CorD Magazine, December 2020, issue no. 194

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy

Serbian Economy Minister

Ambassador of Iran to Serbia

Sustainable Development and Economic Efficiency

Chance For A Change

www.cordmagazine.com

I’ll Continue Fighting For Gender Equality

ANĐELKA ATANASKOVIĆ

H.E. RASHID HASSAN POUR BAEI

NOVEMBER 2020/ ISSUE NO. 193

ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

interviews opinions news comments events COMMENT

Dayton Blues FOCUS

Among New And Old Friends

Exclusive HEIDI WILEY

783002 771451 9

Theatre is Fundamental For Our Society

ISSN1451-7833

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN THEATRE CONVENTION

CONTENTS

06 DAYTON BLUES

BY ZORAN PANOVIC Comment

26 CAN EUROPE RECOVER ITS YOUTH? Feature

49 GOODNESS, LOVE & DECENCY WILL SAVE THE WORLD DUŠICA LEČIĆ TOŠEVSKI neuropsychiatrist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU)

08 THEATRE IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR OUR SOCIETY HEIDI WILEY Executive Director, European Theatre Convention

27 BUSINESS DIALOGUE

12 CHANCE FOR A CHANGE H.E. RASHID HASSAN POUR BAEI Ambassador of Iran to Serbia

40 ENTREPRENEUR BUYS A BANK BUILDING THAT DENIED HIM CREDIT FOR HIS BUSINESS Entrepreneur

43 EMBRACE THE UNPREDICTABLE

54 CHILL OUT 56 FACES & PLACES 60 CULTURE CALENDAR 62 AFTER WORK

SANJA IVANIĊ Profile

16 GLOBAL DIARY

44 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ABORIGINAL ART Art

62 WHO SAID QUARANTINE COULDN’T BE CULTURAL?

18 AMONG NEW AND OLD FRIENDS Focus

@CORD_MAGAZINE

@CORDMAGAZINE

JOSEP BORRELL Feature

CORD MAGAZINE

“CorD does not criticise or critique. We are a place where people can inspire and be inspired by others”

CORDMAGAZINE

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs

Mirjana Jovanović, Miša Brkić, Ljubica Gojgić Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić, Miloš Belčević

ART DIRECTOR: Branislav Ninković b.ninkovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Maja Vukadinović,

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24 EUROPEAN STRATEGIC COMPLACENCY IS NOT AN OPTION

December

EDITORIAL MANAGER: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen

TRANSLATION & EDITING MRP EDITORIAL SALES MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović, v.vukajlovic@aim.rs Mihailo Čučković m.cuckovic@aim.rs

OFFICE MANAGER: Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs FINANCE: Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PUBLISHER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs

DIRECTOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o.

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Comment

Dayton

Blues A Japanese and a Bosnian man discuss life priorities, with the Japanese man saying: ‘For me, Japan is in the first place, family is in the second place, and the company I work for comes third’. To which the Bosnian responds: ‘For me, family is in the first place, the company I work for is second, and Japan only ranks third’.

BY ZORAN PANOVIC

B

ehind this joke lurks a question that journalists with a tendency towards cynicism stereotypically ask: “Is there a Bosnia-Herzegovina?” A quarter of a century after the signing of the Dayton Accords that stopped the war, Bosniaks still can’t get used to the essence of the existence of Republika Srpska, while Serbs and Croats perceive the initiative for a civil state as perfidiously aspiring for majoritarianism.

Bosniak elites seemingly don’t understand that Serbs still agree to the ‘technical’ B-H. Kosovo Albanians do not and would not agree to ‘technical’ Serbia in Kosovo, so here we have a constructive example of nonconformity between B-H and Kosovo. Although these parallels are generally forced – with the Republika Srpska entity serving to compensate for Serbian deficits – it is paradoxical that what concerns Kosovo Albanians might be a viable solution for Kosovo – and that is the ‘Republika Srpska’ of Kosovo, which would be called, for instance, the Community of Serb Municipalities. With this Belgrade would agree to a ‘technical Kosovo’, which is a functionally sustainable euphemism, while at the same time strengthening the ‘technical’, i.e. united, B-H, without the constant threat of devastation like a Gaza and two Transnistrias.

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There is no “narcissism of minor differences” in Serbian-Albanian relations as there is in relations between Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks. And this can also be a factor for relaxing relations. Former U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade Cameron Munter is not the only one who believes that B-H represents a more complex regional problem than Kosovo.

And this kind of dysfunctional but peaceful B-H has now lasted longer than the first Yugoslavia (kingdom), which endured for just 23 years (1918-41). But there is also anxiety over the fact that the Dayton peace is dependent on international constellations.

A selective reconstruction of history is embedded in dogmatised national narratives within B-H. With their paradoxes: prior to the outbreak of war in 1992, Bosniaks and Croats outvoted Serbs in an independence referendum, while in 2020 relations between Herzegovinian Croats and Messrs Dodik and Vučić provide the ideal political foundations for the “mini Schengen”, which Sarajevo and Podgorica are hesitant to endorse.

As Jimi Hendrix said: “Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel”. The same applies to the “Dayton Blues”: it is easy to speak in the inclusive phrases of the Brussels bureaucracy, but it is difficult to feel the reality of B-H and optimise it for sustainable development. Just

as it is absurd to expect Bosniaks in Sandžak to support the Serbian national football team when it plays against Turkey or B-H, so it is absurd to expect Bosnian Serbs to support B-H when it plays against Serbia or Russia.

However, it is not impossible to expect that one day Serbs will support B-H when it plays against Bulgaria or Germany, or Bosniaks will support Serbia when it plays against Greece or England. Civic standards can presumably even be achieved in the existing two entities.

Milorad Dodik criticises EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell for misunderstanding the essence of Dayton – in a column appropriately written for the anniversary of Dayton – he doesn’t mention entities and nations, rather only people!? This is actually the squaring of the circle, no matter how silly it may sound: connecting entities and nations with the people.

In a joint statement issued on the occasion of the anniversary, the three members of the B-H Presidency at least succeeded in agreeing to respect the victims, to commiserate with the victims and formally support Dayton.

Borrell arrived in Sarajevo for the jubilee, and - together with the B-H “troika” - symbolically reignited the European future, which appears deceiving given the infiltration of Turkish and Russian factors.

Interview Exclusive

HEIDI WILEY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN THEATRE CONVENTION

Theatre is Fundamental

For Our Society As a strategic partner of the European Commission, the European Theatre Convention (ETC) offers European theatres an international programme, promoting contemporary theatrical creation and supporting emerging artists

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By Ljubica Gojgić

POLITICAL VOICE

If our raison d’être can be taken away from one day to the next, it is very important to have a collective political voice in today’s society, to remain visible and relevant

T

heatre is one of the most widespread art forms in Europe. It has been the cultural sector’s most traditional and liveliest form of expression and human values for the past 2,500 years. Based on live intermediate interaction, language diversity and literature, the sector contributes significantly to Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity. In our current political times, when freedom of expression – in particular in the theatre – is often challenged in many member states and the European project is brought into question by nationalist and extremist movements, we need to reinforce a pluralistic and democratic culture, bridging cultures and languages, interacting with neighbours and others to encourage dialogue. Theatre allows us to do this, as an art form and in its public spaces, says ETC Executive Director Heidi Wiley, speaking in this exclusive interview for CorD. Ms Wiley, could you please tell us what the European Theatre Convention represents and how the need arose for it to be founded?

It was more than thirty years ago that three theatres in France, Belgium and Germany connected to establish closer ties for collaboration across borders, to exchange performances and co-produce new theatrical works. This was before the Iron Curtain fell, and it arose out of a desire to formalise existing relations between artists and theatres; for the theatre to manifest its important role within a community in bridging the gaps between cultures and countries.

THEATRE

Beyond entertainment, it also has a strong educational purpose, provoking our thoughts, our critical thinking and our social dialogue

and the European Theatre Lab, and we shared our research and experience via workshops, festivals and publications. ETC organises international theatre conferences twice a year that are open to members and non-members and address burning issues connecting society and the theatre through creative dialogue. Our next conference, taking place from 25th to 27th November, is dedicated to green theatre and sustainability.

Since the lockdown began, our online networking programmes – such as the online Coffee Break for members – helped us to continue exchanges of activities, ideas and concepts, keeping international contacts alive. The ETC also offers various grant programmes to support the work of its member theatres and individual artists seeking to pursue a career at the international level. The European Commission announced the launch of the European Theatre Initiative at the beginning of November, pledging to provide more strategic European support to theatres and the performing arts. Could you tell us more about this?

FREEDOM

As with everything else in life, if you destroy or banish something, it disappears. Structures and relations will dissolve

Theatre is one of the largest art forms in Europe.

For 2,500 years it has been the most traditional and liveliest form of expression, of human values, in the cultural sector. Based on live intermediate

Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, many theatres from the former Eastern Europe, as well as the rest of Western Europe, joined the European Theatre Convention (ETC), and it has today grown into an arts organisation that represents public theatres from nearly 30 countries

How many members does your network bring together, and what types of support and networking do you offer them?

Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, many theatres from the former Eastern Europe, as well as the rest of Western Europe, joined the European Theatre Convention (ETC), and it has today grown into an arts organisation that represents public theatres from nearly 30 countries. As a strategic partner of the European Commission, the ETC offers European theatres an international programme, promoting contemporary theatrical creation and supporting emerging artists.

ETC’s season programme, ENGAGE, has a focus on developing theatre practises that enlarge and widen audience participation, through youth, participatory and digital theatre works. We jointly initiated new international activity in those fields, through projects such as Young Europe, Our Stage

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Interview Exclusive tion. This paper stipulates the values, challenges and way forward for the theatre and performing arts in Europe, pointing out eight concrete areas of action.

It concludes the next steps for a continuous dialogue and support for the sector, in order to overcome the pandemic’s devastating impact and ensure the sector thrives. It stresses the importance of pan-European sectoral collaboration – which is about learning from and about each other, creating a strong common voice and enhancing the policy dialogue – to be continued, deepened and elevated to the next level. And it calls for a follow-up to the current sector-based and policy dialogue with the organising of the second European Theatre Forum in 2021 and the setting up of an EU support strand focused on the theatre and performing arts. How important is it that European theatres now have their own collective political voice?

ETC INTERNATIONAL THEATRE CONFERENCE interaction, language diversity and literature, the sector contributes significantly to Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity. In our current political times, when freedom of expression – in particular in the theatre - is often challenged in many member states and the European project is brought into question by nationalist and extremist movements, we need to reinforce a pluralistic and democratic culture, bridging cultures and languages, interacting with neighbours and others to encourage dialogue. Theatre allows us to do this, as an art form and in its public spaces.

The European Commission’s European Theatre Initiative has recognised the important value of theatre and created a strategic framework to address the most pressing challenges confronting the sector. With the recent European Theatre Forum, a sector-based policy dialogue has been launched. A second measure of the Initiative is the recently launched study to gather data on the situation of European theatres. On the basis of that information, more targeted sector-based support for theatre and performing arts will be created in scope of the Creative Europe Programme, in order to make theatre’s position as a key European art form visible, recognised and represented in Europe and worldwide, and to act as a revival response to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector. In accordance with this, the European Theatre Forum was held from 11th-13th November with the aim of creating a dialogue between representatives of theatres and performing arts and policymakers. What were the conclusions of this forum?

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We know the importance of theatre for our lives and communities, but also with a view to its enormous benefits in contributing to a sustainable culture, to social and economic growth and - last but not least - to the well-being of our citizens The Forum was the first gathering of theatre representatives and policymakers from all European countries and even beyond. In other industries, such as music or film, these dialogues and professional connections have existed for many years. As such, this Forum was quite powerful and brought together, for the first time, representatives of the largely fragmented theatre and performing arts sector, public institutions, individual companies and freelancers, festivals, independent production houses and academies, speaking for the first time with a unified voice in dialogue with policymakers.

A Consortium of twelve theatre and performing arts organisation worked for seven months to identify the key issues to be discussed in the forum’s programme and formulated the Dresden Declara-

The pandemic has shown – from one day to the next – that it is possible to shutdown all theatres, to stop all of our activities, to stop international collaboration in Europe and around the world. In other words, if our raison d’être can be taken away from one day to the next, it is very important to have a collective political voice in today’s society, to remain visible and relevant. At the national level, but also very much at the European level. Theatre is fundamental to our society. Beyond entertainment, it also has a strong educational purpose, provoking our thoughts, our critical thinking and our social dialogue. Discussions about systemically relevant sectors haven’t only demonstrated that it is important that we live, but also how we live. And the theatre is vital in ensuring part of this latter quality. Why is it important to preserve theatres during the period of the Coronavirus pandemic, when work has been limited in many European countries? How important is it to maintain their work during a period of restricted freedoms?

As with everything else in life, if you destroy or banish something, it disappears. Structures and relations will dissolve. Rebuilding those takes much longer and more effort than saving and fostering them. We know the importance of theatre for our lives and communities, but also with a view to its enormous benefits in contributing to a sustainable culture, to social and economic growth and - last but not least - to the well-being of our citizens.

Healthcare concepts have been developed to allow performances and rehearsals to continue. By taking all the measures necessary to prevent the virus from spreading, theatres offer safe and regulated environments for our audiences to engage. The National Theatre in Belgrade is also a member of the European Theatre Convention.

What are the most common projects in which cooperation unfolds?

It was a very strong signal when the National Theatre in Belgrade joined the ETC in June 2020, at a time when all theatres in Europe were under lockdown.This

It was a very strong signal when the National Theatre in Belgrade joined the ETC in June 2020, at a time when all theatres in Europe were under lockdown. This theatre joined us during our last conference, entitled ‘Reopening European Theatres’ theatre joined us during our last conference, entitled ‘Reopening European Theatres’, which concluded with a European campaign to lobby for the arts in Europe to save and support theatres. Those conferences have

JOANNA OSYDA IN URBAN WEEDS DIR. BY N. SOŁTANOWICZ, AT ETC MEMBER JK OPOLE THEATRE, POLAND (C) HAWA been, and continue to be - alongside our virtual meetings - a decisive juncture for our community to join forces and elaborate joint projects and joint visions.

The ETC European Theatre Academy, ETC’s masterclass for international collaboration in theatres, took place in June. Initially intended to be held at the Festival d’Avignon, this year it was also virtual – and included the participation of the National Theatre

in Belgrade. Contemporary theatre creation lies at the heart of ETC collaboration, as well as a desire to bring new viewpoints and perspectives from other parts of Europe into each other’s programmes. It is there to introduce new artistic voices and different forms of expressions, to use theatrical collaboration to expand our audiences’ horizons in the various communities in which ETC member theatres are based.

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Interview

H.E. RASHID HASSAN POUR BAEI

AMBASSADOR OF IRAN TO SERBIA

The U.S. unilaterally violated Resolution 2231 and withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. This action and the oppressive sanctions exert huge pressure on the economy and people of my country. However, it has also brought about an unprecedented political isolation of the U.S. in the world. Let us hope that the new president will return from this wrong path - Rashid Hassan Pour Baei

Chance For A

Change

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J

ust like the rest of the world, Iran has spent recent months battling against the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already claimed more than 40,000 lives. A successful response to this novel coronavirus requires global mobilisation and cooperation between countries, says Iranian Ambassador Rashid Hassan Pour Baei in this interview for CorD Magazine. However, he adds, the fight against the pandemic in Iran is also hampered by U.S. sanctions, which have limited the possibility of procuring medicines and equipment to help the sick.

By Ljubica Gojgić

JCPOA

The Iranian decision is known: the survival and full implementation of the JCPOA. The ball is now in the other party’s court

Your Excellency, considering that Iran has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the situation in the country like at present?

The Islamic Republic of Iran, like other countries, was somewhat taken aback by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, although Iran has significant medical potential. Our medical experts are among the most recognised in the world, with a high level of expertise. We are also doing well in terms of medicines and medical equipment production. We managed to keep the disease under control in the 1st and 2nd waves of the pandemic by using these capacities. However, the sanctions have seriously limited access to medicines and medical equipment.

On the other hand, major cities, such as Tehran, which has a population of some 15 million inhabitants, faced certain impediments that hampered limitations imposed in the long run. Unfortunately, the number of diseased and deceased from infection has increased in the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other countries, including Serbia, we are working hard to ward off the virus in this 3rd wave. Does Iran need some form of assistance from the international community in order to combat the pandemic; and, if so, has that assistance been forthcoming?

Irrespective of cause or origin, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a global threat and challenge. No country is safe and each country has to deal with it. The solution is joint global effort and collective action. Entanglement, mutual dependency and wide contacts and communication among all people hinder countries in independently achieving great success in fighting the pandemic. Iran has always voiced its complete readiness to form a global mobilisation. Meanwhile, Iran is no exception, it hasn’t just strived to use all of its resources to help, but also to welcome every assistance and cooperation. Regrettably, harsh and oppressive U.S. sanctions have prevented this interaction.The claims of U.S. officials that they are concerned or ready to

NAGORNO-KARABAKH

War and bloodshed cannot resolve border conflicts. In good faith, we urge both sides “to cease fire immediately”, and then to start a “comprehensive dialogue”

help the Iranian people in fighting COVID-19 are nothing but lies. They blocked all of our financial means for procuring medicines for the treatment of coronavirus infected patients and those suffering other specific diseases. The high number of deceased in Iran during the pandemic is a direct result of the U.S. sanctions. In today’s world peace, security, stability, progress, health and the prosperity of nations are mutually intertwined and inseparable. How would you comment on the outcome of the recent U.S. presidential election, which was said could be crucial for America’s relations with Iran?

Our strategy will not change whoever becomes the U.S. president. Of course, if someone in the White House should recognise the rights and interests of our people and our country, based on mutual respect, we would welcome that and respond appropriately Elections are internal affairs of every country. Our foreign policy is not based on the presence of either Democrats or Republicans in the White House.

Our strategy will not change whoever becomes the U.S. president. Of course, if someone in the White House should recognise the rights and interests of our people and our country, based on mutual respect, we would welcome that and respond appropriately. Biden’s coming to power could be a chance for a change and the reinstituting

COOPERATION

The two countries have good capacities to enhance cooperation in agriculture, industry, mining, construction, energy, petrochemicals, tourism and other areas

of respect and adherence to international norms, legal commitments and responsibility.

The Iran Nuclear Deal with P5+1, or JCPOA, is the most important diplomatic achievement of the past hundred years. The JCPOA was a guarantee of the interests of all participants in the Deal, and certainly a guarantee of regional and international peace and security, and its signing was supported by the UN Security Council. While Iran was fulfilling its commitments, the U.S. violated Resolution 2231 unilaterally and withdrew from the JCPOA. This action, and the oppressive sanctions, exert huge pressure on the economy and people of my country. However, it has also brought about the unprecedented political isolation of the U.S. around the world. Let us hope that the new president will return from the wrong path and revive the JCPOA, which was concluded during the time of President Obama and Vice-President Biden.

Iranian policy is based on a commitment to obligations, provided they are also fulfilled by all parties involved, while our approach is strategic patience and maximising all capacities for diplomacy. For this reason, after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA - and at the request of other JCPOA participants – we have waited for more than a year and fulfilled our commitments. The Iranian decision is known: the survival and full implementation of the JCPOA. The ball is now in the other party’s court. Iran recently presented a plan aimed at resolving the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Given its assumption that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is indisputable, can this plan be acceptable for the Armenian side?

The Iranian approach is regional security. We perceive the security of our neighbours as our security too. So, we are concerned by any military conflict between our neighbours. Iran is the only country in the region which has friendly relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, sharing some 800km of borders with them. It is normal that we

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Interview are more concerned than others and feel a greater responsibility.The Armenian foreign minister stated recently that Iran has a responsible and constructive position regarding regional and global security. At the same time, Iran’s plan points out Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and the protection of the interests and rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. Iran has strong foreign policy principles and is calling for peace, dialogue and cooperation within the region. The plan presented

by Iran calls for the preservation of the territorial integrity of the countries as fundamental principle of international law, while simultaneously calling for humanitarian aspects and discussion of the real interests of all sides involved.

War and bloodshed cannot resolve border conflicts. In good faith, we urge both sides “to cease fire immediately”, and then to start a “comprehensive dialogue”. As was the case during the 1992 crisis, we announced our readiness to mediate between the two neighbours. We believe that permanent peace can be only achieved through the political will of both Baku and Yerevan, and through the respect of territorial integrity and international regulations.

From the start of the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, we have consulted with regional countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia and Turkey.

We believe that the countries of the region suffer the most damage in this crisis and war.

Iran has always played a role aimed at creating a balance, not intervention, across the entire region, particularly in the South Caucasus. We are against any ethnic or territorial separation and conflict. Unlike some regional countries, we have good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. We believe that intervention by any country in the region, especially powers beyond the region, would worsen the crisis.

Our red line is our own security. We will never give up our national security, nor will we make any compromise with any country in this regard.

Iran supports the present ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, supervised and mediated by Russia. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Serbia go far back into the past. Based on your own experience, what could you say about bilateral relations between our two countries?

The relations between Iran and Serbia were established in 1937, hence the 80th anniversary of the establishing of diplomatic relations between the two countries was marked and celebrated in

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The Armenian foreign minister stated recently that Iran has a responsible and constructive position regarding regional and global security. At the same time, Iran’s plan points out Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and the protection of the interests and rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh Belgrade in 2017, with an exhibition of historical documents over an 80-year period on diplomatic relations between the two countries. Yet, according to some documents that are available, the history of Iranian-Serbian relations and initial political contacts date back more than 130 years.

Iran and Serbia, as two friendly countries, have always strived to act on the basis of mutual respect, to look ahead and, in this regard, resolve issues emerging between the two sides, which in

certain terms paves the way for more interaction and cooperation in regional and international domains.

The Serbian Government has always shown an interest in developing and strengthening cooperation in various fields of politics, economics, defence, tourism, culture, science and education, and in practise has taken tangible and important steps to prove its positive will. The cooperation process is affirmative and has improved over the years. For instance, since 2016 Serbia has voted in favour of Iran regarding the political resolution on the human rights situation in Iran. Meanwhile, Iran has defended Serbia’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

Although the international atmosphere after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reimposing of unilateral U.S. sanctions against our country has affected some areas of the two countries’ cooperation, including in the economy, the trade exchange volume has still increased in recent years, and we hope to see the further growth of trade and economic exchanges in future, with the positive approaches that the two countries have taken towards each other in the field of bilateral and international cooperation.

After the introduction of a visa-free regime and direct flights in 2017, the two countries saw an increase in tourist exchanges and business activities, but with the visa regime having been restored due to pressure from some European countries, conditions have changed and previous restrictions have been renewed. Comparative advantages and closeness of views in the field of international relations have always encouraged the continuation and development of cooperation between the two countries, even under difficult conditions.

The Cultural Centre of the Iranian Embassy, in cooperation with various cultural, academic and educational institutions of Serbia, has strived to broaden cultural cooperation and identify sociocultural capacities and joint characteristics.

The two countries’cultural and social similarities enable them to better understand each other by expanding cultural cooperation, such as through film, books etc., even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperation between the parliaments of Iran and Serbia was at an intensive level just a few years ago. Is that cooperation continuing?

In the past several years, parliamentary relations between Iran and Serbia had an acceptable trend, along with the relations in other sectors. During

these years we saw the exchange of delegations at the level of the two countries’ parliamentary speakers and heads of parliamentary friendship groups and foreign affairs committees. Last year we had a high-level four-day visit by the Iranian parliamentary delegation, headed by the Parliamentary Speaker, which held bilateral meetings and participated in the 140th IPU conference in Belgrade, which is considered a turning point in the two countries’ relations.

Parliamentary elections were held in both Iran and Serbia this year. We hope that the interaction and cooperation of these institutions will be promoted even further during the new convocation of both parliaments.

As people’s representatives and a place to express their will, parliaments can propose to executive authority in a large number of areas for bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and social fields. Iran has always supported the development of parliamentary relations and cooperation between the two countries. What is expected to be the fate of the free trade agreement between our two countries, which was announced in 2018 but has yet to be implemented?

With the aim of developing economic and trade cooperation, after several delays, the 14th Session of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation of the two countries was held in Tehran in 2015.

Subsequently, simultaneously with the abolition of the visa regime by the two countries, the 1st joint trade and investment conference of Iran and Serbia was held in Belgrade, in February 2018, and was attended by more than 150 businesspeople, providing a valuable opportunity to see the potential of the two countries in the field of trade and investment.

The 15th Session of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation of the two countries was held in Belgrade in June 2018. On the margins of this event, the 2nd conference on the two countries’ economic opportunities was held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and included the participation of businessmen from the private and public sectors of both Iran and Serbia, in the presence of trade ministers and presidents of chambers of commerce. This session of the joint committee envisaged the holding of the 1st round of negotiations on free trade between the two countries, which regretfully had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.We hope that, after the forming of the new

Subsequently, simultaneously with the abolition of the visa regime by the two countries, the 1st joint trade and investment conference of Iran and Serbia was held in Belgrade, in February 2018, and was attended by more than 150 businesspeople, providing a valuable opportunity to see the potential of the two countries in the field of trade and investment Serbian Government and the end of pandemic, the process of cooperation will be stronger and faster.

We’ve seen the promotion of trade between the two countries in previous years, but - given the existing capacity - this trend is not satisfactory. The two countries have good capacities to enhance cooperation in agriculture, industry, mining, construction, energy, petrochemicals, tourism and

other areas.These capacities, on the one side, and the interest of businessmen and companies in cooperation, on the other, are the reason why drafting a free trade agreement should be on the agenda of the two countries’ activities in areas of bilateral relations. The migrant crisis and EU rules that Serbia (as a membership candidate country) must respect, made it impossible to implement the agreement on a visa-free regime between Iran and Serbia. Can relations between the two countries, primarily economic relations, develop without that agreement?

The Serbian Government’s decision to suspend the visa-free regime for various reasons, including the migrant crisis and Serbia’s accession to the EU, excluded the possibility of relations between the two countries being facilitated, especially in the field of tourism and relations between the two nations.

Since the role of the visa-free regime is not basic, but facilitating, the basic and fundamental reasons for the development and promotion of relations were not damaged with the suspension of this regime.

Surely relations between the two countries, mainly in the economic sector, will remain on the path of improvement, even without the abolishing of the visa regime, as is the case with Iran’s biggest economic and trade partners, which are also countries with which we don’t have a visa-free regime.

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GLOBAL DIARY

“The global community must continue to build on the momentum we have created to prioritise the voices, experiences and needs of women and girls” – ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL

GERMANY TO IMPOSE TIGHTER COVID RULES AFTER HIGHEST DAILY DEATH RATE

EUROPE’S CIRCULAR ECONOMY ACTION PLAN As part of its Green Deal strategy to reach climate neutrality by 2050, the European Union recently unveiled a new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). The CEAP aims to redesign the way Europe’s economy works by transitioning from the traditional linear take-make-dispose model to a more circular system which would maximise the world’s finite resources. Business Planet speaks to Cillian Lohan, EESC vice-president and head of the Green Economy Foundation to see what a future Circular Economy might look like and asks what the EU’s strategy is likely to mean for both business and consumers.

Angela Merkel has agreed with the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states to extend and tighten measures against coronavirus until at least 20th December – and they are likely to extend them into January.

“This is absolutely not the time to sound the all-clear,” she told journalists, after the number of deaths from the virus reached a daily record.

However, rules will be eased over the Christmas holidays to let families and friends celebrate together. Germany imposed a month-long “lockdown lite” on 2nd November to rein in a second wave that is sweeping much of Europe.

Bars and restaurants are closed but schools and shops remain open.

From 1st December, private gatherings will be limited to five people. Over Christmas that number will rise to 10, not counting children.

WORLD MOURNS ARGENTINE FOOTBALL GENIUS The death of Argentine football great Diego Maradona prompted scenes of mourning around the world, with fans gathering to pay tribute to one of the greatest players of all time. The World Cup winner, a national hero in his home country, died following a heart attack on 25th November at the age of 60. At the Diego Maradona stadium, home to the Argentinos Juniors club where he played as a child and later made his professional debut, fireworks were launched and music was played.

Here fans of the club cheer Maradona’s name outside the stadium.

MAIA SANDU WINS MOLDOVA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Opposition candidate Maia Sandu has won Moldova’s presidential election after a run-off vote against the incumbent Igor Dodon.

With almost all the ballots counted, Ms Sandu has won 57.7% of the vote compared to Mr Dodon’s 42.2%.

Ms Sandu, 48, is a former World Bank economist who favours closer ties with the European Union. Mr Dodon, meanwhile, is openly backed by Russia.

Maia Sandu has scored an emphatic victory. Moldova’s former prime minister said that as president she would make it her priority to tackle corruption and unite the country.

She faces huge challenges, not least dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the economy. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. But this was also a vote on whether Moldova should look east or west. Maia Sandu favours closer ties with Europe.

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Focus

Has the pandemic created space for a shift in the influence of superpowers on the Western Balkans?

Among New And

Old Friends When the fear of COVID-19 finally lifts, we may find ourselves in a completely different world in many respects, including the foreign policy milieu. Relations between the Western Balkans and the EU, Russia and China may be redefined in this future world. How and to what extent isn’t entirely certain, though it seems that China is the biggest foreign policy winner.

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s it distasteful to question the political dimension of humanitarian action at a time when the second wave of the pandemic is raging? It seems that every mask is a respirator and that far-reaching assistance for the future recovery, December

in both health and economic terms, has its own foreign policy raison d’etre. However, our interlocutors view the indications of these changes and their impact on the Western Balkans in very different ways.

BOŠKO JAKŠIĆ JOURNALIST

PANDEMICS DON’T ENCOURAGE IDEALISM THE BATTLE FOR THE “HEARTS AND SOULS” OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE WESTERN BALKANS HAS NEVER STOPPED, AND COVID-19 IS JUST ANOTHER CATALYST

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here’s no doubt that we are living in the great turning point of the 21st century. The global health crisis has also led to the deepening of other crises. COVID-19 is trying to awaken the world and tell it that changes are essential if we want to build a socially just and ecologically stable future. The direction we go depends on our decisions.

No one was prepared for the battle with this coronavirus. And in the absence of coherent visions, institutions were unprepared to confront this extraordinary health challenge.

New internal and external confrontations have contributed more to the politicisation of the virus than the rapprochement that would be expected in times of global peril. Pandemics obviously don’t encourage idealism.

Donald Trump’s administration blamed China for everything. Then the U.S., as the country with the greatest number of infected people and proportionally the highest mortality rate, withdrew demonstratively from the World Health Organization.

China retaliated with aggressive “mask diplomacy”, attempting to deny the accusations and present itself as a major THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THE donor of humanitarian aid. Russia didn’t lag far behind in the DESIRE OF AUTOCRATS TO MANAGE PROCESSES propaganda war, highlighting the disorganisation of the West THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER THE in saving human lives, and more recently trying to prove the EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY OF THE MEDICAL superiority of its science by launching the first vaccine.

PROFESSION ARE ALSO DANGEROUS. WE LIVE IN

The European Union, the members of which showed an asAN ORWELLIAN WORLD tounding degree of selfish indifference and a lack of elemental solidarity at the start of the pandemic, is still repairing the damage to the reputation of its own community.

Various political players, mostly right-wing populists and nationalists with authoritarian ambitions, used the pandemic’s preventative measures to strengthen systems of control over people and institutions. The long-term consequences of the desire of autocrats to manage processes that should have been under the exclusive authority of the medical profession are also dangerous. We live in an Orwellian world.

And the whole time there is one question that lingers: what is more important - people or the economy? The pandemic caused thousands of billions of dollars worth of damage and revealed that the decades-long obsession of the world with economic growth was a mask for economies that proved incapable of ensuring social security. GDP is a deceptive measure of economic and social health.

Many painful lessons have not been learnt. Distrust has increased. Tragic experiences don’t help in the growth of mutual understanding. The struggle to preserve the human environment is suffering from the same symptoms.

When it comes to the Western Balkans, this area has never ceased to be a training ground for the struggle of influence between great and regional powers, and COVID-19 is just another catalyst. Nothing changed even during the medical struggle for the “hearts and souls” of the people of the region. The race for influence, which the pandemic has made its own modest contribution to, continues and the warning does not change: none of us are safe until all of us are safe.

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Focus

Has the pandemic created space for a shift in the influence of superpowers on the Western Balkans?

MARKO DAŠIĆ

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE – FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

CHANGES WILL BE NEGLIGIBLE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, IN THE SHORT TERM, THE PANDEMIC WILL LEAD TO AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE CURRENT PATTERNS OF THE MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS, RATHER THAN MAJOR CHANGES THAT WILL ALTER THE STRUCTURE OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY.

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nything other than a reliance on the theory, history and early data at our disposal would place us in the domain of irresponsibly forecasting events in an era of uncertain international relations. The force with which the COVID-19 pandemic occupied all sectors of social life and imposed new forms of crisis management justifiably leads to considerations regarding the long-term (geo)political consequences that the current crisis will generate and leave behind. And that is even the case from the perspective of the small countries of the Western Balkans. The frame of reference that I consider appropriate is contained in the question posed by Daniel Dresner. Coloured by counterfactual reasoning, the question is: what foreign policy outcomes would have looked different had it not been for the Coronavirus pandemic? The answer is: there aren’t many unknowns.

First, doubts have been renewed regarding the effectiveness of the World Health Organization’s multilateralism. It seems to me that it was intentionally forgotten that this international organisation doesn’t have the capacity to compel governments to do something. Its job of informing, advising, monitoring and providing technical assistance has not been carried out so poorly, although it is still early for a final evaluation.

THE FORCE WITH WHICH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC OCCUPIED ALL SECTORS OF SOCIAL LIFE AND IMPOSED NEW FORMS OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT JUSTIFIABLY LEADS TO CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE LONG-TERM (GEO)POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES THAT THE CURRENT CRISIS WILL GENERATE AND LEAVE BEHIND

Second, the election year, economic downturn and Trump’s management style in the United States, where the “Chinese virus” is to blame for almost everything, have fuelled distrust of the WHO and, at the bilateral level, China. The undemocratic management of the epidemic within China is the other side of the coin that produces similar and mostly destructive effects. Instead of creating space for discussion on potential solutions to the crisis, such a situation has caused a kind of blockade of action within the G7 and the UN Security Council, and the shifting of decision-making to state institutions. The side effects of this have been nationalism and protectionism.

In the Western Balkans, the answer to Dresner’s question would be that the changes are negligible. It seemed as though the ‘competitive generosity’ that produced a dilemma in the Serbian public - China or the EU - would have more far-reaching ramifications for Serbian foreign policy. The political outcomes of humanitarian activities have remained absent, at least for now. The situation was potentially complicated by the U.S. initiative embodied in the “Washington Document” and the announcement of a stronger economic presence, but in this case the situation is clearer: this is not a direct consequence of the pandemic. It seems to me that, in the short term, the pandemic will lead to an adjustment in the current patterns of the management of international problems, rather than major changes that will alter the structure of international society.

Historically, we haven’t seen a single-cause ‘collapse’ of the system.

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Focus

Has the pandemic created space for a shift in the influence of superpowers on the Western Balkans?

STRAHINJA SUBOTIĆ EUROPEAN POLICY CENTRE – CEP

ZERO-SUM GAME AND COVID-19 THE NOW FAMOUS STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF SERBIA THAT EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY IS JUST “A FAIRY TALE ON PAPER” HAS CAUSED A SHIFT OF GEARS IN THE GEOPOLITICAL COMPETITION. IN THIS GAME, AS CHINA GROWS, SO THE EU LOSES, BUT ALSO RUSSIA.

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zero-sum game is most often defined as a situation in which the gain of one player corresponds to the loss of another or other players. In the context of geopolitics and Serbia, this game has increased in intensity since Serbian decision-makers imposed the state of emergency as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They then revealed their cards when it comes to their cooperation with external actors. It was the pandemic in particular that revealed that this is actually a situation in which one player cannot win without the other simultaneously losing. So, in this game, as China grows, so the EU loses, but also Russia.

Specifically, the now famous statement of the President of Serbia that European solidarity is just “a fairy tale on paper” has caused a shift of gears in the geopolitical competition. In this context, China has emerged as the main winner and the EU is the main loser. On the one hand, this showed that distant China is actually very close, because it showed a readiness to increase its presence and an ability to project its influence in Serbia. On the other hand, if times of crisis show who can be trusted, the European Union then certainly gleaned that Serbia is not a credible partner, especially considering that its president kissed the Chinese flag during the reception of medical care from a country that’s characterised by the EU as a “systemic rival”. This is also recognised by the European Commission in its report on Serbia that was published in October 2020, in which it points out that during the time of the pandemic Serbia has had rhetoric that’s distinctly pro-Chinese and simultaneously Eurosceptic.

In realising that Serbia views the European perspective through the prism of transactions, and not through a pattern of values, the EU attempted to increase its geopolitical engagement and media visibility by announcing a stronger influx of investment. The key measures adopted by the EU in order to increase its level of influence are the financial assistance package of €3.3 billion for the Western Balkans in response to the pandemic, as well as the €9 billion Economic Investment Plan (in the period from 2021 to 2027). Regardless of that, for now the extent to which this will succeed in restoring the shaken position of the EU remains questionable, considering that none of that deserved the significant attention of Serbian officials and the media. In contrast to that, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s confirmation of his visit to Serbia means that Serbian-Chinese relations are only expected to continue growing.

THE PANDEMIC REVEALED THAT EUROPEANISM IN SERBIA IS JUST A THOUGHTFUL NOUN AND THAT THE EU WILL REMAIN A GEOPOLITICAL LOSER WITHOUT MORE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

However, geopolitical competition during the time of the pandemic didn’t only damage the image of the EU, but also the interests of Russia. Although it has long been considered that China and Russia can develop their influence in Serbia in parallel – Russia in terms of soft power and China in the economic domain – the pandemic showed that Russia is no longer the “favourite” foreign partner of Serbia’s decision makers. In other words, by shaping the official public discourse with the idea of “fraternity” with China, the president of China, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, while at the same time pushing Russian medical aid to background, Serbian officials made it clear to Russia that it no longer enjoys the same degree of importance as was the case during the past decade. Moreover, this also represents an attempt to reshape Serbian public opinion, in which Russia has traditionally enjoyed very high support, while China has generally lagged behind. Surveys show that this strategy has borne fruit.

Namely, the survey that was published by the Institute for European Affairs in March 2020 shows that a majority believe China is the largest donor to Serbia, with that number having doubled compared to the same survey conducted a year prior. In the same poll, the number of those who view Russia as the largest donor fell by ten percentage points. Additionally, a survey published by the Faculty of Political Science in May 2020 shows that, when it comes to the impact of international aid on fighting the virus, most respondents believe that Chinese medical care is of the utmost importance, placing Russia in second place. The same research shows that the number of respondents who believe that Serbian foreign policy should be more closely liked to China than Russia also rose by a few percentage points. Although Russia still has significant capital in Serbia, as a result of a high level of soft power, these statistics indicate that even Russia won’t be able to continue to acting towards Serbia in auto-pilot mode.

Considering all of these changes, which happened in a relatively short period, it is important to point out that the pandemic itself didn’t lead to a change in the geopolitical balance of power; it only revealed, or actually accelerated, what was already happening on the ground. Serbian-Chinese cooperation has been on the rise since 2009, when a strategic partnership was signed between the two countries, and it has produced the economic benefits that Serbian officials had been hoping it would. In contrast to this, the issue of Kosovo’s unresolved status remains a key determinant in Serbian-Russian relations. In that light, the more Belgrade shows a willingness to compromise on dialogue with Priština, the more murmurings there will be in relations with Moscow, especially bearing in mind that this issue is a key source of its blackmailing capital. Finally, the pandemic also revealed that Europeanism in Serbia is just a thoughtful noun and that the EU will remain a geopolitical loser without more active engagement.

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VLADAN MARJANOVIĆ JOURNALIST AT WEEKLY NIN

HOW THE EUROPEAN IDEA FADES IF WE SEE A CONTINUATION OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN WHICH ONLY POLITICIANS AND ATHLETES CAN SHIFT THE CONTINENT, AND IF THE PANDEMIC BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE SURVIVAL OF THE SCHENGEN REGIME, AS AN IDEAL EXCUSE FOR CLOSING BORDERS, THE ALREADY-FADED GLOSS OF THE EUROPEAN IDEA COULD BE DRAINED COMPLETELY.

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f the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on international relations were judged purely the basis of the headless global rush to procure as many respirators and protective equipment as possible, in all possible legal and illegal ways, during the time of the first wave of the spread of the infection, one could think that humanity is well on its way to ending up in some sort of sanitary version of a Hobbesian war of all against all.

Fortunately, it has been reaffirmed in the meantime that international cooperation and coordinated efforts to tackle collective threats like pandemics or global warming are the only way for the world to tackle such challenges. This is supported by encouraging news of progress in the development of an effective and reliable vaccine against COVID-19: regardless of the extent to which countries like China and Russia insist on developing their own vaccines, the greatest breakthrough to date has been achieved where international intellectual and material resources have combined.

Viewed in a narrower, European framework, especially from the perspective of countries that are not EU members but deONLY ONE COUNTRY HAS TRULY TRIED TO ABUSE claratively or really nurture such aspirations, a major problem - apart from economic disturbances caused by the pandemic THE PANDEMIC POLITICALLY IN ORDER TO everywhere - turns out to be presented by the closing of STRENGTHEN ITS OWN POSITION: CHINA national borders and consequent restrictions on the freedom of movement. Given that this measure only affects so-called ordinary people, it doesn’t carry the risk of disrupting interstate relations; but it does undermine the very idea of the EU - and, in a broader, Degolean sense, the whole of Europe – as a space where, among other things, the flow of people is unimpeded. If we see a continuation of the current situation in which only politicians and athletes can shift the continent, and if the pandemic brings into question the survival of the Schengen regime, as an ideal excuse for closing borders, the already-faded gloss of the European idea could be drained completely.

The multiply weakened capacities of the EU, overwhelmed by its own worries, have – under the conditions of the pandemic – created additional space to strengthen the influence of other powers in the Western Balkans. But here, like elsewhere in the world, only one country has truly tried to abuse the pandemic politically in order to strengthen its own position: China. Conditioning medical care with public expressions of gratitude, sending faulty equipment, aggressively promoting untruths about the treatment of patients in some European countries, even through official channels… All this came back to Beijing like a boomerang, in the form of the collapse of its international reputation; everywhere except in these parts, where different criteria apply, so such treatment is crowned with bizarre fraternisation.

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Feature

European Strategic Complacency Is Not An Option JOSEP BORRELL

EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY AND A VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION/PROJECT SYNDICATE

It is now more clear than ever that Europe must take its security, broadly understood, into its own hands. Doing so will not only secure the European Union’s proper place on the world stage, but will also ensure a healthy transatlantic partnership in the years ahead

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oe Biden’s election as the next president of the United States has raised hopes in Europe of putting the transatlantic relationship back on track. But there can be no simple return to the past.

Facing so many domestic and international challenges, the U.S. will value the transatlantic relationship only insofar as that relationship delivers actual value. A stronger Europe that shoulders a greater share of global responsibilities can ensure that it does.

There has been much talk of achieving “European strategic autonomy,” but what does that mean in practice? Autonomy should not imply total independence or

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isolation from the rest of the world. Rather, it refers to an ability to think for oneself

at the same time strengthening our alliances and preserving our commitments

There has been much talk of achieving “European strategic autonomy,” but what does that mean in practise? Autonomy should not imply total independence or isolation from the rest of the world. Rather, it refers to an ability to think for oneself and to act according to one’s own values and interests and to act according to one’s own values and interests. The European Union needs to achieve this kind of autonomy, while

to multilateralism and openness.

The EU is facing serious strategic challenges in today’s antagonistic international

environment, where geopolitical rivalries and great-power competition are on the rise. That is why, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel once bluntly put it, “We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands.” We must stand on our own feet.

For a long time, the debate about strategic autonomy focused mainly on security and defense. Some saw the discussion as an attempt to create alternatives to defense cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance; and some even took it to mean that America’s commitment to Europe had been called into question, and that a greater decoupling might be on the way.

But there is no question that NATO has played an indispensable role in European security. Any consolidation of Europe’s security capacity should be pursued within the alliance. As successive U.S. leaders have emphasised, Europe needs to increase its own contribution to defense, to militate against the perception that America alone is paying for transatlantic security. Although the Biden administration will bring a change in tone and a less confrontational approach, on the question of defense spending it will expect the same from Europe as its predecessors.

America’s core geopolitical interests will not change.

Fortunately, the EU is already working on several tracks to strengthen the transatlantic partnership. Under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) efforts, European NATO members are helping to address gaps in the alliance’s capabilities, and are working toward fulfilling by 2024 their commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense. Equally important, the creation of a new European Defense Fund (EDF) represents an important step toward

JOSEP BORRELL

To succeed, Europe must develop its own framework for monitoring and analysing threats, so that it can move quickly from threat assessment to operationalisation and response. That is why we are now developing a Strategic Compass improving the capabilities of Europe’s military industry.

But Europe’s security challenges go beyond NATO’s traditional remit. From the Sahel and Libya to the Eastern Medi-

terranean, there is no shortage of crises that demand a strong European response.

The task for the EU is to define a common position from which it can act in the interest of maintaining regional stability.

To succeed, Europe must develop its own framework for monitoring and analysing threats, so that it can move quickly from threat assessment to operationalization and response. That is why we are now developing a Strategic Compass.

It is crucial for the strategic-autonomy discussion to expand far beyond the issues of defense and security. As the COVID-19 crisis has shown, issues such as public health and economic interdependence are no less important.

Strategic autonomy is the conceptual framework that Europe needs to understand these issues and how they relate to one another. Viewed in isolation, face masks and medicines are not strategic products. But the strategic calculus changes when the production of such items is concentrated in just a few countries. The same applies to the sourcing of rare metals, social-media and other digital platforms, and technologies such as 5G. To help member states navigate these and many other issues, the European Commission has proposed a series of new instruments, such as the mechanism that went into force last month to screen foreign investments in the EU. But achieving strategic autonomy also will require intensive leveraging of the power of Europe’s single market. With its vast size and scope, the single market offers many instruments for safeguarding European interests with respect to critical infrastructure, foreign investment, state subsidies (from which certain foreign investors benefit), or dual-use (military and commercial) exports.

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Feature

Can Europe Recover Its Youth?

Overcoming Europe’s serial crises and the growing sense of hopelessness among young people will require leaders to stand together.

They must find the courage to invest and reform, demonstrate solidarity on key policy issues, and develop a clear vision of Europe’s place in the world

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one of us has a memory of internal European borders. Instead of collecting national stamps as children, we collected the first euros with different symbols of European capitals. Our generation has been thoroughly shaped by a united Europe.

But many young Europeans today are disappointed and frustrated by the European Union’s failure to fulfill its implied promises. The alarmingly high youth unemployment rates of 25-40% in countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and even Sweden provide more than sufficient reason for many to question the EU’s worth. Moreover, despite living in an era of peace and relative prosperity, our generation has grown up amid a multitude of crises: financial, migration, climate, and now the current health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

While the coronavirus was claiming its first lives in Bergamo, Italy in late February 2020, people were still singing at après-ski parties in the Austrian resort of Ischgl and celebrating Carnival in Cologne.

But as the pandemic spread rapidly across Europe, it soon became clear that individual nation-states could not conquer the virus or achieve economic recovery by themselves.

Instead, overcoming Europe’s serial crises and the growing sense of hopelessness among young people will require leaders to stand together. For starters, they must find the courage to invest and reform. European governments deserve praise for

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rapidly mobilizing huge sums of money to cushion the pandemic’s social and economic impact. And the EU’s planned issuance of common debt to finance its new €750 billion ($877 billion) recovery fund represents a huge step forward.

But other reforms must accompany these efforts. If the EU takes on common debt, then it also needs the ability to raise its own revenue in order to repay it, so that today’s investment does not come at the cost of future EU programs. The recently negotiated roadmap for new own resources is a good start and gives hope for real progress. It includes a tax on single-use plastic, an updated EU Emissions Trading System, and a digital tax to generate additional revenue. The European Parliament and the Commission now need to ensure that member states stick to their commitments.

Just as important, policymakers should link the EU’s recovery fund to the goals of the European Green Deal, and ensure that investment in areas such as basic research is not neglected in the understandable haste to emerge from the pandemic-induced downturn. After all, such investments are crucial to securing jobs and prosperity for future generations.

Today, the EU lacks this necessary long-term focus. Consider artificial intelligence. While the United States invested about $36 billion in developing AI between 2018 and 2019, and China around $25 billion, total EU private investment amounted to just $4 billion. If Europe is to prepare itself for

the future, it needs bold, targeted investments in green energy, digitalization, and other cutting-edge areas of research.

Europe must demonstrate solidarity on a range of other key issues as well. To be sure, the bitterness and disappointment that many Italians felt toward the EU early in the pandemic have now largely faded, especially since the agreement on the recovery package, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel affirming that, “As ever, what’s good for Europe is good for us.”

Austria, too, is no better off when other European economies suffer. On the contrary, its firms and citizens benefit from economic aid throughout Europe.

But European solidarity must extend beyond economic assistance and common debt, and also guide our actions on issues such as migration and climate change. With environmental catastrophes, wars, and poverty in the EU’s neighborhood likely to make the bloc’s asylum and migration challenges more severe in the coming decades, small or short-term steps are unlikely to work. True, the European Commission’s recently proposed new migration and asylum pact includes suggestions for protecting the EU’s external borders. But we need an integrated system that prevents tragic loss of life among migrants desperate to reach Europe’s shores, and establishes a long-term framework with clear competences and responsibilities.

Elisabeth Von Hammerstein, Claudia Gamon, Yana Ehm

Leaders’

MEETING POINT

NIKOLA MATOVIĆ, Executive Director of the Telekom Srbija Directorate for IT support and ICT services

DRAGOLJUB MILINKOVIĆ, CEO, Veterinarski Zavod Subotica

ALEKSANDAR ŠAJATOVIĆ, Account Executive, Adriatic region, Dell Technologies

Mobility Is Our Future

Century of Work, Century of Success

The Digital Future Has Arrived

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DEJAN ĐUKIĆ, Director of the Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS)

International School

Business Growth Is Our Goal

A Truly Different International Education

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NIKOLA MATOVIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TELEKOM SRBIJA DIRECTORATE FOR IT SUPPORT AND ICT SERVICES

Mobility Is Our Future Telekom Srbija, as the company that officially has the best mobile network and an impressive number of households that are able to connect to the optical network, provides its clients with all the prerequisites they need for quality work from any location

lenges. Unlike many branches of industry, which experienced a complete standstill in just a few days, telecommunications companies had a guaranteed job. No one was completely ready for a mass transition to working from home in a very short period of time, because the probability of such a thing was small, until it became an overnight reality. That’s why I’m positively surprised by research showing that, on average, companies organised work from home up to forty times faster than could have been expected prior to the pandemic.

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ur example has shown how important technological investments are, but also a commitment to improving operations through standardisation and certification, especially in the field of service management and maintaining business continuity, explains Telekom Srbija’s Nikola Matović.

What are the greatet challenges that were faced by the telecommunications sector during the COVID-19 epidemic?

The main challenge and goal of all of us is to preserve human health. Only when we succeed in that can we talk about other chal-

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How has the mass transferral to work from home impacted on your sector and the type of services that have appeared in your offer and among the competition?

The workplace has definitely transformed, in some respects probably forever. The quality of internet connection in our homes has become a very important topic for each of us, and the expectations of users are very high with regard to the quality of service we provide them with today.

By switching to remote working, increasing the use of collaboration tools and video conferencing, and increasing the amount of documents exchanged, users were able to better compare the quality of our services with those of other providers. They were also able to quickly assess whether the characteristics of the services they had previously used still met their needs, and

if the overall quality was only impacted by the “speed” of uploading/downloading, the amount of gigabytes available (in the case of mobile internet) or whether there are other existing parameters that significantly influence quality, such as availability or latency.

Which of your services for business are most in demand? In which areas have companies sought your support the most?

High-quality internet was the dominant demand of our users even before the pandemic, and that trend has since multiplied.

We have recorded much higher demand for mobile internet, so we responded to market demands through packages with a large amount of gigabytes and mobile modems, and all at a very affordable price.

In the area of cloud services, our virtual server packages have experienced a real expansion, along with requests for collaboration and office software tools. The expansion of the use of cloud solutions from this domain (Teams, Zoom, etc.) has shown how important it is to have local support.

When global services are at a standstill, there is little you can do other than wait for the problem to be resolved. In many cases, during the pandemic we offered the local support that we provide independently or in cooperation with partners free of charge, and a large number of requests for support related to remote access services, IPSec connections and the like.

Which types of communication have experienced the greatest spikes and why?

COVID is likely to put an end to the presence of desktops in most corporate environments, which will follow the increase in the number of mobile devices, phones and laptops in the work environment. Mobility has become a basic premise when choosing a device, which is of course reflected in the choice of services.

In the mts network, both in the landline and mobile networks, an increase in voice traffic was recorded, which could be compared to the spikes of New Year’s Eve, while growth of 100 to 250 per cent was also noted in messaging application traffic.

The internet reached the annual average growth rate of about 70 per cent in just one day, primarily in the landline domain, while in mobile services we experienced a lower percentage growth.

The home has also become a workplace, which has led to the dominance of WiFi internet access. Apart from that, we now spend much more of our free time at home, and thus use more internet and multimedia content for leisure, entertainment and private communication.

At no point did we restrict users or attempt to influence their habits in order to reduce the burden on the network. We were prepared to face the pandemic internet attack, thanks primarily to our employees and technological maturity. Through the proactive action of internal forces and cooperation with upstream internet providers, we ensured stable Internet access, because we were aware of its importance for all our citizens and institutions.

To what extent can current trends in the use of the internet for work lead to some longerterm conclusions being drawn regarding the need to improve the infrastructure at mts and generally?

Infrastructure is one of our most important resources. It isn’t possible to remain competitive in the telco industry without investment in this segment. Expansion of the physical capacity is an implied part of the planning process, and technologies and concepts that will be of greater importance

High-quality internet was the dominant demand of our users even before the pandemic, and that trend only multiplied during the pandemic

in the post-COVID period, and which we hope will further improve our business, are RPA (Robotic Process Automation), virtualisation at all levels, containerisation, next-gen security etc. With the applying of these concepts we shorten implementation times, reduce the risk of errors, ease administration and improve the elasticity of the system, which automatically impacts on the quality of service and customer satisfaction.

Domestic companies have not invested sufficiently in cyber security. How much attention do you pay to that?

Everyone has finally become aware of the fact that they could be attacked, the only question is when. Threats are complex and evolve quickly, so achieving absolute

protection is almost impossible. On the other hand, every investment in IT security significantly reduces risk, and any type of protection is better than no protection at all. Our company is investing intensively in security and the Security as a Service concept (SECaaS), i.e. the commercialisation of services in this domain. We can offer our clients numerous managed and unmanaged services, DDOS system protection, webmail and endopoint security, remote access security, as well as SOC and SIEM solutions. Offers are tailored according to the needs of our users and we expect a significant market presence in this domain in the future.

What plans do you have for the development of your sector within the scope of Telekom Srbije?

The coming period will be marked by the placing of an emphasis on improving the flexibility and resilience of companies, in contrast to the idea of achieving maximum efficiency in all segments. We will seek ways to improve the company’s resilience in a new way of viewing employees and the workplace, by improving collaboration platforms and other IT systems, automation, advancing internal competencies, strengthening partnership relations and diversifying technologies and services.

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“Let us work, with normal entry to your markets, let us abolish the borders between the region and the EU” – MARKO ČADEŽ, PRESIDENT OF THE SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

LOCAL NEWS

MLEKOPRODUKT EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR OF STARBUCKS READY TO DRINK COFFEE Mlekoprodukt has become the exclusive distributor of “Starbucks ready to drink” coffee for Serbia and Montenegro, which means that, by the recognizable Starbucks coffee with milk, you don’t have to go to the Starbucks store, it is waiting for you on the shelves of better stocked stores and gas stations.

You may have tasted Starbucs coffee in one of the 26,696 stores worldwide, or from now in Serbia too.

The Starbucks brand dates back to 1971, whose coffee is known for its quality, because it is produced from the highest quality Arabica coffee beans.

GENERALI OSIGURANJE AWARDED FOR ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CLIENTS AND ASSOCIATES DELTA HOLDING NEW OWNER OF SAVA CENTER The sale of the largest congress center in Serbia, “Sava Center”, was completed in November through a public tender. The new owner of Belgrade’s Sava Center is Delta Holding, which bought the largest congress center in the country at a public tender at a starting price of 17.54 million euros.

Delta Holding says that they are satisfied with the outcome of this tender and that it will invest 60 million euros in the reconstruction of the Sava Center, and the world’s best designers in the field of congress tourism will be commissioned in the renovation.

Generali Osiguranje Srbija is the winner of the prestigious medals “We value our clients” and “Top excellence”, awarded by the international organization ICERTIAS within the “Friends of Clients” program.

ICERITAS rewards companies for outstanding relationships with clients and associates. To qualify, nominated organizations undergo strict ICERTIAS scrutiny and client evaluation. The reputation of the company among clients, employees, business partners and the general public, communication, user experience and trust are analyzed.

Dragan Filipović, President of the Executive Board of Generali Osiguranje Srbija, said on that occasion: “I am proud of my team because it is committed to building customer relationships and improving our services.”

SERBIA AMONG THE TOP FIVE COUNTRIES IN BLOCKCHAIN EXPERTS Serbia is among the world’s leading countries in the development of blockchain technologies, and for its further development and competitiveness it is necessary to work on a legal framework that will enable safer and faster application of these technologies, further investments in development and access to finance, it was concluded at the Blockchain Summit of Serbia and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), which was held with the aim of improving the cooperation of companies in innovative and fast-growing technologies. The summit was opened by Marko Cadez, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and President of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Hamad Buamim.

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“By far the best tool that Serbia could use to strengthen its economic growth is the digitisation of the economy, government and society” – H.E. ANTHONY GODFREY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Placements postings

&

appointments@aim.rs

SINIŠA KRAJČINOVIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BSCC SERBIA

Mr Siniša Krajčinović started his career as an athlete who competed at an international level, ultimately becoming one of the most prominent people in Serbian sport. He was the President of the Sports Union of Serbia for eight consecutive years and was also the Acting Secretary for Sport and Youth in the Republic of Serbia.

Mr Krajčinović has over 30 years’ experience as a Director in both public and private sector. He was also CEO of several international companies which are some of largest investors in Serbia. Recently, he was in charge in making key decisions in one of the largest real estate investment companies in Serbia.

MICHAEL SHANNON , NEW GENERAL MANAGER OF HYATT REGENCY BELGRADE

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW MERCEDES-MAYBACH S-CLASS The 18 cm longer wheelbase compared to the long variant of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class entirely benefits the rear. The focus on the rear area.

This is underlined by even more refined appointments. The massage function of the calfrests on the Executive seats is a new feature. The First-Class Rear has been extensively upgraded. The neck/shoulder heating in the rear is another comfort feature.

On request, the exclusive appearance of the Mercedes-Maybach SClass can be enhanced by a two-tone paint finish with dividing line. This is applied by hand according to the highest quality criteria. Distinguishing features at the front include the distinctive bonnet with a chromed fin and the Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille with fine, vertical chrome pinstripes. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class also differs from other models when viewed from the side: the rear doors are wider, and the C-pillars feature a fixed quarterlight. A Maybach brand logo on the C-pillar underlines the exclusivity.

Michael, a hotelier with over 25 years of experience, joins the hotel from Hyatt’s regional office in Zurich where he held the position of Regional Vice President, Hotel Openings, responsible for the oversight and ensuring the commercial success of Hyatt’s new and re-branded hotels in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Southwest Asia region. Highlights of his 4 years in the role include the openings of the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, Andaz Vienna, Andaz Munich, Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, Park Hyatt Doha, re-branding of the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz and many others.

Michael, a Canadian national, began his hotel career in Germany and has since lived in 12 countries working in various operational roles including Divisional Director and General Manager assignments across EAME and Australia. Prior to his time at Hyatt, Michael spent almost 22 years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts serving as General Manager with Sheraton, W Hotels and Le Meridien brands before becoming Director of New Builds & Transitions EAME. In his current role, Michael is responsible for the hotel’s strategic direction and all aspects of its operation.

MAXENCE LIAGRE, NEW CEO OF MPC PROPERTIES

Mr Liagre is a leading global real estate expert with more than 20-year experience managing and leading shopping centers around the world. Prior to joining MPC, his extensive experience includes co-founding and co-managing the Bosphorus Real Estate Fund together with Merrill Lynch, working for the American shopping centers leader company Simon Properties for 10 years and starting Reval – his own real estate company which then became a joint venture with the international real estate company Sonae Sierra.

Mr. Liagre has been involved in different consulting missions for numerous real estate companies and has vast experience in all aspects of commercial real estate, thus pushing him to seek new challenges where he can express both his managerial competences together with his industry know-how. As the new CEO of MPC Properties he leads on the company’s consolidation and future expansion route.

MARJANA DAVIDOVIĆ, NEW CEO OF NESTLÉ SERBIA

Marjana Davidović garnered a huge experience in Nestlé by massively contributing to the rise of the sales sector. She began her career at Nestlé in 2007 as a Manager for Sales Development, moving to the position of Director of Sales in 2013. Her excellent results recommended her for the position of CEO for NESCAFÉ in Nestlé Poland.

The new CEO of Nestlé Serbia has assumed the position on 1 November. As some of her main goals, she emphasized achieving full market potential, continued growth in all segments, additional adjustment to the current situation, as well as a new round of help for companies greatly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19.

Marjana is a mechanical engineer, married, and has two children.

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DRAGOLJUB MILINKOVIĆ, CEO, VETERINARSKI ZAVOD SUBOTICA

Century of Work, Century of Success Veterinarski Zavod Subotica, which is celebrating its centenary of successful operations, will continue to work hard in the years ahead, developing all three product segments to improve the health of animals, investing in equipment and personnel

I

n the struggle against diseases that impact on the lives of animals and humans at the global level, we must be stronger in the battle, utilising national resources and developing our own capacities, and we will be helped in that by our synergy with the Labiana Group, announces Veterinarski Zavod Subotica CEO Dragoljub Milinković You have ahead of you a major, significant anniversary – a hundred years of the existence and successful work of Veterinarski Zavod Subotica. Where does this veterinary institute stand today on the business map of Serbia and the region?

Completing a hundred years of operations is a great honour for our company and team, and simultaneously represents a great obligation, while imposing on us an additional responsibility to continue working hard and developing. It is very significant that during this jubilee year we’ve become part of the Labiana family, which is one of Europe’s leading companies in the industry dealing with animal health. Operational continuity based on the fundamental principles and values that we share with the Labiana Group represents the foundation of our further development, and we want to contribute to animal health in accordance with the “One Health” concept, thereby showing our concern for human health at the same time.

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When it comes to Veterinarski Zavod Subotica, we must mention that it is an indispensable factor in the livestock sector of our country, but also the entire Balkan region. We want to maintain and develop this position even further, but also to create new values and share them with our partners and clients.

Your synergy with the Labiana Group, a leading Spanish pharmaceutical company, has presented you with new business challenges. Now that your Institute is a member

of a large group, how do you see its further growth and business development at both the national and international level?

The greatest strength of our company is its people, their knowledge, energy and integrity, and respect for partners and the market is thus the most important element to us.

That’s precisely why we work constantly to advance our employees and thereby create the foundations for collective progress. We create a motivating environment that will ensure young people want to join our team, which will inevitably enable their further

professional development and progress, together with the company. Our strategy focuses on attracting and retaining talent, through their personal and professional development. We set high standards and in return strive for our employees to identify with our company’s values and principles.

In this we’re provided with very significant support from Labiana, thanks on the whole to its 60 years of experience and work in the European Union and other parts of the world. Working side by side with professionals from the Spanish company will ensure that we improve our own organisational efficiency, share experiences, strengthen quality control and system development, and participate jointly in the service production market, as well as in future research and the actual development of products.

With the aim of securing opportunities for quality growth, in the first half of 2021 we will launch investments in a completely new microbiological and control laboratory, which will correspond fully with the European Union’s most demanding standards.

In which directions do you envisage the growth Veterinarski Zavod Subotica? How are your innovation potentials now that you are operating from within the Labiana Group?

Synergy with Labiana not only opens up the possibility of us entering new markets, but also the possibility of realising all other potential areas of our company, and there are many of them. Our huge potential in the development of new vaccines and products that will be of great importance for animal health is based on the very long tradition, of both ourselves and Labiana, in the production of vaccines and medicines for use in animals.

Synergy with Labiana also provides us with several important platforms for further development, such as preserving and growing the domestic market and Veterinarski Zavod Subotica’s significance in combating animal diseases in Serbia and the Balkans, then conquering new markets through the wide range of our common product portfolio and upgrading the business through the development of

new products, primarily in the segment intended for preventative animal health, i.e. vaccines.

You have the tradition, knowhow, experience and determination to become a dominant player in the field of organic production at the international level. What will you focus on specifically, considering that vaccines are part of the visionary focus of the Labiana Group?

In the first half of 2021 we will launch investments in a completely new microbiological and control laboratory

The vision of our company is to increase our importance and our influence in biological production and the application of vaccines in animals, through the synthesising of the domestic and international knowledge that Labiana possesses. The investments that we’re preparing are therefore directed towards realising our plans. It is inevitable that vaccines are our core product, and that they’ve become the greatest challenge in our plans for growth and development.

They are among the most important health

measures and continue to bring the greatest benefits, both for humans and for animals.

It is important to emphasise that we are striving together with Labiana to achieve a common goal, which is to become the world standard as a global company in the animal health sector.

The great global pandemic that we’re still dealing with occurred as the result of a virus passing from animals to humans...

The trend in the animal health industry is preventative action in protecting their health, and in that sense our company endeavours to contribute to that process.

We see our contribution in cooperating actively with state institutions in Serbia, as well as in joint work on controlling the emergence of diseases and responding preventatively in the implementation of animal health protection.

The pandemic that hit the whole world has once again reminded us that the concept of the “One Health” approach to animal and human health is of vital importance. In the struggle against diseases that impact on the lives of animals and humans at the global level, we must be stronger in the battle, utilising national resources and developing our own capacities.

It is therefore essential to learn every day, in order for us to emerge from these situations with experience that will prove useful to us in our further work. That’s also why we look forward to new challenges.

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“The biggest challenge faced by small and medium-sized businesses today is access to finance, which was already challenging for many small companies before this crisis began.” – CHRISTOPH SCHÖN, PRESIDENT OF THE MONTENEGRIN FIC

REGIONAL NEWS N.MACEDONIA

WESTERN BALKANS

SUMMIT IN SOFIA Important Steps Taken to Advance Regional Cooperation to Boost Socio-economic Recovery and Convergence with the EU. The European Commission welcomes the commitment expressed today at the summit in Sofia by the Western Balkan leaders to further strengthen regional cooperation as a way to advance on their European path. The region’s positive response to the Economic and Investment Plan, its commitment to enhanced connectivity and endorsement of key initiatives such as the establishment of a Common Regional Market, the launch of a Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and further support to Roma integration will help accelerate the post-pandemic recovery by spurring on sustainable economic growth.

REWARDS MEDICAL WORKERS WITH DOUBLE SALARIES The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, shared on his Twitter account that he would reward medical workers dedicated to the fight against COVID-19 with a double salary.

Prime Minister Zaev wrote on Twitter: “I take my hat off to everyone who is participating in the fight and we must not forget to reward them.” That is why they will be paid two salaries.”

ROMANIAN

PM PROMISES MORE AID TO HORECA Romanian prime minister Ludovic Orban said he favored extending the technical unemployment benefits to the firms subject to operating restrictions due to the pandemic for another six months (by mid-2021), News.ro reported.

Separately, the Government will discuss in the first reading the draft bill for a general subsidy paid to owners of HoReCa companies, which will cover 20%

of the drop in their incomes in 2020 compared to 2019.

PM Orban and economy minister Virgil Popescu discussed this state aid scheme with HoReCa representatives. This state aid scheme should compensate the losses registered by the companies in this sector due to the health crisis. The Government will launch it after approval by the European Commission.

CROATIAN

LARGE EASTERN CROATIAN COMPANY SEEKS STRATEGIC PARTNER Spacva, an Eastern Croatian company from Vinkovci, received a letter from Quaestus Private Equity Capital. The latter is the owner of four million shares, which is a 75.81 percent stake in Drvna industrija Spacva, and the letter stated that this was to be the last year of the fund’s participation and that actions regarding the exit from ownership and the sale of Spacva’s shares had begun.

Davor Doric, a member of the Management Board of Quaestus Private Equity, didn’t want to comment on the process of exiting the fund because, as he says, these are sensitive processes.

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ALEKSANDAR ŠAJATOVIĆ, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, ADRIATIC REGION, DELL TECHNOLOGIES

The Digital Future Has Arrived Technological development has been driving human progress – world poverty rates have dropped sharply, the number of illiterate people among youngsters has fallen by four million worldwide, while the number of people without access to banking has fallen by more than two million. A major role in that, among others, has been played by Dell Technologies

C

ompanies need to be ready to take huge strides on the path to their own digital future. The challenges remain, and the next disruption could be at our door, explains Dell Technologies’ Aleksandar Šajatović, revealing how his company is handling these and other challenges.

Many companies are dealing with digital transformation and new technologies. What distinguishes Dell Technologies?

What distinguishes us in digital transformation is a transition that transcends technology and the fact that we are focused on the evolution of people and processes in creating a new culture with which we support our business partners and customers. Unlike some companies, Dell Technologies is focused on business results. We promote and support an open architecture that utilises the existing investments of our customers. We have the most complete vision and offer, including a strategy, planning, data science, infrastructure and implementation. And we have been doing this for decades. No other company can make data work better than us, because we understand better than anyone else how to scale, manage and utilise large data sets.

It is increasingly certain that the pandemic will result in everyone having to adapt to new, different conditions for doing business. But aren’t there also positive sides to all of this?

A need emerged during the time of the pandemic to transform the workforce in order to maintain the same level of productivity, while it was enabled for people to work from any location, accessing applications and data anywhere and at

Initiating change in IT and business processes means creating new ways of working, and people sometimes resist change due to their nature anytime, along with improved productivity and worker satisfaction.

In the next year we plan to continue helping our customers adapt and creating a new way of working for their employees.

From Dell Technology’s relevant product portfolio, the three basics of the service family that enable the transformation of workforces and help increase productivity are: VDI and end-user computing, digital workplace portals, communication and collaboration.

Initiating change in IT and business processes means creating new ways of working, and people sometimes resist change due to their nature.

How can we step into the digital future in the easiest and fastest way? How can your company help us in that?

Even decades after the start of digital transformation, digital organisations don’t know how to mature further. Technology has helped to define the human experience for centuries. By 2030, the partnership between humans and machines will have become deeper, richer and more extensive than ever before. We will be able to overcome our own limitations and open our lives up to new possibilities. As technologists, we have a deep impact on reshaping the way people work, live and play. Just look at how you called a taxi 10 years ago, booked airline tickets or reserved a hotel room... There was no Siri or Alexa to answer your questions; we’ve seen a transformation in business financing, technology and the workforce.

We are a testing ground for technologies that drive human progress. We helped the Cloud come to the fore, redefined the core and created an advantage in work. Every organisation should today be a digital organisation – driven by data and launched in a world of more clouds. The digital future has arrived and will only become more intense.

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DEJAN ĐUKIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE SERBIAN NATIONAL INTERNET DOMAIN REGISTRY FOUNDATION (RNIDS)

Business Growth Is Our Goal The Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS) harmonises its operations with best practices, implements new services, provides the most modern ways of protecting data etc. RNIDS is one of seven world registries whose domains have not experienced operational interruptions since becoming visible on the internet.

T

he pandemic has led to a slight increase in demand on our market, ensuring that the number of registered .rs domain names in the first six months of this year is slightly higher than in the same periods of the previous three years, says Dejan Đukić, director of the RNIDS Foundation, speaking to CorD. You spent a year as the acting director of RNIDS, but you were recently named as its full director. Congratulations! We’re sure you have major plans for this foundation where you’ve spent over a decade?

Thanks for the congratulations! It is an honour, but also a challenge, to be selected as the director of an organisation that performs such an important job as managing the registry of national internet domains and infrastructure of special importance. The aim is to preserve the stability and growth of operations, but also accompanying trends and the best practices of our industry, improving and perfecting certain processes and services. We will maintain the flawless functioning of our technical services, both for registrants and partners, authorised registries, and we will also work on adapting rules and policies to new international and domestic legislative trends.

In accordance with our activity as a foundation, we will strive, more intensively than has been the case to date, to work on encouraging use of the internet in business and education regarding successful and desirable practices.

We plan to intensify our participation, as well

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as to utilise the expertise of our professionals to contribute even more to the work of international organisations that manage internet infrastructure, such as ICANN and RIPE. How does the .срб domain rate? What does the register of national internet domain names that’s managed by the RNIDS “say”?

Although there is fierce competition among generic domains, the .rs domain is the first choice of registrants in Serbia. The fact that the number of .rs domain names has been growing steadily year on year testifies to the fact that businesspeople are aware of the advantages provided by the national domain, primarily when it comes to doing business on our market and positioning websites in searches. As you know, search engines still give preference to sites with domain names of the countries in which, or for which, searches are conducted. In a survey that we conducted recently, the .rs domain was characterised as reliable, good for business purposes and secure. When it comes to the Cyrillic .srb [.срб] domain, growth is much more modest, because it shares the fate of all internet domains with internationalised names (IDN).

However, significant efforts exist in the international community to popularise use of the internet in the native language and script, and to entice technology giants to fully respect existing standards and protocols that allow equal use of other scripts in addition to the English alphabet.

People from RNIDS have been engaged in several different working groups that have addressed this issue, and I’m currently personally engaged in a working group that deals with improving the use of Cyrillic domains, which is part of a global initiative to improve the use of internationalised domain names.

Cyber security is as important as physical security in the real world, and one of your jobs is to protect the infrastructure you manage and the domain names themselves.

What does that encompass in total?

RNIDS is one of seven world registries whose domains have not experienced operational interruptions since they be-

came visible on the internet. In order for the service we provide to registrants of the .rs/.срб domains to be flawless, a complex mechanism exists for defending and preserving the infrastructure we manage. However, considering that almost two thirds of all hacker attacks on the internet are realised via manipulations of the DNS service, i.e. domain names, RNIDS has made several types of protection available to registrants of the .rs/.срб domains.

These include as many as three ways to lock domain names that protect against the attempts of hackers to take control of websites, and during the year we’ve enabled the DNSSEC digital signing of domain names.

Thus, we are one of the few registries in the world that provides all of these possibilities of domain name protection to registrants, because we believe that businesspeople not only protect their busi-

We believe that businesspeople not only protect their business by protecting their domain names, but also their clients

ness by protecting their domain names, but also their clients, and using the internet is thus rendered safer for all of us. Of course, these services are available to all users, regardless of whether they are engaged in economic activity.

There is no job or sphere of life that hasn’t been impacted – either positively or negatively – by the pandemic. What has the coronavirus outbreak brought you?

I honestly doubt that the pandemic has brought anything positive to anyone. The only thing that can be called positive in all of this, conditionally speaking, is that the process of digitising commercial and state services has been accelerated. Practically

“overnight” something was completed that would have taken up to several years under normal circumstances. When the pandemic one day passes, those services will still be there – returning to the old ways will be neither possible or necessary. Moreover, the pandemic is a kind of agility test for all businesses, and still requires exceptional powers of adaptation.

Our organisation has – given the nature of the activity, but also existing plans for business continuity - reorientated to working outside the office without major adjustments, in a very short period, without that impacting in any way on the quality of services or internal processes.

On the other hand, there has been a slight increase in demand in our market, so the number of registered .rs domain names in the first six months of this year is slightly higher compared to the same period of the previous three years. Under the conditions of urgent digitisation that domestic companies have embarked on, we’ve endeavoured to provide help to beginners in navigating digital waters and launched the site domen.rs, which is a kind of knowledge base for establishing a business presence on the internet, where businesspeople can, through an array of content by reference authors, find useful advice on how to build their online business presence on stable foundations.

Does this mean that we aren’t lagging behind the developed world in this area?

Without exaggeration, one could say that not only are we not lagging behind the rest of the world, but we are also on a par the world’s most successful registries, primarily in terms of the speed and automation of the domain name registration process, then mechanisms for protecting domain names from the aforementioned cybercriminals, but also mechanisms for the protection of rights. In connection with this last element, a specialised body exists in Serbia that resolves disputes arising in connection with domain names out of court, while methods of collecting and processing personal data are harmonised with domestic and European regulations and practises.

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“The introduction of three new Macs featuring Apple’s breakthrough M1 chip represents a bold change that was years in the making, and marks a truly historic day for the Mac and for Apple,” – TIM COOK, APPLE CEO

WORLD NEWS CHINA

SHANGHAI RISES TO BECOME WORLD’S MOST CONNECTED CITY

USA

ELON MUSK BECOMES WORLD’S SECOND RICHEST PERSON Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has topped Microsoft founder Bill Gates to become the world’s second richest man after a meteoric rise in his personal fortune.

Mr Musk’s net worth jumped by $7.2bn (£5.4bn) to $128bn after shares in his car firm Tesla surged.

Only Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is richer, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

It comes after news Tesla shares will be added to the S&P 500, one of the main share indexes in the US. That triggered a fresh wave of buying of the electric carmaker’s shares, sending the company’s market value above $500bn and boosting the value of Mr Musk’s holding in the business.

Tesla is already the most valuable car firm in the world, despite producing a fraction of the vehicles of rivals such as Toyota, VW and General Motors.

Shanghai has dethroned London to become the world’s most connected city as the coronavirus shakes up international travel.

London has seen a 67% fall in connectivity in air travel, according to airline industry body IATA. Shanghai has risen up the ranks, and the world’s four most connected cities are now all in China.

IATA says the pandemic has “undone a century of progress” for connectivity between cities.

“The dramatic shift demonstrates the scale at which the world’s connectivity has been re-ordered over the last months,” said Sebastian Mikosz, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Large transport hubs including London, New York and Tokyo have been hit hard by the dramatic reduction in flights in and out of their cities.

FRANCE

FRANCE UNVEILS ‘HISTORIC’ €100 BILLION ECONOMIC STIMULUS The French government unveiled a €100 billion stimulus package to kickstart its economy hit hard by the global COVID-19 health crisis.

Prime Minister Jean Castex claimed the revival plan had “historic ambition and scope”.

“In proportion to the national wealth, it is the most massive recovery plan announced to date among the major European countries,” he said.

He added that €100 billion was the amount needed “to regain our pre-crisis level of wealth by 2022” and that “the absolute priority is employment”.

FRANCE

WINEGROWERS WARN OF 25% DROP IN SALES OF ‘BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU’ Every November, the opening of Beaujolais Nouveau marks the arrival of a new season in France. It is normally an occasion for celebration. This year, with the closure of restaurants, exports are down and sales have been stifled.

But with centuries of experience behind them, some French vineyards have reason to feel hopeful.

Pandemics and conflicts are not unfamiliar to Maison Loron. The story of this dynasty started more than 300 years ago. Their expert knowledge extends over several dozen hectares, chateaux and estates. And around half of their wines are exported abroad.

A 25% drop in sales is expected this year. But winegrowers intend to limit that fall, with consumer purchases for home and for take-away sales in restaurants.

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A Truly Different International Education The International School is the most state-of-the-art Cambridge secondary school in the country and the region. Lessons in this Future Ready school are exclusively in English, in accordance with the highest educational standards set by the prestigious University of Cambridge.

The Cambridge education standard offers the perfect model for developing students with the highest academic and professional aspirations in the 21st century. The International School provides truly different students with a truly different education.

INNOVATIVE TEACHING PRACTICES FOR TOP-QUALITY EDUCATION If you are looking for a school committed to nurturing young minds with a high success rate, the International School is the perfect choice for your child. The teachers are dedicated mentors and excellent educators, who use interdisciplinary and creative lessons to encourage their students to foster their curiosity, develop their research skills and become diligent and successful students.

The teachers use innovative methods and cutting-edge technology designed to help your child learn in a different and interesting environment. This approach allows students to not just reach their potential, but surpass it.

This is precisely why one of the students with the highest scores on this year’s Cambridge exams opted for the International School: “I chose the International School because it enables me to study abroad and my current A-Level results allow me to do so”.

Lessons at the International School are the perfect blend of practice and theory.

The students have at their disposal state-ofthe-art technology, interactive classrooms and a unique Distance Learning Platform.

CHOOSE AN INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC FUTURE OF YOUR CHILD The key to International School students’ success lies in the fact that everyone at the school is dedicated to their holistic development. The students enjoy a wide range of extracurricular activities and the clubs and workshops are designed to en-

hance and develop the students’ personal and academic competencies.

Visiting lecturers, presentations of prestigious local and international universities, and a curriculum that meets the highest education standards make the International School the perfect starting point for studying in the country or abroad. In addition, thanks to the school’s unique curriculum, your child can obtain internationally recognized Cambridge diplomas. Studying at the International School will enable your child to acquire 21st-century skills and become a versatile academic ready for new challenges and a bright professional future.

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Enterpreneur

Entrepreneur Buys A Bank Building That Denied Him Credit

ADAM DEERING

Today Adam is a respected businessman who has developed companies such as Hanover Insolvency and Pride Planning 40

December

‘Revenge is sweet’. Adam Deering, 39, bought the bank building that denied him credit to start as an entrepreneur, the financial institution alleged at that time that the entrepreneur “was very young and inexperienced.”

“So last week I bought the bank building where I was turned down for a loan at age 21!” The British businessman wrote on his Instagram account.

Nearly two decades ago Adam, a resident of the city of Urmston (England, UK), created a business plan and made an appointment with the bank manager to discuss how to open an account and obtain a business loan.

“I had no money to buy a desk or a chair, so I spent four months on the floor,” writes Adam on his Instagram.

“I’ve always firmly believed that if you work hard enough to achieve your dream, then anything is possible.

“I quit my job as a salesman aged 21 because I knew I had it in me to create a successful business, but I didn’t have a penny to my name, so I needed a bank loan.

“I presented them with a comprehensive business plan and asked for £10,000, but the bank manager didn’t seem to take me seriously at all.

“I’d put my heart and soul into the business plan, and I remember having my fingers crossed under the table as I nervously waited for the manager to go through it.

“Before entering the bank I prayed because I had no cash and had no idea how I would fulfil my dream without it,” explains Adam. However, after a slight glance at the entrepreneur’s business plan, the woman

I presented them with a comprehensive business plan and asked for £10,000, but the bank manager didn’t seem to take me seriously at all

who was the manager at the time denied him the loan.

“I was devastated when she told me I was too young and inexperienced, and there was no way they could take a risk on me.”

At that moment Adam felt “humiliated, frustrated and sad” and worst of all, he did not have a plan B. The businessman had already quit his job, and with savings

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Enterpreneur Having spent £450,000 to purchase the premises, he will spend another £500,000 to develop eight apartments and one retail unit.

He added: “Building a business from scratch certainly isn’t easy and there are always times when you wonder if it is going to work out.

Buying the bank building in his hometown of Urmston carries a degree of emotional significance, but Adam has exciting plans to turn it into a mixed retail and residential scheme “The key is to stay true to your vision and keep going; there will always be hurdles to overcome.

“When I was turned down for the loan, it was tough, but because I had a dream and I was so focused on achieving it, I made it happen anyway.

“To me, buying the bank building brings things back full circle, and it shows that I was right to keep believing in myself.” he had paid the first quarter of rent for an office, he also got a loaned phone line to call potential customers.

With resilience, this entrepreneur managed to grow his debt management company, and in 2014 he sold it for five million pounds (6.4 million dollars). According to the Ladbible outlet, Adam is now a respected businessman who has built million-pound businesses such as the debt management company Hanover Insolvency and the funeral home Pride Planning.

He uses his rags to riches background to inspire others as a motivational speaker, while he also holds a property portfolio worth millions of pounds.

Buying the bank building in his hometown of Urmston carries a degree of emotional significance, but Adam has exciting plans to turn it into a mixed retail and residential scheme.

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PROFILE

Embrace the unpredictable Little did I know that 33 years ago, when I was handed the French flag at the opening of the European Championships in figure skating in Sarajevo, that flag would be mine to carry for life

SANJA IVANIĊ, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE FRENCH-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

I

was born in Belgrade, but lived around the former Yugoslavia, spending the last years of our Yugoslav life in Sarajevo. It was in 1992 that I left the city that was under siege with my sister, and I wandered Europe seeking a place to stay. From Croatia to Czechia, from one refugee centre to another, we didn’t feel welcome anywhere, until we arrived in France.

The first thing they told us upon arrival was “You girls have to go to school, you need to continue your education“, which was exactly what our parents told us when we’d left home.

And that was it – despite not having with us the diplomas to prove which grade we were in (“we trust you”), despite not speaking French (“you will learn”), before we knew it we were quoting Voltaire and eating roquefort at the end of a meal as though we’d never known sarma.

And while our country was falling apart, along with everything we loved, we both plunged ourselves into our studies. I was good at maths and languages. I studied engineering and literature, but somehow

ended up working in business intelligence and loving it.

I also loved living in Paris, and still do.

But when, 19 years after my arrival, I heard that a French chamber was opening in Belgrade, that seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.

I’m very lucky to have been working at the Chamber from the start and to have been able to build it up from scratch.

That was difficult, as I was working alone, but it also gave me incredible freedom in creating.

Embrace the unpredictable!

Life has a way of taking you to places you never dreamed of, despite all the plans you might have made, so better fasten your seatbelt and take the ride.

And you never know, you might get lucky and end up somewhere like Paris.

My job is very interesting: I work both for our members, for whom we organise events, advocacy, PR, etc., and for French companies in France that are interested in the Serbian market, for whom we carry out market research studies, identify clients and suppliers, or even open factories...

We may not be the biggest chamber today in terms of numbers (my fellow Frenchmen are still shy when it comes to the Serbian market), but we organise the most events and are the friendliest community – completely subjectively speaking, of course. One member told me some time ago that the CCIFS is the perfect combination of business and hedonism – so there you have it, the best definition of the French chamber ever, and precisely what make us different from everybody else.

The past couple of years proved particularly successful for the CCIFS. We had some major French companies launching operations in Serbia, as well as president Macron’s visit and ever more members joining us. But then the Coronavirus pandemic came and stopped us all in our tracks.

Not for long though: like every crisis, this one is also an opportunity for something new to emerge, and we did that – digital transformation everywhere, new formats, new events, a new us.

I believe 2021 will be an extremely exciting year. I know we will be able to restart and capitalise on what we acquired before the pandemic and combine both old and new tools. I’m looking forward to it.

In conclusion: embrace the unpredictable! Life has a way of taking you to places you never dreamed of, despite all the plans you might have made, so better fasten your seatbelt and take the ride. And you never know, you might get lucky and end up somewhere like Paris.

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Art

10 Things You Should Know About Aboriginal Art 44

December

A

Aboriginal art is the oldest form of artistic expression in the world

rt cavings found in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land dates back at least 60,000 years. Using soil and rocks, artists are able to produce carvings, ground designs and paintings. Here, we explore everything you need to know about Aboriginal Art. In 2007 iconic Aboriginal artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjrri sold his painting Warlugulong to the National Gallery of Australia for an astounding $2.4 million. Only two months prior, Emily Kame Kngwarreye had sold her work Earth’s Creation to a private buyer for $1.56 million, a record for any Australian female artist. To understand Aboriginal art, you first have to understand its symbolism, iconography and meticulous rules.

ONLY AN ABORIGINAL ARTIST CAN PRODUCE ABORIGINAL ART It seems obvious, but Aboriginal art is only considered Aboriginal if painted by someone

who is of that origin. A non-Indigenous Australian does not have the authority to paint an Aboriginal piece of artwork. Where the artist comes from will inform how the painting will look. Since a non-Indigenous artist is not from a particular tribe, that person cannot represent any form of Aboriginal art. But this does not mean that all other ethnicities are banned from creating their own artwork.

DOTS USED TO HIDE MEANINGS FROM WHITE AUSTRALIANS Dot painting originated from the time of white settlement when they feared non-Indigenous people could understand secret knowledge held by the Aboriginal people. Double-dotting obscured any form of meaning but was still discernible to Aboriginals. It has now become one of the most well-known style techniques, particularly from the Western Australian tribe, Pintupi.

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Art

Aboriginal Art

SMALL DOTS DO NOT EQUAL ABORIGINAL ART Aboriginal art requires its own education. There is an abundance of knowledge that must be learnt before engaging with a piece of Aboriginal art.

Most Australians and tourists might think it is just dots and fine lines. This is a myth. Only artists from certain tribes are allowed to adopt the dot technique. Where the artist comes from and what culture has informed his/her’s tribe will depend on what technique can be used. It is considered both disrespectful and unacceptable to paint on behalf of someone else’s culture. It is simply not permitted. For example, the Kulin Nation, which encompasses five different tribes, may not be allowed to use the dotting technique as it is not in their tribe’s culture, but they can use a technique such as cross-hatching.

EACH ARTIST HAS THEIR OWN STORY TO TELL All Aboriginal artwork tells a story. Most art is based on the artist’s individual journey, which may be about their parents, adoption, warriors or daily life chores such as fishing. In rarer cases, the art is reflective of their tribe or captures the heartache of the stolen generation.

Artists need permission to paint a particular story Aboriginal artists cannot paint a story that is not from their lineage. If they are seeking to paint a story concerning historical or sacred information, they must be given permission before they can proceed. It is important that each artist sticks to the stories and artistic techniques born from their tribe.

ABORIGINAL PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A WRITTEN LANGUAGE Some artwork speaks in the English language, with words and phrases such as ‘stolen land’, ‘racism still exists’ and ‘everything stolen’, for example. This is due to the fact that Aboriginals do not have a formal written language. The artwork is very central to Aboriginal culture because it is a visual story. Without words to communicate, pictures take its place. Aboriginal languages in spoken form do not exist like they once did either. Each tribe has a dif-

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ferent dialect; therefore, each artist has a different story. There are about 500 different Aboriginal languages; so, no two Aboriginal artworks are ever the same, and it comes as no surprise that there are so many varieties of techniques. It is a reflection of the individual artist.

SYMBOLS ARE CENTRAL TO ABORIGINAL ART As Aboriginal artwork is a form of visual storytelling, each tribe has symbols that relate to meaning. There are iconic symbols too, which are relevant to multiple tribes and include eagle feet, waterholes and digging sticks. Colours can be linked to meaning as well, but this is rare, and only some tribes can understand what colours relate to which meaning. Blue tones (to represent the ocean) and warm tones of brown and orange (to represent the earth) are most commonly used. The symbols can also be used for teaching purposes, catering to both children

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Art

Aboriginal Art

and adults. Depending on the audience, each piece of iconography will differ in meaning, but the essence of the story will be the same.

ABORIGINAL ART HAS A MEANING FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES Like art, Aboriginal language has a multitude of layers, each speaking to a different audience. The first initial layer speaks to the public or children in basic form; the second level is directed to the general audience, mainly adults; and the last and deepest level speaks on a spiritual or ceremonial level. As an Aboriginal artist, one must comprehend all three levels to portray the visual story in its most detailed form.

ABORIGINAL ART IS NOT REDUCED TO PAINTINGS Even though most Aboriginal art is in the form of painting, there are many pieces of art created using other media. For example, there is a high demand at the moment for monoprints, which are single prints using natural rock sediments such as ochre (pronounced oak-er) and acrylic oils mostly. For example, artist Dan Kelly, on the

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Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, likes to burn symbols onto wood to create his artwork.

Other wooden artwork includes weaponry, boomerangs and plates.

U-SHAPE SYMBOL MEANS A PERSON In Australia, most primary schools learn the basics of Aboriginal art. One of the most com-

mon Aboriginal art symbols is U-shape, which means person. Where did this meaning come from? Artwork pre-white settlement, and even during settlement, mostly took place in the sand.

When a person sits in the sand and then stands up, they leave a U-shape imprint. This is the theory most adopted from galleries and museums.

Source: theculturetrip.com

My life

Dušica Lečić Toševski,

By Radmila Stanković

neuropsychiatrist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU)

GOODNESS, LOVE & DECENCY WILL SAVE THE WORLD

Dušica Lečić Toševski is very active and respected in the World Psychiatric Association, and is credited with the Institute for Mental Health in Belgrade being recognised worldwide as an institution that provides all types of treatment in a modern and extremely well organised way. Here she analyses this time of fear caused by the pandemic and offers valuable advice on how to fight the stress that everyone is exposed to December

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My life

Dušica Lečić Toševski,

neuropsychiatrist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU)

S

he was simply a wonder child, a prodigy. She enrolled in the first year of school at the age of six and was the top pupil of her generation, the Vukovac, the recipient of three Dragon Awards for poetry and the October Award for literary work. During her schooling at the Third Belgrade Gymnasium High School she won first prize in the city’s physics competition and first prize in the national competition for the Russian language. She successfully trained in handball at ORK Belgrade! She played the violin and sang in the choir.

She completed her medical studies with an average grade of 9.77! It was with the greatest achievements that she marked years of work at the Institute for Mental Health in Belgrade, which she led with great success, resulting in the building in Belgrade’s Palmotićeva Street becoming recognised worldwide as “an institution that provides all types of treatment in a modern and extremely well organised way”. She was among the most beloved and respected professors of the Medical Faculty in Belgrade, appeared as a guest lecturer at many world universities and was a very active and respected member of the World Psychiatric Association. She is one of the few women to become a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts – SANU. And when it comes to testifying about herself, Dušica Lečić Toševski (68) says: “I believe that the child is father to the man, as William Wordsworth wrote in the poem My Heart Leaps Up, with which he revealed the importance of childhood long before psychoanalysts. According to the Hindu belief, every child comes into the world with the Atman, the divine spark, universal self. The Atman leaves the child with the closing of the fontanelle, the two soft spots on its head (no later than 24 months after birth).

“It is believed that we spend the rest of our lives searching for the return of that divine spark, with natural piety, on the path of maturing the personality. As in Wordsworth’s poem - “And I wish my days to be bound each to each, by natural piety”. The very act of conception and birth represents a miracle of miracles, and the repeating of the original act of creation.

“There is no more dilemma about what

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I do not divide SANU membership by gender. No one objects to the French Academy - the genius of Marie Curie, winner of two Nobel Prizes, wasn’t admitted into the French Academy of Sciences is more important - nature vs. nurture. How someone’s life will unfold depends on both nature (genetic basis) and upbringing. And while nature is partially unchangeable, it can be influenced by environmental influences (epigenetic factors), which are multiple, of course.

“My childhood consisted of three intertwined works - learning, reading literature and play. Those three parts never stopped being important to me. Working without expecting the fruits of one’s actions is a basic principle of karmic yoga, which, of course, I didn’t know initially, but I practised it later and have adhered to that throughout my life. Learning didn’t represent a difficulty for me; I didn’t have the

ambition to become the top student of my generation - like everything that happened later, that only followed my commitment to everything I did, my obedience. I started reading early and couldn’t imagine my existence without books. I later gained the opportunity to pass on the knowledge I’d acquired as a teacher and mentor to many generations of undergraduate and doctoral students.”

Medicine wasn’t her only choice. She was interested in physics, mathematics, literature and philosophy. She loves language and its purity, especially our own Serbian language, which she considers as being perfect. She deals with translations, not only of professional textbooks (seven) but also literature (six). We should soon see the publishing of her latest translations - the fourth edition of the book Jung and Hesse – The Hermetic Circle by Chilean writer Miguel Serrano, the second edition of Selected Essays by Wystan Hugh Auden, as well as one of Borges’ stories and several of his poems: “Due to my various interests, I wanted to study physics and philosophy. Marie Curie was my idol as a child – a large poster displaying her picture was on my wall during my early years of schooling. And now her picture is in my studies, both at home and at SANU. After high school I spent a year in London, learning English. The greatest help in my search for a professional identity at that time was provided by my future husband, then a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Medicine who considered that medicine should be my choice. He was right. I found all my interests in medicine, especially later in psychiatry.”

She devoted herself with love to the study of medicine, and the only thing she didn’t handle with ease was autopsy classes on the subject of pathology. This, along with the yoga she practises, influenced her to spend several years as a vegetarian, until she became pregnant with her daughter Tara. After completing her medical studies she spent two years working as an assistant professor at the Institute of Physiology. The students awarded her the April Award for the Best Assistant. She conducted research for her master’s degree: “I recognised within me a strong desire to dedicate myself to patients and clinical medi-

WITH DAUGHTER TARA

cine, instead of animal experiments. I suddenly realised that psychiatry was my choice. I applied for a contest announced for a clinical doctor of the Psychiatric Clinic of the Clinical Centre of Serbia, which was then located on Avala.

This determined my further academic destiny and satisfied my desires (to combine rational empirical research and contemplative nature).

Psychiatry is the most noble medical discipline for me, as a combination of science, healing skills, philosophy and art. The choice of profession is often unconscious. The fact that my name is associated with psychiatry was revealed to me by a manic patient (in manic states people have rich associations by similarity) when one morning, as a young specialist, I paid a visit to the Department, and she told other patients: “This is Dušica Lečić, she treats my soul” [duša means soul and lečitii means to treat]. And, indeed, the name is a sign (nomen est omen).

“The noun psychiatrist comes from the Greek ψυχίατρος (ψυχί - soul, γιατρός – healer).”

She says that she has never had a problem with being a woman when it comes to proving herself professionally and advancing:

Apart from the pandemic, there has also been an infodemic, which also impacts on increasing the sense of helplessness and prevailing fear, which is easy to control from the side “God determines what gender and race we will belong to. Everyone carries within them two principles - female (Anima, Yin) and male (Animus, Yang). It is essential to have a balance between these principles (Yin and Yang) on the path to the realisation of the Whole, the Tao. Or on the way to Ithaca, which was so beautifully described by Constantine Cavafy in his poem Ithaca. Being a woman is a gift. Every woman, in addition to the stated principles, contains the great mother Eva (calm, consecrated), but also Lilith (seductress and rebel). I recognised

both in the literature – those are Eva and Edwina in Hamsun’s Pan, Tereza and Sabina in Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Natalya and Aksinia in Sholokhov’s And Quiet Flows the Don.” However, for SANU, which she entered as a correspondent in 2009 and has been a regular member of since 2015, it is especially true that it doesn’t favour women.

However, CorD’s interlocutor is determined: “I do not divide SANU membership by gender. No one objects to the French Academy - the genius of Marie Curie, winner of two Nobel Prizes, wasn’t admitted into the French Academy of Sciences. The first woman to achieve that was Marguerite Yourcenar, and that was only in 1980, and to date there are only nine such women members. Isidora Sekulić was selected as a correspondent member of the Serbian Royal Academy in 1939, and as a regular member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences in 1950, as the first female academic.

And she was not chosen because she was a woman, but because of her exceptional creativity.

It’s important that SANU has never accepted someone who didn’t deserve it, and it’s certainly made a mistake about some. But it wouldn’t be good for SANU to accept members for the sake of gender equality.”

For this successful and special woman, the best way to defend women’s rights in today’s Serbian society implies maintaining the individual and collective principle of women. And the best way to conquer men is with femininity: “Extreme feminism is toxic and I think it has brought great harm to women. In modern times, in Western cultures, it seems as though everything is aimed at erasing the elementary, natural differences between men and women.

There are movements aimed at abolishing the eternal, necessary, evolutionary dance between the sexes and the destruction of masculinity, so it wouldn’t be strange for opposing movements to appear for the protection of men. Every woman brings the divine spark of creation by giving birth.”

A question that’s often posed is - what is the mental state of the nation? And sensationalism and generalisation is often prompted in response.

As a distinguished neuropsychiatrist and official expert of the World Health Organization on mental health, Dušica turns to the current state

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My life

Dušica Lečić Toševski,

neuropsychiatrist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU)

of mental health in Serbia during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic: “The situation in a country depends on many factors, including economic ones.

However, so-called rich states are not free of the diseases of their citizens, both physical and mental. The level of development and availability of the health system is essential to maintain the health of society, as well as prevention (the goddess Hygiene is more important than Panacea, prevention is more important than treatment), and the improvement of mental health.

“Health for all, the dictum of the World Health Organization, is an ideal, utopian goal. This has especially been shown by the Coronavirus pandemic. The polarised world has been united by a pandemic that has shown all the weaknesses and fragility of homo sapiens, as well as that “no man is an island” as John Donne wrote in his wonderful 1624 poem Meditation 17. No one is spared, and it is not known “for whom the bell tolls”. Apart from the pandemic, there has also been an infodemic, which also impacts on increasing the sense of helplessness and prevailing fear, which is easy to control from the side. No one was ready for the current pandemic, and in their arrogance and the anthropocentric world, in which man thinks he doesn’t have to fear for his soul, people imagined that the rulers of the planet are in search of material goods and superficial, transient values.

“Despite the spread of the virus, in which no one is safe, individualism and fear for survival have grown. The term social distancing was introduced, completely mistakenly, because a person cannot survive without social contacts, except for the small number of happy monks on the Holy Mountain and in the ashrams. This relates to physical distance that is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus and which, inevitably, deprives everyone of the expression of basic emotions, for which touch is important (as well as for the survival of the species), especially in countries like ours. Restrictive measures are necessary, but not the ones that were introduced in our country at the beginning of the epidemic – the total lockdown of people aged over 65 was absolutely unacceptable and very harmful.

“Mental health protection changed sig-

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Extreme feminism is toxic and I think it has brought great harm to women. In modern times, in Western cultures, it seems as though everything is aimed at erasing the elementary, natural differences between men and women nificantly during the course of the epidemic.

Healthcare services must be focused on emergencies. Physical distancing, and often also social distancing, among some people with mental problems impacts on everyone, especially those who are emotionally unstable, extroverted and in need of contact. An epidemic crisis, quite naturally, causes existential fear, and as the pandemic has continued for a long time, there are experiences of helplessness,

hopelessness, apathy or rage, particularly among vulnerable people who lack adequate coping strategies, as mechanisms for overcoming stress. All of this can develop into depression. No one has been spared. The young are impacted because they are deprived of direct and immediate manifestations of the joy of life, while the older are impacted because they are deprived of freedom in the time they have left until they meet their maker. It is clear that the existential fear caused by the virus has for many also amplified the fear of literal survival, due to poverty, closures and the halting of work. There are also many problems because the health services – which are aimed at treating patients with COVID-19, while preventative and control examinations and treatment of numerous other conditions have been neglected and take place only in emergencies. This effects everyone except the small number of privileged people who are able to secure treatment in private hospitals.”

Our country seems to have been united by the fact that, during the first wave of the pandemic, a total ban on the movement of the elderly was introduced under the pretext of “protecting the lives of parents”, when in fact it was done to protect the health system from the hospitalisation of people who often have multiple associated diseases: “Freedom of movement is a basic human right, according to Article 13 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Even convicts in prisons are permitted to take a daily walk! That stigmatising, discriminatory, dehumanising measure was a measure against human dignity. It should be added that locking up the elderly (otherwise the most disciplined and responsible section of the population) endangered their physical and mental immunity.

Such locking up, introduced with the intention of saving lives, can actually destroy lives. And while the healthcare system has perhaps been saved temporarily, and although the elderly may have remained safe from the virus for almost two months, due to forced passivity and probable co-morbidity (which could not be controlled by medical examinations), serious consequences are possible. and no one will be able to count the victims.

“Isolation of the elderly is a measure of social Darwinism, which dictates that the

depends on preferences and possibilities.

Whether someone dedicates themselves to cooking, tidying their house, cleaning their yard, handicrafts, writing, praying, meditating or something else depends on their inclination. It is useful to structure each day, as well as the upcoming week, month. Continuously monitoring the news is stressful and should be reduced to a reasonable level (once a day, for example, to obtain basic information about the epidemic). Physical activity is, of course, also essential – walking for half an hour a day is enough. Among the large number of books that I’ve read during recent months

WITH ACADEMICIAN DR. VLADETA JEROTIĆ

youngest and strongest should survive. In the narcissistic modern age of ageism, when only being young and successful is acceptable.”

Many laypeople believe that COVID-19 will have major consequences for people’s mental health. Dušica confirms that the Coronavirus pandemic already represents a source of chronic stress. Whether consequences will arise and what they will be – like everything in nature – depends on many factors: “There can be many consequences for mental health: anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome (especially among healthcare workers), the exacerbation of previous mental disorders, family problems, abuse of alcohol and anxiolytics, self-destructive and heterodestructive behaviour etc.”

How can one protect oneself from the fear of COVID, how can we fight COVID, and in this we don’t only mean the obligatory masks

that are naturally implies? CorD’s interlocutor provides the following answer: “The best definition of mental health was provided by Sigmund Freud – a mentally healthy person is able to both love and work.

Freud was engaged to Martha Bernays for four years. He had to secure his employment status and earnings to be able to get married, and he was poor, borrowing money from his older colleague Josef Breuer. His letters, like everything he later wrote, are literary works of the highest order (Freud didn’t receive the Nobel Prize he deserved, but he did receive the Goethe Prize for Literature). In one of his letters to his fiancée, he wrote “let’s love and work together”. This dangerous virus is mostly beyond our control, except for individual physical protection measures that are known to everyone. It is essential to return the focus of control inwards, towards one’s own personality.

Work, of any kind, is essential and, of course,

Despite the spread of the virus, in which no one is safe, individualism and fear for survival have grown. The term social distancing was introduced, completely mistakenly, because a person cannot survive without social contacts, except for the small number of happy monks on the Holy Mountain and in the ashrams is also the Camus work The Plague, a book that I received from school in my early days.

Each re-reading enables new discoveries. The pandemic seems frightening and shows the helplessness of man to influence his destiny and the absurdity of the modern world, and Camus describes that in this masterpiece.

However, everything comes to an end, the pandemic will pass, with casualties, unfortunately. When asked how the plague can be defeated, Camus answers – with decency, and for him decency means everyone doing their job. And I believe that goodness, love and decency will save the world.”

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CHILL OUT EGYPT

Egypt Unveils Ancient Coffins Egyptian antiquities officials announced the discovery of at least 100 ancient coffins, some with mummies inside, and around 40 gilded statues in a vast Pharaonic necropolis south of Cairo.

Colorful, sealed sarcophagi and statues that were buried more than 2,500 years ago were displayed in a makeshift exhibit at the feet of the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.

Archaeologists opened a coffin with a well-preserved mummy wrapped in cloth inside. They also carried out X-raying visualizing the structures of the ancient mummy, showing how the body had been preserved.

GERMANY

Porsches That Didn’t Make Production Revealed Porsche has produced some absolutely stunning cars in recent years. From the jaw-dropping 918 Spyder hypercar to the svelte Taycan electric vehicle, the German car maker’s design team has had far more hits than misses. But there are models that have been brought to the drawing board in the last decade that haven’t made it to production, for one reason or another.

For the first time, Porsche has revealed - all at once - 15 cars that didn’t make the cut, from crazy spin-off variants of existing models to track-inspired hypercars... and even a van. We’ve taken a detailed look at our six favourites from the line-up.

SPAIN

Spanish Veteran Mountaineer Trains For Himalayas Travel restrictions permitting, Carlos Soria hopes to go to Nepal in the spring to take on the 8,167-metre Dhaulagiri climb.

“To all those who have disappeared because of this terrible pandemic, this terrible crisis, I want as an elderly person to dedicate it to them,” Soria said outside his home in the Sierra Guadarrama mountains, north of Madrid. After conquering 12 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks, Soria wants to complete the list with Dhaulagiri and Tibet’s Shishapangma to become the oldest climber to summit the planet’s 14 highest peaks.

Undeterred, he made the most of being unable to travel by sleeping in a hypobaric chamber that replicates the atmospheric conditions of life at 5,000 metres above sea level.

UK

Lewis Hamilton UK’s Most Influential Black Person Lewis Hamilton has been named Britain’s most influential black person in a list dominated by people who have supported the Black Lives Matter movement. The Formula 1 star, 35, who won his seventh world title last month, has encouraged drivers to take the knee before races, changed his Mercedes racing car from silver to black and set up a commission to get more black people into motor sport. He has described topping the Powerlist 2021 as a ‘monumental moment’ but used the award to pledge he would not ‘stay silent’ on racism in F1 as Boris Johnson was urged to give him a knighthood. Professor Kevin Fenton, London chief of Public Health England, was given second place by the Powerlist judges who said they wanted to celebrate black Britons who have helped fight Covid-19 and ‘spoken truth to power’ on how BAME communities have been disproportionately hit.

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USA

Trump Fans Choose Parler Over Twitter Since the social platforms Twitter and Facebook started warning users that information might be untrue, millions of President Trump’s fans have flocked to Parler. The app claims to allow free speech.

“Welcome patriots to the last beacon of freedom on the web!

Glad to have you,” is how Republican congressman Devin Nunes greets his new followers on Parler.

Parler is a bit like Twitter, a bit like Facebook, a bit like Reddit.

Users have a timeline on which they can post pictures, videos and up to 1,000 characters. And there is no censorship. They can post whatever they like, whether it is true or false.

INDONESIA

Meteorite Worth £1.4m Crashing Through A Roof Makes Man A Millionaire An Indonesian coffin maker became an instant millionaire when a meteorite worth £1.4 million crashed through the roof of his house.

Josua Hutagalung, 33, was working on a coffin next to his house when the space rock smashed through the veranda at the edge of his living room in Kolang, North Sumatra.

The single stone, weighing 2.1kg, left a large hole in the tin roof and ended up buried 15cm deep in the soil beside the house.

Metoerites are priced by gram with the cheapest pure-rock varieties fetching $0.50 to $5.00 per gram., and those with rare extra-terrestrial

UK

Netflix’s ‘Crown’ Faces Numerous Disputes The Crown faced further scrutiny after the Queen’s ex-press secretary said a scene involving discussions about Princess Diana’s mental health ‘didn’t happen’.

The final episode of the hit Netflix drama’s fourth series shows talks between Prince Charles, Diana and

metals selling for up to $1,000 per gram.

Josua, who managed to dig the rock out, said the meteorite was still warm and partially broken when he touched it.

It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old and is classified as CM1/2 carbonaceous Chondrite, an extremely rare variety worth around $1.85million, or $857 per gram.

MEXICO

Mexican Government Forces French Fashion Designer To Apologise The Mexican government has forced French fashion designer Isabel Marant to apologise for ‘cultural appropriation’ in a row over a poncho. The £520 woollen cape from the Paris fashion house was accused of plagiarising indigenous patterns without an offer of compensation for the tribal people which inspired it.

Culture minister Alejandra Frausto published an open letter earlier in November demanding an explanation as to why Marant’s maison was selling garments based on motifs with documented origins in Mexico. Marant acknowledged to Frausto that textiles of the Purepecha people had influenced her latest collection and said future designs would properly ‘pay tribute to our sources of inspiration’.

their aides about her schedule for a trip to New York in 1989. But amid a storm over inaccuracies in the show, Dickie Arbiter said: ‘As for the programme meeting referring to Diana’s mental health, it didn’t happen. I was there.’

Mr Arbiter spoke out after The Crown’s creator Peter Morgan defended making up scenes for the show involving Prince Charles and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten

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&FACES PLACES

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19/11/2020

Foreign Investors Council Presents 2020 White Book

The Foreign Investors Council presented the White Book 2020 to the highest Government officials and marked its 18th anniversary. Respecting epidemiological regulations, the presentation of this year’s edition was followed via online platform by numerous representatives of state bodies, embassies, as well as the stakeholder community.

The White Book, written by FIC members, is the major product by which, for almost two decades, FIC gives recommendations aimed at supporting economic growth and better living standard of Serbian citizens. The online conference was opened with introductory address by FIC President and Telenor CEO Mike Michel, followed by insight into the White Book 2020 by Editor-in-Chief Miroljub Labus, as well as addresses by Head of EU Delegation in Serbia Sem Fabrizi and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

24/11/2020

20th Belgrade Economic Forum

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, EU Ambassador to Serbia Sam Fabrizi and representatives of the international community took part in the 20th Belgrade Economic Forum, held online this year.

The conference opened with the current political, geopolitical and economic topics in the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Brnabić and Varhelyi participated in the discussion on the topic of Serbia’s accession to the EU, which opened the conference.

“Strategic priority and the key focus of our foreign policy remains EU membership,” said Ana Brnabic.

25/11/2020

70th Anniversary Of The European Convention On Human Rights Marked

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a key document that protects democracy, the rule of law and the human rights of more than 830 million citizens on the European continent, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

On that occasion, the Office of the Council of Europe in Belgrade opened an exhibition dedicated to this important jubilee.

The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Tobias Flessenkempe, thanked the German Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for their support in organizing this exhibition. “Until 18th December, through this exhibition and accompanying events, we want to give everyone space for a debate on human rights, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the Convention and the protection of human rights in Serbia and Europe,” he said.

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JAZZISTANCE

JAZZISTANCE

DOM OMLADINE BEOGRADA · KOMBANK DVORANA ORGANIZATOR FESTIVALA:

POKROVITELJI FESTIVALA:

PRIJATELJI FESTIVALA:

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ORGANIZACIJA MUZIČKIH AUTORA SRBIJE

Lack of color

Ivory Rancher Hat €89

Hanley

Ribbed Harper €810

Hanna Fiedler

Wool Coat €1,156

Wool Fabrics Trend 2020/21 The cold weather has arrived, and both men and women want to mix trends while wrapping up warm, which is a good compromise with the new flagship pieces that are on the market. And despite us having entered winter, don't hesitate to choose warmer colours, like beige, grey, black or navy blue, coupled with bright tones. However, there are rules that should be followed when you opt to dress in this way.

As is appropriate for the coldest season, a huge number of options for coats have been presented on the catwalks, with so many different styles on offer.

According to the general trend, most of the coats are either cosy or oversized, intended to wrap and protect the wearer during cold days.

Here are some of our ideas.

Silk Satin Wrap Blouse €644

JW Anderson

Winter Clothing

Hanna Fiedler

Wool wide-leg Trousers €649

Chloe

Two-tone wool-blend coat €1,230

Bottega Veneta €1,804

Gianvito Rossi

Leather Vamp Pumps 105 €616

Gucci

Pleated Indya Boots 95 €933

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Max Mara

Cashmere cape €1,291

Saint Laurent

Double-Breasted, SixButton Tailored Coat €2190

Herno

Fur-Trim Overcoat €866

Brunello Cucinelli Wool Overcoat €3,800

Tom Ford

Wool V-Neck Sweater €548

Prada

Double-breasted wool coat €2,178

Ormonde Jayne

Montabaco Eau de Parfum (120ml) €332

Loro Piana

Valentino

Butterfly Sunglasses €184

Embroidered Keshan Scarf €3,492

Zegna

Tailored trousers €885

Manolo Blahnik

Delsa Leather Boots €774

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Culture

calendar

Exhibition Of Mate Djordjevic Paintings Until 13 December, Heritage House

The exhibition of the painter Mate Đorđević will be opened on November 5 at 8 pm in the gallery of the House of Legacies, Knez Mihailova 46, in Belgrade. On over 300m2 and in five rooms, the author will exhibit paintings and drawings to the Belgrade audience, which represent the most recent works from his oeuvre.

The exhibition will include large-format works as well as smaller works created as part of Djordjevic’s activities from 2011 to 2020. During the exhibition, the audience will be able to see one of the most complete exhibition endeavors of this young author.

36th Belgrade Jazz Festival 9 - 13, Belgrade Youth Center

Despite the circumstances that have been prevailing all over the world due to the pandemic for months, the Belgrade Jazz Festival will be held this year. Belgrade Youth Center, as the organizer and the main festival location, will do its best to ensure that the 36th edition of the oldest and internationally most recognised Serbian jazz festival, although in a different format than usual, is marked by top musical achievements.

The slogan of this year’s Belgrade Jazz Festival - “Jazzistance” - on the one hand the endurance and resilience of jazz music throughout history, and even today, in these difficult and complicated epidemiological times, while on the other hand it warns of one of the most frequently mentioned words this year: necessary distance , which should be kept while we enjoy jazz music!

Prominent Serbian double bass player, composer and pedagogue Nenad Vasilić, who has been living and working in Vienna for years, will perform at the opening of the festival. He has long been one of the leading musicians on the European jazz scene, and his work is a fusion of European jazz and improvised music, colored by melodies and rhythms from the rich heritage of Balkan folklore with which he grew up and which inspires him. Our audience will have the opportunity to listen to Vasilić’s compositions in specially prepared arrangements and performances of “Nenad Vasilić Bass & Strings”.

70 Years Of The European Convention On Human Rights until 18 December, Kolarac Foundation

On this occasion, the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade is organising the exhibition from 25 November to 18 December 2020 to will present the 70 years of history of the Council of Europe and of the Convention.

The exhibition will be followed by series of events, in-person and online, to present the activities of the Council of Europe in Serbia. These will include presentations and panel discussions on human rights and the rule of law, underlining the contribution of the Council of Europe’s work in the country to better protection of the rights of citizens of Serbia, in line with European standards.

All the events will strictly follow the sanitary measures taken by the Serbian government and the Council of Europe in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition to be opened on Wednesday is organised with the support of the Council of Europe project “Strengthening the judiciary reform process in Serbia” funded by the Federal Republic of Germany which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.

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RECOMMENDS

FIVE PORTRAITS

Piers Anthony 2227rsd

Wedding Bliss for All A La Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibition

Until 14 December, Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade European premiere of the Love is Love: Wedding Bliss for All a la Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade.

Belgrade presentation of the Love is Love: Wedding Bliss for All a la Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition is the world premiere of the eight dresses by the famous designer.

Exhibition Of Works By Dragoslav Damnjanović

Until 13 December, National Museum in Belgrade National Museum has prepared an exhibition of the works from the Gift Collection of Dragoslav Damnjanović. The exhibition was officially opened on 23 September, and visitors will be able to see it until 13 December.

The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony.

“It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said.

“We’re on a special mission to eliminate the last of the antipun virus. We are a bit unusual.”

Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner.

WORD VIRUS: THE WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS READER

William S. Burroughs 2105rsd

After the example of the biggest international museums, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade will host one of the most famous world designers – Jean Paul Gaultier, whose exhibition Love is Love: Wedding Bliss for All a la Jean Paul Gaultier was opened on 21 November.

Featuring 38 haute couture wedding garments created in the period 1990-2020, the exhibition Love is Love: Wedding Bliss for All a la Jean Paul Gaultier is the grand finale of the record breaking exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, that, shown at 12 cities around the world, attracted over two million visitors.

The author of the exhibition, museum advisor Gordana Stanišić, with the selected exhibition on the first and second floors of the National Museum, represents the most important part of Radomir Damnjanović Damnjan’s works of art from the representative Gift Collection donated to the National Museum by the artist’s brother Dragoslav Damnjanović. Within the Gift Collection, which consists of works by domestic and foreign artists from the second half of the 20th century, the National Museum keeps more than 160 works by Radomir Damnjanović Damnjan.

Word Virus: The William S. Burroughs Reader finally brings the author’s actual writing back to the forefront... A fantastic, weird, disturbing, and intriguing tribute to an inimitable American voice”.--Mark Luce, Salon.

THE WANDERER

Fritz Leiber 2349rsd

The Wanderer inspires feelings of pure terror in the hearts of the five billion human beings inhabiting Planet Earth. The presence of an alien planet causes increasingly severe tragedies and chaos. However, one man stands apart from the mass of frightened humanity.

For him, the legendary Wanderer is a mere tale of bizarre alien domination and human submission. His conception of the Wanderer bleeds into unrequited love for the mysterious “she” who owns him. Join science fiction master Fritz Leiber, winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, as he concocts a powerful allegorical novel that pierces to the heart of the human condition.

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

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AFTER WORK 5 NOV EMBASSY OF INDIA MARKS ITEC DAY 2020

The Embassy of India in Belgrade celebrated Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day on 4 November 2020. Besides senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government departments, a large number of ITEC alumni attended the event.

In his address at the celebration, Ambassador of India H.E. Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, gave an overview of the ITEC programme which covers over 300 training courses of different duration in premier training institutes of India to over 160 friendly foreign countries since 1964.

17 KOREA DONATES 30 COMPUTERS TO NOV TOURISM HIGH SCHOOL The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Serbia donated 30 computers to the High school of Tourism in Belgrade as a part of the ‘Green PC Program’ implemented by the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea.

The “Green PC Program” of the Korean government which has been initiated in 1998 is designed to donate refurbished computers to recipients in the developing countries for the purpose of enhancing their IT capacities.

For the past 20 years, around 48.000 Green PCs have been donated to more than 80 countries in the world.

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SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

19 SSCC PROMOTES THE SERBIAN ICT NOV MARKET TO SWISS COMPANIES Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE held the webinar entitled ‘’ ICT Landscape in Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia’’ in cooperation with the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Swiss-Romanian CC and the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce. The event attracted approx. 50 registered participants, including IT companies from Zurich and Lugano. Majo Micovic, SSCC President, stated the following ‘’This event underlined the good business opportunities the Serbian market offers in the field of ICT. I am confident that Swiss companies will consider Serbia as a potential market for future

investments, especially in the ICT and services-focused projects’’ The purpose of this joint event was to give insights on the Bulgarian, Romanian and Serbian ICT sector to Swiss ICT companies.

23 NOV FRENCH WEEK 2020 French Chamber of Commerce, French Embassy and French Cultural Institute held this year’s French Week online and in accordance with the epidemiological measures for the fight against COVID-19.

As part of the French Week, this year French Week had an Online Employment Fair where companies presented themselves, and visitors were able to virtually visit each of the online stands of companies.

In cooperation with the Embassy of France, on 24 November, French Chamber of Commerce organized a conference / round table called Smart construction: building a sustainable future, which aims to present French expertise in the construction sector through the most advanced projects of companies that will testify.

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Art

The Best Virtual Exhibitions to Explore from Home

Who Said Quarantine

Couldn’t Be Cultural?

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

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THE BROAD Based in Downtown L.A., this contemporary art museum is hoping to engage with viewers at home through socially distanced conversations, poetry and musical experiences. Their hashtag #TheBroadFromHome is a compilation of exciting digital initiatives dedicated to promoting contemporary art and culture during the lockdown period. In particular, the Infinite Drone series presents a new way of experiencing their artwork through immersive videos of light and sound. The Broad

THE BROAD

THE BRITISH MUSEUM The British Museum has recently revamped its online collection to accommodate the fast-growing demand for accessible digital content. Visitors to the website can now enjoy nearly 4.5 million objects from over two million records. Cutting-edge zoom technology allows viewers to see objects in unprecedented detail and high-definition images

can be examined up-close from a range of digital devices. Among other things, the launch has seen 280,000 new object photographs and 85,000 new object records published for the very first time, including recent acquisitions by Damien Hirst and Rossetti. The British Museum MOMA (THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART) With an evolving collection of more than 86,000 works available online, MoMA in New York has all its digital bases covered. The museum invites art lovers to browse pieces that are currently on display, works that were recently added to the collection and a catalogue of artists that have been featured in MoMA exhibitions. The Google Arts and Culture partnership with MoMA also features an online exhibit about artist and designer Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Its interactive platform guides the viewer through a comprehensive account of her life and development as an avant-garde artist against the backdrop of World War I. MoMA

MOMA (THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART)

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Art

The Best Virtual Exhibitions to Explore from Home

PACE GALLERY

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (NEW YORK) The Guggenheim is offering interactive tours of its winding hallways and spiral staircase accompanied by an audio guide so that visitors can immerse themselves in its iconic building from the comfort of their homes. Using Google Street View, the public can browse their online collections and museum views such as Tales of Our Time, in which artists explore abstract concepts like place and storytelling.

Play around with Google’s filtering tools under “Organise by” and select to view artwork in your preferred colour palette or time period.

PACE GALLERY Pace is a leading contemporary art gallery with an extensive online section showcasing current, upcoming and past exhibitions. Nigel Cooke: Midnights, a solo exhibition of six works on paper that were created after twilight during the artist’s time in isolation, is now available to view online. Viewers can navigate their way around paintings filled with dramatic, bold hues of midnight blue and black.

Cooke’s nocturnal paintings are accompanied by an explanatory video about the creation of Midnights and the influences behind his work. The artist remarks that the works “celebrate the peaceful unity of the night, the precious value isolation holds for creative expression”.

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GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (NEW YORK)

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2020

COMMENT

How To Turn A Pandemic Into An Opportunity In its latest assessment, the UNDP in Serbia recognises the good and timely response of the Serbian government to the first impact of COVID-19. The report also suggests that the country should use the COVID crisis as an opportunity to accelerate its transition to a green economy.

T

he good news is that many of the targets related to Serbia achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are already written in our EU accession process. Yet despite the comprehensive policy framework guiding our path to EU membership, Serbia still needs clearer strategies and realistic and tightly written action plans related to many of the SDGs. One of the most important questions is how we want our economy, society and environment to work and look like by 2030.

Serbia indeed faces many human development and environmental challenges.

A few of the SDGs speak about that. When it comes to Serbia’s assets and constraints related to inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth, SDG 9 (focusing on infrastructure, industrialisation and innovation), 7 (energy), parts of SDG 6 (water management), 12 (sustainable production and consumption), and 15 (forests and biodiversity) are largely interconnected.

For example, Serbia has human capital in the engineering/technical sectors, which

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are sine qua non for the development of a productive, sustainable and high value added industry. However, these resources are relatively scarce and are not deployed well to

Related to that, waste management presents a major challenge for Serbia. There are an estimated 3,000 wild waste disposal dumps, with only 20% of municipal waste not ending up at municipal landfill sites.

Turning the page will require tremendous effort. As we learned throughout this publication, a number of different initiatives are underway. Some important strategies, such as those related to smart specialisation, artificial intelligence and industry development, are already there and contain specific goals

Short and long-term recovery solutions have to increase the well-being of people and create a healthy environment serve the growth of the domestic economy.

Most of our export-orientated products and investments at present are in the medium-low to medium-high technology range.

Energy policies are particularly complex.

First, we are highly energy inefficient. Existing hydrocarbon reserves will be exhausted soon after 2030, while green energy resources are not well developed.

There is a need to develop more sustainable production and consumption patterns, based on the premises of the circular economy, as well as adequate policies related to climate change. Yet we are still in the very infancy in both aspects.

leading to the development of the circular economy. They are also tightly woven into other policies related to addressing environmental challenges, climate change and related issues.

Many economies that are much stronger and better developed are still struggling with the same issues, which have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. But there is no way back. As the UNDP Socio-Economic Impact Assessment suggests, more support to green businesses is of key importance for health and environment, but also for ensuring the competitiveness of Serbian companies in the EU and on other markets. â–

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5

INTERVIEW

ANĐELKA ATANASKOVIĆ, SERBIAN ECONOMY MINISTER

Sustainable Development And Economic Efficiency One of the specific goals of the Industrial Policy Strategy of Serbia from 2021 to 2030 is to transition from a linear model of industry to a circular one. Considering that our industrial production is based on older technologies, this will be a demanding task, in which the economy will have the support of the state. This is also a demanding job for many other economies.

T

he dominant principle of most economies around the world at present is a linear model that implies the use of resources to produce as many products as possible, with minimal attention paid to the management of waste materials and more efficient use of available resources. “If one is pursuing the objectives of sustainable development and environmental protection, such a system is not viable,” says Anđelka Atanasković, the Minister of Economy in the new Serbian government. “The circular economy principle is very important for the Serbian

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economy, but also for all other economies, because the goal is the achieving of sustainable development at the global level. The essence is that the circular model should ensure a high quality of life for people in a healthy natural environment, without this having a negative impact on the decline of production and the profitability of business entities.”

Based on a proposal of the Ministry of Economy, during March this year the Government of Serbia adopted its Industrial Policy Strategy from 2021 to 2030. The general objective of this strategy is to increase the

competitiveness of industry, whereas one of the five specific goals is the transformation of industry from a linear to a circular model, which should contribute to achieving the aforementioned general objective.

“Measures and activities from the Action Plan for the implementation of this strategy, which is a circular model intended to push the transition from a linear to a circular model, will consist of promotions and education, as well as the redefining of incentives within existing programmes of the Ministry of Economy for the procurement of production

SUPPORT

DIRECTION

GOAL

The Ministry of Economy provides funds for the procurement of machinery and equipment which will improve energy efficiency and the environmental aspects of production

The state needs a clear strategic direction to transform the economic model towards the circular economy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

The essence is that the circular model ensures a high quality of life, without this having a negative impact on production and profitability for businesses

equipment,” says Minister Atanasković.

“The aim is to enable the provision of more significant support for the procurement of production equipment which is energy efficient and uses recycled resources. I would like to note that these activities will be coordinated by the Ministry of Economy, with the support of the Centre for Circular Economy at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.“

transition from a linear model to a circular one implies an innovative approach, and this is where the IT sector comes to the fore.

velopment and increase its competitiveness on international and European markets, it is essential for us to follow European and global economic trends, including new criteria for competitiveness (type and method of material use, business models, cleaner technologies and innovations, resource and energy efficiency).

In this regard, it is necessary for the SME sector to be provided with a wide array of various financial instruments, which will enable them to access capital in a way and under the conditions that correspond to the current stage of the said company’s development cycle.

Through its SME Support Programme for the Procurement of Equipment and its Programme of Entrepreneurship Encouragement Via Development Projects, the Ministry of Economy provides funds (partly grants and partly favourable loans) for the procurement of machinery and equipment which will improve energy efficiency and the environmental aspects of production.

Support is also provided by international organisations operating in Serbia, so we have the EBRD Support Programme for SME Competitiveness, through which it is possible to introduce standards in the field of environmental protection through loans and grants.

Funds are also available from the EU Programmes. Apart from financial assistance, advisory assistance is also essential and we provide this, among others, through the EBRD Programme of Advisory Services for SMEs.

• How can a circular economy help to stimulate innovation among businesses?

- The circular economy and innovation are directly linked directly, because the very

• Digital platforms, smart devices, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain technology are already contributing to the development of circular economy.

To what extent are these elements of digital transformation presengt in our country?

- One of the priorities of the Government of Serbia is the digital transformation of the economy, and in accordance with this, a series of activities have been undertaken, aimed at the successful implementation of the digitisation process successfully. We

The Ministry of Economy will support the digital transformation of the economy through promotions and the education of enterprises in the field of digitisation, as well as via direct subsidies transition from a linear to a circular model of production implies innovative solutions which will enable stable and profitable business operations, on the one hand, and protect the environment, on the other.

Therefore, achieving the objectives of the circular economy is an inextricable part of the innovative approach in all segments of production and services.

• Numerous technological challenges exist in production processes and the application of the circular design of products, but also in reusing products which are currently in use. To what extent can a well-developed IT sector help in this domain?

- The IT sector in Serbia has recently been recording excellent results, and it is today recognised as a sector which can provide great assistance in the domain of the circular economy. As I’ve already stated, the

have adopted the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the Strategy for Smart Specialisation, while the improved digitalisation of industrial production business models is another of the special goals of the Strategy for Industrial Policy. Within the scope of this goal, the Ministry of Economy has prepared a set of measures and activities which will strive to digitally transform the industry and raise its competitiveness to a higher level, through promotions and the education of enterprises in the field of digitisation, but also via direct subsidies to companies traversing the path of digital transformation.

• What kind of help do SMEs need in order for them to be able to switch to solutions which conserve resources and enable efficiency in the use of raw materials and energy, while also protecting the environment?

- In order for Serbia to continue its social de-

• How well developed is the legal framework regulating this area and how much does it rely on the work of your ministry?

- Through a series of regulating amandments, the European Union has placed a special emphasis on preserving material resources and improving the energy efficiency of industrial capacities, but also on the comprehensive

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introduction of the circular economy concept.

According to the European Union’s new Strategy for Industry, which was adopted in March this year, the circular economy and digitisation will represent the two most important pillars of industrial development.

It is necessary to harmonise domestic regulations with EU regulations in the fields of the circular economy and climate change in the forthcoming period. This area is not under the direct jurisdiction of the ministry that I head, but we will provide full support to activities that encourage the process of transforming the economy to a circular model. • What dilemmas arise when it comes to creating an acceptable system for our companies in terms of preventing the excessive use of resources, increasing the flow of raw materials in circulation and reducing uncontrolled pollution and waste dumping at landfill sites?

- According to the conclusions of the public-private dialogue conducted within the framework of adopting the Industrial Policy Strategy, awareness about the importance of the environment and the fight against climate change in general is still underdeveloped among representatives of industry in our economy. This is especially true in terms of the issues of waste management and the possibilities of using waste as a raw material in industrial processes. Industrial production in the country is predominantly based on older techniques which are among major environmental polluters and greenhouse gas emitters. Such technologies are associated with higher energy consumption and waste production per unit of product, with significant losses incurred in material flows. A low level of the treatment of waste and wastewater has also been identified among individual industrial companies in the country. The potential of renewable energy sources is also insufficiently utilised.

Producing energy from renewable resources requires additional investment, which makes it more expensive compared to the use of conventional fuels. Likewise, there is also insufficient use of energy from renewable sources among industrial companies in the country, due to their insufficient financial strength or awareness.

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In accordance with the aforementioned, the state needs a clear strategic direction to transform the economic model towards the

dialogue with the economy, i.e. with all stakeholders. The process began with the holding of public-private dialogues during

We collaborate closely with the CCIS Centre for Circular Economy and the Ministry of Environmental Protection in implementing the new strategy for industrial development circular economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the sectors identified as having the greatest potential for applying the circular economy concept in our country include the food industry, construction, the wood industry as well as primary agriculture. • In which ways is your ministry involved in cross-sector cooperation to address these issues?

- The actual Industrial Policy Strategy from 2021 to 2030 itself, presents a document which included the participation of a large number of ministries, bodies and institutions in its development and in the implementation of measures and activities included in the Action Plan. This process is also conceived as a continuous

the drafting of the Strategy, then continued with further dialogue with the economy and public debate, while the plan is for dialogue to continue following the adoption of the Action Plan and its implementation, with the aim of improving evaluations and possibly correcting and supplementing measures and activities undertaken from the Action Plan.

Thus, there is intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Centre for Circular Economy of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia, through activities in the implementation of the mentioned strategy of the Ministry of Economy, but also through the development of the Programme for the Circular Economy, which will be adopted next year by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

XXXXX, XXXXX BUSINESS

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Photo: Nebojša Babić

exxxxxxx • xxxxx - xxxxxx

xxxxx

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9

BUSINESS

Rio Tinto, Jadar Project, Large Diameter Drill Rig, Loznica , Serbia

PRODUCING MATERIALS ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN PROGRESS, SUSTAINABLY Rio Tinto is one of world’s leading mining companies with operations in over 35 countries worldwide.

Rio Tinto has a strong focus on sustainability and products for the future, such as lithium, which sits at the heart of the energy storage and electric vehicle revolution.

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R

io Tinto launched its first integrated sustainability strategy in 2018, which obligesthecompany,initsownwords, to adopt high standards, because the issue of sustainability is crucial for its operations, employees, the communities in which it operates and the customers who use its products. Rio Tinto implements the strategy by conducting safe, responsible and profitable business operations, cooperating with partners and customers and producing pioneering materials for human progress. Rio Tinto strongly supports the development agenda for 2030 and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proclaimed by the United Nations (UN). Leveraging innovative technology and solutions, RioTinto has reduced CO2 emissions from its operations by 50 per cent since 2008, and 76 per cent of the electricity used by the company now comes from renewable sources with low carbon emissions.

CARE FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Health and safety are Rio Tinto’s foremost priorities. That’s why it has strictly defined standards, processes and procedures to protect the health and safety of the people, environment and communities in which it operates.

The business prioritizes the rights and welfare of employees, ethics and integrity in business, respect for every link in the supply chain, but also respect for, and preservation of, the environment. Transparency in doing business is also important to this company, as the foundation to building trust with stakeholders.

Maintaining and increasing profitability is also crucial for Rio Tinto, because only a profitable business can create sustainable, long-term value – not only for shareholders, but also for communities, governments and employees.

PARTNER TO SERBIA Rio Tinto has had a presence in Serbia, where it has been present since 2004 – when it discovered the unique Jadarite mineral near the town of Loznica – starting the Jadar Project. Since then, Rio Tinto has carried out 300 drilling operations as part of its geological research on the ore body, using the best available methods and technologies, and established technical cooperation with more than 90 domestic and international partners on a variety of areas.

Rio Tinto will invest an additional $200 million in the feasibility phase of project development, which will bring the total invested to $450 million till the end of 2021. The project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs during the construction phase. Construction could begin in early 2022 and last approximately four years. When it starts operating at full capacity, Jadar is expected to employ more than 700 high skilled workers. The project has set an ambitious goal for 30 per cent of future project leaders to be women, and development plans also include intensive cooperation and partnerships with universities, trade schools, high schools and adult education programmes.

JADAR IS MORE THAN A MINING PROJECT Jadar is the only place in the world where you can find jadarite – a lithium sodium-borosilicate mineral. Lithium is a key component of batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, and borates are an indispensable ingredient of many household products.

Of Jadar’s three major products (lithium carbonate, boric acid and sodium sulfate), the most important will be lithium carbonate – a key input for the production of electric vehicle batteries. Lithium is a material of the future, a material that’s vital to the development of the future low-carbon economy, and Jadar is more than just a mining project. It will be a modern underground mine, with accompanying processing technology and infrastructure, built with a sustainable approach to environmental protection.

The Jadar Project team is dedicated to understand our communities priorities and concerns and share all information about the project and its impacts in our two Rio Tinto Information Centres in Loznica and Brezjak. Over the past 12 months alone, 19 Open Day events have been held with the community, covering topics including environmental compliance, biodiversity, cultural heritage, land acquisition workshops and supplier development.

The Jadar project does prioritizes environment protection. It is of strategic importance, both for the exploitation and production of lithium, and for the development of the green economy, Serbia’s GDP and new jobs. The Jadar project will be based on modern technological exploitation and production, which - according to Marnie Finlayson, Rio Tinto Managing Director for Borates and Lithium - will also contribute to preserving the environment.

Bunoodra, Processing Plant, Melbourne, Australia Twelve environmental studies have been conducted since research on the project began, covering air and water quality, noise pollution, waste management, project impact on soil, biodiversity etc. Three Environment Impact Assessment Studies will haven be completed by the end of the Feasibility study phase – for the mine, processing plant and waste management solution. All project solutions will apply all recommended measures and solutions defined on the basis of these studies, to ensure safe and sustainable operations and long term benefits to the communities, Serbia and the company.

FINDING THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS RioTinto is committed to finding the best ways to minimise potential impacts on the environment and the community. The industrial waste from processed ore has undergone significant improvements as the project has advanced in terms of knowledge and the confidence in the processing technology. The Serbian and international team of technical experts, chemical and processing engineers spent several years trying to find stable and reliable ways to convert the slurry waste into filter cake as a more sustainable solution. And they succeeded!

They strive to minimise waste generation and at Jadar will be using ap-

proximately 20% of generated waste as backfill in the underground mine, while Jadar team is committed to constantly improve the waste solutions in order to minimize footprint.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE The way Rio Tinto manages its plants is vital for the future of local communities, both during operations and after work has ceased. The company considers the decommissioning of a mine before it even opens, because everything will be returned to its original state. The way Rio Tinto gradually rehabilitates land can be seen in places like Richards Bay Minerals, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa or the bauxite mine in Queensland, Australia. A great example of operating sustainably in challenging environments Is the Diavik diamond mine, located on an inaccessible island near the Arctic Circle in northwest Canada. The mine was designed with consideration for its ultimate closure in mind. The site’s buildings can be removed, and after excavation concludes the embankments will be renewed, while the open pits will be filled with lake water.

Rio Tinto continues to seek ways to additionally process mineral waste, including tailings, in the coming years, and will also strive to increase the percentage of low-carbon renewable electricity used in its operations.

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INTERVIEW

SINIŠA MITROVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY OF SERBIA

Renewals Should Be Green The circular economy could represent a channel for the swifter recovery of the Serbian economy following the pandemic.

This is because it is based on resource independence and the use of internal reserves and domestic resources – waste, recycling and energy, which would create room to generate a large number of jobs, which are essential for us now.

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he circular economy is a fourth industrial revolution platform for applying a new industrial model that envisages the deep integration and management of production and information flows, as well as the interaction of technological and thought processes. It represents a new business model that foresees the maximum optimisation of economic processes, along with the reuse of available raw materials and energy resources from waste streams, the efficient use of energy and human resources, and savings in time and ways of organising business, alongside the greatest possible reduction of negative impacts on the environment and climate.

“It is extremely important for circular economy principles to be applied in the

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Serbian economy, because it helps the national economy to build its own capacity and become more competitive on the European market, helps open up new markets and create new jobs,” says Siniša Mitrović, Director of the Centre for Circular Economy at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia.

“The circular economy, which is increasingly discussed in Serbia, could be a channel for the swifter recovery of the Serbian economy following the pandemic, because it is based on resource independence and the use of internal reserves and domestic resources - waste, recycling and energy, which would create room to generate a large number of jobs, which are essential for us now,” adds our interlocutor.

• Companies very often consider that they should be exempt from paying environmental tax, explaining that they don’t contribute to environmental pollution and viewing this tax as one of the many para-fiscal charges burdening the economy. What is the stance of the CCIS on this issue?

- The charge for protecting and improving the environment is necessary and isn’t a problem for companies, provided the “pay as you pollute” model is applied consistently and, of course, the money collected from charges is spent transparently. The Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia has been addressed by numerous companies with complaints regarding the methodology for calculating this tax, and the CCIS has

INCENTIVE

CHOICE

SUPPORT

If a company applies circular economy tools, saving both resources and energy, then it should be exempt from environmental charges

We have no third way other than to transition from a linear to a circular model if we plan, both now and in the future, to grow our GDP by up to six per cent annually

The proposal of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, IPA III, envisages a dedicated space for implementing the Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity

responded by sending a letter to all relevant parties, including the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government and the Ministry of Finance, with the aim of identifying the most efficient, and at the same time sustainable, systemic solutions in this area. We must build a transparent and predictable model of charges that’s stimulating for companies. If a company applies circular economy tools, saving both resources and energy, and invests new usage value gains from generated waste in the environment, then it should be exempt from environmental charges.

investments, securing technical assistance in schemes for emissions trading and fossil fuel alternatives, researching opportunities for early inclusion of the Western Balkans in the EU emissions trading, and the region’s inclusion in the European Climate Pact and its activities.

The transition to clean energy implies assistance in harmonising regulations with EU legislation, helping partners to draft national energy and climate plans, assistance in the development of private and public schemes for the renovating and securing of buildings, adequate funding, expanding the “EU renewal wave” to encompass the Western Balkans, assistance to partners

We are confronted by numerous difficulties in the green transition, and they can be identified through inconsistent laws and the lack of a fully systemic solution for transitioning to a circular economy • Very few companies in Europe are also switching to a circular economy, despite innovative solutions being available to them, simply because it’s easier for them to stick to classic approaches. What would motivate our companies to adopt this philosophy?

- We have no third way other than to transition from a linear to a circular model, if we plan, both now and in the future, to grow our GDP by up to six per cent annually. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans envisages five pillars.

The first pillar is climate change, including decarbonisation, energy and mobility.

Climate change encompasses initiatives such as rapid alignment with EU climate law, assistance to partners in preparing and implementing long-term climate adaptation strategies for increasing resilience, especially through the climate protection of

in implementing programmes for resolving energy poverty in the region, the inclusion of the Western Balkans in the Coal Regions in Transition initiative, conducting an evaluation of the socio-economic impact of decarbonisation across the region.

Smart and sustainable mobility entails the implementation of a regional plan for the transformation of railways, a strategy to increase the capacity of railways and develop new transport models, the implementation of EU standards, via the European Rail Traffic Management System, an action plan to ease transport, with the implementation of the road safety and road action plans, assistance in developing resilience to climate change, and the defining and implementing of sustainable urban mobility plans and sustainable mobility solutions.

The circular economy, especially when it comes to dealing with waste, recycling,

sustainable production and the efficient use of resources, entails supporting the entire region in improving the sustainability of raw material production, working on integrating the Western Balkans into the EU’s industrial supply chains, supporting the region in developing circular economy strategies, implementing targeted consumer initiatives aimed at raising citizens’ awareness of waste, separated collection and sustainable consumption; preparing and implementing programmes for preventing waste generating, waste management and recycling strategies, building and maintaining waste management infrastructure, developing a regional agreement on the prevention of plastic pollution, including special solutions for the priority issue of marine waste, and supporting the establishment of sustainable development policies.

Biodiversity, aimed at protecting and restoring the region’s natural wealth, relates to regional support for the development and implementation of the Western Balkans Biodiversity Action Plan 2030, assistance in preparing and implementing forest landscape restoration across the Western Balkans, assistance in analysing the benefits of biodiversity solutions based on nature and opportunities to integrate them into the development of plans for the climate and other areas, strengthening the mechanism for regional cooperation on biodiversity conservation, as well as engagements with the UN Convention in Rio, supporting exchanges of knowledge between research centres of the Western Balkans and the EU, and researching the possibilities of establishing a Western Balkans Biodiversity Information Centre.

In the area of combatting air, water and soil pollution, activities entail assistance to the region in developing and implementing air quality strategies, consisting of increasing the applying of the best available techniques in accordance with the Directive

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on Industrial Emissions, the accrediting of networks for monitoring air quality and the region’s inclusion in pan-European networks that support initiatives for removing pollution. There is also support for the modernisation of water monitoring infrastructure, implementation of the Water Framework, the Directive on Urban Wastewater and Extractive Waste, support for regional and/ or bilateral agreements and/or protocols on cross-border water pollution and pollution on land-based sources, investments in waste management and wastewater treatment plants for water to be reused in agriculture, investments in the collection and treatment of urban wastewater.

In the area of sustainable food systems and rural areas, support relates to harmonising the agri-food and primary production sectors with EU standards on food safety, plant and animal health, the strengthening of official sanitary controls throughout the food supply chain and improving food labelling in order to ensure food safety, improve consumer information and promote sustainable food. This area also includes the promotion of ecological and organic agriculture and reducing the use of synthetic chemicals, support for cooperation between scientific and educational institutions and producers and processors operating in the agri-food sector, support for actions aimed at reducing waste in rural and coastal areas (along roads, in rural rivers), bolstered efforts to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas and the improving of rural infrastructure within the scope of IPARD. The implementing of such an ambitious agenda would require significant public and private funding at the national, regional and international levels. External instruments under the auspices of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2021-2027) are currently being negotiated with the Council and the European Parliament.

Financial assistance provided to date in the areas of the environment and climate change has been mainly sector specific, focused on the process of harmonisation with the EU acquis, in line with the requirements of Chapter 27, at the bilateral (mainly investment) and regional (mainly capacity building) levels. The proposal of the Instrument for Pre-Accession

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Assistance, IPA III, envisages a dedicated space for implementing the Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity.

• How will the Operational Team of the CCIS and the Ministry of Environmental

standards, environmental taxes and charges, as well as the new credit mechanism GREEN FUND (green credit bank). We are confronted by numerous difficulties in the green transition, and they can be identified through inconsistent laws and the lack of a

We are extremely well aware of the fact that at this moment there is a particularly exasperating situation for the economy as a consequence of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is why businesses need additional support and responses from all relevant institutions Protection function and what will be this body’s mission?

- We are very grateful to Minister Vujović for accepting that the model of the operational team, which is in constant coordination, sets the priorities and solutions. We have several pillars of coordination: a regulatory framework (amending the Law on Waste Management, the Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste and the Law on Climate Change), the National Strategy for Waste Management to 2030, problems in operations and the applying of environmental

fully systemic solution for transitioning to a circular economy, then poor waste management (low level of recycling, illegal landfills, insufficiently elaborated regulations, lack of infrastructure), a low level of knowledge and awareness about the circular economy and its benefits for society as a whole, a small level of investments and a lack of financial incentives for technological modernisation, inefficient energy consumption and a high percentage of fossil fuel inclusion in the energy balance, and poor engagement of the media…

BUSINESS

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How Nestlé's Surčin Factory Achieved The Goal Of Zero Waste To Landfill

he tour of the factory was held live online, adhering to the preventative measures and social distancing prescribed by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. Tanja Žigić, director of the Surčin factory, led those in virtual attendance through the factory, the production plant and the recycling yard.

Tanja Žigić highlighted the infrastructure and the method of working that has led to a reduction in the consumption of all the most important factors needed in production.

The company invested 30,000 euros in LED lighting, thereby reducing the consumption of electricity by as much as 20 per cent. By reducing the dimensions of packaging material, paper consumption has been reduced by as much as 60 tonnes per year, and along with it negative emissions of carbon dioxide. The largest investment locally is 1.2 million euros and relates to the modern treatment of wastewater, which enabled water consumption to be reduced by 50,000 cubic metres annually.

Separation at source removes as much as 80 per cent of municipal waste that’s disposed of in specially separated recycling bins, which are reused in production after recycling, either as bio fuel or for some other purposes.

“Apart from sustainable production and environmental protection efforts, Nestlé is also committed to raising awareness about the importance of this topic, so recently the first ecological online education of young people #NestléProtectsNature was conducted, in the scope of which young people addressed daily challenges in saving water and electricity and using ecological packaging instead of plastic,” said Žigić.

Attendees were also addressed by Marian Marinov, Nestlé’s Head of Finance & Control for the Southeast European market. He spoke about the year that’s coming to an end, the challenges that everyone has faced and the timely reactions of the company, emphasising that the Nestlé factory in Surčin is part of

Eco tour of the Serbian factory of the world's largest food and beverage producer

the Nestlé operating system and is tasked with behaving responsibly towards the environment. Marinov also used this occasion to announce his departure from the position of director of Nestlé Serbia and introduce Marjana Davidović, who succeeded him in that position as of 1st November.

viewed as the backbone of the development of the food industry.

Stevan Šuša, President of the City Municipality of Surčin, stated that Nestlé pays special attention to creating new values and preserving old ones in our local community.

The successful recycling process that

Apart from sustainable production and environmental protection efforts, Nestlé is also committed to raising awareness about the importance of this topic, so recently the first ecological online education of young people #NestléProtectsNature was conducted, in the scope of which young people addressed daily challenges in saving water and electricity and using ecological packaging instead of plastic Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Aleksandar Bogićević also noted that achieving zero environmental impact is extremely important for the community, emphasising that Nestlé is an excellent example of a model that is

gives Nestlé a sense of pride was achieved in cooperation with Sekopak, the leading operator in the system of packaging waste management in Serbia, which was further explained Sekopak Operations Manager Ivana Pavlović.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

EMMA NAVARRO

THE PLASTICS PANDEMIC Although the world's attention is understandably focused on COVID-19, we must not lose sight of longer-term priorities such as reducing plastics pollution, which the pandemic has exacerbated. The imperative is clear: invest in policies and infrastructure to protect a resource that is vital to our economies and our very survival

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lastic is entering the world’s oceans and seas in ever-greater quantities, and the COVID-19 pandemic is compounding the problem. Masks, gloves, and other forms of personal protective equipment are ending up in waterways. And the World Wildlife Fund estimates that if just 1% of the billions of masks made with a thermoplastic polymer called polypropylene are tossed on the ground rather than deposited in proper disposal bins, as many as ten million per month will end up in the environment as pollution.

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Such warnings should serve as a reminder that no matter how urgent the COVID-19 crisis may be, our response to it must include long-term commitments to the environment. Even without the pandemic, tackling the problem of plastics and ocean pollution would be a massive undertaking. In fact, it is difficult to overstate the challenge. About ten million tons of plastics are discharged into the oceans each year, and the Ocean Conservancy believes there are already some 150 million metric tons circulating in marine environments.

Pollution generated by larger plastic items, such as bottles, could be stopped by implementing proper waste management around the world. But small plastic waste, in the form of so-called microplastics, will be a harder problem to solve, not least because it is barely visible.

Some microplastics are added to products like toothpaste and sunscreen. Other are created when vehicle tires wear down on roads, when clothes rub together in washing machines, or when nylon fishing nets break down in the ocean. Many of the solutions for keeping these tiny plastic particles out of waterways are still in development.

Microplastics harm aquatic life and biodiversity in many ways, and are probably hurting humans, too. When animals eat plastic, it can block their digestive tracts and send incorrect feeding signals to their brains. Fish, in particular, often mistake plastic particles for food.

And because these small particles accumulate in their digestive systems without killing them, they often end up inside humans when we eat seafood.

Plastic pollution is expected to keep increasing, particularly in lower-income countries with expanding economies. That means the need to improve waste management everywhere in the world, and to help poorer countries control plastic waste, is becoming increasingly urgent.

The European Union has made this a high priority, and several policies are in the works to address the problem. The European Commission’s new Circular Economy Action Plan, for example, proposes mandatory requirements for recycling and reducing the waste associated with key products such as single-use plastic packaging. And a revision to the EU Drinking Water Directive would ensure that drinking water is regularly monitored for the presence of microplastics.

If all storm and sewage water in the world were collected, and if we averted all other discharges into bodies of water, we could stop most microplastics

Plastic pollution is expected to keep increasing, particularly in lower-income countries with expanding economies. That means the need to improve waste management everywhere in the world, and to help poorer countries control plastic waste, is becoming increasingly urgent from reaching the oceans. The EU’s rule changes for urban wastewater and drinking water would represent major steps toward a more effective collection and treatment regime for microplastics. But it will take several billion euros in investment each year to reduce the volume of microplastics reaching waterways. And that is just within the EU. Another problem is that the private sector often cannot afford (or is unwilling) to invest in the required solutions. As such, there is also an urgent need for stronger public-sector regulation of microplastics, which can be accompanied by stricter emissions standards as well as more affordable

financing for investment in compliance.

As the EU’s lending arm, the European Investment Bank is working on many new ways to finance projects that would advance solutions to the plastics problem. To address ocean pollution directly, the bank has committed to financing better wastewater management systems around the world. Two years ago, we adopted a new lending framework for the water sector, so that we now funnel more support and long-term financing to water utilities, resource managers, and industrial wastewater users. As this is a global problem, we hope that all other development banks will follow suit.

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INTERVIEW

VIOLETA BELANOVIĆ KOKIR, GENERAL MANAGER, SEKOPAK

Good Personnel & Partners Lead To Success

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Since the adoption of the Regulation governing the management of packaging and packaging waste, Sekopak has been the only company in Serbia to have exceeded the figure of 100,000 tonnes for the reuse of packaging waste.

This company has achieved a leadership position through its knowhow, devotion and optimism 22

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itizens increasingly recognise the importanceofcaringfortheenvironment, and Sekopak offers them content that prompts them to reconsider their attitude towards waste. Also serving this end are the company’s educational campaigns through digitalchannelsanddoor-to-doorcampaignsthat serve to educate citizens through direct contact.

tection Agency. I believe that the recipe for success is a good selection of employees, because they are the greatest wealth a company can possess, as well as a good selection of reliable partners. For Sekopak those partners are collectors with whom we’ve spent many years building a successful network for the collection of packaging waste in Serbia.

• How does one become a leader in the packaging waste management industry?

- With its great commitment and effort in the field of packaging waste management, Sekopak has developed and grown with its clients and associates. Our development has implied listening to the needs of the market and adjusting to meet all the requirements that are demanded of us from the turbulent market in Serbia. Thanks to the commitment and optimism of Sekopak employees, we have achieved exceptional results, which has propelled us to a leadership position on the market for the last five years.

We succeeded in collecting and submitting more than 100,000 tonnes (100kt) of packaging waste for recycling last year, which represents almost half of the total collected and recycled quantities reported to the Environmental Pro-

• When will we see the launch of the project for managing glass packaging in Niš and Sombor, which you worked on together with GIZ and NALED? How much progress has been made on installing infrastructure for disposing of packaging waste?

- We’ve already launched this project and to date the first phase has been implemented.

It implied the scanning of cities to determine the number of containers to be installed, as well as the selection of a team of experts who will work with us on the project. It remains for us to procure containers and start installing them in cities by year’s end.

The emphasis in 2021 will be on actively educating citizens and measuring results, alongside optimising the process of collecting glass packaging waste. This is a project that will help us a lot in the future as a guide – on how to install

TOTAL AMOUNT REUSED AND RECYCLED OPERATOR SEKOPAK EKOSTAR PAK DELTA PAK CENEX TEHNO EKO PAK EKOPAK SISTEM UNI ECO PAK Total:

Total amount of reused packaging waste (tonnes) 103,325.60 75,797.00 10,545.10 16,320.80 13,609.30 6,955.80 1,992.90 228,546.40

Total amount of recycled packaging waste (tonnes) 95,249.20 75,797.00 10,545.10 15,487.20 12,635.50 6,995.80 1,992.90 218,662.60

infrastructure, determine the real possibilities and take the best approach to Serbian citizens to ensure they carry out the primary selecting of packaging waste.

• To what extent has the Coronavirus Pandemic hindered you in implementing the activities and projects that you’d envisaged for this year?

- The Coronavirus Pandemic didn’t hinder us in our daily activities, because we quickly accustomed ourselves to new ways of working. Collectors showed themselves to be very reliable partners, with collections carried out without hindrance even during the state of emergency, which is very important. Thanks to our shared timeliness, continuity in the collecting of packaging waste was not brought into question.

At the same time, we complied fully with prescribed protection measures and adjusted our work to the conditions. During the period of the state of emergency, the team was divided into groups of two each, with duty shifts set at once a week.

And once the state of emergency was lifted the entire team was split into two groups that are on duty every other day.

• You’ve spent years organising a CO2 conference at which you award certificates to companies for making savings on CO2. Will that conference be held again this November?

- Unfortunately, as a consequence of the situation caused by the

coronavirus outbreak, we cannot organise our traditional annual conference, but we have prepared certificates and will send them to all clients. Reason to celebrate certainly exists. We’ve managed, together with our clients and partners, to make savings of 62,519 tonnes of CO2 in 2019,

the population. This form of promotion has proven particularly effective during this time of the pandemic. Citizens are increasingly recognising the importance of caring for the environment, and we provide them with content that prompts them to reconsider their relationship to-

We organise door-to-door campaigns that include paying visits to the population and educating them through direct contacts which is 110% more than in 2018. When it comes to Serbia as a whole, thanks to the system of extended responsibility for manufacturers, savings amount to 85,654 tonnes of CO2 • How can we bring the topic of recycling closer to citizens? Should campaigns shift to digital channels?

- We are increasingly using digital channels to communicate with and educate

wards waste. However, we must take into consideration that a good part of Serbia’s population doesn’t use social networks and likes to be spoken to in person. That’s why we organise door-to-door campaigns that include paying visits to the population and educating them through direct contacts.

This approach has yielded exceptional results and we will resume door-to-door campaigns once the situation stabilises with regard to the coronavirus outbreak.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

WAKE-UP CALL FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD

The ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is as important as ever, but fresh thinking about the best ways to achieve them is needed, with the pandemic having rendered the original 2015 targets unachievable.

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he World’s Sustainable Development Goals Aren’t Achievable – proclaimed The Guardian this autumn. It is time to rewrite them and make them more realistic. Five years have elapsed since September 2015, when world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its interlinked 17 goals that cut across disciplines, sectors and institutional mandates. Now many authors have challenged that vision, but also the ability of the world’s nations

to achieve the goals that were set. With the pandemic, these goals – or at least some of the most important ones – seem unachievable.

In the preamble of the 2030 Agenda document it is stated that world leaders are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, for the sake of current and future generations.

The aim was to develop and enhance integrated approaches to sustainable development that will bring both social and economic benefits. This includes reducing environmental risks, increasing the resilience of societies and addressing environmental issues in a comprehensive manner.

With COVID-19 having decimated economic growth, the goals of eliminating poverty, hunger and inequality, and promoting health, well-being and economic growth, have been strongly challenged. Some UN science advisors today suggest that the existing 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets should be organised around 6 “entry points”, including human well-being (which would include eliminating poverty and improving health and education); sustainable economies; access to food and nutrition; access to, and the decarbonisation of, energy; urban development; and the global environmental commons (combining biodiversity and climate change).

Others are suggesting actions that are similar yet somewhat different, such as reducing the 17 goals to just six, namely education, gender and inequality; health, well-being and demography; energy decarbonisation and sustainable industry; sustainable food, land, water and oceans; sustainable cities and communities; and the digital revolution for sustainable development.

This is not to say that countries will have an opportunity to ignore the need to meet the SDGs. Still, some major points have to be taken into account. Firstly, the world that we knew in 2015, which saw the rising economic growth and positive international cooperation that led to the Paris climate agreement, no longer exists.

Instead we have depression, governments preoccupied with national goals and unready to press companies to swiftly switch to the circular economy. Furthermore, cooperation is lacking in fields such as protecting the climate, biodiversity and wetlands.

Things have changed. For example, many experts are suggesting the decoupling of the SDGs from economic growth targets. It is not merely that growth is unattainable, but that it is usually achieved by underpinning low quality jobs, traffic jams and pollution.

For example, government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry totalled $4.7 trillion in 2015, while that figure probably now exceeds $5 trillion, The Guardian suggests. While it adds to economic growth, this very industry is among the main causes of climate change and unsustainable development.

Experts suggest that the pandemic is radically altering economic and social realities, while it is also pressing governments to take radical action to address poverty and inequality, health, education, biodiversity and climate.

The World Economic Forum also tried to provide its own answer to sustainable development under new circumstances. Some business leaders who are running the

Progress towards achieving the SDGs was uneven even before the COVID-19 outbreak. Today implementation of many of the SDGs is even more challenging, while in some cases decades of progress have been undone production of synthetic fertilisers for the agricultural sector, which accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, are considering how they can make their companies more sustainable by developing new solutions after the Paris Climate Agreement. Indeed, the Global Risks Report released ahead of the WEF annual meeting listed environmental factors as the biggest threat to world order. As such, some of the most influential CEOs suggest that the companies that fail to take sustainability seriously could run into trouble when seeking financing in the future.

Economist Mariana Mazzucato thinks that, given the crisis we’re facing — not just the climate crisis, but also crises of inequality and healthcare systems – governments should rethink how they invest in the economy, and particularly what they demand in return. As an example, Mazzucato mentions the German government, which tied public loans granted to steel companies to their ability to reduce their carbon footprint. Yet in

the words of climate scientist Johan Rockström, such examples are rare: “We’re still having islands of success in an ocean of ignorance”.

The latest Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 does not deny the detrimental impact of the pandemic. Yet, as the report suggests, “far from undermining the case for the SDGs, the root causes and uneven impacts of COVID-19 demonstrate precisely why we need the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and underscore the urgency of their implementation”.

This is why the UN is calling for a coordinated and comprehensive international response and recovery effort, guided by the SDGs. It calls for the most developed countries to combine their efforts to support the recovery of the hardest hit countries by basing their efforts on a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and universal access to high-quality public services.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

HELEN CLARK

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STARTS WITH CHILDREN

The emergence of teen climate activists like Greta Thunberg is no gimmick. In fact, to galvanize climate action and achieve sustainable development, children must be put at the center of national strategies, and giving them a healthy future must be placed above all other concerns

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ur house is on fire - warned the teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg at last year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

Her pointed words – accusing adults of sitting idly by as the planet burns – quieted a roomful of global leaders, inspired young activists worldwide, and underscored the critical importance of putting children at the center of global action to build a better future.

Climate change is happening now. That was apparent in Australia’s recent unprecedented bushfires, in which 18 million hectares burned and an estimated one billion animals died. It was also reflected in India’s 2019 heat wave, among its longest and most intense in decades.

And a warming planet is contributing to the global spread of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection.

Yet, even as the clock runs out on our ability to avert a catastrophe, global climate action is not gaining the needed momentum. As Thunberg and other youth activists have underscored, it is our children who will bear the brunt of this failure, as they inherit an increasingly inhospitable planet.

Climate change is not the only area where we are failing our children. Predatory commercial marketing that targets children and their caretakers is contributing to the widespread consumption of unhealthy products, such as alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and sugar-sweetened beverages. The global economic losses associated with the inappropriate use of breast-milk substitutes – associated with lowered intelligence, obesity, and increased risk of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases – amount to an estimated $302 billion.

Children are our most precious resource, and they deserve to live long, healthy, and productive lives. To determine how to enable them to do just that, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Lancet recently convened a landmark commission – which I co-chaired, along with Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Minister of State in Senegal – that brought together 40 experts on child health and wellbeing.

As the commission’s report – “A Future for the World’s Children?” – notes, the key is to invest in people while they are young. Evidence shows that hungry children have poorer health, worse educational outcomes, and earn less as adults. Children who are exposed to violence are more likely to commit violence. Conversely, children who receive proper nutrition, appropriate care, and quality education grow up to be healthy, productive citizens, who are presumably better equipped to raise healthy, productive children of their own.

In short, investing in children today brings lifelong, and even inter-generational benefits. This brings value to all of society. For example, a school-building program undertaken in Indonesia in 1973-1979 has helped to boost today’s living standards and tax revenues.

Climate change is not the only area where we are failing our children. Predatory commercial marketing that targets children and their caretakers is contributing to the widespread consumption of unhealthy products, such as alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and sugar-sweetened beverages The return on investment in children is remarkably high. In the United States, every dollar invested in a preschool program was found to bring $7-12 in societal benefits per person, via reductions in aggressive behavior and improved educational attainment.

In lower-middle-income countries, every $1 invested in maternal and child health can bring over $11 in benefits.1 But we should not pursue such investments only because of the numbers. If we can’t protect our children’s futures, what is the measure of our humanity?

TheWHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission calls upon leaders at every level, from heads of state and government to civil-society and community leaders, to place children at the center of strat-

egies to achieve sustainable development. This will require long-term vision, with presidents and prime ministers ensuring that sufficient funds are directed toward the needed programs and supporting effective collaboration among ministries and departments.1 Every sector has a role to play in building a world fit for children.

For example, traffic accidents are the number-one killer of children and young people aged 5-29, implying an urgent need for interventions to improve road safety. Likewise, with 40% of the world’s children living in informal settlements – characterized by overcrowding, poor access to services, and exposure to hazards like fires and flooding – housing reform is essential.

December

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28

December

EMPOWERED WOMEN

CONTENT

WOMEN IN 26 PROMINENT POSITIONS AT MLEKARA

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I’LL CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR GENDER EQUALITY

ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ, SERBIAN MINISTER OF MINING AND ENERGY

MUST CHANGE 20 WE CULTURAL PATTERNS

BRANKICA JANKOVIĆ, FORMER COMMISSIONER FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUALITY

ŠABAC

MLEKARA ŠABAC

JOURNEY TO 28 LONG GENDER EQUITY JELENA KNEŽEVIĆ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LEITNERLEITNER SRBIJA

ACCESS TO 30 INNOVATION A PRIORITY

OPPORTUNITIES 10 EQUAL FOR WOMEN AND MEN VIOLETA JOVANOVIĆ, NALED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE ETHNO NETWORK

SEEK 13 CLIENTS FLEXIBILITY

SANJA PEŠIĆ, ALMA QUATTRO CEO

DOMINIKA SEFTON, GENERAL MANAGER, NOVARTIS SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

A MISSION FOR A SCIENCE AND NEW 31 ONHEALTHIER FUTURE 22 TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALTH INA BULAT, GENERAL MANAGER & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MERCK SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO AND MERCK REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, ALBANIA AND NORTH MACEDONIA

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TIMING IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE

MILICA LUNDIN, PRESIDENT OF THE IWC BELGRADE

MILICA MILANOVIĆ, CORPORATE AFFAIRS MANAGER AT NESTLÉ ADRIATIC S

JELENA GALIĆ, AIK BANK CEO

TAMARA BEKČIĆ AND MILENA AVRAMOVIĆ BJELICA , DIRECTORS AND CO-FOUNDERS OF CHAPTER 4 PR AGENCY IN SERBIA

NO DEVELOPMENT 38 WITHOUT A CLEAR VISION

JELENA ANDRIĆ GRAFAKOS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACO SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

DONE WOMEN 39 WELL LEADERS IVANA MILOŠEVIĆ, DIRECTOR AND OWNER, CITYSCOPE

IS THE BEST TIME TO 32 CURIOSITY DRIVER 40 RIGHT EXPAND DIANA GLIGORIJEVIĆ, CO-FOUNDER OF COMPANY TELEGROUP

BELIEVE IN HARD 33 IWORK

KRUNA GAVOVIĆ, CEO OF THE LEAN SIX SIGMA COMPANY CEE AND TMS CEE MARKETING AND ACADEMY MANAGER

EMBRACE 34 EQUAL RIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES

ON CLIENT 16 FOCUS SATISFACTION

OF THE PR 36 STRENGTH TEAM

VESNA KUKIĆ LONČARIĆ, JYSK COUNTRY MANAGER FOR SLOVENIA, CROATIA, BIH AND SERBIA

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN 41 LEAD SOCIETY FORWARD KNIĆ MUNICIPALITY

CLOSING THE GENDER 42 GAP REMAINS CHALLENGING GENDER EQUALITY

MAJA ANTOLOVIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DP WORLD

DOESN’T DO 18 DELTA GENDER DIVISIONS DELTA HOLDING

EDITOR IN CHIEF Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR Branislav Ninković b.ninkovic@aim.rs

PROJECT MANAGERS Biljana Dević b.devic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović v.vukajlovic@aim.rs Mihailo Čučković m.cuckovic@aim.rs

PHOTOS Zoran Petrović

OFFICE MANAGER Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs

COPY EDITOR Mark Pullen mrpeditorial@mail.com

EDITORIAL MANAGER Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs

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FINANCE Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PUBLISHER Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs PRINTING Rotografika d.o.o.

Segedinski put 72, Subotica, Serbia BUSINESS PARTNER GERMANY Published by: alliance international media Prote Mateje 52, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fascimile: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: office@aim.rs;

office@cordmagazine.com www.aim.rs; www.cordmagazine.com No 20 ISSN: 2560-4465 All rights reserved alliance international media 2020 The views expressed in this publication are those of the presenter; they do not necessary reflect the view of publications published by

alliance international media THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

EMPOWERED WOMEN

COMMENT

The Struggle For Gender Equality

A NEVER-ENDING STORY

During a year in which, according to feminist activists, most women’s rights were erased by COVID-19, the new Serbian government achieved a gender balance. Most women in Serbia are somewhere between gaining appreciation, on the one side, and breaking under numerous responsibilities – at work, at home, with children and at the helm of their household's defence against the pandemic – on the other.

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erbia has achieved significant results in gender equality over the previous few years, in terms of its legislative framework, including gender-responsible budgeting. Furthermore, Serbia was the first non-EU country to introduce the Gender Equality Index.

The Gender Equality Index for Serbia stood at 55.8 points in 2018, and the difference compared to the EU has since been reduced. However, according to the latest results – with 67.9 out of 100 points – the EU itself has a long way to go to achieve gender equality. Specifically, the Gender Equality Index score has increased by only 4.1 points since 2010 and 0.5 points since 2017, and at this pace of progress (1 point Gender equality must be sought in all areas of life and every 2 years) it will take years for women to by everybody, regardless of their gender, if society become equal.

If we read the stories of some of our most wants to harness the true potential of women successful women, we will see the deep roots Although significant changes have been made to legislaof inequality. Every success was achieved with great effort and only after our interlocutors endured tough tion and the protocols of institutions responsible for acting times and overcame numerous challenges, and rarely did so in such cases, furthering the culture of non-violence and with the support of their community, family and colleagues. fighting gender stereotypes have to be much more agile and Indeed, even percentage targets for the representation embraced by all members of society. Furthermore, the strict of women in parliament are good examples for tracking application of gender principles in all public policies still has whether equality is being achieved, while they also say a lot to be implemented. about societies that are not strong and enlightened enough New inequalities emerged during COVID-19 that have yet to naturally choose female candidates. We still recall some to be tackled. For example, our labour law is lacking many evidence that came from secretly recorded meetings of our rules. For instance, on the basis of government recommenfuture MPs, who claimed that women have to be on the voting dations, women with children aged under 12 were allowed lists of the parties just because “it was said so”, not because to stay at home, but many women nonetheless lost their they deserve it. We have also witnessed examples of male jobs just because their employers refused to adhere to this MPs showing strong disregard for female MPs. recommendation and resorted to the tenets of the labour While women are slowly but steadily accepted in the law, which include no such stipulation. Furthermore, women leading positions, one of the most persistent problems, and lost jobs more often than men during pandemic, while at the one that worsened during the COVID-19 crisis, is domestic same time bearing the biggest burden of the pandemic. For violence. More than 300 women have lost their lives due to better and worse, the struggle for gender equality continues partner and domestic violence in Serbia over the last 10 years. to require persistent effort.

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INTERVIEW

ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ, SERBIAN MINISTER OF MINING AND ENERGY

I'll Continue Fighting For

GENDER EQUALITY The main task of the Ministry, together with all enterprises operating in the energy sector, is to ensure Serbia is a country with energy stability and that these two sectors contribute as much as possible to GDP growth and the development of Serbia. At the same time, I will continue to fight for women who have proven themselves with their skills, knowledge and innovation to have the opportunity to prove their leadership potential.

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’ve had to prove myself throughout my entire career, and I found it much harder going at work than my male colleagues.

And almost every woman will understand that, because we know how much effort, work and energy is behind every woman, and that it’s necessary for us to prove ourselves much more in order to succeed. However, for me, tripping up and attempting to humiliate me just because I’m a woman in a “man’s business” provided motivation for me to work even harder and to achieve results that are visible and that no one can dispute - says Zorana Mihajlović, Minister of Mining and Energy, for whom this second area is a “typically male” department.

Prejudices and gender stereotypes are deeply rooted, not only in our society but worldwide, says our interlocutor, because we are taught from an early age which games are for girls and

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which are for boys, which is further carried to so-called “men’s and women’s” jobs. “We often hear boys being told not to cry like a girl or girls being told not to fight for themselves like some tomboy, while men who do housework are under the thumb. Well, let’s be honest by saying that we also contribute ourselves to such concepts,” adds Mihajlović To what extent are women present in management positions in the industries under your jurisdiction, and how much are those functions reserved for men?

- Studies conducted at the global level show that women are insufficiently represented in the top management positions in the energy sector, which represents a loss for these companies and a lack of talent, ideas and innovation.

EMPOWERED WOMEN

CHANGES

WOMEN

GENDER EQUALITY

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Mining and Energy, I found 18% of women in those positions, and I'm certain that we'll change that percentage

When it comes to women in top management positions, EMS is certainly among the world's leading energy companies, with women holding 56% of leading positions

While a shift of 1.2 points was recorded at the EU level, Serbia made almost three times as much progress in less than three years

When it comes to ministries and institutions operating in this area, I can state with pride that, while I was in charge of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, of 61% of employed women, 43% were at the first level of decision-making.

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Mining and Energy, I found 18% of women in those positions, and I’m certain that we’ll change that percentage, because women have proven - with their skills, knowledge and innovation - that they have strong leadership potential. And I will continue to fight for that.

When it comes to public companies, at EPS, for example, women account for 20% of employees and occupy only 13% of top management positions (supervisory board, director and executive directors). At the Electricity Network of Serbia (EMS), women make up 22% of employees and occupy 36% of positions in middle management. And when it comes to women in top management positions, EMS is certainly among the world’s leading energy companies, with women holding 56% of leading positions.

What are your priorities for the period ahead when it comes to the work of the ministry?

- The main task of the Ministry, together with all enterprises operating in the energy sector, is to ensure Serbia is a country with energy stability, that we have enough energy and energy sources, of sufficient quality. Energy, along with mining, is important for stability, but that’s not all. These two sectors can contribute much more to the GDP growth and development of Serbia. There are many projects that have been launched in previous years and that need to be completed or accelerated, as well as new ones that are in some preparatory phase. There is a lot of potential in the energy and mining sector that almost isn’t utilised at all, and that’s something we will deal with in this department.

Serbia has all the required conditions to also be an important corridor and hub for energy and energy sources in this part of Europe, just as it already is in transport, thanks to investments in infrastructure during the previous period. This means making the Turkish Stream pipeline operational, as well as building a gas interconnection towards Bulgaria, which is important for diversifying gas supply sources, expanding the underground gas storage facility in Banatski Dvor, then building the Trans-Balkan Corridor, investing in oil and product pipelines, and strengthening the distribution network for electricity and gas. Energy infrastructure is just as important as transport infrastructure for economic growth

and investment. Just as there are no investments where there are no roads, so there are no investments without a secure energy supply, or when that supply is lacking in quality. In addition to the fact that these are all important preconditions for investments generally, great potential also exists to attract new investments in energy and mining.

In order to ease the enticing of new investments, we plan - together with the World Bank - to introduce electronic procedures in energy and mining, following the model of e-permits in the construction sector. The goal of e-Energy and e-Mining reforms is to make all procedures in these areas electronic, and for us to increase transparency and predictability for investors, reduce costs and shorten procedures, whether they relate to energy permits and connections to electricity, gas and heating, or procedures relating to geological exploration and mining. This will require amendments to certain laws and other regulations, and in practise this would mean all procedures being carried out electronically, without the need to visit counters, and all important information relevant for one investor being published in a completely transparent manner, from the publishing of price lists, precisely defining procedures and the possibility of monitoring cases, to statistics on the efficiency of energy companies.

I can state with pride that, while I was in charge of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, of 61% of employed women, 43% were at the first level of decision-making

You’ve said that the Washington Agreement also implies the diversification of the “sometimes closed” domestic energy market. What does that mean in practical terms?

Diversifying natural gas supply is an issue of Serbia’s energy security, because Serbia has small quantities of its own natural gas and relies on imports of this energy source. That’s why it’s important to have the possibility of acquiring gas from several different directions, but also from different sources. It is important for Serbia to have as many partners as possible, just like we have in the transport infrastructure, where projects are implemented

by European, American, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Azerbaijani and other world companies.

In that sense, the Washington Agreement represents a chance for Serbia to gain new partners in this sector, alongside those that we currently have. Everything that is being done, every step taken in this sector, will be in the interest of Serbia and its citizens.

Diversification is one topic, while another topic is Gazivoda Lake.

The economic agreement from Washington provides the possibility for Gazivoda Lake to be used for the benefit of all, because it 7

EMPOWERED WOMEN

violence, as long as child marriages are not eradicated, as long as women are paid less than men for the same work, and up to 16% less, or as long as women spend twice as much time on household chores and caring for children and the elderly, we won’t have finished the job.

is an important natural resource. I don’t see why we shouldn’t consider projects that would include the participation of Serbs from Kosovo, as well as foreign partners. I think that divisions like those during the Cold War era have long since been overcome.

Women account for half of the government today. Is that merely numerical equality or essential equality?

First of all, let me remind you that in 2014, at the suggestion of then Prime Minister and today President Aleksandar Vučić to form the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, Serbia already stood out as the only country in Europe that had a deputy prime minister in charge of coordinating the work of all institutions in this field. This highlights our strong political readiness to improve the position of women in Serbia, as well as our unquestionable commitment to create equal conditions for all citizens. And just as the formation of the Coordination Body was an important advancement, I’m also convinced that, with the larger number of women in government, we will send a clear message that Serbia is developing into a society of equal opportunities for all, and I’m personally happy about that. It is important that women’s voices are heard in places where decisions are made, and I’m certain that the new female ministers in the Government will prove that they can lead Serbia forward with their knowledge and dedicated work.

What can and should the government do to improve the position of women, who have carried a greater burden of redundancies, work risks and increased workloads at home during the pandemic?

With the express intention of responding in the best way to the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic and the crisis it has caused, which impacts on women and men in various ways, the Coordination Body for Gender Equality has sent a list of recommendations to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, NALED, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Council of Foreign Investors, the Serbian Association of Managers and the Ministry of Economy, encouraging employers to respect the economic principles of women’s empowerment prescribed by the United Nations during this time of crisis.

It is known that women are at the front lines in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, because they represent the majority of those employed in the health and social sector, retail chains, care jobs and taking care of their own household and family members. All of this puts them in an unfavourable and more sensitive position. That’s why - with the support of the EU Delegation to Serbia, the British Embassy and UN Women - we sent recommendations to employers to include activities in their business operations that will reduce the gender gap that exists in every society, which includes, among others, flexible working hours, job preservation, supporting female victims of violence or directing donations towards organisations that provide assistance to vulnerable categories of women.

There has been a positive response to this initiative, for example one of the organisations that supported the initiative is the Serbian Association of Managers, which brings together more than 400 managers with over 70,000 employees. I’m sure that it is only through joint efforts and cooperation that we can contribute to reducing the negative socio-economic impact of the crisis on all citizens of Serbia and ensuring the fastest possible recovery of our economy, which both women and men should contribute to equally.

Serbia has all the required conditions to also be an important corridor and hub for energy and energy sources in this part of Europe, just as it already is in transport, thanks to investments in infrastructure during the previous period

You are the president of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality in Serbia. How equal are women really in Serbia today?

I’m proud of everything we’ve done over the past few years to improve the position of women in our society. Along with the laws and strategies that we’ve adopted and improved, which also represent a prerequisite for our further development and path towards the European Union, we are one of the few countries in the world that has introduced gender responsive budgeting, in such a way that the introduction of gender principles in budget planning has become a legal obligation. The fact that we are making continuous progress in this area is also shown by the Gender Equality Index, which we were the first country outside the EU to calculate and on which we achieved a result that was 3.4 points better between two reports.

However, there is still much more work ahead of us, because as long as a single woman is the victim of domestic and partner 8

EMPOWERED WOMEN

To what extent does the Gender Equality Index reflect the real situation in Serbia? And how can we use it as the basis to see the broader context of the position of women in our country and the surrounding area?

Serbia was the first, and until recently only, non-EU country to calculate the Gender Equality Index, as an important statistical instrument that shows us achievements in various areas. In the meantime, with a view to our example, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania have followed suit, and I’m glad that we are an example of good practice in that.

I can state proudly that Serbia has improved its score by 3.4 points in less than three years, and in order for readers to understand how great a success this is, I will say - without intending to sound arrogant - that Serbia has made a greater shift between two reporting periods than the European average. While a shift of 1.2 points was recorded at the EU level, Serbia made almost three times as much progress in less than three years. And what is also important is that we haven’t recorded any negative changes in any field.

Our greatest success in achieving gender equality has been reached in the domain of power, primarily thanks to the increased participation of women in the national assembly and

government, as well as the greater participation of women in local assemblies.

The domains of time and money are where we need to do more. Women still earn less than men, up to 16 per cent less, which is also the European average, and spend much more time in “unpaid” shifts, doing housework, taking care of their household and children, which leaves them in a situation in which they don’t have time to dedicate to themselves, to their health, career advancement, recreation... A study we conducted recently

Our greatest success in achieving gender equality has been reached in the domain of power, primarily thanks to the increased participation of women in the national assembly and government, as well as the greater participation of women in local assemblies shows that women spend twice as much time in these unpaid jobs on average. So, when they come home from work they are awaited by another, unpaid shift. And if that was measured in monetary terms, they would earn 546 euros a month, while the value of these jobs is equivalent to 21% of the country’s GDP. I don’t want that to be taken for granted and I’m fighting for these unpaid jobs to be recognised and valued.

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EMPOWERED WOMEN

INTERVIEW

VIOLETA JOVANOVIĆ, NALED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE ETHNO NETWORK

Equal Opportunities For

WOMEN AND MEN Although women are the more educated gender in the Serbian population, they face higher unemployment, lower wages and discrimination. In order for these statistics to change to the benefit of creating a gender balance, it is necessary to combine the efforts of all stakeholders: the state, companies/policies, the media and women themselves, who should fight for their rights.

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he consequences of traditional upbringing and patriarchal society are mostly endured by women in the provinces and the countryside, but they are also felt by educated and employed women who are expected to predominantly take care of the family and children, which limits them in making progress and achieving equality, - says NALED Executive Director and Ethno Network President Violeta Jovanović. According to her, the conditions of the pandemic strengthened gender stereotypes, because the closure of schools and nurseries meant that parents – and in our country mostly mothers – were compelled to dedicate themselves to the family at the expense of their work and to do another shift at home for which they aren’t paid or often even valued, notes our interlocutor.

Even before the pandemic, obstacles to the greater participation of women in positions of influence in the public and

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private sectors were already coming from socially imposed burdens outside of work and achieving a balance between business and family responsibilities. There is also a lack of greater child care support from public institutions, as well as personal ambitions as a result of a patriarchal upbringing, because it is considered that a career endangers family obligations that women are traditionally predetermined to do, insists Jovanović.

“Also testifying to the problem of the gender gap in the household is the first economic study on unpaid work, which showed that women are twice as heavily burdened as men when it comes to household chores and caring for children and the elderly. The pandemic that the whole world is facing has further burdened women with additional jobs, despite them often being on the front lines of the fight against the virus – in hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets,” says

EMPOWERED WOMEN

ENCOURAGEMENT

RESPONSIBILITY

DIALOGUE

It is encouraging that there is an ever growing number of women taking over leadership positions in the government, national assembly and local governments

The pandemic has burdened women with additional jobs, despite them often being on the front lines of the fight against the virus – in hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets

We need to lead a dialogue within institutions and foster exchanges of opinions to more quickly reach harmonised solutions for the pandemic and the crisis, together with gender equality

NALED’s executive director. “That’s why what we do at NALED and the Ethno Network is to strive to build a society of equal opportunities in which both women and men have every opportunity to develop and affirm themselves, and to achieve what they want in life.”

How much do women support other women, and how much are they soldiers of their parties or their companies that are run by men?

It is absolutely vital for women to network with each other in order to create an ecosystem of support and to highlight the benefits of women’s economic independence and their future contribution to society. Joining sector-specific and professional associations, such as the Ethno Network or the Association of Business Women in Serbia, provides an opportunity to connect

Many believe that this will be a permanent change that will nullify all the previous victories of the feminist movement.

What do you think about that?

I believe that no change is permanent, whether positive or negative, and I’m sure that this backwards step can be overcome by working to develop society’s awareness of the need for gender equality and increasing the willingness of women to stand up for themselves within their families, working collectives and society. It was a few months ago that I noticed a great campaign of UN Women and the Coordination Body for Gender Equality that encourages an equal division of care for children and co-parenting. The campaign is called “#HalfHalf - Care is not (only) a woman’s job” and it calls for the recognition and equal distribution of unpaid work caring for children and families. One important aspect of this campaign is encouraging and motivating men to get more involved in caring for children from the earliest age, The ‘1000 Women’ initiative, which is implemented by and for them to realise that they are not helpers of the members of the household but rather equal the Ethno Network, in cooperation with the Coordination participants. In that sense, under the scope of the Body for Gender Equality and NALED, is an excellent campaign, baby changing facilities were set up in men’s toilets in five public buildings in the country, example of mutual support in order to build an awareness of the need for equal and share experiences, as well as recognising excellence, while and active parenting. the promotion of sporting and career programmes intended for girls helps them develop their personality and awareness Fifty per cent of the members of the Serbian Government of the right to personal choice. The role of the family and the are women. Did that seem like an impossible goal to you equal treatment of male and female children is therefore key just a year ago? to the further development of the individual and society as a It is encouraging that there is an ever growing number of whole. It is also interesting to note the statistic that successful women taking over leadership positions in the government, female entrepreneurs in Serbia are often the only children in national assembly and local governments, and I hope that, as their families, and they say that their confidence in their own decision-makers, women will contribute to more equitable work and sense of self-worth are based on the attention and public policies that aren’t not only good for women, but for encouragement they received during their upbringing. society as a whole. In order for that to happen, it is also In contrast to that, although women are the more educated necessary for women to believe in themselves and their gender in the Serbian population, only 43.7% of women are abilities, to work hard and to make independent decisions currently employed in Serbia, compared to 56% of men. As for which they take responsibility on the basis of their many as 71% of men work in management positions, and function and the law.

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possible damage inflicted on us as an economy and a society?

It is essential for us to continue talking and listening to each other, at least online until conditions change.

We also need to lead a dialogue within institutions and foster exchanges of opinions in order for us to more quickly reach harmonised solutions for the pandemic and the crisis, together with gender equality.

That dialogue should continue the successes of simplifying the procedure for maternity leave, the automatic registering of property acquired in a marriage as being under shared ownWhich of your experience from manership and result in amendments to aging NALED would you share with Our focus is on amendments regulations and a gender-sensitive your young female colleagues who policy of public employment and labour are just advancing to managerial to regulations that will enable equallyvaluesmenandwomenand positions? employers to hire workers legally that provides opportunities for the equal We endeavour to lead by example, and with minimal administration participation of women in managerial to highlight good role models and be positions. The social platform for emsupportive of female colleagues at the powering women should be included in strategic documents beginning of their careers, to help them network and build selfand have cross-sector implementation so that it becomes an confidence as a foundation for achieving equality. We also run integral part of all governmental programmes and measures work mentoring and professional advancement programmes to achieve more comprehensive effects. It is necessary for in order to empower women at the beginning of their careers children to learn about equality from an early age, through the and help them to understand that they are creative members education system and public campaigns that teach children to of society who represent neglected economic potential with respect each other. Public policies should also be upgraded with abilities and knowhow that can contribute significantly to support programmes that appreciate the needs of women and our faster development. An important element of equality the wider community and provide carefully designed measures in society, and thus also in NALED, is represented by men, that can have an economic effect and help to affirm women. who account for 30% of our employees and who, shoulderAnother important support measure for working parents is to-shoulder with their female colleagues, achieve the results increasing the number of public institutions and reducing the of the largest public-private association in Serbia. costs of private childcare institutions with flexible working Another excellent example of mutual support is the hours, as well as a more tolerant attitude in society towards ‘1000 Women’ initiative, which is implemented by the Ethno women who are successful and accomplished in their work.

Network, in cooperation with the Coordination Body for Gender Equality and NALED, and which brings together What are the priorities of NALED in this domain? women in their later years and those just starting out in their NALED is paying special attention to support for hiring careers to work together in building the conditions required employees and maintaining employment in this period. Our for their social and economic affirmation. This initiative has focus is also on amendments to regulations governing this helped to train for work and empower hundreds of women area that will enable employers to hire workers legally and after they’ve experienced years of unemployment and been with minimal administration, i.e. those who lose their jobs pushed to the margins of the labour market, enabling them will be able to secure engagements and thus earn an income. to develop handicraft skills and thus forge for themselves a There is a special focus on home help jobs that are currently creative job that they can use to earn an income. Even more carried out by more than 50,000 women, for whom amending importantly, with this activity we’ve restored the significance regulations would enable them to gain an opportunity to be and status of handicrafts as carriers of our cultural identity insured and to exercise their right to a pension. With such an and women as guardians of our cultural heritage. approach, the state will certainly benefit from the preserving of income tax revenues and the reducing of social tensions In your opinion, what is a necessary precondition for us caused by rising unemployment. to be able emerge from this period with the minimum apart from the large discrepancy in employment figures, a difference still remains in earnings to the advantage of men, as key decision makers. In order for these statistics to change to the benefit of creating a gender balance, it is necessary to combine the efforts of all stakeholders: the state, companies/policies, the media and women themselves, who need to take responsibility for their own careers and not to hesitate in presenting the results of their work to the public, which they often leave to men.

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SANJA PEŠIĆ, ALMA QUATTRO CEO

Clients Seek

FLEXIBILITY Alma Quattro has amassed 26 years of successful operations on the market of outdoor advertising and street furniture. Part of a large international family that provides the company with training and technological and professional support, this fact is also very important – alongside dedication to the job – to ensuring Alma Quattro's success.

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n order for us to be able to plan for the future, it is important to know where we are now. Based on the results of 2020 to date, I would say that – as a company and as a team – we are in an extremely good place, and long may it stay that way, reveals Alma Quattro CEO Sanja Pešić with obvious pride.

How much have technologies, your portfolio, as well as customer demands and expectations, changed since the company’s first days?

We have a long period behind us. Even 2020, with all of its challenges and obstacles, was successful. It was those 26 years of experience that saved us during this challenging year, which wasn’t even our most difficult year since the start of operations. After the initial closing and a break in doing business, we returned in a big way. If we consider that women function best when things are at their most difficult, under extraordinary circumstances, both in their private lives and at work, then it’s no surprise that my team, which is dominated by women, performed wonderfully. That is actually where our power lies... in the fact that we manage well in difficult situations.

Clients expect flexibility in business and adaptation to their needs, and our resources enable us to achieve that. With a network of media in all major cities in Serbia and diverse offers, we are able to offer each client what they require to meet their needs for a high quality campaign.

Can modern technological achievements and trends bring success themselves, even without the professional and dedicated people with whom you work?

Legend has it that the heroes are recognised during times of trouble, and I believe that all our employees are heroes of this story. The people who’ve brought us success throughout all these years are actually those who complete the work. That was also the slogan of our campaign last year commemorating 25 years of our work and this motto continues today – people who finish the job. They are always ready to improve, to follow

technological achievements, and they’re ready to apply them.

As a director, I have great confidence in the expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our team. These are people who are accustomed to reacting quickly, who are familiar with the business and the market, attached to the company and feel that they belong in a system that has high quality because they are conscious of their contribution to that quality. I don’t believe in micro-managing. I consider that every member of the team has the freedom to make decisions within the scope of their competences, and also has the responsibility to make those decisions.

You have been with the company since the very beginning, along with the majority of employees. Is that the secret to your company’s success?

Having a dedicated team of people who view the company as their home has proven to be the best ingredient of the formula for success. During all these years, and the crises we’ve gone

We learn more about work, people and opportunities in crisis situations than in times when everything runs like clockwork through together, of which there were many, we learned to be pillars of support for one another. Having grown accustomed to working in difficult conditions, we’ve mastered the skills that have also sustained us throughout the years. We have learnt patience, because we are aware that every crisis must ultimately end and that we must learn more about work, people and opportunities in crisis circumstances than in times when everything runs like clockwork.

The circumstances under which we currently operate serve to warn us that the most important thing is to preserve people, their physical and mental health; that the world as we know it is a fragile place and that things we often cannot see with the naked eye, such as viruses, can cause great disturbances in our lives.

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INTERVIEW

JELENA GALIĆ, AIK BANK CEO

Focus On

CLIENT SATISFACTION During the six years that Jelena Galić has been the CEO and head of the executive board, AIK Bank has grown both organically and through acquisitions on the domestic market and around the region. It has developed to become one of Serbia's systemically important banks, contributing greatly to the stability of the entire financial system

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ositive opportunities and outcomes are created through consistency, transparency and perseverance, coupled with joint commitment, care for people and the environment, and expanding boundaries of thinking and acting.

These are the values that I and my team believe in ~ notes Ms Galić, who recently received two flattering awards.

The end of the year, a period when financial results and market position are summarised, is fast approaching. Are you satisfied with 2020 and the period you’ve spent as AIK Bank CEO? - During these six years that I’ve headed the executive board, our bank has become a systemically important bank on the domestic market, increasing its assets to over two billion euros. It was during this period that AIK Bank became the first domestic bank to enter the market of the European Union through the acquisition of Slovenia’s Gorenjska Bank, thus becoming a stable banking group with assets exceeding four billion euros. The group’s financial and business indicators are

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significantly above the average of the domestic and regional banking market, with realised ROE of 31%, ROA of 6%, a 19% share of capital in the balance sheet total and a strong deposit base exceeding three billion euros, which represents a strong foundation for further strengthening our market position.

With the developing and expanding of cooperation through a regional approach, benefits can be achieved not only within the banking sector, but also in the real sector of the economy, thereby ensuring the accelerated economic growth and development of the entire region.

We are turned towards the future and continuously introducing new, innovative services and offers, because the satisfaction of our clients represents the basic focus of our business. AIK Bank’s chief aspiration in the period ahead will be to create products and services that are in accordance with the needs and preferences of clients.

You have faced many challenging situations during your career, but we’re certain that none of them have been like the continuing pandemic. How is your bank dealing with all aspects of COVID-19?

- With the aim of protecting the health of employees and ensuring the normal functioning of companies during the state of emergency, we focused on the continuity of our customer service. The basic goal was to protect all employees and clients, while simultaneously ensuring the smooth provision of services. We strengthened hygienic protection measures and disinfection, enabled “remote work” (i.e. work from home), maximally strengthened and additionally secured all digital services aimed at protecting clients from potential operational

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risks. In all banking activities, measures tailored to clients have been taken both with households and with corporate clients, especially in those sectors that have been hardest hit by this crisis, in coordination with public authorities.

The measures taken have been implemented successfully, resulting in a stable health situation within the organisation and the smooth running of regular activities without operational incident. During these times of crisis, it was once again confirmed that the most important things are solidarity, mutual support and a unifying team spirit.

AIK Bank is recognised as one of the leaders in providing innovative and modern services. What innovations have you introduced during the previous period?

- We were among the first banks on the local market to implement an e-commerce service that allows users to take advantage of advanced e-business systems. We continuously upgrade existing applications and processes in order to provide clients with a better and faster user experience. In accordance with our adopted digital transformation strategy, we are continuing to implement projects that have a direct positive impact on the availability of a large number of products to clients 24/7, both through our network of branches and in the online environment via digital communication channels. Our desire is to automate and sell products, and to make them available through online channels, alongside numerous background services and processes related to daily banking operations.

Our clients in electronic and mobile banking applications can today access required funds with just a few clicks, sign a contract through dual-factor authentication and receive funds on their account.

The whole process takes less than 10 minutes. We offer online lending with the digital signing of contracts without the need to go to a branch, “online savings”, while we also have an “online on boarding” service.

We’ve also implemented a project for instant payments with a QR code at points of sale, which speeds up transactions and transfers of funds, at lower costs than when using payment cards. Within our branches we’ve provided 24/7 accessibility for self-service zones of multifunctional devices that support payments or withdrawals in local and foreign currencies, payments of bills, payments in instalments, transfer orders, access to electronic banking etc. There is also our network of “smart safes”, which allows anyone wanting to deposit funds to have those funds available in real time on their account.

children etc. We’ve provided significant support to the green economy, to young people for the development of startups and in education, including the Mathematical Grammar School in Belgrade, which stands out due to the exceptional achievements of its students, the development of women’s entrepreneurship and the active participation of women in socially important projects.

Could AIK Bank have achieved all of these great results without industrious, dedicated and motivated employees and great leaders like you?

- In my professional endeavours I’ve always strived to push the boundaries, to encourage partners and colleagues to face chal-

In accordance with our adopted digital transformation strategy, we continue implementing projects that increase the availability of products

Your company represents an organisation with pronounced corporate social responsibility. What did your CSR focus on this year?

- During last year and this, we allocated significant funds for healthcare institutions, medical equipment, the treatment of

lenges by working together with consistency, transparency and perseverance. A good leader is characterised by the strength of vision to move ahead of their own time, the flexibility to be open to different approaches and the wisdom to make intelligent choices. And, finally, a no less important quality of a good leader is a commitment to people and the environment, and for me that care for people and the environment is precisely one of the key elements of success.

Our team is characterised by its uniqueness, commitment to innovation, openness and the shifting of boundaries in terms of both thinking and acting. We endeavour to learn and acquire new knowledge and skills every day, to invest in the development of our own capacities. On the development path it is essential to have innovation, openness and transparency. That is the foundation of certainty and sustainability, which is crucial in all undertakings, from the operational to the strategic level, which ensures the trust of partners, clients and employees.

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Delta Doesn't Do

GENDER DIVISIONS Some of the key top management positions at one of Serbia's largest and most successful companies are occupied by women - educated, hard working, dedicated and very professional women. At Delta Holding gender doesn't influence who will do what job, provided the skills necessary to succeed in a particular job are shown KATARINA GAJIĆ, Director for Design and Construction, Delta Real Estate, Serbia

SAVA CENTRE: RECONSTRUCTING BEAUTY

The real estate business is often perceived as an engineeing and managerial job. Fortunately, everything isn’t like that, because it gives me the kind of opportunity that I think every woman would like: to make and leave behind something beautiful. That is certainly the case with Belgrade’s Sava Centre. We plan to engage world-renowned architects from the field of congress tourism who will help us modernise the space and the concept of the facility itself. We believe that we will launch works as early as June next year.

The Sava Centre is a true landmark of the city of Belgrade, and for us it is also strategically important.

It is designed to represent a functional whole, along with our Crowne Plaza hotel.

For us the Sava Centre is an important detail in the congress tourism business, but also a place that we are all attached to sentimentally. As a company that happily applies innovations, we are ready to add something completely new to the old beauty that’s carried by the Sava Centre. Belgrade will receive the most modern and largest congress centre in the region, which will place our capital city on the map of the most important congress destinations in Europe. Following reconstruction, the Sava Centre will glisten with a new gloss and reopen its doors to major international cultural events, economic gatherings, fairs and festivals. We will add contents that Belgrade doesn’t currently have to the complete offer, but let’s allow some of that remain a surprise, for the moment when we enter the refreshed, spruced-up, functional Sava Centre.

TANJA VASOJEVIĆ, Communications Director, Delta Holding

EMPATHY – SKILL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The job of us communicators, today perhaps more than ever, is to convey emotion and show empathy. That has always been the most powerful message! The specificity of today’s juncture is life in digital times, in which our communications don’t know either spatial or temporal boundaries, and with all of that we are also being joined by new generations who are talking/watching each other almost exclusively on screens.

All of that is communication, with only the channels changing! That chameleon’s characteristic is its strength, and that’s why it’s essential to show that online communication really can and should be emotional.

When we add to this the fact that the Coronavirus pandemic has physically (and by no means socially) distanced us from one another, that it has introduced various forms of unrest or anxiety to us, then the work of those of us in the communications sector is even more important. It is important as people, but also as brands and as companies, to communicate with emotion, with empathy, positively and motivationally. And in order for us to be successful in that we also have to master the most important communication skill – listening.

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TIJANA KOPRIVICA, Chief Business Sustainability Officer, Delta Holding

KNOWLEDGE STRENGTHENS OURSELVES AND OTHERS I like the pace of work at the company, the changes, and that I’m at the source of important information and knowledge. On the other hand, I also have the opportunity to be in business, but in the non-profit sector, which makes the job even more challenging, because it isn’t easy to prove the impact of a non-financial business on the basis of results.

My job allows me to not sit in one place. I enjoy touring farms, orchards, hotels and distribution centres, and talking with colleagues. These are all opportunities to learn and socialise. Apart from that, it is also nice that I have the opportunity to work with people from other companies, on our socially responsible projects and within the framework of organisations like the Forum for Responsible Business, GCUN, SAM, CANSEE...

All of the Sustainable Development Goals have been woven into our operations for as long as the company has existed. We contribute to reducing inequality between people not only by employing people with disabilities, women in key positions and the like, but also by equally valuing the work of all colleagues, regardless of their differences. With the project “Strengthening the Family”, we give an equal chance to achieve economic and psychological empowerment for families at risk of separation.

We gladly adopt and share knowledge, thus making it available to employees, young people, subcontractors, suppliers and farmers. Our projects are “Young Leaders”, “Delta Business Incubator”, “Our Village”, “Plantation for the Future” and “Fund for the Future” and the transfer of our knowhow represents the foundation of each of these projects. I’m proud of the way we do business and all our projects, because they are well conceived, strategically set and contribute to the continuous improvement of quality of life among those for whom they are intended.

Among them are always children, women, families, people living with disabilities etc.

MONIKA PEJČIĆ, HR Director, Delta Holding

RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT PLACE

A person’s ability to respond to the demands of a given job is a key characteristic that determines whether a woman or a man will be employed in a position within the scope of Delta Holding. So, gender has absolutely no influence on who will do what, provided they show the skills necessary for success in a certain job. Delta’s corporate culture is such that it encourages the progress of employees who have great potential, and very quickly dismisses those who fail to fit in. Opportunities are given equally to women and men, and jobs are divided into those that require sophistication and analytics and those that require endurance – both physical and mental.

The terms leader and manager don’t recognise divisions based on gender. In that sense, it is only important that the right person is in the right place. In accordance with that, it isn’t important for Delta whether someone wears gloves and a hat, rather it is important that they wear them with a smile, to mutual satisfaction.

ALEKSANDRA ĐUĐEVIĆ, CEO, Delta Auto

WE’RE CHANGING OURSELVES AND THE COMPANY I spent a year at the Faculty of Philosophy providing exercises for students, convinced that I would deal with scientific research and remain working at the faculty. However, working on dynamic and demanding projects in the NGO sector revealed to me that I was born to do business.

I’m primarily at Delta because I received the opportunity and support to show my potential, and to remain that which I am. That’s because the company is itself open to change and is flexible, it allows its people to change it, and changes with them. That is extremely rare, valuable and beautiful, and is what distinguishes excellent companies from others.

When I talk with friends, they are more envious that I have the opportunity to test the latest and most attractive BMW models than the job itself, so we often joke about that. I admit that this is a really exclusive and adventurous side of my job that I enjoy endlessly. I have the opportunity to drive everything from electric vehicles to the most powerful M models, from the lively MINI Cooper to the powerful BMW X7. It is a special pleasure for me to occasionally test technologies that still await us in the future. The opportunity to cooperate with experts from BMW, MINI and Honda is very valuable for me, as is being with the world’s leading brands in the field of business.

On the other hand, as a woman I don’t feel like there is any envy at work. I surround myself with strong men and women with whom I cooperate well, but also from whom I can learn a lot. When we listen to one another, understand and support each other, any kind of envy is excluded. I don’t see myself as a woman in a male world, nor do I behave that way. That’s probably because that division of “worlds” never had any significance to me. At Delta, where I grew up in a business sense, it is irrelevant to the job whether you are a man or a woman.

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INTERVIEW

BRANKICA JANKOVIĆ, FORMER COMMISSIONER FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUALITY

We Must Change CULTURAL PATTERNS We've managed to present the topic of gender equality in public as being very important, which resulted in changing the attitude towards this issue. There are now no serious actors on either the left or the right of the political spectrum who haven't included this issue on their agenda. Of course, much remains to be done in practise to make women and men more equal.

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he position of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality has been vacant since May of this year. The damage this causes has been pointed out by numerous experts and non-governmental organisations dealing with the topic of discrimination. While we await the government’s appointment of a new Commissioner, we spoke with Brankica Janković, who headed this institution for the last four years.

She says that the amount of damage done by not naming a new Commissioner depends on the perspective. “I wouldn’t be so bold as to give such an assessment, because only the citizens can assess how much this has created problems for them,” says Janković. “In a situation in which we face a risk of enormous proportions and great unknowns, it is difficult to assess anything realistically. I can only say with certainty that this institutions always provided citizens with timely and effective protection against unequal treatment in any form and area, and it operated especially effectively during the pandemic, when no one in the institution was spared and we did everything in our power to help those who need it, and to do so in the shortest possible time, because the legal deadline of 90 days and procedures are not

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useful in a sate of emergency, when people’s health is endangered or daily functioning is hampered. In addition to my regular job, I also volunteered continuously for the Serbian Red Cross.”

Do you consider that the issue of amending the law to prevent this problem from recurring to be among the priorities of the government?

- Perhaps not at this moment, when public health and the preservation of citizens’ lives should be the top priority, of course along with the preserving of our healthcare system, but I believe that such a will still exists and that this issue will be resolved in the period ahead.

Since the establishment of this institution and during your mandate, to what extent has it managed to change the situation when it comes to discrimination against women?

- My assessment is to a large extent based on arguments that I can confirm - a large number of successfully resolved complaints of citizens, and success implies that the Commissioner’s recommendations for the elimination of violations of rights have

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been respected and implemented, and that discrimination has been eliminated in many individual cases. There were cases when a female citizen only had to indicate that she would file a complaint to the institution for that potential discriminator to stop.

We also managed to present the topic of gender equality in public as being very important, which resulted in changing the attitude towards gender equality, although the situation is of course far from ideal.

additional hygienic prevention measures. If we add to this online education for children – women who’ve had such obligations have been seriously burdened, if they hadn’t previously fought for equality in the private sphere, which is mostly undervalued in the equality agenda. The other side of the coin actually showed how much and what kind of capacities women have, and served to remind political actors about how valuable women are as a resource of society. Take a look at our political scene today – it truly reflects the situation regarding equality for women.

It was on 5th March this year that the European Commission presented its Strategy for Gender Equality for the 2020-2025 period.

Have we missed the opportunity to deal What are the most important recommenwith domestic violence sufficiently during dations that we should adopt ourselves? this period?

- Serbia is on a good, European track when We missed a lot of opportunities in our counit comes to this issue, and our strategic We must preserve the right try and around the world, here I’m primarily documents also contain almost identical to decide for ourselves about referring to knowledge about the virus and goals/recommendations as the European our body and our health, increasing capacities for different types of document, which is quite expected given emergencies – we could certainly have done that we are firmly on the path of European and we must be ready for even more to combat the spread of infection integration. It is also a fact that no EU mema great struggle – there are and test our systems for some new disasters ber state has achieved equality between no arguments supporting a that probably won’t bypass us in the future. women and men to date. Progress is slow, This also relates to violence against women, as stated in the mentioned document, while different opinion, because again, we must ask how realistic it was gender differences still exist, mostly in the that is a huge achievement of but, to pay special attention to that issue under areas of employment, salaries, care and pensions. In order to bridge these gaps and civilisation in terms of women’s such extraordinary circumstances. Instead we need to pay enough attention and allocate enable Europe to utilise its full potential in human rights enough resources in the regular state of afbusiness, politics and society, the Strategy fairs to see where we’re still lacking in the protection system, which also defines targets that relate to ending gender-based viohas improved significantly over the past few years, but it is worth lence (33% of women were victims of physical and/or sexual working, mostly on prevention and changing cultural patterns. It violence, while 55% were sexually harassed), breaking gender is good that we have leaders in public life, albeit only a few, who stereotypes, eliminating gender differences on the labour are ready to send clear messages about the unacceptability of market, achieving the equal participation of genders in differviolence and the obligation of the state to provide protection. ent sectors of society, combatting differences in wages (the EU average is 16%) and pensions based on gender, eliminating Movements aimed at banning abortions are strengthening in gender differences in the area of care and achieving a gender many countries. Do you believe that something like this can balance in making decisions and policies. also happen in Serbia?

- Anything can happen anywhere. An intelligent person will Many believe that everything that had been achieved in the never say that something is impossible in our country – if people struggle of the feminist movement was undone with the arhave done something somewhere. That should be the red line rival of COVID-19? What is your opinion on what happened of attack on women’s human rights. We must defend them by to women’s equality in this period? all means if and when necessary. We must preserve the right - The realistic picture is slightly more complex in practise and to decide for ourselves about our body and our health, and we there are two sides to the coin, like everything in life – on one must be ready for a great struggle – there are no arguments side are the measures for prevention and protection against the supporting a different opinion, because that is a huge achievevirus, particularly various restrictions burdening the economy, ment of civilisation in terms of women’s human rights, and we which have led to a gender gap as a consequence in many areas, mustn’t at any price allow a situation where little girls as us to especially in the economy, and women have been hit much harder. tomorrow what we did and how we went backwards by a cenOne cannot express the difficulty of living and working from home tury. What is the authority that should convince us otherwise? while simultaneously taking care of most family members, with 21

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INTERVIEW

INA BULAT, GENERAL MANAGER & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MERCK SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO AND MERCK REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, ALBANIA AND NORTH MACEDONIA

Science And New Technology For

THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALTH

Viewed from an historical perspective, Merck has always worked to bridge the gap between the challenges of today and a better tomorrow.

A constant commitment to innovation is a strategy that keeps Merck at the top

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t Merck we strive to be supportive of women through numerous initiatives with which we want to empower them. We educate thousands of women in Serbia on a daily basis through our pages on social networks, and we will continue to do that in the years to come - says Merck’s Ina Bulat, speaking to CorD.

Merck has three priorities: performance, people and technology. Is that a strategy that the company has been employing throughout its 350 years and that has elevated your company to the top?

- Merck works through scientific research to constantly seek answers to questions that haven’t even been asked yet, and the greatest motivation for that is to be found in the fact that our work in the domain of healthcare helps millions of people.

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Our research aims to improve, extend and create life. Merck is a company that has a past, present and future, and we at

Merck imposes the same standards of quality in the production and distribution of medicines at all of its representative offices around the world Merck believe that science is the greatest driving force of this time and that its potential is being constantly renewed through discoveries.

You’ve spent years as the managing director of Merck. What characteristics must a woman have to maintain such a demanding job so successfully?

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- Leadership at a company like Merck primarily implies caring for employees and having a desire for constant progress. We have an opportunity to learn a lot as part of one of the world’s largest technology and science companies. And not only that ...

We have an excellent opportunity to bring many innovations to our country. And these innovations improve people’s health and lives. Merck has always viewed success through generations, and not through business quarters, and we’ve transferred that business philosophy to Serbia.

I personally find great satisfaction in all of our progress – from the dedicated team, via operational results to social engagements.

with their teams to identify diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. In partnership with UNICEF, Merck also donated 2.4 million dinars to the Serbian healthcare system.

First- and second-class markets and patients don’t exist for Merck. Does this mean that medicines for Serbia, as well as other parts of Europe, are produced in the same place, using the same substances and according to the same technological process?

- The medicines that Merck brings to Serbia adhere to the highest world standards and are completely the same as those in other countries in Europe or around the world.

Merck’s medicines for Serbia and other parts of Europe are produced in the same place, using the same substances and according to the same technological process. Merck imposes the same standards of quality in the production and distribution of medicines at all of its representative offices around the world. In Serbia, as in all major countries worldwide, we

You educate women in Serbia on a daily basis, while you fight to raise awareness about risk factors leading to the development of many diseases – from the thyroid gland, through infertility to multiple sclerosis – for the earliest possible diagnosis and the highest quality therapy.

- It should be noted that women are much more affected than men in precisely some of the therapeutic areas Merck has always viewed success through generations, in which Merck holds a leadership position. Multiple sclerosis, for example, affects twice as many women as and not through business quarters, and we’ve men. Four to seven times more women than men have a transferred that business philosophy to Serbia thyroid disorder. In the field of in vitro fertilisation, we want to empower women because they suffer extreme and are present in the fields of cardiology, diabetes, endocrinolunjust pressure from society, although causes of infertility ogy, oncology, assisted reproduction and neurology. Merck are equally present in both sexes: a third of the causes come strives to bring new therapies to Serbia every year, as well from women, a third come from men and a third are due to as bringing innovations to existing areas of therapy. We want both partners. to support people in every phase of life, improving quality of We will continue fighting to raise awareness of disease life and extending life itself. risk factors in women, for access to screening programmes, the earliest possible diagnoses and fair access to treatment Which innovations have you brought to Serbia this year and, for all women. in your opinion, what is the biggest success you’ve achieved in 2020?

The eyes of the entire world have been focused for almost - We are proud that we’ve brought one of the biggest innovations the entire year on medical workers and the healthcare sysin the field of neurology to Serbia this year. This is an innovative therapy for multiple sclerosis that represents a turning point tem. How do you view this global pandemic? in the treatment of this disease. We have also just launched - Merck globally is part of key initiatives aimed at ending the a national campaign on the prevention of prediabetes, which pandemic.Together with the Jenner Institute, we have developed is also gaining momentum among younger members of the a production platform that will enable the mass production population due to an unhealthy lifestyle. We are currently also of a future vaccine, and the joint team has reduced the time working on establishing several internet platforms that will required for the development of a production process from serve to educate both the general public and health profesone year to just two months. We are collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the developsionals. And given that we’re a company that’s dedicated to innovation, we are pleased to support the work of Strawberry ment, production and delivery of vaccines, diagnostics and Energy, as an innovative start-up company in the field of new treatment for COVID-19. technologies. In partnership with them, we have installed two We would also remind readers that Merck awarded the smart benches - with solar chargers for mobile phones and free “Insight into the Future” award in 2019, granting the amount of a internet - within the Clinical Centre of Serbia. million euros for research in the field of pandemic preparation The greatest challenge this year, of course, was adjusting to scientists Pardis Sabeti, from Harvard University and the rapidly and digitising operations, which we implemented sucBroad Institute, and James Crowe, from Vanderbilt University.

Thanks to this award from Merck, they are today working cessfully thanks to our well-coordinated team.

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INTERVIEW

MILICA LUNDIN, PRESIDENT OF THE IWC BELGRADE

Timing Is The Biggest

CHALLENGE

From 2018 Milica Lundin has successfully headed the International Women’s Club of Belgrade from strength to strength. IWC is a club that gathers women of foreign nationality living in Belgrade.

Mrs Lundin is a Swedish musician and culture manager. Her husband is current Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia, H.E. Jan Lundin. Due to her husband’s diplomatic vocation, Milica has lived with her family in Sweden, Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Serbia.

particularly critical. It should be a matter of the individual’s What are the biggest challenges, in your opinion, for choice and life circumstances, but no doubt this critical female leaders today? time can be seen as an obstacle for her productivity by her - First of all, being the female director of a big enterprise colleagues and employers. Not everyone believes that a is probably much harder than being president of an Interwoman can be an ambitious employee and at the same time, national Women’s Club. To be honest, I see the challenges engage in her children’s early school age, for instance. Our in leadership as already given, regardless of gender. I have never been exposed to gender stereotypes myself, but that is because I was lucky to see some excellent diplomatic leaders in 30 I do not have so much experience in soyears of my diplomatic life called “male jobs”.

I also presume that there are huge children do occupy our mind a lot. But I believe it is achievdifferences between being a female leader in Sweden and able by those fierce women who possess a strong ability Serbia. As I understand, in Sweden today, the number of for planning and a reliable support network. female diplomats is exceeding the number of male diplomats. There is still a huge discussion about the remaining How far have we yet to go until balance and equality salary differences between female and male employees become a part of the everyday work-life? and bosses.

That, again, depends on the country. Some countries have In my opinion, the biggest challenge for a woman would very developed gender equality policies in work-life and be the timing: does a woman want to pursue advancing in beyond. For example, Iceland: You would be amazed by how her career simultaneously with the most intensive period independent women are and how many gender stereotypes of her children’s upbringing? That is if we can call any period 24

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are broken there. For example, it is not unusual for a child to adopt its mother’s maiden surname, although parents are married and living together.

I would say, as soon as everyone is embracing feminism regardless of their own gender, we are on a good path. By feminism, I mean the desire to make women simply equal with men both by law and in practice. Not privileged because they are “a weaker sex”, but simply equal. It is still nice that we are different in some other aspects.

Of course, laws have to be applied and obeyed.

I think it will be much harder to introduce true eguality in everyday life than in a high level of professionalism.

we looked to our own resources. In the end, why couldn’t a group of strong, educated, cosmopolitan women create a product that would be sold for its cultural value? We came up with an idea to publish a book of our impressions of, or rather our relationships with, the city of Belgrade.

As a mission-driven organisation, IWC aims to help women to adjust to Serbia and its culture, as well as to take part in its charitable actions. How challenging is achieving this goal in 2020, the year marked by the pandemic?

This year is putting particular pressure on us sinceourclubdependsonsocialgatherings.Many of our members are a little exasperated by this long period of self-preservation. What we miss the most are joint visits to museums and trips.

But we socialise online, keep each other in good spirits and offer help to those of us who need it. There is also a very intensive exIWC will publish a book of our impressions of, or rather our change through social networks. Our website relationships with, the city of Belgrade www.iwc.rs and Facebook page are very much alive, and we are publishing all the news we Our foreign ladies each contributed with a text about can about our projects funded by the proceeds from last their favourite place in town and explained why they are year’s Charity Bazaar. attached to it. When matched with nice photos, it will be We can proudly say that the beneficiaries were very a popular read, I think. appropriately chosen. All six of the projects we chose deal with the elderly and four of them deal with humanitarian What do you believe are the main traits and characteristics help throughout different parts of Serbia. The help has of the successful female diplomatic leader of today? already been delivered, and the projects were vital for There is no such thing as a particular prescription for female the critical period of May and June 2020. diplomats. I was lucky enough to see some excellent diplomatic leaders in these 30 years of my diplomatic life, both IWC is producing a book instead of the annual Charity women and men. When it comes to success in diplomacy, it Bazaar this year, due to pandemic restrictions. Please is erudition, respect for other people and impeccable tact tell us more about the idea behind the book. that make the difference. You may have a good head on We all know how difficult it is right now for all in the private your shoulders, be operative and constructive, but without sector to keep their heads above water. We are, therefore knowledge of history, scholastic and contemporary, and trying to avoid asking for donations and sponsorship as without respectful and a dignified approach to people, much as possible. With a lack of donated goods and with you will not gain respect in return. This applies to both restrictions of public gatherings comes the question of our women and men. annual Bazaar. We gave up on planning it for this year, and 25

EMPOWERED WOMEN

MARIJA PANOVIĆ, PRODUCTION DIRECTOR, VESNA MITROVIĆ, SALES DIRECTOR, RADENKA GOLUBOVIĆ, QUALITY CONTROL DIRECTOR, MLEKARA ŠABAC

Women In Prominent Positions At

MLEKARA ŠABAC

For this CorD special edition dedicated to women in business, Marija, Radenka and Vesna talk about their many decades of experience working at Mlekara Šabac, a major dairy company located in the city of Šabac. They are directors of production, quality control and sales, all key functions in this company that has been operating on the Serbian market for 90 years and which produces dairy products that can be found on markets from Russia, via Europe to America.

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lthough research shows that the path to gender equality is still not easy, Mlekara Šabac has shown that women achieve exceptional results in managerial positions, but also that the percentage of women in top management is on the rise. Here these lady managers talk about their work and experiences, As someone who is most familiar with the production process, from procurement to placement, how would you briefly explain to a new potential consumer why they should choose Mlekara Šabac products?

Marija Panović, Production Director: I started getting acquainted with the production process as a young technologist, and I’ still here, this dairy and I are progressing and developing alongside one another. Joking aside, technologist is a masculine noun, and while some claim that the use of gender-sensitive language contributes to raising awareness of the importance of equality between women and men (in my case: technologress or alternatively technologitsa), I personally don’t think that

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leads to gender equality, because the female form of the word emphasises gender, and not what the person does and what results they achieve.

A lot has changed since 2008, when I started my career at Mlekara Šabac, in terms of production volume, technology and requirements. Progress is evident. We have implemented the highest standards in food production, which ensure the high quality and health safety of dairy products. Production processes are constantly being improved and perfected, but it should again be emphasised that we also jealously protect the traditional, the good. The priority of our production process, but also the key to success, is product quality, which we have not deviated from for decades.

I’m proud of the fact that I once grew up with brands like Sirko and A la kajmak, and today my children are growing up with them.

These are completely natural products that we’ve produced according to the same recipe for more than 30 years, without the addition of preservatives, additives and artificial colours, just as we produce many other products, such as yoghurt, young

EMPOWERED WOMEN

cheese and Mediterranean cheese. Our Poppy chocolate milk isn’t only a favourite among children, although everyone would expect that. It stands out because it is made from the highest quality milk and Belgian chocolate, and has high protein content and reduced fat content. However, my favourite product is Šabac Mileram, which has a slightly sour taste, a specific aroma and a perfectly spreadable and creamy structure.

Most of your production ends up in the republics of the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Russia etc. Has the pandemic ruined your existing jobs and plans? Do you plan to conquer new markets?

Vesna Mitrović, Sales Director: Mlekara Šabac is an exportorientated company, with exports accounting for over 60% of total sales. We are present today on the markets of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, America, the demanding markets of the European Union, i.e. Germany, Switzerland and Bulgaria, and, of course, in the region.

The quality of our products, as well as large capacities, have opened the doors of many markets for us, where we have been operating successfully for a decade and more.

I have practically been in sales since the first day, when we started to conquer new, big and distant markets in 2008. Today we achieve enviable results in these markets, and that success has come as a result of investing in cooperation with local raw milk producers, production and certification, and the knowhow and enthusiasm of my entire team, despite all the challenges.

We have major plans, but like most businesses worldwide we are using the break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to consolidate and consider all post-pandemic scenarios.Wewanttoconquerandcontinueusingourtastes to entice new consumers in even more interesting markets, such as those of Libya, Israel, Austria, Hungary… But this time we’ll do so while taking into account all the changes that suddenly arose… Many countries with economies based on tourism have been hit hard, as well as those in which the HoReCa catering segment is at a high level, and that’s where our end consumer is, an end consumer who has become more rational for all these reasons, only buying what is necessary and spending money very carefully. I personally think that recognisable quality is one of the basic levers in the fight during the pandemic and the general crisis, and I am naturally enthusiastic and believe in a better tomorrow.

market conditions were significantly different and can barely be compared to today’s conditions.

Buyers and consumers have become more demanding year-on-year, and it is necessary to have ever more commitment and investment in knowledge and new technologies, but also the certification of various standards, in order to maintain and improve the recognisable quality of our products, expand the range and conquer markets at home and abroad. Everything happens fast today, and as a producer you have to intensively monitor the needs of consumers and quickly adapt to requirements, constantly offering the market something new, but also that which is constant – quality is always in the first place and that is recognised by our consumers. It used to be mostly

I’m proud of the fact that I once grew up with brands like Sirko and A la kajmak, and today my children are growing up with them. These are completely natural products that we’ve produced according to the same recipe for more than 30 years, without the addition of preservatives, additives and artificial colours

Your job is to work with colleagues to develop and improve production, control raw materials and products, as well as to participate in creating new products and flavours. How much have consumers and the market changed during the three decades that you’ve been at Mlekara Šabac?

Radenka Golubović, Quality Control Director: During the course of my 30-year career at Mlekara Šabac I’ve had the opportunity - through my work in production and quality assurance, as well as food safety - to deal constantly with the needs and expectations of buyers and consumers. When I started,

women who did the grocery shopping, or at least made the list for it, while today you have ever more men who really read the label declarations and care about what both they and their loved ones consume.

At the same time, information technology and social networks enable everyone, not only us as a producer, to better monitor the opinions and needs of consumers, but also enables consumers to quickly spread bad news if you lack the kind of quality that they expect, so you have no right to make mistakes in that regard.

Proving that Mlekara Šabac has been on the right path throughout all these years is the trust of consumers, both domestic and on the 13 foreign markets to which we export our dairy products. I’m happy that for three consecutive decades I’ve had a nice feeling in my stomach when I wake up in the morning and head to work.

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EMPOWERED WOMEN

JELENA KNEŽEVIĆ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LEITNERLEITNER SRBIJA

Long Journey To

GENDER EQUITY Competence, reliability and speed – these are principles that LeitnerLeitner has been putting into practise for more than 60 years and which represent the key to gaining a competitive edge in business.

Consistently high-quality standards have also helped LeitnerLeitner achieve success and constantly increase its locations in CEE and SEE

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arge companies have realised that investing in good staff is the most efficient way to achieve desired goals.

We have realised that staff development and training brings exceptional results, which are primarily reflected in the better performance of individual members of a company, - explains Mrs Knežević.

LeitnerLeitner’s success over the past 60 years has been based on the same principles - competence, reliability and speed.

What else distinguishes you from the competition in Serbia?

We strongly consider that our team’s outstanding technical skills and the high quality of LeitnerLeitner services are key success factors in Serbia. Whether you are an SME or an international group, we never lose sight of our goal, which is to identify, coordinate and realise optimisation potentials.

Our offices work together closely and across borders. We apply an interdisciplinary and dynamic approach, so that we can explore all possibilities and find the best course of action for each client. Our staff’s expertise and integrity play a decisive role in the process. We also cultivate close personal and tried

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and tested professional relations with a number of renowned consultancies. In this way, we can eliminate country-specific risks and find the best possible solution, even in complex situations.

One of LeitnerLeitner’s main corporate strengths is caring for our employees, clients and the community. Therefore, in the case of the Coronavirus pandemic, which represents a newly created challenge for all of us, certain risk analyses have been conducted, while measures have been taken to manage those risks adequately; our approach includes our commitment to the safety of our employees and planning to ensure that the company is able to continue to respond, operate and support our clients on a daily basis.

We constantly invest in the education of our employees and hire young talented people who are willing to learn and grow together with us. This enables us to create an excellent team composed of satisfied and motivated people who are willing to work in such an environment and do their best for the company.

As a result, my team has shown its strength and flexibility in its actions during this difficult time. I am proud that we have

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adapted to all the changes in a very short period, serviced clients without any delays and even gained new ones.

We live in times of constant amendments to legislation, which is why it is crucial to be up to date with all new changes. Are you and your team constantly improving?

That’s why investing in the professional development of employees has become one of the key points on which the success of our company relies. We nurture the professionals in our firm and give employees the space they need to grow into superb advisors. The wide-ranging training system of the LeitnerLeitner Academy guarantees each and every staff member receives comprehensive general training from their first day at the company. Our close contacts with leading universities and pre-eminent European partner institutions allows us to offer training that is well founded and international. Our employees have access to all relevant literature and other sources of information, such as different kinds of web platforms.

Modern organisations today understand that good results in a highly competitive environment depend solely on attracting, developing and retaining talent.

Talented people are becoming a strategic resource, and talent management practises make the difference between good and not so good companies for work and career development. Companies that care about their talented workers create an environment in which every employee is able to learn, develop and unleash their full potential, while achieving both personal and company goals.

How do you see companies run by women from the point of view of a tax advisor?

Being an entrepreneur is, by its very definition, an extremely bold move, both in Serbia and abroad. These are individuals who rely solely on their own knowledge, skills and resources to generate an income. If we add to all this the important role of women in the family, the modern female entrepreneur is exposed to great challenges. The state should recognise this sensitive group of taxpayers and motivate them - primarily with stable incomes during pregnancy and maternity leave, which, as you know, is

In recent years we’ve noticed a positive trend of more women being involved in decision making and gaining managerial positions

The new Government of the Republic of Serbia was recently formed, with the new/old Prime Minister entrusting almost half of all ministerial positions to women. What does this say about us as a society, but also about women?

The participation of a larger number of women in the executive branch is certainly a positive signal, as an example of the inclusion of a larger number of women in more responsible positions. As it is known, of 23 ministries, 10 are headed by women, which is a much higher ratio than we have had in the past. With the new distribution of ministerial functions in the government, Serbia has entered the ranks of the 10 countries that have the best balance when it comes to gender equality in the executive branch. This might also mean creating a different, better, more democratic atmosphere than has been the case so far. Still, it is also important to keep in mind whether they have an essential role in decision-making.

In recent years we’ve noticed a positive trend of more women being involved in decision making and gaining managerial positions.

Yet we have statistics showing that men in managerial positions still earn more than women. This is not only the case in Serbia, but everywhere around the world. I think it will be a long journey for us to build up the society with gender equity, thus we must admit that we are on the right track.

still shrouded in serious controversy about how to determine benefits for women entrepreneurs.

The company should be run responsibly and with respect for all employees. I am very pleased to see that an increasing number of women are also employed in management positions, and we encourage such an approach within the LeitnerLeitner Group. I think women’s leadership can only add value to a company.

What plans and expectations do you have as we enter 2021, the year in which LeitnerLeitner Serbia will mark and celebrate its first decade of doing business in Serbia?

It has been a great pleasure for me to be at the helm of LeitnerLeitner in Serbia for the past six years, and to have a very successful period behind us, both in terms of the development of the company and the brand on the market, and in developing our employees. A decade of doing business is certainly a great success for us, because the positive outcome of the business is seen in the fact that we are recognised by clients as reliable partners, while we’ve developed a strong and professional teams of experts who are passionate about finding feasible solutions for all tax, audit, payroll and financial advisory issues. In this regard, our plans for the next period are very optimistic. We hope for even greater success and the growth of companies in Serbia.

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EMPOWERED WOMEN

DOMINIKA SEFTON, GENERAL MANAGER, NOVARTIS SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

Access to Innovation

A PRIORITY

As an innovative healthcare company that aims to reimagine medicine in order to improve and extend people's lives, Novartis approaches its role in addressing urgent public health needs and major health challenges with great responsibility

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ovartis remains deeply committed to patients in Serbia.

Our priority remains improving access to innovation, so that Serbian patients can have treatment opportunities equal to patients in EU countries, says Novartis Serbia and Montenegro General Manager Dominika Sefton.

You donated 5.4 million dinars to the Serbian healthcare system at the very start of the pandemic. Has the fight against this novel coronavirus served to unite the world a little more?

Along with ensuring the continuous supply of our medicines, our donation in response to the COVID-19 outbreak underpinned the efforts of the Serbian Government in supplying protective medical equipment for healthcare professionals. Responding to the EFPIA’s call, Novartis is making available a set of compounds for antiviral testing and evaluating existing products to see if any could be repurposed to serve in the fight against COVID-19. Our Serbian associates engaged in the AmCham online volunteering programme to make medical literature available to experts of the COVID-19 Crisis Team and we focused our efforts on ensuring our associates have safe and engaging working environments, through a new flexible working policy, a number of support programmes, as well as mental health and well-being resources.

Has the pandemic changed Novartis’s approach to the Serbian market?

Healthcare professionals continue to be our precious partners and we are re-imagining ways of supporting their efforts during these times and beyond, scaling-up multichannel engagements and digital technologies to provide medical information and education focused on patients’ needs.

Examples of patient focused initiatives include our support to the Institute of Rheumatology for a programme of home deliveries of biological medicines to rheumatology patients in Serbia, as well as support to patient groups’ programmes providing free transfers

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of patients to clinics or establishing online contacts with healthcare experts for disease management advice during the pandemic.

We look towards the future with a mindset of curiosity and an ambitious strategy. I am proud of my team’s concerted efforts to be faster than ever in bringing innovation to Serbia post-EU registration.

We are looking with great expectation towards future launches that will truly make a difference in treating patients in cardiology, multiple sclerosis and ophthalmology, along with our current portfolio. Our global advances in cell and gene therapies offer the potential to transform medicine, and I’m proud that children in Serbia with SMA, a life-threatening disease, have had an opportunity to receive our novel gene therapy. In order to deliver our ambitious long-term strategy in Serbia, this year we have introduced a new organisational design, offering our people new developmental opportunities and creating a sustainable organisation for the future.

Do women hold other important positions in the company?

At Novartis women currently account for 46% of middle management (vs. a 36% benchmark), 38% of senior management (vs. 27%) and 32% of executive management (vs. 19%).

Novartis has publicly committed to achieving a gender balance in management structures for all of our associates globally by 2023. There are 20 LGBTI Employee Resource Groups and our recent global LGBTI Pride event had more than 3,000 participants from 67 countries. Novartis is a member of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network, which promotes the worldwide inclusion of people with disabilities in workplaces.

I’m proud to be part of an organisation with a culture that’s built on strong values, where ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ are embedded in our Code of Ethics, and where we ensure every day that people in my organisation feel like they are seen, heard and valued for who they are.

EMPOWERED WOMEN

MILICA MILANOVIĆ, CORPORATE AFFAIRS MANAGER AT NESTLÉ ADRIATIC S

On a Mission For A

HEALTHIER FUTURE

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to businesses worldwide

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ere Milica Milanović, Corporate Affairs Manager at Nestlé Adriatic S, speaks about the company’s approach to new challenges and its future outcomes and plans.

continue our efforts. With this in mind, we launched an online educational campaign to raise awareness among younger people about preserving the environment. Improving quality of life and securing a better and healthier future remains Nestlé’s mission.

Nestlé is well known for carefully nurturing its corporate The year during which Nestlé has been commemorating 15 culture. What are some of the biggest challenges you faced years of doing business in Serbia is coming to an end. What during the pandemic in this regard? are the company’s most important achievements to date, and Our first goal was to secure the health and well-being of our what do plans for the period ahead encompass? employees and business partners. We implemented all the Nestlé has introduced many new products and innovations to necessary safety protocols, which was especially important Serbia, while we have proudly embraced the traditional “C” brand, for our field workers. As a global leader in food and beverage production, it was paramount for Nestlé to adapt quickly and implement concrete measures to curb the negative As a global leader in food and beverage production, it was impact on our business, but we also took important strides paramount for Nestlé to adapt quickly and implement concrete in nurturing our corporate culture by carefully listening measures to curb the negative impact on our business, but we to our employees’ needs and moving our business into also took important strides in nurturing our corporate culture the online realm as much as it is possible. We are also proud of providing significant donations to medical by carefully listening to our employees’ needs and moving our facilities and marginalised groups, and we will continue business into the online realm as much as it is possible to do this until we return to the normal state of affairs. continuing its production and improving its portfolio, especially Serbia’s favourite “Začin C”. Since 2011, when production was How did the current situation influence your decisions regardlaunched at the Nestlé Surčin factory, we’ve invested more than ing daily activities and events?

15 million euros in the plant, its equipment and product developThe decision-making process has largely remained the same. ment. In Surčin we produce brand “C” products, as well as “Thomy”, However, we are still conducting business in line with the official “Maggi” and the rest of Nestlé’s professional portfolio. Investhealth recommendations. That means that we moved the bulk of ments have led to expanded exports of its products increasing our activities to online channels. For example, when we organised five-fold, to more than 40 countries worldwide where Nestlé the Eco Tour – the open door event of our Surčin factory – we operates. An investment of 2.3 million euros impacted directly recorded it live stream, while the factory’s personnel followed on increasing production by 3,500 tonnes, with the creation of all implemented safety protocols. It is important to note that the 89 new product recipes and cooperation established with 45 Nestlé factory in Surčin has achieved the goal of “Zero Waste new local suppliers. Locally, our largest environmental investto Landfill”, meaning that not a single speck of waste ends up in ment in Serbia so far is 1.2 million euros for the construction of the landfill sites of the local community. Despite the pandemic, a modern wastewater treatment facility. sustainability remains one of our top priorities and we will 31

EMPOWERED WOMEN

DIANA GLIGORIJEVIĆ, CO-FOUNDER OF COMPANY TELEGROUP

Curiosity Is

THE BEST DRIVER When someone grows up in the cabins of planes and helicopters, reads fluently, writes and speaks five languages, has the curiosity of a three-year-old child and diplomas from prestigious educational institutions in Europe and America, and doesn't recognise a division between male and female jobs, then even the sky isn't the limit for such a person

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t TeleGroup between 35 and 38 per cent of the workers are women, because I try to choose a young female engineer every time I can choose between two equally good male and female candidates, reveals Diana Gligorijević, who has for years been encouraging girls to enter the IT world.

You studied at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, the Sorbonne in Paris, the Technical College of London and Wharton University in America. How much has that contributed to your success?

During the time that I was getting an education it was also important where you went to school, in terms of location. Back then knowledge and sources of information were mostly related to specific institutions and the professors who taught them, for recommended literature, bookshops and libraries. That is no longer the case today, because - thanks to the Internet - there are none of the previous territorial restrictions, everything is more accessible to us, and all we need is the desire to learn, progress and improve, and we also need to be curious.

Although where you study isn’t the most important factor today, it is important that a high-quality lecturer transfers knowledge to you and that you learn because you want to learn and discover something, and not because of grades. Curiosity, questioning facts and thinking analytically have been extremely useful to me, in business and even in my personal life.

You entered the IT world from the aviation industry, both of which are known as male domains, and showed that you can do better than men in both fields. Does that have anything to do with gender or is it more about attitudes towards work and life?

I entered the aviation industry as a translator, after completing a one-year course for scientific and professional translators, but also as someone who grew up in the cabins of planes and

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helicopters from the earliest childhood alongside a father who was a pilot. I worked a lot for the centre for the exchange of international aviation documentation and documents related to civil aviation, and then very quickly found myself in a situation where I was not only translating documentation, but also working on the proper management of all documents and all professional data for the aircraft maintenance process, for the Flight Control and the Federal Inspectorate for Civil Navigation, on the one hand, and for the Civil Navigation Association in Geneva on the other.

For me that was all a natural environment and great inspiration, and then I realised that the aviation industry isn’t just technical, that there are also innovative technologies involved, so I slowly embarked on a journey into the IT field.

Is it true that you encourage young girls and teens to learn IT. Why is that important?

I would like to help little girls, and then also young ladies, to understand that these moulds shouldn’t limit them in choosing a profession. Someone else sets limits for them during childhood. Guided by what they brought from home, most of them turn to the humanities and stay away from technology, although the female brain is the same as the male, if not superior in some things. However, it is difficult for them to grasp that, which is why it is my desire and ambition to encourage them to turn to the IT industry. And I don’t only talk to them, but I also sponsor mentoring courses and teach whenever and wherever the opportunity arises, because they can learn a lot from my experience. I am a mother, wife and expert in my work; a woman with an enviable career, filled with knowledge and amazing experiences from travelling around the world, and I know that all of that comes together if you are diligent, love what you do and love your life. And I love my life.

EMPOWERED WOMEN

KRUNA GAVOVIĆ, CEO OF THE LEAN SIX SIGMA COMPANY CEE AND TMS CEE MARKETING AND ACADEMY MANAGER

I Believe In

HARD WORK

Kruna Gavović is a young businesswoman, a licensed mediator, the mother of a beautiful little girl and someone who believes in hard work, education...

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think it is important to set priorities, to organise ourselves well, to have a few hours during the day that we dedicate to ourselves and to realise that we are wonderful even though we are not equally perfect in all our life roles, says Mrs Gavović.

Is it more difficult today for women to harmonise their career and family commitments?

It is very difficult today for women to harmonise their business obligations with their family life. Striking a balance between their career and family demands all of their energy – and that can be very frustrating for the work team and the family.

As a working mother, it sometimes seems to me that 24 hours is not enough to do all my daily activities. I think it is important to set priorities, to organise ourselves well, to have a few hours during the day that we dedicate to ourselves, and to realise that we are wonderful even though we are not equally perfect in all our life roles. I have always been willing to help others and have always believed in hard work and in myself. Nevertheless, alongside all my life and daily roles, one role in my life is eternal – that of a mother.

And as one wonderful song goes: “In my daughter’s eyes I am a hero, and I know no fear, but the truth is plain to see, she was sent to rescue me.”

I think that my daughter is my reflection and in every blink of my daughter I see whether the path I’m taking is the right one.

The need for balance between career and family mostly affects women, but not only women Is the Family Friendly Enterprise Certificate particularly important for companies in which women comprise the majority of employees?

The need for balance between career and family mostly affects women, but not only women. Investing in the happiness of employees is beneficial for all companies. When companies recognise the importance of their employees’ work-life balance, they recognise the employee as a person, as a social and an emotional being and not just a “human resource”. We need to change the culture of cooperation with employees, which means shifting from seeing an employee as a human resource to seeing an employee as a human being. That is a win-win process.

Do you consider that investments in knowledge pay off?

By investing in your own education you receive a constant reminder that there are things that you’re not good at and can improve on. Investing in yourself helps to create a strong foundation upon which we can build our future.

I have been dedicated for years to learn how to better listen to others, maintain a sense of empathy, learn to deal with change, rationalise expectations, block sources of negative energy and strengthen relationships.

Only in this way can you be sure to get the most out of yourself.

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EMPOWERED WOMEN

MAJA ANTOLOVIĆ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DP WORLD

Embrace Equal Rights

OPPORTUNITIES DP World is the leading provider of smart end-to-end supply chain logistics worldwide, enabling the flow of trade across the globe. Through an interconnected global network of 128 business units in 60 countries across six continents, DP World covers every link of the integrated supply chain

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The plan for DP World Novi Sad is to invest in upgrading facilities and a commitment to the full modernisation of equipment, processes, expanding capabilities and training and employing a local workforce. The company aims to provide the highest level of services along the entire course of the Danube DP World, the world’s third largest port operator, arrived in Novi Sad in May last year. How did this come about?

In 2018 we launched DPWorld4Women – representing our commitment to drive more gender equality initiatives across the business The Port of Novi Sad in Serbia has an excellent strategic location in the centre of the province of Vojvodina, where 70% of the cereals produced are for local and international markets. This was one of the key factors that attracted DP World’s investment.

As a global trade enabler, our strategy is to cover door-to-door services throughout the logistics chain, from E-line bookings, customs clearances, packing, road and rail transport, storage, free zones, ports, ocean transport, air cargo transport and more.

We think ahead, anticipate change and deploy industryleading technology to further broaden our digital vision and create the smartest, most efficient and innovative solutions, while ensuring a positive and sustainable impact on economies, societies and our planet.

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EMPOWERED WOMEN

Our comprehensive range of products and services covers every link in the integrated supply chain – from maritime and inland terminals, to marine services and industrial parks, as well as technology-driven customer solutions. Even during these unprecedented times brought about by COVID-19, DP World is still investing to support existing businesses to meet market demand, including ports, logistics and marine enterprises in Ukraine, Angola and Montenegro, as well as feeder companies in various locations.

As someone who was involved in the project from the beginning, do you believe that the Port of Novi Sad can become the leading port in Serbia? Can you tell us more about plans and strategies for growth and development?

Novi Sad is a key part of DP World’s global strategic footprint, connecting EU river ports from the North Sea to the Black Sea and providing diversified port, logistics and marine services for all types of cargo. DP World’s pledge to transform Novi Sad into a modern port facility goes beyond our contractual commitment. We have significant plans to implement DP World policies and procedures to meet the best global standards. We also plan to establish cutting-edge port handling technology and operating systems that will enable us to efficiently and cost effectively meet the needs of both existing and new clients with a competitive offer of port, logistics, freight forwarding, customs clearance, transport and other port services.

Although I’m proud of my participation in the Olympics, I’ve never used that for self-promotion and I certainly don’t feel as though I’m above my colleagues; rather I feel a great responsibility to treat everyone with respect and help them to achieve their goals in more of a coaching or mentor capacity.

How much has the port activity changed compared to earlier years?

The port business has been through a number of evolutionary stages, but the last few years have seen a period of exponential change, for example with the introduction of remote crane operators, crewless vessels, E-commerce and online bookings, high-rise automated container stacking, LNG and environmentally friendly vessels, as well as many more innovations.

Going forward, we envisage the increased transformation of technology, particularly IT systems and robotics.

A few examples of changes already endorsed by international maritime conventions and global treaties are: * Reduction of CO2 emissions by implementing LNG (liquefied natural gas) – new generation engines that use low sulphate fuel, electric and even hydro power for propulsion * New terminal handling equipment that can be operated remotely, thus reducing risks to employee safety * Self-load and self-discharge vessels managed from a control cabin * IT systems of management supported by drones with high definition infrared cameras, providing real time data for the efficient management of labour forces, workloads, safety and security

DP World’s management team includes two women. Considering it’s a Dubai-based company would you say “just two women” or “as many as two women”?

There are historic and cultural reasons that the logistics sector has traditionally been male dominated, but it is time to consign this tradition to the past. DP World Our approach is to build a top-level competitive and employs many women at all levels of the business, from profitable business that has long term sustainability crane operators and port CEOs, to top executives who help formulate our long-term strategy and enact our founders’ principles.

DP World invests continuously in new technologies and new Since its inception, DP World has embraced equal rights services, in order to improve trade globally. What will the opportunities, inclusion and cultural diversity. In 2018 we supply chains of the future look like? launched DPWorld4Women – representing our commitment I have already highlighted DP World’s strategy, existing services to drive more gender equality initiatives across the business. and future potential – a potential that is demonstrated daily with We have also launched a programme of bespoke leadership new innovations like Virgin Hyperloop. Prior to investing in these training for our female colleagues, Women Lead@ DP World. changes, we investigated and conducted detailed reviews of the performance and capability of our existing facilities, completed Speaking of women in leadership positions, did your sportan in-depth market study on existing and potential competition and built a number of business scenarios that were tested and ing, competitive spirit elevate you to the top positions, given incorporated into our long-term plan. that you were an Olympic athlete and a professional coach?

Our approach is to build a top-level competitive and profitable My sporting achievements have helped me throughout my life business that has long term sustainability. I wish to conclude by giving me a foundation of discipline and determination to by saying that I’m proud and happy to be part of the DP World achieve my goals, as well as the understanding that success group, and I’m excited for what the future holds, both for Novi is built through hard work and an open mind – I believe in Sad and the company as a whole. listening and learning new things every day.

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TAMARA BEKČIĆ AND MILENA AVRAMOVIĆ BJELICA, DIRECTORS AND CO-FOUNDERS OF CHAPTER 4 PR AGENCY IN SERBIA

Strength of

THE PR TEAM Chapter 4 in Serbia is part of the Chapter 4 Group and the exclusive partner of the world's leading communications network, BCW Global. But that partnership doesn't bring new clients, rather they do that themselves by nurturing high quality services and constantly developing team members, and through their business focus and innovation

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nitially, Tamara and Milena were the only two woman to be co-founders of a Chapter 4 agency. Today, almost 11 years later, Chapter 4 agencies exist in as many as 10 markets in Europe, and half of the directors and owners of these agencies are women Chapter 4 is part of the Chapter 4 Group that operates throughout CEE. How much does your exclusive partnership with BCW Global, a leading global communications network, help you in your business?

Tamara: That’s right. The Chapter 4 network was created as an initiative of several colleagues who had previously cooperated across the region. At that time there were four founding countries: Serbia, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary. Milena and I have been active participants in creating the success story of our network from the start and we were the only women to be co-founders of Chapter 4 agencies.

After almost 11 years, Chapter 4 agencies exist in as many as 10 markets in Europe, and half of the directors and owners of our agencies today are women.

Partnering with BCW Global means a lot to us in terms of providing the highest industry standards and sharing experiences. This cooperation influences the development and innovation of our team greatly, and consequently the results we achieve with clients.

Contrary to popular belief, partnering with a global network does not bring new clients. We do that ourselves – by nurturing high quality services and constantly developing exceptional team members, business focus and innovation.

Examples of the network’s participation in major regional and global tenders are rare. Today’s clients know that engaging a larger network may simplify the selection process and provide the best price, but won’t ensure the highest quality. What is far more frequent is that clients who are satisfied with the professional support they received on our market decide to contact Chapter 4 agencies in other markets where we operate. That’s how quality spreads the influence of the network.

You were among the first to bring an holistic approach to communications to our market more than a decade ago.

Do your innovative projects contribute to your clients’ results and reputation?

Tamara: Our focus in on how to optimally support clients’ business plans. This very often implies highly specific communication with different target audiences, tailored to each one. Activities based on this principle are, of course, measurable: if we know what we want to achieve, then we also know what and how we can evaluate and measure, directly and indirectly, both quantity and quality.

Depending on the client and the business goal, the focus and target groups change, but the strategy, creativity and innovation, as well as ethics, are constant elements. Our clients know that they can rely on us in this regard, and that each of their projects represents a challenge for us that we approach with great care.

Communication projects are strategically planned and there are no quick fixes. That’s how we achieve excellent results, nurture or improve the reputation of our clients and

Our whole team is constantly learning and upgrading its knowledge and skills

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consequently strengthen our own reputation. There is no better recommendation than a satisfied client and a successfully completed project or a campaign.

How much is your expertise dependent on experts in various fields of communication, and how much on the strength and coordination of the entire team?

Milena: I would say that it is the strength of the team, but also the interests, knowledge and experience that each member of the team possesses. The big advantage of smaller teams is that it’s clear what someone is exceptional at and what they need to work on, and then all challenges are resolved much faster and easier. In order to successfully manage a client account, consultants need to be deeply and broadly into the specific matter and industry. Our whole team is also constantly learning and upgrading its knowledge and skills.

Chapter 4 Agency won the Award for the best PR Agency in Serbia in 2020

Communication projects are strategically planned and there are no quick fixes

What is it like to work in an exclusively female team? Judging by your agency, the saying “Women are their own worst enemies” is not true, right?

Milena: We are not exactly a team exclusively comprising women, we do have a male colleague who fits in very well.

But, yes, during these 11 years of Chapter 4, there have been moments when only women made up our team. It is not so important whether the team consists only of women or not, but rather if there is mutual respect, motivation and a desire for cooperation, learning and support. Maybe women understand each other better because they have similar interests outside of work and become more open in communication.

However, we are all colleagues and partners and that gives us stability that also benefits clients.

On what basis do clients select Chapter 4 PR? Milena: I believe that it is our analytical and tailored approach to each client. The knowledge and experience we have as a team, but also that each employee has individually, regarding market trends, both regionally and globally regarding the industries of our clients, as well as our strategic and crisis communication advisory.

Has your expertise in crisis PR, crisis communication and management come to the fore in the most extraordinary circumstances we have lived under to date, namely the COVID-19 pandemic?

Tamara: The pandemic did not catch us unprepared. We had a certain advantage: crisis communication planning is an integral part of the expertise of Chapter 4. Although no one could have predicted a scenario identical to this pandemic, the very fact that crisis plans existed, and that we had simulations and training with our clients on a regular basis, helped reduce risks significantly, ensuring that timely communication internally and externally runs in a smooth, clear and efficient manner, and thus is able to quickly establish control. That has provided everyone with security and hope.

How do you see the future of communications, given the fact that this global pandemic has changed everything?

Milena: COVID-19 has had a major impact on our lives, both professionally and personally, and has caused a huge shift in the way we communicate with each other. If someone hadn’t understood the term “digital transformation” in previous years, now they certainly do, because we’ve all lived through it in past few months. Also, through constant video calls and increased accessibility, we literally entered each other’s personal lives and that led to more transparency, authenticity and empathy. Looking beyond this incredibly rapid change in the channels, there is also a noticeable shift in the way business leaders communicate with their employees, customers, investors and the wider community.

I believe that this will continue to shape our future.

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JELENA ANDRIĆ GRAFAKOS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACO SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

No Development Without

A CLEAR VISION

Continuous and dedicated work has brought the greatest success to company ACO Serbia and Montenegro, which has been recognised as a professional and reliable partner for resolving the most complicated and demanding water management projects in all areas of construction industry

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his company has amassed a series of state-of-the-art projects, the latest and most demanding of which include works on Belgrade’s Republic Square and Savski Square, Nikola Tesla Airport, Imlek’s production plant, residential buildings and the Galerija shopping centre within the Belgrade Waterfront development.

You’ve been with the company for 15 years, from the very beginning in the Serbia and Montenegro markets, while you’ve been at its helm since 2015. What would you single out as the biggest successes, challenges, changes, biggest projects etc.?

Considering the start of the company’s business on our market, from the distance of today it is possible to summarise the entire development path, from brand positioning and formation of the initial team and stock, to the start of market education on the importance of adequate drainage and water treatment. During that time I developed, as an engineer, into a specialist for surface water management, then later took over the management of the company.

This brought a completely new perspective, new challenges, but also the opportunity to create a shared vision, together with my growing team, for the further development of the company into one that sets standards and follows the latest trends in the field of water management.

As such, I would single out as the biggest challenge, and also the basis of our work even today -continuous education of the market and raising awareness of the importance of professional cooperation on projects, knowledge of regulations in this area and the implementation of adequate solutions. We have behind us a very long list of state-of-the-art projects in the field of road and urban infrastructure, shopping centres, business and residential buildings, production and logistics centres, hotels and restaurants.

You opened the ACO Academy and showroom, at the end of last year. Can you tell us a little more about that?

The idea to open the ACO Academy in Serbia was born of a desire to provide our associates with even better quality insight into the selection and application of ACO solutions on projects, through a system of presentations and trainings. At the same time, 38

this also gives us an opportunity to learn about the challenges of modern projects from designers, contractors, supervisors and investors, and to work together to come up with the best solutions for each individual project.

Part of the ACO Academy also includes a large showroom with numerous examples of ACO products installed in a real environment. This entire endeavour is the result of the work of our team that worked with dedication on all interior and installation details, so that ACO has a modern training centre for the markets of Serbia and Montenegro that’s similar to the existing one at the company’s headquarters in Germany. In the space of our Academy you can clearly see the connection between industry and art, which is nurtured as one of our company’s values. Unfortunately, our plans for the work of the Academy had to change this year due to the health situation, which is why we secured alternative ways of visiting and gaining insight into ACO solutions, via a virtual 3D tour through the showroom, online presentations, webinars etc.

You’ve complemented your portfolio with segments covering the food industry, commercial kitchens, hotels and residential buildings, while you’ve increased your stock and expanded your team. Are you continuing the further development?

Under the conditions of increasing number of projects in construction industry, and simultaneously shorter deadlines for preparing project documentation and installation - expertise, knowledge and dedicated work are crucial in ensuring the high quality implementation of projects. That’s why we decided to create a segmented approach to the market and projects, in order to pay as much attention as possible to the specifics of each segment. The greatest advantage to this process is provided by the dedicated team that together follows the process of implementing each project from start to finish. Of course, increasing the volume of work also required an increase in the team and stock, as well as creating new processes within the existing organisation.

As construction projects and the construction industry further develop, so will we also adapt our approach, bringing innovation, fresh ideas and professional solutions, with an emphasis on protection of the environment.

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IVANA MILOŠEVIĆ, DIRECTOR AND OWNER, CITYSCOPE

Well Done

WOMEN LEADERS Managing human resources is always challenging, and that's especially true today, with accelerated technological development changing the way most companies function both, in our country and around the world, which inevitably also impacts employees. Here’s how that's seen at agency CityScope

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echnology and online platforms have enabled new organisational structures and dynamics within teams, working from home with all the challenges it brings, so CityScope director and owner Ivana Milošević believes,on the basis of her vast experience, that this will further empower women to consider new business opportunities.

Accelerated technological development is changing the way most companies operate, both in our country and around the world, and this has an inevitable impact on employees. Is managing human resources more difficult under such conditions?

Managing human resources is always challenging, because it relates to people, with all of their peculiarities and specificities. The strategic role of the HR sector is crucial, as an expert assessment of the directions and ways in what it is necessary to develop employees within an organisation, particularly today. It is flippant to claim that this assessment can be a hundred per cent accurate, because none of us can claim with certainty to know the direction in which technological development will take us. Whatever the case, it should be grounded in HR expertise, taking into consideration the needs of the business, on the one hand, and the strength of its employees, on the other.

Moreover, by taking into account the pandemic and the uncertainty it brings, I would say that short-term goals and small victories are now the most important, until the situation on the market returns to some kind of “new normal”. Technology and online

platforms have enabled new organisational structures and dynamics within teams, working from home with all the challenges it brings, and I truly believe that this will further empower women to start thinking about new business opportunities.

Is it still easier for men to get jobs than women; are they better paid than their female colleagues for doing the same jobs and, if so, how can that be changed?

I wouldn’t say that a clear and explicit gender difference in the hierarchy of positions exists today. I consider that more of an individual stamp, the extent to which a person is entrenched and has self-confident in their own experience, knowhow, skills and qualifications to be able to respond to the demands of an executive role or C-1 position. Experience also tells me that women have today become more confident in themselves and louder in representing their views and ambitions, but I would like to note that each instance is an example for itself and should in no way be generalised.

As a woman and an entrepreneur, I’m very well aware of all the changes on the market that have taken place over the past 16 years. An ever increasing number of women are today at the helm of organisations, whether that applies to running companies or those who’ve decided to launch their own businesses. That was very rare back when I started my career as an entrepreneur, and I’m very glad about that.

How do you see the future of the HR sector?

I consider the evolution of business as a natural process, for certain occupations to be changed or replaced, or even cease to exist, especially at a time of rapid technological development. However, employees represent the core and greatest value of any organisation. Their ability to adapt to the changes and needs of the organisation is also what distinguishes successful companies from those that are less successful.

Herein lies the role of the HR sector as a key teammate – recognising and developing talents within an organisation has never been more challenging and essential, while on the other hand everything is happening during a time of accelerated change and large oscillations. At the same time, every time of great change is also a time of new opportunities, and that means opportunities for all women with the courage to become entrepreneurs.

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VESNA KUKIĆ LONČARIĆ, JYSK COUNTRY MANAGER FOR SLOVENIA, CROATIA, BIH AND SERBIA

Right Time

TO EXPAND JYSK achieved its record turnover in the 2019/20 fiscal year, because many citizens invested in their homes. They spent money that they'd initially set aside for travels to buy new furniture for their gardens or balconies, while the fact that many are now working from home meant that they also invested in office furniture.

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ccording to research conducted in September 2020 for the Serbian market, most of JYSK’s customers are women and young families. Both women and men choose to shop in stores and online in equal numbers, while the most important thing for both sexes is that the offer meets all their needs.

JYSK has brought to Serbia an excellent offer, reliable quality, easy shopping and competent service. You promised that to customers and delivered. What’s next?

I see JYSK as the customer’s first choice primarily when it comes to products for sleeping, and then for living, regardless of the purchase method and place chosen. We at JYSK believe that the key to success lies precisely in the balance between online shopping, which is massively on the rise, particularly in this challenging year, and providing inspiring places to shop, where customers can always get high-quality service and advice. We see the Serbian market as having great potential, so our focus is still on expansion. There are many towns and cities where we want to be present and to open our stores, so we are actively seeking new, attractive locations. We also plan to renovate part of our existing stores into much more inspiring places for shopping in the Scandinavian style. With the employees that we have and the programmes that we apply to ensure their development, I am convinced that we will succeed.

women and generally younger families. When it comes to choosing a purchase channel, we don’t see a gender-based difference, given that we strive to be flexible and to satisfy the needs of all customer profiles with the breadth of the options we offer.

Also confirming our flexibility is the innovation we are introducing with regard to online shopping. This is the option of OOPUS (order online pick up in store) purchasing with free delivery, which enables the customer to choose to have their online order delivered to a desired store without having to pay the cost of delivery.

It is interesting that when we asked about the top three characteristics that our customers would use to describe JYSK we received uniform answers regardless of gender, and those are affordable prices, a good offer and range, and product quality. And we are especially proud that JYSK has the highest level of recommendations and the highest loyalty index compared to competitors, which confirms that we are working great job.

JYSK has the highest level of recommendations and the highest loyalty index compared to competitors, which confirms that we are working well

Is it true that women prefer to buy in sales salons because they want to feel the fabric and texture of wood under their fingers, to assure themselves that they’ve found the right shade, while men prefer shopping online?

According to the latest research that we conducted for the Serbian market in September 2020, most of our customers are 40

JYSK Serbia has achieved great results for four consecutive years, but what will 2020 be like? What did you invest in the most - your product range, employee education, marketing or something else?

Despite many challenges, JYSK achieved its record turnover in the 2019/20 fiscal year. As is the case with most companies, the Coronavirus pandemic and efforts to deal with its consequences were the main focus during this year. Among other things, our increased turnover is a result of the decision of many customers to invest in their homes, because of the borders closing and many people having prepared to spend summer at home. This is precisely what gave us the opportunity to show what JYSK has to offer and the breadth of our range to even more customers.

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SVETLANA ANĐELIĆ, PRESIDENT OF THE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY OF KNIĆ

JELENA OBRADOVIĆ, MP FROM KNIĆ IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Knić Municipality

Successful Women Lead

To improve the position of women it is essential to fight against all types of violence against women, to empower women and develop women's entrepreneurial spirit. In the Municipality of Knić, this is also done through the Commission for Gender Equality

The leadership of the municipality wants Knić to become even more developed and accessible for life, for both the youth and older citizens, so that everyone the same chances to progress here.

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How can the rights and position of women in society be improved?

- Although women are undoubtedly a pillar of the family and society, they are still a vulnerable category. In the struggle over violence against women, it is crucial to act preventatively, to create conditions for women’s economic independence, to raise public awareness of the role and rights of women and to develop mutual cooperation between women through networking.

The Commission for Gender Equality has launched an initiative to protect women from hate speech, particularly such speech directed against women who hold public office. In the municipality of Knić we create conditions for the empowerment of women and the development of the entrepreneurial spirit, through gender-responsive budgeting measures and constant education, especially in the field of digital entrepreneurship. The European Charter on Gender Equality has been adopted at the local level, and work is underway on the procedure for drafting a local action plan on gender equality and forming a women’s committee group that would be included in the work of the women’s parliamentary network of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

Although the municipality of Knić is predominantly a patriarchal environment, a lot has been done on the rights, position and empowerment of women. Are you satisfied with the progress made?

- Apart from the fact that a third of our local parliament is comprised of women and that women hold almost all leading public functions in the municipality, what also distinguishes us is our gender-responsive budgeting, which we’ve been conducting for years already. The economic empowerment and education of women are our priorities, and we’ve also worked on the education of the youth and young married couples, because that is among the key prerequisites for the development of a healthy society. In this way we are building a modern, stable, healthy and developed society, which advances and in which everyone has equal opportunities and equal rights.

Empowers Women Society Forward

lmost all public functions in our municipality are performed by women, because they are more responsible. They are the directors of all schools and public institutions, heads of municipal administration and professional services, reveals Ms Anđelić

Is it true that almost all public functions in the municipality of Knić are performed by women?

- Yes, that’s correct. Women are more responsible and consistent in achieving set goals, more willing to accept compromise. Due to the democratic and inclusive way of governing, women manage in a more efficient way. I’m glad that President Vučić has great trust in women as leaders and that half of the Government of the Republic of Serbia is composed of ladies.

omen must be, and will be, equal carriers of this society, reputed, respected and educated, with equal participation in both political and social life, notes Ms Obradović

You were the first woman from Knić in the history of the post-war period to be elected as an MP in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

Is that a major responsibility?

- My responsibility is great because I come from the Gruža region, from the heart of Serbia, from the heart of Šumadija, and apart from that I’m also a woman, wife and mother. I am proud of my fellow citizens, because the people of Gruža are honest, heartfelt and proud people, good and hard-working hosts, who are always on the front line in defending their homeland and their region. I’m also proud of them because more than 70% of them voted in support of the SNS list of Aleksandar Vučić - For our children, through which I was elected as an MP. They showed their faith in the results of our electoral list, which is why my dedication and commitment to work is all the greater.

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GENDER EQUALITY

Closing The Gender Gap

REMAINS CHALLENGING

Both the United Nations and the European Union will remain our partners in pursuing gender equality in all aspects of our lives, both digital and traditional.

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he Gender Equality Index, as a composite indicator that measures the complex concept of gender equality, shows how far (or close) the EU and its Member States are when it comes to achieving a gender-equal society. Launched in 2005, as the offspring of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the Index produces a score between one and 100. Standing at 67.9 in 2020, it shows that there is still a long way to go before gender equality is achieved in the EU. The Index score has increased by only 4.1 points since 2010, and only 0.5 points since 2017. At such a pace, it would take more than 60 years to achieve gender equality in the EU. Some of these gains were almost wiped out by the Cronavirus pandemic, which posed a serious threat to progress on gender equality. It is therefore more important than ever to promote gender equality in all societies, both during and after the pandemic, and to use the Index as a metric of achievements.

In short, as was spelled out by European Commissioner for

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Equality Helena Dalli, “gender equality must be sought in all areas of life for all Europeans – regardless of their gender”.

According to Dalli, the Gender Equality Index is a crucial tool in this quest because it tracks progress. In that respect, it is worth noting that Serbia was the first country outside the EU to introduce the Gender Equality Index, which helps us in further creating public policies.

This year’s meeting on gender equality, which was held within the scope of the 75th UN General Assembly in New York, provided an opportunity to discuss the significant gender equality results that Serbia has achieved in the past few years. Yet the country, like many around the world, faces violence against women and girls, with more than 300 women having lost their lives as a result of partner and domestic violence over the last decade.

In general, there are many areas in which women’s prospects have to be improved, both in the EU and in Serbia. One such area is certainly the digital world, where we still have to ensure that

EMPOWERED WOMEN

women and girls occupy their fair share of this sector and are encouraged to contribute towards its growth. Women currently face a slightly higher risk of being replaced in their jobs by robots and are under represented in developing artificial intelligence, digital start-ups and high technology products, such as space crafts, fibre optics, lasers and microchips.

Overall, men dominate the development of new technologies across the EU, including work on digital platforms that are reproducing the traditional gender inequalities seen in the offline world. This is one of the topics inbuilt into the EU Gender Equality Strategy that was adopted this year and is also high on the agenda in Serbia.

The EU Strategy sets out key actions for the next five years in several areas that are important for Serbia if the country wants to navigate its way through gender equality issues. One of them is related to improved gender equality in decision-making, as the main driver of progress within the EU. The domain of social power, which measures the engagement of women and men in decision-making in the areas of politics, economics, media, research and sport, accounts for 65% of all progress in the Index since 2010, but it has the lowest score of only 53.5 out of 100.

Next is the representation of women in the field of business, where the greatest improvements have been made due to many women joining the boards of companies in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and the UK. Women occupy almost a third of seats on company boards in these countries. France is even better, with a score of 40%, while others have yet to catch up.

One of the biggest problems holding back gender equality at the EU level is segregation in education and work, which later leads to lower paid jobs. Despite efforts to tackle this issue, such as special initiatives to encourage women to study science, engineering or ICT, segregation has actually increased since 2010. Only two of every ten ICT jobs in the EU are held by women, while on the other hand there is a lack of men in the care sector. Throughout the health services of the EU, men account for just 15% of workers in nursing, midwifery and personal care.

Both the previous strategy and the new one aim to give women the same opportunities as men in the workplace, such as equal pay, and to help both men and women strike a better balance between work and other areas of life. Another major priority is to stop violence against women and girls, as well as promoting gender equality in the EU and across the world. The EU also promotes equality between men and women in decision-making positions.

The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 sets as its key objectives the following: ending gender-based violence; challenging gender stereotypes; closing gender gaps in the labour

market; achieving equal participation across different sectors of the economy; addressing gender pay and pension gaps; closing the gender care gap and achieving a gender balance in decisionmaking and politics. The Strategy pursues a dual approach of gender mainstreaming combined with targeted actions, while intersectionality is a horizontal principle of its implementation.

While the Strategy focuses on actions within the EU, it is coherent with the EU’s external policy on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Furthermore, the EU has strongly committed to implementing the UN’s SDGs, in both its internal and external policies. Specifically, Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality by ending all forms

Throughout the health services of the EU, men account for just 15% of workers in nursing, midwifery and personal care of discrimination, violence and any harmful practises against women and girls in public and private spheres. However, gender also needs to be enshrined in the other SDGs. The European Commission has set up its Task Force for Equality, composed of representatives of all Commission services and the European External Action Service in order to ensure the concrete implementation of gender mainstreaming at the operational and technical levels, in addition to the key actions listed in the Gender Equality Strategy. The Strategy also includes initiatives to promote gender equality outside the EU. When it comes to Serbia, Minister Zorana Mihajlović, President of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, recently announced that, in the period ahead, we will pay special attention to the promotion of a culture of non-violence, the fight against gender stereotypes and the strict application of gender principles in all public policies. In that process, as has been the case to date, the UN and the EU will remain our partners.

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