Diplomacy and Commerce No.31

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September 2018 | ISSUE No. 31 | Price 350 RSD

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BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US

ZORAN STEVANOVIĆ Mayor of Zvornik

LIVING IN TIME OF HYPERTROPHIC IDENTITIES

03 DIEGO & FRIDA EXHIBITON SEP

FORCED SOLUTIONS DON’T LEAD TO STABILITY OF THE REGION

ZORAN PANOVIĆ

Editor-in-Chief of iSerbia

GRAND FESTIVAL OF DIVERSITY

GUNNAR KVARAN AND DANIELLE KVARAN

IVICA DAČIĆ

Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

IN FRIENDLY SERBIA, IT FEELS LIKE HOME

Curators of the 57th October Salon

INVEST IN

VOJVODINA IGOR MIROVIĆ 2018

Prime Minister of Vojvodina

AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

H.E. MIGUEL FUENTES SUÁREZ Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

FOCUS ON

EVENTS IN SERBIA

ED I TO RIAL

CO N T E N T S

Fukuyama 2.0 Dear readers, Perhaps we all know about Francis Fukuyama's theory about "the end of history" which in the late 1980s competed for the title of "supreme truth" together with Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilisations". Then-young and aspiring Rand liberal, Fukuyama predicted that, with the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union, the last ideological alternative to liberalism will be eliminated, just like fascism once was. It was brilliantly timed, just before Gorbachev's autodestruction of the USSR, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution.

It was, thus, triumphant. But it was, as The New Yorker points out, a bit eurocentric. It did not predict the Tienanmen events or recent illiberal movements. If we talk about the free market or consumerism, there are Russia, Iran, China, Turkey. Liberal, right? But, many of the political features are not. They want to show and find their own way. Some 30 years later, Fukuyama wrote another book to explain his postponement of "the end of history". The history will not end because of the growing interest of different groups to express their identity that they feel is underrepresented in the current liberalist climate - Vladimir Putin, Osama bin Laden, Xi Jinping, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, gay marriage, ISIS, Brexit, resurgent European nationalisms, anti-immigration political movements, campus identity politics, and the election of Donald Trump – they are all manifestations of it. Groups feel supressed and want their voices to be heard. But saying that many of them are a threat to liberalism is like saying that kids expressing their identity threatens family unity. It does not! Some of them are violent, yet some are on the path to a less unjust world, which starts with disatisfaction.

The end of history is definitely not near!

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FORCED SOLUTIONS DON’T LEAD TO STABILITY OF THE REGION IVICA DAČIĆ

Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

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IN FRIENDLY SERBIA, IT FEELS LIKE HOME H.E. MIGUEL FUENTES SUÁREZ Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

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BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US ZORAN STEVANOVIĆ Mayor of Zvornik

ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

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Editor-in-Chief

OPEN TOWARDS THE WORLD BUT AWARE OF OURSELVES ĐORĐE POPOVIĆ

DNS Main Board member and DNS list leader for the National Parliament of RS.

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 vanja.communications @gmail.com

natasa.nesic@color.rs

Translation

Advertising manager

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JOVANA MARKOVIĆ

RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

jovana.markovic@color.rs

Photos

GORAN ZLATKOVIĆ GETTY IMAGES

DRAGANA RADOVIĆ

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Director

robert.coban@color.rs

NATAŠA NEŠIĆ

ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD Art director

ROBERT ČOBAN

Advertising manager

Magazine director

SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ

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IMPROVING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP OF THE ENTIRE REGION STANKA PEJANOVIĆ President of Serbian Association of Managers

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LIVING IN TIME OF HYPERTROPHIC IDENTITIES ZORAN PANOVIĆ

Editor-in-Chief of iSerbia

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GRAND FESTIVAL OF DIVERSITY GUNNAR KVARAN AND DANIELLE KVARAN

Curators of the 57th October Salon

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SUCCESS IS A BLEND KEN LINDSAY

International Brand Ambassador Chivas Regal

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BUILDING BRIDGES IN THE REGION ANDREJ NOSOV Heartefact

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DINOSAURS' FOOTPRINTS, TITO'S CADILLAC AND ŠERBEDŽIJA'S COMMUNE Reportage by Robert Čoban

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WE WILL CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF HUGH HEFNER GREGORY DORCEL CEO Dorcel groupe

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J U P IT E R DE S CE N DIN G

The French President Tries to Regain Control After a Dismal Summer But a feeble opposition fails to capitalise on his weakness

IT WAS la rentrée in France this week, when pupils return to school after the long summer holidays to begin a new academic year. The country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, will be hoping it marks a fresh start for him too. On September 4th he was forced into a government reshuffle after unexpectedly losing his environment minister. With his poll ratings touching new lows after a troubled summer, Mr Macron badly needs to regain political momentum if he is to keep his plans to transform France on track.

A popular former television presenter and green activist, Nicolas Hulot, resigned abruptly in the middle of a radio interview last week, saying that although France was doing “more than most”, he deplored the “small steps” being taken to protect the planet. Mr Hulot, an outspoken campaigner who had in the past always refused to serve in government, was replaced by a career Green politician and loyal convert to Macronism, François de Rugy, who had been speaker of the National Assembly.

The loss of Mr Hulot was the last thing Mr Macron needed. Questions about his judgment

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WITH HIS POLL RATINGS TOUCHING NEW LOWS AFTER A TROUBLED SUMMER, MR MACRON BADLY NEEDS TO REGAIN POLITICAL MOMENTUM IF HE IS TO KEEP HIS PLANS TO TRANSFORM FRANCE ON TRACK were raised in July, after his former bodyguard and trusted aide, Alexandre Benalla, was identified on video dressed as a policeman and beating up a protester. Mr Benalla was fired, but only after the video emerged in public. The murky affair seems to have wiped out any credit the president earned for his victory against the unions at the SNCF rail network earlier this summer. Mr Macron’s poll numbers have dropped to 31%, according to Ifop. Another poll said that only 20% of Socialist voters, Mr Macron’s one-time party, approve of him. Slower economic growth has not helped. Nor has the president’s regal haughtiness, which has earned him the nickname “Jupiter”.

For now, Mr Macron seems undeterred. After some hesitation, his government is pressing ahead with a complex move to tax income at source, which it is feared will be hit by technical problems when it comes into place in January next year and dismay those not used to seeing income tax deducted directly from their pay slips. (At present, income tax is paid in arrears, generally in instalments.) Reforms to the benefit system, hospitals and pensions are all due shortly, and will push up against vested interests. To set against the disruption these will bring, the president will be hoping that a delayed cut to employee social charges, which comes into effect next month, will help lift the mood and boost consumer spending.

Perhaps the strangest aspect of Mr Macron’s domestic difficulties, though, is how little the political opposition seems to be able to make of them. La République en Marche, the party he invented and which holds a robust majority in parliament, has sucked in most of France’s moderates on the left and the right. The Socialists and Republicans, as a result, are rump parties struggling to find an attractive leader or a sense of purpose. Some polls suggest that the Socialist Party, historically one of the great institutions of French political life, could end up failing to pass the 5% threshold at elections to the European Parliament next May, and so with no seats at all.

For their part, the Republicans have found themselves drifting towards the right under an unconvincing new leader, Laurent Wauquiez.

Their moderates are either in government (the prime minister, Edouard Philippe, and the finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, are both ex-Republicans) or running big regions (such as Valérie Pécresse in the Paris area). Equally striking, the political extremes—Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Unsubmissive France—seem stuck on the protesting fringe. They are set for a fight. Mr Mélenchon has promised to turn the European election into a “referendum” on the president.

Ms Le Pen usually does well in mid-term elections. Yet a recent poll (see chart) suggested that, were European elections held today, Mr Macron’s party would come out on top. The president is down in Paris, but not out yet.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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INTERVI EW

Forced Solutions Don’t Lead to Stability of the Region We will continue working on persuading our friends and partners to support the result of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, because this will be the only compromising and viable solution. Constructive aid is always welcome, but obstructions are not

IVICA DAČIĆ Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

We talked with Ivica Dačić, Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, about possible outcomes of current negotiations on the status of Kosovo, the process of EU integrations and relations in the region.

Should we take Serbian Government’s latest messages as a signal that decision will be made soon, maybe even by the end of this year?

— It is early to talk about the outcome of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. I think that after a long period where the dialogue was led on lines of misconception – one misconception that all is lost, and the other misconception that everything is ours and

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that we should not stand down, our citizens, and the region as well, are finally in a stage where we can talk about models for a viable solution. That is why expectations regarding the outcome of the dialogue are high.

What’s certain, and what Ser-

5 years Priština has failed to meet its main obligation, which is to form a Community of Serb Municipalities, and as we could see during the President’s visit to Kosmet, they did a lot to obstruct the visit, which left our offered hand hanging in the air.

AFTER A LONG PERIOD WHERE THE DIALOGUE WAS LED ON LINES OF MISCONCEPTION – ONE MISCONCEPTION THAT ALL IS LOST, AND THE OTHER MISCONCEPTION THAT EVERYTHING IS OURS AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT STAND DOWN, WE REACHED THE STAGE WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT MODELS FOR A VIABLE SOLUTION bia demonstrated with President Vučić’s visit to Kosmet, is that Serbia has initiated the application of the Brussels Agreement with full responsibility, and it has met its obligations and offered a hand for exchange of ideas on finding a solution, so we don ‘t leave this Gordian Knot as a legacy for our children. Unfortunately, for almost

I think that Serbia proved that it’s ready to lead an essential dialogue to find a permanent solution for the matter of Kosovo and Metohija, but only through achievement of a sustainable compromise. In that sense, it is unacceptable for Serbia to recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and Metohija as the

outcome of this dialogue, because then this would not be a dialogue for finding a permanent solution, but one that would lead to acceptance of the policy of a done deal made by Priština and a part of the international community, and, I repeat, Serbia cannot agree with that. Also, it is unacceptable for Priština to get a wider autonomy within Serbia. So, these two options definitely won’t be the topic of our talks.

Serbia will continue to demonstrate readiness and a good will to talk, but it will also firmly defend its interests in Kosovo and Metohija. We now have a trend where some countries are withdrawing their recognition of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and Metohija, which shows that the matter is not resolved and that Priština’s independence is not a done deal, as Priština and a part of the international community want to present it to be.

That is why, when talk in domestic and foreign public only

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comes down to how we want to change borders – what exactly does that mean, because does anyone know where our borders lie today? This is a dialogue that must secure the rights of our citizens in Kosmet, and it’s about us doing everything we can, and saving everything we can in Kosovo and Metohija, because our situation is not the same, just like it wasn’t the same thirty, fifty or sixty years ago.

The idea is that we keep our people safe, and time is never ideal. To preserve our country, to preserve our institutions, the idea is to preserve peace and to try, at least try and establish the bridges of trust towards the Albanians, to strive towards agreement even when we know it’s practically impossible, because everything else leads us to abyss and disaster.

change. There is no more room for autopilot in politics.

Could a change in global relations between President Trump, Europe and China and Russia, which we are witnessing, result in a slightly different observance of the Kosovo issue or is this an expected matter of lack of understanding of the manner in which US foreign politics is conducted?

— We are witnessing turbulent times. United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, US admin-

To what extent do political tensions with Croatia reflect on our cooperation in other fields?

Can we consider a disruption in these relations to be our new reality?

— I don’t think that intensified rhetoric in this period between Serbia and Croatia is characteristic only for us. I am certain that other countries have their ups and downs in relations with their neighbours, just like we do.

There is no doubt that we have a different vision of the past. What’s important is that I see no reasons

What repercussions could a potentially favourable or unfavourable outcome of these negotiations have – in the sense of how European interlocutors see it – on the stay of international forces in Kosovo? What are Serbia’s options if this happens?

— As I said, it is ungrateful and too soon to talk about this, since the process is in progress and nobody can predict the outcome of the dialogue with certainty. Let me repeat – two options are not acceptable – recognition of KiM by Serbia and KiM’s autonomy within Serbia recognized by temporary institutions in Priština. Other modalities are on the table. We are witnesses that one member of the UN Security Council does not support, or does not contribute to the agreement between Belgrade and Priština, it is in fact doing all it can to avoid it from happening. However, we are also witnesses of changes in positions of a part of international community, or at least consideration of different proposals which are on the table.

International politics is a dynamic process, not a condition, and we will continue working on persuading our friends and partners to support the result of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, because this will be the only compromising and viable solution. Nothing forced or imposed will contribute to long-term stability of the region. Constructive aid is always welcome, but obstructions are not. If Serbia has accepted the price for its wrong decisions, I think that other countries should also eliminate inertia in their international politics, because times

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT FUTURE ISSUES THAT BRING SERBIA AND CROATIA TOGETHER ARE STRONGER THAN THOSE FROM THE PAST THAT DIVIDE US istration is making serious shifts in its foreign policy, Russia is no longer weak like it was in the 1990s, and Chinese economy is slowly becoming a competition the West. We are even witnessing new relations between USA and North Korea… Times are new, the world is changing. And I believe that Serbia must look for its place in these new relations. Sometimes I think that, due to turbulent times, we forget that we are the founder, and a proven friend and partner in the Non-Aligned Movement. We forget that as a nation and a country, we gave countless victims for peace in World War I and II. And then, it’s sometimes easier to remind our partners… Our flag was the first foreign flag to be placed on the White House, and our partners in the US have paid their tribute at the 100th anniversary. I mean to say that the world is changing, and we have to change with it. To understand the changes, keep up with them, but first of all, we have to work on ourselves and our society.

for any kind of conflicts in the future. We have no interests that could be contradictory in the future. I am constantly saying that behind our papers, our words and inter-party or interior politics, is the life of everyday man, his everyday life – which means jobs, infrastructure, education we provide to them, culture we allow them to enjoy…

Not to mention mixed families (two nationalities)… how will these families live if we allow irresponsible politics to create a distance between our countries? Our nations are intertwined and we don’t have the luxury not to think about our citizens and their families.

To what extent will the probable accession of Macedonia to NATO membership represent a challenge for Serbia’s position on neutrality?

— Serbia has no aspirations to join any military alliance, including NATO. Serbia has a clear and principled position that all international disputes should be resolved

through political and diplomatic means, and that it is necessary to look for compromising solutions that are viable on the long run and contribute to peace and stability not only in a certain region, but outside its borders as well.

In that sense, Serbia has a positive stance towards the resolution of the dispute between Greece and Macedonia regarding the name.

It is a bilateral dispute, one that Serbia did not take part in, but it wanted to see a positive outcome in the sense of an agreed solution, which refers to any agreement that parties in the dispute achieve. This certainly represents an incentive for improvement of stability in the region, and a factor that might eliminate potential tensions.

As for Macedonia’s membership in the NATO, Serbia respects foreign political priorities of other countries, as we expect our priorities to be understood and respected the same way. As we know, Serbia is a member in Partnership for Peace, like other partner-countries, but with a clearly profiled politics of military neutrality. At the same time, in the interest of peace and security in the region, Serbia wants to develop its cooperation with NATO on these grounds, which is not an obstacle for cooperation with other partner and friendly countries in the world, including the Russian Federation, China and other countries, especially those that strongly support Serbia’s priorities. Partnership cooperation with NATO is in the interest of peace and stability in the region, but its goal is also the protection of Serbia’s vital interests in Kosovo and Metohija, where KFOR Mission, which has a mandate according to Resolution 1244 of the UN CS, is stationed.

Do you think that European desire to accelerate the process of Euro-integrations with the possibility that the first Balkan countries become EU members in 2025, is a thing of the past today? Will we wait after Sofia for European leaders and Balkan leaders to meet again just like we waited after Thessalonica?

— The pace of Republic of Serbia’s accession to European Union significantly depends on the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, which is currently in its key stage.

Accession to European Union remains one of the priorities of Serbia’s foreign politics. We opened 14 chapters in the negotiating process for now, 2 of which are temporarily

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closed. I would like to point out that we don’t see membership in the EU as a goal in itself, but we see the process of negotiations as a driving force for implementation of radical reforms. We hope that the dynamics of negotiations will be accelerated, and that all the negotiating chapters for which conditions are made will be opened in the near future, and that we will be allowed to use our focus and dedication to utilize the indicative date for accession until 2025.

Despite the obstacles on the road to accession to EU, positive developments have appeared over this past period as well, like the presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Council, which endeavoured to keep the matter of the Western Balkans high on the agenda, and the publishing of European Commission’s Strategy titled “A Credible Enlargement Perspective for and Enhanced EU Engagement with the Western Balkans”, where 2025 is mentioned as the possible date for membership of Serbia and Montenegro in the EU. Continuation of the process of European integrations of the Republic of Serbia, and of the entire region, is encouraged also by the fact that Republic of Austria, presiding the EU Council in the second half of 2018, included the matter of safety in SEE, and in this context, achievement of specific progress of WB in European integrations, among priorities during its presidency. We expect future presidencies, including Romania as our direct neighbour, will keep the topic of enlargement in their agendas, as one of the most successful EU policies to this day, which, according to our analyses, does not in any way conflict with the frequently mentioned need for reform of EU itself.

How do you rate the achievements of the Berlin Process? Will they have a more permanent influence on construction of security, economic and infrastructural connections in the Western Balkans?

— The Berlin Process was envi-

WE EXPECT FUTURE PRESIDENCIES, INCLUDING ROMANIA AS OUR DIRECT NEIGHBOUR, WILL KEEP THE TOPIC OF ENLARGEMENT IN THEIR AGENDAS sioned as an intergovernmental initiative for cooperation with the goal to revitalize multilateral ties between the Western Balkans and EU countries, but also to improve regional cooperation of countries of Western Balkans, primarily in the field of infrastructural and economic development.

The last summit in London brought the topic of cooperation and exchange of information regarding organized crime, illegal finances and cash flows, money laundering and terrorism. The summit also opened the topic of issues regarding the search for missing persons, as well as talks about gender equality.

I think it is important to maintain communication in this format, precisely because these are life’s issues that neither country can provide an answer to on its own. Herein lies the importance of the Berlin Process.

What are foreign policy priori-

In order to improve the position of citizens of the Republic of Serbia abroad, we will continue the continuous implementation of activities tied to harmonization of legislation with EU regulations, visa liberalization, adoption of international agreements, and further improvement of Serbia’s relations with the diaspora and with Serbs in the region.

Capital expenditures are planned for two projects in the period from 2018–2020 – the project for construction of Diplomatic-Consular Mission (DCM) of the Republic of Serbia in Canberra, Australia, i.e. real estate acquisition project for DCM of the Republic of Serbia in Skopje, Macedonia. Also, within its regular budget funds, in 2018, Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to acquire a real estate for the needs of DCM of the Republic of Serbia in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina.

ties of the Ministry in the future period?

To what extent did austerity measures and the ban on employment affect the work of the Ministry? How do they affect the efficiency of our diplomacy and its positioning in relevant places of decision-making?

— It’s certainly work on maintenance and deepening of relations with all our partners and friends, even with those with which we don’t always share the same opinion or have the same interests.

Don’t forget that we renewed neglected relations with countries of Latin America, Africa and Asia, and we will continue to work in that direction.

As a result of continuous efforts to preserve the territorial wholesomeness of Serbia by presenting our arguments based on international law and the UN Charter, withdrawal of recognition of unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and Metohija

by Surinam, Burundi, Liberia and Papua New Guinea, is something that definitely stands out. And of course, we will continue our activities regarding the withdrawal of unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo (UPIK).

— Of course they affect it, but I have to thank the employees at the Ministry for their enhanced engagement. The Ministry I lead covers literally 24 time zones. This means that, in cases of emergency, you have to have people at their work posts throughout the day and night, as well as people in DCMs who conduct several jobs due to our increased diplomatic activity.

Still, I think that the most important thing is that reforms gave results. Fiscal consolidation and macroeconomic stability were achieved through implementation of difficult and comprehensive reforms, which lead to a drop in the level of public debt, with surplus in the budget.

With all this, Republic of Serbia managed to post a high economic growth, which will, according to forecasts from the European Commission and global financial institutions, record the highest result in the past 10 years – 4.6%.

REPORTS ON KIM BELONG IN UN SC SESSIONS After UK’s initiative, do you expect the matter of Kosovo to be discussed at the UN Security Council in the manner that was standard until now?

— I hope that we will return the reports on KiM to the sessions of UN Security Council

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where they belong. I am sorry that the United States followed UK’s decision. The question remains why they followed this dysfunctional decision that is contrary to UN’s basic postulates - commitment to cooperation and preservation of peace.

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NATIONAL DAYS

ARRI VALS & D EPA R T UR E S H.E. THOMAS SCHIEB New Ambassador of Germany to Serbia

in September & October

H.E. Thomas Schieb will be the new Ambassador of Germany to Serbia, the German Embassy in Belgrade confirmed for Blic. He assumed duty after the handing over of the accreditation letters. Schieb (54) arrived to Belgrade from New York, where he spent the past four years as the head of the political department at the German UN representation.

The future German ambassador is an economist, who also graduated from the diplomacy academy at the German Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, gaining professional education for his diplomatic career.

It’s interesting to note that he is not unfamiliar with the Balkans. He

spent some time working in the region, as a clerk at the Embassy of Germany in Sarajevo. Furthermore, he worked in Tanzania, in Brussels as a member of the Standing Mission in the EU, and also in Berlin for some time, in the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Schieb also worked in London, in the German embassy, where he was the head of the press department. Thomas Schieb succeeds Axel Dittmann, whose mandate as the German Ambassador to Serbia has expired and who has returned to Berlin to assume the duties of the Deputy Head of the European Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

New ambassador of Belgium

Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi, Mauritius and Zambia with residence in Dar es Salaam; Ambassador, Belgian Embassy in Havana, Cuba, in Uganda and was holding different posts in Brussels, Lisbon, Addis Abbeba or Moscow. Koenraad holds the MA degree in African History and Culture, graduating from the University of Gent in 1986 and he attended Postgraduate Erasmus ‘Comparative Study of Knowledge Systems’at the same university.

Grito de Dolores

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CHILE The First Junta Day

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ARMENIA Independence Day

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SAUDI ARABIA

CZECHIA St. Wenceslas Day

OCTOBER

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CHINA National Day

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CYPRUS Independence Day

New Ambassador India to Serbia

Mr. Subrata Bhattacharjee, born in 1964, studied Electronics Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology. He joined Indian Foreign Service in 1989.

His diplomatic assignments include postings in Bonn, Lusaka, Frankfurt, Ankara, Chittagong and Cairo. From 2012-15, he was Indian Ambassador in Guatemala City concurrently accredited to the

Republic of El Salvador and to the Republic of Honduras. Immediately before coming to Serbia, he was Additional Secretary (Central Europe) in Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi till August, 2018. He took over as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Serbia in August, 2018.

Mr. Bhattacharjee speaks Hindi, Bengali, English and German. He is married and has two daughters.

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NIGERIA National Day

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INDIA ahatma Gandhi’s M Birthday

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GERMANY

H.E. RUTH STEWART

German Unity Day

New Ambassador of Australia to Serbia

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MEXICO

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H.E. SUBRATA BHATTACHARJEE

Ms Stewart is a career officer with DFAT. Until recently, she was Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Phnom Penh. She has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Yangon (2010-2013); and Third, later Second Secretary, Australian Embassy, Stockholm (2003-2006). In Canberra, Ms Stewart has served as Director,

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nification U (of Nejd and Hejaz) Day

H.E. ADAM KOENRAAD After Leo D'Aes, Belgium will have a new ambassador embodied in H. E. Adam Koenraad. He became Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium in the Republic of Serbia on the 10th of September. Before that, he was in the Policy planning department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgium as director, and he had an extensive diplomatic career as an ambassador in the United Republic of Tanzania, Non Resident

SEPTEMBER

Myanmar Section, DFAT (2014-2015); Director, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos Section, DFAT (2013-2014); and Executive Officer, People Smuggling, Refugees and Immigration Section, DFAT (2007-2009). Ms Stewart holds a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership, Deakin University (2015) and a Bachelor of Arts, Melbourne University (1999).

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IRAQ Independence Day

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SOUTH KOREA aecheonjeol, ancient G Korea founded in 2333 BC

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ARRI VALS & D EPA R T UR E S H.E. FAKHRI HASSAN MAHDI AL-ISSA

MIKE MICHEL Appointed CEO of Telenor Serbia

New Iraqi Ambassador

Fakhri Hassan Mahdi Al-Issa became a new ambassador of Iraq to Serbia. H. E. Al-Issa graduated from College of Agriculture, Baghdad University in 1976 holding a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture Engineering, and obtained his MSc title at the University College of North Wales, U.K, 1989. Prior

to this post, he was ambassador of Iraq in India, Venezuela, and held positions of Ambassador – Head of Asia Department - Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador – Head of Policy Planning Department, Iraqi ministry of Foreign Affairs. He speaks Arabic and English.

TOMÁŠ KUCHTA New Czech ambassador

Tomáš Kuchta is the new ambassador of Czechia to Serbia.

He is an engineer by education and prior to this engagement he worked in Wiese & Sons – Embryotransfer, Iowa, US, Association of Industry, Siena, Italy as an Export Manager, Gabel Enterprises Zlín sro in production of ski poles, but in 1994 he switched

REGINA DE DOMINICIS New UNICEF Representative in Serbia

Peter Goldschmidt succeeded Claudio Albrecht as General Manager of Stade Arzneimittel AG STADA by taking over from September 1, 2018. Goldschmidt (53) is an experienced general manager and an OTC expert who was until recently president of Sandoz US, the global generic sector of Novartis, and the North America leader. Goldschmidt will focus on continuing the Stage of the growth strategy that Albrecht has successfully strengthened and improved in 2017. Goldschmidt came from Stuttgart from the Novartis Group where he has been in various leadership positions in Europe, Asia and the United States over the past 28 years.

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to diplomatic carrer, starting his permanent job within Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he took many different posts, especially in Rome, Zagreb and Brussels.

He was Deputy Minister of Defence until 2018 when he became the ambassador to Serbia. He speaks Czech, English, Italian and Serbo-Croatian.

Ms. Regina De Dominicis is the UNICEF Representative in Serbia since 23 August 2018, when she assumed her duties and taken over the responsibilities of the Country Office activities. Prior to this assignment, she was a UNICEF Representative in Morocco, where she led the expansion of the UNICEF-Morocco programme focused on early years, adolescents and youth development. She has mobilized significant resources and intensified SouthSouth cooperation, especially in the area of early child development.

Before joining Morocco, Ms. De Dominicis worked in Turkey as a Deputy Representative, and played an important role as a resource person for the development of

Prior to that, Peter Goldschmidt was a member of Global Sandoz Management Team for Central and Eastern Europe, and led Sandoz to a leading position in the generics market by seriously improving their OTC business. "Of course, I know Stada as a long-standing key player in the industry and I see huge potential for the Group.

Together with all employees, we will aim to fully capitalize on the opportunities for growth, "announced the new Managing Director. Goldschmidt intends to use the next hundred days for a detailed introduction of the Group, its partners and clients, and will then consider its strategic priorities with its team.

a strategic partnership with the European Union for the region CEECIS, besides her role as a country programme coordinator. Ms. De Dominicis has also worked at the European Commission, and during her career in Montenegro she managed programmes related to human rights, rule of law, public administration and justice reforms, as well as modernization of the education systems. After obtaining her Laurea di Dottore in Political Sciences at LUISS University in Rome, Ms. De Dominicis specialized in European studies at the College of Europe in Europe, Belgium where she obtained her master degree in 1999. Ms. De Dominicis is accompanied in Serbia by her husband and daughter.

PETER GOLDSCHMIDT New CEO of the STADA

Mr. Mike Michel has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telenor Serbia of PPF Group effective no later than 1 October 2018.

“Mike brings over 20+ years of leadership experience in global Telecom companies, mainly based in CEE region, North America, and most recently in Asia. Mike brings broad expertise in the field of Marketing and Sales, combined with his extensive leadership experience.” said Ladislav Bartoníček, PPF Group’s responsible for telecommunications assets within PPF. Mr.Michel has worked in various senior leadership roles and has taken on acting-CEO roles throughout the region – working mainly in Czech Republic, Serbia, Montenegro, and Hungary. In addition, Mike has also worked in Canada, Norway, and most recently in Bangladesh. He holds BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.

FRANJO BOBINAC appointed Vice President of Marketing for Hisense International

The board of directors of Hisense Group appointed the chairman of the board of directors of Gorenje, Franjo Bobinac, as marketing vice president of Hisense International. Bobinac will remain at the helm of the Management Board of Gorenje, but he will also be in charge of global marketing at Hisense International, a corporation that covers all international activities Hisense Group. Following the successful takeover by Gorenje of the international branch of one of the largest Chinese electronics and home appliance manufacturers, Hisense, the new owner's management board has already taken steps to integrate home appliance manufacturers into their global family of 75,000 employees. This includes the use of potential talented individuals working in one of the oldest European home appliance manufacturers, based in Velenje, Slovenia. Mr. Franjo Bobinac will oversee the marketing activities of Hisense International around the world as global marketing vice president and will use his knowledge and experience to align marketing strategies and activities of all brands within the new portfolio of Hisense Group brands.

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Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

In Friendly Serbia, It Feels Like Home Each country should find its own way

H.E. MIGUEL FUENTES SUÁREZ Ambassador of Kingdom of Spain

After close to three years in the office, H.E. Mr. Miguel Fuentes Suárez, the ambassador of one of the friendliest and most popular countries in Serbia – the Kingdom of Spain, talks about economy, politics and culture, noting the striking similarities in the turbulent past and similar joyful mentalities of our two countries.

Spain is a model of a federal country. Is this maybe the reason why all crises are, in the final instance, resolved in accordance with the law?

— The Spanish Constitution from 1978 established a system of great political and administrative decentralization with the creation of 17 Autonomous Communities, each of them having their own government and parliament.

Every Autonomous Community holds its own elections at which

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they elect members of that Autonomous Parliament which then, in turn, appoints the Autonomous Government. However, the Constitution does not define Spain as a federal state, like Germany, but an “autonomous” one. The distribution of power between the Spanish State and the Autonomous Communities has been working reasonably well in the

The Spanish federalism has built a diversified country with several centres of economic power.

Unitary countries almost always have to face the problem of economic concentration in the centre. Can Spain help by sharing its own experience?

— Historically speaking, several industrial zones have been developed in Spain since the 18th cen-

SERBIA IS NOT ONLY AN ALLY AND A FRIEND OF SPAIN, BUT ALSO A VERY PLEASANT PLACE TO LIVE WITH CHARACTERISTICS THAT BRING US CLOSER WITH THE TWO PEOPLES LIKING EACH OTHER light of absolute respect of the decisions made by the Constitutional Court. Spain makes a permanent effort to uphold the principles of the rule of law, democratic freedoms and a strict separation of powers with absolute independence of the Judicial Power, even when the judicial resolutions have had political repercussions of great importance.

tury, mainly around Barcelona, the Basque Country and, to a lesser extent, Asturias. These regions have traditionally shown a greater international connection, facilitated by their access to the sea. Madrid and the current Valencian Community are two Spanish regions that have developed industries somewhat later. The industrial specialization has therefore existed long before

the 1978 Constitution and has continued during democracy. The Spanish experience is based on its own historical and geographical peculiarities, so it is not easy to extrapolate it to other realities. However, it is true that the existence of several industrial nuclei has ensured the balance the economic power between different areas of the country.

Following Franco's rule, Spain became a modern and democratic country in quite a short period. In almost 30 years after Communism and wars, many countries in Eastern Europe are yet to find their own way. What was the Spanish method?

— Spain has experienced an extraordinary change in the last four decades. From the economic point of view, the so-called Pacts of La Moncloa of 1977 served to put all the political forces in agreement on the need to liberalize and modernize the Spanish economy through important reforms that introduced a greater competition,

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greater external openness, greater gravity of the private sector, a better fiscal and labour system, and price liberalization, among others.

Joining the EU in 1986, which is something that has always been supported by the majority of Spaniards, has entailed a harmonization of policies, the continuation of opening of our trade and foreign investments. The structural funds that Spain received for infrastructure and rural development and the subsequent adoption of the euro, as one of the founding countries, have all been fundamental for the economic progress of our country, which is the fifth strongest economy in the EU. But we would not like to impose our solutions to other countries. Everyone should find their own way.

Spain was not traditionally present in our region, because it has mainly been focusing on Latin America. Now, Spain seems ready to invest in Eastern Europe. Where is Serbia’s place in all of that?

— Indeed, Spanish companies have traditionally looked to Latin

are generating a bigger interest of Spanish companies in this country, as reflected in the figures of our bilateral trade, which reached 411 million euro in 2017, with a growth of 76% in the last five years.

I am a fervent Europeanist and I think Serbia inspires confidence in investments nowadays.

THE WORK OF DISSEMINATING ECONOMIC, GENERAL AND SECTORAL INFORMATION ABOUT CONCRETE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ON SERBIA IS LESS VISIBLE BUT IS EFFECTIVE

After the 2008 economic crisis, Spain is now again strong. What was the formula that you used but others did not?

— To get out of this great crisis and resume the growth as it had been in recent years, Spain - its citizens and companies - has had to make enormous sacrifices. In coordination with the European Union, various reforms were carried out, including the important process of fiscal consolidation, which reduced the public deficit from 10.5% of GDP in 2012 to 3.1% of GDP. The public deficit in 2018 is expected to be below 3% of our national GDP. The reforms were implemented in the banking sector with the aim of adjusting its size, recognizing the losses, increasing its capitalization, improving liquidity ratios, and introducing a greater flexibility to the labour market. A particular highlight in the economic recovery of Spain has been the prominence of the foreign sector.

The Spanish competitiveness has allowed external demand to pull out of the economy, to the point that it is the first time that a steady growth of GDP in Spain coincided with the current account surpluses (five consecutive years, reaching 1.9% of GDP in 2017). The recovery in the main markets for Spain has facilitated improved exports. The low interest rates and the low price of crude oil have also favoured the improvement. In this process of economic recovery, tourism has been another forte of the Spanish economy - the number of tourists who have visited Spain has reached 81.8 million in 2017, which places Spain second in the world.

America, to large, nearby countries in the EU and, more recently North Africa and Asia. Eastern Europe was discovered as the integration in the EU of a large group of these countries has provided more information, a better environment for business with the harmonization of regulations, a total opening of the market and has revealed business opportunities derived from the needs of infrastructures, equipment, industrial and consumer goods in those countries. The stronger economic link between Serbia and the EU, and more importantly, its EU accession process

The people of Serbia have a very positive attitude towards Spain, but, except for the Cervantes Institute, there is not much Spanish cultural and diplomatic activity here. Can that be changed?

— In the economic sphere, the work on disseminating economic, general and sectoral information about concrete business opportunities on Serbia, as well as the provision of personalized services to Spanish companies that wish to do business in Serbia, is less visible but is effective. The proof of this lies in the evolution of the bilateral trade figures that I have already men-

SIMILAR WAYS OF LIFE What is personal impression of Serbia?

— Serbia is not only an ally and a friend of Spain, but also a very pleasant place to live with characteristics that bring us closer with the two peoples liking each other. Therefore, both professionally and personally, now that I am approaching the end of my mission in Serbia, I can vouch that I have always felt at home here.

tioned. Furthermore, we have been carry out more important activities in some sectors, such as participation in the International Agricultural Fair of Novi Sad, where, in 2018, Spain had a national pavilion for the third consecutive year.

On the other hand, the cultural and educational relations between Spain and Serbia are remarkable, although obviously, they can be strengthened, and we hope to contribute to this, on the Embassy’s side. There is a great interest in the Spanish language and cultures in Serbia. The work of the Cervantes Institute, both in teaching Spanish and in its strong cultural activities is a good example of this. So is the work of the Hispanists in Serbian universities, the presence of two Spanish readers in Serbian universities (who teach Castilian and Catalan), and the numerous university exchanges, especially in the framework of the Erasmus programme.

Spanish culture is very present in the Serbian cultural life; our artists and creative people often participate in a number of cultural programmes at festivals and cultural events in Serbia, and are frequently supported by different Spanish institutions. Last but not least, Serbia is one of the countries that receive the biggest subsidies for the translations of the Spanish written word from our Ministry of Culture, which says a lot about the great interest that Serbian population has in our literature.

What are the Embassy's plans for the future?

— In the economic area, our objective is to continue investing effort in increasing the knowledge of both countries by the companies of the other. With this in mind, our Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Office, together with the Spanish Agency for Exports and Investments (ICEX), will organize the Spanish-Serbian Business Meeting in Belgrade on October 23rd and 24th of this year. The objective is to inform the delegation of participating Spanish companies (20 for now, representing the sectors like environmental protection, transport, engineering, construction, agriculture and livestock, fashion, hotels, etc.) about the existing business opportunities in Serbia through the direct contact with authorities, Serbian companies and international organizations. At the same time, we want to promote the capabilities of Spanish companies to Serbian stakeholders, seeking cooperation that is beneficial for both countries.

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Better Future for All of Us It is very important that you have a vision and do not give up on your plans, as well as find the best way for their realization. I want as many young people as possible to join us in our activities, to find happiness and star families here

ZORAN STEVANOVIĆ Mayor of Zvornik

Zoran Stevanović is a successful businessman and a father of two grown-up sons, in addition to successfully running Zvornik, one of the five biggest towns in the Republic of Srpska, over the past 11 years. He entered politics in 2007 with the intention of applying his business skills in his town and improve the lives of its citizens, who are also his neighbours, relatives, friends and acquaintances. He won four consecutive elections and was elected directly by the citizens to the post of mayor of Zvornik which he holds to this day. He is the owner and co-owner of several companies, and very often a stakeholder in various business ventures that are inherent to large systems. We talked with Mr. Stevanović about his successes in Zvornik, but also about the beginning of another election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You have been at the helm of Zvornik for eleven years now.

Could you tell us about some of your successes, results and changes you have made in the town?

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— I would like to single out political stability in Zvornik as something very important. Prior to me becoming the mayor, town’s officials came and went very quickly and it was nearly impossible to have majority in the local assembly. Today, our municipal assembly sessions are very expe-

ditious and efficient. Decisions are made unanimously in most cases and I'm very proud of that fact. The communication we have with Bosniaks who are returning to this area, and with other citizens is very successful. Infrastructure projects in Zvornik are extensive.

Most of the town now has water supply and sewage, and almost all of the streets have been renovated. Millions are spent on these investments. What you cannot see with the naked eye, and this is something that is very important, is that today we have 2,500 employees more than in 2007. We can

I WANT THE CITIZENS OF ZVORNIK, TOGETHER WITH THE CITIZENS OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, TO CATCH UP TO THEIR NEIGHBOURS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE 21ST CENTURY, TO INCREASE THEIR LIVING STANDARD AND ENSURE THAT OUR WORKERS ARE ADEQUATELY PAID

be proud of the fact that Zvornik does not have vacant housing and business spaces. Apartments in most of the residential buildings sell out even before the construction starts. This speaks volumes about how interested citizens and business people are in living and working in Zvornik.

When you compare 2018 with 2007, what challenges are you facing today and are these challenges tougher or easier than those from more than a decade ago?

— Challenges are changing on a daily bais. Much depends not only on local opportunities, but also on relations in the country and the region. Everybody carries their own burden. Immediately after I was appointed head of the municipality, we had to stabilize the parliamentary majority, calm political turmoil, and ensure that our citizens have regular heating and water supply.

Today, again, I have to think about something new, doing more or upgrading something that already exists. So, the challenge is here again.

In times of modern technology, you have to offer citizens a lot more to keep them here. Therefore, we must try again every day to make life in Zvornik easier and better for them and to lead them towards the future where they can see their children also living in Zvornik.

What projects would you like to single out?

— A lot has been done in Zvornik in the last decade, which is why we don’t feel bad about boasting.

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Certainly, we cannot claim that this is all that needs to be done, but that we will not stop there. Water supply issues in the town have been resolved, there are no water restrictions anymore, the water supply grid has been renovated, and the sewage system has also been reconstructed at the same time. Both the urban and suburban area of Zvornik got a new look and improved services. The streets got a new face and we also built a brand new town promenade. Some facades have been painted with murals. We built three gymnasiums and we invested in the reconstruction of school facilities, worth over 5,000,000 KM. The primary school building and the General Hospital are now warmer, and today they are operating with a high degree of energy efficiency. The heating problem in the city has been solved, and for years now, we have a safe heating supply. In the upcoming period, we expect to start reconstructing the King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic Bridge, which connects the Republic of Srpska to Serbia, a project worth 600,000 euro.

The General Hospital will also be reconstructed, and the works are valued at 1,500,000 euro.

gress. I have been using the policy of encouraging domestic investors in Zvornik for the past 11 years.

Zvornik no longer had problems with water supply and heating.

Salaries are regularly paid out. New businesses are opening. Certainly, a lot still needs to be done, but we would like to thank those people who have trusted us by doing even more for them than ever before.

Why do you think that you will accomplish good results in the October elections, and that you will get 20% more votes?

MY MOTTO IS NOT TO GET ATTACHED TO PROMISES, BUT TO STRIVE FOR REALIZATION

You expect good election results.

You have many achieved results behind you. What is it that you will offer to citizens in the future and what are the plans that you intend to implement?

Where do you see the potential for further development of the town of Zvornik?

— Zvornik has a very favourable geographical position. It is located halfway between Belgrade and Sarajevo. It is relatively near Banja Luka, Zagreb and Podgorica. The River Drina also flows through our town. We have a medieval fortress called Djurdjev Grad and Orlovina, an archaeological site in Mali Zvornik, in neighboring Serbia, nearby. All these are a good foundation for the development of tourism. The fact that Zvornik was one of the industrial centres of the former Yugoslavia is also a basis for tourism development. Today, we have business giants such as Alumina, Zeochem, Vitinka and Vivia.

We expect that the bankruptcy procedure at the Birač alumina plant will be completed soon and that

— I expect that our citizens will recognize what we have done so far and that they will again put their trust in us to lead them forward.

I only use what we have already done in Zvornik to illustrate how much more we can actually do. Of course, we need to invest much more work and effort to ensure that we create a society worthy of our children, but I think that Zvornik is on the right track, and that our citizens will confirm this.

new investors will come to whom we need to provide adequate infrastructure. On one hand, we will try to develop tourism, and on the other, to expand the economic base and make it easier for future investors to launch a business in our town. This year, the Financial Times declared Zvornik one of the top 10 micro cities in Europe in terms of cost efficiency. And these are the potentials that we have to use in the coming period.

Are you going to actively participate in election campaign this year too, considering that we are talking about general election?

— Two years ago, I was appointed mayor for the fourth consecutive time and I thought that I could change something which is what I am doing now. Hence, I am on the list of candidates for the members of the Republic of Srpska National Assembly, election unit 7. Basically, I use the same policy I implement at the local level. I want the citizens of Zvornik, together with the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to catch up to their neighbours in the European Union in the 21st century, to increase their living standard and to ensure that our workers are adequately paid. I want to use domestic resources and pro-

— My motto is not to get attached to promises, but to strive for realization. Regardless of the election year, we have seriously embarked on the planning of the future. We are currently drafting the Development Strategy of the Town of Zvornik for the period 2018-2027.

More than 60 projects have been prepared in all areas, and some of the projects have started to be implemented. In terms of other projects, we are looking for financing opportunities, partners and such.

It is very important that you have a vision and do not give up on your plans, as well as find the best way for their realization. I want as many young people as possible to join us in our activities, to find happiness and star families here. The purpose of our planning is achieving a better future for all of us.

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE SOLUTION FOR OUR FUTURE I often thought that it was enough to use business logic and success was inevitable, but practice has proven that this is not always the case.

Politics, especially in the Balkans, has its unexpected rules and very often when you are sure of a positive outcome, the result surprises you in a negative way. Over the course of years, I have

formed a circle of people I trust, and invested in young people and their education. I think that only young people who want to stay here and use their knowledge to improve their environment are a solution for our future. What I learned is that you should never give up, even when you think that there won’t be any results.

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CORPO RATE

Renault Nissan Adriatic

Difficult Times for the Car Industry are Behind us

The Adriatic region is one of the nine Renault clusters in Europe and since its establishment in 2008, from year to year our sales, post-sales and financial results are growing

JEAN-PIERRE MESIC Managing Director of Renault Nissan Adriatic

It is anticipated that the auto industry will continue to grow for the next 5 years, which is confirmed by the recently published official results on the sale of new vehicles in Serbia, according to which the market grew by 14% compared to the first 7 months of last year

In 2016, you came from the position of corporate sales director within Renault's global sales directorate at the head of the Adriatic region. How is it positioned in your global portfolio?

— Currently I am the General Manager of the Adriatic region, which means that I am responsible for all sales and post-sales activities for brands Renault, Dacia and Nissan in the countries that forms the region, which are: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia - where we have branches, and then Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, where we are represented by importers.

The Adriatic region is one of nine Renault clusters in Europe and since its establishment in 2008, from year to year our sales, post-sales and financial results are growing. Although, based on our sales capacities we are the smallest cluster in Europe, we can boast that for the second year in a row we have the biggest market share of Renault and Dacia, and that we are right behind France.

How do you assess the potential of this market and how much

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does its duality (in and outside the EU) holds the specifics in designing a sales strategy?

— The automotive market in these areas reached its maximum of 100,000 sold vehicles ten years ago, and in 2013 it sold only 35,000 vehicles. All pointers indicate that since 2014, the market has been steadily increasing.

Our cluster is specific in many ways, primarily because it is made up of countries that are members of the EU, such as Croatia and Slovenia, and those that are not yet, and among them is Serbia. It is these markets that have the greatest potential for growth in the coming years, because their recovery still lasts and are far from their maximum in terms of population and other resources they have.

the results: in the first six months, private vehicle sales in the entire region increased by 11% and light commercial vehicles by 15%. Apart from the fact that such excellent sales results improve our position on the market and the image of our brands, they also enable us faster development of post-sales activities.

A brand that certainly has great potential in all the countries of the region is Dacia. These are vehicles that use Renault's knowledge in car production and do not need additional investment in development, which automatically makes Dacia models more affordable, while remaining reliable, robust, durable.

Their main characteristic is to offer an ideal ratio between the invested and obtained. Customers in Serbia have a lot of confidence in the Dacia

I THINK THAT HUMAN CAPITAL IS CRUCIAL FOR A COMPANY. IT'S THE ENGINE OF THE COMPANY, WHAT MAKES IT MOVE FORWARD Our sales strategy in all segments of business adapts to the specifics of the market, the mentality of people and their consumer habits. For example, in Slovenia, when buying a car, customers will always prefer to choose a package of post-sales services, and for customers from Croatia a good price is crucial, unlike buyers in Serbia who prefer the cheaper versions and paying cash.

brand, and the best evidence for this is the convincing leadership position of the Sandero model in the private buyers' market for the second year in a row.

How satisfied are you with the results for the 2018 in the region? Which brands have the greatest potential for growth?

— The business model presented by Renault Company in the launch of electric vehicles is "electric vehicles accessible to everyone". The company's goal is for buyer to get an EV

— We are extremely pleased with

Electric vehicles are widely accepted in Europe, how much is the Serbian market ready to switch to electric car fleet? What is your company in this segment offering to the Adriatic market?

at the price of a similar diesel engine model. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to have two conditions: satisfactory government subsidy and good coverage of charging stations. Unfortunately, only after these conditions are met, we will be able to think about the commercialization of electric vehicles in Serbia.

On the Croatian and Slovenian markets, Renault today offers three models of electric vehicles: Renault Zoe, Twizy and Kangoo ZE. Zoe is a small city car, currently the best-selling on the European market, where Renault is also the leading brand in the sale of EV vehicles. Twizy is a comfortable and fun two-seater full-innovative design, and Kangoo Z.E. has been the best-selling small delivery electric vehicle in Europe for the past six years.

You once said that as a manager, you value human capital the most. How satisfied are you with your team?

— I think that human capital is crucial for a company. It's the engine of the company, what makes it move forward. And like an engine in a car, the human potential must be powerful, economical, efficient and reliable.

Managing people is like oil in the engine that allows it to work well and absorb different operating modes.

First and foremost, it is important to know how to recruit good people, and then help them grow at work, constantly motivate them and thus keep them.

When it comes to my team, I can be more than satisfied. They prove their qualities on a daily basis, they are in full bloom and it is truly a pleasure to work with them.

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Open Towards the World but Aware of Ourselves

Responsible towards ourselves and the future generations to which we have to provide conditions for a dignified life in their country. That is my personal vision and the vision of DNS ĐORĐE POPOVIĆ DNS Main Board member and DNS list leader for the National Parliament of RS.

In the wake of October elections, we talked with Đorđe Popović, member of DNS Main Board and DNS list leader for the National Parliament of RS, who said for DC magazine: these elections can really be observed as a turning point after which our society should start ascending, both politically and economically. I believe that citizens will award our long-term work for a better Republic of Srpska and better life of citizens in these elections.

How would you rate the political situation in Srpska and in BiH?

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— In all transitional societies, including ours, political situation is in a state of permanent tension.

In the Republic of Srpska and BiH, tensions are now additionally accentuated due to upcoming general elections which many describe as the most important ones in

both politically and economically.

The time has come for politics and politicians to take full responsibility, for a political consensus to be reached whose minimum common denominators should primarily be peace, stability and better life for the citizens.

A VOTE FOR DNS IS A VOTE FOR SERIOUS PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS the post-Dayton era. It is obvious that many things don’t function in BiH, they reached a wall, and citizens are at the edge of patience in expectation of a better life in this country. In that sense, these elections can indeed be observed as a turning point after which our society should start ascending,

What result do you expect in the October elections?

— I expect that citizens will elect serious and responsible people who are prepared to lead a responsible politics with the intention to achieve the mentioned goals. DNS is the only party in the Republic of Srpska that has strictly and con-

sistently implemented such politics over the past years. I believe that in these elections, citizens will award our long-term work for a better Republic of Srpska and better life of citizens. That is why I am certain that DNS will achieve its goal – more than 100,000 votes, i.e. 12 to 15 mandates in the National Parliament of the Republic of Srpska, and at least two direct mandates in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. This should bring us a key role in the forming of future government in RS and on BiH level, which will give DNS the chance to affect the overall social processes much more than before.

What do you offer to voters and what do they recognize as your greatest value?

DNS’ pre-election slogan is – Re-

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sponsibly, towards the citizens, towards the young, towards national interests, natural resources, towards the future and future generations. As I already emphasized, DNS has become recognizable for such policy. A vote for DNS is a vote for serious people who are ready to take responsibility for what they are doing, to behave responsibly towards to needs of citizens and the society they run, to be a service for the citizens. Our President Marko Pavić often says that DNS hasn’t had enough political capacity until now to achieve all of its program goals. With the expected good result in October elections, DNS’ political capacity will be significantly increased, and this automatically means progress for the Republic of Srpska.

What is your vision of the Republic of Srpska?

— Peace and stability, with preservation of vital interests of the Republic of Srpska. Economic prosperity, more jobs for all the citizens and better earnings. To be open towards the world but aware of ourselves and our values. Responsible towards ourselves and the future generations for which we have to provide conditions for a dignified life in their country. That is my personal vision and the vision of DNS. Does your party have enough expert and experienced members who can present such a vision?

— We are witnesses that a large number of new members are joining DNS every day. These are mainly young, educated and successful people who want to invest their knowledge and energy in the making of a better and fairer society in the Republic of Srpska and BiH. Also, DNS has sufficient experienced politicians and experts who can respond to all the requirements of a modern society in a quality manner. Colloquially speaking, DNS represents a quality combination of youth and experience, which is always a winning combination.

You are the Director of RITE "Ugljevik". How do you rate the situation in RS’ economy and in the energy sector?

— Despite the difficulties that are most often a result of political tensions in RS, BiH and the region, progress in the energy sector of the Republic of Srpska is obvious. It is sufficient to mention RiTE Ugljevik where we opened new perspectives of the enterprise through

THAT IS WHY I AM CERTAIN THAT DNS WILL ACHIEVE ITS SET GOAL – MORE THAN 100,000 VOTES, I.E. 12 TO 15 MANDATES a systemic approach, and we are currently a persuasive leader in the production of electric energy in the Republic of Srpska. We have a positive business result, we employ a large number of workers and we are the backbone of the economy of the Republic of Srpska.

On the other hand, when it comes to general economic situation, we certainly cannot be satisfied. But there is a lot of room for progress. DNS stands for strengthening of real sector by in-

citing the private initiative, public and private partnership projects and many other positive solutions that are to contribute to lowering of unemployment and growth of salaries in the economy. In order to get the opportunity to implement this platform, we need citizens’ support in the elections. I am convinced that DNS will receive strong support from the people.

When you came to the head of RITE, you conduct a complete

I BELIEVE IN THE VICTORY OF COMMON CANDIDATES Do you expect victory of the coalition’s candidate for places of Serbian member of BiH Presidency and President of RS? — In accordance with the coalition agreement, DNS will offer maximum support to SNSD candidates for President of RS and member of BiH Presidency. I expect the other two coalition parties to do the same, and that there will be no unfair moves on any side. I believe in the victory of common candidates for operational executives.

renovation and initiated a desulphurization process. How significant are these two projects for the electric energy system of the Republic of Srpska?

— Thanks to extensive complete renovation, in which we invested BAM 39 million, we extended the lifetime of the thermal power plant by two decades. Effects are such that we already have a higher than planned production of electric energy in 2018. Desulphurization process is also progressing ahead of the planned dynamics, and it should be completed in May next year, when we plan to start the test phase. The end goal is for clean electric energy to be produced in Ugljevik. The project for construction of a facility for flue gas desulphurization process at TE Ugljevik represents the biggest and the most expensive ecological project in the entire BiH. Thanks to this, RiTE Ugljevik and this entire region have a good perspective, which was our main goal.

What are the relations in the coalition? Could the rise of your party and rise in the number of members jeopardize relations in the coalition?

— The SNSD - DNS – SP coalition in the Republic of Srpska has functioned well for a long number of years. Of course, each coalition always has certain issues. It is quite normal to have different opinions on many issues but that’s what politics is for, to harmonize positions and look for common solutions. DNS was always fair and open towards its coalition partners, and I don’t think that strengthening of DNS’ reputation could jeopardize the coalition. If that was to happen eventually, it certainly would be DNS’ fault.

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INTERVI EW

Improving Business Relationship of the Entire Region Our goal is to find the best solutions through an intense dialogue for connecting and designing new joint projects in order to strengthen our appearance on the global market STANKA PEJANOVIĆ President of Serbian Association of Managers

Focus of this year’s seventh Summit 100 will be on digital transformation and region’s potentials to use connecting and networking to make the most of changes coming with the fourth industrial revolution that we are to experience as a springboard for a “quantum leap” towards developed and globally competitive region. For the end of this seventh Summit 100, we will hear prime ministers of regional countries at one place, presenting specific ideas, projects and solutions that can make a step forward and make the region of SE Europe even more competitive, says Stanka Pejanović President of SAM. After seven years, Belgrade will once again host the SUMMIT 100 of business leaders of SE Europe.

What will be the key topics?

— Our goal is to try and find the best solutions through an intense dialogue for connecting and designing new joint projects in order to strengthen our appearance on the global market. Changes have been happening before our very eyes over the past years: from using artificial intelligence, cloudbased technologies, 3D printers that are already used in medicine, for example, for “production” of

22

some smaller organs, autonomous cars, the Internet of Things (IoT).

Let’s not forget social changes, such as the connecting of economy and psychology through “behavioural economy” for which a Nobel Prize was awarded in 2017 – all these changes put us before a turning point that requires an energetic and detailed focus in regional countries so we could catch up with developed countries.

An important segment of this year’s Summit will be the “Progress Report” of regionally relevant projects, primarily “Free Cargo” whose goal is to create a “Schengen” zone for transport of goods in the region, i.e. elimination of sometimes several days of waiting for goods in trucks on interstate borders. This

nika), thanks to which stations for charging electric vehicles with renewable energy sources are to become reality, with around 2,000 kilometres long key regional, as well as intercontinental highway, which will integrate the region in the best possible way.

How hot the topic of digital transformation is for business leaders? Do we also have leaders who are capable of taking advantage of the industrial revolution 4.0?

IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THIS YEAR’S SUMMIT WILL BE THE PROGRESS REPORT ABOUT REGIONAL RELEVANT PROJECTS, PRIMARILY FREE CARGO project bears extraordinary importance when it comes to raising the competitiveness of our economies, especially bearing in minds that every minute of a truck standing at the border costs two euros – someone eventually has to pay that price.

Also, one of the projects that business leaders have identified, and that we will be discussing is “Zelena Balkanika” (Green Balka-

— Digital transformation and all the changes that come with it are an inevitable topic not only for business leaders, but also for political leaders in the region. Even though the topic is really comprehensive, let’s mention just IT industry as a good example of a field that is developing very quickly in our country as well. One of the challenges before us is to incite an

even stronger growth of IT sector in the region, and support those who already showed that they have the knowledge, ideas and the capacity for a global game. Growth rates are at a high rate in the region as well, which means that we are not lacking in knowledge and ideas. The challenge is of a strategic nature, it concerns the training of experts for new tasks and jobs, in IT industry and other areas that are already comprised and are yet to be comprised by digital transformation. I believe that one should learn from the best, and it is up to us to help the political leaders, on whose decisions many processes depend, with examples from the global stage, which we, as businessmen, see every day.

I will dare to say that among the members of our associations that initiated this convention are also many experts who are capable of leading the changes ahead, especially bearing in mind that unrestricted thinking and quality ideas are preconditions for success in the new age. Time of new optimism for the entire region must start and we have a great responsibility there.

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How to turn recipes of individual companies with globally success stories into a success story for the entire region?

that there is will. We have common goals, that is why open dialogues organized by business associations, NGOs and other subjects are of great relevance, since they lead to strengthening of joint projects by including representatives of the Government, ministries and local institutions. This creates preconditions for improvement of business climate, stronger fight against grey economy, for initiation of socially responsible initiatives, to affirm the young. We need synergy in these efforts, but it is clear who is responsible for what.

— This is a century of “sharing” knowledge, and for the first time in history, universities and schools aren’t strictly places from where knowledge is spreading. Now we have social networks, blogs, websites where people selflessly share experience and help those starting a new business not to make rooky mistakes. I think that the most successful companies in the region bear great responsibility to share their knowledge and experience and thus affect the acceleration of the process for transformation of the society. We at Serbian Association of Managers therefore specially nurture programs whose goal is precisely the exchange of experience and passing on the knowledge, and these are also our most popular programs.

To what extent has SAMIT100 contributed to the shaping of the agenda for Western Balkans networking?

— Bearing in mind all the obstacles that our countries are facing, it is clear that the region of Western Balkans needs all the constructive help it can get, and that is why every initiative that leads to its connecting is attention-worthy.

When I say connecting, I mean the economies, and the field of education, and tourism, cultural exchange and everything that contributes to better understanding and joint efforts that improve citizens’ lives, because that is most important.

SAMIT100 was initiated in 2011 as a regional business platform by Serbian Association of Managers, Združenje Manager Slovenije and Croatian Employers Association, and later on, they were joined by business leaders like Atlas Group, Alkaloid Skopje, ASA holding and BBI banka. Today SAMIT100 gath-

What are the obstacles and chances that SAM sees when it comes to strengthening of competitiveness of Serbian economy in the region and in the EU?

SAM SPECIALLY NURTURES PROGRAMS WHOSE GOAL IS PRECISELY THE EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE AND PASSING ON THE KNOWLEDGE, AND THESE ARE ALSO OUR MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS ers business leaders of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, and its goal is to use their ideas and constructive suggestions in cooperation with political leaders of the region to improve competitiveness of national economies, as well as competitiveness of the region and thus affect the improvement of citizens’ lives and the creation of a better business environment. The initiatives that we are already working on, the already mentioned Free Cargo, Zelena Balkanika, as well as Edison, whose goal is to introduce green mobility in the region through electrification of highways and the enabling of fast and efficient transfer to e-cars, buses, transport and

environmental protection, speak the best about the influence that SAMIT100 has on positive changes in the region.

Are the holders of public policies ready to accept the recommendations they receive from business leaders?

— This relationship always has room for improvement, and it is up to us, the business people, to show initiative and perseverance, but at the same time to be aware that these are changes that cannot happen overnight, even though that is precisely the speed we most often want. The response of political leaders to our events and their willingness to hear the criticism and the recommendations prove

— When it comes to strengthening of competitiveness, many changes depend only on the state, but the economy also has its role in that process. Many good legislative solutions have been adopted, many improvements have been made, but the laws don’t fulfil their role by being adopted, the implementation must be efficient and complete. Fight against the grey economy, lowering of legal and regulatory burden on the economy, lowering and elimination of parafiscal charges, improvement of e-administration, supporting the development of financial markets are merely some of the areas in which the economy expects stronger focus of the state in terms of reaching and implementation of efficient solutions that will improve competitiveness. On the other hand, economy, micro, small and medium-size enterprises, as well as the largest domestic and multinational companies have the possibility within their range to constantly work on improvement of their results in the given circumstances, by following global trends and domestic needs.

MENPRO SAM What are the qualities that describe the young generation of managers in Serbia today, and how willing are they to tackle the changes that come with development of new economy?

— Young managers today are more prepared to take responsibility, to fight for their position and “grab” knowledge and experience than the previous generations - that is my impression. Aside from knowledge and personal traits, top managers are shaped also by experience, and it is acquired by overcoming

important steps and numerous challenges. Precisely that is where young managers need support, understanding and help. That is why we, as an association, develop different programs, among which I would especially like to mention the MenPro SAM, an exclusive mentorship program, which works on promotion of leadership and professional development of young managers through support of successful leaders and experts. More than 150 members were included in this program in three generations, and a new generation will start the program soon.

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CA N H ACK IT

British Airways Admits That Over 380,000 Customers Had Their Data Stolen The airline could be hit by a big fine, but otherwise the consequences are limited

IT IS not a message any frequent flyer looks forward to receiving. On September 7th, British Airways (BA) said it had emailed over 380,000 customers who had booked flights with the carrier between August 21st and September 5th admitting that their credit-card details had been stolen by hackers. BA’s embattled chief executive, Alex Cruz, attributed the breach to a “malicious, fairly sophisticated attack” on its website. The airline thinks the hackers obtained names, street and e-mail addresses, and credit-card numbers, expiry dates and security codes—more than enough information to steal money from bank and credit-card accounts. Mr Cruz has promised compensation for any customers financially affected by the hack.

The airline has not released the full details of what happened, and is still investigating the breach. But it has admitted that it was only data used in transactions in that 15-day period, not saved credit-card data on customer accounts, that was stolen. Cyber-security experts say that hack sounds like it breached the system that managed customer payments, unlike previous attacks on other big companies where saved data was stolen.

Whatever the cause of the attack, aviation

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analysts think BA is likely to be hit hard by fines from regulators. Under the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation, which came into force in May, BA could face a fine of up to 4% of its revenues if it is determined that it did not do enough to protect customer information. That would be around £500m ($650m). If regulators decide that the penalty should be levied on the entire revenues of IAG, BA’s parent, that number could swell to as much as €1bn ($1.16bn). After adding the cost of compensating customers affected by the breach, it is no wonder that the group’s shares dropped in value by 2% on the morning the news became public.

BA COULD FACE A FINE OF UP TO 4% OF ITS REVENUES IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT DO ENOUGH TO PROTECT CUSTOMER INFORMATION But analysts are wary about saying that the hack will affect BA or IAG’s longer term performance. BA has been hit by a serious of complaints about falling standards of service on its flight and by a computer crash that stranded

75,000 of its passengers last May. Mr Cruz has been crucified in the media for both public-relations meltdowns. Yet neither issue has really affected demand for BA flights.

So why do BA passengers keep coming back to the airline, in spite of it losing their credit-card data, checked-in baggage and taking away free nosh onboard? The answer is that they have little choice. New airlines simply cannot take market share away from BA at Heathrow. As long as it uses each take-off and landing slot it is allocated 80% of the time, it can keep it for the next season. As a result, the share of slots at Heathrow owned by BA’s parent has risen from 36% in 1999 to 54%. It has also been gobbling up slots at Gatwick from defunct airlines such as Monarch, to make sure Norwegian, a disruptive long-haul low-cost competitor, cannot get their hands on them. However much the airline's computer systems go wrong or it cuts back its level of service onboard, new competitors cannot push it off the runway. Another IT disaster will not change that.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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INTERVI EW

Living in Time of Hypertrophic Identities Montenegrin governance format as role model for entire region

ZORAN PANOVIĆ

Editor-in-Chief of iSerbia

Zoran Panović comes from an area ruled by down-to-earth sages and revolutionaries.

His extensive knowledge of politics, social and sociological scene, makes Panović an apt commentator of today's turbulent situation in Serbia, the region and Europe, which is on the crossroads.

Do you think that a pact, of sort, was created between the EU and stabilocracies such as Serbia and Montenegro where workers' rights are not upheld, where there is very little freedom of information and where judicial independence is quite low, all in order to keep these countries on the pro-European path?

— With its populist rhetoric, stabilocracy sounds attractive when talked about in the media, but, in sociological terms, stabilocratic regimes have authoritarian tendencies with one dominant political party or incomplete (destabilized) democracy. In Serbia, both the government and opposition are envious of the Montenegrin governance model. The pro-Western opposition in Serbia is envious of the Montenegrin political scene because of the determination and political power of Milo Djukanovic to fully incorporate Montenegro into the Euro-Atlantic structures.

On the other hand, the Serbian authorities self-critically acknowl-

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edge their own occasional clumsiness in trying to implement the Montenegrin governance format in Serbia, since it is this format that is considered a role model in the region. In terms of democratic consolidation, stabilocracy brings a decline in the level of credibility of key institutions and stakeholders of representative democracy, while bolstering the influence of informal centres of power and limiting the development of civic culture.

But, on the other hand, the European or Euro-Atlantic integrations in stabilocracies can be expedited, which is its main paradox. This is why Serbian President Vučić can be viewed through the unique model of euro-fanatical populist whose

and opposition in every of the little states in the region.

What is your opinion about media freedom under Milošević, Djindjić, Koštunica, Tadić and now? When was it the greatest and when the most limited? Whom do today's politicians in power resemble the most in terms of media freedom and their 'management'?

— I am always going to quote the wise Vojislav Koštunica who said:“Media are either free or not“.

It is as simple as that! If I had my choice, I would choose the state of media during Koštunica's rule. In Milošević's time, we had parallel worlds – the so-called regime me-

LET’S TRY TO WALK IN THE SHOES OF A BRUSSELS PENCIL PUSHER WHO DOES NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE BALKAN STABILOCRACY AND DEMOCRACY, BUT RATHER BETWEEN STABILOCRACY AND OPPOSITION IN EVERY OF THE LITTLE STATES IN THE REGION power technology, in all absurdity, can, at the same time, bring the country closer to the EU while tolerating the revisionist attitude towards the politics from the 1990s Serbia, which was euro-phobic.

Cynics would say that that could be the only way for Serbia to join the EU. Let’s try to walk in the shoes of a Brussels pencil pusher who does not differentiate between the Balkan stabilocracy and democracy, but rather between stabilocracy

dia, which were warmongers and satanized the opposition, and the opposition fighters for democracy.

Many people from the opposition today would like to go back to the 1990s, because in addition to revisionism, propagated by JUL and the Serbian Radical Party, there is this perverted civic nostalgia – the 1990s reeked, but at least it was warm then. We knew who we were and who they were and it was easier to function mentally in that

dichotomy. Although the revisionist forces launched tabloids, and we are talking about those dark tabloids, the forces behind DOS (Democratic Opposition of Serbia) took over them, while Vučić absolutized them, thus bringing them into political mainstream. The tabloid consciousness and manipulation are the dominant state of mind today.

What can we expect from the Balkans in the future? A series of "ethnically defunct" feudal states that you can do whatever you want with, under the condition that they do not go against each other?

— Do you remember when, about a year ago, an American security expert, John Schindler caused quite a stir after the New Yorkbased newspaper The Observer quoted him saying that the West stopped insisting on preservation of internal borders of the failed Communist regimes in the Balkans? According to Schindler, the West should accept the mistakes it did in Southeastern Europe and rectify them before the Kremlin actually does. Schindler called Bosnia and Herzegovina a “decrepit pseudo-state” which must have gone down well with (Milorad) Dodik. The former CIA deputy chief for the Balkans, Steven Meyer made everybody’s eyes water here when he said (and was widely quoted) that, sooner or later, borders in the Balkans would change and ‘a Serbian union’ might even take place.

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In late 2016, the renowned American magazine Foreign Affairs added fuel to the fire when they published an analysis of the political situation in ex-Yugoslavia, written by Timothy Less. In this piece, Less advocates border changes, and even a creation of Greater Serbia, Albania and Croatia, all for the sake of peace. Less goes on to say that the time has come for a new, more radical approach in order to preserve peace and promote stability in the Balkans. If the West, as Less claims, is really committed to preserving peace in the Balkans, then the time is right for pragmatism to trump over idealism and for the idea of properly regulated national states to come to fruition.

In this way, the Croatian ideal, which is for Serbs to finally become like Bulgarians to them as a prerequisite for peace, would come true. Because today, the friendship between Hristo Stoichkov and Miroslav Ilić, or the relations between the heads of the so-called Craiova Group (if that still exists), Aleksandar Vučić and Boyko Borisov are more important for the Serbian-Bulgarian relations than the historical events like battles of Slivnica or Bregalnica. Such annoying articles put Angela Merkel and the Berlin Process almost in the same group as historical events like AVNOJ, i.e. European humanitarian compensation for Tito's charisma and his integrative mechanism of “fraternity and unity”. I can envisage anything but the ex-Yugoslav entities being able to find the mechanism of pacification of the conflict by themselves.

Although Yugoslavia is long gone, the crisis will have the Yugoslav character for a considerable amount of time to come. The new narratives - those of the state – are, hence, a taboo and unchangeable.

This revisionist tension will last as

long as the current European constellation is alive. And if it collapses, God help us!

How powerless is the opposition today considering its malicious comments on social media and inefficiency in a sense that it

self-organizing’. The wise Lenin said a long time ago that 'there is no pure revolutionary situation.'

That is something that the opposition must accept. As for the media and institutions… Although it has electoral legitimacy, the SNS-led government perpetuates only one

ALTHOUGH YUGOSLAVIA IS LONG GONE, THE CRISIS WILL HAVE THE YUGOSLAV CHARACTER FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO COME lacks the energy and the ideas of the opposition from the 1990s?

— The opposition is re-grouping, but there is still resistance to creating serious political parties. It still all boils down to initiatives and movements. It is tragic to see that now - almost three decades since the introduction of a multiparty system - our political stage is worse than in the 1990s. We do not have strong political parties in the opposition, and we need to build them from scratch. The opposition seems to be relying on 'people

kind of revolutionism - the need to gather up everyone and to be in power in every single town and village. This is dangerous. We need a 'round table' with the parties in power and in opposition sitting together. We need to lower the tension. The opposition wants the situation from the 1990s, but the present time is just like the 1990s, with the only difference being that the shops are not empty and we have international support.

Consumer society goes against amassing opposition in the street;

just like social networks spread cynicism instead of optimism. The message to Twitter users is a paraphrase of a popular graffiti: 'Fishermen – grab the hoes!' And applying the tactics of Jehovah's Witnesses – going from door to door.

By joining the EU in 2013, Croatia has managed to become the poorest EU country in only five years. Does EU accession mean anything if a country is managed inadequately? What will our future be like? I mean the future in the Balkans, in Serbia. Migration and cheap labour?

— Hypertrophic identities from the 1990s wars and their continuation through use of peaceful means are incorporated into the Balkan narratives. This, unlike ideological conscience, is a fixed category. If you change or correct ideological conscience, you can be (or have been) both a revisionist and a heretic, but if you desecrate identity, you can only be a traitor. You have to read Amin Maalouf. Using a harmless question that he is often asked, this French academic explores the notion of identity, the passions that identity arouses and the deadly consequences. As The Guardian once wrote, Maalouf's book “Murderous Identities“ are "a voice that we cannot afford to ignore." This is a book of wisdom and lucidity. We can use Dragan Marković Palma's patriotims quote for for the narratives too – patriotism will not provide fuel for tractors. That's why people are leaving Slavonija, for instance. If we all get to join the EU, then the narratives will lose power. Every EU country has a little bit of Austro-Hungarian Empire and a little bit of Yugoslavia in them. This is more important to us than the economy. This region will become a part of the capitalist semi-suburbs, even if we all join the EU.

REFERENDUM QUESTION Do you think that the referendum on border demarcation, which entails a seat in the UN for independent Kosovo, would be heralded as a victory against the Greater Albania for Vučić and Serbia, or is it just a farce that people will grasp sometime in the future?

— It is hardly likely that the referendum question would go against Vučić and sound something like – „Do you agree that we should declare Kosovo an occupied territory?“. Or maybe, after the referendum, Vučić will pull a 'Tsipras'. Remember when the Greeks said „no“ to the demands of creditors at the referendum and Tsipras, once again, demonstrated

his Machiavellian skills? The biggest danger lies in the referendum question being manipulative in nature, instead of it being a final clarifier since Kosovo is the hotspot of hypocrisy. In terms of political marketing, Vučić will try to portray something that was imposed as a victory and as Serbia entering a new era. This is very plausible scenario because the propaganda machine of this burnt-out country works in such way that even Angela Merkel could share the same destinty as Rada Trajković. The only thing that is important is for Trump to lean a little bit towards our side and that Putin has its own interests in the demarcation.

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

02 SWISS AUG

STATEHOOD DAY

Swiss National Day is celebrates on the August 1 in memory of the birth of the Swiss Confederation.

Ambassador of Switzerland in Belgrade addressed the guests on the occasion of the celebration with solemn speech, and then a cocktail was organised in the Embassy. Among the

H. E. Philippe Gérald GUEX, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia

21 INDONESIAN AUG

INDEPENDENCE DAY

present were H.E. Kyle Scott, US Ambassador, H.E.Leo D'aes, Ambassador of Belgium, HRH Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjević and Princess Katarina, Ministers Zoran Djordjević and Nenad Popović (SNP President), former protector of citizens and PSG President Saša Janković and many others.

H.E. Philippe Gérald GUEX, Daniel Berg, Mrs. Karla Robin HERSHEY (UNDP), Mrs. Françoise Emmenegger Pittet, the Ambassador's wife and Ms Juliette Berg

Embassy of Indonesia, led by Ambassador H.E. Harry Richard James Kandou held a celebratory reception marking the 73rd Independence Day of this country.

Members of the diplomatic community and figures of

Belgrade’s public life attended the celebration that provided the opportunity to enjoy the Indonesian national heritage, from dance and music to tasteful delicacies. Ambassador Kandou stressed the growing strength of ASEAN bloc.

H.E. Harry Richard James Kandou with his wife and H.E. Harry Richard James KANDOU with his wife and H.E .Jan Erik Mikael LUNDIN, Swedish Ambassador H.E. Denis Keefe, British Ambassador with his wife with his wife

22 THE KOREAN AUG

AMBASSADOR FAREWELL PARTY

Brankica Janković, Trustee for protection of rights, H.E. Dae Jong YOO with his wife

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The Embassy of the Republic of Korea held a farewell reception for H.E. Ambassador Dae Jong YOO who will return to Seoul and assume a new position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Addressing about 200 distinguished guests at the Residence including Minister

of Environmental Protection Goran Trivan Ambassador Yoo reflected on his work in the past two years and the dynamic development of bilateral relations between Korea and Serbia, especially in the field of economic cooperation, investment, culture and politics.

Goran Trivan, Minister of Environmental Protection, Ambassador of R. Korea with his wife and Ms. Trivan

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03 “DIEGO RIVERA & SEP

FRIDA KAHLO: A SMILE HALFWAY THROUGH THE PATH”

Hon. Maja Gojkovic, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico, opened the photographic exhibition “Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo: a smile halfway through the path”, at noon on September 3rd, 2018 at the Central

Hall of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. The exhibition gives an insight into the life as a couple of two great Mexican cultural symbols through pictures by Guillermo Kahlo, Peter Jules, Guillermo Zamora, Nickolas Murray, Edward Weston, Manuel Álvarez Bravo and Juan Guzmán.

H.E.Hossein MOLLA ABDOLLAHI, Ambassador of Iran, H.E. Abdelhamid CHEBCHOUB, Ambassador of Algeria, H.E. Isabel Cristina de AZEVEDO HEYVAERT, Ambassador of Brazil and H. E. Mohammed Amine BELHAJ, Ambassador of Morocco

Maja Gojković, Parliament Speaker, Vladan Vukosavljević, Minister of Culture and Information and H.E. Marco Antonio Garcia Blanco, Ambassador of Mexico

09 CELEBRATION SEP

OF THE JEWISH NEW YEAR

Serbia and Israel have excellent relations, as was shown by President Ruven Rivlin's recent visit to Belgrade - the ambassador of Israel in Serbia H. E. Alona Fisher Kamm and Serbian Minister of Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popović agreed at the embassy residence on the occasion of the Jewish

New Year. The reception was attended by representatives of the business community from Serbia and Israel.

Ms Fisher Kamm thanked the Government of Serbia, the local community, the non-governmental sector for cooperation with the Israeli Embassy, and said that there would be more investment from Israel and joint projects.

Nenad Pavlović,Serbian Minister of Innovation and Technological Development and H. E. Alona Fisher Kamm

07 BRAZILIAN SEP

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED

H.E. Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert with her husband. H.E. Alexander Chepurin, Ambassador of Russia with his wife

Brazilian Ambassador to Serbia, Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert hosted a reception celebrating the independence day of her homeland.

The reception was attended by numerous officials and cultural, political and public life of Serbia. On the 7th of September 1822, the Brazilians declared their country

H. E. Alona Fisher Kamm and Zoran Stojković , President of the Israeli economic association (IPA)

an independent empire, and Portugal, whose colony was, remained a kingdom. Thousands of Brazilian citizens celebrate this date each year, gathering in the streets, carrying national flags as a symbol of democracy in the most successful and largest country of South America.

H.E.Kyle Randolph Scott,ambasador SAD, H.E.Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert with her husband

MORE PHOTOS ON

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PEO PLE & EVENT S

09 PRINCESS OLGA SEP

ROMANOFF IN BELGRADE!

The Russian Princess Olga Romanoff, the grand niece of the last Russian Tzar Nikolai II, visited Belgrade on the occasion of the promotion of her autobiographical book “Princess Olga – Wild and Barefoot Romanov”, and during the visit Deputy Mayor Goran Vesić received the princess who is the granddaughter of

The Russian Princess Olga Romanoff, signing the book

Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of the Tzar Nikolai Romanov.

She is also the president of the association "The Romanovs". She laid the wrath on the monument of Tzar Nikolai II and visited the City Assembly. Later she promoted her book in the “King Peter I House” at Senjak followed by a splendid “Russian Imperial Party”.

Reception at City Hall: Aleksandar Djordjević, Colin Campbell, Princess Olga Romanov, Goran Vesić and Robert Čoban

New ambassador of India S. Bhattacharjee, Eva Pizano Čejka from Embassy of Mexico and Ivana Devčić, IWC

Ambassador of Bosnia and Hercegovina H.E. Lazar Mirkić with his wife

Simonida Stanković, multimedia artist

Princess Olga and Goran Vesić laid flowers on monument Monument of Tzar Nikolas Romanov

11 FRANCHET SEP

D’ESPÈREY WAR DIARY

During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, the publishing house Prometej published a war diary (1918-1920) of the famous French marshal and Serbian duke Franchet D'Espèrey. On this occasion, the French Embassy in Serbia organized the promotion of the war diary

Laying a wreath at a monument of Franchet D'Esperey

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"Memoirs: The Thessaloniki Front. Serbia. The Balkans - Marshal Franchet D'Espèrey" and a reception with the participation of the French Ambassador, H. E. Frédéric Mondoloni, Prof. Dr. Vojislav Pavlović, Director of the Balkanological Institute and the Book Editor, and Claude de Saint-Pierre, granddaughter of Marshall D'Espèrey.

Prof. Dr. Vojislav Pavlović, Claude de Saint-Pierre and H. E. Frederic Mondoloni

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06 THE CREDO

RESTAURANT, THE MEETING PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE REGION! SEP

The Credo Restaurant, situated on the first floor of the Marriott Hotel, is not only enjoyed by the citizens of Belgrade, but also by the guests from the entire region.

The top notch service, food personally prepared by Chef Nenad Jovanović, who worked at two- and three-Michelin star restaurants in Copenhagen, and high quality ingredients are trump cards of this beautiful restaurant, located in the city centre, with the view of the main Belgrade square.

Here, sipping on a glass of wine from the Kovačević Winery and engaging in lively conversation, we find the Canadian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Kati Csaba, Danijel Koletić, PR expert, Dejan Ljuština from PwC, Robert Čoban, CEO of the Color Press Group, Keneči Belušević, from Discovery CEEMCA, Srdjan Vuk Stankov, Creative Director of the Exit Festival, Adriana Čortan, TV personality, Maja Rakovic, Director of Naxi Radio, and her husband, Milan Vučićević, influencer, Lidija Samardžija, music manager, Ivana Karić, representative of the PSP Farman Group, Ruža Ristanović, Director of Diplomacy & Commerce magazine, Jasmina Gavrilov Dražić, from Njuz Net, Aleksandra Vuković, PR expert and Jelena Savić, from Color Media Communications.

There is a good reason why the Credo Restaurant has become one of the most popular restaurants in Belgrade and the meeting place of people from all over the region who would not dare miss out on trying its Five Senses menu, accompanied by a great selection of wines.

Milan Vučićević

Danijel Koletić and Adriana Čortan

H.E. Kati Csaba, and Robert Gasser

Keneči Belušević

Dejan Ljuština and Nećko Krupalija

H.E. Kati Csaba, Nećko Krupalija, Ivana Karić and Maja Rakovic

Nenad Jovanović

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EXIB ITIO N

Grand Festival of Diversity Our exhibition proposes to focus on the richness and the diversity of today’s artistic production world-wide, both from the point of view of the content and that of materials, supports, techniques, and styles. The visitors will see and experience historic pieces or new productions including in situ creations and projects specially conceived for this 57th edition GUNNAR KVARAN AND DANIELLE KVARAN Curators of the 57th October Salon

Curators of the 57th October Salon Gunnar Kvaran and Danielle Kvaran chose 72 local and international artists to show the cacophony of art and to invite visitors to sense five exhibition spaces as the meeting points between different sensibilities, different means of artistic expression, and different universes.

Why did you choose cacophony as the theme of this year's Salon? Don't artists thrive on common ideas anymore? Are they so different and self-sufficient that they function as "monads" who are impossible to be tied to a single idea?

— Nowadays, no single movement or arena linked to a particular geographic centre dominates the art world, as opposed to earlier eras in which the different artistic trends (impressionism, symbolism, cubism, Dadaism, surrealism, new realism, pop art, minimalism, conceptual art…), which appeared in the West, were exported to the countries on the periphery, which were as a result accused of “provincialism”. This former vertical hierarchy has been replaced by a horizontal hierarchy whose centre is everywhere and nowhere. In this world-space, multifocal and egalitarian in its principles, all practices, genres, styles, and modes of

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discourse coexist, feeding upon local culture and realities as external references or sources.

Although it is necessary to recognise that the Western notion of art, with its insistence on originality, has become a universal value, it is clear that no common denominator has emerged from the international arena. A work of art today can just as well be painting, sculpture, photography as installation, performance, relational practice, video or digital work. It is constructed from the starting point of everything that constitutes reality, inclusive of intention, theme, form, technique, and medium. This is to say that the artist of today, hostile to any notion of a norm, a category, a limit,

surround himself with collaborators, researchers, and specialists from diverse artistic and scientific disciplines, the opportunity to create around himself an ephemeral community whose geometry will vary according to the nature of the project. Contemporary art falls within a logic of expansion, of displacement, of opening, of incessant crossbreeding that gives pride of place to hybrid forms and systems. Moving through time and space, he creates a proliferation of personal, fragmented narratives that superimpose themselves, jostling linear progressions, conventions, and consensus, onto the dominant, media, “storytellised” narratives, that recount art and the world in a continuous flow.

THE BIENNALE IS CONCEIVED AS A CACOPHONIC EXPLOSION OF A VARIETY OF WORKS WHICH UNFURL AND FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER FREELY WITHOUT THE CONSTRAINT OF A GUIDING THREAD BE IT THEMATIC OR FORMAL accords himself complete freedom in the execution of his projects.

Being his own master, he sets his own rules, draws upon everything that art and non-art have to offer, and takes what he wants into his works and his conception of art. In his career, he may need to explore a wide variety of practices and technologies that he may assimilate or that he may move around in. In his research and even in the process of creation, he will not hesitate, where appropriate, to

Does cacophony have a common "higher" message or multiple common threads, themes or inspirations? What principles were your guidelines in choosing that particular artwork, and not some other, equally diverse, artwork?

— While a quarter of a century ago, the planet of contemporary art was accessible only to western artists – with a few exception- it is now open to artists from every continent. This multiplication of

artistic arenas, and the increased interaction that it has brought about, has played an important role in the diversification and hybridization of current creativity.

We thought it would be interesting to take a look at this new situation and try to represent it in an exhibition, where we would invite artists. The exhibition proposes to focus on the richness and the diversity of today’s artistic production world-wide, both from the point of view of the content and that of materials, supports, techniques, and styles. The artists are showcased for what they fundamentally are.

They were given no particular directive apart for that they propose a piece typical of their work for a given space. The visitors will see and experience historic pieces or new productions including in situ creations and projects specially conceived for this 57th edition.

How many artists and what art are we going to see at this year's Salon? Where are they coming from?

— In total, 72 artists from the local but also from all over the world have been selected, with male-female parity, in order to embody, collectively, and not necessarily individually, this cacophony of art which will be spread over five exhibition spaces: the Belgrade City Museum, Resevska Street, the Belgrade Cultural Centre, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and two very dynamic alternative spaces dedicated to young artists, the Remont Gallery and U10.

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The exhibition will bring together artists of all generations origins, and sensibilities, from Larry Bell, Erró, Anselm Kiefer, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Yoko Ono, Vladimir Veličković, and Dušan Otašević, artists who have been active since the 60s to Athena Papadopoulos, Darja Bajagić, Maja Djordjevic, Jelena Mijic, Paulo Nimer Pjota, Hannah Weinberger, and Urban Zellweger, emerging figures of the current arena, taking in established artists such as Cindy Sherman, Cao Fei, Romuald Hazoumè, Fabrice Hyber, Bjarne Melgaard, Takashi Murakami, Helen Marten, Torbjørn Rødland, Tom Sachs and Anicka Yi. Have you noticed certain themes, motives and techniques in nation-

al and regional artistic terms that make them unique in relation to the international artists you have included in the exhibition?

— This new edition of the Biennale, as will be clear, is conceived

there is no theme that is illustrated by the works of art just a constellation of individual art works that make up the “Marvellous Cacophony”, the spectators will understand and experience each of the works

THERE IS NO DOMAIN – BE IT AESTHETIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL, HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS, SCIENTIFIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, EROTIC – THAT ESCAPES THE CRITICAL GAZE OF THE ARTISTS OF THE BIENNALE as a cacophonic explosion of a variety of works, often hybrid, which unfurl and follow one another freely in the exhibition spaces, without the constraint of a guiding thread be it thematic or formal. As

as individual chapters.

There is no domain – be it aesthetic, social, political, historical, religious, scientific, environmental, cultural, erotic – that escapes the investigation and the critical gaze

of the artists of the Biennale, who seize upon every subject. From John Divola who, in his black and white post-apocalyptic photographs, records acts of destruction perpetrated on the site of an abandoned former American airbase, to Larry Bell who explores the interactions between light, matter, and colour in his Mirage Paintings; from Magali Reus, whose coldly precise metallic sculptures make reference to the “movement of the body and the machine though the urban space”, to Marguerite Humeau, who is inspired by prehistoric realities and scientific and occult knowledge to create “Venus-brains” gifted with great memory and visionary power, artistic creativity demonstrates great diversity in its choice of themes.

ART MOVE US IN AND OUT OF OURSELVES What kind of emotion should visitors use in approaching such scattered, joyful and unbridled artistic expression?

— The Belgrade Biennale is envisaged as a grand festival of diversity, as the meeting point between different sensibilities, different means of artistic expression, different universes, as a place for exchanges with the public, who will also be received in all its diversity. Art embellishes, moves, amuses, soothes, teaches, bears witness, explains, recounts, anticipates,

alarms, surprises, questions, engages, contests, disturbs, polemicises, provokes, invents, experiments, dreams, acts. It calls upon our senses, our imagination, our memory, our intelligence. It urges us towards reflection and action. It makes us retire into ourselves… and move out of ourselves. In short, it makes life richer and more interesting, by allowing us to experiment with the marvellous cacophony of which it is the reflection and the expression.

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B USINESS NEWS NON-CONTACT PAYMENT DAY

AmCham

TAX ADMINISTRATION’S SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO COMBATING SHADOW ECONOMY "The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) members believe that the Ministry of Finance has managed to stabilize public finances, reduce public debt and preserve the stability of the budget, which deserves commendation. We believe that the same pattern should be continued and the business environment should be improved by regulating parafiscal charges, public procurement, relaxation of foreign exchange regulations and systematic tax administration reform in order for the economy to get wind in its sails which is required for further growth and creation of new jobs" said Jelena Pavlović, the AmCham Chairman, and at a meeting with Siniša Mali, the Minister of Finance.

The main topics that Ms Pavlović talked about with Mr Mali were focused on further improvement of the business environment such as the direction of fiscal and financial reforms. Speaking about stimulating sustainable economic growth and maintaining the stability of the budget, Finance Minister, Siniša Mali underlined that the Ministry’s priorities in the coming period will to transform and modernize the Tax Administration, as well as adopt stimulating measures that will stimulate the economy’s further growth.

Banca Intesa

QUICK YIELD WITH INTESA INVEST CASH DINAR

Investment fund management company Intesa Invest has launched its second investment fund, Intesa Invest Cash Dinar. Intesa Invest Cash Dinar is an open investment fund that focuses on preserving investment value. It mostly invests in cash deposits of the banks operating in the Serbian market and in state securities, indexed in the dinar. The Fund is mostly intended to investors who

want to generate yield over a relatively short period of time while accepting a low volatility level. “By launching another fund under Intesa Invest, we have additionally expanded the scope of alternative investment forms for people and legal entities in a low interest rate environment, as well as created new investment opportunities to help them to increase the value of their assets. In addition to providing our clients with an opportunity to generate adequate yield and ensure constant asset availability, a lower investment risk and professional asset management, we also provide top services, professionalism and unique market expertise,” said Darko Popović, member of Intesa Invest Supervisory Board.

HENKEL RECORDS STRONG ORGANIC SALES GROWTH "On the back of a strong organic growth, Henkel has also achieved a good growth in the second quarter despite significant negative effects of the currency fluctuations and higher raw material prices. We have raised quarterly sales to the highest level ever, further improved the EBIT margin and achieved the highest quarterly adjusted earnings in the company’s history" said Henkel's CEO, Hans Van Bylen and added: "The Adhesive Technologies Sector has achieved a very strong organic growth, the Detergents and Household Cleaners Sector also recorded a good growth, while the Beauty Care sector also posted positive results."

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With €5.143b worth of sales in the second quarter of 2018, the company has reached a new record level and a nominal growth of 0.9% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Organic sales, which did not include the effects of the currency fluctuations and acquisitions / divisions, had a strong growth of 3.5%.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, beginning from August 15th, users of Mastercard and Maestro contactless cards, issued by any bank, and owners of digital cards on their mobile phones will be able to pay their public transport tickets in Belgrade at promotional prices of 1, 2 and 3 dinars instead of the usual prices applicable for non-contact card payments. In order to reward the loyalty of the existing users and encourage fellow citizens and visitors to Belgrade to try this safe and easy payment method, Apex solution and Mastercard, with the technical support of AIK Bank, have introduced a contactless payment day with the special promotional prices of the tickets purchased by Mastercard and Maestro contactless cards. The campaign will last until September 15th. Non-contact card payment in public transport is done in the same way as using BusPlus tickets or performing any contactless payment in stores, namely by simply swiping the card itself at the bottom half of the ticket validator marked with the contactless symbol, at a distance of about 4cm.

SBERBANK SERBIA INCREASES DEPOSITS BY 32%

During the first six months of 2018, Sberbank Serbia generated made a profit of 6.44 million euro, which is a 25 percent increase relative to the same period last year.

In the first six months of 2018, the deposit growth stood at 32 percent compared to the same period of 2017, and there was an increase in total loans and advances, while the number of non-performing loans decreased by 43%, reaching the NPL ratio of 11.52%. Such good results have been achieved thanks to the increasing confidence of the existing but also of numerous new clients, process optimization and constant innovations that Sberbank Serbia implements in its operations. "We are very proud of the results achieved which show that we have managed to identify the real needs of our clients and gain their trust.

Through strategic partnerships we have positioned ourselves as a bank which can offer custom made products and services to its clients, created according to their preferences. We are recognized as a bank that has a partnership relationship with its clients whose satisfaction and trust are our primary concern”, said Marijana Vasilescu, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Sberbank Serbia.

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ONE HUNDRED CHOSEN ARTWORKS

Vojvođanska Banka and the Gallery of Matica Srpska opened the exhibition of 100 chosen artworks in their possession. “The greatest hits” were chosen among some 700 pieces in the current Vojvođanska Banka collection, and the grand opening was officially held in the beautiful ambience of the Gallery Square in Novi Sad. The guests were greeted by the Minsiter of Culture Vladan Vukosavljević, Tijana Palkovljević-Bugarski, Director of gallery, and Predrag Mihajlović, Director of the Executive Board of Vojvođanska Banka, who emphasised that Vojvođanska Banka, which now operates with the OTP Group, has something the other don't – the invaluable art collection. The 100 chosen artwork are hailing from Serbian artists from all periods, and presumably the most valuable pieces are those from Milan Konjović. The whole exhibition is put in one single room, using the old-fashioned way of presenting paintings.

ALIBUNAR WIND FARM OPENED

JTI INVESTS USD 7MLN IN PRODUCTION IN SENTA The largest Japanese investor in Serbia, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has launched a new production line in its Senta factory, as a part of investment cycle worth 7 million US dollars. The new line was officially launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications, Rasim Ljajić, Speaker of the Assembly of AP Vojvodina, Istvan Pasztor, and Yasutake Tango, the Chairman of JTI Group who arrived in Serbia especially for this occasion. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications, Rasim Ljajić said on the occasion: “We would like to thank JTI for everything they did for the Serbian economy. JTI is one of the more successful

privatisations in Serbia. The company has invested around 180 million US dollars so far and is among the five biggest tax payers in Serbia. Not only that, JTI brought new technology, corporate culture, employment policy, corporate social responsibility, and it has contributed to the local community.”

MPC Properties

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SHOPPING CENTRE STARTS

A new, contemporary shopping centre, spanning over 43,000 square meters of retail space and a total area of 130,000 square meters, is going to be built on the corner of Vojislava Ilića and Mis Irbijeve streets. This is an investment by MPC Properties, the largest investor in the region of Southeast Europe, which will invest over 100 million euros in the centre. The new shopping

centre, which opening was planned for the beginning of 2020, will bring new retail offer to the location with an exceptional need for a modern shopping destination.

The renowned international architectural company, Chapman Taylor of Düsseldorf was in charge of the contemporary, urban design of the building. The new shopping centre is another one in the series of investments of MPC Properties, known in the market as the proprietor of the largest shopping centre in the region, the UŠĆE Shopping Centre. This investment will consolidate the expertise and wealth of experience that the company has, but also to capture the latest global trends in the retail industry.

EBRD AND UNICREDIT BOOST ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN SERBIA Belgian company Elicio opened on September 11th another wind farm in Serbia, with 21 turbines with a total capacity of 42MW. The EUR 80 million investment will be supplying 38,000 more households with wind energy. The official opening ceremony for the Alibunar Wind Farm was attended by Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antić, Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Belgium and Switzerland, representatives of IFC, UniCredit Bank, representatives of the Provincial Government, Municipality of Alibunar and numerous partners and associates on the project. Minister Aleksandar Antić, said that “200 MW more in wind energy would be launched by the end of the year, and by 2019 and 2020, an additional 200 MW, which will complete the 500 MW objective for wind energy”. Financial support to the project was also provided by the IFC Group of World Bank, UniCredit Bank, FMO and GGF, which invested EUR 60 million, confirming their dedication to green energy projects and the fight against climate change.

The EBRD has granted a loan of up to 600 million dinars (equivalent to €5.1 million) for UniCredit, the second-largest bank in Serbia, with the view of boosting its financing of the green economy. The loan comes under the EBRD €85 million Green Economy Financing Facility for the Western Balkans, implemented in partnership with the Secretariat of the Energy Community. The initiative is designed to help local households, housing associations and service providers to invest in energy efficiency measures and renewable energy projects. Incentives and technical cooperation in support of green technology investments will be provided by the European Union, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the

European Western Balkans Joint Fund under the Western Balkans Investment Framework. UniCredit Bank will grant consumer loans of up to 3 million dinars, with a payment period of up to seven years. The incentive is up to 20 per cent of the investment. The nominal interest rate is 9.11 per cent annually while the effective interest rate is 10.82 per cent annually.

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B USINESS NEWS Wiener Privatklinik

STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT AND TOP PHYSICIANS Wiener Privatklinik a private hospital in Vienna, established in 1882, that uses the latest medical equipment available. The Clinic is in close proximity to Vienna University and has established a special connection to the world-renowned Vienna Medical School, as well as solidified professional relationships with the professors at the University Hospital, as well as researchers, scientists and physicians. With the state-of-the-art medical technology, Wiener Privatklinik is the only private hospital with a direct access to the latest PET/CT equipment. Moreover, the Clinic is known for its utmost professionalism and medical know-how, exceptional comfort, and innovative and cost-effective methods. For instance, its optimized surgical methods significantly reduce the recovery period in orthopedics and sports trauma which, in turn, shortens the required hospital stay. The Clinic also has the WPK Cancer Centre which offers innovative and comprehensive oncology therapies, such as immune therapy, as well as personalized cancer diagnostic and therapy methods, in addition to cancer surgery. At the Outpatient Clinic, patients can undergo minor interventions and medical tests, such as gastroscopy, endoscopy, etc., with the help of state-of-the-art equipment.

Wellport

WHY IS NOVI BEOGRAD THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE IN? Novi Beograd has many idiosyncrasies and unique features that make its residents proud of, as well as entice others to move there and become its residents. Novi Beograd continues to grow, thus becoming the most desirable Belgrade municipality to live in. Soon, this Belgrade quarter will feature Wellport – the very first condominium complex in this part of the city. The world-renowned Israeli company, Shikun & Binui Group is set to build 500 residential units with premium finishes and furnishings on the territory of Novi Beograd. The Wellport residents will have private parking, a children’s playground, a closed private park, video surveillance, security and professional maintenance at their disposal. Wellport exclusive sales representative is CBS International, the leading real estate consultancy in Serbia, which is a part of the Cushman & Wakefield Group.

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PLAYBOY TV

Refreshing addition in Dorcel TV's offer

Successfully Acquired Playboy TV In celebration of the 12th anniversary of the prestigious adult TV channel, Dorcel TV, a VIP party was held the Sindikat raft club, gathering leading telecommunications companies from the whole region, including Telekom Serbia, Austria Telekom, Telekom Hrvatske, BH Telekom, Mtel Montenegro, Mtel Bosnia, and many others

On the occasion, the Dorcel Company announced that they successfully acquired the prestigious channel Playboy TV early this year, thus further solidifying its leadership position in adult content market. Playboy TV is among the 50 most famous brands in the world, available in over 180 countries through TV, print and digital media. It has a network of over 18 million users across Europe, and has been having a completely new, attractive content, tailored to different tastes.

"When we realized that Playboy was restructuring and looking for a partner, we came to the conclusion that that was an ideal opportunity to gain broad media coverage, have a mix of two professional companies in managing brands that are recognized for their sophisticated adult content and above all, have a partner

who knows the market and knows how to the consumers more for their money.

When it comes to erotica, every market is a story in itself, because each has a different history, culture and traditional heritage. In term of the Balkans, this market is very open when it comes to erotic content, while "sexy lifestyle" sounds particularly good in Belgrade," said Gregory Dorcel, CEO of Dorcel TV. The Dorcel Company was founded in France and is widely known as a company that creates top quality adult entertainment content. Over the years, the company gained loyal viewers across the globe and achieved worldwide popularity. The mission of the Dorcel brand, apart from having top notch production and promoting a glamorous design, is to offer to its viewers the content that would be equally educational and useful to the public.

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CA L A M IT Y F O RE T O L D

The Fire that Destroyed Rio’s Museum Was Waiting to Happen A shock, but not exactly a surprise

WHEN Mario Moscatelli was growing up in Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, his father often took him to the National Museum, which is held in a spectacular palace built by the Portuguese.

The boy would ogle the mummies and the reptiles. He became a biologist, married an entomologist and introduced his daughters to the collection. This eventually grew to 20m items, including a large dinosaur skeleton, Greek and Roman antiquities procured by adventurous emperors, thousands of pre-Colombian artefacts, rare books and the 11,500-year-old remains of a woman known as Luzia, possibly the oldest human fossil found in the Americas.

On the evening of September 2nd, Luzia appears to have died a second death in a fire that destroyed the palace and much of its collection.

The causes are still unknown, but what has enraged Brazilians is that the fire could have been avoided. In 2004 inspectors warned that exposed wires and poor safety standards could lead to a devastating blaze. Successive governments ignored curators’ pleas. They built new museums and universities rather than maintaining old ones, and even blocked private-sector efforts to help.

Two decades ago, a project to modernise the museum with $80m from the World Bank flopped because the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, which houses it, refused to turn it

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into an independent trust. In 2014 Congress budgeted 20m reais ($4.8m) for refurbishment, but the federal government never released the funds. The recession of 2015-16 made things worse. According to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, the National Museum received just 98,000 reais ($23,600) from the government between January and August. On the museum’s 200-year anniversary in June, its director

IN JUNE, ITS DIRECTOR MOVED HIS OFFICE TO THE FORMER BEDROOM OF DOM PEDRO I, BRAZIL’S FIRST EMPEROR, TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE TERMITES, MOULD AND STRUCTURAL DECAY THAT HAS LED HIM TO CLOSE MANY moved his office to the former bedroom of Dom Pedro I, Brazil’s first emperor, to draw attention to the termites, mould and structural decay that has led him to close many exhibition rooms.

As firefighters fought the flames at the National Museum palace late into the night (nearby hydrants lacked water, so they had to draw it from a lake) scientists saved what they could

from adjacent buildings. The candidates in Brazil’s forthcoming presidential election lamented the loss and promised a stronger commitment to protecting Brazil’s cultural heritage. President Michel Temer said that the museum’s reconstruction would begin immediately.

Mr Moscatelli predicts it will eventually be abandoned, just like a plan to clean up Rio’s rubbish-filled Guanabara Bay that he helped the state develop in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics. That was supposed to be one of the “positive legacies” that would help justify the cost of the games, now estimated to be more than $13bn. It never happened.

Andrew Carnegie, an American businessman and philanthropist, called museums “wise extravagances”. If so, Brazil’s politicians lack wisdom as well as money. There have been other fires. One in 2010 destroyed a vast collection of tropical cobras at the Instituto Butantan; another in 2015 consumed a tower at the Portuguese Language Museum. All point to a “myopic vision that treats our national patrimony as if it were simply a perfume shop”, says Valeria Piccoli, chief curator of the Pinacoteca Museum in São Paulo.

From The Economist, published under licence.

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

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I NTERVIEW — We believe that the “Success is a blend” platform transmits equally across all cultures and geographies, because it stands for universal appreciation that a blend of people and experience delivers much more powerful results.

What would be your take in Belgrade? Why the Belgrade Waterfront?

Success is a Blend Our platform is a very powerful but easily understood message that “Success is a blend” – these values stand for working together as a team, sharing success as a team, and that no one individual can claim success only for themselves KEN LINDSAY International Brand Ambassador Chivas Regal

City of Belgrade hosted the 8th edition of the finest classic car and culture of excellence event in Southeast Europe, the „24 hours of Elegance – Concours d’Elegance & Salon of Excellence”. We spoke with Ken Lindsay, the International Brand Ambassador for Chivas Brothers Ltd, the premium scotch whisky and gin company of Pernod Ricard about his role and his impression about Belgrade.

How does an ambassador can change the way how costumers and the market may perceive and value one specific brand?

— A brand ambassador can share a deep knowledge of the brand, and

improve a consumer understanding and appreciation of what the brand stands for.

— Every time I am fortunate enough to return to Belgrade I see major development in the infrastructure of the city and I am very encouraged that there is investment in the exciting waterfront development to create a world class leisure environment.

That's why we are thrilled to present there CHIVAS REGAL THE ICON - the pinnacle of the Chivas Range that, befitting of the luxury liquid within, is presented in a hand-blown crystal decanter, etched and finished with precision crafted metalwork and presented in sublime green glassware in homage to the original green Chivas Regal bottle that captured the world’s attention in 1909. Adorned with a signature luckenbooth stopper, a traditional Celtic symbol of love, the distinctive bottle is certain to be adored by whisky enthusiasts around the world. I am positive that it will be appreciated by gentlemen of Belgrade, as well.

Which channels of promotion luxury brands use to keep their exclusivity? What does a role of

influencer mean today?

— Associating brands like Chivas Regal with other like-minded luxury brands is a very powerful means of creating a positive image in the minds of our target consumer. It also establishes credibility among other luxury brands who share the same heritage, credentials and craftsmanship. We are very proud that the consumers of Chivas Regal represent a wide base of different personalities, and this is reflected in most markets around the world.

How one becomes a brand ambassador? What sort of skills and knowledge do you need to prepare for the role?

— It really helps if you have a passion for discovering new cultures, new people, and exploring new horizons. Obviously, unique knowledge of our Scotch whisky brands, their heritage and exceptional quality are key attributes of a brand ambassador.

Does a brand ambassador need to be more of a celebrity or a skilful salesperson? Which role suits you more?

— The role of brand ambassador is wide-ranging and has to accommodate many different professional styles. My marketing background has been extremely useful in bringing those skills to life in front of our trade and customer audiences. If we are very fortunate, people will remember the key messages about our brand as well as the person.

IF WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE, PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER THE KEY MESSAGES ABOUT OUR BRAND AS WELL AS THE PERSON

Did Chivas Regal as a brand has changed in communicating what it stands for? How the profile of brand admirers has changed if at all?

— It’s a brand that has been consistent in its message to consumers but that has inevitably developed and been adapted over the years to suit the changing consumer needs.

Our platform is a very powerful but easily understood message that “Success is a blend” – these values stand for working together as a team, sharing success as a team, and that no one individual can claim success only for themselves.

How do you adapt the message you want to transmit to different cultures and geographies?

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INTERVI EW

Text: ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ

Building Bridges in the Region Creating heritage now that we are going to preserve later

ANDREJ NOSOV Heartefact

Heartefact was founded in 2009 in order to strengthen the critical awareness and build an open and free society in the region of the Western Balkans through creative, expert, and artistic exchange. We talked to Andrej Nosov, Director and Founder of the Heartefact Fund - an independent regional foundation since 2009 and founder and leader of Youth Initiative for Human Rights.

They say that art will save the world. If not art, then certainly design and architecture are can create an environment conducive to more noble thoughts, or cultural exchange and an open society brimming with exchange of experiences. How much can Heartefact contribute to this?

— For ten years now, Heartefact has been building relationships and establishing connections between very different artists, authors and thinkers. The idea is to help establish and connect the societies of the former Yugoslavia, but also to talk creatively about the topics that are difficult for our society. We have numerous programmes that brought young authors from Priština, Sarajevo and Zagreb to Belgrade for the first time ever. Furthermore, during this process, we have developed several different platforms this year.

One of them is the NEW platform, which aims to launch and affirm young authors from the region and

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throughout Europe. There is also a very important cooperation with the partners from Sweden, Spain, Croatia, Germany and Great Britain, who together with us, have been trying to build bridges in the region for years now. There is a lot of free space and ideas how to do this and I have to say that the entire process is supported, which is important.

Of course, the resources are never sufficient, but it is very important that the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, has been playing an increasingly active role in this field of creative industries and culture, which they have recognized as an important segment for overall development. I think that the real power for the changes that we desperately need lies in this joint cooperation between institutions and all other stakeholders.

The fact that my great-grandfather came from somewhere and that my family is multi-ethnic is not a prerequisite for anything, and I think that there are very few mono-ethnic families in this part of the world.

I think that, in the twenty years since the last wars in the region, there is much more room for reconciliation and understanding, but also that we remember less the events of the past. We have now completely new generations, whose parents have left hatred as their legacy – the hatred that you cannot understand what purpose it does serve, except that it is just an inherited insanity.

It is important that we create the opportunity for these people to hear and see numerous examples of cooperation, normal relationships, coexistence and the like, and do away with their disillusions in this way.

What can Heartefact do to improve cultural exchange through

COMPETITION FINANCING REQUIRES A SERIOUS REFORM. NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT DECISIONS ARE MADE TO SATISFY DIFFERENT PEOPLE’S INTEREST, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF A CLEAR STRATEGY AND VISION Speaking from your personal experience, do you think that persons from mixed backgrounds and those that are a sort of an amalgamation of different cultures could be the best ambassadors of reconciliation and understanding?

— To be the ambassador of normal is not a function per se and we have to make this a generally accepted place. I am a citizen of Serbia and a proud citizen of Belgrade and that is my background.

translating books, organizing film screenings and translating and staging theatre plays, exhibitions and such? How much of this have you already done?

— Via its regular competitions, like “The Competition for Modern Drama”, the small grant programme or other ongoing competitions, every year Heartefact contributes and creates opportunities for authors and organizations from the entire region to develop and establish regional collabora-

tion. Additionally, we are going to create a number of opportunities for the young authors from our region in the following years. We are also expanding our activities to entire Europe through programmes implemented with the support of Creative Europe. I have already mentioned the NEW platform, intended for young, unknown playwrights from all over Europe.

The goal of this platform is to discover, educate, and present young, talented and unknown playwrights and artists to the general public. By boosting the capacity and creating a space for the establishment and promotion of new stakeholders in contemporary creativity in the field of performance arts, the domestic theatre production will rise to a higher level, and will reposition itself on the European cultural and art scene.

We are currently working on the project titled “The Future of Myths” which aim is to connect artists and researchers from Croatia, Sweden, Spain and Serbia on researching the forgotten and suppressed cultural heritage in the form of theatre, performance arts and dance.

— In addition to new people and young authors, I must mention that over the past ten years, more than a thousand people have gone through Heartefact's programmes and they are all important to us. Among them are now very reputable and important authors whom we are proud of. You will have the opportunity to hear more about them during 2019, which is also the year when we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Heartefact Foundation’s work and development.

Following the release of the results of the City of Belgrade’s culture competition, you were

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very critical about the decisions made by the competition’s committees. What do you think of the treatment that the city and state culture authorities give to independent productions like yours?

— Competition financing requires a serious reform. Not only because of the fact that decisions are made to satisfy different people’s interest, but also because of the lack of a clear strategy, vision, and in general, a concept of what and how do you finance. When you look at the projects that received funds at this competition, you start to wonder if you have understood well the fact that that this is the only source of funding for culture. It is very important to separate the financing of culture and institutions and financing of private stakeholders from the political and ideological aspects. It is important to support quality, and I'm not sure that quality is a factor that was considered in deciding who got funding in the last three years of the competition. Ministers, state secretaries and their entourage are always angry when we publicly say what a disaster these competitions are.

We mean nothing personal, but disaster is a mild word for the ter-

to create several important pieces of content in its first year, with “Satisfaction in the Text” being the most important. We will also continue with the series "Children of the Nineties", but only regionally. Likewise, we want to restore the form of debate. Heartefact cooperates with Radio-Television of Serbia and we are also talking to others. We are open to all offers, ideas and suggestions.

What are your future plans?

DISASTER IS A MILD WORD FOR THE TERRIBLE NONSENSE THAT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED AND THE SHAMELESS AND DUMB EXPLANATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO ARE REFUSED FINANCING rible nonsense that is financially supported and the shameless and dumb explanations that are given to those who are refused financing.

What are further plans in the development of Remarker? Maybe a cooperation with the mainstream media?

Remarker has grown into an influential media outlet, with very popular podcasts like "Satisfaction in the Text" (“Zadovoljstvo u Tekstu”), hosted by Biljana Srbljanović and her colleagues.

— You see, the Ministry of Culture and Information and their online media content commission do not even know that this podcast exists.

At least, that’s what they say in the rationale of their decision not to support it. Remarker has managed

— As always, our plans are big. We want to launch the Belgrade Performing Arts Centre which would be a kind of theatre, academy and meeting place for contemporary production, but also new theatre.

We want to open new spaces for different authors. We are interested in systemic resolution of the status of different stakeholders in culture - from ballet dancers to artists, and overall the resources for contemporary production. If we start with the logic that we need to preserve the heritage that is of great importance, the big question is what will be left to preserve in 50 years' time, if we do not urgently begin to invest more seriously in contemporary production.

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REPO RTAGE

Text: ROBERT ČOBAN

Dinosaurs' Footprints, Tito's Cadillac and Šerbedžija's Commune The lyrics of Oliver's song "Cesarica" are coming from the terrace of the Neptune Hotel on the other side of the port on Veliki Brion. My room at the Karmen Hotel has no air conditioning but has one of the best views on the Mediterranean. The hotel was built in 1913 by Paul Kupelwieser, an Austrian industrialist who in 1893, purchased the entire archipelago with a plan to develop tourism on it Kupelwieser, whose grave I stumbled across while riding a bicycle in the island's hitherland, implemented his plan with a lot of gravity. In a very short time, the dense shurbland was removed, various tree were planted and the initial construction works were carried out. The first energy generating facility here was a windmill (it pumped water, powered engines for refrigeration, was used for crushing stone, etc.), and followed by an aggregate. The first guests arrived to Brioni in 1896 and were placed in a rather modest accommodation. Agriculture was not forgotten either, while the year 1896 also marks the beginning of archaeological and conservation activities. In order to eliminate malaria, Kupelwieser turned to the famous bacteriologist Robert Koch, and who first sent his associates to come to Brioni, and later came

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himself. According to their instructions, all the ponds and puddles were dried out, the mosquito larvae, who were the source of malaria, were destroyed, and the patients were treated with Quinine.

Just one year later, there were no new cases of malaria.

FROM JOYCE TO STRAUSS

ROOM WITH THE VIEW: Morning in the port of Veliki Brion

THE FIRST GUESTS ARRIVED TO BRIONI IN 1896 AND WERE PLACED IN A RATHER MODEST ACCOMMODATION

The construction of even bigger hotel facilities ensued after the initial success, and up until 1913, four hotels, with a total of 320 rooms, and a dozen villas were built. In 1908, the island got running water. Along with the hotels, other facilities were built - a pier, a post office with a telephone exchange, 50 kilometres of roads and trails, a beach with 180 changing rooms, an indoor swimming pool with warm seawater, a casino, horse stables and a number of different sports fields, including the largest golf course in Europe (18

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holes and 5,850 metres of paths).

Wine and oil came from Brioni’s own vineyards and olive trees, while milk and excellent cheeses were also produced at Brioni. The islands were also advertised as a climatic health resort. From 1910, the islands had their own weekly newspapers called Brioni-Inselzeitung. From it we can learn that 11 archdukes and archduchesses (July 31st, 1910), 16 princes and princesses (March 31t, 1911), and 18 industrialists (April 27th, 1911) were in Brioni at the same time. The aforementioned dates tell us that the tourist season lasted almost year-round, and from the type of guests staying at Brioni we can see that the islands were all about social status and prestige.

The Boat House, a beautiful building in the port, built in the Secession style, used to be the local doctor’s office, and today, it houses a small museum which shows us that the Romanian King Michael, the painter Gustav Klimt, the inventor Guglielmo Marconi, Archduke Franz Ferdinant, writers James Joyce and Thomas Mann and composer Richard Strauss all visited Brioni at certain point.

The World War I hindered the ever growing popularity of Brioni, and after the war, Brioni and Istria became a part of Italy, but were still owned by the Kupelwieser family. The tourism competitioni in Italy was much stiffer, Brioni started to struggle as a tourist destination, and the 1929 stock market crash led to Charles Kupelwieser (Paul's son) first declaring bankruptcy and the following year, committing suicide. In 1936, after officially declaring bankruptcy, the archipelago came under the management of the Italian Ministry of Finance. Not long after that, Italy decided to make significant investments there (and introduces a regular hydroplane flight to Brioni). But a new global catastrophe prevented the collection of profit from these investments. Instead of wealthy aristocracy, Brioni's hotels are now occupied by naval officers.

Just before the end of the war, Brioni were bombarde by the Allied forces several times, with the biggest destruction happening on April 25th, 1945 when two hotels, a part of the coastline and many houses were destroyed.

The reason why I came to Brioni for the second year running is now famous Ulysses Festival, which artists Lenka Udovički and Rade Šerbedžija, who also happen to be married to each other, have been staging for 18 years now. The festival’s organizer for the past four decades has been maestro Duško Ljuština, the principal of the Kerempuh Theatre from Zagreb.

There are very few people in this world who are like Duško. His organizational skills, coupled with extraordinary social intelligence, led to this small “Lika Commune” at Brioni becoming one of the most successful and longest-running regional theatre festivals launched during the transition period.

WHOLE WORD: Tito with Ho Chi Minh

ginning of the archipelago’s new history, which was even more spectacular than the one from the secessionist era. In 1949, Brioni were chosen as Tito's residence at sea. War wrecks were removed, and infrastructure (communications, waterworks) was gradually renovated and expanded. Hotel buildings were renovated and parks widened. Two representative buildings on the west coast of Veliki Brion were built - "White Villa", Tito’s official residence (in 1953)

– from Queen Elizabeth II and Gaddafi to Khrushchev, Gorbachev and the Ethiopian king Haile Selassie. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida were also his noted guests here. In that thirty-yearperiod, and especially in the decade immediately prior to Tito’s death, the entire planet came to see the head of Yugoslavia, it seems. The exhibition “Tito at Brioni” covers this era. Looking at it, one cannot help but conclude that in the next

I HAVE THE INTERNET ONLY ON THE TERRACE OF MY ROOM, AND OCCASIONALLY YOU CAN "STEAL" IT FROM SOME OF THE YACHTS, WHICH ARE ANCHORED A FEW METERS AWAY and "Brionka", a residence for foreign statesmen (1957).

For the next thirty years, Tito regularly spent here some of his work years and a lot of his spare time. As a host and a statesmsn, he met in Brioni with 53 head of states and political parties, and even more prime ministers, ministers and foreign delectations

thousand years, all the former Yugoslav states are not going to be able to achieve a fraction of the international reputation and prestige that Tito did for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during his governance. Tito's 5.6-metres-long Eldorado Cadillac, from 1953, is still parked in front of the museum.

FROM ELIZABETH TAYLOR TO HAILE SELASSIE

Shortly after the war, in 1947, Josip Broz Tito came to Brioni for the first time and this was the be-

OWNER OF ARCHIPELAGO: Paul Kupelwieser, an Austrian industrialist

TWO “LA BELLE EPOQUE”

Brioni is a national park and all facilities on it are owned by the state, which has numerous negative but also several extraordinarily positive effects. There is not a single car on the island and it seems as it is frozen in time, maybe in the year 1983. During breakfast on the terrace, a hotel pianist plays classic melodies, there are no bars with loud music, no "drunken English" and "brave Russian" people that are swarming all over the Adriatic.

There are just nice, quite people, including a few from Belgrade. Biljana Srbljanović tells me that she has been visiting the island for years, because the isolated Brionigive her perfect peace of mind which she needs for writing. I have the Internet only on the terrace of my room, and occasionally you can "steal" it from some of the yachts, which are anchored a few meters away.

I arrive at the Ulysses terrace after literary being kidnapped by Ljuština Jr., Todorić Jr. and Ivan Burazin who respected my wish to have a long sleep after watching a fantastic theatre play called Bakhe by the Zagrebačko Kazalište Mladih (the Zagreb Youth Theatre).

Since this was the last time that this play was staged on the Minor Fortress on the Mali Brion Island, a small celebration ensued to mark this. Actors were behaving like typical actors – there was a lot of alcohol, Duško brought two accordion players from the coastline and everybody had a music wish.

Young Ivan Todorić, the son of the wealthiest Croat, and his wife Milica come to the Ulysses every year. Although they are no longer the official sponsors of the festival, Duško Ljuština did not shun them, in contrast how the former owner of Agrokor and similar people in

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our region were shunned as soon as something went wrong. Ljuština also personally checks the tickets at the Fažana pier from which the audiences leave for Mali Brion.

Only an hour later, he is sitting with the renowned actress, Vanessa Redgrave who also happens to be a family friend of Lenka and Rade and the regular festival guest.

The former mayor of Novi Sad, Igor Pavličić is also a guest at the terrace, while the fantastic Croatian actress, Ksenija Marinković was the most vocal in ordering songs from the accordion players.

In Serbia, she is known for her roles in the films such as “The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia” (“Ustav Republike Hrvatske”) and “Let’s Keep it Between Us” (“Neka Ostane Medju Nama”).

Rade is also here, frequently leaning on the bar. He sometimes even sings. Next week, he will be playing one of his more famous roles as King Lear, whom he’s been playing since the festival’s inception. Last year, I was fascinated to see how Rade, age 72, carried his daughter, actress Lucija Šerbedžija, down the steep stairs of the Minor Fortress. His own father lived to the ripe old age of 104. Lika's genes

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HISTORY EVERYWHERE YOU GO: View of the Verige Bay from the Roman villa

SUICIDE AFTER 1929 STOCK MARKET CRASH: Graves of Mary and Charles Kupelwieser

are indestructible. I should know, my wife is from Lika.

Year after year, the magical terrace of the Ulysses is the meeting place of the people from the acting, media and business world in Croatia and the entire region.

Everything on this terrace is unpretentious, somewhat derelict, but with the charm that is due to the unusual mixture of the Austro-Hungarian and socialist chick, and as a direct consequence of the fact that the 20 years of the Kupelwiesers' and 30 years of Tito's presence created the two la belle epoque of the archipelago.

Everything before and after that, did not come even close in glamour. If you take a bicycle and go for a ride on the island, you will see that there is much more history than at first glance - from the fossilized footprints of a dinosaur on the north coast of Veliki Brion to the remains of the magic Roman villa and the Koch Road.

Brioni has no 5-star-hotels and luxury resorts, and no water parks and nightclubs. However, the atmosphere on the terrace of the Karmen Hotel (2*), overlooking the harbour, where I wrote this article, is absolutely priceless.

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INTERVI EW

Text: SANJA ŠOJIĆ

We will Continue the Tradition of Hugh Hefner

The market is saturated, new directions to consumer models have appeared, there is a multiplication of screens and usages, as well as networks with variable speed; and the traditional distribution model became selective. Even under this ever changing terms, Playboy remained one of the top 50 brands in the world with its products being sold in more than 180 countries GREGORY DORCEL CEO Dorcel groupe

The most famous rabbit has crossed the ocean, Playboy TV Europe bought this year the French company Dorcel groupe.

The CEO Dorcel groupe Gregory Dorcel visited Belgrade in September to present Playboy TV Europe.

He was one of the speakers at the conference Digital 2018. It was an opportunity to talk to him about Dorcel's plans regarding the recent purchase of Playboy TV Europe.

Gregory Dorcel joined Dorcel groupe in 1998 to supervise the international development of the company as well as the creation of multimedia projects. He then became CEO in 2003. With the launch of the first CD-Rom, the first multilingual DVD and the first VOD platform, and later the first 3D SVOD platforms, Gregory Dorcel turned the company into a whole media group, including contents like TV channels, VOD platform, magazine, website, e-commerce, concept store. In a situation of a market crisis, he imposed the brand as a worldwide leader in its fields.

Before joining Dorcel groupe, the company his father Marc Dorcel founded in 1979, Gregory Dorcel worked within France Television’s Sales House. He started his career in 1997 after graduating from the ISG Business School in Paris.

How did you decide to buy PlayboyTV?

— We decided based on the qualities of the brand. It’s a lifestyle company, one of the top TV brands in the world. As Playboy TV explored potential partners, Dorcel was the clear choice for the Playboy TV Europe channel to meet high expectations of our viewers while leveraging their vast industry experience to enhance the channel for the local market.

What are your plans for PlayboyTV?

— When we realized that Playboy restructured and was looking for a partner, we came to the conclusion that this is an ideal opportunity to get broader media coverage, a mix of two branding

ing to those new rules. The change will be a wonderful success.

How to adjust it?

— Of course, when we see the consumption of content on social networks and the web it could seem hard, to find younger girls and younger consumer. But Playboy is perfect for that, if we localize it. We'll have the new editorial line, european productions and localized content, marketing focusing on social networks, satellite distribution... New consumers will be young people, millennials. Hottest and gorgeous social networks girls will be our new guests, shot on trendy places like Ibiza, surrounded by trendy people, and will be spotlighted with the development of exclusive concept shows to come...

PLAYBOY IS ONE OF THE TOP 50 BRANDS IN THE WORLD AND ITS PRODUCTS SOLD IN MORE THAN 180 COUNTRIES expertise recognizable by the complex content of adults, and above all, the marketers who know the market. Although know It's about eroticism, every market is a story for itself, because everyone has different histories, cultures, traditional heritage. Following the revolution in content presentation, which made the market social media oriented, we'll try to adapt Playboy accord-

Do you have plans for Serbia and the countries of the region?

— Serbia is a significant market for us. What is characteristic for the Balkans is that this market is a very open-minded about erotic content, and "sexy lifestyle" sounds particularly well in Belgrade. We plan to organize a Playboy model contest at the end of 2018, which will take place in Serbia and attractive girls will be able to participate. We also

plan to organize casting. There will certainly be plenty of events. Dorcel also brings to the partnership strong relationships with local operators to ensure the channel delivers the experience expected of the brand.

Will Playboy survive after the death of its founder Hugh Hefner?

— Playboy is a unique brand with great and significant history and will continue to live after the death of Hugh Hefner. That's his legacy - he was this strong visionary behind this brand, who created it’s well-known image. The history that he made is one of the main assest of Playboy company. The market is saturated, new direct to consumer models have appeared, there is a multiplication of screens and usages, as well as networks with variable speed; and the traditional distribution model is more selective. On the other hand, Playboy is one of the top 50 brands in the world and its products sold in more than 180 countries.

What are your plans for Playboy TV in the next year?

— Our main goal will be to adjust our programme following regular rules, adjust it to younger audience; we will also insist that the operators adapt their format and distribution. At last, we expect many nice Serbian models at the upcoming model contest.

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CA LEND AR & NEWS COME CLOSER From 15th September to 31st October Days of Korean Culture will take place in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Along with the pulse of the city, Korea will present itself not only with its own events but also within renown cultural events such as October Salon, BEMUS, Belgrade Fashion Week, Belgrade Jazz Fesstival. Korea is now in the city.

KOLARAC

Concert hall

CONCERT PROGRAMME September 2018

Tuesday, 18th at 20.00 Concert Hall

RTS SYMHONY ORCHESTRA

Conductor: Bojan Sudjić Programme: J. Fontyn, M. Mihailović, ü. Krigul, I. Žebeljan, N. Campogrande Production: ESCA /The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance Wednesday, 19th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: MUSIC WORKSHOP

Artium Trio Mariana Radosavljević, soprano Milan Rakić, clarinet Anita Zdravković, piano Production: Music Centre Friday, 21st at 20.00 Concert Hall

BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC

Darkness 1 Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloists: Adriana

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BastidasGamboa, mezzosoprano, BálintSzabó, bass Programme: L. van Beethoven, B. Bartók Sunday, 23rd at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC PODIUM OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Borislav Pasćan Conductor: Djordje Pavlović Production: Music Centre Sunday, 23rd at 20.00 Concert Hall

ARTLINK FESTIVAL

Opening Night of Piano Michel Dalberto, piano Jean-Paul Gasparian, piano Production: ArtLink Wednesday, 26th at 18.00 Music Gallery

CYCLE: ENCOUNTER WITH ARTIST

Giuseppe Francese, viola

Production: Music Centre Thursday, 27th at 20.00 Concert Hall

CYCLE: EDITOR & ARTIST VISIT

Aleksandar Serdar, piano Production: Music Centre Saturday, 29th at 11.00 Concert Hall

SMALL SCHOOL OF BONTON/HOW TO LISTEN TO SAXOPHONE

Sunday, 30th at 11.00 Concert Hall

KOLARAC STAGE OF CHAMBER MUSIC

Marijana Buslehner, flute. Alisa BeševićBuslehner, piano.

Sunday, 30th at 20.00 Concert Hall

210TH YEARS OF BELGRADE UNIVERSITY

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