sara Khan, a writer and activist whose appointment in recent days to head a government counter-extremism agency has incurred loud protests from harder-line advocates of Islam.

At the other end of the ideological spectrum, Muslim campaign groups are reacting angrily to the idea that anything or anyone should impede the right of parents to dress their children as they see fit. In a ten-point argument against restricting the wearing of the hijab in primary schools an activist called Siema Iqbal proclaimed that “as a parent I have the right to make decisions for my child” and that this right was enshrined by European human-rights legislation. She dismissed as “ridiculous” the widely-used argument that covering the heads of pre-pubescent girls was a way of sexualising them. Her argument was circulated approvingly on Twitter and Facebook as a timely response to “Islamophobia”.

ALL OVER THE ISLAMIC WORLD, THE AGE AT WHICH GIRLS START COVERING THEIR HEAD (USUALLY AROUND THE TIME THEY HIT PUBERTY) HAS BEEN FALLING Whatever one may think about headgear for girls of eight or below, the participants in the argument appear to live in different cultural and ethical universes. Their understandings of “rights” are so utterly different that there seems little point in attempting to reconcile them.

What one camp would consider parental freedom, another would see as infringing the rights and welfare of a child.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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EVENTS

Belgrade Irish Festival Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

traces of pagan pre-Christian religions are deeply ingrained in both nations. Do you think this is the reason why the Serbs (and many others, in fact) identify so much with the Irish?

JAS KAMINSKI Director of the Belgrade Irish Festival

Jas Kaminski came to Belgrade and fell in love with its warmth and hospitality, while being mindful of the similarities between the Serbs and the Irish.

Subsequently he founded the Belgrade Irish Festival, which has been developing ever since.

The Serbs and the Irish have similar histories, namely being occupied and oppressed for centuries. The folk tradition and

— Well, the answer to that would be yes and no! When Serbs and Irish meet, they do not necessarily think about the distant past at first, although certain aspects of our histories (dominant neighbours, agriculture, poverty, and the Celts) do influence who we are today. The general warmth and conviviality probably comes from a habit of seeing the glass half full, when we know it is actually empty…. But we go on believing nonetheless! One of the great revelations and pleasures relating to Belgrade is the feeling of warmth and hospitality. Belgrade retains these values in buckets; people elsewhere are in such a rush and seem to have little time for anything, even family!

What can we expect from the Festival this year? It has been

growing quite a lot.

— Would you believe me if I told you that you can expect the best programme ever. There is “The Forgotten Front - Ireland, Serbia, and the Salonika Campaign - smaller nations and peripheries in the First World War” lecture given by the University College Dublin historian, Dr Conor Mulvagh, which will be held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. Irish soldiers (who were a part of the British Army then) fought at Salonika. We will also co-host the lectures at Dom Vojske on the 14th March which should be interesting to watch. Everybody is welcome to come!

Furthermore, we are hosting two talks and showcasing a documentary (on 15th and 16th March) on the celebrated Irish essayist Hubert Butler (1901–1991) who wrote on a wide variety of subjects concerning his experiences in Yugoslavia. And we also have a very modern, funky Serbian play ”WTF are we doing here?” (in English language) which is a must see. It raises questions about

young people in Serbia today and youth emigration in a humorous way. The play will be staged at Electropioner on 15th March. An excellent live concert by a very talented Irish singer-songwriter Mundy will open the festival at Elecropioneer on 10th March. We have some super exciting Irish movies and documentaries that will be screened daily at Kinoteka. And for St Patrick’s weekend, we are preparing a lot of parties, including the Irish Breakfast at Smokvica (Molerova Street) on St Patrick’s Day, at which we will be giving away prizes for the best dressed person (in green). We are broadcasting the England/Ireland rugby game on the 17th March and we look forward to the game with our old adversary. This year, we are launching a new programme called Art Trail of Belgrade during which Belgrade’s artists are going to open their studios to the public, which should be interesting and fun. This is an excellent opportunity to meet local artists, see their studios and buy their artwork.

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I NTERVIEW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Charm of the Bygone Era I am a real retro lady NEVENA RELJIN Latino and jazz singer

Being a retro, vintage girl has never been so popular as it is today, in the era of global nostalgia. Nevena Reljin, the Novi Sad– based latino and jazz singer, takes us back to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and the charms of Portuguese, Spanish and Golden Era jazz...

How did it all start? Many people graduate singing from the Music Academy but few choose this peformance style. Why jazz, why latino?

— The moment I was given freedom to improvise, I started thinking about jazz. The classical music education helped me, but it was the dancing classes that influenced me most. While dancing, you listen to the music from all over the world, and I noticed that I incredibly liked Latin American music, like samba, salsa, rumba, cha-cha...

I was fascinated when I discovered Tom Jobim. If music has certain jazz elements, that's even better! I especially like the Brazilian music; its harmonies have a lot in common with classics, and jazz, and the singing is not intrusive but rather very demanding.

You have a very vivid personality. What attracted you to the equally vivid Latino spirit?

— Yes, I do. I am not only attracted to the Brazilian music. I love Spanish and Cuban music too.

Boleros are different, singing is more passionate, rhythms are different and laced with emotions that are not hidden, and since they are all different, you can-

PEOPLE BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU DO. AUDIENCES ALWAYS PENALIZE INSINCERITY IN MUSIC not get tired of them. I sang the Serbian folk music in an ethno band. I loved collaborating with Madame Piano and I liked singing Serbian music, performed in our own unique way. We are planning on recording something too from the world music which is atypical for Serbia. In late 1990s, the world music experienced a great boom.

I think that this is really great and it makes us open up to the world.

Today, it is much easier to embrace this kind of music.

You formed your own live bands like Nevas Trio (and Quartet), but you also sang with musical greats like Aleksandar Dujin and Big Band. You are known for always looking elegant in long dresses with your style being a contemporary take on the 1950s fashion.

— Thank you! I guess it is because I am very romantic and these songs were written a special kind of passion back then. They were not superficial in any way. I am a big fan of that era, and I am a real retro lady! I plan to work more with Big Band, since it is so precious.

You learn a lot, and several soloists perform at one concert. Big Band is a part of that retro, vintage story I like. And there is the same trend going on too. You also need more musical and financial support if you want to have a concert like Big Band's. This is not an everyday thing, and you need a lot of love to push it to sound and look good.

Plus you need to be sincere in all of it. People believe you when you believe in what you do. Only then you can fill big venues like the

theatres in Novi Sad, Sombor, the Synagogue... It is not a coincidence when these venues sell out. You should never fake it, and this applies to all music genres. If people continue to come to gigs like ours, there is hope for this world. I also worked as a singer on a cruiser for months, performing latino jazz, and it was really good. I visted all the exotic places I wanted to see while performing the music I adore.

You were a member of several very interesting bands, like Parni Valjak, and you worked with Aki Rahimovski, diving deep into pop waters. How did this come about?

— When Aki came back to Serbia after ten years of absence, he started touring heavily all over the country. We had over 100 gigs in small venues in Serbia, Bosnia, and Macedonia. It was great visiting all those places, and for the audiences to have the opportunity to listen to a real music star, a good person and a good singer. I learnt a lot from him. It was a real pleasure working with Aki. He is also a great cook, and he used every spare moment during the 20-day-tour to cook for all of us.

TIME FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC Finally, the time has come for me to write my own music. I always wanted to do that, since I basically sang covers in all my previous concerts. They were the covers of evergreen classics but covers nevertheless. I summed up the courage to write and record my own songs. I sing in English, Spanish, Portugese and Serbian. The issue of language was crucial for me, and the songs came naturally. My first song is in English, but maybe the next one will be in Spanish, since

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I wrote it in Spanish. I generally sing in the latinojazz-pop canon, since I feel it the most and I believe in it. So, it is only logical to make my own songs in this style. If I do that, people will believe in them. The second step is working with you and Sputñik, both in studio and at big festivals like Revolution in Timişoara or EXIT. Since we are friends, and I like that genre of music, our collaboration is going to be great. The time has come for original music with sincerity above all.

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D I NE&WINE

From Swamp to Modern Gastronomy Hub In the location where the first ever railway link between Belgrade and the rest of the world was built in 1884, now stands the restaurant that is a fusion of tradition, quality and top notch food and drink, accompanied by enjoyable music entertainment and kind staff called Stanica 1884. The restaurant's mission is for its guests, both from Serbia and abroad, to enjoy in homemade dishes with a contemporary twist, in an innovatively decorated ambiance, in the very heart of Belgrade.

The restaurant has a spacious garden which is an oasis and a safe haven where you can hide from the everyday hustle and bustle of the city. The interior of Station 1884 is decorated in line with the latest world trends and exudes luxury, warmth and neatness, The restaurant is also known for its welltrained staff.

The food menu is created by two gastronomic experts – Chef Konstantin Katafaj and Chef Radomir

Vlačić, while the famous pâtisserie chef, Marko Trpković was in charge of putting together the unique dessert menu. The menu is based on the authentic taste of the Serbian national cuisine, modified, enhanced and served in a contemporary way. The desserts exude the spirit of traditional cakes like Dedin Ponos, Bakin Kolač, Vasina Torta and other cakes that we offer.

The beverage menu is traditional but it reflects the first class of the restaurant's offer. We have an excellent choice of homemade rakijas or delicate wines from the Serbian winemakers like the Zvonko Bog-

dan Winery, Lastar, Erdevik, Vukoje and others, which will perfectly complement your food.

The soft music from the Station 1884 radio station enhances the atmosphere. In the evenings, from Thursday to Saturday, guests are entertained by Serbian performers and acoustic bands which go perfectly with the restaurant's ambiance. Balkan Acoustic Band is playing on Thursdays, the Tambouritza Band from the Danube on Fridays, and the Lokomotiva Band on Saturdays.

Sunday afternoons are a special time at the restaurant when all fans of gastronomic delights can enjoy in the music of Stiv Duo Band The Stanica 1884 Restaurant is located in the place where the first train left for Zemun in 1884, with King Milan, Queen Natalija and Crown Prince Aleksandar Obrenović on board.

The famous Orient Express used this railway in 1885. From 12th to 6th May, in honour of the eclectic spirit and tradition of this

famous train, the restaurant will be presenting 8 different national cuisines over the period of 8 weeks.

This event is named after the Orient Express during which we are going to feature the British, French, Swiss, Austrian, Hungarian, Yugoslav, and Greek national cuisines, as well as the typical dishes from Istanbul. This 'modified train routeč' comprises of 8 'hubs' of first class gastronomy that will be presented at the restaurant in the following chronological order: • London, March 12-19 • Paris, March 20-25 • Zurich, March 26 – April 1 • Vienna, April 2-8 • Budapest, April 9-15 • Belgrade, April 16-22 • Athens, April 23-29 • Istanbul, April 30 – May 6 This week, we are presenting the selected dishes from the British cuisine known for their recognizable yet unique taste. The British Embassy in Belgrade, which is also a friend of the project, has helped with the selection.

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KOLARAC

C ALEND AR & NE W S

Concert hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

FIRE 4 March 02, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation Gabriel Feltz

Conductor: Gabriel Feltz

EARTH 4 March 09, 20:00

Grand Hall of the Kolarac Foundation Michail Jurowski

Conductor: Michail Jurowski Soloist: Filip Savić, doublebass

CHILDREN’S CONCERTS

SAY HELLO TO THE ORCHESTRA! Olivera Sekulić – Barac

March 22-30 25, 19:00

Belgrade Philharmonic Hall

Conductor: Olivera Sekulić – Barac, Narrator: Tamara Marinković & Slavica Perić

CONCERT PROGRAMME March 2018

Thursday, 1st at 18.00 Music Gallery

“THIRTEEN STRINGS” CHAMBER ORCHESTRA String Quartet Concert DušanPanajotović, violin Ljubomir Trujanović, violin Marina Popović, viola Srđan Sretenović, cello Program: D. Shostakovich, N. Bogojević, S. Maksimović 500 din.

Friday, 2nd at 20.00 Concert Hall

FIRE 4/ BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC

Production: RTS Music Production 600, 800, 1.000 Friday, 9th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ZORAN ĐINĐIĆ

EARTH 4/ Belgrade Philharmonic Conductor: Michail Jurowski Soloist:Filip Savić, doublebass Programme: W. A. Mozart, J. Vanhal, A. Dvorak Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744

Conductor:Gabriel Feltz R. Gliere: Symphony No. 3 (Ilya Muromets – the Russian legend) Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra More information – 0112630744

Sunday, 11th at 11.00 Concert Hall

Sunday, 4th at 11.00 Concert Hall Kolarac Podium of Chamber Music

Sunday, 11th at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE STRING ORCHESTRA

Conductor: ObradNedeljković Valentina Krempatić, guitar

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Faculty of Music /Chamber Music Department Production: Music Centre

PILLERS` FAMILY

Darko, violin, Danijel, accordion & Sandra, violin The First Solo Concert Winners of The First Series “I Have a Talent”

SCHOOL VUČKOVIĆ

Admission free

Thursday, 15th at 20.00 Concert Hall

ORCHESTRA MUZIKON

Artistic director: Jelena Ristić Programme: Grieg,Nielsen , Holst, F. Bridge 800, 1.000 Friday, 16th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL STANKOVIĆ

Admission free

Saturday, 17th at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Soloist: Relja Kalapiš, bassoon Conductor: Alessandro Crudele Program: Misha Cvijovic, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Felix Mendelssohn Production: RTS Music Production Sunday, 18th at 11.00 Concert Hall

PIANO DUO TAMARA

KoročkinŠenhage

XIX GUITAR ART FESTIVAL MARCH 16TH – 21ST, 2018

Vladimir Aćimović, piano Programme: Charles Avison/ Scarlatti. Vivaldi, Mozart Production: Music Centre Admission free

800, 1.000, 1.200

Tuesday, 6th at 20.00 Concert Hall

Autohors Concert/ Nemanja Bogunović, guitar Maja le Roux Obradović, guitar 600, 1.000, 1.200

KOLARAC YOUR MUSIC WORLD!

XIX Guitar Art Festival will be held from 16th to 21st March 2018 under the slogan “BE CONNECTED”. During six concert nights the audience will have the opportunity to visit 10 concerts that will take place in Ilija Kolarac Endowment, Sava Center, Republic Square and Belgrade Youth Center.

Guitar Art Festival has become of the most significant guitar centers for world premiers, concerts as well as for the exchange of knowledge, practice and experience among guitarists from all over the world.

Piano Trio GELIUS (Munich) Sreten Krstić, violin Micaela Gelius, piano Michael Hell, cello Programme: Haydn, Smetana, Babadjanyan and Schoenfield Production: Music Centre 1.000, 1.200, 1.500 Wednesday, 7th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Children’s room, solo songs by Russian authors Marija Brajković, soprano Iva Milanov, piano Production: Music Centre Admission free Thursday, 8th at 20.00 Concert Hall

A CONCERT DEDICATED TO 8TH MARCH

Movie Night RTS Symphony Orchestra Bojan Sudjić, conductor

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Monday, 12th at 20.00 Music Gallery

“ENCOUNTER IN KOLARAC”

Tuesday, 13th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL VOJISLAV VUČKOVIĆ

Admission free

Wednesday.14th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Concert of School for Musically - Gifted Children in Ćuprija Production: Music Centre Admission free Wednesday, 14th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CONCERT OF MUSIC SCHOOL MOKRANJAC

Admission free

Thursday, 15th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CONCERT OF MUSIC

&Andreas Šenhage Production: Music Centre 21st at 20.00 Concert Hall

OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 48TH INTERNATIONAL JEUNESSES

Musicales Competition Ljubiša Jovanović, Serbija, flute Vera Ogrizović, Serbia, guitar Aleksandar Svete, Austria, guitar 22nd, 23rd&24th Concert Hall First Stage 24th Music Gallery

MASTER CLASS – ALEKSANDAR SVETE& DUŠAN BOGDANOVIĆ 25th&26th Concert Hall Second stage 27thMusic Gallery

RAFAEL ANDIE`S LECTURE

28th&29thMTMO Final

FINALISTS WITH RTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Conductor: BojanSudjić

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