Diplomacy&Commerce 37

October 2021 | ISSUE No. 37 | ONLINE EDITION

07 OCT

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DIPLOMATIC GRAPE HARVEST

9772466380002

CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN INDISPUTABLE SUPPLEMENT IN THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT DAVOR TRUPKOVIĆ

Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

STRATEGIC MANEUVERING WITHIN THE DISCOURSE JAGODA POROPAT DARRER

Business Communication Professional

EXIT FROM THE EU HAS CHANGED OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS

YOUNG ENERGY EUROPE DANIELA BUNTAK

H.E. SIMON THOMAS OBE

Young Energy Europe Project Manager, GermanCroatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anniversary

30 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE OF AZERBAIJAN

British Ambassador to Croatia

Travelogue- Sweden

OH! WHAT A COUNTRY!

by Vanja Kovačev

Darwinism 4.0 FOLLOW US TO STAY UPDATED

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FOREWORD BOBAN SPASOJEVIĆ

Magazine Director Croatia boban@diplomacy

ROBERT ČOBAN Director

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ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD

Art director indigochild.ilija@gmail.com

ALEKSANDAR KOSTIĆ

Designer designamites@gmail.com

ROBERT ČOBAN

Director Photos GETTY IMAGES TOMISLAV

population of Serbia, most of them young people, resolutely refuse to be vaccinated, believing in conspiracy theories that they read on social media every day or hear from experts who have guest appearances even on TV stations with a national broadcasting frequency.

Are we witnessing a strange, new Darwinism that will decimate a part of our population, one that stubbornly, despite all the evidence, believes that vaccines are dangerous to their health, that they cause sterility and that people are implanted a chip through them?

In nine months, Serbia has crossed over from the country that was the first in Europe in terms of the number of the vaccinated people and had four types of vaccines

available in January this year to the country with the highest number of infected people per 100,000 inhabitants.

Fearing those 40% and their votes in the next elections, the authorities do not want to decisively introduce so-called ‘green certificates’ and in that way additionally "motivate" those who have not been vaccinated so far. As things stand now, many of them, convinced of the correctness of what they read on social networks, will not be able to vote in April 2022.

Could Charles Darwin have guessed that more than a century and a half after his capital work, the human race in the most civilized part of the planet, namely Europe, would find itself in such a situation?

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t has been 163 years since Charles Darwin wrote his book "The Origin of Species

by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Race in the Struggle for Life".

In 2021, it is as if we are facing a new proof of Darwin's theory which emerged in a completely unexpected way. Namely, we hear news reports every day about dozens of people dying from the Covid-19 infection.

Many of them are young and the vast majority are unvaccinated.

Despite that, at least 40% of the

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SMOLJANOVIĆ

Translation

CONTENTS

GORANKA MILOŠEVIĆ

Predstavnik za RH

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ANGELA MERKEL’S HERITAGE Politics

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

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

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MILENA PRODANIĆ TIŠMA

STRATEGIC MANEUVERING WITHIN THE DISCOURSE

British School – Bright Horizonte

JAGODA POROPAT DARRER

CULTURAL HERITAGE AS AN INDISPUTABLE SUPPLEMENT IN THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT

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DAVOR TRUPKOVIĆ

Economy

Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage ”Color Media Communications” LTD, 21132 Petrovaradin, Štrosmajerova 3 TIN 107871532 Matriculation number 20887303 Phone: +381 21 4897 100 Fax: +381 21 4897 126 Office: Vase Čarapića 3/IV/38, Belgrade Phone: 011 4044 960

THE WELL-BEING OF EVERY STUDENT

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30 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE OF AZERBAIJAN

Business Communication Professional

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GAS PRICES ARE SKYROCKETING

OH! WHAT A COUNTRY! VANJA KOVAČEV Travelogue- Sweden

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27

BUSINESS GROWTH DARKO SKRNIČKI

Anniversary

President of the Management Board, Intereuropa

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Interesting facts

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EXIT FROM THE EU HAS CHANGED OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS

YOUNG ENERGY EUROPE

H.E. SIMON THOMAS OBE

Young Energy Europe Project Manager, German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce

British Ambassador to Croatia

WHICH ARE THE MOST ECONOMICALLY EQUAL COUNTRIES?

DANIELA BUNTAK

ISTRIAN MONTENEGRINS AND THE TRAGIC DEATH OF BARONESS BARBARA HITEROT - PART I

by Robert Čoban

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POLITICS

Angela Merkel’s Heritage Stability at any price ngela Merkel leaves Europe, Germany and the world significantly different than to what it had been when she came to power in Germany in 2005. At that time, there was only one "partially recognized" country in Europe (Northern Cyprus), now there are 4 (in addition to Northern Cyprus, there are Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia). Back then, marriages were allowed only between men and women, and now all genders can marry between themselves in Germany too. Russia was in "rapprochement", now it is the evil witch of the West. There was no crisis in the making when she came to power and in the meantime, she had to deal with seven of them.

Some people still consider her the best figure in the "democratic world" and others think that, in her Lutheran moderation, she contributed a lot towards destabilization under the pretence of stabilization.

Germany's Der Spiegel writes that her term in the office was shaped by seven crises and catastrophes - world financial crisis; euro crisis; Russian President Vladimir Putin; a huge influx of refugees; Donald Trump as a synonym for attacks on liberal democracy; climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. That is, of course, from a German perspective. We could add Brexit, Kosovo, Euromaidan and Saakashvili's war adventure in the Caucasus. But let's look at how Angela coped, with special reference to the Balkans.

for the EU, led by German values, to separate from the United States and impose itself as a benevolent force in a world full of less benevolent powers.

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GERMANY BECAME A CONFIDENT SUPERPOWER During her tenure, Germany became the strongest country in Europe. In 2006, the World Cup was held in Germany, and the Germans reclaimed their pride: for the first time since World War II, they began to speak proudly of being Germans, waving their flags everywhere they could. Germany has become a promised land like America used to be. Everyone rushed to Germany to become German. Millions of Eastern Europeans have found their homeland in Germany, and millions are still

MIGRANT CRISIS The migrant crisis was the biggest internal challenge for Merkel.

It may not matter to the Germans whether the Uyghurs have or have not certain rights, but a million Arabs and other migrants could not go unnoticed. Although the open door policy was again inspired by the protection of German businesses that needed a workforce, soon public opinion turned against migrants. She concluded a pragmatic agreement with Erdogan, who will go aggressively against the protesters a year later. This agreement was also good for business and overall relations with Turkey.

THE BALKANS

MUTTI LEFT GERMANY MUCH STRONGER THAN IT WAS BEFORE SHE CAME TO POWER AND CREATED A EUROPEAN LEADER. BUT SHE COULD HAVE DONE MUCH MORE getting ready to do so, from all over the world. German has again become the most popular language in schools.

RUSSIA AND CHINA, USA AND BREXIT One of the better things during her presidency over the German government was the pragmatic and sober relationship with Russia and China. Both countries expressed that they were not satisfied with the balance of power as early as 2007. Putin did so on Merkel's turf, at the Munich Security Conference. The problem is that Angela did not hear him, because if she had, the West's policy towards Russia, which led to escalation, would not have continued. Also, Merkel underlined back in 2006 that she would recognize an independent Kosovo, which directly provoked a countermove in

terms of Russia recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as symmetrical revenge for Kosovo: "You are taking Kosovo as a hostage from our ally, so we are going to take two 'Kosovos' from your ally, Georgia.“ But she did persist with the construction of Nord Stream-2, and the sanctions against Russia were not as aggressive as the United States would have wanted. In the game of superpowers around Ukraine, one could not expect much better from a country that has traditionally interfered little in other people's affairs, especially a country that had been involved in creating horror for millions of people several times in the last 100 years. The new AUUKUS pact showed that every American president apparently had "America First" in their mind, be it Bush, Obama, Trump or Biden.

But the opportunity was missed

Angela underachieved in the Balkans. She inherited a situation whereby Montenegro peacefully separated from Serbia in 2006 but failed to prevent the growth of authoritarian corruption, crime and nationalism in Montenegro, in the name of stabilocracy.

In 2008, Germany recognized an independent Kosovo, destroying the chance for a stable agreement for decades to come while, at the same time, causing a crisis in the Caucasus, Cyprus and elsewhere.

She pushed Greece into poverty in 2015, forgetting that Germany was forgiven much worse in 1945. She turned a blind eye to doings of local authorities in order for German companies to do well in all of Eastern Europe. The opposition was disappointed, believing that the "beacon of democracy" would export German democracy and federalism to them as well. But that did not happen.

Mutti left Germany much stronger than it had been before she came to power and created a European leader. But she could have done much more. The problem is that „much more“ means different things to different people and Angela certainly did not want to move too far away from the centre.

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INTERVIEW

Cultural Heritage as an Indisputable Supplement in the European Environment Today, Croatia is recognized on a global scale and is present in numerous inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and since 1979 it has registered a total of 27 immovable and intangible cultural assets, says Davor Trupković, Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

DAVOR TRUPKOVIĆ Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

s a destination of untouched nature and environment, Croatia really offers incredible findings that can excite with their originality today and findings comparable to global and non-European counterparts, says Trupković.

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You are at the head of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Media. How would you rate the condition of cultural heritage in Croatia and what does it entail?

— Heritage includes tangible and intangible cultural goods that are registered in the Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic

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of Croatia. Registered goods acquire legal protection and a basis for investment from both the state budget and other sources of financing, such as funds provided by a World Bank loan, from the European Union Solidarity Fund

gled out in relation to the heritage of a much larger number of goods, often extremely important for the local community and perception of space where it appears. Currently, 6,597 protected and preventively protect-

CROATIA REALLY OFFERS INCREDIBLE FINDINGS THAT CAN EXCITE WITH THEIR ORIGINALITY TODAY AND FINDINGS COMPARABLE TO GLOBAL AND NON-EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS and other sources of financing.

We always mention the number of cultural goods entered in the Register in order to get an impression of the number in question, how many cultural goods entered in the Register are sin-

ed individual immovable cultural assets, cultural and historical units, landscapes and archeological sites and locations, 2,258 movable cultural assets and collections, protected and preventively protected and 204 intangible cul-

tural assets are entered in the Register. This is a little more than 9,000 entries, which is not a small number for the Republic of Croatia. Also, when we talk about approximately 400 protected cultural and historical sites, it is actually the number of over 100,000 buildings within protected urban areas, which are also covered by the Law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

As a destination of untouched nature and environment, Croatia really offers incredible findings that can excite with their originality today and findings comparable to global and non-European counterparts.

Precisely because of this, the achievements of the conservation department must be based on the principle of an affirmative approach to the restoration and use

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of heritage through a transparent and clear response of conservators to the demands of today.

What are the specific steps taken by the Ministry and the Government of the Republic of Croatia to improve the state of cultural heritage in the country?

— With the introduction of Geoportal and the Web Register of Cultural Heritage, data on protection, legal regulations that accompany it and the actions necessary to initiate the restoration process can be obtained in a very simple way. We no longer even address the issue of unresolved property and legal relations, as this is a situation that will take many years to at least partially regulate the ownership status of cultural goods, primarily immovable proprty. The Law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage for Emergency Interventions in this case uses the tool of proposing a temporary guardian and this has often proved to be a good way to implement emergency measures to save the heritage base that requires further investments.

Every year, the Ministry of Culture and Media publishes the Public Call for Proposing Programs of Public Needs in Culture of the Republic of Croatia for Cultural Property Entered in the Register. With this Call, we show that the Government allocates limited, but still secure funds for the implementation of necessary procedures in the preservation of protected heritage.

Following the earthquake in Zagreb on March 22, 2020 and the larger one, in the vicinity of Petrinja on December 28 and 29, 2020, the Ministry of Culture and Media, headed by Minister Dr. sc.

Nina Obuljen Koržinek passed a Decision on the implementation of the inventory of damage to immovable and movable cultural property, and later a series of recommendations, guidelines and decisions on the financing of emergency protection measures to ensure uniform treatment of damaged cultural property. This also served as a basis for applying to the European Union Solidarity Fund, and the Law on the Reconstruction of Earthquake-Damaged Buildings in the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb Counties was drafted and adopted. The Program of Measures was also adopted, and in September this year, the Sisak-Moslavina and Karlovac counties were included in

THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND MEDIA HAS DEVELOPED TWO PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF CULTURAL HERITAGE UNDER THE NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN ADOPTED IN JULY THIS YEAR the amendments to the Act and the new Program of Measures for the Reconstruction of Buildings Damaged by the Earthquake.

Finally, the Ministry of Culture and Media has developed two projects in the field of cultural heritage under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan adopted in July this year. The development of conservation bases will soon begin, which will ensure the development of the e-service "e-konzervatorska podloga" and in the long run improve the protection and revitalization of cultural and historical sites, improve spatial management, achieve greater legal certainty related to conservation, and permanently provide public insight into conservation substrates. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan envisages the implementation of the program of energy renovation of buildings with the status of cultural property, which is a challenge that we will implement with great enthusiasm in an effort to restore cultural property in a modern way without exception in terms of en-

ergy management.

In your work, what problems do you encounter most often and how much understanding does the wider community show to solve them?

— There is a lack of spatial planning in the profession, which has been absent from the segment of spatial management and planning for many years, and the preservation profession has been under fire by the public and in conflict between wishes and opportunities of investors, problems for which neither the number of conservators nor narrow professional specializations can defend or preserve the necessary environment in which a positive creative climate should encourage investment and inclusion of heritage as a sustainable resource.

In cooperation with the scientific community, by including the Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, Institute of History, by establishing commissions such as the Interna-

tional Expert Advisory Commission for Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage in Earthquake-Affected Areas, the Ministry of Culture and Media seeks to create an expert platform with which it can follow through the solution of problems in the preservation of cultural heritage.

Also, by participating in professional conferences, it is necessary to clearly define the position on open access and transparent work of the conservation service in a way that the participatory method determines the priorities of action and investment planning.

So far, the response of conservators has proved extremely positive in the list of damages to cultural property affected by the earthquake, based on experiences after the damage caused by the 1979 and 1996 earthquakes in Dubrovnik, but unfortunately also damage in the Homeland War. The response has been great both financially and professionally. We emphasize the response of conservators from the service, employees of the Croatian Restoration Institute, museologists, but also employees of the Civil Protection, volunteers, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service and members of the Italian "Blue Helmets".

Except in these extraordinary circumstances, the response from the wider community is always positive. Both the scientific and

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What are the risks in cultural heritage management and how to overcome them? What are the specific “tools” in your hands when it comes to this?

— Shortly before the earthquake on March 22, 2020, the Ministry of Culture and Media held a conference entitled "Strengthening European Cooperation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from Risk" as a priority topic within the scope of the Ministry of Culture and Media. The growing impact of climate change on cultural heritage (changes in temperature, rainfall, groundwater, sea level) directly or indirectly attributed to human activities, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods and sea level rise, was discussed. Such changes have contributed to the need to establish protection measures in line with modern knowledge and technologies and require organized and coordinated cooperation of all stakeholders: national, regional and local authorities, experts from various sectors and international support. This proved to be very quickly accurate and facilitated the cooperation of the wider international community as well.

It is known that education, not only of experts and the development of their skills, but also of the public, plays a major role in effective risk management in this case, because regular maintenance of architectural heritage is one of the key steps in damage prevention.

In terms of prevention, efforts need to be made to document and research the heritage and to carry out the structural strengthening of buildings, as well as to preserve the smallest remnants of the original and prevent further structural damage.

The conference that was held in Dubrovnik provided guidelines, which the European Commission adopted, and which will be beneficial for future activities and upcoming projects. The importance of strengthening cooperation in implementing a long-term vision of cultural heritage management and protection, based on sustainable development strategies and local involvement, raising public awareness and educating young people, strengthening the exchange of knowledge and practices among experts in the field of cultural heritage was emphasized.

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Photo: Mike Swigunski / Unsplash

local communities will be happy to engage in a discussion on the values of cultural heritage.

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA IS AN INDISPUTABLE SUPPLEMENT IN THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT How important is cooperation at the level of the region, Europe and the world in your work and how is it reflected?

— The cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia is an indisputable supplement in the European environment, therefore cooperation at every level is the basis for analyzing and solving similar challenges. The mentioned topic of risk management repeatedly encourages discussion on methods of identification, analysis and prioritization of risks and especially better understanding of potential risks, importance of monitoring, adjustment process, as well as rapid recovery from threats and sustainable conservation after reconstruction, identifying opportunities provided by participatory management through encouraging the cooperation of all stakeholders in the risk management process, not only in the field of cultural heritage.

The interdisciplinary approach that forms the basis of good governance and at the same time has a direct impact on the qualitative principles of intervention and reduction of negative effects is indispensable, from which society can have both cultural and economic benefits.

What projects and plans of

the Directorate you lead and the Ministry itself can you announce for the upcoming period?

— I would especially like to point out the mentioned project of the Ministry of Culture and Media regarding the development of conservation bases, which will be financed by the Mechanism for Recovery and Resilience for the period from 2021 to 2026, and for which about HRK 80,000,000 has been provided. This project will directly contribute to the legal certainty related to conservation, transparent and clear participation of all stakeholders in the process of spatial management established e-service (e-konzervatorska podloga) related to existing e-services (e-građani, Spatial Planning Information System).

Since so far only 10% of protected cultural and historical sites have been made with a valid conservation base, this service will remove administrative obstacles in the process of obtaining permits in accordance with the Law on Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage, and citizens and conservation services will benefit from this project.

Improving the business environment by facilitating obtaining permits related to the Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage

through the establishment of digital infrastructure and services will also include training of experts to work on conservation bases, development of necessary standards and criteria that will significantly affect public perception of heritage, its values and investments as the basis for its survival.

Where is Croatia today when it comes to protection of cultural heritage and how we measure the positions and success of operations?

— Today, Croatia is recognized on a global scale and is present in numerous inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and since 1979 it has registered a total of 27 immovable and intangible cultural assets.

I would especially like to mention 15 intangible cultural assets inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Musical Expression ojkanje - a phenomenon inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection and the Batana Eco-Museum, an intangible cultural heritage entered in the UNESCO Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.

The success of the action is measurable not only by its presence on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but also in the recognizability of the issues and the readiness of the international community for participatory participation in international commissions, proposing possible solutions, and drafting.

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ANNIVERSARY

30 Years of Independence of Azerbaijan zerbaijan is a country that sits in the Caucasus as the gateway linking West and East. Over centuries the country was in the middle of the crossroads of different civilizations which formed its unique multiethnic and multi-faith cultural diversity. Azerbaijan is a place where representatives of different religions, ethnic groups have lived, created, communicated for many centuries.

On this occasion, the scientists, politicians and statesmen speak for Diplomacy & Commerce.

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Mrs. Maja Grba-Bujević, Head of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Croatia-Azerbaijan

Mrs. MAJA GRBA-BUJEVIĆ Head of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Croatia-Azerbaijan

In the year and month when the Republic of Croatia celebrates 30 years since the declaration of its full independence, on behalf of the Croatian Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Croatia Azerbaijan, we would like to congratulate our friend state Azerbaijan on the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I would like take the opportunity to emphasize my satisfaction with the current relations and cooperation between the Croatian Parliament and Milli Maj-

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lis, the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the belief that these relations will on a mutual basis, continue to develop and improve in the future.

Exceptional relations between Azerbaijan and Croatia have been strengthened over time thanks to political dialogue, which is constantly intensifying at all levels, as well as stronger and more fruitful economic and trade relations, which we would like to be even better to the benefit of both countries and peoples.

Mr. STJEPAN MESIĆ Former President of the Republic of Croatia (2000. – 2010.), President of the Croatian-Azerbaijani Friendship Society

Mr. Stjepan Mesić, Former President of the Republic of Croatia (2000.

– 2010.), President of the Croatian-Azerbaijani Friendship Society

Thirty years ago, the Republic of Azerbaijan restored its independence, and Croatia achieved its independence by separating from Yugoslavia. Azerbaijan and Croatia, in order to exercise their right to independence, have gone through big trials. Regardless of the big geographical distance, our countries cooperate well. I am pleased with the great successes that Azerbaijan has achieved since its independence. I congratulate the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, and the citizens of Azerbaijan on everything they have achieved so far, with the desire to achieve an even better quality of life and even greater affirmation of Azerbaijan in the world.

Mr. IVO JOSIPOVIĆ Former president of the Republic of Croatia (2010. – 2015.), member of the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center

Both modern Azerbaijan and Croatia once again became independent states 30 years ago. Both countries suffered from war. Both countries changed their political systems and have built their statehoods. Both countries achieved important goals in the sphere of politics, economics, culture, sports…Also, we have differences as well. But, Azerbaijan and Croatia showed great will to live in freedom and to develop themselves. Our countries should be proud of our first 30 years of suc-

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cess and friendship. I visited Azerbaijan for the first time in 2000 and following a further 10 visits there have witnessed incredible development. Today, it is another country: a brilliant merger of tradition and modernism, a society with a strong economy and vision for the future. I congratulate the leadership of Azerbaijan and its people for a very successful 30 years of newly established independence and wish all the best for the beautiful country of Azerbaijan!

Ambassador H.E. BUDIMIR LONČAR

Former Minister of Foreign affairs of I SFRY

have been to Azerbaijan several times and every time that country would impress me. The development of the country is going very fast, but at the same time, rich history is preserved and appreciated. Nizami Ganjavi Center was one of the first that I met in Baku in Azerbaijan, besides they are a very effective Center they also brought so much inspiration for people there and abroad. We are witnessing the effective progress made

by Azerbaijan in every field, such as political, social, and economic areas during these 30 years of independence, under the great and wise leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. On 18 October, the Republic of Azerbaijan is celebrating Independence Day. On this occasion, I am honored to convey my heartfelt congratulations to the beautiful people of Azerbaijan and to its Government.

Mr. IGOR PRIŽMIĆ Director of Marco Polo Art Festival

Our beautiful Croatia and the friendly Republic of Azerbaijan are connected by many things in the millennial history of our peoples and countries, so it is no wonder that our destinies were intertwined in those unforgettable October days 30 years ago when Croatia and Azerbaijan declared independence within only ten days of each other, from the community of peoples and federations in which they had been for decades and each set out on their own democratic paths. These were historical times in which one world order and its value system slowly but surely disappeared and another was born. During those difficult times, we appreciated the understanding and help of our friends from Azerbaijan, who under the leadership of President Heydar Aliyev sovereignly built and developed the Republic of Azerbaijan and in a few dec-

ades lifted it to the list of the world's most developed economies; this policy of peace and economic development and prosperity is today being continued by the son of the late President, his Excellency Ilham Aliyev. I am honored and pleased to be the director of the international MARCO POLO ART FESTIVAL, which has hosted diplomatic representatives and artists from ten countries on the Silk Road for the fifth year in a row on the home island of the renowned explorer Marco Polo. In the hope that the friendship between our friendly countries will continue to develop and that in these difficult times of the global pandemic we will be able to find modalities for the continuation of our cooperation at the International Festival of Arts and Diplomacy I lead, I would like to congratulate all Azerbaijani citizens on Independence Day and wish you strong blessings and peace in the years ahead.

Mr. Ivo Josipović, Former president of the Republic of Croatia (2010. – 2015.), member of the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center

Prof. dr. sc. DAMIR BORAS Rector of the University of Zagreb

Croatia and Azerbaijan are two of the many countries in the East and Southeast of our continent, which in the early 90', in changed international circumstances, at the time of the collapse of the bipolar world order achieved their long-awaited freedom and independence. Unfortunately, at the very beginning, both our countries had to defend their freedom and preserve their territorial integrity. Croatia won their defensive war but only achieved its full territorial integrity in 1998 following the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region. So, in the end, it was via diplomatic and political means. As far as I know, Azerbaijan regained most of its internationally recognized territory last year, during a war in which there were many casualties on both sides, including civilians. I hope that in the near future Azerbaijan and Armenia will reach a full peace agreement, in order to establish lasting peace in Nagorno-Karabakh and find a solution for the coexistence of Azerbaijanis, Armenians and all others who are staying there legally, in accordance with international law. I would like to take the opportunity to mention that my dear friend, Mr Branko Zebić, the Croatian Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, systematically promotes good relations between our two friendly countries.

From the bottom of my hear, I wish you peace and hope for the prosperity and progress of the entire South Caucasus region.

Ambassador H.E. Budimir Lončar, Former Minister of Foreign affairs of SFRY

Mr. Igor Prižmić, Director of Marco Polo Art Festival

Prof. dr. sc. Damir Boras, Rector of the University of Zagreb

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INTERVIEW

Exit From the EU has changed Our National Interests The prosperity and security of Europe still matters to Global Britain, but it’s pursuing new partnerships outside the EU too

H.E. SIMON THOMAS OBE British Ambassador to Croatia

he UK is reinforcing its commitment to European security, but is also developing new partnerships, such as AUKUS, which is designed to contribute to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, Simon Thomas OBE, British Ambassador to Croatia, told Diplomacy&Commerce. He also said that hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow should be seen as part of the UK commitment to be not only the global leader on climate change, but also a problem-solving and burden-sharing nation when it comes to tackling the greatest problems the world is facing today.

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What is the current situation

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with the Covid 19 crisis in the UK? Almost all the restrictions have been removed there, and so, in that regard, how do you look at what is happening in the rest of Europe and the world?

— The pandemic is sadly still not

protection against Covid, the UK experience shows clearly that they do have a huge impact on one statistic which really matters: whether you get seriously ill or die from the virus. So we’ve put a lot of effort into developing vaccines

WE’RE VERY PROUD OF THE ROLE THAT BRITISH LABORATORIES AND COMPANIES HAVE PLAYED IN DEVELOPING LIFE-SAVING COVID VACCINES AND ROLLING THEM OUT WORLDWIDE over for any of us. Even after all this time, case rates in the UK remain high. But the thing that increasingly allows us, and many other countries, to coexist with this terrible virus is vaccination.

While vaccines don’t offer 100%

and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

We’re very proud of the role that British laboratories and companies have played in developing life-saving Covid vaccines and rolling them out worldwide. And

we’ve had real success with our domestic vaccination programme – more than 80% of the adult population fully vaccinated; more than 90% having had at least one jab. We certainly haven’t beaten Covid. But when it comes to difficult but crucial decisions about how to manage the risks we all still face from Covid in our dayto-day lives, about how to strike the balance between protecting our health and healthcare systems on the one hand and our economies and personal freedoms on the other, such a high level of vaccination in the general population gives confidence to policy-makers and individuals alike. In the UK it has meant that we have been able to lift many of the restrictions which have been part of our lives for the past year-and-a-half, including not only restrictions on

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things like meeting up indoors or holding large events, but also restrictions on international travel – much to the delight of the many Britons who have been able to again spend their holidays, safely, in Croatia this year. Not all restrictions have yet been lifted – for instance we still have quarantine system in place for unvaccinated travellers or for those coming from the highest risk destinations globally, and many people are still working at least partly from home; but things are certainly beginning to feel more “normal”.

When I look beyond the UK, it’s clear that many other countries are making good progress against the virus too, which makes me optimistic for the future, but there are still significant risks ahead and much to be done – for instance challenges around vaccine hesitancy and ensuring developing countries get access to the vaccines they need. As ever, international cooperation is crucial, and I’ve really valued the exchanges I’ve had in my first few months here with Health Minister Beroš and Interior Minister Božinović on this important issue. And I am pleased that both the UK and Croatia are both donating vaccine doses to countries that cannot get them otherwise, through the COVAX system. We have also been working together to fight fake news around COVID.

From an economic point of view, how much has the pandemic affected the UK economy and in which areas the most? What do the numbers show?

— Throughout the pandemic, the UK government has been clear it wanted to protect livelihoods as well as lives. That meant huge investment – £400bn (3.5 trillion kuna) since the start of the pandemic – in schemes designed to allow businesses to survive the economic disruption of the last 18 months and protect jobs that might otherwise have been lost.

We are now starting to see the benefits of that approach, with latest economic data suggesting that the number of employees on UK payroll is in fact above pre-pandemic levels, and the overall economy on track to return to its pre-pandemic size this autumn. The OECD expects the UK to see the fastest GDP growth in the G7 this year.

Inevitably, the pandemic has hit some sectors harder than oth-

THE UK HAS LEFT THE EUROPEAN UNION, NOT EUROPE. WE WANT THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EU TO BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL ers. Not all individual businesses have survived. It has been a particularly challenging time globally for those in accommodation and food, or arts and recreation, for instance. But many of those are now bouncing back with the lifting of the vast majority of Covid-related restrictions on individuals and businesses in the UK. And others, in retail for instance, have adapted to the new context and developed online businesses. That’s consistent with the UK government’s own wider commitment to not simply seek to return to the ‘old normal’ after the pandemic, but to “build back better”, with significant investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation, supporting growth across the UK as well as our transition to net zero carbon emissions.

Foreign investment numbers have also held up well during the pandemic, despite challenging global economic conditions – there were some 1538 FDI projects in the 2020/21 fiscal year and total inward FDI stock is second highest globally (behind only the US). As Ambassador, I am obviously particularly pleased to see that business ties between the

UK and Croatia have also been strengthened despite the pandemic – whether that’s British investor New Bakery expanding their factory in Stupnik, or Mate Rimac opening a new research and development centre in Warwick.

How do you assess the relations between the UK and Croatia, and how important is the joint struggle in these challenging times?

— I’ve been really struck since my arrival at the breadth of the partnership and the warmth of the friendship between our two countries. We’re like-minded Allies in NATO, with a range of practical co-operation on defence and security issues. Our armed forces train together, our security forces fight organised crime together. We share the same values and co-operate to tackle the same global challenges, from Covid-19 to climate change. That’s a big priority for our joint work at the moment, and a good example of where international partnerships are essential if we are to rise to the challenge. We had a good visit last month from the UK’s special envoy for climate, and I’m really

pleased that Prime Minister Plenković will be joining other world leaders in Glasgow for the COP26 summit. We’re working together on innovation and education, and British and Croatian companies are working together to create jobs and mutual prosperity.

But above all the strong relationship between the UK and Croatia are based on people-to-people links. Croatians who have studied in the UK, Brits who have been here on holiday and have fallen in love with your beautiful country, Croatians who love British bands or follow British football teams, British music fans who come here for your festivals. Scientists who work in joint teams, teachers who share best practice.

Businesses that cross the borders, bringing tastes of Britain to Croatia, but also the excellent olive oil and prosciutto from Croatia to Borough Market in London. I have only been in Croatia for three months, but it is strikingly clear to me already just how much Croatians and Brits have in common: not least our sense of humour and our love for football, music, Goran Ivanišević, James Bond and good beer! I have seen for myself just how easily Croatians and Brits connect on a human level – British soldiers enjoying a BBQ and game of basketball with Croatian soldiers after their recent joint training in Gašinci, for instance.

And wherever I have been during

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my short time in Croatia – from Split to Samobor, Varaždin to Vukovar – I have enjoyed a genuinely warm welcome from everyone I’ve met.

After Brexit, how do you see the relations between official London and Brussels, and in which direction will they develop? We see that passports for travel have been reintroduced; the UK also has problems with drivers, who used to come mainly from eastern European countries, etc.

— The last couple of years have inevitably been a tricky process of forging a new relationship, at least at institutional level, with Europe. Some issues are not yet fully resolved – on Northern Ireland, for instance, the arrangements initially agreed between the UK and the EU aren’t working in practice on the ground, with potentially serious consequences for political stability and security, and we need to find a way through that together. And the transition to new arrangements – whether for cross-border travel or customs and trade regimes – will of course take a bit of getting used to, especially with the additional complicating factor of Covid.

There’s also no denying that our exit from the EU has changed our national interests and the patterns of our international relationships. We will focus less on the balance of the debate within the EU and more on countries with which we trade directly and where our interests are engaged.

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WE’RE SEEING AN INTENSIFICATION OF COMPETITION BETWEEN STATES, AND CHALLENGES TO THE INTERNATIONAL RULES AND NORMS WHICH UNDERPIN OUR SECURITY AND PROSPERITY But the UK has left the European Union, not Europe. We want the Member States of the EU to be prosperous and successful. Our countries and our societies are closely intertwined, not simply because of geography, but because of our shared history, shared interests and shared values. So while the UK intends to take advantage of our departure from the EU to seek new trade deals elsewhere in the globe, our trading relationships within Europe remain important. While the UK is pursuing new global partnerships for prosperity and security outside of the EU, in the Indo-Pacific for instance, our commitment to European security remains steadfast. We continue to be natural partners when it comes to tackling global challenges like climate or extreme poverty, or promoting human rights and democracy, or dealing with the legacy of conflicts in this part of Europe – all issues on which we are currently very actively engaged together. And we all benefit greatly from education and science partnerships which have developed over many years. It is so clearly in the interest of both sides to find a

new equilibrium – even if it takes a while longer to get there.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenges for European security and where is the role of UK? How to deal with new/ old challenges (migrants, climate change, region ...)

— It’s clear that the nature and distribution of global power is changing. We’re seeing four overarching trends in the strategic context. There’s a geopolitical and geoeconomic shift, including China’s increasing power and the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific to global prosperity and security. We’re seeing an intensification of competition between states, and challenges to the international rules and norms which underpin our security and prosperity. Rapid technological change is reshaping our societies – and the nature of conflict. And the world is facing a number of serious transnational challenges which need our collective action and cooperation, the most urgent of which is climate change. Europe’s security challenges, and the responses, need to be seen against that backdrop: we need to be in-

vesting in the technologies and capabilities which will underpin our security and prosperity in the future; we need to work for the continued development of a global economy in which open societies and open economies flourish, and stand up for our democratic values at home and abroad; we need to build and nurture strong international partnerships and alliances, and strengthen international institutions and the global system of co-operation between nations, so that we can prevent and resolve potential crises.

That goes some way, I think, to explain what the UK is trying to do at the moment internationally under the heading of Global Britain. Reinforcing our commitment to European security, but also developing new partnerships, such as AUKUS, designed to contribute to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Continuing to play an active role in conflict resolution around the world. Contributing to better global economic governance, through our role in the G7 and G20. And deepening our connections with the world’s largest and fastest growing economies, inclduing ASEAN and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The UK is a global leader in development, for instance raising huge sums to support girls’ education.

And, in only a few days’ time, we will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, not only as part of our commitment to be a global leader on climate change, but also to be a problem-solving and burden-sharing nation when it comes to tackling the greatest problems facing the world today. We’re asking countries to sign up to ambitious new targets and make ambitious new commitments at Glasgow – to limit emissions growth to within 1.5 degrees, to agree to phase out coal and phase in electric vehicles, to take action to halt and reverse the loss of trees and biodiversity, and to pledge money to help the rest of the world tackle climate change.

We’ve been really encouraged by some of the early pledges – and it’s been great to see Croatia sign up to the Powering Past Coal Alliance, for instance – but there’s still a tough negotiation ahead. The climate challenge is perhaps the starkest reminder of how the fates of nations are all intertwined, and why now more than ever we need strong international partnerships and effective diplomacy.

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ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović received the credentials from the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates.

H. E. Hafsa Al Ulama, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Croatia, with residence in Berlin, presented her credentials to the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović.

NATIONAL DAYS

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović received the credentials from the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic.

H. E. Hernán María Patiño Mayer, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the Republic of Croatia, with residence in Budapest, presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović.

OCTOBER

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SPAIN

National Day

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HUNGARY National Day

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Main Holiday: UN Day

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AUSTRIA

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović received the credentials from the Ambassador of Malaysia.

H. E. Kennedy Mayong Onon, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Republic of Croatia, with residence in Zagreb, presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović.

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović received the credentials from the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark.

H. E. Ole Frijs-Madsen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to the Republic of Croatia, with residence in Zagreb, presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović.

National Day NOVEMBER

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ANGOLA

Independence Day

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POLAND

Independence Day

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BELGIUM King's Day

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CORPORATE

The Well-Being of Every Student This way we provide an opportunity for each student and his individual progress

MILENA PRODANIĆ TIŠMA British School – Bright Horizonte

urrently, we are also working on further improving our school with Mindfulness programs we started during the past school year, says Director of British School – Bright Horizons Milena Prodanić Tišma for Diplomacy&Commerce. She explains that this program nurtures the individuality of each student and helps them through everyday challenges inside and outside the school.

We have been living in Covid19 world for almost 2 years already, and we are following the rules adapted to the pandemic. This school year started more relaxed than the previous ended. How did British School – Bright Horizons adjust to “post-Covid” rules and which rules do you apply?

— The International British School “Bright Horizons” is guided by the instructions of the competent epidemiological services and we organize the work of the school accordingly. We are pleased to be able to continue this year the activities that stopped after the pandemic broke out. Even though there are still limitations, we can say that the component of togetherness and cooperation has returned to our school.

How did the students and the parents accept all the rules?

— I have to emphasize that I am very proud and grateful to our students and parents for all their support and cooperation over the past two years. Even though students in grades 5 to 8 have to wear masks and it’s not easy for them, they certainly adhere to this. It is very important – since we expect the students to follow the rules – to explain to them the importance and the purpose of these rules since we are all in this together and also so we could be each other’s support.

To what extent did you remain with the online model or did you return to school?

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Photo: Ratko Mavar

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IT IS VERY IMPORTANT – SINCE WE EXPECT THE STUDENTS TO FOLLOW THE RULES – TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE IMPORTANCE AND THE PURPOSE OF THESE RULES With the start of the new school year, we completely returned to the A Model of teaching, i.e. teaching in classrooms. As a school, we are prepared to enable students who will be subject to self-isolation measures to follow classes live from the classroom.

As we have additionally equipped classrooms with smart boards this year and added technological aids, our school is more prepared than ever before for future challenges.

The British School – Bright Horizons is known as a school that

keeps up with all the novelties and applies the curriculum that is best for the students. What would you single out as something that has proven to be most effective?

— I believe that we are a school that has proven itself in the last two years with the quality of our curriculum, but I must single out a very important component of our educational work, which is the well-being of every student. Our professional team together with the teachers creates a support system for classes and students and this is our main task in our work.

This we provide an opportunity for each student and his individual progress and provide them with a support system to guide them to fulfill their full potential.

Which plans would you like to announce for the upcoming period and what do you pay the most attention to?

— Following on from my previous answer, I can continue by saying that we are currently working on further improving our school with Mindfulness programs we started during the past school year, which also nurtures each student’s individuality and helps them with daily challenges inside and outside the school.

How much do you cooperate with other schools and how important is the exchange of information and experiences?

— I had the opportunity through the Council of British International Schools to meet colleagues who run other international British schools and I am in constant contact with them, which is very important in today's uncertain times. As a school principal, you are sometimes in a situation where you have to make difficult decisions, but in these situations it is always good to have contacts from whom we can get advice or support and exchange experiences. Also, our teachers cooperate with other schools through joint activities. The school was also involved in the Erasmus+ project where we had the opportunity to collaborate with other schools from Europe.

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ECONOMY

by Žikica Milošević

Gas Prices are Skyrocketing The EU's insistence on the newly adopted procedures for transporting gas through gas pipelines, which seem to have been deliberately adopted in order to reduce the value of the newly built Nord Stream-2, blew up in Western Europe's face. Gas prices are now at a record high and storage facilities have never been so empty the long winter of 2020/21 he reasons for this are multiple with one of them being that the Russians decided to play by the EU's rules and plan to use only 50% of the pipelines for transporting their gas because “the EU said so”.

Gas price has already doubled to almost $ 1,000, which will further increase utility bills, and perhaps the prices in Western Europe, with people already being financially exhausted after a year and a half of the crisis caused by the coronavirus. Russia, on the other hand, refuses to increase the deliveries of its gas through Ukraine, even the West had requested so, and is already trying to get the Nord Stream-2 operational. European consumers will suffer the most in this game, which Poland also joined. Actually, they are already suffering. The price of gas in Europe is at a record high - the value of futures on September 15 was as much as $963.9 per thousand cubic meters, and on September 20, it was $911.2. Russia's hesitation to release more gas and the growing gas prices in the West are seen as some as blackmail.

But things are far from being one-dimensional. Gas storage facilities are not empty just because of politics and spite. The Economist writes that the flow from Norway was limited due to work on improving the country’s infrastructure and that the fire at a processing plant in Siberia and the need to fill their tanks after a brutally cold winter which saw a lower gas production in Russia also reduced inflow from Russia. Growing demand for liquefied natural gas in Asia, as economies there have recovered from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 virus, has led to higher prices. Meanwhile, wind turbines, which produce about 10% of Europe's energy, slowed during an unusually calm, windless summer. Furthermore, Asia has started consuming much more gas than before.

Usually, European companies switch to coal when the price of

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IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THIS IS A MIND GAME, WHEREBY ONE WAITS FOR WHO WILL GIVE IN SOONER AND EVERYONE TRIES TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE FOR THEMSELVES

gas jumps or there is not enough of it, but - here is the catch - coal mines are mostly closed in Western Europe, due to the transition to renewable sources, so there is not enough supply of coal. And the coal that is left is wanted by China due to its rapidly growing economy which needs all kinds of energy sources (China has committed to switching to renewable energy sources in 2040, 10 years after the EU and even 15 years after certain European countries, like Norway, promised to do that in 2035,). This leads to higher coal prices. The supply of liquefied natural gas from the United States has also been reduced. Further-

more, natural gas production has been declining for a long time in the countries that are the largest producers - Norway, Great Britain and the Netherlands. In the latter two, production fell by 75 and 65 per cent respectively compared to records 20 years ago. And there is one more thing that complicates the entire situation - called European carbon permits, which further increases the price of coal.

The Ukrainians are trying to get as much as possible from the Russians in terms of gas transport, as they have been generating good money - 2 to 3 billion dollars a year – by using the Soviet infrastructure. The Poles start-

ed with blackmails regarding the Opal gas pipeline while the Russians are threatening retaliation and bypassing Poland altogether.

The Germans and their Green Party are claiming that the growing gas prices will encourage the transition to renewable fuels while saying: message "Don't anger your biggest consumer". The Russians, on the other hand, say that they really couldn’t care less, because economic growth in Asia, especially China's transition from coal to gas and growth of the Chinese and Asian economy, creates a lot of sales potential. The construction of the new Pakistani Stream also goes in their favour. Meanwhile, others are coping. Bulgaria has agreed to a 40 per cent lower price of Russian natural gas, which the country imports under a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom. The new price, which is linked to the prices of continental hubs, has returned to the August 2019 level, says Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

It seems that all of this is a mind game, whereby one waits for who will give in sooner and everyone tries to get the best possible price for themselves. There are also political agendas to consider – the Americans have publicly advocated for throwing the Russian gas out of the equation (which is the cheapest, paradoxically) but nobody is paying attention to this request. The Poles and Ukrainians would like to get as rich as possible from transit, but also to become as independent as possible from the Russians, while the Russians want to break away from Poland’s and Ukraine’s blackmailing potential related to the Nord Stream and the Turkish Stream.

The question is who will blink first. Everyone keeps bragging that they "saw through the opponent", that they "don't care at all" and that they are "cool as a cucumber".

One would think that they are playing a poker game, while the rest of Europe is preparing for a cold and expensive winter.

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CORPORATE

Business Growth Intereuropa d.o.o. purchased land this year and started with preparations for construction of a new Logistics Centre in Rijeka

DARKO SKRNIČKI President of the Management Board, Intereuropa

he greatest value in Intereuropa are the people. I am proud of all my colleagues. Despite the sacrifices in difficult times, we created a new business culture and together we wrote a success story, Darko Skrnički, President of the Management Board of Intereuropa Croatia, told Diplomacy & Commerce.

We are also looking forward to working on future development projects in the logistics and distribution segment, Skrnički says.

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How has the Covid-19 pandemic and the entire crisis affected your company’s business given what you do? What do the numbers show?

— Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected our business negatively due to the fact that we first encountered the need for a new way of organizing the work process, both in terms of work

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technology and in terms of health and safety of workers.

Compared to our society, this impact was relatively short-term, because with our logistics knowledge, experience and professional staff we were able to react promptly and adapt our business to the crisis situation.

In addition, Intereuropa d.o.o. has always based its business on complete logistics services, which

sults in 2021 to be even better than in previous years.

How fast is the market recovering and what affects this the most?

— It is my opinion, and it stems from our business results, that our domestic and international partners reacted fantastically to the new situation. The crisis management function played a major

COMMUNICATION WITH DECISION-MAKERS IN CROATIA IS EXTREMELY GOOD, BUT CROATIA MUST WORK TO STRENGTHEN THE DIGITALIZATION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS, BOTH IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND IN THE ECONOMY has further contributed to the stability of our business operations, and this is seen in the company's business results, which in 2020 exceeded the results from 2019 as well as the planned results for 2020. We expect the business re-

role in market recovery, where it was proven - especially in relation to our partners - that they successfully adapted to requirements of the market in times of crisis.

What is what you would single

out and emphasize in your business operations and plans on the Croatian market?

— Our current business operations follow our multi-year strategic plan. We are especially pleased that year after year we meet our goals and expectations of our owner and record business growth. We successfully maintain profitability that enables our future development and investments in the market of the Republic of Croatia.

Intereuropa d.o.o. purchased land this year and started with preparations for construction of a new Logistics Centre in Rijeka.

This is our own multimillion investment, which is the first step in fulfilling our strategy to achieve stronger positioning of Intereuropa on the Croatian market. We are also looking forward to working on future development projects in the logistics and distribution segment.

Intereuropa Group has 17 subsidiaries in 10 countries. How

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important networking in business terms and what does that mean for you specifically?

— Intereuropa Group is the leading provider of comprehensive logistics services in the market of Southeast Europe, and it is part of the Pošta Slovenije Group. Intereuropa Group brings together as many as 13 companies from 9 countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Ukraine, where the Group has its own companies with a network of business units and logistics terminals. Business operations of Intereuropa d.o.o. in such a large group are certainly a very important competitive advantage. IE Group has been present with its own network of companies and infrastructure in the markets of Southeast Europe for more than 70 years, which is certainly a significant competitive advantage.

Intereuropa is a logistics operator for a number of international companies that direct their goods through Southeast Europe. Within the Intereuropa Group, we use synergy effects, we overcome current challenges more effectively and offer an optimal and competitive logistics service to our customers. All companies in the Intereuropa Group achieve the set goals more easily, as well as the set business strategies. We help

INTEREUROPA GROUP IS THE LEADING PROVIDER OF COMPREHENSIVE LOGISTICS SERVICES IN THE MARKET OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE each other by exchanging opinions, we strengthen our mutual cooperation and thus strive for a common goal, i.e. to meet the needs of our customers by offering land, sea and air transport services, warehousing and distribution services, customs and other logistics services needed for the smooth flow of goods from the producer to the customer. We provide logistics solutions in other European countries and worldwide through a network of reliable business partners.

Doing business in 10 countries implies different regulations and rules. If we exclude EU countries, how much does that make work difficult and in what way?

— Of course, business operations between companies operating within different legal frameworks and in different countries can be difficult. However, the parent company Intereuropa d.d. has adopted a document that prescribes the management of companies throughout the IE Group in a uniform manner. This laid the foundations for simplified coop-

eration between affiliated companies. The responsibilities of the heads of individual functions are defined, and they can therefore manage various processes from procurement, logistics, finance, IT, etc., in affiliated companies as well. Central management ensures optimal cooperation between companies in different countries, transfer of knowledge, it encourages the exchange of good practice between companies in the Group and ensures coordinated development and sales.

This consequently leads to the achievement of synergy and greater success and efficiency of Intereuropa Group as a whole.

As a businessman and a man in the business sector, how would you describe the economic situation in Croatia? What would you change, what would you praise and how good is your communication with the decision makers?

— The Croatian market is a specific one given that tourism is a major generator of the economy.

I realized this very quickly upon

my arrival in Croatia, and I began to think about ways to adapt logistics solutions to this market segment, which ultimately proved to be correct and gave the company an advantage over other logistics service providers.

I believe that if you have a market presence and are constantly working to improve your services, adapt your services to market requirements and make timely decisions, the results will come.

I must point out that communication with decision-makers in Croatia is extremely good, but Croatia must work to strengthen the digitalization of business operations, both in public administration and in the economy.

What are you most proud of in your work at the helm of Intereuropa?

— The greatest value in Intereuropa are the people. I am proud of all my colleagues. Despite the sacrifices in difficult times, we created a new business culture and together we wrote a success story.

I would like to use this opportunity to thank the entire Intereuropa team for their excellent work and to the member of the Management Board, Mrs. Marija Štajduhar, with whom we have successfully overcome the business challenges from the past year and are ready to enter a new one.

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INTERVIEW

Young Energy Europe As part of the project, young professionals from various industries attend training for energy scouts, which enables them to monitor and reduce energy consumption in the companies where they are employed

DANIELA BUNTAK

What is the end goal of the project and does it have a time limit? How important is international cooperation for topics like these?

— The project started in Croatia on April 1, 2021, and will be implemented until March 2024. In that period, we will conduct three cycles of education. Europe has recognized the great potential of climate protection: it is not only ecologically necessary, but serves the purpose of technological progress: it promotes innovation, opens new markets, attracts investment and ultimately creates new jobs. Climate protection also generates many positive side effects such as reduced energy costs in companies, but also in households, or better air quality in cities, which ultimately has a positive impact on people’s health.

Young Energy Europe Project Manager, German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce

any companies are aware of their potential for energy efficiency and are very open to this form of education. Especially because the focus is on practical application in companies, says Daniela Buntak, Young Energy Europe Project Manager from the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The goal of the Young Energy Europe Project is to improve measures to adapt to climate change in companies.

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The German-Croatian Chamber of Industry launched a project titled Young Energy Europe, which helps young professionals from various industries to recognize and utilize the potentials for energy efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions.

What exactly is this project and what are its specifics?

— Education is special in its structure and content. The first part refers to four-day lectures that provide basic knowledge in the field of energy - from energy management in companies, through climate protection and e-mobility to the efficient use of technologies in the field of water and waste management and the calculation of CO2 savings.

In order to facilitate the practical implementation of the energy efficiency project, topics such as project management, internal communication and teamwork, as well as the use of metering devices are covered. The lecture is followed by a period of several weeks during which energy scouts prepare and implement their own project to save energy and avoid CO2 emissions in their respective companies. In the last module, participants present their practical projects in a joint workshop and are evaluated by an expert jury. In the end, all energy scouts receive certificates, and the best of them are awarded by the jury.

The Young Energy Europe Pro-

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IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO APPROACH EACH COMPANY INDIVIDUALLY, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SOME PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES IN COMMON, EACH OF THEM MUST FIND THE RIGHT MODEL TO ACHIEVE ENERGY CONSERVATION ject was launched by the European Climate Initiative and is implemented by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany. The project is coordinated by our umbrella Association and its subsidiary DIHK Service GmbH, and aside from us, it is also implemented by the German Trade Chambers Abroad in Bulgaria, the Czech

Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Serbia. In these countries, more than 339 Energy Scouts from 135 companies completed the training and 143 practical projects were designed, most of which were implemented. As a result of these projects, 26,600 tons of CO2 are saved annually. In the next three years, the goal is to train more than 480 energy scouts in these eight countries.

To what extent do young professionals recognize themselves in all these topics and what are they most interested in?

— Young professionals are aware that even small changes can lead to big changes at the organizational level. Due to the high costs of energy and raw materials, as well as the increasing focus on environmental protection, they focused on resource and energy efficiency and implement environmental protection and energy management policies by engaging in energy management activities and raising energy efficiency awareness within their own companies, and in addition to the fact that companies want to reduce energy costs, the image they gain through sustainable and socially responsible operations is very important to them. Given the range of topics of this education, but also the heterogeneity of the participants, it is difficult for me to single out something that interests them the most. From conversations with participants, we can often conclude that it is difficult for them to single out one area, and they realize that all business segments hide opportunities for optimization and energy efficiency.

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When it comes to this topic, what difficulties do young professionals face, but also the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce as the institution that has recognized this topic?

— Energy management in companies is a lengthy process and many organizations that choose to take that step think they can do it overnight. Reduction of consumption is achieved by systematic monitoring and management of processes and activities, and the first problems appear already at the beginning, when the company must present data on energy consumption and prices paid for energy. Many simply have not yet established any kind of monitoring. Young professionals full of ideas and suggestions often face the problem of how to best present possible measures to the management, without the story ending with the question "what is the payback period" and therefore this training includes lectures in this area. Projects from countries where education has been conducted for the last three years often show that a financial investment is not always necessary, and simple measures such as turning off the lights, avoiding unnecessary printing, etc. are enough to achieve energy efficiency. Ultimately, synergies are needed between company management, technical staff, and all employees to achieve optimal results.

What are the benefits of this education and what is it that you pay special attention to when working with the students?

— In this training, energy scouts learn how to identify energy wasters in their own companies and what specific measures could reduce energy costs in the long run.

A great benefit to companies is that this training, including the materials, is free, and participants eventually receive a certificate confirming their participation in the training as well as acquiring the title of Energy Scout. It is especially important for us to approach each company individually, because although they have some problems and challenges in common, each of them must find the right model to achieve energy conservation. In doing so, participants benefit from the experiences of other companies and thus get ideas for their own new projects or solving problems they encounter in their work.

What would you single out as the biggest challenges when it comes to business, education of young people and all this in connection with energy conservation and reduction of CO2 emissions?

— In the past few years, through our various projects, we were able to conclude that there is an awareness of energy efficien-

cy and environmental protection in Croatia. Many of our member companies confirm this with their examples of the use of renewable energy sources, waste separation and other measures. However, the biggest challenge that companies face is the lack of time to educate their employees, which indicates a general problem, which is the lack of manpower or skilled

IN THIS TRAINING, ENERGY SCOUTS LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY ENERGY WASTERS IN THEIR OWN COMPANIES AND WHAT SPECIFIC MEASURES COULD REDUCE ENERGY COSTS IN THE LONG RUN

labor. An additional current challenge is the lack of equipment and long delivery times of goods due to problems caused by difficulties in the supply chain as a result of well-known reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, companies that have already decided on changes in terms of energy and want to replace obsolete systems and implement new ones, currently have a problem that due to the disrupted supply chain, lack of raw materials and production delays, they cannot reach these technologies.

What is your cooperation with decision makers, but also with business entities in the field?

How much do they recognize the importance of such projects?

— Many companies are aware of their potential for energy efficiency and are very open to this form of education. Especially since the focus is placed on practical application in companies. Without a major marketing campaign, we were able to fill the group for the first cycle of lectures. However, we know that in public administration there are also huge opportunities for energy efficiency, especially when it comes to energy efficiency in construction, from heating, cooling through hot water preparation to lighting. We want to attract local self-governments, i.e. cities and their utility companies, counties and other public institutions, to participate in this project. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to invite all those interested to contact us now and book their place for the next training, which will take place in April next year.

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COLUMN

Strategic Maneuvering Within the Discourse Speaking with clarity, logic, and transparency, as simple as it seems, it is not an easy task. Strategic maneuvering and choosing words that really works are crucial whether we market our products or work on getting followers

JAGODA POROPAT DARRER Business Communication Professional

trategic maneuvering refers to the arguer’s continual efforts to reconcile aiming for effectiveness with being reasonable. It takes place in all stages of argumentative discourse and manifests itself simultaneously in the choices that are made from the topical potential available at a particular stage, in adaptation to audience demand, and in the use of specific presentational devices. Strategic maneuvering derails when in the specific context in which the discourse takes place a rule for critical discussion has been violated, so that a fallacy has been committed (Van Eemeren, 2010).

According to Al-Duleimi and Hammoodi (2015) maneuvering comes from the verb “maneuver”, which has performing maneuvers as its first meaning. The noun maneuver can refer to a planned movement or a movement to win or do something. The term strategic is added to maneuvering because the goal aimed for in the maneuvering must be reached by a skillful planning, doing optimal balance between reasonableness and effectiveness. To Drucker (1974) , strategy is purposeful action; to Moore (1959) design for action, in essence, conception preceding action. The concept of strategic maneuvering can be used to understand how the arguers’ various choices contribute to achieve reasonableness while trying to obtain at the same time an advantageous outcome of the discussion. As to Riker (1986) , strategic maneuvering is important in politics to win a point by means of an argument. To Renkema (2009) strategic maneuvering means

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that in all stages of a critical discussion, from confrontation to conclusion, the participants resort to the best rhetorical result.

The arguers make use of strategic maneuvering aimed at reducing the potential tension between the two endeavors: effectiveness and reasonableness. To Kennedy’s (2007), even those who just try to establish what is just and true need the help of rhetoric when they are faced with a public audience. To express a communicative intention, effectiveness is one of the communicative strategies ( Fetzer and Lauerbach, 2007 ).

Strategic maneuvering manifests itself in argumentative discourse in the choices that are made from the topical potential available at a certain stage in the discourse, in audience-directed framing of the argumentative moves, and in the purposive use

of presentational devices. In actual argumentative practice these aspects usually work together (Tindale, 2004 ).

In the argumentative practice of a political interview, the politician will make an attempt at reaching the dialectical aims and the rhetorical aims by coordinating in his move the three inseparable (though analytically distinguishable) aspects of strategic maneuvering: topical choice, audience adaptation and presentational means (van Eemeren, 2010).

Together the aspects are instrumental for the rhetorical functionality of argumentative discourse, which means that all three aspects contribute to the acceptance of a standpoint (Al-Duleimi and Hammoodi, 2015) On the other hand, it is important to bear in mind that it is not always what (and how) we say, it

IT IS IMPORTANT TO BEAR IN MIND THAT IT IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT (AND HOW) WE SAY, IT IS WHAT PEOPLE HEAR

is what people hear. Luntz (2019) offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. He examines how choosing the right words is essential, and how words can make a difference in anything, whether that’s our everyday speech or a politician’s. Luntz brings 21 words for 21 century that will sell any product and persuade any voter. For example, he mentions the word “imagine” as one of the most powerful words in the English language.

It evokes something different to each person that hears it.

No matter what our company’s product or service, the word “imagine” has the potential to create and personalize an appeal that is individualized based on the dreams and desires of the person who hears. Furthermore, “lifestyle” is an example of terminology that was adopted by consumers even before the marketing community. “Lifestyle,” like “imagine” and the “American Dream,” is incredibly powerful because it is at the same time self-defined and aspirational—everyone defines and aspires to his or her own unique lifestyle. Word “innovation” immediately calls to mind pictures of the future. It’s the corporate technology version of “imagine”. “Innovation” leads to products that are smaller or lighter or faster or cheaper or bigger, more resilient, stronger, longer lasting. “Innovation” means tourist flights that escape the Earth’s orbit and nanotechnology marvels so small that they strain the ability of our comprehension. Describing our company and products as “innovative” is far better than saying they’re “new and improved.”

“Innovative,” on the other hand, is bold and forward-looking, progressive (in a nonpolitical sense), confident, and energetic, concludes Luntz.

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

05 OCT

Ambassador Thomas was with his wife Ms Kristina Thomas. We BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA H.E. SIMON would like to thank all our teachers for their hard work and dedicaTHOMAS, ON NATIONAL TEACHER’S DAY , VISITED BRIGHT HORIZONS- INTERNATIONAL BRITISH SCHOOL tion and who make this school that much better, said Milena Prodanić Tišma, Founder at Bright Horizons- International British School.

Ambassador Thomas was with his wife Ms Kristina Thomas, Mr sMilena Prodanić Tišma Founder at Bright

British Ambassador to Croatia H.E. Simon Thomas

07 OCT

PRESIDENT MILANOVIĆ AT “DIPLOMATIC GRAPE HARVEST”: A COMBINATION OF TRADITION AND MODERNITY IS IMPERATIVE TO ACHIEVE PROGRESS

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović took part in the traditional “Diplomatic Grape Harvest” organized for heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to the Republic of Croatia. The host of the “Diplomatic Grape

Harvest” is the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, and the organizer is the Town of Jastrebarsko. The sixth edition of the “Diplomatic Grape Harvest” in Jastrebarsko was held in the Kurtalj family vineyard on Plešivica mountain.

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović with diplomats

07 OCT

MICHELIN STARS AWARDED 10 CROATIAN RESTAURANTS

The Croatian National Tourist Board and METRO, Michelin’s official partner in Croatia, presented prestigious Michelin awards to Croatian restaurants included in the Michelin Guide for 2021 at a ceremony organized at the Belaj Castle in Istria. Ten local restaurants have earned the stars of this globally most important and most recognized

restaurant guide: Agli Amici Rovinj from Rovinj, Alfred Keller from Mali Lošinj, Nebo from Rijeka are new Michelin star winners, while Boškinac from Novalja, Draga Di Lovrana from Lovran, LD Restaurant from Korčula, Monte from Rovinj¸ Noel from Zagreb, Pelegrini from Šibenik and restaurant 360 from Dubrovnik kept their Michelin star.

Award winners with the representatives of he Croatian National Tourist Board and METRO

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

15 OCT

“YOGA FOR UNITY; AYURVEDA FOR IMMUNITY”

The festival of Vijayadashami celebrated in India House in with blessed weather and blissful yoga session followed by Ayurvedic lunch. Presence of esteemed guests from ten nationalities,

guest of honour Mrs Iva Tomasević, talks on importance of healthy nutrition based on individual’s constitution all made the event enjoyable and empowering.

H.E. Raj Kumar Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Croatia with Mrs Iva Tomasević and colleagues

15 OCT

IODERMA HAS INTRODUCED B NEW INNOVATIVE SUPPORT LINES IN THE CARE OF SKIN PRONE TO HYPERPIGMENTATION

Korana Gvozdić

18 OCT

AHK TRAINING: YOUNG ENERGY EUROPE

The French dermatological brand BIODERMA therefore offers an innovative solution to support the care of hyperpigmentation of the skin throughout the year. Bioderma Labora-

tory has found the perfect balance between effectiveness and tolerance and offered a complete line of products for skin prone to hyperpigmentation called Pigmentbio.

Marija Peric, Petra Jakob, Adela Sain, Koraljka Mlakar, Maja Kurtanjek, Ana Radman

The German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, as the largest bilateral economic organization in Croatia, recognized this project and its benefits for young professionals and companies. Free education with provided materials and a certificate with which you gain the title of “Energy Scout” are additional benefits of the pro-

ject. The training is held from 18 to 21 October and provides basic knowledge in the field of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, water and waste management, etc. This is followed by a period of several weeks in which participants conceptualize and implement their own energy efficiency project.

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TRAVELOGUE- SWEDEN

by Vanja Kovačev

Oh! What a Country!

Normal life is more important for human well-being than a warm climate his is not a page from a tourist guide. Log on to trip adviser and all is there. Sweden is a country of forests, lakes and midnight sun.

ABBA too but that is another story – and they are not just back together as a band in 2021 because the need more money. They simply like to sing. How hard is that to believe? It is not all just about the money.

The following lines are thoughts that follow everybody who has ever travelled to Swedenthe phenomenon of a well-being and low stress rate. The definition of human well-being is diverse and is often used interchangeably with happiness, human welfare, standard of living or quality of life and has become an allaround term to measure and promote human lifestyle. Well-being describes state of being comfortable, healthy or happy. Happiness includes things such as the fulfilment of long-term goals, sense of purpose and how in control you feel in life. Sounds familiar? If you live on Balkans, let's see - hm- fulfilment of long-term goals -no, how in control you feel in life- very little. Where are we on a well-being score chart – on a scale from 1 to 10 - now after two wars, period of international sanctions, bombing, everlasting transition during the last 30 years.

Hm? I leave the answer to you- but please, no conspiracy theories and such things. Well-being means also access to free education; employment; clean and environment friendly energy; human rights; shelter, housing; health and health care access; income,

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SWEDES HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN TO BE POLITE AND KIND TO EACH OTHER. WE WERE LIKE THAT LAST TIME IN THE 80'S – LONG TIME AGO – SWEDES SEEM TO HAVE STAYED IN THE 80'S income distribution, purchasing power; mobility; transportation; infrastructure; governing institutions and trust in institutions; social participation; population; reproduction; leisure activities.

Many words- all of them can be comprised in just two; Normal life – and that is according to many testimonials equal to – Sweden.

People say that the one who drinks the water from Sarajevo’s old town part Baščaršija will return to Sarajevo; that is true!

– Only in my case it goes also like this: „A student of department for Scandinavian languages at the Faculty for Philology who drinks water in a Swedish town Linköping will long for it for the

rest of its life. “ This late Summer we took a one-week trip to Sweden and realised again that this country brings true peace to one’s soul and nourishes our primal love for nature, feeling of tolerance, respect and unconditional kindness to other human beings. We are rarely kind to each other and when we are it is often to be able to ask for a favour in future and communication between people is often interest based. That is true! Analyse people’s behaviour a little bit and you will see interest as the main motivator. People forgot to be nice to each other here; they struggle with everything down here and have been struggling for a long

time and they forgot how to be kind to each other for no reason – just because it is nice!

But luckily – Swedes have not forgotten to be polite and kind to each other. We were like that last time in the 80's – long time ago – Swedes seem to have stayed in the 80's.

There, up in the North - It is the sunsets who are important for everyday people- not political power. Or - Crossing a street in Sweden is not a challenge; Drivers slow down as they see pedestrians from a distance and not accelerating when they see one while sitting behind the wheel and not so rare even loudly saying: “Where do you think you are going?” or “Hurry up!” Homo homini lupus - “A man is a wolf to another man" “I am stronger; hence I have the advantage in traffic! And I am busy” – people live here using that as an excuse to be rude and to jell to each other.

It is the feeling of balance that people strive for in Sweden as well as a simple life joy that flows in one’s body and soul when walking to a nearby lake or through the forest. It is the balance and peacefulness that is the ultimate symbol of one’s success. Life is not just a hungry pursuit for money and power that leaves one empty and unfulfilled. It is the kind smile to another human, a gentle look when passing by, positive mind, close relation to nature and burning passion for environmental protection and human rights as well as longevity and vitality that occupies minds of Swedes. And, again, please no excuses for us that it is somebody else’s fault.

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INTERESTING FACTS

Which Are the Most Economically Equal Countries?

t’s one thing asking which country is the richest (a question we answered last month), and another thing is trying to assess which country is economically most equal, that is, where are the smallest differences in wealth? Because, if a country is rich, but the social differences are great, that creates fertile ground for crime, anger, revolutions and other not-so-pleasant scenarios. If the population is roughly equal, they may not be fantastically happy, but at least, they won’t fight against each other.

And here are the results. The metric used here is the so-called Gini coefficient, whereby the smaller coefficient means the greater economic equality. If the

I

Gini coefficient is 0, it denotes perfect equality, and if it is 100, we are talking about a society of the greatest possible inequality.

bulent political one, but close to 30 years of no unrest and conflict positively contributed to the country getting the Gini co-

SLOVAKIA HAS THE SAME COEFFICIENT, WHICH MEANS THAT CZECHOSLOVAKIA, IF IT EXISTED TODAY, WOULD BE THE MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRY In the first place, believe it or not, is one of the former Yugoslav republics – Slovenia - with the Gini coefficient of 24.2, followed by the Czech Republic with 24.9. Belarus has a peaceful economic life, but sometimes a tur-

efficient of 25.2. Slovakia has the same coefficient, which means that Czechoslovakia, if it existed today, would be the most peaceful country in terms of economic life and the balance between the rich and lesser rich. Moldova and

Ukraine, with the coefficient of 25.7 and 26.1 respectively, demonstrate that it is not enough to be equal if you are poor, but we can only imagine what kind of bloodshed would happen in the streets of those countries if their Gini coefficient was higher. This way, you can walk peacefully through Kyiv and Chisinau at midnight. Azerbaijan, with 26.6, is in a similar situation, while Iceland is the best country to live in, with the Gini coefficient of 26.8 and great wealth. Okay, the weather there is terrible but let’s not split hairs.

Norway, with 27.0 and Finland and Belgium with 27.4, also found their way on the list, which puts them at the top of the most desirable countries to live in.

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POSTCARD

by Robert Čoban

Istrian Montenegrins and the Tragic Death of Baroness Barbara Hiterot - part I Cycling in Istria - the wonders of St. Foška, the Montenegrins who settled in Istria in the 17th century in the Venetian Republic, the mysterious mummies in the church in Vodnjan and the exciting life and cruel death of Baroness Barbara Hiterot, once the owner of Red Island, situated across Rovinj

THE LARGEST IN ISTRIA: Church of St. Blaž in Vodnjan

hat do Vojvodina and Istria have in common and why are they also different? I have had the opportunity to cycle around the two regions that have been often "twinned" over the past twenty years and saw many things that otherwise cannot be seen from a car, bus or boat.

The similarities are mainly reduced to the historic legacy of Istrians and Vojvodina, namely multiculturalism of towns and villages, multilingual signs, every place having a Marshal Tito Street and monuments erected in honour of partisans, and kind and peaceful locals. The differences are much more contemporary. While driving through Istrian towns and villages, I did not see any illegal dumps and dare I

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“THE SVETA FOŠKA WONDER BY THE SEA", THEY SAY IN ISTRIA. THIS 11TH-CENTURY CHURCH ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO BELIEVE IN ITS MIRACULOUS POWERS say it, not even a bottle or a plastic bag on the ground, even though tens of thousands of tourists were flocking around. On the other hand, in Vojvodina, wild landfills desecrate the appearance of even the most idyllic landscapes. The land is more fertile in Vojvodina than in rocky and "lean" Istria, which is nevertheless a much wealthier region today. There are many reasons for that - proximity to countries like Austria and It-

aly is one of them and the lack of landfills and garbage is only the final product of mental and geographical proximity to Europe.

"Most of my workers come from Serbia - from chambermaids that come from Niš to waiters from Novi Sad. They are all very hardworking. We are happy with their work and obviously, they are happy with us as employers, otherwise, they wouldn’t be working for us for years now,” says the own-

er of the Menenghetti Hotel, Miroslav Plišo, while we were drinking coffee under an olive tree.

Miroslav was a lawyer from Zagreb who chose to replace drab court chambers with perhaps the most beautiful place in our region. He is certainly one of the best people to analyze tourist opportunities on the Adriatic with.

Last year, when Dalmatia, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey experienced a huge decline in the number of tourists, Istria had a satisfactory tourist season. This year, says Miroslav, despite the global bogey called the Delta strain of the coronavirus, Istria is approaching the numbers of tourists, overnight stays and income from 2019.

To avoid being totally spoiled by the swimming pool, olive oil

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and Malvasia wine from Miroslav’s hotel, I decided to visit several nearby villages and towns on a rented bicycle.

Although it seemed much flatter when driving a car, Istria is hillier than most of Vojvodina, so you need to be at a slightly higher fitness level, especially on the ascents to the cities that are usually on the hills.

I did not plan to visit it, nor had I heard of it before, however, the signpost saying "Sveta Foška" (Saint Foška) led me to turn my bicycle to the left between Barbariga and Peroj and head uphill in the rugged landscape.

“The Sveta Foška wonder by the sea", they say in Istria. This 11th-century church attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world who believe in its miraculous powers. The church was locked, so I managed somewhat to photograph the interior through narrow windows in which believers leave photos of family members who need healing. Apart from the photos, there are also a lot of candles, flowers, children's toys left there... Three families with small children were hanging around the locked church.

One local I talked to tells me that people come here from all over the world. Even some women fell pregnant after visiting the church, despite not being able to before. To his knowledge, 26 women became mothers after coming here. A couple of years ago, several families arrived from Russia with an eight-year-old boy, Alyosha. At one point, the child flew out of the church in tears. His mother asked him what had happened, and the boy said in shock that he had seen Sveta Foška’s

head being cut off. Other people had the same vision in the church.

The church is secluded - half a kilometre away from the nearest houses. It can be reached by a macadam road after turning off the Vodnjan - Bale road, and going further towards Batvači. Despite the church being so dislocated, both the village and the church have been frequented by many believers since the mid-1970s, but also people who just want to experience a surge of strong energy.

Sveta Foška was born 1,700 years ago in Ravenna, Italy. It was a time when Christians were persecuted and killed. But Foška, then a 15-year-old girl, decided to live according to Christian principles which was a disgrace for her whole family. The father re-

NJEGOŠ'S QUOTE: Orthodox cemetery from the Church of St. Spiridon in Peroj

ON JULY 21, 1657, FIFTEEN FAMILIES FROM MONTENEGRO MOVED TO PEROJ. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND ONLY DOCUMENT FROM THAT TIME IS THE SO-CALLED PEROJ CHARTER BY WHICH THIS VILLAGE, SURROUNDING PASTURES AND FORESTS ARE GIVEN TO IMMIGRANTS FROM MONTENEGRO nounced her and reported her to the authorities, also denouncing her as a Christian. Together with other Christians, the authorities tortured her, trying to expel "the heresy" out of her head. They beheaded her and threw her body into the sea. Legend has it that Foška’s body floated to the shores of North Africa, where it was celebrated until the arrival of the Arabs. Then a man named Vitale transferred the relics of Saint Foška to Torcello, an island in the

WORLD ATTRACTION: Mummies in the church in Vodnjan

Venetian lagoon. In 1220, a church was built on that island in her honour. Sveta Foška is revered as a protector against headaches, arthritis, rheumatism, depression and a patron saint of young people. The Sveta Foška pilgrimage starts in mid-February every year.

The descent goes much faster than the ascent, so in no time, I found myself in front of the Peroj road sign. This town is located on the southwest coast of Istria and has a great view of the

Fažana Channel and the Brijuni Archipelago.

Peroj was already a famous summer back in old Roman times when it was called Praetoriolum or Casale Petriolo. The architecture of the old town is reminiscent of other Istrian places with old stone houses with ballatoios (a mezzanine typical of old Istrian houses) and stone benches in front. As early as 1197, a settlement called Pedrol is mentioned to be located here.

In the 12th century, Istria was ravaged by plague and cholera, which devastated towns and villages here. The Venetian Republic, which ruled these areas at that time, was trying to settle in Istria, including Peroj, where the natives became extinct. Attempts were made to settle Bologna farmers and craftsmen on two occasions with Greek families from Cyprus and the Peloponnese. These attempts were unsuccessful because the would-be settlers all returned to their homelands. Then the cunning Venetians remembered a much more resistant strain.

On July 21, 1657, fifteen families from Montenegro moved to Peroj.

The most important and only document from that time is the socalled Peroj Charter by which this village, surrounding pastures and forests are given to immigrants from Montenegro. The Montenegrins of the Orthodox faith were not allowed to build a church here but were given the church of St. Nicholas in Pula, which was the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1788, the people in Peroj were allowed by the Venetian Republic to build their own church.

Church of St. Spiridon takes its present form in 1834. The chapel

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was built in 1880 and the bell tower in 1860. It is interesting to note that the Montenegrins in Peroj have kept their Orthodox (Serbian Orthodox Church, the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate) language and Cyrillic alphabet to this day, for 350 years, that is inscribed on their tombstones. Indigenous Peroj people nurture their customs, church celebrations and speak the Peroj dialect.

In the cemetery behind the church, I also found some monuments that quote Petar Petrović Njegoš. Among the monuments, I notice one that reads: "In memory of the people of Peroj who died and perished in the Great War 1915-1918." Yes, Italy entered the First World War only in 1915, after the Treaty of London stated that Dalmatia, Istria, Trieste and South Tyrol would become Italian territories.

Across the church is a monument to the fallen Allied soldiers in WWII and the victims of fascist terror with the names of the locals printed in Cyrillic and a red five-pointed star on top. Lots of fresh flowers are laid in front of the monument.

Six kilometres of pedalling uphill and I arrive in Vodnjan, the seat of the municipality to which Peroj and Barbariga also belong.

"I was born in 1942 here, during the reign of Italy", a woman in front of the Church of St. Blaž in the town centre says. A few minutes earlier, while I was locking the bike, she was talking to a younger Roma woman and

LIVING MEMORIES: Italian woman born in 1942 in front of the church in Vodnjan

ACCORDING TO THE 2011 CENSUS REPORT, VODNJAN HAD A POPULATION OF 3.119 - 55% OF THEM ARE CROATS, 20% ITALIANS, 3% ROMA, 2% SERBS, FOLLOWED BY BOSNIAKS, MONTENEGRINS, ETC.

MAGNET FOR PILGRIMS: Believers attribute healing powers to St. Foška

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CYRILLIC ALPHABET IN ISTRIA: Monument to the fallen Allied soldiers in WWII in Peroj

her son. She told the boy how his mother had to work so that she could buy him sweets and a soccer ball.

With a strong Italian accent, she explains to me that the Italians, unlike the Germans in Vojvodina, were not expelled after the war or sent to concentration camps. "They were free to return to Italy. There was a lot of propaganda. My father decided to stay and we never had any problems.

We always had classes in Italian and spoke our language without hesitation," she says and adds that there are about 100 Italian families even today in Vodnjan. As I was walking in the direction of the town square, where my interlocutor told me that I could buy ice cream, I heard her shouting something at a child in Italian. According to the 2011 census report, Vodnjan had a population of 3.119 - 55% of them are Croats, 20% Italians, 3% Roma, 2% Serbs, followed

by Bosniaks, Montenegrins, etc.

The local newspaper Attinianum, which is bilingual (Croatian and Italian), has an interesting section that all local newspapers and portals should have - "Lipo Bello / Grdo - Brutto" (Beautiful – Bello / Ugly – Brutto) with photos of how to and how not to do behave (throwing garbage, writing graffiti, bad parking).

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· THE ECONOMIST ·

SVIJET U 2022.

CONFERENCE Wednesday 08th of December 2021.

|

Lauba, Zagreb

CONFERENCE TOPIC:

Transformation of the Croatian economy through the National Recovery and Resilience Program

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