Belgrade Insight, No. 25

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NEWS NEWS

Friday • June 13 • 2008

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Issue 1 / Friday, 13, 2008 Weekly Issue No. 25,No. Friday, Feb. 27June - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Lure of Tadic Alliance Splits Socialists

While younger Socialists support joining a new, pro-EU government, old Milosevic loyalists threaten revolt over the prospect. party over which way to turn.

“The situation in the party seems extremely complicated, as we try to convince the few remaining laggards that we need to move out of Milosevic’s shadow,” one Socialist Party official complained.

“Dacic will eventually side with Tadic in a bid to guide his party into the European mainstream, but much of the membership and many officials may oppose that move.”

Nikolic agreed: “The question is will the party split or will the ‘oldtimers’ back down,” he noted.

Fearing they might not cross the 5-per-cent threshold to enter parliament, the Socialists teamed up with the Association of Pensioners and the United Serbia Party, led by businessman Dragan Markovic “Palma”.

Pensioners leader, Jovan Krkobabic, Palma and Dacic are all pushing Source: www.BalkanInsight.com Milutinovic was acquitted by the Hague court, but all five of his co-accused were sentenced to lengthy jail terms. for a deal with the Democrats.

The reported price is the post of Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains the Serbian kingmaker deputy PM, with a brief in charge of security for the Socialist leader. faces extinction unless it changes. to Serbia’s late president, Slobodan

By Rade Maroevic in Belgrade In addition, the Socialists are barHowever, a strong current also Milosevic, and reformists who want gaining for other ministries, includflows in the opposite direction, led the party to become a modern Euroense negotiations on a new govFive former Serbian officials are jailed, ex-president walks free. ing capital investments, Kosovo and by but partySerbia’s veterans enraged by the social democrat organisation. ernment have divided the rankstoppean education, Belgrade media reported. prospect of a deal with Tadic.

After eight years of stagnation, of the Socialist Party, which holds assault on Kosovo, whichof verdictTadic Milosevic, the thenwas “shameful”, noting he UN war crimes between court in The has denied talk of that horseMihajlo Markovic, a founder Socialists returned to centre stage 1998-99 the balance of power the oftheSlobodan eventually drew in NATO. The so far Serbs had been sentenced by Hague has found five senior president of Yugoslavia. trading with the Socialists, maintainthe party, recently warned of a crisis after winning 20 of the 250 seats in main blocs and has yet to announce The prosecution in The Hague trial against Milosevic on the same the ICTY to a total of 920 years imSerb officials guilty of orchesing that ministries would go only to if Dacic for the parliament in the Mayin11a elections. which the sidemurder, they will support. wasopts aborted afterpro-European he died of prisonment.

118 witnesses marathon charges trating torture and depor- called those committed to working for the bloc, abandoning the Socialists’ “natpro-European and nation“It of looks as Albanians if the Socialists will trialWith attack in 2006. thatthe started in July 2006.

Wit- a heart tation ethnic in Kosovo, Despite the weighty sentences described forces atmove the same time,aacquitting the former to the five“strategic over thegoal”. crimes Military expertpartners. and commenta- given government’s ural” ideological alist blocs almost Serbian evenly matched, towards government led by nesses towns now and villages Serbian president,political Milan Milutinovic. manytime, Kosovars said reBelgradeadaily Politika, Lju- in Kosovo, At the same Dacic seems Markovic, prominent supporter the Socialists have theand finalkillsay tor for the Democrats,” analyst Mi- shelling Former Yugoslav deputy prime ing civilians while some 800,000 bodrag Stojadinovic, said he was they were bitterly unhappy with luctant to call off negotiations with of Milosevic the 1990s, on the fate of the country. lan Nikolic, of theSainovic, independent Cen- people were driven from their surprised minister Nikola former by the during “draconian punish- is the verdict. the nationalists. seen as representative of the “oldNikolic believestothe led ment”. tre of Policy “Butservsuch homes and forced fleeSocialists, in convoys, Serbian policeStudies, public said. security Watching the live transmiswe don’t reach of an Justice, agreement timers” theprovoke party who wantnegato stay sion, “If

by Ivicarefuge Dacic,inwill come over a move deeper divi- seeking Macedonia andto Kosovo’s Minister ice chief might Sreten provoke Lukic and ex-Yugo“ This in will further Kelmendi, theparin Serbia against The Nekibe slav Nebojsa Pavkovic, Albania. with the DSS and described Radicals, the truereactions to the former regime’s policies, Tadic, if only out of a pragmatic de- tive sionsarmy and general even split the party.”

Prosecutors accused the six men verdict as no more than a “symbolic Hague court which is already perwere each sentenced to 22 years in ty leadership will decide on future even though these almost ruined the sire to ensure their political survival.

Simultaneous negotiations held of hatching a criminal plot to drive ceived as a political court.” conviction”. prison in the February 26 judgment. steps”, Dacic announced, following Socialists for good.

“The group of younger Socialists with the pro-European and national“The verdict is unjust,” said Stojadinovic, however was not Former Yugoslav army chief of ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo, in the first whose sessionown of country’s Somebyyounger officials Kelmendi gathered around Dacic seems to be surprised ist blocs drawn attention to a order to consolidate Serbia’s control husbandnew andparrelease Socialist of Milutinovic, staff and have defence minister Dragon Wednesday. frustration over con- twoliament the majority”, Nikolic said,agenda adding ashave deep rift inside and the Socialists. then province.

Their sons were executed by Serbian the voiced decision maker at thethe time oljub Ojdanic former general ofin the have included de- was in spring 1999.(www.balkaninsight.com) Slobodan Milosevic.

Vladimir Lazarevic received lighter tinuing impasse within their own forces that said thesetoreformists believe“the the party This divides “old-timers” loyal was Source: Balkan Insight portation and forcible transfer of sentences of 15 years each.

Socialist MP, Branko Ruzic, from Tome Gashi, a lawyer and ad“The trial chamber finds you several hundred thousand people, as the party that led Serbia during the war, viser to Kosovo’s Prime Minister, not guilty of counts one to five of well as the murder and persecution accused the Hague court of injustice.

Hashim Thaci, said: According to THIS ISSUE OFBonomy ofBusiness Insight Neighbourhood Matters thousands of Kosovo Albanians”. the indictment,” Judge Ian “There’s no logic in issuing such the constitution of Serbia at the Belgrade told Milutinovic as Insight he ordered his Prosecutors had called for sentences draconian punishments to people time, Milutinovic was supreme of between 20 years and life impris- who were only defending the state’s commander of the armed forces. released.

IS SUPPORTED BY: Milutinovic was acquitted on the onment for all the defendants. territorial integrity, according to the If the others were sentenced, then This was the first verdict from Constitution” grounds that he was largely a figureMilutinovic, as their supreme comconomists are warning that prohileRadical the football concerning the atrocities head during the conflict in Kosovo, The Hague Serbian partyworld MP, watchDra- mander, should have been senlongedby uncertainty over Serbia’s es events unfold at the Euro- tenced as well.”

Serbian forces in the gan Todorovic while real power stayed in the hands committed said that The Hague future could scare off investors, lead pean Championships in Austria and to higher inflation and jeopardise Switzerland, Bosnia is experiencing DINING prosperity OUT for years to come. a soccer rebellion, led by fans, SPORT play“This year has been lost, from the ers and former stars who are enraged standpoint of economic policy,” says The by what theyrestarts see as corrupt leaders Trencherman eats Chinese food with season with Serbia’s Stojan Stamenkovic of the Econom- own of the country’s the kids at 888 and convinces himself ‘clash of the football titans’ asassociation Red Star that it’s a healthy option. and Partizan lock horns at the Partiics Institute in Belgrade. leaders. zan Stadium. page 5 page 10

Hague Acquits Milutinovic T

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Costs Mounting

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Football Rebellion

EDITOR’S WORD POLITICS

Political Predictability

Belgrade has been left red-faced after a ‘mole’ leaked the terms of a secret compensation

By Mark R. package Pullen for an American, beaten-up by a Serb.

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Many of us who have experiBELGRADE enced numerous Serbian elections rate2009 ourselves as pundits The Universiade has when had ait comesride, to including predictingscandals electionand rebumpy big budget cuts, but managers sults and post-election moves. are confident thatin-the-know everything because will be We feel ready on time. our experience of elections in 4SerPage bia has shown us that (a.) no single party or coalition will ever gain the OUT & ABOUT majority required to form a governIf you need to take time out and ment, and (b.) political negotiations just relax, and have a bit of ‘me will never be quickly concluded. time’ we have the perfect option.

Even when the Democrats achieved their surprising result at last month’s general election, it quickly became clear that the result was actually more-or-less the same as every other election result in Serbia, i.e. inconclusive.

This is likely to continue as long as Serbia’s politicians form new political parties every time they Page party 9 disagree with their current leader (there are currently 342 regREVIEW istered political parties in Serbia).

Our team have sacrificed theirare leisure Drawn-out negotiations also time bring One you news of James the tonorm.

Belgrade-based Blunt, The Pussycat Dolls and multiAmbassador recently told me he media artist Branko Katanovic. was also alarmed by the distinct lack of urgency among Serbian Page 11 politicians. “The country is at a OUTunderstand standstillGOING and I don’t Brod a quaint, butare fairly place theirislogic.

If they so hip eager to toprogress have a drink on any of the towards the night EU and enweek in Belgrade. courage investors, how come they go home at 5pm sharp and don’t work weekends?”

Surely the situation is urgent enough to warrant a little overtime.

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politics

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Serbs in Uproar Over Million Dollar Payout Belgrade has been left red-faced after a ‘mole’ leaked the terms of a secret compensation package for an American, beaten-up by a Serb.

By Branka Trivic in Belgrade

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Serbian government decision, leaked to the media, to pay out $1 million to the New York victim of a vicious assault, may ease American–Serbian relations but has caused a furore at home.

While impoverished Serbs are enraged that they have to pay for misdeeds of the local student who beat his American classmate into a coma, Belgrade is furiously trying to find out which officials leaked the top-secret deal.

Bryan Steinhauer of Brooklyn, is to receive $900,000 in compensation for the assault allegedly perpetrated by his classmate, Miladin Kovacevic, in a bar-room brawl near Binghamton University last May. The Serbian government will also forfeit the $100,000 it posted as bail for Kovacevic.

After being charged with assault in the US, Kovacevic jumped bail and fled home in June, Serbian diplomats having issued him with emergency travel documents.

Belgrade has refused to send him back to face trial, on the grounds that Serbian law bans extradition.

After the daily newspaper Borba reported the secret settlement last week, police visited the newspaper and invited the editor-in-chief to come to the police station for socalled ‘informal’ discussions.

“Of course, I did not reveal my source of information. Instead, I invoked Article 32 of the Information Act,” Olivera Zakic said on Monday, after leaving the police building. The article says that journalists have the right not to reveal their sources of information.

The Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, and the State Prosecutor, Slobodan Radovanovic, have insisted they will not put pressure on journalists to reveal the identity of the mole in government ranks.

However, Jelka Jovanovic, vicepresident of the Independent Association of Journalists, told Balkan Insight that in spite of the ministers’ words, “by coming to interrogate

“By coming to interrogate ‘Borba’ journalists over the weekend, Serbia and its police sent a very bad message, not only to local journalists, but to the whole domestic and international community.”

Jelka Jovanovic, vice-president of the Independent Association of Journalists

Olivera Zakic, editor in chief of Serbian daily Borba, speaks to the press following her ‘discussions’ with the police.

Photo by FoNet

Borba journalists over the weekend, Serbia and its police sent a very bad message, not only to local journalists, but to the whole domestic and international community.”

“All citizens are equal before the law and... that goes for Miladin Kovacevic as well.”

Vladan Batic, Christian Democrat polititian The Interior Ministry and State Prosecutor have meanwhile switched their focus from the media, to uncovering who in the government leaked the embarrassing information.

“The heart of the matter is the investigation into which minister or civil servant revealed this confidential information,” Dacic said at a recent press briefing.

State Prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic added that members of the government were under investigation.

Under Serbian law, the penalty for revealing classified information is between one and ten years in prison. However, this is uncharted terrain legally, for no law in Serbia makes it clear what represents classified information.

Milorad Jovanovic, head of the Forum for Security and Democracy, a local NGO, told Balkan Insight that it was urgent to legally clear this up.

Serbia’s ombudsman for human rights, Sasa Jankovic, is also reported to have warned the government against classifying as secret, any decisions it suspects may be unpopular.

Meanwhile, ordinary people, analysts and politicians are calling on the government to remove the “secret” tag from the deal it struck over the assault.

Vladan Batic, lawyer and parliamentarian for the Christian Democrats, told Balkan Insight the secret arrangement was unconstitutional.

“I sent a letter to Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, reminding him that all citizens are equal before law and that everyone needs to pay for whatever misdeed or damage they have done,” he said. “That goes for Miladin Kovacevic as well.”

Zoran Ostojic, a deputy for the Liberal-Democratic Party, said fellow deputies were urging Cvetkovic to declassify the settlement so ministers can openly discuss it.

His party sent another letter to the speaker of parliament, Slavica Dejanovic Djukic, demanding a parliamentary vote on the issue.

politics

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

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Profile of the Week

Vladimir Vukcevic Carla del Ponte’s Best Friend in Serbia

By Slobodan Georgijev Vladimir Vukcevic has built up a formidable institution, whose intentions cause dilemmas only among ultra-nationalists.

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Source: www.e-novine.com

Miladin Kovacevic is at the centre of a furore over payments made to the family of Bryan Steinhauer by the Serbian Government

While the State Prosecutor is after the “mole” in government ranks, others maintain that the people behind the secretive deal do not come from the government’s ranks but from the presidency.

Ostojic said his party had obtained information that an adviser to President Boris Tadic struck the secret deal with the Steinhauers during his recent visit to America.

There has been no denial from Tadic’s office and they would make no comment when contacted by Balkan Insight.

On the other hand, a US daily, the New York Post reported on February 22 that the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had brokered the payout.

Referring to what it called “highranking sources”, the paper said: “Clinton kept the pressure on, via instructions to the US ambassador to Serbia, Cameron Munter”, who conducted negotiations with Slobodan Homen, Serbia’s Secretary for Justice, until the settlement was reached on Thursday, February 19th.

The New York Post report on the issue, however, was denied on Mon-

day, February 23rd. The New York Daily News was reporting that the compensation deal had been worked out between Steinhauer’s family and the Serbian government, and that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not involved. Clinton spokesman, Andy Laine, told the Daily News any negotiations were “a private matter,” while other U.S. Officials denied reports of her brokering the deal.

The US embassy in Belgrade refused, in recent days, to comment on the case, referring inquiries to the Serbian government.

The New York Post also reported that a State Department spokesman had described the settlement as “a private matter” between the Serbian government and the Steinhauer family, but had confirmed the role played by America’s top diplomat in Belgrade.

“The ambassador in Belgrade was involved, as were very senior officials in Washington,” Karl Duckworth, a State Department spokesman, said.

While Serbian authorities said negotiations over the Kovacevic case were continuing and details would only be revealed once a solution was

found, they appear to believe Kovacevic will be tried in Serbia.

However, Duckworth told the New York Post that “Serbian officials have assured us that they will continue to pursue this case vigorously.

“Let’s not pretend nothing happened. The consul or vice-consul issued guarantees on behalf of the country that he [Kovacevic] would not leave America,” Ivica Dacic, Minister of Foreign Affairs

We continue to work with them, to return Kovacevic, to face justice in New York.”

That was reiterated Wednesday by a Clinton spokesman: “We continue to work with Serbian authorities to seek Kovacevic’s return to the United States to face justice in New York,” Laine said to the Daily News.

Many in Serbia wonder whether the private compensation settle-

ment will do much to improve shaky American-Serbian relations.

Minister Dacic said in a press briefing said the Kovacevic case had clear implications for Serbia’s reputation.

“Let’s not pretend nothing happened. The consul or vice-consul issued guarantees on behalf of the country that he [Kovacevic] would not leave America,” he recalled.

“Serbia is responsible for this because this [the issue of travel documents to Kovacevic] in its name was carried out by a diplomatic consular representative of our country.”

Meanwhile, Internet forums are buzzing with the indignant comments of Serbian taxpayers.

“The only way out of this impudence is for us to STOP PAYING TAX to the state. I am sure they would then be much more responsible about spending our money,” one wrote.

Another said the state could have used that same $1 million to purchase 100 cheap homes for needy people.

“I suggest Kovacevic take out a loan from an American bank and pay it off once he becomes a super NBA League basketball player”, a youth from Valjevo said.

Weekly Press Roundup POLITIKA - Brussels is unlikely to send an EU mission to Belgrade to judge Serbia’s efforts to arrest the remaining two war crimes suspects, a key condition for its further steps toward the European Union. Getting on the “White Schengen List” to travel to Europe without visas, will probably be the Serbia’s only achievement this year.

PRESS - Kosovo’s police chief Sheremet Ahmeti said he would order the arrest of Serbian President Boris Tadic if he tried to enter Kosovo.

Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic was previously barred from entering Kosovo.

POLITIKA - More than half of the 610 Punto cars produced in the Zastava factory in central Serbia were sold in one day on Monday, when new economic measures came into effect making consumer loans easier to get.

VECERNJE NOVOSTI - The government is reducing the number of employees in public administration

as part of efforts to curb spending.

Labour Minister Rasim Ljajic said he had drafted a proposal that each ministry should not have more than two state secretaries and two assistants.

Ljajic’s ministry currently has three secretaries and nine assistants.

VECERNJE NOVOSTI - Although 9,000 more people were registered with Serbia’s unemployment bureau in January than in December, the growth is not a direct consequence of the economic crisis, bureau director Vladimir Ilic said. There are a total

736,816 people registered with the bureau, but excluding those working in the “black” economy, the real number of jobless Serbs is 400,000, representing an unemployment rate of 14 per cent.

POLITIKA - Following an investigation into how a plastic gun was found in the prison cell of Milorad “Legija” Ulemek, convicted of the assassination of Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic, 11 members of the prison security services have been suspended, a Justice Ministry source told the daily.

he man in charge of prosecuting war crimes in Serbia has had one of the most difficult jobs in years: trying to lead an institution dealing with the legacy of the war-torn 1990s in a professional manner.

From the moment this special prosecution office was formed in 2003, it was clear that its work would be crucial in shaping international perceptions of Serbia as it tried to shed its suspect image in the Balkans and in the world.

The time that it started work on the toughest cases of violations of international law in the wars in former Yugoslavia couldn’t have been any worse, either.

It followed directly after the assassination of Serbia’s former prime minister, Zoran Djindjic.

Against all odds, but with the strong resolve of the then government and with support from international institutions, Vukcevic built up a wholly new institution, which today is Serbia’s only functional tool to confront the legacy of the wars of the 1990s.

Born in Belgrade 59 years ago, he finished law school and immediately started working as a prosecutor. When he took up his current position, although he had almost 25 years of experience behind him, he was little known to the public.

Six years on, he is a man about whom few have any doubts when it comes to establishing and trying suspects for war crimes. In addition to his knowledge of the prosecution system, he also turned out to be media-savvy, winning him sympathy in Serbia and in the region.

His critics, who tend to come from opposing extreme wings of the political scene, either accuse him of lacking the courage to settle the score with war criminals, or say that what he is doing, he does so well, that he is damaging the national interest.

In a context where many people lacked faith in the Hague war crimes tribunal, following the outcome of certain trials, it was all the more difficult for Vukcevic to explain to the public, the continuing importance of putting war crimes suspects on trial.

Thanks to his credibility, he has established excellent relations with colleagues in the region, in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Croatia. He also built up an especially good relationship with the former Hague war crimes chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte.

Today it remains only for Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, the two remaining war-crime suspects, to be located and arrested, before Vukcevic’s – and Serbia’s – obligation to the Hague Tribunal are over. After that, those that have yet to answer for war crimes will face trial in the local courts.

Having proven an ideal candidate as the first man of Serbia’s war-crimes prosecution office, he has since chosen to remain in this post, which brings him great freedom in his work, but also greater responsibility.

“Until we accept the fact that atrocities were committed in these territories in our name, there can be no progress,” is Vukcevic’s motto. It is a watchword that explains his dedication to his job.

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belgrade chronicle

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

City Works Round the Clock to Ensure Games Go Ahead The 2009 Universiade has had a bumpy ride, including scandals and big budget cuts, but managers are confident that everything will be ready on time.

By Jovana Gligorijevic

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lthough preparations for Universiade 2009 in Belgrade got off to a bumpy start, and things are still running late, no one doubts the games will be ready before the formal opening on July 1st, albeit on a less ambitious scale than previously envisaged.

Since it was first announced that Belgrade would host this year’s games back in 2005, numerous problems have arisen, from changes to the management of the organising team to cuts in the size of the operation and the budget.

Now, instead of building new sports halls as was envisaged, Serbia is fixing existing sports facilities instead, though that has created a whole set of new, separate problems.

Serious delays in transfers of money from the state budget to the Universiade’s account, meanwhile, have delayed construction, just 150 days before the games are due to start.

Still, Nebojsa Ilic, president of the board of Universiade Belgrade 2009, is confident that all the projects will be ready on time.

“The only serious problem is the transfer of money from the budget to Universiade’s account,” he told Balkan Insight.

There was great excitement in Serbia back in January 2005, after the International University Sports Federation, FISU, meeting in Innsbruck, awarded Universiade 2009 to Belgrade.

As the world’s biggest international university multi-sport event, Serbia saw this as a golden opportunity to improve the country’s reputation and boost Belgrade’s tourist potential.

The organisers, Universiade Belgrade 2009, an enterprise established specifically for the purpose, drew up ambitious plans.

Belgrade would host more than 13,000 sportsmen and women competing in 21 disciplines from athletics, to archery. They planned to build a special sports hall and arena, an athletics track, a new tennis centre and to restore 20 existing sports centres as well as 46 stadiums and swimming pools.

However, these grand plans soon collided with cold reality, at one point prompting some to ask whether there would be a Universiade in Belgrade at all.

The first hiccup arose in summer 2007, when an Austrian company, CEE Investments, failed to start building the university village in New Belgrade on time.

This was solved, however, when another company, Delta Invest, took over. Delta plans to finish the village in May. But in October 2008, a major scandal shook the organisation, when Sinisa Jasnic, general manager of Universiade Belgrade 2009, was forced to resign, following a police probe into contracts he had allegedly agreed to, without putting them to a public tender.

Source: www.gradinazemun.rs

The accommodation for the Universiade is now largely complete, but many sports facilities remain unfinished.

Jasnic said that organising a tender for the deal would have been throwing money away, because no one organised tenders for such sponsorship contracts.

He also said Universiade Belgrade couldn’t have organised a tender because the government and City of Belgrade had transferred them the money too late, at the end of July 2008.

Following Jasnic’s resignation there were many operational and financial issues to be dealt with.

A new executive board was not formed until January this year under Nebojsa Ilic, and new director Zoran Jovanovic took over.

Budgets have since been slashed.

The first budget was about €100 million but because of the economic crisis that has been cut in half: 50 per cent of that will come from the state budget, 30 per cent from the City of Belgrade and 20 per cent from the province of Vojvodina.

Budget cuts led to a reduction in the number of sportspeople to 8,500 and in the number of disciplines to 15.

Tamara Kostro, of Universiade Belgrade 2009 says: “The global crisis is not just a phrase, it’s our reality.”

“We have to take care of every cent. We can’t invest several billion euros, like China did at the Olym-

pics in Beijing, but all competitors and guests will be satisfied with this Universiade.”

One source close to the new management said the “reality check” had been painful, as it became obvious the money was not there to fulfill all that had been promised.

Bojana Sumonja, a reporter at Radio-Television Serbia who has covered the Universiade from the beginning in 2005, says the games in Belgrade will be less impressive than was hoped.

She says the first organisers were C over-ambitious, even before the world financial crisis intruded as a factor.

M “They also relied on the government Y too much, expecting the state to provide most of the help,” she said. “The past experience of Universiades all overCMthe world teaches us that the state is theMYlast source from which to seek help.”

CY Sumonja said another problem was the change of government since CMY Belgrade was awarded custody of the games, which additionally slowed K down organisation.

Several competitions are now going to be held in other Serbian towns, such as Novi Sad, Indjija, Zrenjanin and Vrsac. But sports centres in these towns are still under construction, and most of them have already broken their deadlines.

Citing delays in the transfer of funds from the state budget, the town assembly of Smederevo, for example, decided a few days ago, to take a bank loan inAGS_Belgrade_90x88 order to finish the sports en hi res.pdf hall and swimming pool.

However, while many things may

be finished in a rush, no one doubts the games will go ahead on time. Bozidar Djelic, The Deputy Prime Minister, and other members of Serbian government have assumed personal oversight 2/12/2009 08:06:42 AM of all activities and a 200-strong team is working around the clock.

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belgrade chronicle

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Cancelled Press Conference Sparks Gay Rights Debate

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he refusal of managers at Belgrade’s Sava Centar congress hall to allow a booking by a Serbian gay rights group has sparked a debate on the marginalisation of sexual minorities in the country, with Serbia’s Human Rights Ministry saying the Sava Center management should resign or be dismissed for discrimination.

Sava Centar Director, Dragan Vucicevic, told broadcaster B92, he would not allow the Gay-Straight Alliance news conference scheduled for Thursday to go ahead, and had cancelled it “for security reasons”.

“We don’t allow such gatherings in the Sava Centar,” he said. “I have nothing against them meeting anywhere else, but not in the Sava Centar.”

The decision was announced on Tuesday, outraging gay rights activists who were at the congress hall for a showing of “Milk”, a film on the life of assasinated gay rights activist Harvey Milk, as part of the “Fest” Film Festival.

“About 50 people who were holding a mini ‘Gay Pride’ in front of the Sava Centar, got really angry and wanted simply to go inside and briefly interrupt the film,” said Boris Milicevic of the Alliance. The activists stood in front of the screen chanting slogans like “Death to Homophobia”.

The State Secretary at the Human Rights Ministry, Marko Karadzic, told B92 it was worrying that some people put their personal opinion above the law and the government’s policy.

“I was surprised that anyone could explain such a discriminatory stance in that way – that the problem is neither the place or a room for the conference, but the organiser himself and the topic of the news conference,” he said. “The most moral move for them would be to resign, and if not, they have to be dismissed.”

The only attempt to organise a Gay Pride parade in Belgrade in 2001 ended in gay rights activists being beaten by nationalists.

Belgrade Diary

Belgrade Through the Eyes of…

Paul Bergen At-home parent of two, freelance writer/editor Nationality: USA In Belgrade since: August 2008

The best thing about Belgrade is: Its history, handsome buildings and neighbourhoods from the 19th and early 20th Century, its waterfront. And fresh snow, when Beograd truly lives up to its name as the “White City.”

Boris Milicevic addresses the press at the Sava Centar.

Bogged Down in Organised Chaos

By David Vujanovic

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or most Beogradjani, however, snow is a menace that slushes around on their pavements and streets, only giving a new icy dimension to mud.

Like expats living in any country with a slowly emerging democracy and economy, Belgrade-based diplomats, aid workers, businessmen and correspondents see the city in a different light.

It goes without saying that expats’ wages and living conditions are something that most locals can only dream of, excluding a small, often shady, elite.

This foreign journalist sees the city of Belgrade is an exciting hub where east meets west, where the energy of dissident youth culture clashes with the kitsch of communist laggards and turbo-folk, where the hazy sky conceals the mystery of the Balkans.

But with time, one’s eyes open to the harsh realities of life in a place still coming out of the dark shadows of conflict, nationalism and corruption, aspects of the Balkans closely intertwined and probably at their worst in Belgrade.

The most annoying thing about Belgrade is: Trash and pollution, which veil its beauty.

I feel at home because:

For someone who has spent most of their lives living close to the equator, the appeal of snow has never faded, even in my fourth winter in the Serbian capital.

When a corruption scandal becomes public knowledge, up goes the smokescreen, with the offender or their party generating a typically Machiavellian distraction to muddy the waters for the media and public. In this way, election promises of improvements to one’s hometown - old favourites like new bridges, tunnels or kindergartens - can be put on the backburner.

Thus the traffic snarls and scummy streets that so many complain about, are never dealt with.

Such problems are made worse by Serbia’s idea of its fledgling democracy, where priority is given to populist, nationalist politics. In what seems like every few hours in the heart of Belgrade, a group of police vehicles flash their lights and wave motorists to one side to make way for a shiny Audi transporting a minister.

Every day since Radovan Karadzic’s arrest in July, a ultra-nationalist group calling itself the Serbian National Movement 1389 has been allowed to demonstrate downtown during the peak afternoon traffic.

At least once a week, a protest of one kind or another is staged outside the grim federal parliament building, which looks more like the jaded offices of a communist-era public enterprise than a state legislative assembly.

They could cause less disruption if the parliament was moved to the idle, monolithic Palata Federacije in the spacious grounds of a Novi Beograd park, but the inner-city one is apparently popular among politicians for its subsidised underground restaurant and nearby choice of cafe-bars.

5

That is an example of the arrogance of Serbia’s politicians, whose expensive cars, by the way, are often illegally parked on the pavements in the immediate vicinity of the parliament, much to the annoyance of pedestrians.

Here, politicians “allow chaos, and in that chaos, you do what you want,” says one Belgrader fed up with what he says is a deliberate lack of progress in his hometown. “I must say, they are very efficient in preventing any kind of change.”

With such a mentality, the authorities turn a blind eye to minor violations of the law by citizens, the type that can cause foreigners to tear their hair out (see author’s picture!).

In exchange, the authorities can do as they please, and rarely does a corruption scandal result in a sacking or resignation. “That’s the price of populism,” another Belgrader laments.

So in Serbia’s big smoke, I’m not expecting things to improve any time soon, from either the greedy elite or the disenchanted bank clerk, bureaucrat, taxi driver, or waiter. I expect the black jeeps, driven by wannabe Schumachers, to continue zig-zagging

We fly for your smile.

through traffic dangerously, the taxi seatbelts to remain jammed between filthy seats, and the gruff customs service staff to stay that way.

Those are some of my gripes about this wonderful city, but they are issues which pale into comparison with the difficulties experienced by Belgrade’s non-elite. They, for me, are some of the most hospitable people in the world, who have developed an enlightening sense of community and deserve better, having lived through hell.

We’d love to hear your thoughts too. Tell us what you like about Belgrade, what really makes you fizz with anger and what you would change if you were in charge.

Send us your thoughts, tell us a little bit about yourself, and send a photo too, if you like.

Send your contributions to:

belgradeinsighteditor@birn.eu.com

We live in a neighbourhood where the kids can go out to play freely, and near green spaces where we can walk and ride bikes. Our kids have a good school and good activities.

When friends visit, I always take them to: Friends haven’t visited yet, but when they do I’ll take them on a Danube cruise, to see Kalemegdan and other castles, the city’s museums and out to hear traditional music.

If I was mayor for one day: I’d launch a publicity campaign to urge Belgrade residents to treat public spaces as they would their own living rooms: To help protect them, maintain them and to keep them clean.

6

neighbourhood

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Paedophilia Case Reopens Secular Clerical Clash in Bosnia The trial of an imam accused of sexually abusing a young girl, re-opens tense public debate about the role of religious communities, in a fractured society.

By Srecko Latal in Sarajevo

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any Bosnians were deeply disturbed by TV footage shown on the main evening news on Sunday, February 15, of weeping girls huddled around the figure of their sobbing local imam, or Muslim cleric.

Two days earlier, Imam Resad Omerhodzic had been found guilty of sexually abusing an underage girl and suspended from his duties while awaiting an appeal and final judgment.

The footage divided Bosnians.

Many thought the scenes of weeping girls had been staged by the influential Islamic Community, doing everything it can to protect the imam from the remote village of Gluha Bukovica.

Others believed Omerhodzic’s claim that his opponents in the local community had framed him.

“This is pure manipulation of children, which is unacceptable,” Mehmed Halilovic, deputy ombudsman for the media in the Bosniak Croat Federation entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, complained.

Many human rights activists and experts say the defensive reaction of Grand Mufti, Mustafa Ceric and the Islamic Community – and their perceived mishandling of the pedophilia row – have come to overshadow the case itself.

The actual offence has almost become of secondary importance, as Bosnia’s media and non-governmental organisations engage in fierce debates about the role of religious communities in politics and other spheres of life.

A History of Confusion In fact, politics and religion have always been closely linked in the multi-ethnic Balkan state.

“Religion and politics in these areas are often intertwined to the point that sometimes it is hard to determine where one ends and where the other begins,” Father Luka Markesic, a Catholic theologian, told Balkan Insight.

Markesic is the former head of the Franciscan community in Bos-

nia and one of the founders of the Croat Peoples’ Council, a leading local centrist NGO and think-tank.

The Catholic Church did not allow him to run in the October 2008 local elections, because he remains a Franciscan monk.

Markesic said the more recent history of Bosnia and Herzegovina revealed an even greater confusion of ethnic and religious identities and loyalties.

“Religious communities sometimes act like political parties, while the political parties sometimes behave like religious communities,” Father Markesic noted.

He said a large part of the population and their political and religious leaders fail to realise – or deliberately ignore – the necessary difference between secular and religious spheres, which is a key element for any modern society.

The return of the believers The role of religious communities in Bosnia, as in much of the former Yugoslavia, expanded following the fall of the Communism, which had initially aggressively prohibited, and later passively discouraged, citizens from expressing their religious views.

But many observers say the religious communities have since abused their new-found position of power.

There is well-documented evidence of the role that some clergy played in stirring up ethnic hatred in the 1990s, while some local clerics even directly participated in the 1992-1995 war, publicly blessing “their” side’s troops and weapons before they went to battle.

After the war, all three main religious communities, Serbian Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic, worked hand-in-glove with the respective Serbian, Muslim and Croat nationalist parties.

In many cases they participated directly in elections by instructing their followers who to vote for, or played an active part in political negotiations.

Other religious leaders, like Luka Markesic, preferred to back democratic and civic options rather than nationalist parties, or remained focused on spiritual activities, stay-

Grand Mufti, Mustafa Ceric (left), is at the centre of the controversy.

ing away from the secular arena.

Yet in post-war Bosnia those seem a minority. In the main, the Catholic and Serbian Orthodox churches and the Islamic Community have become almost indistinguishable from the big nationalist parties.

The growing importance of religious communities in the country has resulted in the constant spread of their influence into new areas.

Goodbye, Santa Claus One of the most recent and highprofile symbols of this expansion was the decision last year to introduce religious instruction into pre-schools in the capital, and the abolition of traditional Christmas festivities in the “Djeca Sarajeva” chain of public kindergartens in Sarajevo.

The move triggered uproar among the city’s secular and intellectual elite, but also among many Bosniak believers. Many parents complained that religious classes were provided only for Bosniak Muslim children and had been organised in such a way as to deliberately promote separatism between infants of different ethnic backgrounds.

“This is about a very aggressive process of clericalisation, which is especially painful since it uses small children,” the director of Bosnia’s Helsinki Human Rights Committee, Srdjan Dizdarevic, told the magazine Dani last week.

Unable to challenge the decision on legal grounds, parents organised themselves and devised a different approach – probing the transparency and legality of the kindergartens’ daily operations, which soon revealed problems and flaws and put the institution in the public spotlight.

“Even the holy book, the Koran, says children should not attend religious classes before they are at least eight years old,” said one concerned

parent, the Sarajevo-based journalist Nedim Dervisbegovic, whose two younger daughters still attend a “Djeca Sarajeva” kindergarden.

“This is an assault on the kids’ world of imagination and games.”

Paedophilia vs Islamophobia Just as the media appeared to tire of covering the kindergarten wars they were served a fresh topic – the country’s first high-profile paedophile case involving a cleric.

After more than a year of investigations and court deliberations, the court in Travnik, found Resad Omerhodzic guilty of the sexual abuse of an underage girl and sentenced him

“Ceric has assumed the right to position himself as the ultimate authority and supreme judge,” Srdjan Dizdarevic, Helsinki Human Rights Committee to 18 months in prison. Both prosecution and defence immediately announced they would appeal.

But while the case appeared fairly straightforward, it became obscured and was finally overshadowed entirely by the controversial intervention of the Grand Mufti, Mustafa Ceric.

Displaying what opponents saw as his usual autocratic attitude, Ceric appeared to ignore the victim’s plight and robustly supported Imam Omerhodzic, accusing several media organisations of Islamophobia, sensationalist reporting and of not knowing how to do their job.

Following these accusations, villagers in Gluha Bukovica even assaulted a local TV crew, which had to be rescued and evacuated by police.

Source: www.balkaninsight.com

“Ceric has assumed the right to position himself as the ultimate authority and supreme judge,” Srdjan Dizdarevic of the Helsinki Human Rights Committee, said. He added that Ceric appeared to view legitimate public criticism of some members of the Islamic Community as an attack on all Muslims.

Media and civil society groups also criticised Ceric for several recent speeches in which he defended radical Islamic followers of the “Wahabi” movement in Bosnia rather than the more moderate local traditions.

The clash between Ceric and the media escalated at a press conference, where Ceric, together with Omerhodzic’s defence lawyer, accused journalists and the abused girl’s lawyer, Dusko Tomic, of Islamophobia.

The press conference ended in a shouting match about the roles and responsibilities that religious communities and media organisations should hold in a modern society.

“Why are you so nervous?” Ceric asked journalists, trying to keep his cool. “This case is about a little girl, about paedophilia, and has nothing to do with Islamophobia,” one journalist yelled back.

Saida Mustajbegovic, a sociologist and analyst with the Sarajevobased ACIPS alumni think-tank, says such uncompromising verbal clashes reflect the general post-war radicalisation of key elements in Bosnian society, including the Islamic and other religious communities, as well as some media and civil society organisations.

“It all comes down to struggles for personal domination or control,” she told the Balkan Insight. “It all resembles a well-rehearsed play, in which the real issues are hidden behind a curtain.”

Source: www.BalkanInsight.com

neighbourhood business

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Bosnian Serb Fraud Probe Triggers Fresh Crisis

Bosnia and Croatia in “Milk War” Bosnia has blocked the import of all milk from Croatia, in response to Croatia revoking the import licence of a Bosnian milk company.

Bosnia’s State Veterinary Office ordered all imports of milk from Croatia to be halted at the border, local media reported. Bosnia’s move came as a counter-measure after Croatia revoked the import permit of Bosnian milk-exporting company “Mlijekoprodukt” from the northwestern town of Kozarska Dubica, with Zagreb requesting additional laboratory certifications for the company’s products. Bosnian government officials said this move by the Croatian government was aimed at curbing expanding exports of milk from Bosnia to Croatia, and was a violation of free-trade agreements which both Bosnia and Croatia have signed.

A controversial inquiry into the finances of Republika Srpska leaders, has caused fury in the entity, raising new fears that the country is slipping back into the abyss.

By Srecko Latal in Sarajevo

N

ever since the end of the 1992-1995 war has Bosnia and Herzegovina been a lead story in the international media several times in two days. Unfortunately, this renewed international interest only reflects the gravity of the troubles affecting the divided country.

“Bosnia’s survival as a multi-ethnic state is seriously in doubt,” a New York Times editorial said on Monday. “Politicians now speak of a possible return to war and discuss redrawing ethnic maps and the possibility of secession,” echoed Tuesday’s International Herald Tribune. On the same day, Sarajevo’s influential Dnevni Avaz published an article about escalating tensions in the country.

“Everything reminds me of the year 1992,” said The Republika Srpska vice-president Adil Osmanovic, referring to the year when war broke out in the republic.

The flurry of media articles on Bosnia’s potential break-up follows hot on the heels of a controversial fraud probe launched against top Bosnian Serb officials, which has caused outrage in the Serbian-dominated entity, the Republika Srpska.

While local and international experts strongly differ in their views over the possibility of renewed violence, all agree on the seriousness of the situation and on the crucial role that Europe and the US should be, but are not, playing in the country.

The crisis escalated over the weekend, after Bosnian Serb leaders aban-

doned crucial negotiations, accused a US diplomat of conspiracy, and threatened to pull out of joint institutions and even call for a referendum on independence, in a furious response to a fraud probe, which Bosnia’s State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, and the Public Prosecutor had launched against Republika Srpska’s Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, and other senior Serb officials.

The probe is related to alleged misuse of some €70 million from the Republika Srpska budget for construction and development projects.

Bosnian Serb officials said they were now mulling their next moves, but options included the withdrawal of all Serbian officials from joint institutions and even a referendum on selfdetermination.

The influential Serbian Orthodox Church and veterans’ association have rallied to the Republika Srpska government, saying Bosnian Serb interests should be protected by all means. Meanwhile, some local newspapers in the entity, quoting unnamed sources, suggested some members of the Bosniak minority in the entity were secretly arming themselves and preparing for armed conflict.

The Republika Srpska vice-president, Adil Osmanovic, a Bosniak, told the daily Dnevni Avaz on Wednesday that the fraud probe had been mishandled, causing the spread of “political hysteria” across the entity. As a result, non-Serb returnees to Republika Srpska were being targeted, accused of arming themselves and were being exposed to pressure and threats.

“This is an orchestrated campaign,” Osmanovic said. “Everything reminds me of the year 1992,” he added, referring to the year when war broke out in the republic.

For the past couple of years, international organisations and officials having been monitoring reports, thus far unsubstantiated, that all sides in Bosnia may be restoring their military capabili-

UK To Cut Its EULEX Presence

Milorad Dodik, leader of the Bosnian Serb entity.

ties by strengthening and arming police forces, private security companies, veterans’ groups and hunting clubs.

The EU peacekeeping force, EUFOR, told Balkan Insight that it “cannot comment on unsubstantiated speculation,” adding: “Bosnia and Herzegovina is no more under terrorist threat than any other country.”

But many local and international analysts disagree. “The international community’s 13 year plus effort in Bosnia and Herzegovina is failing,” Kurt Bassuener of the Democratization Policy Council think-tank, said recently in a policy brief.

“A continuation of the current trajectory will ultimately result in renewed conflict. Bosnian citizens now harbour greater fear of conflict than at any point since Dayton,” he added. “Both the EU and the US have a lot to lose.”

Following the abrupt return of Miroslav Lajcak to Slovakia, the country has been without a High Representative whose broad governing powers have hitherto guaranteed political stability. Peacekeeping forces have also been downsized.

“Bosnia’s security should be linked to NATO membership and not EU membership,” said Reuf Bajrovic, a

Source: www.ohr.int

Sarajevo-based analyst for the ACIPS alumni think-tank. “The EU is too weak to guarantee Bosnia’s stability.

Economically the EU is a giant, but politically it is a dwarf.”

Both Bajrovic and Bassuener maintain the EU and the US will have to re-engage with the Balkans, less from altruistic concern for local people, but because the West has too much to lose.

“Whatever fate befalls Bosnia, the EU will be stuck with the results,” Bassuener said in his brief. “The failure of Bosnia and Herzegovina would also gravely damage US-EU relations, confirming to pessimists in Washington that the EU cannot even handle its own backyard.”

“Bosnia’s people ultimately must take responsibility for what their country is to become,” the New York Times editorial said.

But the United States, which led the [1995] Dayton negotiations, and the European Union, which has 2,000 peacekeepers and a special representative in Bosnia, have a vested interest in making sure the peace deal does not erode further.

“The United States and its allies must craft a plan to salvage Dayton’s promise,” it concluded.

Newspaper Calls For Murder of Journalist

A

lbanian daily Koha Jone, seen by independent observers as a publication close to Prime Minister Sali Berisha, called for the murder of a publisher critical of the government, in its Tuesday editorial.

In graphic detail, the article called for the assassination of Mero Baze, the publisher of the daily Tema, a newspaper that frequently attacks or is attacked by Berisha.

“The crushing of the skull can be done in several ways, bashing against the wall, with a hammer, blowing it up or sawing through it,” reads the article depicting the imaginary crime in shocking details.

Local media watchdogs reacted

with alarm and called on the government to distance itself from the article.

“We are deeply concerned about the public threat and the gruesome description of the imaginary killing of journalist Mero Baze, published by Koha Jone,” said a joint statement by the Albanian Journalists’ League and the Forum for Free Media.

“Having in mind the amount of pressure on this journalist by the Albanian government, which has included entrance to the paper’s premises being barred by police and his car set on fire in front of his house, this new public threat against him, by a newspaper close to the government, is a new blow against the free press and a flagrant violation

7

of media ethics toward a colleague,” the watchdogs added.

Baze’s Tema newspaper has focused on investigative reporting, many of its stories attacking officials for alleged graft and corruption. On January 8, police evicted it from its offices in a government building, despite a court order blocking the eviction.

The row escalated on December 16, when the Ministry of Economy canceled, without notice, a 20-year contract that the daily held for its premises inside a state-owned building, leading the newspaper to file a lawsuit.

The government said it was evicting the newspaper from its premises for national security reasons, without

giving any other explanation. On January 6th a Tirana court ordered the ministry to stop the eviction process, but three days later, police surrounded the Tema offices and forcefully stopped journalists from entering the premises.

Baze’s luxury BMW went up in flames on New Year’s Eve in what Baze said was an attack, but which police described as self-combustion due to a short circuit.

The Ministry of Economy denied there was any political motive behind the eviction and through a statement, claimed it had never received the court order, while the cancellation of the contract was “necessary for public requirements”.

The UK government is expected to announce plans to reduce its staff in Kosovo’s EULEX mission as part of a cost-cutting drive resulting from the global financial crisis.

“We have received some signals that the UK government is planning to reduce its staff working under the law and order mission in Kosovo”, said Christophe Lamfalussy, spokesman for the mission.

The reduction comes as a result of the financial crisis, he said.“We are expecting a personnel reduction from Great Britain, though we haven’t any decision yet”, added Lamfalussy.

Bulgaria To Send 5,000 Pensioners On Holiday Daily newspaper, Dnevnik reports that five thousand lucky Bulgarian pensioners are to receive a holiday, courtesy of the government, according to a statement by the Minister of Social Policy, Emilia Maslarova. The programme was approved by Parliament on February 26 and will run until the end of 2011. The selected pensioners will be allocated a 40 leva allowance per day from the social assistance fund and the package also includes bed and breakfast and daily rehabilitative procedures for a fortnight. In order to qualify for the scheme a pensioner must be 65 years old, physically unimpaired, a resident of an elderly home and be on welfare or supplementary benefits. Pensioners will have to cover their own transport costs.

Bosnia Invalids Protest In Sarajevo Parliament Dozens of disabled people in wheelchairs and on crutches broke into the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim)-Croat Federation parliament in Sarajevo, protesting against legislation that will cut their social payments. The protest underlined the worsening economic and social conditions plaguing Bosnia on the heels of the fast-approaching global recession. The Federation has this year seen its budget deficit widen, and a few weeks ago proposed a law that would reduce social benefits by cutting off payments for all those deemed to be less than 90 percent handicapped.

8

business

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

NKBM Plans Serbian Investment

Cheaper To Ignore Unpaid Taxes, Says Tax Administration

Nova Credit Bank Maribor, NKBM, a Slovenian financial group is looking to buy its way into the local Serbian market during 2009, according to Matjaz Kovacic, a company spokesperson. He would not, however, specify any proposed targets or level of investment. NKBM is Slovenia’s second largest bank with 74 branches and almost 300,000 customers.

A

NBS Says Banking Sector Stable In response to a Moody’s report classifying Reiffeisen bank and other banks operating in Serbia as “vulnerable”, National Bank officials highlighted, at a recent Ekonoimist Media Group Round Table, that the report was clear in noting that East European countries differ in terms of vulnerability and did not include Serbia amongst those it considered most vulnerable. The NBS statement blamed “inadequate and unprofessional presentation of reports in foreign media” for causing concern amongst account holders.

More than 58,000 firms have frozen accounts, says Radovan Jelasic.

Banks to Merge

by Mid 2009 Government representatives suggest that a number of state owned banks, including the Postal Savings Bank, Pancevo Commercial Bank, Srpska Bank and Credy Bank could be merged by the middle of this year. Finance Minister, Diana Dragutinovic however raised the possibility that Credy Bank might be excludede from the merger and instead recapitalised.

had frozen bank accounts in February, and some 37,000 had been frozen for more than a year, for a total debt of 218 billion dinars. In 97 per cent of cases, he said, the accounts have been frozen by the tax administration.

To launch a procedure for bankruptcy, it is necessary to make an advance payment for the costs, depending on the value of the company and the debt. Vasic said the tax department usually did not have that money.

From the funds of a company, after all debts, salaries and pension fund and health insurance contributions of employees, the state and the tax administration are the last on the list to be paid. Usually, there is nothing left, and we have a lot of costs, Vasic said. “So it’s better not to do anything. It’s cheaper.”

SAA Deal Serbia Prefers Debt Likely In To Fire Sale March

T

EU Standard Fuel by 2011 Gazpromneft expects to publish a tender in March for equipment for the modernization of NIS facilities to enable it to produce fuel which meets EU Standards by 2011, the President of the Management Board of NIS, Dimitrij Malisev announced recently.

Malisev hailed this move as concret proof of Gazpromneft’s commitment to the development of NIS.

Photo by FoNet

lthough thousands of Serbian companies owe billions of dinars in taxes to the state and some of them have had their bank accounts blocked for many months, authorities in Belgrade are reluctant to launch bankrupcy proceedings since that would end up costing the budget even more, a senior tax official said.

“Our aim is not to ‘drown’ the tax payers, to ensure the payment to the state,” Zoran Vasic, Serbia’s tax administration assistant director, told Politika.

“Only a successful entrepreneur whose business is active can pay taxes. The tax administration is doing its best to get taxes and contributions paid through regular procedures. Bankruptcy is last on the list of tools.”

Last week, central bank governor Radovan Jelasic said 58,069 firms

Bozidar Djelic

S

erbia would rather ask for more loans to make it through the financial crisis than sell its fixed telephony and electricity monopolies, Deputy Prime Minister, Bozidar Djelic, said on Tuesday.

“It’s better for the state to go into debt than to sell Telekom,” the Tanjug news agency quoted Djelic as saying, adding the electric power company EPS should preferably have strategic partners.

He said that public companies represented a great potential for the state, which should sign a three-year contract with each to define precisely what kind of dividends it might count on. He said state-owned firms amount to 4.5 per cent of all state property with 15.6 percent of employees, and 16.6 percent of income.

he European Union is likely to “un-freeze” a trade agreement with Serbia and ratify the pre-accession Stabilisation and Association Agreement, in March, Luxemburg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said recently.

Serbia signed the SAA in April 2008, but there has been no consensus in the EU on its ratification. The Netherlands has until now blocked any progress until the two remaining war crimes indictees, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, are extradited to face war crimes prosecutions.

“I think that in March, at the next session of the EU foreign minister’s council, there will be a decision on the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and on the start of implementation of the provisional trade agreement,” Asselborn said in an interview with Novi Sad’s Dnevnik daily.

Belex

By Tijana Cvetkovic

M

ore bad news from the Belgrade Stock Exchange this week as both the Belex 15 and the Belexline fell to new historic lows. The Belex15 ended the period at 429.12, having lost 6.02 per cent between February

Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister

“I won’t go into details to avoid compromising Serbia’s chances, but it is absolutely possible. Just few a more pieces of the puzzle are missing,” he said.

“The next step is for Serbia to show that things regarding European integration in the region are going in a good direction and that Serbia is the key coun-

Source: www.eu2005.lu

try for stability of the entire region.”

Although Serbia has begun the process of implementing the legislation necessary for the implementation of the SAA, including the reduction of tariffs and customs duties, Serbian business is unlikely to see real benefits until the EU ratifies the agreement.

Historic New Lows for Belex 15 and Belexline 23rd and February 26th and the Belexline fell to 969.51 points, dropping 3.56 per cent.

Low liquidity was another characteristic of domestic capital market last week. Total turnover declined to just 250 million dinars, more than 50 per less than the previous week. FX bond turnover was €1 million, with series A2016 the most heavily traded.

Foreign investors accounted for 26 per cent of the week`s overall trading on average, with a significantly higher participation on the sell side.

The most actively traded share in this period was Energoprojekt holding with turnover of 35.6 million dinars and 79,369 traded shares. Following a restructuring of its ownership SP laboratorija from Becej, a member of Victoria Group,

also saw heavy trading with total turnover amounting to 35,2 million dinars. AIK bank, among the most active shares last week, was also heavily traded with 20.2 million dinars of total turnover.

The week`s biggest gainer was drinks manufacturer Vino Zupa, rising 20 per cent. Also amongst the top gainers group were Metalac from Gornji Milanovac and pharmaceuticals producer Velefarm with rises of 7.64 per cent and 3.69 per cent respectively. Following recent gains, Sojaprotein was the top loser, declining 15.75 per cent.

Also in the red, AIK Bank tumbled 13.75 per cent and Belgrade based Univerzal holding dropped 12 per cent.

Tijana Cvetkovic is an analyst with FIMA Fas Ltd. in Belgrade.

out & about

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

9

Photo courtesy of www.country-club-hotel-babe.com

The Babe Country Club offers a range of sporting activities for the more energetic, in an idyllic setting in the hills around Mt. Kosmaj.

Relax and Unwind in Babe If you are looking to escape for the weekend and unwind after a busy week, then the Babe country club and hotel, is an excellent choice.

By Tatjana Kovacevic Reporting from Babe

S

ituated on the hills of mount Kosmaj, both the village and the country club were named after the local roman governor from the 3rd century BC, Baebenius, when the region was a centre for lead mining, but don’t worry there’s no sign of the industry these days! The village itself is small, with about 200 houses and some 1,700 weekend cottages that Belgraders visit often in the summer.

The country club offers a range of facilities, food and entertainment, so that you can spend your weekend in one place, without having to leave the spot. You can either stay over in the hotel, in one of the adjacent bungalows or come just for the day.

The hotel’s car park can be somewhat crowded during the weekend, but the helpful

staff will shoe-horn you in somewhere. If you are staying overnight, the rooms are all to a good standard, all with a bath to relax in, after a hard days relaxing! Once you are settled, start exploring the different sports facilities.

During summer the options are numerous.

Around the hotel, you`ll find two tennis courts, basketball, handball and volleyball courts, a beach volleyball court, a fishing lake, paintball court and an outdoor pool all available for guests. If you come here during the winter, you can take a walk on the paths around the hotel, take a horse riding lesson, or just head down to the spa.

In the spa you`ll find a nicely equipped gym, a steam room and a Turkish bath, as well as an indoor and outdoor whirlpool bath. The spa is complimentary for guests that stay overnight, but you can also buy a day ticket for the pool and spa if you are only here during the day. You can end your stay with a massage or treatment, but make sure you book it well in advance to guarantee availability. Treatments cost around 2,000 dinars, but we reckon they’re well worth it. Babe is a family friendly hotel, with special playground area for kids and additional activities which can be arranged.

The food at Babe Club is excellent. We particularly liked the weekend lunches and dinners, which are served as an all you can eat

buffet. There’s a huge range of different fish, meat, and game dishes, some interesting salads, traditional Serbian food as well as vegetarian and international specialties. The desserts are all low on calories and sugar, prepared as light treats to have after your meal. The only caveat here – on some quiet weekends the buffet may not run and lunch will be served in the restaurant – still good, but not the same leisurely treat. During the warmer months, it is really enjoyable to eat outside, on the hotel terrace, taking in the view of the surrounding hills.

All in all, we liked Babe. For well under a hundred Euros a night for two, with breakfast and use of the spa, a good lunch for about 20 Euros and spa treatments pretty much in line with the market, it’s great value for money and a relaxing escape from the hustle of a big city.

Getting there: On the Nis motorway Take the motorway exit at the 20th kilometre on from the pay toll, towards Mladenovac – Arandjelovac – Sopot. After approximately 10 km, at the first intersection (by the Era motel and service station), take a right towards Sopot. In the village of Djurinci take the left towards So-

pot, following the roadsign. At the main intersection go straight on and follow the sign to Babe.

On the Avala road When you pass Avala and reach the village of Ralja, at the service station, take the road to the right towards the village of Stojnik. Follow the signs and you will reach Babe in approximately 10 minutes.

On the Ibarska motorway Just after the service station at Lipovacka Suma turn left towards Barajevo. Once you pass through the centre of Barajevo, the road takes you to the villages of Lisovic and Guberevac. Following the signs and you will reach Babe in approximately 15 minutes. * note: all directions are from Belgrade Contacting the hotel: Milovana Milinkovića 3 11233 Babe Srbija tel/fax: 0 11 8260077 e-mail: info@cch-babe.com website: www.country-club-hotel-babe.com

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the belgrader

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Dining Out

888, Lucky for Some

By Trencherman

C

hildren are, any parent will tell you, difficult things to feed, that is, if you’re trying to feed them a nutritious healthy diet.

Conversely, if all you care about is packing the calories into them with the minimum of fuss and moaning, then there are many, many easy options, but “right-on” parents tend to turn up their noses at McDonalds and Pizza Hut. So, is there a middle ground, somewhere between wheatgrass and alfafa sprout shakes and extra cheese deep-pan pizza?

No, of course there isn’t – children can taste salt, they enjoy food simply because it’s fried and they know very well how good sugar tastes – food’s either got it, or it hasn’t. But fortunately, adults are more complex creatures and over time we have deluded ourselves that, because they’re foreign, because some of the ingredients are healthy, and because they’re served at a table that has a tablecloth on it, certain cuisines are able to combine both healthiness and child appeal – ah, the Chinese Restaurant.

Source: www.888restoran.co.yu

Chinese food, an ideal way to feed your children an unhealthy diet and still feel good about it.

We got to 888 for a late lunch at around 3 or so on a Saturday afternoon. 888 is just around the corner

from the British, Russian and US Embassies and amongst a gaggle of ministries, so during the week it’s a

popular place for lunch, but I was surprised at how busy it was at the weekends too – there were perhaps 30 other diners.

You have to ask yourself, when dining with children, what the experience is all about. Are you going to enjoy the battle to get them to eat that steamed squid? Are they? And if the answer you come up with, on both counts, is a resounding no, then allow the majority of the menu to select itself. Spring rolls with plum sauce - fried and sweet - good. Won tons with soy dipping sauce - fried and salty - good. Sweet and sour pork, sweet - good. Chicken with cashew nuts - sweet and salty - good. And console yourself that there are vegetables inside the spring rolls, carrot in with the sweet and sour and peppers and curiously, cucumber, in with the chicken and cashew nuts. Alongside the self-selected options, I picked out some “seafood cakes” which looked interesting on the pictorial menu and lamb with spring onions, as recommended by our waiter.

So how was it all? The spring rolls were to my mind, a little heavy on the pastry and a little light on the vegetable filling. Needless to say, they went down well with a young child. The won tons were a success. They’d been just steamed, rather than steamed and fried, but the wrapper was good, the lightly spiced ground pork filling was savoury without being overpowering, and for those inclined that way, once thoroughly immersed in soy, they tasted salty and hot – delicious.

The seafood cakes had been fried, deep fried. They consisted of what seemed like a pastry base topped with a mix of rice and prawn, deep fried until golden. The least successful dish of the day. Too greasy for me, and just too fishy and, I think, greasy, even for the kids.

I liked the sweet and sour pork.

It was sweet without being gloopy, and really did have a sour note in there. The pork was slightly crunchy on the outside and meaty inside and the julienne of carrot was still firm enough to add a crisp texture to the dish. The children, of course, liked it too. The chicken and cashews was dull. The chicken was flavourless and spongy and along with the other ingredients was contained in a semi transparent flavourless white sauce.

Not offensive, just dull. The lamb was cut into thin strips, in a meaty sauce, with large chunks of leek and some Chinese mushrooms. Interesting enough to keep me happy, a little garlic, some ginger somewhere in there and hot and savoury. And, aside from the mushrooms, which seem to cause squeals of disgust from all children, it went down well with them too. Some boiled rice to accompany the meal and that was it.

There was ice cream and fried banana and a load of other stuff on the desert menu, but, and here’s a good sign, we were too full.

Now I don’t want you to think that 888 is some kind of culinary childrens’ playground, there’s a huge range of other food on the menu, and almost everybody else there was adult and child free, but suffice to say that if you do want to feed the kids in a place where you can both convince yourself that you’re feeding them “good” food and also enjoy what you select for yourself, then it beats a double cheeseburger with fries and extra mayo, any day of the week.

Restoran 888 Bircaninova 16, Beograd Tel: 011 2659542 Price guide: 1,250 – 1,500 per head for a two course lunch with drinks

We Recommend Every week we feature a selection of restaurants picked by our team. They give a flavour of what’s out there on the Belgrade restaurant scene and should provide you with a few alternatives to get you out of your dining rut. Our choices may not always have had the full Trencherman treatment but you can be sure that one of us has eaten there and enjoyed it.

Zlatar

Cantina De Frida

This place is authentic, right down to the stuffed wolf in the basement.

It’s all a little kitschy in a “cottage in the country” kind of way and serves the usual Serbian dishes, but does them unusually well. We particularly like the kid marinated and oven baked in milk.

Spanish/Mexican/Serbian fusion anyone? Well if you haven’t tried it, you really should. Great tapas, just ring round the items on the menu that take your fancy, select a dip or two and enjoy. There’s more substantial fayre on the menu, which is good, but take our recommendation, go heavy on the tapas and make a meal of it.

Preradovićeva 9a Tel: 011 2754651

Beton Hala Karadjordjeva 2-4 Tel: 011 2181107

Babylon The name Portobello, or calm port, characterises our restaurant perfectly. A calm, warm and cozy place for you to set sail from on a culinary journey Svetog Save 11, BELGRADE Tel/Fax: 011 2458373 www.portobello-restoran.co.rs e-mail: info@portobello-restoran.co.rs

Vuk Serving traditional Serbian cuisine, almost everything on the menu has some sort of meat in it, so, vegetarians – watch out. For 30 years, this restaurant, just off Knez Mihailova has kept up a tradition of serving authentic Serbian food that never gets boring.

Vuka Karadzica 12 011-2629761

This place is a must for all lovers of Middle Eastern food.

The grilled meats are top notch, but we recommend ordering up loads of starters for an excellent authentic mezze (now where have we said that before?).

Savski kej BB31 Tel: 011 3180232

the belgrader

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Blunt Inspires the Lost Souls

Man Meets Technology in New Art Exhibition

Y

Honey-voiced British crooner, James Blunt captivated a packed Belgrade Arena on his only stop in the region, as part of a tour to promote his second album, “All The Lost Souls”.

By Nenad Vulovic

A

rriving onstage in a tightfitting grey suit, an acoustic guitar over his shoulder, the former British Army Captain gave a 90-minute performance which went some way to proving his reputation as a heart-breaker, judging by the reaction of the women, who were singing along and dancing throughout the event.

Supported by an excellent band, the man with a unique voice, performed all the hits from his melancholy first album, “Back to Bedlam”, among them “Goodbye My Lover” and “You’re Beautiful”, as well as singles from the latest album, “All The Lost Souls”, which are, he says, full of hope.

“My songs reflect my life, my ups and downs, my happiness and my sorrows”, he said.

Blunt proved that his concerts are not just a business obligation to be fulfilled, instead he seemed to genuinely enjoy the night, at one point sitting at the piano and leading the audience in song.

In an athletic and energetic concert, he changed guitars, kicked the drums, jumped on the stage, flirted with the girls, sang to the lost souls...

The singer, who spent some time in Kosovo as part of the KFOR force, performed the song “No Bravery” which describes his experiences from Kosovo and the suffering of people who survived the war, against a backdrop of photographs he took during his service in Kosovo.

Blunt didn’t make long speeches, but he reminded the audience of his participation with the KFOR troops in Kosovo and all the horrors of war.

“I met many Serbs who immediately became my friends. I talked to them and I was moved by their courage and compassion. That’s how this song was made – No Bravery”, said Blunt, The concert ended with the song “1973”, a song, says Blunt, for all lost souls, a key single from the latest album which exhibits a noticeable 70’s influence, a nostalgic period for Blunt.

“The song is dedicated to a girl named Simone…this song that celebrates the time we spent together in 2006”, said Blunt, describing “1973”.

Whether for him it’s a business or true vocation, he certainly left the Belgrade Area having broken one or two more Serbian hearts. Blunt’s busy concert schedule ends on March 9 with a concert on Sicily.

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Photo by FoNet

oung artist Branko Katanovic’s latest exhibition “No Tomorrow” is a product of the last few years of his life spent completing his masters studies in the field of visual media.

The multimedia presentation, at the Gallery of the Faculty of Art, tackles the complex relationship between man and technology through all kinds of formats from digital pints to interactive video installations.

“There are several points of focus, but essentially it deals with technology in the most general sense - from the application of new technologies in the realisation of a work of art, to the development of imaginary constructs, human technological extensions and a vision of a world that is a product of these relations,” Katanovic told Belgrade Insight.

The idea for the exhibition developed over the last three to four years of his master’s course. Katanovic was wrapping up, putting many things into perspective, including the future of art and the ability of people to live from creating it.

“Working in art in Serbia is an uncertain, if not impossible, mission.

Judging from my closest acquaintances, it is very rare for someone to survive working exclusively in this realm,” he said.

He added that if an artist wants to work on his or her art without compromise, he or she will have to work another job, preferably in some way art-related, that offers financial support, to stay true to the craft.

Blunt’s army of fans were treated to a bravura performance.

Doll Delerium in Belgrade Arena

By Freeloader

O

ver the past few years the Pussycat Dolls have become possibly the world’s biggest pubescent fantasy and it was easy to see why last night at the Belgrade Arena. Some of the world’s longest legs and some of the most gymnastic choreography you’re ever likely to see whipped the 8,000 crowd into near delirium.

From my more adult viewpoint, ensconced in the VIP area, you know, it was still fun to watch. Nichole Scherzinger and the other girls were 100 per cent professional and polished, dashed through a number of slick costume changes – all fully glam and sequin spangled, make no mistake, wriggled provocatively, both with and without a seriously muscled male “gangsta” dance troupe and even sang a song or two.

We were treated mainly to songs from the new album, all expertly choreographed but over the course of the one and a half hour show, the girls offered us around 10 numbers which seemed to me to be a little on the light side. Lots of conversation with the crowd filled the gaps, much of it at the usual “good evening

Branko Katanovic

The Dolls kept 8,000 largely adolescent fans in a state of hormonal frenzy for one and a half hours.

Belgrade!” and “we love you Belgrade” level which raised predictable howls from the kids stage-side, but also included impenetrable comments such as “do you believe

in angels? - you are angels” and a passage of three or four minutes after which we were left in no doubt that the PCD’s really did love both each other and the audience.

Photo by FoNet

But ignore my cycnicsm, because even at 1,800 dinars for the cheapest ticket, I don’t think that anyone went home without thinking they’d got their money’s worth.

Katanovic is luckily a multitalented artist, with experience and knowledge of various forms of visual mediums, including comic strips, animation, 3D modelling and video. He also works as an instructor at the Information Technologies University, teaching a class on design an interactive media.

“The room to manouvre for artists who deal with classical mediums has been narrowed. That does not mean that every alternative is automatically easier. In my case, the fields that I deal with have enabled me to have some alternatives,” he said.

His latest exhibition is described as “a vision of the possible diametrically opposite outcomes - a world with no tomorrow or a world with many tomorrow’s.”

“I can’t talk about any long-term plans. In the near future, during this year, I plan on having another exhibition, this time in the field of comic strips,” Katanovic concluded.

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the belgrader

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Going Out

We Recommend

The Brod Pub The Brod Pub is a quaint, but fairly hip place to have a drink, on any night of the week in Belgrade.

Source: www.myspace.com

Play some pinball whilst waiting for your girlfriend to emerge from the only, unisex, bathroom.

By David Galic

Reporting from Belgrade

A

t first glance, the pub is very small, but there is a gallery inside the bar where you can get a seat if you arrive early enough, and have drinks in a relaxed atmosphere, though it can get fairly smoky and congested in that “upper” area of the club.

The interior, predictably - since Brod means “Boat,” - has a nautical

theme to it. A giant plastic swordfish is tacked up on the wall, various model boats hang from the walls and a lifejacket or two complete the decor.

On the main floor there is a bar area and barstools, if propping the bar is your thing, but up in the gallery there are larger tables and more comfortable chairs for those coming with a larger group of friends who want to sit down and have drinks without worrying about the crowd near the bar.

For entertainment, besides beer and dancing, there is a lonely pinball machine in the corner of the pub

for those looking to kill some time while they wait for their girlfriends to emerge from the bathroom.

And here is where it gets ugly.

The single bathroom is unisex, and is frequently flooded and dirty. Why, when the rest of the place is clean and tidy, I just don’t know.

Along with the good local beers on tap for relatively cheap prices, there is also a nice selection of homemade rakija - a nice feature considering that almost all cafes and bars have switched to the storebought varieties of the popular Serbian drink.

If you’re sitting up in the gallery, you can probably expect someone coming to check on you and your drinks on a semi-regular basis, but if you are on the main floor, especially if it’s a crowded night, you are going to have to go to the bar and order something up yourself instead of waiting for someone to serve you.

The music program is very cutting edge and urban, with music nights offered at least five times a week, ranging from indie rock and shoegaze to post-punk, electro-punk, and nights presented by a DJ team from the excellent grassroots promoters Bad Music for Bad People, who bring hordes of foreign bands to Serbia and organise entertaining and exciting rock shows that pass under the radar in Belgrade.

The nights they host focus on garage rock, surf rock, and various forms of Americana.

Despite the fact that most of the music they play in Brod is meant to be played loudly, the music is never too aggressive and you can usually talk to people without having to yell and spit in each others ears, which is always a good thing.

The people are very relaxed and it appears to be a crowd that is already familiar with each other.

Brod is a nice place for people looking for a middle-ground in atmosphere, prices and people. The pub sits in the little space in Belgrade between discos with blaring house music and dingy clubs with horrible bands playing horrible covers of nostalgic ex-Yugoslav rock bands.

Overcome the tacky nautical theming, hold your bladder (or hold your nose) and give it a try sometime for some of the best value music nights in town.

My Picks

T

Went are a young band that has been gaining popularity in Belgrade for their expansive and experimental post rock sound, which includes saxophone and handmade percussive instrumentation. Highway 61 base their sound on lo-fi, garage rock Americana, merging blues, folk and country influences. Zica, Kraljevica Marka 5

Saturday

DJ Vadim This producer, originally from Russia, was raised in London and currently lives in New York. He combines hip-hop, soul and reggae with electronica and has had a very prolific career working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Kraftwerk and Public Enemy. He also runs his own record label and is a radio presenter on BBC’s Around the Word in Eight Relays programme. Plastic, Takovska 34

Sunday

Nabucco This four act Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi is based on a biblical story and is the opera which established the composer as one of the all-time greats of the genre. Nabucco follows the story of the Jews, exiled from their homeland.

The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves is to this day, the only encore ever allowed at the Metropolitan Opera. National Theatre, Francuska 3

Monday

Dalija Acin & Recognize Crew “Oh No!” is a performance made for the theatre, but strictly made up of break dancing boys, through which Acim touches on topics such as masculinity, virtuosity and satisfaction.

The play asks questions about the representation of the male form and how it exists and changes over time. It also poses the question of whether masculinity is imposed on men. Did we mention there is also a whole lot of really good break dancing? Belgrade Drama Theatre, Milsevska 64

Tuesday

Exhibition: Tamara Radanovic This photography exhibition explores the darker side of Tamara Radanovic. This will be her third independent exhibition, having also participated in a dozen collective shows. The exhibition focuses on the darker side of modern culture, often aggressive and tragic. Radanovic has worked for virtually every magazine and newspaper in Serbia, from Playboy to several Belgrade dailies and weeklies. Blok Gallery, Jurija Gagarina 221

Exhibition: Italian Comic Strips 2009 marks a celebration in Italy of the 100-year anniversary of the Italian comic strip, born on December 27, 1908, with the first issue of the legendary Corriere dei Piccoli. The Italian Culture Institute will be organising an exhibition in Belgrade, with a large selection of Italian comic strips, from Corriere dei Piccoli, to Italian Disney comics, and the works of some of the most famed Italian illustrators such as Magnus and Hugo Prat. Italian Culture Institute, Kneza Milosa 56

Robna Kuca Beograd

his legendary department store is back after the company was privatized in 2007, and is opening up new stores across the country. The Terazija location,

Went and Highway 61

Wednesday

Every week, Rian Harris tells us one of her favourite places to shop.

By Rian Harris

Friday

which opened in December, has been completely renovated and sports a bold new interior. Robna Kuca is a traditional department store, offering men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, perfume, cosmetics, jewellery, handbags, home furnishings and home decor items, toys and books (including a decent selection in English).

Part of thebuilding is still under construction, and looks to soon include home electronics. More than 25 local and international designers are featured, and prices range accordingly. I was particularly impressed with

Thursday

Kralj Cacka

the hosiery selection from Italian firm Calzedonia, with socks and stockings in every colour of the rainbow.

Terazije 15-23 Mon - Sat. 9-2100, Sun 11-1800

The self-proclaimed King of Cacak is a very different kind of character on the Serbian music scene. He and his very skilled group of multi-instrumentalists fuse jazz, blues and Serbian folk in a very earthy manner, conjuring up the spirit of some sort of Balkan version of Tom Waits. The fact that he is not all that well known outside a limited circle of devotees and rarely plays the capital is all the more reason to go check the show out, not to mention the fact that admission is free. Akademija, Rajiceva 10

the belgrader

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

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What’s On CINEMAS Roda Cineplex Pozeska 83A , tel: 011 2545260 Pink Panther 2: 15:30, 17:15, 19 Bolt: 16:10 Madagascar, Escape 2 Africa: 16:30 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 21:00 Confessions of a Shopaholic: 18:00, 20:00 Valkyrie: 18:10, 20:15, 22:30 Zone of the Dead: 22:00 Dom sindikata Trg Nikole Pasica 5, tel. 011 3234849 Bolt: 16 Madagascar, Escape 2 Africa: 16:30 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 21:00 Confessions of a Shopaholic: 18:15, 20:15 Valkyrie: 18:00, 20:15, 22:30 Australia: 15:30 Zone of the Dead: 22.15 Ster City Cinema Delta City, Jurija Gagarina 16 (Blok 67), tel: 011 2203400 Bolt: 11:50, 14, 16:30, 18:40 Valkyrie: 12:20, 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:30 Australia: 20:40 Confessions of a Shopaholic: 12:30, 14:40, 19:40, 22:50 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 13:00, 16:10, 19:40, 22:50 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: 22:40 Tuckwood Cineplex Kneza Milosa 7, tel: 011 3236517 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: 15.30, 22:15 Confessions Of A Shopaholic: 15:45, 18, 20:15 Valkyrie: 16:15, 18:30, 21:00 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 19:50, 23:00 Dusk: 17:30 Zone of the Dead: 23:15

Friday, Friday 27 Music: Belgrade Philmarmonic Orchestra, Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation Hall, Studentski Trg 5, 20:00 Extra Orkestar, Lava Bar, Kneza Milosa 77, 23:00 Toca and Band, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Pro Rock, Living Room, Kralja Mi-

lana 48, 23:00 Odium, Danguba, Cirila I Metodija 2, 23:00 Happy Guitar Band, Diva Restaurant, Bulevar Nikole Tesle 2, 20:00 Nightlife: Barthelemy Vincent and Shwabe, Energija, Nusiceva 8, 23:00 Disco Plastic, Plastic, Djusina 7, 23:00 DJ Stevie, Underworld, Corner of Ruzveltova and 27. Marta, 23:00 Vocal House, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Sweeet Fridays, Ex-Lagoom, Svetozara Radica 5, 23:00 Yu Rock, White, Pariska 1a, 23:00 Les Gigantes, Blue Moon, Knegilje Ljubice 4, 23,00 DJ Super Fly, Francuska Sobarica, Francuska 12, 23:00 Groove Control, The Tube, Dobracina 21, 23:00 Other: The Marriage and Divorce of Figarro (play), National Theatre, Trg Republike 5, 19:30 Oh No! (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 Hitler and Hitler (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00

Saturday, Friday 28 Music: Classical music concert (piano, violin, violincello, flute), Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation Hall, Studentski Trg 5, 20:00 Frankestra Band, Gaucosi, Dunavska 17a, 23:00 No Comment Band, Lava bar, Kneza Milosa 77, 23:00 Jailbreak, Living Room, Kralja Milana 48, 23:00 Love Trigger, Danguba, Cirila I Metodija 2, 23:00 Nightlife: Belgrade Disco Mafia, The Tube, Dobracina 17, 23:00 Gramaphondzije, Energija, Nusiceva 8, 23:00 House Night, Mamolo, Ilije Garasanina 26, 21:00 DJ Marko Gangbangers, Underworld, Corner of Ruzveltova and 27.

Marta, 23:00 House Fever, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Disco House Night, White, Pariska 1a, 23:00 Soul Touch, Blue Moon, Kneginje Ljubice 4, 23,00 Alternative Control, Ex-Lagoom, Svetozara Radica 5, 23:00

Other:

Other:

Devil and the Dervish (play), National Theatre, Trg Republike 5, 19:30 Massacre God (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00 Partizan vs. Vashash (waterpolo), SC Banjica, Crnotravska 4, 20:00 Red Star vs. Hemofarm (basketball), Pionir Hall, Carli Caplina 39, 20:00

Pool (Without Water) (play), National Theatre, Trg Republike 5, 19:30 Transylvania (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 Exhibition: Zoran Grmas (graphics), Graffic Collective Gallery, Obilicev Venac 27, 17:00

Sunday, March 1

Music:

Music:

Kinky Acoustic, Miss Moneypenny, Ada Ciganlija (Makiska side 4), 21:30

Nabucco (opera), National Theatre, Trg Republike 5, 19:30 Play Blik, Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 Makao Band, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Live Bands, Underworld, Corner of Ruzveltova and 27. Marta, 23:00 Ljute Papricice, Living Room, Kralja Milana 48, 23:00 Nightlife: Sportsman Night, White, Pariska 1a, 23:00 Shaker Party, Mr. Stefan Braun’s Garden, Vojislava Ilica 86, 23:00 Lazy Sunday Afternoon, Fest, Majke Jevrosime 20, 22:00 Karaoke, Miss Moneypenny, Ada Ciganlija (Makiska side 4), 21:30 Leftovers, Blue Moon, Kneginje Ljubice 4, 23:00 Other: Rabbit Hole (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 Massacre God (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00 Exhibition: Noa Treister (photography), Dom Omladine Gallery, Makendoska 22, 17:00

Tuesday, March 3

Nightlife: Psychodelic Tuesday, Underworld, Corner of Ruzveltova and 27 Marta, 23:00 Riffs, Francuska Sobarica, Francuska 12, 22:00 Diesel Party, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Discount Night, Fest, Majke Jevrosime 20, 22:00 Zex Kazanova, Bambo Bar, Strahinjica Bana 71, 22:00 Other: Half Price (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 BLI (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00 Exhibition: Sasa Petrovic (installations), Prodajna Belgrade Gallery, Kosancicev Venac 19, 17:00

Wednesday, March 4 Music: Supernova (spoken word and musical improvisation), Belgrade City Museum, Kneza Mihailova 56, 18:00

Monday, March 2

Nightlife:

Music:

Cocktail Wednesdays, Mamolo, Ilije Garasanina 26, 21:00 DJ Ike & Prema, Plastic, Djusina 7, 23:00 Popular Science, Underworld, Corner of Ruzveltova and 27. Marta, 23:00 Karaoke Challenge, Mr. Stefan Braun, Nemanjina 4/9, 23:00 Salsa Night, Havana, Nikole Spasica 1, 22:00 Fest Cafe, Fest, Majke Jevrosime 20, 22:00

RTS Big Band, Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation Hall, Studentski Trg 5, 20:00 Kareoke Night, Danguba, Cirila I Metodija 2, 23:00 Di Luna Blues Band, Living Room, Kralja Milana 48, 23:00 Nightlife: Dj Dutya, Francuska Sobarica, Francuska 12, 22:00 Video Concert, Fest, ajke Jevrosime 20, 22:00 House Party (DJ Kobac), Blue Moon, Kneginje Ljubice 4, 23:00 Bla Bla Band, Vanila, Studentski trg 15, 22:30

Other: One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 BLI (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00

Exhibition: Spanish Civil War Anniversary (photography), Cervantes Institute, Cika Ljubina 19, 17:00

Thursday, March 5 Music: The Resident, Bitefart café, Skver Mire Trailovic 1, 22:30 Tropico Band, Lava Bar, Kneza Milosa 77, 23:00 Zoomie, Danguba, Cirila I Metodija 2, 23:00 Nightlife: A Little Bit of 90s, Mistique, Aberdareva 1b, 23:00 Respect, The Tube, Dobracina 21, 23:00 Ladies’ Night, Mr. Stefan Braun’s Garden, Vojislava Ilica 86, 23:00 Playground Radio Show Live, Tapas Bar, Dositejeva 17, 22:00 Weekend Warm Up, Fest, Majke Jevrosime 20, 22:00 Other: BLI (play), Atelje 212, Svetogorska 21, 20:00 Frederik (play), Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP), Milesavska 64 20:00 Exhibition: Marija Bujic (wooden furniture), Fine Arts Museum, Vuka Karadzica 18, 17:00

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sport

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009

Red Star Aim to Keep Title Race Alive The season restarts with Serbia’s own ‘clash of the titans’, as Red star and Partizan lock horns at the Partizan Stadium.

By Zoran Milosavljevic Reporting from Belgrade

S

occer fans in Serbia could not have asked for a more entertaining restart to the country’s 12team first division, kicking off after its annual December-February hibernation which was delayed by a week this year due to heavy snowfall across the country. Champions and league leaders, Partizan Belgrade are at home to city rivals and former European Cup winners Red Star on Saturday (3.15 p.m. live on RTS 1), in a crunch derby whose outcome could have a huge impact on the title race.

Partizan, who have not beaten Red Star at home since April 2001, are seven points ahead of Red Star, meaning that a win or a draw would leave them firmly in the driving seat to retain the silverware, assuming that they are also able to fend off second-placed Vojvodina Novi Sad.

Vojvodina are looking for their first league title in 20 years but it is difficult to imagine their hard-working outfit keeping up with Partizan in the latter stages of the Jelen Superleague, although they have so far defied the odds to be ahead of Red Star, halfway through the championship.

Partizan coach Slavisa Jokanovic left no room for doubt just how morale-boosting a win over Red Star would be. “I believe we are capable of ending the barren eight-year home streak and I will pick the best 11 to do the job,” he told reporters in the build-up to Serbia’s eternal derby.

“We know where the biggest threat to our back four will come from and we will make sure that Red Star’s key players, Ognjen Koroman and Nenad Milijas, get no room to operate. The title race won’t be over if we win, but it would put a lot of wind into our sails,” added Jokanovic.

The 40-year old coach, a former defensive midfielder, was left sweating when teenage sensation Adem Ljajic limped off the pitch after Tuesday’s practice, following a rash tackle by one of his team mates. Ljajic, a 17-year old forward who signed for European and world club champions Manchester United in January and was loaned back to Partizan, is doubtful for Saturday’s derby and his absence would

Photo courtesy of Partizan’s official website

Partizan and Red Star will contest another fierce battle on Saturday. Partizan won the reverse fixture 2-0 at Red Star’s ground last October, but they have not beaten their arch enemies at home since 2001.

Divac Takes Charge of Serbian OC

By Zoran Milosavljevic Reporting from Belgrade

F

ormer Serbian basketball legend Vlade Divac was elected president of the Serbian Olympic Committee (SOK) earlier this week after ousting his predecessor Ivan Curkovic in rather unusual fashion. Divac, 41, took over with 76 of 82 SOK deputies voting for him after Curkovic, a former president of Partizan Belgrade Football Club, walked out in protest over the Olympic Committee’s decision to make the ballot open and not secret.

“Sport has built me as a man and it has taught me not only to compete, but also to be a team leader,” said Divac, who retired from international basketball after steering the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the 2002 World Championship gold medal in Indianapolis. “I am ready to mobilise, motivate and drive forward all segments of society vital for Serbia’s future Olympic success,” he added.

Divac may find it more difficult to improve on Serbia’s miserable

medal tally from last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing than guiding Yugoslavia to a historic 81-78 win over a U.S. dream team in Indianapolis, when his team, made entirely of Serbian players, sent the hosts crashing out of the medal rounds.

With Serbia’s infrastructure and cash-strapped institutions unable to keep pace with young talents requiring investments to translate their potential into success, Divac faces a mammoth task to make sure that Serbia’s London 2012 haul surpasses the one silver and two bronze medals they captured in China.

Two of those medals were won by self-made tennis prodigy Novak Djokovic (bronze) and Americanborn swimmer Milorad Cavic (silver), leaving the men’s water polo team (bronze) as a beacon of light in team sports, once heralded and now stuck in the doldrums.

Photo by FoNet “We will work hard to stimu- Vlade Divac faces the unenviable task of restorlate talented juniors and keep them ing Serbia’s Olympic pride. here, because talent outflow has done enough damage,” said Divac. continued. For a start, Divac would “We will also do all we can to im- do well to dissuade teenage swimprove the status of Serbia’s Olym- ming talent Miroslava Najdanovski pic Committee because sports in from leaving Serbia and the others this country should no longer be likely to follow in her footsteps as kept on the fringes of society,” he the credit crunch continues to bite.

be a severe blow although Jokanovic has plenty of options. None of them, however, have Ljajic’s vision, pace, close control or the lethal finishing that caught the eye of United’s scouts, who were impressed from the moment the youngster broke into Partizan’s first team, last year.

For Red Star, winning Saturday’s battle is about much more than continuing their impressive run at Partizan’s ground or even clawing their way back into the title race. Debt-ridden and facing an uncertain future as potential buyers have backed off one after another, Red Star sorely need to give their army of disgruntled fans a sense of hope that there is more than just a glorious past left in the 1991 European Cup winners. Captain Nenad Milijas, sought by several European clubs during the two-month long midseason winter break, has adopted the once-bitten-twice-shy attitude after strong words from Red Star’s camp before the reverse fixture in October backfired and Partizan romped to a 2-0 win at the Marakana stadium.

“We talked too much ahead of that game and it certainly won’t happen again. We need to be calm and composed, we need a win badly but we would be foolish to throw caution to the wind,” he said. “Seven points is a huge gap so we have to go for a win.

We have kept the backbone of the team and the mid-season signings should prove their worth in the biggest match Serbian soccer can offer,” added Milijas, who has become a regular starter in Serbia’s World Cup 2010 qualifiers.

Red Star’s reinforcements include South African striker Bernard Parker, but if his build-up in friendlies since he joined the club are anything to go by, Partizan’s defence will have precious little to worry about. In fact, Red Star’s new-look team includes many unfamiliar faces and this may be a blessing in disguise for Partizan’s well drilled outfit, which has been far more impressive than their city rivals during the winter break.

Zoran Milosavljevic is Belgrade Insight’s sports writer and also a regional sports correspondent for Reuters.

Live Sports on TV Friday, Feb 27: Tennis: ATP Dubai semifinals (Sport Klub first match 11.00 am, second match 4.00 p.m.), ATP Acapulco semi-finals (Sport Klub first match midnight, second match 4.00 a.m. Saturday); Alpine Skiing: Women’s Downhill (Eurosport 11.30 a.m.); Rugby – French Top 14 Bourgoin v Toulon (Eurosport 2 at 7.30 p.m.); Soccer: Cologne v Arminia Bielefeld (Sport Klub 8.30 p.m.), PSV Eindhoven v Heerenveen (Sport Klub + 8.45 p.m.), Argentinean League Match (Sport Klub + 00.15 a.m. Saturday).

Saturday, Feb 28: Rugby: Harlequins v Wigan (Sport Klub 6.30 p.m.); Alpine Skiing: Men’s Giant Slalom (Eurosport, first run at 9.00 a.m., second run at noon), Women’s Downhill (Eurosport 2 at 11.00 a.m.); Tennis: ATP Dubai final (Sport Klub 4.00 p.m.), ATP Acapulco final (Sport Klub 4.00 a.m. Sunday); Basketball: NLB Regional League – Red Star Belgrade v Hemofarm Vrsac (FOX Serbia 6.00 p.m.), Vojvodina Novi Sad v Partizan Belgrade (RTV Vojvodina 8.15 p.m.), Spanish League – Bilbao v Real Madrid (Sport Klub 8.00 p.m.); Handball: Champions League – Chamberry v Zagreb (HRT 2 at 5.30 p.m.); Soccer: Partizan Belgrade v Red Star Belgrade (RTS 1 at 3.05 p.m.), Hertha Berlin v Borussia M’gladbach (Sport Klub 3.30 p.m.), Arsenal v Fulham (RTS 2 at 4.00 p.m.), Juventus v Napoli (Avala 8.30 p.m.), Porto v Sporting Lisbon (Sport

Klub 9.30 p.m.), Espanyol v Real Madrid (FOX Serbia 10.00 p.m.), Athletic Bilbao v Sevilla (FOX Serbia 00.15 a.m.

Sunday delayed), Argentinean League Match (Sport Klub + 00.30 a.m. Sunday).

Sunday, March 1: Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom (Eurosport, first run at 9.00 a.m. second run at 12.30 p.m.), Women’s Super G (Eurosport 10.45 a.m.); Basketball: Spanish League Match (Sport Klub 12.30 p.m.), NBA Regular Season Game (OBN 11.40 p.m.); Soccer: Utrecht v Ajax Amsterdam (Sport Klub + 12.30 p.m.), West Ham v Manchester City (RTS 2 at 1.30 p.m.), Udinese v Lecce (Avala 3.00 p.m.), Various Italian League Matches (Sport Klub 3.00 p.m.), Aston Villa v Stoke City (RTS 2 at 4.00 p.m.), Carling Cup Final – Manchester United v Tottenham (Sport Klub 4.00 p.m.), Spanish League Match (Kosava 5.00 p.m.), Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich (Sport Klub + 5.00 p.m.), Olympiakos Piraeus v Panathinaikos (Sport Klub 6.00 p.m.), Atletico Madrid v Barcelona (FOX Serbia 7.00 p.m.), Dinamo Zagreb v Slaven Belupo (HRT 2 at 8.10 p.m.), Inter Milan v Roma (Avala 8.30 p.m.), Standard Liege v Cercle Brugge (Sport Klub + 8.30 p.m.), Spanish League Match (Kosava 9.00 p.m.), Lyon v Rennes (Sport Klub 9.00 p.m.), Argentinean League Match (Sport Klub + 10.30 p.m.).

directory

Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009 Accounting & Auditing

15

Gifts & Souvenirs

International schools

Pharmacies (on duty 24 hours)

BDO BC Excell, Knez Mihailova 10, 011 3281299.

ConsulTeam, Prote Mateje 52, 011 3086180.

Deloitte, Kralja Milana 16, 011 3612524.

Ernst & Young, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 115d, 011 2095700.

KPMG, Studentski trg 4, 011 3282892.

Pricewater House Coopers, Omladinskih brigada 88a, 011 3302100.

SEECAP, Marsala Birjuzova 22, 011 3283100.

Kneza Milosa 12, 011 2641335, www. kombeg.org.yu.

Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 15, 011 3617583, www.merr. sr.gov.yu.

Ministry of Trade and Services, Nemanjina 22-26, 011 3610579.

Privatization Agency, Terazije 23, 011 3020800, www.priv.yu.

Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Resavska 13-15, 011 3300900, pks.komora.net.

SIEPA - Investment and Export Promotion Agency, Vlajkoviceva 3, 011 3398550.

Adore, New Millennium Shopping Centre, entrance from Knez Mihailova 21, Delta City 011 2625056, 10:00 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00, closed Sun. Beoizlog, Trg Republike 5, 011 3281859, 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 15:00, closed Sun. Singidunum, Terazije 42, 011 2643158, 09:00 - 21:00, closed Sun. Zdravo-Zivo, Nusiceva 3, 063 8785988, 12:00 - 16:00, closed Sun. www.serbiasouvenirs.com

Aqua Pharm 2, Corner of Kneza Milosa and Visegradska Streets, 011 3610171.

Bogdan Vujosevic, Goce Delceva 30, 011 2601887.

Miroslav Trajkovic, Pozeska 87, 011 3058482.

Prvi Maj, Kralja Milana 9, 011 3241349.

Sveti Sava, Nemanjina 2, 011 2643170.

Zemun, Glavna 34, 011 2618582.

Aikido

Children’s playrooms

Real Aikido World Centre, Slavujev venac 1, 011 3089199

Extreme Kids, Cvijiceva 1, 011 2764335.

Puf-Puf, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 165a, 011 3111793.

Golf Klub Beograd, Ada Ciganlija, 011 3056837.

Belgrade Arena, Bulevar Arsenija Carnojevica 58, 011 220 22 22, www. arenabeograd.com.

Anglo-American School, Velisava Vulovica 47, 011 3675777.

Britannica International School, Uzicka 21a, 011 3671557.

British International School, Svetozara Radojcica 4, 011 3467000.

Chartwell International School, Teodora Drajzera 38, 011 3675340.

Ecole Francaise de Belgrade, Kablarska 35, 011 3691762.

Deutsche Schule Belgrad, Sanje Zivanovic 10, 011 3693135.

International Nursery School, Nake Spasic 4, 011 2667130.

International School of Belgrade, Temisvarska 19, 011 2069999.

Ballet classes Orhestra Ballet Studio, Cirila i Metodija 2a, 011 2403443.

Majdan Children’s Cultural Centre, Kozjacka 3-5, 011 3692645.

Bookshops Apropo, Cara Lazara 10, 011 2625839, 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00, Closed Sun. IPS-Akademija, Knez Mihailova 35, 011 2636514, 09:00 - 23:00.

Mamut, corner of Sremska and Knez Mihailova, 011 2639060, 09:00- 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00.

Bowling Colosseum, Dobanovacka 56 (Zemun), 011 3165403, 11:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 02:00.

First bowling, Gradski Park u Zemunu, 011 3771612, 11:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.

Kolosej, Jurija Gagarina 16 (Delta City), 0113129944, 09:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 02:00, Sun 09:00 - 24:00.

Business connections Belgrade Stock Exchange, Omladinskih brigada 1, 011 3117297, www. belex.co.yu.

Business Registration Agency C-2, Trg Nikole Pasica 5, 011 3331400, www.apr.sr.gov.yu.

Chamber of Commerce of Belgrade,

Consulting CES Mecon, Danijelova 12-16, 011 3090800, www.cesmecon.com.

Dekleva & Partners Ltd., Hilandarska 23, 011 3033649, www.dekleva1.com.

EKI Investment, Kralja Milana 16, 011 3613164, www.eki-investment.com.

Dentists (on duty 24 hours) Stari Grad, Obilicev Venac 30, 011 2635236.

Vracar, Kneginje Zorke 15, 011 2441413.

Golf

Health

Sunasce, Admirala Geprata 8a ulaz 5/1, 011 3617013.

Marry Poppins, Kursulina 37, 011 2433059.

Anlave CD, Vase Pelagica 68, 011 3175929, www.anlave.co.yu.

Bel Medic General Hospital, Koste Jovanovica 87, 011 3091000, www. belmedic.com.

Bel Medic Outpatient Clinic, Viktora Igoa 1, 011 3091000, www.belmedic. com.

MEDIX, Novopazarska 30, 011 3085805, www.medix.co.yu.

Baklaja Igric Mujezinovic in Association with Clyde & Co, Gospodar Jevremova 47, 011 303 8822 Harrison Solicitors, Terazije 34, 011 3615918.

Law Office, Takovska 13, 011 3227133, 063 383116, www.businesslawserbia.com.

HOME HELP

Money transfer

Lawyers

Western Union, Kosovska 1, 011 3300300.

Dry cleaners

Open Markets

Cleaning Servis, Palmoticeva 10, 011 3233206.

Pop’s, Mercator Shopping Centre, Bulevar Umetnosti 4, 011 3130251.

Bajlonijeva Pijaca, Dzordza Vasingtona bb, 011 3223472, 07:00 - 16:00 Blok 44, Jurija Gagarina bb, 011 2158232, 07:00 - 16:00 Kalenic Pijaca, Maksima Gorkog bb, 011 2450350, 07:00 - 16:00 Zeleni venac, Jug Bogdanova bb, 011 2629328, 07:00 - 16:00

Fitness Clubs Extreme Gym, Cvijiceva 1, 011 2764335, 08:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00.

Power Gym, Steve Todorovica 32, 011 3545935, 09:00 - 22:00.

Wellness Centar, Kraljice Natalije 3840, 011 2686268, 07:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 21:00.

Zvezda City Oaza, Ada Ciganlija, 011 3554652, 07:00 - 22:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 22:30.

Kindergartens

Opticians Horse riding Aleksa Dundic Riding Club, Belgrade Hippodrome, Pastroviceva 2, 011 3541584.

Diopta, Kralja Milana 4, 011 2687539.

La Gatta, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 43, 011 3244914.

M&M optic, Jurija Gagarina 153/18, Novi Beograd, 011 1760772.

Photo service Color Foto, Svetogorska 4, 011 3245982.

Foto Studio 212, Cvijiceva 63, 011 3374015.

Models, Svetog Save 16-18, 011 3449608.

Real estate Eurodiplomatic, Dravska 18, 011 3086878.

Mentor, Milesevska 2, 011 3089080.

Slavija rent, Beogradska 33, 011 3341281.

Shoe repairS Sasa M, Kosovska 35, 011 3227238.

Air Zak, Kralja Aleksandra 254/a, 011 2413283.

Spa & Beauty Salons Jai Thai, Vase Pelagica 48, 011 3699193.

Spa Centar, Strahinjica Bana 5, 011 3285408.

St Angelina, Karnegijeva 3, 011 3232058.

Sun Beauty Center, Strahinica Bana 29, 011 2182090.

Zorica, Dobracina 33, 011 3285922.

TAXI SERVICES Beotaxi, 011 970 Beogradski taxi, 011 9801 Lux taxi, 011 3033123 NBA taxi, 011 3185777 Pink taxi, 011 9803 Translators Association of Technical and Scientific Translators of Serbia, Kicevska 9, 011 2442729.

Belgrade Translation Center, Dobracina 50, 011 3287388.

Center Lomonosov, Hilandarska 23, 011 3343184.

16

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Friday, Feb. 27 - Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009