CorD Magazine No.45

REBUILDING LIVES H.E. Tadashi Nagai Japanese Ambassador in Belgrade

DOMINATION not MONOPOLISATION Predrag Bubalo Serbian Minister of Trade and Services

JOYOUS CAREER Jovan Kolund탑ija Violinist

interviews opinions news comments events www.cordmagazine.com

January 2008 / Issue No. 45 / Price 170 RSD

Crunch time

Cord, January 2008

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28

Politics & diplomacy

Tadić’s first definitive ‘No’

8

Dragan Bujošević’s latest words of political wisdom

Serbia in 2007

10

in brief

The political and business year

Domination not Monopolisation

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Interview: Predrag Bubalo, Serbian Minister of Trade and Services

Looking left

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Interview: Ivica Dačić, President of the Socialist Party of Serbia

Serbia Losing Direction

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Interview: Žarko Korać, President of the Social Democratic Union

Rebuilding lives & friendships

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In order to find out more about Japan’s ODA programme, CorD spoke to the Japanese Embassy in Belgrade, headed

by Ambassador H.E. Tadashi Nagai.

Managing Director Ana Isaković, a.isakovic@cma.co.yu Editor in Chief Mark Pullen, m.pullen@cma.co.yu corporate Editor Tatjana Ostojić, t.ostojic@cma.co.yu Art Director Darko Staničić, d.stanicic@cma.co.yu Editorial Contributors Ivica Petrović, Vojislava Vignjević, Novo Tomić, Dragan Bujošević Photo Stanislav Milojković, Časlav Vukojičić, Jelena Seferin, CorD Archive, Tanjug Translators Dejan Zubac, Milica KuburuJovanović, Momčilo Drakulić Editorial Manager Ivana Novaković, i.novakovic@cma.co.yu Subscription & Web Ivan Lakatoš, i.lakatos@cma.co,yu

4 CorD / January 2008

40 Society

Business & current affairs

Negotiations Failed

36

CorD’s reports on progress towards a ‘final’ solution for Kosovo

Montenegro awaits Europe

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Ilija Despotović looks ahead to the temporary SAA to be implemented in Montenegro on 1st January 2008

Visible progress

40

Corporate Women interview: Rose Aboth Bugarčić, Advisor within the Ministry of Agriculture

Tabloids: public anaesthetic

44

CorD reports on the launch of three new tabloid newspapers at a politically critical juncture in Serbia.

essential difference

46

B2B interview: Panagiotis Vlasiadis, President of the Executive Board of Alpha Bank Srbija

CorD Club & B2B

48

Business news summary and CorD Club news

Sales MANAGER Marija Petrović, m.petrovic@cma.co.yu General Manager Ivan Novčić, i.novcic@cma.co.yu Financial Director Snežana Batrićević, s.batricevic@cma.co.yu Printing Politika AD CorD is published by: alliancemedia Knjeginje Zorke 11b, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 308 99 77, 308 99 88 Fascimile: +(381 11) 244 81 27 E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.co.yu www.cordmagazine.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliancemedia 2007

56 60

Faces & Places – images of the key happenings of the past month Medal of Honour – CorD interviews ‘Righteous among Nations’ recipient Dr. Dušan Jovanović

62 64

Tales from the Big Plum – Pat Anđelković offers season’s greetings Ivica’s Edge – An alternative look at trends, fads and phenomena

Culture

70 80

Festival Country – Novo Tomić reviews Serbian culture in 2007 Joyous Career – CorD interviews renowned violinist Jovan Kulundžija

Leisure & Lifestyle

84

Winter Wonderland – CorD & TOS invite you to make the most of the Balkan winter

88

Techno Talk – A look at the latest gadgets and style items on the market

92 96

Fashion review – Burlington

Time for Tennis – Aleksandar Miletić reviews Serbian sport in 2007

Comment

Serbia’s upcoming Presidential elections

Tadic´’s first definitive ‘No’

Nikolić no longer wants to be the stick in the Prime Minister’s hands. The President has realised that, but the Prime Minister has not, and that is why he won’t be the only strategist in Serbia – regardless of who wins the January elections.

By Dragan Bujošević

I

f the Serbian Radical Party’s Tomislav Nikolić wins the presidential elections, scheduled for 20th January, the arrogance of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will have made an immeasurable contribution to that, when we consider that he is neither uninformed nor stupid.

It seems that Brown has followed Carla del Ponte’s example, when in the middle of the electoral campaign in 2003, she demanded that the governing coalition extradite several army and police generals. One of them, Sreten Lukić, was at that time the assistant to the Interior Minister. While the complaints from Vojislav Koštunica’s DSS because of Speaker Oliver Dulić’s irregular scheduling of elections have not yet calmed down, Brown said that Serbia will not be able to access the EU if it does not recognise the independence of Kosovo.

President Boris Tadić must have felt sick when he heard Brown. His people reacted quickly and talked with EU High Representative Javier Solana, who refuted Brown’s claim.

“The acceptance of Serbia into the EU and the resolving of the Kosovo issue are separate processes,” assured Solana, but it

There are three crucial points to these elections:Tadić’s determination to ensure they take place; their taking place before the declaration of whatever independence of Kosovo, and the opening of the EU’s doors to Serbia. was too late; the water had already been spilled from the bath and the child dropped out with it. Whenever he needs to – and he will during the election campaign – Nikolić will repeat Brown’s words.

There are three crucial points to these elections: Tadić’s determination to ensure they take place; their taking place before the declaration of whatever independence of Kosovo, and the opening of the EU’s doors to Serbia. With his statement, Brown has taken away Tadić’s advantage in the second and third points, because he not only said that Kosovo will be independent, but also claimed that Serbia does not have any European perspective if it fails to recognise the sovereignty of Priština.

All estimations are that after the declaration of Kosovo’s 6 CorD / January 2008

independence the strong nationalistic option would win the elections in Serbia, which would accept the self isolation of the country or, more precisely, its binding to Russia. Therefore, the Radicals would win the parliamentary elections, the Socialists would probably also become stronger, as would Koštunica’s so called ‘people’s bloc’. Meanwhile, Tadić’s DS, G17 Plus and LDP would, naturally, do badly.

According to those estimates, Nikolić would win the presidential elections.

Koštunica, aware of this eventuality, worked out that parliamentary elections, in which he expected much better results, would have to be scheduled before Ahtisaari wrote his proposal for resolving the status of Kosovo. With Ahtisaari’s paper on the table, Koštunica would have much fewer chances of looking convincing when he claimed that the battle for Kosovo was not yet lost and that Kosovo ‘is, was and will be part of Serbia forever’.

Tadić is more open in interpreting the possibilities of the outcome of the Kosovo negotiations. He said that he will fight; that he will never sign the independence of Kosovo, but that the chances of Kosovo remaining part of Serbia are slim.

However, essentially, he too allows part of the electoral body to believe in the false hope that Priština will not be granted independence. People simply prefer not to believe that things will happen against their wishes. It was for this reason that they were convinced that NATO would not bomb Serbia until the first bombs started to fall around the country.

Brown and Nikolić are brutally killing that hope. For Nikolić it is clear why, but it is probably not clear to Brown himself why he threw the pudding into the cement. Nikolić, therefore, says: “They will seize Kosovo” trying to convince people not to believe Koštunica and Tadić. But when Olli Rehn said that the decision about Kosovo will be made after the presidential elections in Serbia, the first Radical after Vojislav Šešelj said that that is the proof of Tadić’s agreement with Western countries; that that is treason, the sale of the Serbian holy land; the sale of the Serbian Jerusalem.

When he said that Serbia will not be able to access the EU if it does not recognise the independence of Kosovo, British PM Gordon Brown must have known that Serbia’s accession to the Union was the biggest sugar cube Tadić could offer Serbian voters. Nonetheless, with his statement Brown caused that cube to dissolve in Tadić’s hand; the Serbian President cannot offer to voters a higher standard of living, an easier trip to Europe and similar material benefits if it means sacrificing Kosovo. The average Serbian citizen is convinced that the world has been draconically unfair to him, continued on page 8 >

Comment

candidate for the presidency, does the exact opposite. He preaches that the West has committed crimes against the Serbs, that they are tearing out our heart by removing Kosovo, that they do not like us, that we do not have anything to look for in Europe and that it is better to be a Russian province than a member of the EU. He has already explicitly said ‘No’ to Serbia’s accession to NATO and the European Union if Kosovo becomes independent, thus we cannot expect Nikolić to put the Gordon Brown badge next to the badge of Vojislav Šešelj in his presidential campaign.

If the British Prime Minister said something that nobody expected, the Serbia President also made a move which even many members of his Democratic Party did not expect.

Namely, Tadić decided to schedule elections in spite of Prime Minister Koštunica’s opposition to them. Tadić’s allies claim that the Prime Minister promised joint presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2007, only to break his promise. After that he promised Nikolić the adoption of all laws needed for the presidential elections during the first 100 days of his Government. He did not fulfil that promise either.

First he ‘forgot’ that his party promised to support Tadić as the presidential candidate, then he engaged in a battle with Tadić, which has raged since September, over the date for holding the elections. It seemed that Koštunica would eternally pull Tadić by the nose. Such a stereotype, that Tadić cannot do anything but listen to what Koštunica tells him to do, was created and was constantly spread by those analysts inclined towards Koštunica The cornerstone for such a stereotype was laid by Tadić Koštunica’s rhetoric is becoming increasingly anit-Western himself, when he gave Koštunica the position of the Prime Minister even though his party had more votes and the right to appoint the Prime Minister. Because of that, setting the date committed several crimes against him (ethnic cleansing in for the presidential elections was a huge test for Tadić; a test of Croatia and Kosovo, bombing, the removal of Kosovo with the his capability to determine a clear policy goal and fight for it. violation of international law, etc.), that it does not like him, In November Tadić and Koštunica agreed that there was to humiliates him, harasses him .. The feelings of rejection, being be no scheduling of elections before 10th December, by which surrounded by enemies and the loss of self-respect and selftime all of the required laws were suppose to be adopted. Then confidence, have filled his soul.

Koštunica demanded that the elections not be scheduled before It is more than enough to believe that crime pays and to 19th December, but that proved to be the last straw for Tadić. It become the avenger, or at least the one who hates everything became obvious that Koštunica wanted those elections to take that comes from Europe, including its system of values, place – never and nowhere. because he has seen how, in his case, Europe regularly steps After Parliamentary Speaker, and DS member, Oliver over its proclaimed sanctities.

Dulić, scheduled the elections, Koštunica’s camp said that it When Tadić offers a shortcut to the European Union, he was a ‘unilateral’ move – equal to the ‘unilateral’ intention of tells the average voter that he is not alone, that the world Kosovo’s Albanians to declare independence in the same way. does not hate him, that he is not contagious and isolated on Then with their accusation that Dulić’s move was against the a deserted island, that he has friends in the East and in the constitution, Koštunica’s team went one step lower and said West. By returning his self-respect and self-confidence, Tadić that it was in fact illegal. transforms that Serbian citizen into a good European citizen, All this suits Nikolić – nothing more so than Koštunica’s prepared to work for the improvement of the whole of Europe. additionally intensified rhetoric. Now he openly says that Nikolić, who – along with Tadić – is the only serious he does not want to join the EU if Kosovo becomes independent and The Voter The President The Premier demands that DS postpone the signing The average Serbian If Tadić wins the To date, Koštunica has of the SAA with the EU. After such a citizen is convinced election, he will been able to say ‘no’ to statement, only Koštunica himself can see the difference between him and the that the world has dictate Serbian every proposal coming Radicals – others cannot, particularly been draconically politics, even though from the other side, the Radicals. unfair to him and Koštunica will still and has thus been able With his increasingly anti-Western committed several remain the Prime to lead policies in and rhetoric, Koštunica has completely crimes against him…

Minister. of Serbia. opened the door to a new coalition 8 CorD / January 2008

afraid of the prospect of an alliance between the Radicals and DSS. Now, though, it is clear to the Serbian President that the Radicals will not run into Koštunica’s arms as soon as the PM winks. Therefore, it seems to Tadić, the Radicals have decided not to give their ideology to Koštunica for free use, and Tadić’s Democrats will no longer treat Koštunica with their voters’ support.

It seems that Koštunica did not count on Tadić‘s ability to say ‘no’. That is why he has ended up with serious problems; that is why his exit strategy is unclear, particularly since it is not known whether his coalition partner from the last elections, Velimir Ilić, will appear among the presidential candidates.

The man from Čačak could spell big trouble for Koštunica, especially if the Prime Minister decides to support Tadić in the second round of the presidential elections.

And it seems that giving that support to Tadić is the only way out for Koštunica, because Nikolić is expected to have slightly more votes than Tadić in the first round – albeit only because Čedomir Jovanović, and maybe Ilić will run too, or because of Koštunica’s boycott. That would give Koštunica the possibility of calling on his supporters to back Tadić in the second ballot, and then blackmailing the president because he brought him victory.

Yet even such an option will not be worth much. If Tadić wins the election, he will dictate Serbian politics, even though Koštunica will still remain the Prime Minister. And if Nikolić wins Koštunica will not be the only creator of Serbian politics. n

Tadić is expected to trail Nikolić slightly in the first round

with the Radicals, which could be crowned in the so-called ‘technical government’. It does not occur to Nikolić at this moment to accept such a possibility. He wants to force Koštunica to clearly stand on one side – his or Tadić’s; to drown either in the Serbian Radical Party or the Democratic Party. At this moment, the Radicals will not offer the PM artificial respiration.

The Prime Minister would be committing suicide if he tried to dismiss Speaker Dulić or demanded that the agreement with the EU not be signed on 28th January. In both cases, DS would leave the governing coalition. Koštunica has to believe that, the same as he believes that Dulić has scheduled the elections despite his wishes. New elections suit Koštunica the least, because it will be a chance for the voters to punish him for Montenegro leaving the state union, for Priština becoming independent, for the fact that a million people are still without work, for the fact that milk, bread, oil, etc., are all more expensive in Serbia than they are in Croatia, Montenegro, Germany, et al.

The roles have completely changed in the game being played between Tadić and Koštunica. To date, Koštunica has been able to say ‘no’ to every proposal coming from the other side, and has thus been able to lead policies in and of Serbia. Now, though, Tadić has finally issued his first ‘no’ to Koštunica, and now he will have no problems saying the same word another hundred times; now he will be considered as the leader, or at least as an equal partner to Koštunica.

The political turnabout occurred because of the Radicals’ new role. In May this year, when he treated Koštunica to the prime ministerial position, Tadić did so because he was

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2007 in brief

Serbia in 2007 The political and business year in brief

JANUARY 2007 election month 5th Jan.

Anka Vojvodić becomes the first Montenegrin ambassador to Serbia.

9th Jan. Italian textile manufacturer, Fulgar, starts construction of the first of its three planned structures in Zrenjanin’s free trade zone.

10th Jan. Serbia’s tourism promotion campaign on CNN International starts under the slogan “Moments to Remember”.

11th Jan. The Belgrade Special Court commences witness hearings in the case of the assassination of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija – brutally murdered on 11th April 1999.

13th Jan.

The Serbian Government confirms it is to sign a billion-dollar-+ deal with a Spanish-Austrian consortium to construct the Horgoš-Požega 10 CorD / January 2008

highway through the country.

14th Jan. An office of the Serbian Business Registers Agency is opened in Kosovska Mitrovica with the aim of “helping Kosovo residents register their businesses and open shops quickly and easily”.

15th Jan. In perhaps the world’s first case of tennis hooliganism, Croatian and Serbian spectators clash violently at the Australian Open.

16th Jan. Speaking in Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says that Kosovo’s status must suit both Priština and Belgrade and cannot be imposed from outside.

18th Jan. A resolution expressing support for democratic forces in Serbia and encouraging the nation’s commitment to a democratic path is passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate, as pre-election media silence gets underway in Serbia.

Montenegro becomes a full member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

19th Jan. Telekom Srbija (MT:S) signs a purchase agreement for Republika Srpska Telekom in Banja Luka, in the presence of high state officials of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska.

MT:S paid a reported US$846million for 65% of Telekom RS’s stateowned shares.

21st Jan. Serbia’s general election is held. The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) wins 28.59% of votes, the Democratic Party (DS) 22.71%, the Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia coalition (DSSNS) 16.55%, G17 plus 6.82%, Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) 5.64% and the coalition LDP-SDUGSS-LSV 5.31% percent.

24th Jan.

Popular Serbian banker and politician, Božidar Ðelić, attends the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos.

26th Jan. UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari unveils his Kosovo status proposal at a Contact Group meeting in Vienna.

Russia immediately announces scepticism over the plan.

31st Jan. The planned tender for the privatisation of the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) is postponed for six months.

FEBRUARY 2007 initial exchanges 1st Feb. The first round of post-election cabinet talks ends with Serbian

President Boris Tadić talking to delegations of minority parties. Božidar Ðelić is expected to be given the mandate to form a new cabinet.

UNMIK releases statistics confirming that more than 16,100 displaced persons of ethnic minority communities (Serb, Roma, etc.) have gradually returned to villages and towns within Kosovo since 1999.

2nd Feb. UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari meets with President Boris Tadić, but is snubbed by PM Vojislav Koštunica, who insists that his “caretaker government has no legitimacy to make decisions on this issue”.

4th Feb. Responding to the Ahtisaari Plan, Priština daily Koha Ditore publishes a timetable for additional consultations regarding Kosovo status proposal’s final version and claims that Kosovo will “celebrate its first independence day midsummer”.

5th Feb. Serbia’s central bank, The National Bank of Serbia, grants Greek ATE Bank permission to purchase 20 per cent of AIK Banka equity.

6th Feb. With no new government in place, the Serbian Privatisation Agency extends the deadline for the signing of the contract on sale and transfer of exploitation rights for the RTB Bor mining and metallurgical complex by 30 days.

The Kosovo Telecommunication Agency (KTA)

announces that the Kosmocell Consortium, comprising two local companies - Dukagjini and Kujtesa - and an Italian-American company, has successfully bid to become the second mobile operator in Kosovo.

7th Feb. UK Minister for European Affairs, Geoffrey Hoon, visits Belgrade and calls on Serbia to “act constructively when it comes to Kosovo and cooperate with The Hague Tribunal.”

14th Feb. The Serbian Parliament adopts a resolution rejecting all provisions of the Ahtisaari Plan by overwhelming majority.

UN Envoy Ahtisaari expresses his distinct lack of surprise.

15th Feb. Serbian Statehood and Army Day is marked.

Telekom Austria files a complaint over the second Kosovo mobile license tender results.

16th Feb.

Milorad Ulemek, aka Legija, and Nenad Ilić are sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering four members of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) and attempting to murder party leader Vuk Drašković in 1999.

The Serbian Privatisation Agency and Greece’s Neochimiki L.V. Lavrentiadis sign an agreement on the sale & purchase of Belgrade’s oil refinery company. The Greek company is purported to pay €16.38million and promise to invest a further €15million.

London-based real-estate company JKR, owned by Nikola Ðivanović, pays €9million for 70 per cent of Belgrade Film – owner of 14 cinemas across the Serbian capital.

17th Feb. World-renowned open source software company Red Hat opens its regional Southeast Europe support and R&D centre in the Serbian city of Vršac.

20th Feb. Four Serbian banks – Société Générale Yugoslav Bank, Vojvodjanska Bank, HVB and Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank - are issued licenses to undertake custody services.

21st Feb. Kosmocell loses the second mobile operating license in the province after failing to make due payment of €81million.

The decision clears the way for Slovenian-owned Ipko Net, second in the initial bidding, to claim the GSM license.

26th Feb. The International Court of Justice clears Serbia of direct responsibility for genocide during the 1992-95 war. However, the court rules that Serbia failed to use its influence with Bosnian Serbs to prevent the genocide of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica.

Serbia’s first investment fund, Delta Plus, commences operations.

27th Feb. 15,000 Kosovo Serb IDPs gather in front of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade to protest against the Ahtisaari Plan.

A cluster of Interior Ministry buildings in downtown Belgrade, hit during the 1999 NATO air campaign, is finally sold at tender to Austriabased Soravia Invest for a price of €35.05million.

28th Feb. Company East Point,

owned by Zoran Drakulić, accuses the Serbian government of agreeing to sell RTB Bor to Romanian Cuprom for a price lower than that offered in the tender.

Drakulić’s accusations are rejected by officials of the caretaker government.

MARCH 2007 privatisation pickles 1st Mar. Serbian IT company, ComTrade, signs a contract with AMD to become the chipmaker’s official distributor for Southeast Europe.

2nd Mar. Officials of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia/New Serbia coalition meet in Belgrade to discuss the formation of a new cabinet. The talks prove unsuccessful.

5th Mar. Romanian company Cuprom signs a deal to purchase RTB Bor worth US$400million.

7th Mar. Belgrade and Priština receive a modified version of the Ahtisaari Plan. Kosovo President, Fatmir Sejdiu, expresses satisfaction, while Democratic Party of Serbia officials describe the new version as being “worse than the previous one”.

8th Mar. Branislav Rankić, Mayor of the town of Bor and an MP of the Serbian Radical Party, formally asks the Serbian Government to probe the sale of mining company

RTB Bor to Romania’s Cuprom.

9th Mar. Delta Holding owner Milorad Mišković becomes the first citizen of the former Yugoslavia to make it onto the Forbes list of the world’s richest people.

With an official net worth of US$1billion, Forbes states that Mišković amassed his fortune “doing business in the insurance and banking fields”.

13th Mar. A consortium of Telekom Srbija and the Dutch Ogalar wins the tender for the third mobile network license in Montenegro.

15th Mar. Serbia pays the final instalment of its IMF debt, worth US$250million.

20th Mar. Talks between the “democratic bloc” parties on the make-up of the next government breakdown, with Koštunica’s DSS describing the choice of Božidar Ðelić for prime minister as “definitely unacceptable”.

22nd Mar. With government talks deadlocked, the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) calls for a new round of elections in Serbia, arguing that simultaneous parliamentary, municipal and presidential elections would enable for “an end to the agony of putting together a new cabinet.”

23rd Mar. The contract on the sale of RTB Bor is made available to the company’s union representatives after controversy surrounding the contract causes union members to stage a twoday protest in the eastern Serbian mining towns of

Bor and Majdanpek.

24th Mar. The U.S. State Department reaffirms Washington’s support for Ahtisaari’s plan for the independence of Kosovo, while the U.S. and the EU set an unofficial deadline of June, when Germany’s EU presidency ends, to adopt a new UN Security Council resolution endorsing Ahtisaari’s plan and mandating the EU to take over from UNMiK. 26th Mar.

The UN officially confirms that Martti Ahtisaari’s Kosovo plan recommends “internationally supervised independence” on the day that the UN special envoy’s report is submitted to the UN Security Council by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

27th Mar. The Russian Foreign Ministry issues a statement which insists that: “The establishment of an independent state in Kosovo could have a negative impact on stability in Europe” and is “fraught with serious complications for stability in Europe.”

28th Mar. Switzerland’s Private Project Management buys the bombdamaged former federal MUP (Interior Ministry) building in downtown Belgrade for €34.5million.

30th Mar. Serbia’s caretaker government signs a concession contract with Spanish-Austrian

consortium FCC – Alpina Mayreder to build and maintain the strategically important and highly lucrative Horgoš-Požega highway. The consortium won the tender to finalize, use and maintain the Horgoš-Požega highway in November 2006.

31st Mar. The Civil Alliance of Serbia (GSS) – founded

by Vesna Pešić in 1992 and having boasted such notable members as Goran Svilanović and former Parliamentary Speaker and Acting Serbian President Nataša Mićić – ceases to be, as senior council members unanimously opt to merge with Čedomir Jovanović’s LDP.

APRIL 2007 Martti’s plan 2nd Apr. Vojvodina Assembly President, Bojan Kostreš, expresses his readiness to stage protests if the Government refuses to cancel the Horgoš-Požega highway contract signed with Spanish-Austrian consortium FCC – Alpina Mayreder.

3rd Apr. Martti Ahtisaari formally presents his Kosovo status plan to the UN Security Council in New York. Serbian Prime minister Vojislav Koštunica, also in attendance, repeats that the plan is unacceptable for Serbia and proposes ways to solve the deadlocked talks 4th Apr. Energy ministers of Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia are in Zagreb to sign a declaration on the construction of the Costanza-Trieste pipeline. The ministers, along with EU energy CorD / January 2008 11

2007 in brief commissioner Andris Piebalgs, pledge to build the pipeline - worth around US$2.6billion 7th Apr.

Serbian Patriarch Pavle gives his Easter message, in which he states that the U.S., as well as European countries that have endorsed the proposal to give Kosovo independence, are controlled by “darkened minds who take the liberty to violate laws by redrawing borders.”

Meanwhile, Martti Ahtisaari tells Ljubljana weekly Delo that “Kosovo can no longer stay within Serbia’s borders” because the ethnic-Albanian majority “simply don’t want the province to remain in Serbia”.

14th Apr. Swiss company “Home art & Sales Services” signs a purchase agreement worth €18.9million (+further investment of €3million) to become the new majority owner (68.4%) of Belgrade trade company Centrotextil.

17th Apr. After two months of fruitless talks, the Democratic Party proposes two versions of its portfolio distribution list: 1. Prime Minister - DS (Božidar Đelić), DSS – Ministry of the Interior, G17 Plus – Ministry of Finance, DS – Half government portfolios, DSS, G17, minority parties – Half of government portfolios; 2. Prime Minister: DSS (Vojislav Koštunica), DS – Interior Ministry, DS – Defence Ministry, DS – Foreign Ministry, DS – Finance Ministry, DS – Majority of Portfolios.

18th Apr. 12 CorD / January 2008

The RTB Bor affair continues, as Cuprom seeks to terminate the contract to buy Bor’s Mining and Smelting Basin, citing “significantly changed conditions, and the resistance of local government and unions”.

20th Apr. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, insists that the Ahtisaari Plan has failed, as the Contact Group meets in Moscow.

21st Apr. The Serbian Privatisation Agency extends the deadline for Cuprom to submit financial guarantees for the purchase of RTB Bor by three days.

24th Apr. With cabinet talks still deadlocked, the presidency of the Serbian Radical Party directs its local branches to launch preparations for elections on all levels.

25th Apr. The Serbian Privatisation Agency terminates the contract on the sale of RTB Bor to Cuprom and charges the Romanian company US$3million for the deposit.

27th Apr. NATO foreign policy chiefs warn Kosovo Albanians not to venture into any unilateral proclamation of independence. The ministers also call on Russia to drop its opposition to Ahtisaari’s Kosovo plan, “so that it could be adopted by the UN Security Council as soon as possible”.

30th Apr.

Kosovo premier Agim Ceku says that he expects Kosovo to declare independence by the end of May – a move for which he claims to have “strong international

support”.

MAY 2007 11th-hour agreements 1st May The European Union and the U.S. call on the UN Security Council to adopt a new status-defining Kosovo resolution without delay, insisting that the Ahtisaari Plan is a basis for the new resolution.

2nd May

Thousands of Kosovo Albanians march through Priština in a show of support for Hague Tribunal defendant Ramush Haradinaj – a former Kosovo ‘PM’ and KLA commander who is charged with 37 counts of committing atrocities in Kosovo in 1998.

3rd May A year passes since the EU suspended Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) talks with Serbia as a result of the country’s failure to cooperate fully with the ICTY in The Hague.

5th May With just nine days to go before the expiry of the deadline for the formation of the new government demands fresh elections, President Tadić and PM Koštunica hold a Saturday meeting in a bid to close a deal on the make-up of a new government. The meeting proves fruitless.

8th May After an allnight debate lasting 15 hours, the Serbian Parliament elects deputy president of the Serbian

Radical Party, Tomislav Nikolić, as its Speaker – sending shockwaves through Balkan politics.

9th May The Belgrade Stock Exchange’s Belex 15 index experiences the biggest drop since its founding, plummeting by 6.53pct and, according to experts, costing the national economy half a billion euros in just one day. The election of rightwing leader Tomsilav Nikolić to the post of Serbian Parliament Speaker is blamed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel personally calls caretaker prime minister Vojislav Koštunica to express concern over the election of Tomislav Nikolić as parliament speaker.

Merkel encourages the PM to ensure the speedy formation of a democratic government in Serbia 10th May Parliament Speaker Tomislav Nikolić ponders declaring a state of emergency (due to the worsening of the Kosovo situation) that would ensure “the President cannot dissolve Parliament and call new elections, and Parliament could then amend laws on the President, Army etc.”

The Montenegrin Telecommunications Agency officially grants a 15-year license for the tiny coastal republic’s third mobile telephone operator to a joint venture of Telekom Srbija & Dutch company Ogalar.

11th May Serbia’s caretaker Foreign Minister, Vuk Drašković, travels to Strasbourg to formally take over Serbia’s sixmonth chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

The Committee of Ministers session also sees the acceptance of the Republic of Montenegro

as the Council of Europe’s 47th member.

12th May DS, DSS and G17 Plus officially announce that they have reached agreement on the new government, as Tadić nominates Koštunica PM. 13th May

Serbian singer Marija Šerifović wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki with her song Molitva (Prayer).

14th May After a week in office, Tomislav Nikolić resigns from the post of Parliament Speaker following a 12-hour debate on his dismissal.

15th May Speaking during a visit to Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that “It’s important now to recognise that Kosovo will never again be part of Serbia. It’s not possible.”

Just half an hour ahead of a constitutional deadline, the Serbian Parliament approves a new government. Of 244 MPs present, 133 vote in favour, 106 against, and 3 abstain. Following the MPs’ approval, members of the government take an oath of office.

16th May Serbia and the European Commission initial visa relaxations and readmission agreements in Brussels. The Agreement on Visa Relaxations will enable facilitation of the visa issuing procedure for businesspeople, students, experts, doctors, lawyers, architects, sportspeople, artist and culture workers,

2007 in brief civil society activists and NGO employees, journalists, members of religious communities and other categories of Serbian citizens.

20th May The European Investment Bank (EIB) approves an €80million loan to Serbia to fund infrastructure projects including, amongst others, the reconstruction of 19 bridges and six tunnels on the Niš – Dimitrovgrad rail route.

21st May

U.S. President George Bush and NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer jointly announce that they hope to see the UN adopt a Kosovo resolution based on the Ahtisaari plan.

22nd May Belgrade’s ITM launches a closed investment fund in partnership with British Lion Group. The Fund plans to snap up 10 companies that would be re-sold to new owners after restructuring.

23rd May Former commander of MUP Special Operations Unit (JSO) Milorad “Legija” Ulemek and former JSO member Zvezdan Jovanović receive maximum forty-year jail terms for the assassination of Serbian PM Zoran Đinđić.

Kragujevac-based weapons manufacturer, Zastava Arms, renews a request to state institutions for a second permit to export arms and military equipment worth US$900,000 to Armenia.

Vojvodina Executive Council president, Bojan 14 CorD / January 2008

Pajtić, demands that the controversial HorgošPožega Highway concessions contract be made available in full.

The Serbian Parliament elects Oliver Dulić, of the Democratic Party (DS), as its new Speaker.

24th May The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee convenes in Belgrade for the first time during Serbia’s chairmanship of the CoE Committee of Ministers.

Nova Ljubljanska banka (NLB) purchases 77.75% of Kosovo’s BRK bank, the province’s fourth biggest bank, with a 6 per cent market share. NLB is already the owner of Kosovo’s largest bank, Priština-based Kasabank.

26th May

Members and supporters of the Serbian Radical Party stick paper street signs reading “Ratko Mladić Boulevard” on B92’s New Belgrade building, located on the recently renamed Zoran Ðinđić Boulevard.

27th May Vojvodina Assembly President, Bojan Kostreš, says he will “not give up the fight to annul the Horgoš-Požega highway concession”.

Kostreš accuses infrastructure minister Velimir Ilić of having made a concession deal with Spanish-Austrian FCC Alpina that is damaging to Vojvodina and would cost the province €450million if implemented.

29th May Despite earlier Western

promises to Kosovo Albanians that they would have independence

by June, Sergei Ryabkov, Head of the Europe desk at the Russian foreign ministry, tells press in Brussels that the West may agree to put off a decision on the final status of Kosovo.

30th May U.S. Citibank and Telekom Srbija sign an agreement in Belgrade on a loan of €700million.

MT:S will use the funds to pay for the acquisition of 65 per cent of Telekom Srpska capital.

31st May The Serbian government forms a National Security Council tasked with increasing the state’s capacity to fight organised crime and defend itself against terrorism. Council members are announced as the Serbian president and prime minister, ministers of defence, internal affairs and justice, the Serbian Army chief of staff, the head of the Security Information Agency – BIA, and the chiefs of the military security service and the defence ministry’s military intelligence.

General Zdravko Tolimir, number three on The ICTY’s most-wanted list, is arrested as part of a joint operation staged by Serbian and Republika Srpska police forces.

Authorities claim that Tolimir is arrested in Bosnia near the Serbian border.

JUNE 2007 talks of association & independence 1st June

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn formally recommends the resumption of suspended talks between Serbia and the EU on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

4th June Zdravko Tolimir tells The Hague Tribunal that he was arrested in Serbia and not in Republika Srpska, as claimed by the authorities. He adds that Justice Ministry officials offered benefits for his family if he declared himself a Republika Srpska citizen.

5th June The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) submits a motion to call a no-confidence vote against the Serbian cabinet, insisting that the move is a response to the government lying with regard to the circumstances, and location, of Zdravko Tolimir’s arrest.

9th June Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dačić says at his party’s senior council meeting that SPS MPs would vote in favour of the noconfidence motion submitted by the Serbian Radicals.

10th June George Bush says the UN should grant Kosovo independence, and that if Russia continues to block it, “the West will act.”

Speaking on his visit to

the Albanian capital – the first visit of a serving U.S. president to Albania – Bush says: “At some point in time, sooner rather than later, you’ve got to say, ‘enough is enough, Kosovo is independent.’”

12th June Direct regular flights between Priština and New York are established, with one Kosovo and two U.S. companies handling flights. The deal sees the first direct flight established with the U.S. anywhere in the entire region.

13th June After a pause of 13 months, talks between Serbia and the EU on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) recommence in Brussels.

Economy and Regional development Minister Mlađan Dinkić announces that the government has decided to launch negotiations with the second-ranked bidder for the RTB Bor tender: the East Point – ORN Investment Fund consortium.

15th June The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) proposes that Parliament urgently adopt a resolution on the autonomy of Kosovo.

The party caucus submits a draft resolution, signed by its 81 MPs, requiring the authorities to fight in defence of the territorial integrity of Serbia, in accordance with the constitution, and also to empower the government to support a meaningful autonomy for the province within Serbia in future negotiations.

Hundreds of ethnic Albanians from Serbia’s volatile south rally in the town of Preševo, demanding that the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac, and Medveđa be annexed onto the

breakaway province of Kosovo.

18th June Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte tells the UN Security Council that Serbia has improved co-operation with the Tribunal.

Speaking in New York, Del Ponte reaffirms her claim that all remaining fugitives, including Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, were hiding in Serbia or were “within the reach of Serbian authorities.”

20th June The World Bank’s Board of Directors approves funding of US$192.5million for five projects in Serbia related to regional development, increasing the competitiveness of Serbian agriculture, flood protection, road safety efforts, and improving the energy situation in schools and hospitals.

21st June Russia declares the West’s third draft of a resolution for the UN Security Council as “unacceptable”.

22nd June EU member states agree to postpone a final decision on Kosovo’s status, and urge that talks continue. Speaking on the issue, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel says: “The Kosovo issue is not a Russian problem, and it is not a U.S. problem. It is a European problem, therefore we should stand up to our responsibilities”.

23rd June

President Boris Tadić becomes the first Serbian

leader to officially apologise to citizens of Croatia for crimes committed in the 1990s’ war in that country.

Speaking on Croatian state television (HRT), Tadić says: “I extend my apologies to all the citizens of Croatia who suffered because of what the members of my nation have done, for which I take responsibility.”

25th June Russia’s Basic Element dispatches a letter to the Serbian Government citing its intent to purchase RTB Bor. The letter, addressed to ministers Mlađan Dinkić, Aleksandar Popović, Mirko Cvetković, Rasim Ljajić and Saša Dragan, says that the company is “preparing for a new tender for the Mining and Smelting Basin (RTB) Bor, since the first was declared unsuccessful.”

30th June Serbia’s first super casino, Grand Casino Beograd, opens its doors to the public.

9th July

Serbia’s third mobile phone operator, Vip Mobile – owned by Mobilkom Austria Group – starts offering its telecommunications services in the country.

Vip Mobile paid €320million for its license to operate in Serbia.

12th July Russia rejects the fifth U.S.-EU sponsored draft UN resolution on the future Kosovo status.

Russian Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov describes the proposed resolution as in essence being the same as previous drafts and insists that “The problem of a decision on the independence of Kosovo has not been taken off the agenda.”

16th July

JULY 2007 auto deals & heat waves 1st July

Energy Minister Aleksandar Popović says that Serbia’s public power enterprise (EPS) will not be privatised during his term. However, the DSS man adds that new EPS facilities will be built in co-operation with a strategic partner.

5th July The final decision on the continuation of the controversial privatisation of the Mining and Smelting Basin (RTB) Bor is postponed by the Government.

Kragujevac-based automaker Zastava Cars officially launches production of the Zastava 10 model, which is the domestic Serbian version of Fiat’s Punto model.

18th July Devestating forest fires break out on Stara Mountain in Southern Serbia, as droughts and a heat wave grip the country.

19th July Kragujevac’s Zastava Cars and U.S. motor giant General Motors sign a contract for the production of Opel Astra vehicles in Serbia.

According to the deal, 10,000 vehicles will be assembled by 2012.

20th July Kosovo premier Agim Ceku says that Kosovo should declare unilateral independence from Serbia on 28th November – Albanian Independence Day. 24th July Today is the hottest day in Serbia since records began, with highs of 45°C recorded.

The Serbian Parliament adopts the government’s Kosovo resolution proposal.

25th July The Contact Group decides that a new round of negotiations over Kosovo’s status should be mediated by an international “troika”.

The Serbian Privatisation Agency signs a contract for the sale of the Belgrade Beer Industry (BIP) brewery to Lithuanian Alta company and United Nordic Beverages. The consortium pays €4.5 per share for 51.9% of the Serbian brewery’s stock.

27th July Investment fund management society, Raiffeisen Invest a.d.

Beograd, obtains a license to organise open investment funds.

Raiffeisen AKCIJE open investment fund, an equity fund, plans to commence operations via a public offer from today to 9th August 2007.

AUGUST 2007 Government 100 days young 1st Aug. The first monument to

late Serbian prime minister Zoran Đinđić

is unveiled in the town of Prokuplje, on the anniversary of the late PM’s birthday.

3rd Aug. The Serbian Government temporarily bans wheat exports in response to ongoing droughts.

In the face of heightened controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić asks for the Horgoš-Požega highway contract to be posted on the government’s website.

4th Aug. Serbian police officers come under attack in southern Serbia when a group of over a dozen masked assailants, wearing black uniforms, open fire using automatic rifles, hand grenades and RPGs. 9th Aug. After four tender procedures, Company Total Holiday becomes the new owner of the NATO-bombed former federal Interior Ministry (MUP) building complex in the Serbian capital, after agreeing to pay €29.1million.

10th Aug. Diplomats of the Contact Group Troika – Wolfgang Ischinger (EU), Frank Wisner (U.S.) and Alexandar BotsanKharchenko (Russia) – travel to Belgrade to hold their first meeting with Serbia’s top officials to discuss upcoming Kosovo status talks.

11th Aug. FCC Construction, one of the concessionaires in the controversial Horgoš-Požega highway deal, attempts to block the publishing of the concession contract, CorD / January 2008 15

2007 in brief citing an article of the contract that regulates its confidentiality.

Provincial officials from Vojvodina again demand that the provisions of the arrangement, reportedly valued at €1.5billion, be made available to the public.

12th Aug. Greek company Lamda agrees to pay €55.8million for Belgrade’s Beko textile factory. The sale of the assets of the company, which is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, is conducted in an auction organised by the Serbian Privatisation Agency.

20th Aug. Journalists are finally granted access to the Horgoš-Požega highway deal, as promised by infrastructure minister Velimir Ilić, five months after it was signed.

However, reporters are not allowed to take any pictures of the document and do not gain access to the contract’s annexes.

21st Aug. A report claims that the Horgoš-Požega highway contract has undergone changes between January and March, when it was signed, and that bank guarantees for the concession have been drastically reduced.

22nd Aug. Experts claim that Infrastructure Minister Velimir Ilić’s conduct in the controversy surrounding the construction of the Horgoš Požega highway is harmful to Serbia. Ilić claims that only the government, and not his ministry, can decide whether or not to release the annexes of the contract.

23rd Aug. The Serbian government 16 CorD / January 2008

marks its first hundred days in office, as the country remains without ambassadors to ten European nations.

24th Aug. The Spanish-Austrian FCC – Alpine consortium says they will not pull out of the Horgoš-Požega highway construction concession. “What is now going on in Serbia is a political affair which is of no concern to us,” says FCC Construction and Alpine Meyerden Bau’s Serena Aufwaiter, speaking to state television RTS. 27th Aug.

separate talks between the Contact Group Troika and teams from Belgrade and Priština gets underway in the Austrian capital. Speaking from Vienna, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić says that an agreement has been reached for Belgrade and Priština to start direct Kosovo talks.

31st Aug. Exactly a year after the first tender was announced, a new tender for the sale of RTB Bor copper mining complex is announced.

The minimum price for RTB Bor will be US$340million.

SEPTEMBER 2007 deals and deaths

Belgrade names its Kosovo negotiating team to participate in talks scheduled to take place in Vienna in a few days’ time. The government delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić (DS) and Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić (DSS),while the team’s joint chairmen will be President Boris Tadić and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica.

28th Aug. The concession contract for the planned construction and maintenance of the Horgoš-Požega highway, along with 14 of the 19 of its annexes, is made public via the Serbian government’s website.

The move comes after an agreement for the unveiling of the document was reached between the government and concessionaires FFC - Alpine consortium.

30th Aug. The first day of renewed,

5th Sept.

During a visit to Brussels, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić presents a document listing Serbia’s goals in the Partnership for Peace programme, which does not mention NATO membership as Serbia’s eventual goal, rather only “co-operation with the Alliance”.

6th Sept.

The assembly of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) unanimously elects Miloš Bugarin, director of Agricultural Corporation Belgrade, as its new president.

The second phase of construction of Airport City Belgrade, the country’s first specialised business park, is completed in New Belgrade.

7th Sept.

A consortium led by U.S.-based Rothschild Investment Banking is

selected as the privatisation advisor of Serbia’s national carrier JAT Airways.

10th Sept.

Serbia and the EU successfully conclude Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) talks in Brussels.

The signing of the document, seen as the first step towards fullfledged membership, is put on hold by the EU until Belgrade demonstrates it is fully co-operating with The Hague Tribunal.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approves a €45million five-year loan to the Victoria Group, to be used for purchasing cereal and increasing energy efficiency.

12th Sept.

Delta Holding officials sign a deal in Sofia to acquire 85 per cent of Bulgarian retail chain Piccadilly for €80million.

The deal marks the first time a Serbian company has invested capital in the European Union.

13th Sept.

Belgrade officially calls on Kosovo-Serbs not to take part in the province’s upcoming elections, scheduled for 17th November. According to a government statement, “The Serbian government and the president of the republic will continue consultations on the issue of the local elections called by the interim institutions in the province”.

17th Sept.

Serbia and the EU sign agreements regulating the relaxation of visa requirements and readmission. European Commission Vice President, Franco Frattini, and Portuguese Foreign Minister, Ruiz Carlos Pereira, also sign such agreements with the interior ministers of Albania, Bosnia,

Montenegro and Macedonia.

19th Sept.

Serbian IT company ComTrade Group opens a new business centre in Zagreb through its Croatian subsidiary New Technology. According to the company, the move marks the first phase of ComTrade’s investment in Croatia, set to reach €15million.

President Boris Tadić and Vice President of the Israeli Strauss Group, Arik Gilboa, open a new DonCafe factory in Simanovci. The new plant, which marks an investment worth close to €10million, employs 300 workers and will have a daily capacity to roast five tonnes of raw coffee, while the processing section has an 18,000tonne capacity.

20th Sept.

As the Horgoš-Požega saga continues, FCC announces that it will relay 50 per cent of its concession rights to Austria’s PORR. However, the Spanish construction company insists that it is not withdrawing from the deal.

21st Sept.

The European flag is raised for the first time above the National Parliament in Belgrade, to the tune of the European anthem. The official ceremony marks European Flag Day and the main celebration of European Heritage Day, which is being held in the capital from 20th to 23rd September.

22nd Sept.

Slovenian retail chain Merkur opens a new shopping centre, covering

2007 in brief 9,600m2, in Novi Sad. The centre costs nearly €10million to build and

is the second that the regional leader in home appliance trade has opened in Serbia.

24th Sept.

The Serbian Parliament adopts a law confirming the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). The regional agreement aims to see the establishing of a free trade zone in the region by year’s end 2010.

25th Sept.

Economy & Regional Development Minister

Mlađan Dinkić and CEO of India’s Embassy Group, Jitu Virwani, sign a memorandum of understanding that sets out the conditions for the construction of an IT park in the Vojvodina municipality of Inđija.

The initial stage will involve an investment of US$60million and create 2,500 jobs. Over the next five years, the overall investment should amount to US$600million and represent the biggest ever greenfield investment in Serbia.

26th Sept.

The parliament approves a second term for Radovan Jelašić, incumbent National Bank of Serbia (NBS) Governor. His election ends a two-day debate in 18 CorD / January 2008

the parliament, where opposition MPs from the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) dispute Jelašić’s candidacy.

27th Sept.

Mayor of Belgrade and senior Democratic Party official, Nenad Bogdanović (53), succumbs to illness in Belgrade. From 2000 until 2004, Bogdanović occupied the post of the Belgrade Assembly Executive Board president, and in October 2004 he was elected mayor of Serbia’s capital.

28th Sept.

Agriculture Minister Slobodan Milosavljević announces that šlivovitz has become Serbia’s first official national brand. According to Milosavljević, Serbia received an EU certificate for this plum brandy, with a protected brand name and geographic origin, to be called “Serbian Slivovitz”.

First direct talks over the future status of Kosovo between the negotiating teams of Belgrade and Priština take place in the EU’s United Nations offices in New York.

30th Sept.

President of Republika Srpska, Milan Jelić (51), dies of a heart attack in Banja Luka.

Jelić had won the presidency in the Republika Srpska elections of 1st October 2006.

OCTOBER 2007 Islamic feuds

& neo-Nazi unrest 3rd Oct. Imams from towns in the Sandžak region gather to relieve Muamer Zukorić from his duty as the chief mufti and president of the Islamic Community in Serbia. The decision is made by a majority vote of the Community Assembly gathering imams from Prijepolje, Nova Varoš, Sjenica Tutin and Novi Pazar.

Adem Ziklić is elected new reis of the Islamic Community in Serbia, and Hasib Suljović is appointed as his deputy.

4th Oct.

U.S. member of the Kosovo Troika, Frank Wisner, says that it is unlikely that Kosovo’s status will be resolved this year. “Quite simply, there is no time for that,” Wisner tells a Voice of America broadcast in Albanian, explaining that the schedule of events linked to Kosovo is too tight for a final solution to be reached this year.

5th Oct. Rasim Ljajić, Labour & Social Policy Minister and leader of the Sandžak Democratic Party, reacts to the change of Islamic leaders in the Sandžak region, saying: “I don’t feel comfortable. I think this is shameful for all of us, regardless of who participated in it… This is the first time that a political party has formed a religious community, I don’t think this exists anywhere else in the

world,” Ljajić said, adding that he is “embarrassed by everything that happened.”

6th Oct.

An Islamic Community in Serbia meeting backs mufti Moamer Zukorlić, sacked by a rival organisation a few days earlier. Zukorlić was out of the country earlier this week when imams loyal to Belgrade mufti Hamdija Jusufspahić held a gathering of their own to replace him with Adem Zilkić. The Novi Pazar assembly, however, annulls this decision and calls on what it sees as rebel imams to “repent”.

Several thousand Muslim worshippers gather around the Meshihat building as the meeting takes place.

7th Oct. Leaders of the Islamic community in Novi Pazar say a group of policemen attacked imams in Sjenica last night. A statement from the Meshihat, the seat of the Islamic Community organisation, claims that some 30 officers raided a mosque using force, and removed “a high Islamic delegation” from the building, physically assaulting a number of its members and several worshipers.

Goran Davidović, leader of neo-Nazi group Nacionalni Stroj, is arrested along with 20 members of his group after attacking participants of an anti-

fascist rally in Novi Sad. 10th Oct. A two-day ministerial conference entitled “Environment for Europe” opens in Belgrade. The conference, sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), gathers environment ministers from 56 states and representatives of numerous international and non-governmental organisations.

11th Oct. Some 2,000 people gather in Novi Pazar in two groups: one in support of the new reis, the other backing the former mufti. Several dozen police officers wearing riot gear, but without crowd dispersal gear, are deployed around the central square in front of the Vrbak Hotel, where the Islamic Community rally is taking place. Two buses and several vans carrying more police officers are stationed in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. The rally passes without incident.

The government approves FCC concessionaires’ request to sub-contract part of the work on the Horgoš-Požega highway to Austrian company PORR. Vojvodina Assembly Speaker Bojan Kostreš calls on Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica to clear up “all the confusion” linked to the Horgoš-Požega highway concessions.

12th Oct. Serbia’s National Council for Co-operation with The Hague Tribunal offers a reward of €1million for information leading to

the location and arrest of ICTY fugitive Ratko Mladić. Rewards of €250,000 are also offered for fellow ICTY fugitives Stojan Župljanin and Goran Hadžić.

13th Oct. In a reception in Novi Pazar, ousted Imam Muamer Zukorlić tells several hundred of his followers that “if Serbia needs a Serbian mufti, then it should make an Islamic community in Belgrade.” He calls on Muslims in the region to “defend the mosques” from those imams who are on the other side of the divide.

17th Oct. Cypriot Foreign Minister, Erato Kozakou Marcoullis, says that her country will not recognise Kosovo’s independence. “Cyprus, as part of the European Union, will oppose any recognition of independence,” the Cypriot foreign minister underlines during her visit to Austria, adding that her country would not be the only one to veto such a move.

21st Oct. Serbia’s Economy and Regional Development Minister, Mlađan Dinkić, is proclaimed ‘World Finance Minister 2006’

by Euromoney Magazine – the leader in the fields of finance and banking – during the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in New York.

22nd Oct.

The third round of direct negotiations on Kosovo’s future status is held in Vienna. Belgrade and Priština, represented by teams led by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, Minister for Kosovo

Slobodan Samardžić, and the province’s interim prime minister, Agim Ceku, and president, Fatmir Sejdiu, face each other under the mediation of the Contact Group Troika.

The Montenegrin parliament adopts the country’s new constitution.

25th Oct. The Serbian Business Register Agency approves basketball legend Vlade Divac’s registration as owner of the Voda Voda company.

The former basketball star is registered as the sole owner of the company, and the Agency rejects former owner Vojin Đorđević’s claim that Divac took over the company illegally.

29th Oct. RK Beograd, the Belgrade Department Stores company, is sold at auction for €360million to company Verano Motors, owned

by Belgrader Radomir Živanić. The deal includes the sale of 239,679m2 of business premises covering 34 separate locations.

Serbian Privatisation Agency Director, Vesna Džinić, says she is more than happy will the final price.

30th Oct. Greece’s Marfin Investment Group announces that it has come to an agreement with Verano Motors over the ownership of RK Beograd. Representatives of citizens’ associations, shareholders and RK Beograd trustees are happy with the price, but are now seeking an increase in compensation payments, following the resale of the company.

31st Oct.

The deadline set by the Serbian Privatisation Agency for interested parties to submit offers in the new tender to sell RTB Bor expires. The starting price for the easternSerbia based copper mining and smelting complex has been set at US$340million, with another US$180million of mandatory investment for the future owner.

Five companies have bought the tender documentation necessary for participation in the sale process, including East Point, Russian Strike Force and Solvay, Austrian Brixlegg, and India’s Vedanta Resources.

NOVEMBER 2007 openings & accusations 1st Nov.

The Delta City shopping centre, the largest of its kind in the Balkans, opens to the public in New Belgrade. Delta City, which covers 85,000m2, cost €74million and took 18 months to build. It now employs 1,500 people, contains 130 retail units on three levels, and introduces 40 new fashion brands to the Serbian market.

7th Nov. The EU and Serbia initial the Stabilisation and Association Agreement

(SAA). Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić initials the agreement on behalf of the government, while EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn signs on behalf of the EU, at a ceremony in Brussels attended by President Boris Tadić.

Serbian nationalist and leader of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Šešelj, goes on trial in The Hague, facing charges of inciting ethnic tensions that fuelled Yugoslavia’s bloody break-up. Prosecutors blame Šešelj for ordering atrocities carried out by Serb paramilitaries.

8th Nov. The EU Council of Ministers formally confirms an agreement on visa relaxations with Serbia.

Milka Forcan, Delta Holding vice-president, officially resigns from the Council for the Promotion of Serbia, citing a negative campaign led by some media and individuals to discredit her company as the reason behind her decision.

9th Nov. Serbian entrepreneur Philip Zepter buys the Zrenjanin sugar mill for the grand total of a euro.

The authorities explain this move by saying that the sugar refinery has not been operational for a full three years, with workers left without wages for two years, and that even giving the factory away gratis is a better solution than the status quo, especially if the buyer plans to start production.

In addition to the single euro paid, Zepter agrees to carry out an investment programme worth €5.7million and maintain the employment of 230 workers for the next 12 months.

12th Nov. Serbia’s Chairmanship of the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers formally ends.

CoE Secretary General, Terry Davis, praises Serbia’s six-month presidency of the organisation’s Committee of Ministers. Speaking at a reception organised by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić to mark the end of the Serbian presidency of the Council of Europe, Davis says that Serbia “deserves to wear European colours.“ 13th Nov. Vojvodina officials demand a state-level meeting regarding the Horgoš-Požega highway concessions contract. If no agreement is reached, Vojvodina Executive Council President Bojan Pajtić says legal action will be taken to protect the province’s rights.

16th Nov. Two rival groups of Serbian Muslims clash outside the Altum-alem mosque in Novi Pazar.

One person sustains gunshot wounds, while two policemen are injured after being pelted with stones and bricks.

17th Nov.

Elections are held in Kosovo. The Democratic Party (DPK) of exKLA guerrilla Hashim Thaci secures 34% of the vote. European CorD / January 2008 19

2007 in brief observers describe the turnout of around 45% as “alarmingly low”.

Kosovo Serbs boycotts the vote.

19th Nov. Delta Holding CEO, Miroslav Mišković, accuses Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović of taking part in his 2001 kidnapping.

Jovanović, a vocal critic of Mišković, was then a Democratic Party (DS) official and a close aide to late PM Đinđić. This is the first time in six years that Serbia’s wealthiest man has spoken about his kidnapping by the notorious Zemun Clan.

20th Nov. LDP leader, Čedomir Jovanović, labels Miroslav Mišković’s letter, in which he accuses the former Ðinđić aide of involvement in his kidnapping, as “illiterate”. Jovanović confirms his party’s plans to sue the Forbes’ list billionaire.

The Competition Commission passes a new ruling prohibiting the merger of Primer C and Delta-owned C Market, following a Supreme Court overruling of the Commission’s initial decision to approve the merger. According to the Commission’s ruling, Delta controls 55 per cent of the Belgrade market, giving it a monopoly.

24th Nov. The Serbian Parliament adopts the Law on the Constitutional Court.

The move enables the appointment of judges, thus allowing the court to function properly after being blocked for a year.

26th Nov. The final three-day round of Troika-mediated direct negations on Kosovo’s 20 CorD / January 2008

future status get underway in the Austrian town of Baden.

27th Nov. The world’s leading chipmaker, Intel, opens its regional offices in Belgrade.

After meeting with a delegation of the U.S. company, Economy and Regional Development Minister Mlađan Dinkić announces that the IT sector will be given high priority in Serbia.

30th Nov. Serbia officially sells 83.3% of Novi Sadbased insurer DDOR to Italian Fondiaria. The deal, worth €220million, is signed at the Serbian government headquarters

by Deposit Insurance Agency Director Milorad Džambić and Fondiaria Director Fausto Marcioni.

DDOR has a market share of 30 per cent.

DECEMBER 2007 crunch time 3rd Dec. Israel’s Kavim Public purchases Sandžaktrans from Novi Pazar at a Serbian Privatisation Agency auction for €910,000. Kavim Public is one of the largest transportation companies in Israel, with a bus production facility. It is also owns Autoprevoz from Čačak and is the majority owner of Jedinstvo from Vranje.

6th Dec. Multinational Dutch brewer Heineken announces its purchase of Novi Sad’s Rodić

MB brewery. Founded in 2003, Rodić MB brewey has a capacity of 1.5million hectolitres and employs 282 people. It owns MB Premium, MB

Pills and Master brands and has estimated capital of around €145million.

Heineken Group owns more than 115 breweries in over 65 countries.

7th Dec. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon receives the Kosovo report from the Contact Group Troika. The report concludes that neither party is willing to abandon its original stand on the future status of Kosovo.

9th Dec. Extraordinary presidential elections take place in Republika Srpska.

The vote is topped by Republika Srpska Academy of Sciences chairman Rajko Kuzmanović.

10th Dec. The four-month Kosovo status negotiations between Belgrade and Priština officially end.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon submits to the UN Security Council a report given to him by the mediating Troika.

The report on the Kosovo talks states that Belgrade and Priština promise to refrain from moves that would endanger the security situation in the province, while maintaining their stances on the Kosovo status issue.

European Union foreign ministers discuss Serbian integration and whether a united stance is possible on the Kosovo status issue at a meeting in Brussels. Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, later says that the EU has “virtual unity” on Kosovo, with only Cyprus staunchly opposed.

ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte tells the UN Security Council that Serbia is not cooperating fully with the tribunal. Del Ponte says that Serbia is dedicated to full co-operation, but “in words, not in deeds.”

11th Dec. Russia offers to ensure that a part of the South Stream natural gas pipeline will pass through Serbia. The offer comes after a meeting between Serbian Energy and Mining Minister Aleksandar Popović and Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Alekseev. The pipeline would have an annual flow of 20 billion cubic metres and could generate US$200million for Serbia in taxes alone.

12th Dec. Serbian Parliament Speaker Oliver Dulić calls presidential elections for 20th January 2008, despite objections from PM Vojislav Koštunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia.

British PM Gordon Brown addresses Kosovo’s drive to achieve independence supported by the international community. Insisting that independence will come, Brown says: “The message is going out loud and clear to Serbia and Russia that this is the course we wish to take, and I hope there will be all-party support for the action we are taking on this.”

13th Dec. The municipality of Novi Pazar’s Muslim authorities say they will lodge a complaint over the sale of local bus company Sandžaktrans

to Israel’s Kavim Public Transportation Ltd. Novi Pazar Mayor Sulejman Ugljanin says that the municipality wants to retain control over the company that provides city and regional commuter transport.

EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, states that finalising Kosovo’s status will take place in early spring 2008.

14th Dec. The Serbian government forms a working group for cooperation with Russia in the energy and gas industries.

Trade Minister Predrag Bubalo says that Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and Deputy PM, Božidar Đelić, will head the group.

15th Dec. The EU announces that Serbia would be offered early membership of the Union on two conditions: full co-operation with the ICTY, recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

16th Dec. Kosovo’s incoming prime minister, Hashim Thaci, says that independence is “a matter of weeks” away. He tells press that any declaration of independence would be co-ordinated with the U.S. and the EU. 17th Dec. The Bank of Moscow files a request to the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) for for a greenfield license that will allow it to break onto the Serbian market.

19th Dec. Predrag Filipov becomes Serbia’s first ever ambassador to Slovenia.

20th Dec. CorD #45 goes to print.

Compiled by MRP; Sources: AFP, AP, B92, Beta, BIRN, CorD, SETimes, Tanjug, UKNews

POLITICS

Predrag Bubalo, Serbian Minister of Trade and Services

Domination not monopolisation Predrag Bubalo, Serbian Minister of Trade and Services: By far the three greatest economic problems in Serbia are the high rate of unemployment, followed by the foreign trade deficit and an uneven regional development.

By Tatjana Ostojić; Časlav Vukojičić s 2007 draws to a close, and political plans are devised for 2008, CorD speaks to Serbian Trade and Services Minister, Predrag Bubalo, about the year behind us and the year ahead.

Bubalo has been in government since 2002. Initially serving as Serbia’s first ever minister of international economic relations, between 2004 and 2007 he went on to become the economy minister and, from November 2006 until May 2007, co-ordinator of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. No wonder then that he tells CorD that the continuance of government is one of the elements that marked 2007 for him.

“I’m one of several ministers who rep-

A

22 CorD / January 2008

resent continuity between the two governments. More precisely, for the first time in Serbia we have ten ministers in the Government who have been in government from time the democratic changes took place to this day. Proof that this has been a good experience can be confirmed by looking at certain achievements. Above all, I would say that macroeconomic stability has been the most significant economic result to this day.”

Commenting on the year’s negative political aspects, Bubalo says: “perhaps the most negative thing was the long period it took to form the government. However, we had a situation where it was necessary to form a coalition government, and it is such situations it is more important to hold quality negotiations and reach a quality agreement,

than to do something hastily. After that lost time, so to say, everything went much faster, much stronger, and the continuity that we possessed marked it all. Božidar Ðelić and Slobodan Milosavljević are from the first Government after the democratic changes, then there are six ministers of the previous Government from DSS and Nova Srbija and two ministers from G17+, who made just a short pause when they prematurely exited the previous government.

Speaking about how 2007 will be remembered within his ministry, Bubalo says: “…since May, when the Government was formed, we’ve worked exceptionally intensely on legislative activity, which is, in a way, the most important task of both the government and the parliament. In that sense, I

can say that we have completely finished the Law on General Product Safety, which is an extremely important law and is now before the parliament. The Law on Trade has also been prepared. This is a systematic law that was really necessary - particularly considering that the last one, passed in 2003, is in many ways obsolete and somewhat ‘crippled’ because it regulated also the question of monopolies and consumer protection, besides trade. Apart from being obsolete, that law had the role of limiting and forbidding trade to a great extent because of the concept: ‘everything that’s not allowed by the law is forbidden’, instead of being the opposite: ‘everything that’s not forbidden by the law is permitted’. Moreover, that law didn’t take into account that we have new forms of trading today, like electronic commerce, distance trading, etc., which is another reason why this new law is very important and why we expect it to provide a new incentive to the development of this business in the next period.

“Besides fully preparing these two laws, we’ve also prepared changes and additions to the Law on Protection of Competition and the Law on Consumer Protection, with several provisions having been inserted into the Law on Consumer Protection that relate to consumer loans, which is a new thing.

“There was also a concept to regulate consumer loans through a special law, but we still chose in the end – based on the experiences of some other countries – that it be regulated by this law. These laws were enacted in 2005; we have the first two years of experience and enough time to see what should be changed and what should be harmonised with the directives of the European Union. The plan for 2008 is to enact a law on commodity markets, a law on commodity reserves and a law on electronic commerce. That way, over the course of 2007 and 2008, we would have rounded off that institutional legal framework and be left with implementing these laws fully during the remainder of this Government’s mandate.”

Highlighting other factors that marked 2007, for the country and the ministry, Bubalo says: “when I talk about what marked 2007, generally but also from the aspect of the Ministry of Trade, well we all know that the CEFTA agreement was signed in December 2006, but that it was in fact prepared for full application in 2007.” That said, “it is only in the following period that we will see the full effect of that CEFTA agreement.

Another important, momentous date was the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. “Another thing that, in a way, marked the general situation and public interest were the certain price increases that happened in 2007, largely as a result of the drought af-

Foreign Retail Chains n How would the arrival of foreign retail chains affect the monopoly story? r The arrival of foreigners would be most beneficial. I expect a serious arrival of foreign investors; I even have such indications. For example, Plaza, Interspar, Ikea – I have had talks with all of them. Indeed, I cannot guarantee or make claims, I can only convey to our public that these chains have expressed as interest. Their interest to get into Serbia is growing with the growth of the population’s purchasing power.

Any other talk is not serious, because the greatest interest for the arrival of foreign investors is the purchasing power of the population. I am of the opinion that it is most beneficial to have as much competition as possible, and the citizens of Serbia will profit the most from that. So, I look forward to the resolving of the monopoly issue, but also to the arrival of foreign investors. fecting the prices of food products. That, in a way, showed both the good and the bad sides of what had been built in the previous period. At the same time it was shown that our people still expect too much from the state and often lose sight of the fact that we are now oriented towards a completely different kind of state interventionism.Simply put, according to the laws introduced at the beginning of the democratic changes, the state no longer has the mechanisms that the people grew accustomed to during the socialist period. The market is today much more at the mercy of market regulations. On the other hand, we had to introduce certain bans which weren’t popular, such as the ban on the export of wheat and corn, but were necessary.

“The other thing that drew a lot of attention and led to much talk – and is connected with the price increases in particular – relates to monopolies. This subject has never been more to the fore here, either publicly or on the political stage. One part of this issue was raised as a response to price hikes, with the question of whether or not that was a result of a monopoly, while the other part of the story involves the complete politicisation of the matter.”

s n ’ o s a e Sgreetings

Finally, completing his summary of 2007 on a positive note, Bubalo says: “what delights me is the start of some serious thinking on the subject of branding Serbia. We formed a Superbrands Council, after much discussion. The positive aspect of that discussion, without going into who is the best option for any particular position, is the fact that there was never a higher degree of unanimity that we need to establish brands of Serbia that will significantly influence private activities, economic development and everything else.” n Zoran Ostojić, a member of the LDP presidency, recently said that the president and the Prime Minister had received a letter from Washington and Brussels stating that they could no longer count on foreign investments while domestic monopolies exist? r That’s nonsense. We should fight against monopolies and protect competition, and that’s a thing which other countries do too.

The U.S. started dealing with that problem in the 19th century, while the European Union tackled it relatively late, and we are addressing it even later. This is something that we will deal with seriously in the com-

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POLITICS ing decades. It is not even possible to solve this during the mandate of this government, because it cannot be solved within the mandate of one government. Concentrations, mergers and connections are part of a process that is constantly ongoing. That means it is possible that there is no monopoly one year, but then a connection between two large systems leads to the creation of a monopoly. That said, we have to learn that domination does not necessarily equate to a monopoly. Moreover, we should get used to the fact that the body legally tasked with dealing with monopolies and expertly determining their existence – the Commission for the Protection of Competition – is indeed doing that. The basic parameters are the statistics, whatever they are. Firstly, I am of the opinion that the statistics are truly independent, both when talking about the past and present government. Secondly, I think that the level of work on statistics has significantly increased lately; and thirdly, I think that we still don’t have all the parameters that would significantly help in identifying a monopoly. It takes time to create databases and that should be worked on. n You explained the reasons for the increases in prices of food products, but what, in your view, caused the increase of electrical power costs? r I was of the opinion that the price of electricity will go up in December. If there is a price increase in December, it means that the price of electricity will go up less in 2008, so that we will have an easier task in the government to maintain the projected inflation. If there is no increase in the price of electrical energy in December, and since there is no perpetual motion, the price of electricity on the world market is higher than what we’re paying for it, and we are forced to import it during winter periods.

Apart from that, we need to create some space for investments, and that space isn’t there at this moment, so we can only use what we have, and we all know that since 1990 there has been no new facility for the production of electrical power constructed.

At the same time, we are recording a growth of and becoming a larger and larger consumer of power. n You recently stated that you would increase the work of the market inspectorate. How will you achieve this?

Minister Bubalo expects the trade & services system to be finalised in 2008

r The first step is for our market inspectors to be sufficiently qualified for the job entrusted to them, which we are addressing through various forms of education. The second step is to equip them technically and in terms of materials for these tasks. The third step is to regulate relations between the market inspectorate and other sectors, particularly the organs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the veterinary inspectorate in cases relating to the trade in livestock or, more precisely, the smuggling of livestock across the Drina. However, I think that one of the most important instruments in the work of the market inspectorate will relate to the Law on General Product Safety. n You have stated that one of the biggest problems facing Serbia is the foreign trade deficit. r In the economic domain, the foreign trade deficit is one of the three biggest problems that Serbia is facing. It is true that there are other problems besides these three, but even those stem from these three.

These are, above all, the high rate of unemployment, followed by the foreign trade deficit and the uneven regional development. These are the biggest problems. The foreign trade deficit in 2007 will be bigger

Kosovo Status “We have a difficult situation in that a compromised solution that would suit both sides equally has not been found. I think that our side showed its maximum in cooperation and proposing compromised solutions. We will still advocate the continuation of these negotiations and I hope that the international community will realise the need for a principled solution and not in any way a unilateral solution to the Kosovo issue.”

24 CorD / January 2008

in its total amount than it was in 2006 but, bearing in mind the relative parameters, it still shows that we are experiencing somewhat of a stabilisation because, relatively speaking, the growth of our exports were bigger than the growth of our imports. On the other hand, the truly recorded deficit in 2007 was, for the most part, or in good part, caused by the extremely high prices of fuel and energy, and we are a highly energy dependent country. If that hadn’t happened, or had the prices remained at the level of 2006, we would have had an almost equal deficit to that of last year, which is the first positive indicator, while our exports would still have grown significantly. In 2006 we had a deficit of U.S.$6.6 billion, while in 2007 it will be somewhat over seven billion dollars. n What are your expectations for 2008? r In 2008 I expect that all the laws that have been announced will go through the parliament; that we will finish all the laws I have mentioned and that we will actually implement and finalise the system in terms of trade and services.

I would like to emphasise that our goal, apart from trade – which already exists and is interwoven with all the segments of life – is to stress the importance of services, which are also very important in people’s lives and contribute the most to GDP within the economy of a country. We want to institutionalise that segment too, because there are many things that have not been regulated in the domain of services. For example, as well as protecting the consumers, we also wish to protect the users of services. n

POLITICS

Ivica Dačić, President of the Socialist Party of Serbia

Looking left

Describing the lack of clarity between left and right-wing divisions in mainstream politics in Serbia, SPS leader Ivica Dačić says: “in Serbia there is no specific weight of political platforms and people do not look at political parties’ programmes – thus many people vote for parties without even knowing if they are voting for the right or the left.”

By MARK PULLEN; Photo: Časlav Vukojičić lmost all of the countries of Europe that have gone through the transition to market economy in recent years have re-elected parties of the pre-transition governments at some point. With Serbia now entering a critical transition year that will demand the restructuring of yet more major state-owned companies and is likely to see the loss of the breakaway province of Kosovo, CorD speaks to the SPS leader.

A

n I have to start by stating that the late Slobodan Milošević remains the first association most people have with your

party. How serious an affect does that fact have on SPS’s rating? r Well, it is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage lies with those people who respect and idolise Slobodan Milošević; the disadvantage is represented by those people who are close to ideas of the political left, and would naturally support SPS, but who do not like Slobodan Milošević. Therefore, we now have to find the right balance – particularly with respect to the good things that Milošević did. But the party simply has to live its new life. n That new life requires a new image, of course. How would you describe the

on Kosovo

on the EU

on NATO

Serbia shouldn’t threaten anybody, but should be clear in stating that it has a legitimate right to defend Kosovo

We support the goal of European integration and are in favour of Serbia’s membership of the European Union.

We are against Serbia’s membership in NATO and demand the staging of a referendum on this divisive issue

26 CorD / January 2008

current image of your party, both at home and abroad? r The Socialist Party of Serbia has suffered; it has experienced a difficult period and major changes have taken place within the party. Now our general objective is to successfully implement a change in the image of our party. When somebody thinks about SPS, we want them not to think about the party from the past, but rather to think of a modern socialist party of European orientation; a party which wants to become a member of the family of European socialist and social-democratic parties. In that sense, our programme is taking us in that direction.

That said, we are won’t renounce everything that was good in our past; everything the party did that we are proud of. We simply want Serbia to become a socially just country, and that is what distinguishes us from other political parties. n How would you define the problem of the political left in Serbia?

r I think there is no clear division between the political left and right in Serbia, and it will be our party’s goal in the future to clearly profile our difference from the right.

That relates to support for social justice, for labour rights, for good labour legislature, employee protection from employers; for free education and health, a high level of social protection, pensions that guarantee the dignity of old people, etc. That is what distinguishes us from the right. Sadly, in Serbia there is no specific weight of political platforms and people do not look at political parties’ programmes, thus many people vote for parties without even knowing if they are voting for the right or left.

People here vote for individuals. n How can that be changed; will it require the political educating of the nation? r That is one of the particular goals of our party. We recently adopted our new strategy aimed at clearly defining and informing everybody that we are the only party which supports the basic principles of the left. Other political parties use that only as propaganda – as demagogic slogans needed to ensure election success – while in their political life, when they are actually in power, they implement completely different methods. n Your party is not a member of the Socialist International group, while Nebojša Čović’s Social-Democratic Party (SDP) and Boris Tadić’s Democrats are both ‘Consultative parties’ of the group.

Why is that? r We want to become a member and we are in contact with Socialist International. I hope that next year we will start the process of the European integration of the Socialist Party of Serbia. That process was stopped during the bombing of our country. n It is considered that the majority of SPS voters are elderly people. How do you plan to attract the support of the younger generations? r That is a long term goal that we will achieve in two ways. Firstly, we are going to open the doors for young people to be a part of the party leadership, i.e. by renewing the internal SPS leadership. Secondly, we will garner support from those who recognise our commitment to young people’s interests – firstly free education, then the right to employment, solving housing issues, of course the repeal of VAT on food, clothing and items required for infants. That has to be the combination of opening SPS structures to the young generation, but also supporting their own interests. n What are your plans for the forthcoming presidential and local elections; are you open to the forming of partnerships and,

Politics by profession n CorD: What personally motivates your political career? r “I graduated from the Political Sciences Faculty. I work in the profession I was educated for and which I know best. I completed the Faculty of Political Sciences with an average mark of 10… Sadly, you do not need any qualifications to get involved in politics and sometimes Serbia suffers because the people in politics are often those who simply have nothing else to do.” if so, with whom? r We are open for partnerships, but the Socialist Party of Serbia will have its own candidates at the upcoming presidential and local elections elections. We are not interested in some big political coalitions; we are interested in creating a social front which should gather all those from the left.

This means all of the former members of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the leftists who might have not have been our members, then labour unions, youth organisations, pensioner organisations, etc. We are interested in such a coalition, a major social front coalition; a coalition of social justice. n Almost all of the countries of Europe that have gone through the transition from communism/socialism to market economy have re-elected parties of the pre-transition governments at some point.

Serbia has yet to experience that return to the former leadership. I presume that you expect such a thing will happen during Serbia’s ongoing transition? r I think that such a thing will happen very soon; in some future elections the leftist forces, i.e. the Socialist Party of Serbia, will win power in Serbia.

This is because we always have to make major social sacrifices in transition, and that is some normal historical flow. n You recently called on all political parties in Serbia to take a united position regarding Kosovo.

Do you think that this is realistic, and what do you think are the possible options for the solution of this issue?

r I think that it would be very important for all parties to have a united position regarding Kosovo and Metohija, in order that a clear state policy regarding that issue be established. The effects of such a united front would become an empowering factor for Serbia. In the negotiations regarding Kosovo, Serbia should not threaten anybody, but Serbia should clearly state that it has a legitimate right to defend Kosovo, which is much bigger than somebody else’s right to declare the independence of Kosovo.

I hope that the negotiations will continue and that we will avoid unilateral declarations. I hope that the peace and stability of this region will be maintained.

We support European integration and are in favour of Serbia’s membership of the European Union. However, we are against Serbia’s membership in NATO and demand the staging of a referendum on this issue, at which the people will have the chance to vote for or against NATO membership. n

INTERVIEW

MP Žarko Korać PhD., President of the Social Democratic Union

Serbia Losing

Direction The Social Democratic Union (SDU) is represented in parliament through its coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Its influence, however, is not small, as it has good relations with similar parties in the region and further afield. MP Žarko Korać, SDU president, points out that the common points of the SDU and the LDP are above all a direct advocacy of reform and modernisation in Serbia, further democratisation of society, and opposition to chauvinism and the devastating national mythology that spawned Milošević’s programme.

By Vojislava Vignjević orać’s SDU also advocates the restoration of shattered relations in the region, as well as fighting against the “tycoonisation” of Serbia and the visible abuse of economic power for political gain, which is becoming a more and more dominant subject lately.

K

n What do you predict will happen now that the Kosovo negotiations have failed? r These decisions will be made largely by the EU and Washington. It is obvious that no Security Council resolution is likely, as Russia has threatened a veto. I think that Kosovo will move towards a unilateral declaration of independence and it will happen, by the look of things right now, when the EU reaches a consensus about the issue. I 28 CorD / January 2008

expect it to happen in February or March.

The new element is the Serbian presidential elections in January, and they’ll probably wait until those elections are over. n What do you think about Russia’s position; its protective relationship towards Serbia and the faith the authorities here put in Russian power? r It is completely clear that Koštunica’s turn towards Russia coincided with Russia’s new self-awareness, which came into being largely because it possesses enormous energy and other resources which have given it an important position. Russia is again returning to the world stage with a desire to be an equal partner to the U.S., and Putin sees this largely as an opportunity. His stance on Kosovo is largely part of Russia’s desire to be a great world power again. I think that Russia is a lot less motivated by Russian enclaves in some ex-Soviet republics deciding to follow Kosovo’s path, an issue which is often emphasised here. Koštunica is unfortunately trying to portray Russian support as an alternative to EU integration, which is deeply concerning. Unlike Russia, which is acting globally, Koštunica is trying to build an alternative domestic policy. n What Government response do you expect to Kosovo’s declaration of independence? r I think that the biggest test will be for the Democratic Party (DS). It tried – unsuccessfully in my opinion – to build an alternative to Koštunica’s position on this, although it is in the government. Obviously that question is, above all, for the DS – how it and its voters will react to the worsening of relations with the EU and U.S., which will doubtless come about. As for the U.S., Koštunica’s talk is currently more radical than Putin’s. He has already openly taken an anti-American position. His advisors and associates speak of America as Ayatollah Khomeini spoke of America being the new Satan. The anti-NATO rhetoric falls in there too. I think that Koštunica is openly building an anti-American, practically an anti-European position, on this with the promise that he will open up a crisis in Bosnia parallel to the crisis in Kosovo. The measures that the government will take will lead Serbia into isolation, because, if I may say so, Serbia has no real answer but selfisolation.

I think that Koštunica’s reaction, and he is dominant in this government, will be self-isolation. The West will have a problem solving that. Maybe it was expressed most clearly by Božidar Ðelić, who said that Europe had an interest in Serbia remaining on the path of European integration. I haven’t heard a more cynical statement in the past few years. In other words, it is not Serbia

but Europe that has a problem. That’s the position – I don’t care what Europe thinks, you have to keep supporting us. That is a frightening position, and Serbia will pay a heavy price for the Kosovo adventure. n Do you expect the same isolation as in Milošević’s time? r It will definitely be different. What is deeply concerning is that there is an atmosphere of intolerance being created in Serbia, a pogrom atmosphere, the incident in Aranđelovac: look at the parliamentary rhetoric, Vojislav Šešelj’s book about the ‘whore’ Nataša Kandić, the atmosphere in Serbia is already terrifying and personally I think that there are thugs here preparing to show internal enemies what the national interest is. This thing about Serbia going into self-isolation isn’t so abstract anymore; violence towards those who disagree politically is being prepared. Serbia is losing its direction, DS easily let Koštunica take this position, and Tadić won’t even think of opposing that in his presidential campaign. I think that Serbia is slipping into a phase of internal intolerance and possible violence.

Mira Marković than by Milošević – it is the famous theory that Serbia is neither East nor West; that it relies on Russia and Belarus. Koštunica is, in an ideological sense, a true continuator of that ideology, JUL’s idea that Russia and Belarus are natural Serbian allies, and that the West is materialistic and without understanding of Serbian interests.

As for the church, it hasn’t come out with any standpoint that would show it as an institution which has a different political position, so I expect it to follow Koštunica.

Still, the Serbian negotiating team has taken a firm stand that there will be no resorting to violence, regardless of the solution of Kosovo’s final status. This was also said by the Defence Minister and the Chief of the Armed Forces’ General Staff. However, it has been said in the West that there is a deep division in Serbia’s political elite, which is not news to us either. The big problem is that the result of Koštunica’s policy will be violence, even if only in Serbia.

Look at the media, look at the lists of traitors being made. The fact that you say ‘we don’t want violence’ means nothing. When groups go out on the streets tomorrow, like

“ I think that Koštunica used the Kosovo crisis to show that essentially part of the Serbian intelligentsia has a strong antiEuropean mood – a populism that relies on so-called mother Russia.

In that sense, Koštunica, if I may say so, is the heir to those political ideas which, paradoxically, were explained in much more detail by Mira Marković than by Milošević”

The Kosovo issue is being intensified in public. Aleksandar Simić, advisor to the PM, said that war is in the state’s interest, while Bishop Artemije called for mobilisation, blockade of the Kosovo border and mass demonstrations in Serbia.

It is a fact that Koštunica didn’t distance himself from Simić’s statement. That shows that Koštunica actually considers the war option as legitimate, although he knows very well that this led to Milošević’s fall and the Kumanovo Agreement.

I think that Koštunica used the Kosovo crisis to show that essentially part of the Serbian intelligentsia has a strong antiEuropean mood – a populism that relies on so-called mother Russia. In that sense, Koštunica, if I may say so, is the heir to those political ideas which, paradoxically, were explained in much more detail by

they did two years ago, and burn mosques, attack embassies, party headquarters, the responsibility will be on those who used that rhetoric all the time. Internal violence in Serbia is pretty certain. Will it flow over?

I warn you that there are municipalities in Serbia where members of other nations live compactly, above all I mean Preševo where Albanians live, so I’m pretty concerned about what will follow, and it is absolutely certain that the northern part of Mitrovica will not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

In the best case scenario, Kosovo slips into a Cyprus-like situation.

When the Minister for Kosovo says that America wants to get out of Kosovo so it can produce crises elsewhere in the world, then it is completely clear that this kind of party and this kind of people will prevent public discussions or book promotions in CorD / January 2008 29

INTERVIEW reform government. And, unfortunately, I must say, Serbia will wait a long time before it gets such a government. n How will Carla del Ponte’s negative assessment of Serbia’s co-operation with the ICTY affect the Association Agreement with the EU, which the government optimistically claims will be signed on 28th January? r Do you know why the government is optimistic? Because it is between two election rounds – 20th January will be the first round and two weeks later will come the second, so they’re counting on signing the Agreement in between to support Tadić that way.

It is what’s called cleverness of the mind – it is thought that the West, the poor EU, will always show good will to Serbia in order for the pro-democratic forces to keep winning so that it won’t be worse. The question really must be asked here – what is worse in Serbia than what we already have?

“ It is my deep conviction that Serbia is still living in the shadow not of the Kosovo crisis, but of the assassination of Zoran Ðinđić, and it won’t get out of it until it gets a truly pro-reform government. And, unfortunately, I must say, Serbia will wait a long time before it gets such a government.” certain parts of Serbia by people they see as American mercenaries. There is an atmosphere being created in Serbia that resembles 1948 or 1945 or Milošević’s 1999 – internal enemies should be stopped. We’ve been through a lot of violence, and those who think that the circle of violence in Serbia and around is over are very much mistaken.

DS is obviously not ready for confrontation within the government coalition. For many reasons, that is a policy that ensures it gets votes – the ones it should not get. DS is proud to have relatively strong support within the electorate, but it has never stated what policy that support is based on. A better example is the Serbian Radical Party, which has even greater support within the voting body. Getting support for a vague policy is not good for Serbia in the long run in my opinion. Tadić chose DSS as his partner; at this moment he has no intention of changing that and it is completely clear that this is just one of many compromises that will be made and for which Serbia will pay dearly.

Nowadays, when you watch the statements of some ministers within the Serbian Government, you have the impression that they’re not in that Government at all and that the Prime Minister is not Koštunica. It’s as though they are members of the Norwegian Government that is rapidly changing the country. That means they don’t have any contact with reality anymore, they don’t see what Koštunica is turning Serbia into, but 30 CorD / January 2008

constantly claim it would be much worse if it wasn’t for us. And Koštunica himself, of course, has the Radicals as his alternative party, which he is seriously counting on. He showed that by electing Tomislav Nikolić as parliamentary speaker. I think that DS soon won’t have much say as to what Serbia’s policy will be. n Can we draw a parallel between Serbia’s current leadership and the political background to the assassination of the Prime Minister Zoran Djindjić? r Of course. The political supporters of the campaign against Zoran Ðinđić came into power after his assassination, ruled through a minority government with the support of the Socialist Party of Serbia after the next election. Now, unfortunately, they have been joined by DS, which got many more votes in the election but doesn’t hold power. The goal has been achieved: Serbia today is practically in conflict with most of the world. It’s a pretty masked conflict, as the West tries to make it look as if there is no true political conflict and it is full of understanding for the Serbian Government’s position on the Kosovo crisis. However, it should be observed more soberly whether Koštunica has done anything to get out of that dead end since we fell into it. It is my deep conviction that Serbia is still living in the shadow not of the Kosovo crisis, but of the assassination of Zoran Ðinđić, and it won’t get out of it until it gets a truly pro-

n How do you see the coming presidential elections in Serbia? r The first round will be far more interesting than the second round. In the first round, we’ll see a certain range of political views, that means you’ll have Čedomir Jovanović, Tomislav Nikolić, still some kind of real picture of the political mood in Serbia, while in the second round you’ll have a cynical game – vote for Tadić so that the radicals don’t get into power, with a huge problem for Tadić being abstention by part of the electorate. n What is the EU’s attitude to Serbia, how long will it tolerate some of the things you’ve mentioned? r Well, it will always tolerate it, because Europe can’t look like the Romanian flag after Ceausescu was overthrown. They took scissors and cut out the socialist emblem making it the only flag in the world with a hole. Europe can’t have such a hole, you can’t have an integrated Europe if you have something that doesn’t belong anywhere.

Europe is a historical, geographic and cultural notion. Europe will, willingly or not, have to push this region towards European integration. And that’s what the Democratic Party is cynically counting on, but, on the other hand, I think there is a growing resistance here towards that integration. I don’t share the opinion of those who claim that the majority of citizens want to get into Europe. However, in response to the question “what are you willing to change?” most citizens answer “nothing”. Therefore, Serbia is slowly becoming what Turkey was called before the Young Turk Revolution; it was called “the sick man of the Bosphorus”. I think that Serbia today is “the sick man of the Balkans”. n

DIPLOMACY

Rebuilding lives

& friendships CorD investigates Japan’s ODA programme CorD; Photo: JELENA SEFERIN apan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme has been rebuilding countries and building friendships for over half a century. In order to find out more about this programme, and ODA projects carried out here since the turn of the 21st century, CorD spoke to the Japanese Embassy in Belgrade, headed by Ambassador H.E. Tadashi Nagai.

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n What prompted the Government of Japan to introduce its ODA programme to Serbia? r It is natural for Japan to support a friendly developing country such as Serbia, to assist recovery, after the sanction lift, and development of the country. Our experience of recovery after WWII may be of useful assistance too.

Stabilisation of the Western Balkan region, including Serbia, is a crucial element for the stability not only of Europe but of the world. Japan, as a member of the international community, has been making efforts to ensure the peace and stability of the Western Balkan region through Official Development Assistance (ODA). Development of the Western Balkans, including Serbia, would help to expand business opportunities for Japanese companies. n Could you tell us something about the nature of that assistance and specific projects supported/initiated during the post conflict period? r During the post-conflict period, the main purpose of Japanese assistance was to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of people’s daily lives in the then FR Yugoslavia.

The Government of Japan decided to offer the emergency assistance worth 11 million euros to FRY, having in mind Serbia’s efforts for democratisation, economic reform and reintegration to the international community after October 2000.

In May 2001, Japan dispatched a survey mission to FRY to draw up a plan of assistance for further reforms. As a result, Japan pledged, at the Donors’ Conference in Brussels in June of the same year, to provide Yugoslavia with grant aid up to 50 million US dollars and technical assistance by accepting trainees, etc. In accord32 CorD / January 2008

ance with that pledge, we implemented the assistances in such areas as electricity (rehabilitation of the Bajina Bašta pumped storage hydroelectric power plant), public transportation (rehabilitation of the public transportation in Belgrade city), health and medical treatment (improvement of medical equipment for main hospitals), agriculture (Non-project type Grant Aid: fertilizer, 61 tractors, diesel fuels), etc.

In addition to that assistance, we also supported the peoples’ everyday life by utilising the scheme of Grassroots Human

Security Grant Aid to provide timely and flexible support for basic human needs at a grassroots level. n Has the nature of Japan’s assistance changed since the post-conflict period and, if so, could you tell us what areas your assistance has concentrated on since that period? r After the post-conflict period, the Western Balkan Region moved from the reconstruction phase to the phase of ensuring sustainable economic development. This was also

recognised at the Ministerial Conference on Peace Consolidation and Economic Development of the Western Balkans in Tokyo in April 2004. The conference was hosted

by Japan and EU Presidency, and attended by ministers of Western Balkan countries, donor countries and international agencies.

From that point, Japanese assistance has been gradually shifting from humanitarian and reconstruction aid to assistance for sustainable economic development, including technical assistance. n Which specific projects would you highlight as having been the most important and most effective in recent years? r It is difficult to say which are the most important and effective projects. But we could say that we have paid much attention to balanced development between big cities, such as Belgrade, Novi Sad, NiĹĄ and rural areas. We realised a series of health and education projects in small towns and villages all over Serbia.

Future direction

n Is Japan likely to continue providing Official Development Assistance to Serbia and its neighbours in the future and, if so, is there a limit to how long the ODA programme can run? r Japan will continue to assist Serbia as

programme of historical significance When it was first introduced in 1954, Official Development Assistance programme played a role in reconstructing friendly relations with Asian countries, reinforcing the liberal bloc in the Cold War setting, and promoting exports from Japan. long as necessary and eligible. Our hope, however, is that Serbia will become a country which needs no foreign assistance as soon as possible. Then the era of more dynamic foreign investment and of expansion of trade exchanges will come, which is more favourable both for Japan and Serbia. n In which direction would you like to see ODA funds directed in Serbia in the future period? r The Government of Japan will continue to assist Serbia by focusing on sectors such as private sector development (promoting SME, export and investment promotion etc.). In that sense, ODA funds should be directed more towards technical co-operation and loans than to grants. n Is the assistance offered to the countries of the former Yugoslavia typical of Japan’s assistance to transition countries and, if so, which other countries are offered similar assistance?

r For the Western Balkan region, Japan has been rebuilding infrastructure that had been damaged during the conflicts, and has been providing assistance focused on the health and medical care sectors for years. At the same time as offering assistance for contributing to moving to a market economy in accordance with each country’s development stage. Japan has been dispatching experts to promote investment and provide training to develop SMEs and facilitate trade.

From the standpoint of consolidating peace, Japan has been inviting police officers from former Yugoslav republics to provide them with training to enhance their capacities. It has also been providing assistance to NGOs for clearing landmines, as well as assistance for ethnic reconciliation through IT education in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

In the environmental sector, which presents a common challenge within the Balkan region, Japan has been sending experts and providing training, as well as

DIPLOMACY

Japan in Montenegro

By Ilija Despotović In order to visit Japan you do not have to go to the Far East. There is a Japan in Montenegro too. A small village under one of the Komovi Mountain peaks, in the Andrijevica municipality. In midNovember, Ambassador Nagai visited the Montenegrin (and European) Japan.

It was a very emotional visit for him.

At the entrance to the village, a sign with the name of the village ‘Japan under Komovi’ in both the local and Japanese languages awaited him. A large number of local people gathered in order to give the dignitary from the land of the samurai a traditional welcome.

The Ambassador was offered slivovitz and Montenegrin egg-toast. Local resident, Radonja Babović, dressed in national costume, welcomed the Ambassador. The pupils from the local school had learned several Japanese poems in honour of the occasion and recited them for the Ambassador from the country of the rising sun. The Ambassador gave them sets of books about the culture and tradition of his country.

In the Montenegrin Japan, Nagai, of course, heard the story about the name of the village. There are at least three explanations for that unusual name in the Montenegrin hills. According to one, Japan under Komovi received this name because the sun warms this village as soon as it appears behind the high mountains.

The village itself lies on the eastern slopes of Komova, high under the mountain peak, and the first sun shines over the surrounding fields and forests. engaging in co-operation through development studies to address soil and sewage contamination in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania. n Could you tell us something about the history and development of Japan’s ODA policy globally? r When it was first introduced in 1954, ODA played a role in reconstructing friendly relations with Asian countries, reinforcing the liberal bloc in the Cold War setting, and promoting exports from Japan. Thereafter, as Japan entered the era of rapid economic growth, its ODA disbursements grew in volume to cover a wide range of segments and regions. During the oil crises of the 1970s, structural adjustment loans became the world’s major trend for aid activities. Japan, however, continued providing projectbased assistance in parallel with structural adjustment loans and thus contributed to the remarkable economic development that was 34 CorD / January 2008

The second story says that a local man, while travelling around the world, also visited Japan. When he returned to his village he saw the local chiefs fighting and arguing. Apparently, this ‘Japanese’ said that he had never seen anything like that apart from in Japan, and the village thus received its name.

According to the third story, the name of the Montenegrin Japan could be connected with the historical fact that a brave soldier from this area was in the Russian Army at the time Russia was at war with Japan in 1905. His name was Leko Saičić. On one occasion, when Russian and Japanese soldiers were opposite each other, the Japanese asked the Russians if they had a knight who would fight a duel with their samurai. The Montenegrin, Saičić, volunteered and beat the Japanese samurai. He received great recognition from the Russian Tsar. Thus, his war with the Japanese might have some connection with the name of this village.

And the fact also remains that Montenegro, always loyal to Russia, declared war on Japan in 1905.

That war, which was symbolic support to the Russians, never ended with a peace treaty. In spite of that, relations between Japan and Montenegro are, according to Ambassador Nagai, excellent. The Japanese Government provides significant technical and other aid to Montenegro through ODA donations to hospitals, schools and cultural institutions. In Kotor there is the Daido-metal company, and that is the only direct investment from that far away country in Montenegro. dubbed the “Miracle of East Asia.”

In the 1990s, the Cold War framework collapsed, while increasing attention was drawn to global-scale challenges such as environmental issues. Against this backdrop, Japan established its first ODA Charter in June 1992.

From the beginning of the 21st century, Japan’s ODA disbursements shrank due to the country’s stringent fiscal status. At the same time, emerging countries were gaining economic power, while some globalscale issues were becoming worse. Amidst these moves, the idea of “human security” was proposed in the international community, and the United Nations (UN) drew up the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. The terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001 led to the idea that poverty reduction is of extreme importance, as poverty is recognised as a breeding ground of terrorism.

In response to these developments, Japan

revised its ODA Charter in August 2003.

The renewed Charter regarded the goals of ODA not only as a contribution to the international community, but also as help to promote the security and prosperity of Japan. In addition, in the future, the strategic use of ODA is expected for purposes such as the promotion of the private sector’s economic activities and the securing of resources and energy.

To pursue these missions, Japan took on a fundamental reform of its ODA programme in 2006. As a result, the Cabinet Office established a new Overseas Economic Co-operation Council, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up the International Co-operation Bureau. Legal improvements were also made to make the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) the sole implementing organisation of ODA’s three modes of assistance (Grant, Technical Cooperation, Loans). n How does the Japanese government assist existing and would-be Japanese investors in Serbia? r Our Embassy is keeping close contact with Serbian companies who have connections with Japanese companies or products.

Information exchange between the Embassy and Serbian companies interested in establishing business ties with Japan is our daily engagement. In that conjunction, we maintain very good co-operation with the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA), which makes efforts to draw the attention of potential Japanese investors.

The Embassy is also supporting the activities of the “Japanese Economic Chamber in Serbia (JECS),” composed of major Japanese and Serbian companies active here in Serbia.

The Government of Japan has also provided a unique assistance to Serbia. That is “The Study on Master Plan for Promotion of Mining Industry in the Republic of Serbia”. We dispatched a study mission to provide suggestions for the improvement and promotion of mining industries in Serbia. Through the project, the Government of Japan intends to strengthen the economic relationship between Japan and Serbia and to attract attention from Japanese companies by informing them on the current situation and possibilities of the mining industry in Serbia. As part of the project, the Seminar for Promoting Investment in Serbia was convened in Tokyo. It was attended by 90 representatives of various Japanese companies and governmental institutions. The same kinds of seminars are also planed to be organised in London and Toronto early next year.

Before closing, it should be emphasised that the self-help effort is most important in order to make Serbia attractive for new in-

kosovo

Kosovo Final Status Solution

Negotiations Failed It was expected that by “D Day” (10th December), either a compromise would be reached or Kosovo would declare independence. Neither has happened. After the failure of 120 days of negotiations under the auspices of the international community, no agreement has been reached and the question remains open. The Contact Group Troika’s report on the course and substance of the negotiations has been forwarded to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

By Vojislava Vignjević he Troika, comprising representatives of the EU, the U.S. and Russia, reports that a wide range of options were discussed including complete independence, internationally supervised independence, territorial partition, essential autonomy and even the status of a tacit “agreement on disagreement”. The UN Security Council will state its position on the report, in which no further negotiations are recommended.

Though the two sides have neither changed nor moderated their diametrically opposed positions, with Priština firmly committed to independence, and Belgrade explicitly against it while ready to grant full autonomy, implying a large degree of independence in decision making but excepting UN membership, the Troika has still managed to extract important promises from them. Basically both sides are committed to refraining from moves that might jeopardize the security situation in Kosovo or in other areas, and to refrain from violence or threats.

In its conclusions, the Troika noted as a positive point that “during the negotiation process the two sides found areas where their interests coincided”. They also agreed that it was necessary to promote and protect multiethnic societies and work on solving those problems which prevented reconciliation, which in particular referred to the destiny of the missing and the return of displaced persons. Both sides also confirmed that the European perspective was of essential significance for their future relations, and again expressed their wish to be under the same EU roof in the future.

The question remains as to how the situation will now develop. It appears that Washington and Brussels are, unlike Russia, ready to take careful steps in the direction of independence for Kosovo. It is highly unlikely that either will go for a new Security Council Resolution, as Russia has already announced it would veto such a move. The most probable scenario would be a unilateral declaration of independence.

Washington and Brussels, however, are weighing up the next moves in connection

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36 CorD / January 2008

The Troika, comprising Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko (Russia), Wolfgang Ischinger (EU) and Frank Wisner (U.S.), reports that a wide range of options were discussed including complete independence, internationally supervised independence, territorial partition, essential autonomy and even the status of a tacit “agreement on disagreement”.

with the Serbian presidential elections on 20th January. After that they would give the green light to an independence declaration.

On the other hand, Serbia and Russia support the continuation of talks and insist that the UN Security Council should make the decision on the final status of Kosovo on the basis of a new resolution, i.e. that the UN’s highest body should annul any decision on independence.

Question number one for the international community is how to deploy an EU mission in this region before a definite decision on Kosovo’s status. According to Brussels and Washington, the EU mission could enter Kosovo in two ways: either in response to Priština’s invitation after a unilateral declaration, or on a recommendation of Ban Ki-Moon. The mission’s basic task would be to implement Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, particularly its technical section dealing with issues of Kosovo’s internal system.

The EU mission that would replace UNMIK may come to Kosovo either by a decision in the Security Council, or

by invitation of the host country, which according to Resolution 1244 is Serbia, Belgrade and Moscow emphasise. Thus the international community currently has two options: to allow a declaration of independence followed by the EU being invited by Priština as the host, or to choose the option worked out by the EU legal team, according to which UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, would recommend via a technical letter that an EU mission should be sent to Kosovo.

Serbian PM Vojislav Koštunica emphasised that by rejecting the Ahtisaari plan Serbia had rejected the part of that plan about deploying an EU mission in Kosovo.

The Serbian delegation, led by Koštunica, will make efforts to persuade the Security Council that negotiations must not be stopped, because this could, it is claimed, have severe consequences for the region.

The stance of several leading EU members is that the solution of Kosovo’s status must not adversely affect the democratic and European perspective

of Serbia. The presidential elections in Serbia play an important role for the EU in its decision on when it should take the appropriate steps to solve the Kosovo crisis.

Therefore, as presidential elections in Serbia will be held in January, Germany, France, Italy and some other countries will insist on postponing their “co-ordinated declaration” on Kosovo’s independence. Brussels also hopes that Serbia could enhance its European standing by signing the SAA. It is estimated that Serbia may fulfil the conditions and sign the agreement in January. Washington too wants “the process to be managed more carefully” so as to avoid making a decision before the elections, which could lead to the radicalisation of Serbia and disrupt its stability.

The fact that there are still EU members who oppose both independence for Kosovo and the planned manner of deployment for the EU mission, will neither prevent recognition of independence nor change Brussels’ stance on deployment of the mission to replace the UN administration.

This can be seen by the statements of the heads of some leading EU countries.

And not even the fact that Cyprus will be absolutely opposed and some members may abstain will change the EU’s decision or shake its unity, one can conclude from the latest statements on Kosovo from Brussels’ high officials. Namely, the solution of internal issues will be avoided by the EU making no formal declaration on either of the two steps: independence and the mission. As can be understood in diplomatic circles, violation of international law will be avoided by the formation of a stance at the level of the 27 members in a decision at the presidential level, which will state that the EU supports efforts to preserve peace and stability in Kosovo. It is believed by well-informed sources that this is a stand which will have no opponents in the EU. The mission will be sent to Kosovo on the basis of a conclusion at the level of the 27 members. Within this conclusion, as is being planned, it will be stated that “the EU takes notice of the invitation from Kosovo” aiming at “securing peace and stability”. Steps related to Kosovo recognition will not actually be the declared stance of the EU, but the bilateral stances of member countries. However, these moves cannot really go in parallel, because those who accept the invitation to deploy their personnel in the mission to Kosovo in practice recognise Kosovo’s independence by also deploying diplomatic missions at the Ambassadorial level.

Cyprus is absolutely against independence for Kosovo, and a few countries still have more support for consolidation within the Security Council and Russia’s support in EU engagement. Slovakia, Romania, Greece

EU deployment

EU recognition

EU timeline

Question number one for the international community is how to deploy an EU mission before a definite decision on Kosovo’s status

The fact that there are still EU members opposed to independence will not prevent recognition of independence by Brussels.

Concrete moves by the EU and Priština should not start before 3rd March. the clarifications initially satisfied the Serbian side, but the situation then deteriorated.

and Malta belong to this group, but they will, however, not block the EU’s conclusion, which is currently the most important thing for Brussels in this respect. On the contrary, most countries, like the UK, support faster moves and would immediately take part in the mission.

Concrete moves by the EU and the transitional authorities in Priština as regards independence and the new mission, according to the latest statements in international circles, should not start before 3rd March. The EU is waiting for the elections in Serbia to pass, but Priština will start applying the Ahtisaari plan immediately upon formation of the government. Further along the sequence of events is the actual declaration of independence followed by an invitation to the EU from Priština.

After that a phase leading to replacement of the mission should follow. At this stage, according to Brussels, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon should sign a technical letter in which he will say he is worried about the state of Kosovo and its security, that a political vacuum has occurred, and that the capabilities of the UN are exhausted, that EU personnel are already present in Kosovo, which would actually be the main argument for Brussels and for the deployment.

The EU moves will also be followed by conclusions made after meetings at the presidential level about the necessity of preserving peace and stability in Kosovo, and the leading role of the EU in maintaining stability, but also that “the EU took notice of the invitation from Kosovo to deploy the mission”. The point of the whole plan, as it is envisaged now, is

that everything should be done on the basis of Resolution 1244 but as a matter of fact upon a “very flexible interpretation of its provisions on the necessity of preserving peace and stability”, it is stated in wellinformed diplomatic circles.

All in all, one should still wait a while to see what is really going to happen as regards the solution of this important issue which has obviously gained international importance, though from what has been said, one can discern the outlines of moves that will be made jointly by Brussels and Washington. Russia and Serbia oppose this, insisting that the problem be discussed and solved under the auspices of the UN. The Serbian Government, i.e. its ministries, have made action plans for in case of an independence declaration. These plans are secret for the time being, being known neither to the Parliament nor to the wider public. Obviously one should wait to see their contents, too. n

CorD / January 2008 37

Region

Montenegro A Temporary SAA will be implemented in Montenegro on 1st January 2008

awaits Europe This coming year is set to prove a challenging one for Montenegro, as the republic progresses along its path to EU integration. The EU has warned the Montenegrin administration that the third phase of transition that is to come will require tough reforms necessary in order to make the market economy real.

By Ilija Despotović ndeed, 2008 will be the year that tests the devotion and efficiency of Montenegro’s institutions, as well as their preparedness and capabilities to steer Montenegro towards EU membership. At the same time, 2008 will see the EU intensify its monitoring of the capability of the state to access to the union of European nations.

Europe will compile sharper reports about the situation in Montenegro, with more rigorous appraisals and demands.

This will require the fuller engagement of Montenegrin politicians and economists, but also more direct participation on the part of citizens who will have to comply with the obligations that the EU integration route entails.

At the end of 2007, three important reports about the situation in Montenegro arrived. The appraisals are similar. The European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank (as was the case with the International Monetary Fund last year) all concluded that progress had been made in Montenegro’s approach to European standards.

Administrative capacities have been strengthened and a large number of proEuropean laws have been adopted. New constitutional solutions have created better conditions for the independence of the judiciary; essential institutional steps for a more successful fight against corruption and money laundering were made through the establishment of special commissions covering those fields. Enviable economic growth has also been achieved in the tiny coastal nation.

Behind all of these successes, however, lies international concern that the reform processes are still shallow and fragile.

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38 CorD / January 2008

The heaviest criticism levelled at the Montenegrin leadership have related to the limited scope of the state’s handling of organised crime and corruption. Public acquisitions, according to international community reports, are still insufficiently transparent. The police are lacking efficiency, and decision-making structures have still failed to surmount conflicts of interest, thus the decisions made by the state bodies are often burdened with the consequences of those problems. The EU has warned the Montenegrin administration that the third phase of transition that is to come will require tough reforms nec-

essary in order to make the market economy real.

The dominant tendency of the Montenegrin economy continues to be favouring the stability of macroeconomic factors. However, inflation remains in the single figure zone – though it has grown since last autumn. Employment continues to grow; the state budget is in surplus and foreign direct investments are also growing. The stock exchange market is also booming. Tourism in Montenegro ended 2007 with good results. After deeper analysis, however, even local experts raised questions as to whether those positive

Deputy Montenegrin Prime Minister in charge of European integrations, Gordana Đurović, expects the SAA ratification process to hasten in mid-2008.

trends are long term and whether the current economic growth is sustainable.

The Montenegrin economy should be much more competitive and public spending more rational, neither of which is easy to achieve. Because of the insufficiently developed structure of goods’ production, Montenegro is appearing on the international market with a rather meagre number of products. As a result, the world’s newest sovereign state has a major foreign trade deficit which, according to the most serious warning statements, is believed to exceed one billion euros.

International monitors, representatives of European and other international institutions are not satisfied because the budget surplus was spent, mostly, on wages for the state administration. They warn the authorities that the budget surplus could easily turn into a deficit.

To date, Montenegro’s EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) – signed on 15th October – has been ratified

by Estonia and, according to announcements, Austria and Romania. They will be

followed by several other countries in the near future. Deputy Montenegrin Prime Minister in charge of European integrations, Gordana Đurović, expects the SAA ratification process to hasten in mid-2008.

The Agreement should be ratified by the parliaments of the 27 EU state members, as well as the European Parliament. The Montenegrin Parliament unanimously ratified the SEE on 13th November.

In order to exceed the period from signing the Agreement to its ratification in all parliaments, a Temporary SAA will be implemented from 1st January 2008, with the purpose of putting in place the provisions of the actual Agreement, which refers to trade norms being introduced immediately.

Four-fifths of the SAA Agreement between Montenegro and the EU were transferred to the temporary Agreement and, by cancelling custom taxes, its provisions open up almost the entire EU market to Montenegrin products. Taxes on imported goods, which could compete with domestic products in Montenegro, will be gradu-

ally decreased over a five-year period. This agreement should be ratified only by the European Parliament – with the Montenegrin Parliament having already done so.

This agreement ensures that in 2008 Montenegro should start enjoying the advantages of EU pre-accession, through the trade and direct aid intended to prepare them for full membership. Within the ‘Instrument for Pre-Accession’ programme, the EU has approved €100million for 2007, 2008 and 2009 to Montenegro. Next year, Montenegro is expected to apply for the status of full EU candidate – a status that could be acquired in 2009. Before applying for candidate status, however, Montenegro will have to complete the European Commission Questionnaire, and the decision on the preparedness for the status of candidate will depend on the results. Montenegro will have to implement the national version of the Acquis Communautaire, which means the translation into Montenegrin and the expert editing of around a hundred thousand European Union Official Gazettes.

The Montenegrin Government has already established the European Integration Commission, and it should complete the first version of the National Plan for Integration by the end of January. That plan will encompass the period from 2008 until 2012 and should define the basic reforms necessary for Montenegro to be prepared to take over membership obligations.

According to the Plan, and on the basis of statements made by highest Montenegrin officials, Montenegro will tell Europe – we are ready – in 2012. Whether the European Union will reply positively and open the door to Montenegro is a different question. However, Montenegro is determined not to wait in the EU entrance hall for more than five years. Some optimists are hoping that this could happen even earlier.

Of course, pro-European rhetoric is much more present in politicians’ speeches. According to public opinion polls, citizens are mostly determined for the European Union but, we could say, without full awareness of what that membership brings. Most of those ‘Europeans” connect membership in the Union with bigger wages. They know and think much less that they will have to work much more in the European Union. Therefore, the Montenegrin public could sober up after the message sent by the Italian Ambassador in Podgorica, Gabriele Meucci, who probably considers Montenegrin business to be rather easygoing. Meucci said: “Forget about holidays when you enter the European Union”. Undoubtedly, the Montenegrins will have to forget many comforts and even some traditional habits. n CorD / January 2008 39

Corporate Women

Visible progress Rose Aboth Bugarčić, Advisor within the Ministry of Agriculture

“Thanks to our work – and not only that of our department in the Ministry of Agriculture but all those included in the process of integration with the European Union – we have at least come to the point of initialling the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU”.

By Tatjana Ostojić; Časlav Vukojičić ose Aboth Bugarčić is from Uganda.

She met her Serbian husband on a course in the Netherlands more than ten years ago and decided, after only one month’s stay here, that Serbia was to be her new homeland. An agronomist by vocation, after completing her local agricultural faculty Rose Aboth worked for two years in Uganda and initially worked in Serbia for humanitarian organisations. She has been employed in the Ministry of Agriculture since 2004. In order to find out how she experienced Serbia when she arrived and how Serbia looks to her now, CorD spoke to Rose Aboth Bugarčić as part of our corporate women series.

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n When did you come to Serbia for the first time? r The first time I came was in 1996. I came for a visit and spent a month here. I’d met my husband in Holland in 1994, on a course about new technologies in potato growing, because we both graduated from agricultural faculties. We spent a few months in Holland, then he came to my country and after that I came to Serbia, in order to see what it was like here. n How did Serbia seem to you in that month? r It was mostly a tourist visit so it was nice. Apart from that it was summer, hot, even hotter than in Uganda, because we do not have such heat like you have here during the summer. I thought that it was the same and it was all the same to me where we were going to live. However, I saw snow for the first time in this country. I was looking through the window, and it was very interesting. At that time, I remember saying to my mother-in-law: “It is so nice when you see the snow”, and she replied: “It is nice to watch, but it’s not nice when you have to work, because it is not easy to work when it is snowing”. I found that out later. I don’t think that I’ll ever get used to the cold in Serbia.

Apart from that, in that 1996, I saw 40 CorD / January 2008

Ugandan Rose Aboth Bugarčić, Advisor within the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture

refugee columns for the first time in my life.

I had never seen that before, so I really felt sorry for those people. That was the time of sanctions. There was no petrol at the garages but it was sold on the streets. Having been to other countries in Europe before, I also noticed that here it was rather dirty by comparison. However, during the time since I came to Serbia things have changed a lot.

People take much more care, children are taught not to throw everything everywhere.

Of course there are still a lot of things to be learned regarding the culture of behaviour, but the progress is visible. n When did you definitely decide to come to Serbia to live? r That was the summer of 1997. n Did you start to work immediately? r No, no. Firstly, I did not know the language. Because of that I always tell all

foreigners to learn the language. Wherever you go you should learn the language of that country. I suppose that other languages are difficult too, but it seems to me that the Serbian language is very difficult for us to learn. n How did you manage to learn it? r I still haven’t. I’m learning. I recently went to school to learn better Serbian grammar, cases and other things. At the beginning I taught myself through newspapers, first I read Politika in the Cyrillic alphabet. In Uganda, after graduating in agriculture, I worked in the Ministry of Agriculture for two years. And, in Serbia, I started to work for the humanitarian organisation, the World Food Programme, in 1999. While working for the World Food Programme I travelled a great deal to places where refugees were situated, so I saw a big part of Serbia. I was in Vojvodina, which I like very much. I was in Žagubica, Kučevo, Veliko Gradište. I think that Serbia is a really beautiful country.

In time the activity of our office reduced, as there wasn’t such a great need for food.

Apart from that, it became obvious that the conditions in Serbia for food production are good. For instance, wheat was distributed through that organisation, and there is enough wheat here. Therefore, the office reduced the number of employees and was completely closed in the end. After that I worked for Oxfam, the British humanitarian organisation. I came to the Ministry of Agriculture in April 2004, which means that I have been here for more than three years. Even though I already had ministerial experience, I started to work in the Ministry as a trainee. n What are your responsibilities in the Ministry? r I work in the position of junior advisor for the World Trade Organisation, but I do not do only that. I work on various projects for accession to the EU within the Ministry of Agriculture. Together with my colleagues I work on projects which are supposed to

Legal frame n How attractive is Serbia to foreign investors? r As I already said, things are improving. The precondition for the arrival of a greater number of foreign investors is the legal frame. As long as that is lacking, nothing will happen. I think that today, when we are working on the harmonisation of our laws with the EU, we are slowly moving towards those conditions. Of course, today is better than before. There are already certain laws which have been adopted, and some are in the adoption process. That is the main condition. be financed either from international aid or through bilateral co-operation with other countries. We are currently working on a national document: Needs for International Assistance for the period 2008 – 2010, the annual operational plan for our ministry with setting up long, medium and short term goals, as well as the plan of activities which should be implemented in 2008. In Uganda I used to work in the advisory service, and I was on the field almost every day. There are similar services here, but I do not work in that domain. However, I can say that the work in both ministries is very similar. n Has anything changed in the last three years since you started to work in the Ministry of Agriculture? r According to stories from colleagues who worked here before, I could say that today it is much better than it was. Apart from those stories, I am myself a witness to the fact that things are getting better from year to year. Before people here didn’t have enough computers for work. Before I started to work in the Ministry, the general opinion among people I know was that employees in the ministry didn’t do anything, that they didn’t have a clue. Today, when I work in the Ministry, I see how people work a lot, and the result of our work is something positive for the Government.

We prepared lots of things for negotiations with the European Union and the World Trade Organisation. I work in the department for integration with the EU and, of course, the progress is obvious. Thanks to our work, not only our department in the Ministry of Agriculture but all those

included in the process of integration with the European Union, we have at least come to the point of initialling the Agreement on Accession with the EU. Apart from that, today much more is known about our status regarding the WTO. Truly, we have still not managed to change all the laws to international standards, but we know what has to be done; we have learned and have had training. I can say that, thanks to aid from abroad, we have managed to improve our work. n Do you plan to stay in the Ministry? r That is difficult question. I love my work, and believe that teamwork is the best thing in an organisation. Therefore, if some colleagues are not at work, somebody else can take over their part so jobs don’t wait to be done. But that is not always the case here. Don’t get me wrong - it is not always like that, but a certain number of colleagues keep their part only to themselves. Some changes should be made in that sense, and wages are also too low. Therefore, all options are open. n How do you manage to reconcile your obligations at work and at home, considering that you have three children? r I don’t think I do manage. I survive somehow. My life is between work and home. I do my best and my husband helps me a lot, because his work is bit more flexible, and he can pick up the children from school and nursery earlier. Therefore when he goes on the field, or on a trip, or when he cannot make it on time, all I do is

Corporate Women

Living for Guča n Do you like the trumpets in Guča? r Since my husband is from Guča, we go to the festival every year. The first, second and third times I went to the festival it was ‘ludilo’ (madness). Now the madness is even bigger and I am not that interested in that. My children are more interested in it and my husband likes to go there.

I like music, but I do not like to listen to four different songs at the same time. I do not know which one to concentrate on, to which music to dance to. However, for the people who live there it is excellent, there is a big change every year, the people prepare for that event for a whole week. Some of them get ready to make some money and some to have a good time. I’ve seen that here in Belgrade too, people plan to go to Guča at that time and people in Guča live for those days.

run, because the nursery’s working hours are the same as mine and I need half an hour to get home to Medaković. Therefore they are usually the last ones to be picked up from nursery, but they are used to it. n What are their names? r Nikola, Maria and Aleksandar. Nikola is the only name from here and Maria and Aleksandar are international names. Nikola is almost ten, Maria is six and Aleksandar is three. The first time I heard the name Nikola, I liked it very much. However, I heard that name for the first time here. We agreed on names so that my family can pronounce them and understand those names. For instance, when I was expecting my daughter, Nikola wanted her to be called Milica. My family would not be able to pronounce that. Nikola is the only one who goes to school and he is 42 CorD / January 2008

doing very well. n Do you manage to have some time for yourself? r A little. We have friends, kumovi, who we see more often, but we simply don’t have time for everything. There is always something to be done at home, and every month we go to Guča – we take the children there to see their grandparents. n Do you go to Uganda? r Not often. I haven’t been there for three years, but my mother and sisters have been here so we see each other and we are in contact through mail and telephone, even though that is not the same. The children are sorry because they cannot go there more often, especially Maria - who would like to live in Serbia and Uganda too.

Uganda is a plains and mountains country.

The Rwenzoris are the biggest mountain range, and there it can be as cold as it is here in winter. I come from a place called Iganga. That is the name of the municipality and the main place in that municipality. In Uganda each tribe speaks its own language, although three or four tribes speak the same or a similar language so they can understand each other. The official language is English, which is learned from preschool age and my children speak Serbian and English.

They do not know my tribal language, only a couple of words. n Which places in Serbia have you managed to visit as a tourist? r I have been to Palić, Srebrno jezero, Zlatibor, Mećavnik, Valjevo, Vrnjačka Banja and Tršić, Vuk Karadžić’s birth place.

I like the part of Serbia around Loznica and Vojvodina too. n Are there any more of your compatriots from Uganda in Serbia? r Yes, though I do not know exactly how many. I know one woman who is also married here in Serbia. She is looking for a job but cannot find anything. Many papers are needed and she doesn’t speak Serbian very well. We have other friends from other African countries and we socialise with each other. We do not see each other very often, but when we have the African day or the national day of one particular country or some celebrations we see each other. n

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MEDIA

Tabloids: public

anaesthetic

“At the dawn of a solution to Kosovo’s status, and with new presidential elections on the horizon, the launch of three new tabloid newspapers undoubtedly has something to do with the political situation in the country” – so says Professor Rade Veljanovski of Belgrade’s Faculty of Politic Sciences.

By Žarka radoja hree new publications, all tabloids, emerged on the market in the last few months. Gazeta, published by the Media news group, and Alo!, published by the

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44 CorD / January 2008

Blic company, appeared in kiosks in October, while daily paper Sutra, published by Željko Cvijanović, chief and executive editor of weekly magazine Standard, came out in November.

All of the tabloids offer a limited number of pages, a tabloid layout and style and are most notable for their extremely low prices. Prices range from 9 dinars for Alo!, 10 for Gazeta, and 15 dinars for Sutra. According to Media Association data, there are now 21 daily papers in Serbia alongside these three. Five of Serbia’s dailies are categorised as tabloids.

Media experts believe that magazines and newspapers in Serbia are increasingly leaning towards a tabloid layout and reporting style. But the problem of Serbia’s media isn’t in the number of tabloids that are in circulation. Rather, the problem lies in their nature – according to Rade Veljanovski, it is the promotion of shadow politics that represents the real problem.

“Tabloids around the globe are presenting sports and showbiz news which is more or less confirmed. It is increasingly rare to read information gathered from the political scene, unless they contain elements of sensationalism. The information published in the Serbian media, however, often comes from criminal groups or the political underground and this is a significant problem. This information is designed to manipulate, whilst in the rest of the world the point is to bring fun,” Veljanovski explained.

Talking about the increased number of tabloids and the current political situation in the country, Veljanovski added that this kind of media focus represents a negative contribution to the development of a contemporary, democratic society.

“The release of new tabloid newspapers has everything to do with the current political situation – expectations about the outcome of the issue of Kosovo and forthcoming presidential elections. Unfortunately, we are experiencing the comeback of thinking similar to that in the ‘90s, in

“ According to Media Association data, there are now 21 daily papers in Serbia alongside these three. Five of Serbia’s dailies are categorised as tabloids.” which the media is promoting the politics of evil conflict and revenge. And I can’t see a solution in press regulation. The media is connected to both society and the improving of media culture, and in Serbia it can only happen through the development of all of aspects of society,” says Veljanovski.

whilst Sunday papers are read for over 70 minutes. In Serbia, where magazines are sold at kiosks, the maximum time spent reading them is currently thirty minutes from cover to cover. Professor of Cultural studies, Zorica Tomić, described this new tabloid boom in Serbia as being a means of injecting anaesthesia into the public.

Certainties of success and failure

Value for a day

In statements given to weekly magazine Vreme, the three chief editors of the new tabloids stated that their newspapers are necessary to the market to bring originality and freshness, each promising to bring a truth to their readers. They agreed that the Serbian market is missing certain media perspectives and they do not fear the competition that the three papers will face and create.

Antonije Kovačević, editor of Gazeta, wrote in his text “Fight tabloid with tabloid”.

Kovačević was sceptical about the need for new publications after leaving popular daily tabloid Kurir. He also said that Serbian newspapers are “at the level of the 19th century”.

Kovačević emphasised strong political and shareholder influences over present tabloids, but simultaneously announced that his newspaper intends to be composed of a team of young journalists who are not professionally associated with corruption and the past. With this kind of team, and modern topics and layout, Kovačević believes that the paper will achieve success.

In the same article, Željko Cvijanovič stated that the rival papers were not competition to his, because one paper was closely affiliated with a certain political grouping, whilst the other was simply created to present issues about the forthcoming elections and in dealing with the Kosovo situation.

The success of tabloids is connected to the contemporary cultural trend of fast living, with people being less eager and available to read. In the United Kingdom, according to data from the National Readership Survey, 61 per cent of magazine and newspaper readers spend thirty or more minutes reading a day, while 34 per cent spend more than an hour. Saturday newspapers are read for around 60 minutes,

Tabloids are specific new phenomena that have brought new standards to journalism. The release of three new newspapers, however, can only lead to the overloading of the media space, making it more difficult for readers to gain access to a real differentiation of information.

Whilst in a political sense, “tabloidisation” allows political parties a better chance of influencing public opinion.

We are talking here about the proliferation of the media. The appearance of new newspapers is good for competition, but also bad in terms of bringing more scandals, excess and false news.

“I’m afraid that true values of the media are getting lost and short term values are emerging to clutter up the public space,” Tomić explained.

According to media experts, the appearance of new tabloids is going to minimise the market and lower the number of issues of other newspapers, even making some disappear completely; particularly those with a professional or pro-European tone.

Professor at the Faculty of Politic Sciences and Serbian media expert, Miroljub Radojković, wrote in “Dosije IJAS-a” highlighting the Serbian phenomena of smear and insult tactics in the political, business and entertainment arena.

Antonije Kovačević, formerly of tabloid Kurir, is now editor of tabaloid Gazeta

“If things pass unnoticed in the serious press it is symptomatic of serious journalism suffering the same sickness that tabloids do: low reliability, pandering to politicians, falling under the influence of businessmen and parties, low resistance to the wishes of media owners, and reporting on big business expenses. There are more than a few indications that our press might be anti-socially directed. The best example of this is professional journalists calling workers a “transition expense”, “Stalinists” and other similar substitutes.

However, the weaknesses of the tabloids are more noticeable than those of the professional press, because of their more dramatic headlines”, Radojković wrote. n

CorD / January 2008 45

BUSINESS

B2B interview

Panagiotis Vlasiadis, President of the Executive Board of Alpha Bank Srbija

The essential

difference “transparency, responsibility and reliability”

By Cord; Photo: Časlav Vukojičić fter just three years operating in Serbia, Alpha Bank has become all but a household name. Speaking to CorD about how the bank has achieved such success in such a short space of time, Mr. Panagiotis Vlasiadis, President of the Executive Board of Alpha Bank Srbija, explains: “As soon as we arrived here, we made a statement regarding the basic principles of our operations in this and all countries in Southeast Europe. This is ‘transparency, responsibility and reliability’.

Perhaps I’m not too original for repeating these three words time and again, but these words truly reflect the deepest values that we have as a group of financial institutions operating in this region. We strongly believe that these three values differentiate us essentially from the rest of

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46 CorD / January 2008

the banks operating on this market.”

Mr. Vlasiadis continues: “We offer our clients simple and understandable products, and have recently ventured into improving the financial literacy of our clients by explaining to them what kinds of risks they undertake when they decide to borrow from the bank. We feel strongly that full transparency and reliability, with our products and tariffs that are not complex, ensures that we differentiate enough from the competition. As such, we believe that over time the better elements of this market will come closer to us.”

n What do you think you need to do to truly become a household name here – is there any specific tactical approach or is it just a case of continuing the way you are? r I don’t know of any bank that would divulge its tactics and plans for the near future, but I can say that we are planning to intensify our advertising and extend our network: currently we are present in 130 places in Serbia; through expansion, we should be doing business in perhaps more than 160 locations by the end of 2008.

When we achieve this, we will be present

“ I believe that the policies of the National Bank of Serbia over the last couple of years, the strong dinar, the resilience of the banking system, and the existence of very strong banks in Serbia, have been key factors.”

in virtually every town in Serbia. I feel that this nationwide presence, coupled with our simple, understandable products that cater to the requirements of the public, will increase our chances of becoming a stronger household bank. n Could you tell us more about the need to educate the public about banking products, which you touched on? r Sometimes, I am extremely surprised by the low level of public understanding regarding the way banks operate, and I firmly believe that the major responsibility for that lies within the banks and not within the public domain. The banks have not been transparent enough on their part, both when it comes to showing the public that what they do is not complex but is rather very simple, and in terms of ensuring the client understands that the bank needs to make a profit itself – to the extent that we are prepared to discuss very openly with our clients the areas from which the bank derives its profit, and have their understanding that this profit is something that we need in order to be allowed to survive as a business. I feel that we are contributing in this way to the public’s better understanding of the dynamics of the banking system. n The post-reform Serbian banking sector is highly competitive. How would you summarise the state of the sector and where do you see it heading in the near future? r We now have 35 banks operating here.

However, there are certain system costs that are imposed by the application of the BAL2 Agreement which necessitate special investments by banks. I feel, with good reason, that the regional banks in Serbia will see their market share erode over time. In the end, around 10 to 12 banks will remain as the strong players on this market.

It is also important to note that as Serbia becomes more and more internationalised, and the barriers for capital flows are minimised, the ability to compete of the local banks – especially the smaller ones – will reduce further and further. This is because the cost of funds and liquidity today has become the key issue in determining a bank’s success. We are an extremely liquid bank in Serbia, as well as being a liquid group, and we feel that we are correctly positioned to

“ The banks have not been transparent enough on their part, both when it comes to showing the public that what they do is not complex but is rather very simple, and in terms of ensuring the client understands that the bank needs to make a profit itself ” weather this period of difficulty for Serbia and the world as a whole.

I think that competition within the Serbian market will intensify for a period of time, until this number of 10 to 12 players clearly stands out as the ones having a future on this market. n It is said that there are still vast quantities of money “hidden under mattresses” in Serbia. Do you think that, with confidence in the banking sector now fully restored, that trend is now coming to an end? r I think that this trend is dying out faster than some people originally anticipated.

I believe that the policies of the National Bank of Serbia over the last couple of years, the strong dinar, the resilience of the banking system, and the existence of very strong banks in Serbia, have been key factors.

Moreover, let’s not forget that the housing market is also absorbing funds that were perhaps outside the banking system previously, due to the peculiar conditions of the past. We now live in an era in which the policies of the National Bank of Serbia, coupled with the performance and strength of the commercial banks, provides ample incentives to individuals to return their funds to the banking system. n What are Alpha Group’s medium & long-term plans here in Serbia and in the wider region? r Our plans for southeast Europe are significantly aggressive. We are planning to become an ever-stronger player in this region by increasing the number of branches we have in the region and becoming an integral part of the financing of large projects in the area - infrastructure in particular – in such a way as to show that we are not mere providers of financial resources, but are part of the country, in every country that we do business. n How important is your presence, and the presence of other Greek-owned banks, to the Greek business community

Countrymen investors

Competitive edge

Market pressures

Greek businesses have become multinational and are open to competition from other banks

the ability of smaller local banks to compete will reduce as Serbia becomes more internationalised

In the end, around 10 to 12 banks will remain as the strong players on this market

operating in the region? r Historically, the primary reason for banks to move into a new country was the desire to service businesses from their homeland that were moving onto new markets. This was the case for Alpha Bank in the first years of the 21st century. But over time this norm has been diluted, which is a very important factor. Greek businesses have become multinational in themselves, and therefore do not necessarily satisfy all of their requirements through Greek banks. As such, they are open to competition from a number of other banks operating here.

In truth, we see our biggest challenge here in achieving the position we feel that we deserve among the Serbian businesses, and of course serving Greek businesses’ requirements appropriately. n It is well-known that Greeks and Serbs are traditional friends in the Balkan region. How has this helped the bank, and you personally, to prove successful in Serbia? r I do not wish to bring such “sentimental elements” to the fore. We operate in an extremely competitive market, and over time it is better to move away from sentimental factors, such as the relationship between Greeks and Serbs, in favour of other factors that are also resilient, such as reliability, responsibility and transparency, the ability of a bank to develop a relationship of trust with its clientele. These are the values that carry the image of the bank, as opposed to traditional sentimentality. n How, if at all, has Belgrade changed since you first arrived here and how do you enjoy life in the Serbian capital? r I don’t want to sound too complimentary but, in the eyes of a foreigner, Belgrade has changed substantially in the three years that I’ve been living here. Indeed, there has been tremendous change. To me, it is a totally different city now. It never ceases to surprise me that we can see, on a monthly basis, the things that are changing and how fast they are changing. I also believe that this change has started to spread outside of Belgrade, to other towns and cities in Serbia.

This obvious change across the country is one of the best manifestations of the power of the Serbian people. I believe that there is tremendous power in this land and people, and if we guide this power correctly then perhaps we will not believe our eyes when we witness the development that’s possible here. n CorD / January 2008 47

BUSINESS

B2B

MERCEDES Success Derives From Customer Satisfaction o ensure long term success, Daimler has adopted sustainability as its guide. The Group’s commercial success is founded on people’s trust in all the countries where it operates. That’s why its vision is one of sustainable development worldwide.

The new sales records Mercedes-Benz has set for Passenger and Commercial vehicles to the customers and their needs.

During 2007, the New C-Class was launched with a concept that fulfils the need for identity and differentiation amongst customers. New activities have been taken in order to show that Mercedes-Benz thrives on challenges inspiring customers with first-class products and services that anticipate their wishes and exceed their expectations.

“Success derives from customer satisfaction, and that is our motivation,” says Stavros Paraskevaides, CEO of

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NLB to merge its banks by 2009 LB Kontinental and NLB LHB banks will merge on 1st January 2009 into one bank in Serbia, with assets of around €600million. The NBL Group administration president, Marjan Kramar, stated that the business priority on the Serbian Market in 2008 will be consolidation and

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B2B Column: BALKAN TALKING

By David Dowse

Peace and Goodwill to all calendars

48 CorD / January 2008

Mercedes-Benz has set a new sales record for Passenger and Commercial vehicles

Mercedes-Benz Serbia and Montenegro and Chrysler Balkans.

“In the next year, and years to come, we will do our best to increase customer satisfaction by creating brand experience appropriate to their needs. Appreciation and trust is what binds our customers and us.

We recognise the individual and not just a car. Learning from the feedback from our market, competitors and employees we will work hard to retain our leadership position.”

Puno pozdrava / Best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüssen

merging into one new bank, which will probably operate under the name NLB Srbija. “NLB Kontinental Bank is directed towards business with citizens and is present in Vojvodina, while NLB LHB Bank specialises in small and medium sized enterprisers and boasts a network of branches in Belgrade and central Serbia, therefore both banks will be perfectly

complemented after the merger,” said Kramar.

NLB Kontinental Bank executive board president, Zoran Ðurović, said that their bank will end 2007 with a gross profit of around €4.1million, balance assets of €313million and capital of €52million. “It is planned to increase the balance assets by 20% to €380million for 2008, with a

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hichever way you prefer your calendar, Christmas is almost here.

This, my second (or is it third?) Christmas in Belgrade, has made me appreciate more than ever the superior quality of life here in Serbia when compared to my old country. The happy combination of the slightly later Orthodox date with a considerably lower emphasis on rampant consumerism and drunken stupidity – and the odd sprinkling of snow - makes Belgrade, in my humble opinion, a far nicer place to be at this time of year.

I am still recovering from hearing Christmas carols in a supermarket on a visit to the UK in October. And there is no end in sight to the relentless march of political correctness. Kids in some schools back home are now not allowed to sing the traditional Christmas carols that I grew up with, in case they might offend someone.

Nobody seems to mind that they offend me in supermarkets in October.

It is worth remembering that there was always a festival around this time of year; the winter solstice, when our preChristian ancestors feasted and lit bright lights to celebrate their triumph over the dark of winter and encourage the coming Spring. From here on, it’s a downhill run towards lighter and warmer days. The early Christians simply adopted a good idea, developed it a little to suit their own iconography and branding, and lo!

Christmas was born.

The wise men of Coca-Cola did much the same thing, when they shamelessly turned St. Nicholas red, thus proving that there really is no such thing as a really new idea, and at the same time persuading millions to pay for chilled, sugared water in the depths of winter, when clearly anyone in their right mind should be drinking hot mulled wine.

Whichever way you look at it, this is a time for slightly-less-than sober reflection

gross profit growth of €6.3million and investments of around €2.2million into the expansion of the branch network and information systems,” said Ðurović.

Source: Beta New investments in Serbia (slika Đelića) eputy Prime Minister Božidar Ðelić has announced that Japanese company, Ashai Glas, could invest €120million in glass production in Serbia.

According to Djelić, the Swedish furniture company, Ikea, after six years of deliberation, Deputy PM decided in September Božidar Ðelić to penetrate the SouthEastern Europe market through Serbia.

Ball Packaging is planning to build another section worth €40million in Serbia, which will be among the biggest factories of can tops in Europe.

German company Siemens has purchased part of the Subotica-based Sever Company, increasing the number of employees in the wind turbine factory from 120 to 400.

Source: Beta

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Inflation in 2008 at 4%? adovan Jelašić claims that it will be difficult to achieve monetary and fiscal policy goals next year, as a result of numerous uncertainties. “When we talk about internal uncertainties, those are the budget issue and public spending and wages, while the external ones are the issue of the interest rate growth in

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on the year past and looking ahead to a brand new year. On balance, 2007 has been a pretty good vintage in Serbia, though perhaps there is still time for a few tears before the champagne is popped on both New Year’s Eves.

Foreign investment has continued to show faith, in Serbia in general and in Belgrade in particular as the

Raiffeisen banka Raiffeisen banka is “Bank of the Year” aiffeisen banka received the prestigious award “Bank of the Year 2007” in Serbia from “The Banker”, one of the most respected finance magazines in the world, at a ceremony held in London. The success is even greater as it is the third time in a row, confirming thus the recognisable leading position of the bank in the Serbian market.

Oliver Roegl, Chairman of the Managing Board of Raiffeisen banka, stated on this occasion: “This very prestigious award that we have received is another verification of our decision to place the client’s interest in the focus of our business, and develop a long lasting partnership. A strategy of development in conjunction with our clients’ needs and market possibilities, development of innovative and high quality products, with the experience and excellence of the Raiffeisen network, have been verified with this award. The dedication of all employees was crucial for our success.”

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Oliver Roegl, Chairman of the Managing Board of Raiffeisen banka

Apart from Serbia, Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG received the award for “Best Bank” in Austria for the second year in a row. Also the award for “Bank of the Year” was received by Raiffeisen banks in Slovakia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and the Ukraine, which solidified the strength and flawless reputation of the entire Raiffeisen Banking Group.

the world, the effects of petrol price rises and the effects of droughts,” said the Governor of Serbia’s central bank, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS).

“The National Bank of Radovan Jelašić Serbia will do everything in our competence to achieve the goal of ensuring that the

base inflation next year reaches between three and six per cent, and we expect the same from the state” the governor told journalists at the Niš Economics Faculty, where a roundtable about monetary and fiscal policy measures was held. “We plan the basic inflation of four or five per cent at the end of next year,” said Jelašić, adding that this year the basic inflation will probably be five per cent. Source: Tanjug

rightful centre of an emerging regional market. A government was (eventually) formed and has, so far, managed to stay remarkably stable.

Serbia immediately celebrated its avoidance of political calamity by winning the Eurovision song contest. The tennis players were awesome. Brave souls opened the first safe house for victims of domestic violence in Belgrade.

Recycling made a small start. A great new Italian place opened on Kralja Petra. Loki loyally stayed open for business. On reflection, there was much to be happy about in 2007.

And 2008? Pass the crystal ball. But the one thing we can all be certain about is change.

Here’s wishing a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous. but above all Peaceful, New Year to all. Živeli!

Bulgarians build petrol stations he representative of Bulgarian Kalvača Holding, the Tempo Gas Company, has started construction of petrol stations in Serbia. At a celebration marking the company’s sixth year in business, it was announced that the participation of Tempo Gas on the gas equipment market in Serbia is over 70%, and their partners include NIS, Jugopetrol, OMV, EKO and numerous private companies and enterprises.

According to Tempo Gas director, Dijana Ivanova, there is not enough gas storage space in Serbia, thus the company has announced construction of new space. She said that Tempo Gas has started the “keys in hands” construction of petrol stations in Serbia, which means the construction of buildings, car ports and business premises with complete technology and installations.

Ivanova stated that Tempo Gas has

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CorD / January 2008 49

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Piraeus Bank Piraeus accedes to UN Global Compact n 6th December, on the premises of the National Bank of Serbia, Piraeus Bank AD Belgrade officially acceded to the Global Compact – an initiative of the United Nations to improve corporate social responsibility in Serbia.

Global Compact is a practical framework for exchange of professional knowledge and improvement of business practice of member companies, committed to integration of corporate social responsibility principles. The first member group from Serbia has been welcomed by Radovan Jelašić, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia, Lance Clark, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, and Ben Slay, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS Director.

Piraeus Bank, with its conviction that optimum development can be achieved only in an environment based on social responsibility, is fully committed to the promotion of corporate social

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responsibility in Serbia through its business activities.

“Piraeus Bank is one of the first companies on our market that supported the initiative of UN Global Agreement, with the aim to contribute to the integration of basic and universally accepted principles within the area of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption,” said Mrs. Miroslava Nešić-Bikić, Marketing & PR Director of Piraeus Bank.

In the course of 2007, through an active donation policy, Piraeus Bank has taken part in a number of cultural and sporting events, as well as relief aid drives. The Bank was a general sponsor of the 4th Belgrade Dance Festival and donated to the ongoing construction of St. Sava temple. The Bank is also implementing scholarship programmes for talented youngsters and supporting programmes for individuals and institutions in need of its financial support.

Piraeus Bank wants to be recognised as a company doing business in harmony with society, actively supporting key areas of social responsibility in Serbia.

interested bidders.

The Commission for the Protection of Competition requested that Verano provide all information about the company’s relation with the Greek Marfin Group, which announced their participation in financing the purchase of Robne Kuće Beogad.

Source: Tanjug Tender for ENGR nergoprojekt Holding has announced the pre-qualifying tender for the sale of at least 51% of capital in Energoprojekt Garant (ENGR). According to the announcement published in Belgrade’s daily Politika, potential buyers can submit their interest by letter by 28th January 2008.

Energoprojekt Garant assets at the end of September were valued at €6.3million, the total income in first nine months of 2007 was €2.26million, while profit totalled €805,800. The total liabilities of this insurance company at the end of September were €1.8million, and the number of employees is 10. Banks and insurance companies with at least 5 years operating in the insurance business and at least €60million gross insurance assets, i.e. €240million balance assets in 2006 have the right to participate in the tender. The announcement says that qualified purchasers will be invited to provide their obligatory offers for purchasing 51% out of 92.9 % of the shares owned by Energoprojekt Holding and its dependent companies.

Source: Beta

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Sunoko’s results in 2007 unoko Managing Board member, Timo Miler, stated that this company should have produced a total of 210,000 tonnes of sugar in 2007. Out of the entire production, 23,000 tonnes was produced in the sugar refinery in Bač, 45,000 tonnes in Kovačica, 70,000 tonnes in Pećinci and 72,000 tonnes in Vrbas.

In 2006 Sunoko also produced 210,000 tonnes of sugar. The annual production of sugar in Serbia is between 400 and 420 thousand tonnes. According to Miler, 2007 was the worst year for sugar production in the last two decades – with droughts decreasing returns and the rains in October impeding the harvest. Miler added that a further seven thousand hectares had yet to be harvested, i.e. 18% of the cultivated land.

President of the Sunoko Managing Board, Verner Kister, stated that new European Union regulations for sugar production in Serbia offer the possibility for an increase of exports. “The

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signed an agreement with the DEM Company about the joint appearance in Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece and that the negotiations with the Russian petrol company, Lukoil, are also underway. Apart from Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Bulgaria, Kalvača is also present in another 14 states on three continents –Europe, Asia and Africa. Source: Tanjug Verano receives permit from the Commission he Commission for the Protection of Competition has approved the Verano Company the ‘conditional’ concentration of capital regarding the Robne Kuće Beograd. Commission President, Dijana Marković-Bajalović, explained that this

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50 CorD / January 2008

means that Verano will have to inform them about each renting out of the Robne Kuće Beograd premises bigger than 300 square metres if the company which is renting that space retails mostly food products and has an annual income greater than €30million.

In that case the Commission for the Protection of Competition will provide concord for renting out that space, explained Marković-Bajalović.

Verano Motors purchased Robne Kuce Beograd on 29th October at public auction after offering the highest bid of €360million among the other nine

production quota in the EU was reduced from 17 to 12.5% per year and the annual demand is 16 million tonnes,” said Kister.

The export quota for Serbia, however, remained the same, i.e. 180,000 tonnes.

In 2007 Sunoko invested €13million in production.

The company was established in 2006, and the major owner is German Nordzucker.

Source: Beta Southern Stream to go through Serbia ccording to Serbian Energy & Mining Minister Aleksandar Popović, the Southern Stream gas line will go through Serbia. Russian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Alexander Alekseev, gave Minister Popović the draft agreement, which predicts the joint construction of part of the Southern Stream gas line Aleksandar through Serbia.

Popović Speaking at a press conference, Popović said that the draft agreement also refers to the strategic partnership between Serbia and Russia in the construction of the underground gas storage facility in Banatski Dvor and a strategic partnership in the modernisation of Serbian Petrol Industry (NIS).

Ambassador Alekseev stated that the signing of this agreement would lead to new qualitative relations between Serbia and Russia. “In the case of the realisation of our plans, Serbia will move from the status of consumer country to that of transit country. The base for relations between Serbia and Russia is one of mutual benefit. This is an example of mutual benefit,” said Alekseev.

Source: Beta

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Gazprom interested in NIS privatisation ussian company Gazprom is interested in participating in the privatisation of Naftna Industrija Srbije - NIS (Serbian Petrol Industry), said Denis Ignatiev, Head

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TELEKOM SRBIJA Holiday offer of Telekom Srbija & partners ith the purchase of an ADSL Internet connection, you will receive from us: - A 6,000-dinar voucher for the purchase of a computer with an Intel processor and original Microsoft software at the best price on the market! You can purchase a basic PC model from as little

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of Gazprom’s International Media Relations Division.

According to Ignatiev, Gazprom has already informed the Serbian Government about its willingness to purchase NIS, and the company now expects the “Serbian side to establish its position”, because since the potential buyers are not yet known, they are interested to know “how the Serbian Government sees that privatisation process”.

As regards the infrastructural project, Southern Stream, Ignatiev said that he knows about the possibility of that gas line going through Serbia. Gazprom signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Italian company, ENI, on the realisation of the Southern Stream project which predicts the laying of a gas line of almost 900 kilometres on the bottom of the Black Sea between Russia and Bulgaria while the underground system going through the territories of several European countries is being considered.

In December 2006 the Russian concern signed the Memorandum on Understanding with the Serbian Government and Srbija Gas regarding the project for the construction of the transit gas line from the Bulgarian border towards Nis and further towards Italy, which would go through Serbia for a length of 400 kilometres.

Source: B92, Tanjug Fluctuating exchange rates in November n November the RSD official central rate against the Euro fluctuated in a very wide span, from 77.336 to 84.754 dinars to one euro. In November the dinar nominally fell against the Euro by 8.9%, stated the NBS, adding that second half

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as 10,999 dinars (excluding VAT) at any ComTrade shop!

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- 4 original free games - A debit card for Internet shopping.

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We’ll give you a Banca Intesa card for Internet shopping, with €10 of prepaid credit.

Besides that, Banca Intesa is offering you the possibility to open a credit line for the purchase of a PC in ComTrade Shops, with an ID card and employment certificate accompanied by a level of income statement.

Apply by 15th January 2008 over the phone (#9813), online (www.telekomcentar.com) or by visiting your nearest Telekom Srbija outlet. of November was characterised by unusual activities on the inter-bank currency market.

At the end of the month those activities were reflected in the weakening of the dinar in comparison with the euro, and in the last three days of November alone the value of the dinar against the euro dropped by 3.3 dinars. The last ten days of November were marked by increased daily oscillations in the dinar exchange rate – over one per cent – together with a significant decrease in the scope of interbank spot trade with euros. Source: B92 Delta Maxi’s market participation – 6.4% ccording to the Republican Statistics Bureau, in the first half of 2007 the Delta Maxi Company held 6.4% of the retail market in Serbia and 11.6% in Belgrade. According to data provided by this Bureau to the Delta Company, the total retail sales in Serbia in that period was RSD 414 billion, and the sales of Delta

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One of Delta Maxi’s Belgrade outlets

Maxi, including Pekabeta and C Market, amounted to RSD26.7billion, out of which 19 billion was generated in Belgrade.

Delta Maxi’s participation in the retail of food, drinks and cigarettes in the fist CorD / January 2008 51

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DELTA Delta Holding in CSR Europe elta Holding has been officially enrolled into CSR Europe organisation, becoming the first member of this Association from the region.

“We are extremely proud that Delta is the first company in South-Eastern Europe that has recognised the importance of socially responsible behaviour. The social responsibility principle is incorporated into our business philosophy and it is a great honour to be alongside names like Sony, Coca-Cola, BASF, Procter&Gamble, Delloitte, Toyota, Intesa, Vodafone and other eminent members of CSR Europe, says Delta Holding Vice President, Milka Forcan, continuing: “membership in this organisation is simultaneously a major obligation for continuation, and the enhancement of a business policy focused on the needs of the wider community, not only on chasing profit. The opinion that the basic and only function of a business is to make profit and to earn is slowly being

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six months of 2007 was 17.2% in Serbia on the basis of sales in the amount of RSD20.6billion. Delta Maxi controlled 32.5% of the Belgrade market, with sales worth RSD 14.8billion.

Director of the Republican Statistic Bureau, Dragan Vukumirović, said that data about market participation was collected on the basis of the companies’ official operating results, which were sent to the Bureau. Vukumirović said that this is public, official data which other institutions and companies can also access.

Source: Beta

SMECA End of the year events elegates from the World Bank visited SMECA during December. They stayed for two weeks in order to assess the implementation of a SMECA project and they made the achievements report.

Their evaluation verified that this World Bank project is the most successful in the region.

SMECA participated in the first Convention of exporters where 300 bigest companies attended the Convention. Also there were present, the Vice President, Minister of trade and services, Governor NBS as well as other Government representatives who were listening to the

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52 CorD / January 2008

replaced with a trend that sees large companies and corporate business systems receive an increasingly important role in the society, launching and supporting important projects for the whole community by accepting a degree of responsibility and liability which was, until recently, only accepted by the state,” concluded Forcan.

Delta Holding implements socially responsible behaviour in four segments: quality of services and products, environmental protection, care of employees and State reserves top €10billion erbia’s total state reserves reached the amount of €10.2billion (U.S.$15.1billion) at the end of November. The Serbian National Bank (NBS) stated that that NBS reserves increased by €154.9million in November to reach €9.8billion, (U.S.$14.5billion).

On the last day of November, commercial banks’ currency reserves amounted to €430.5million. The NBS emphasised that what contributed to the growth in the national currency

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complains of exporters on measures of economic and monetary policies, and the problems that they face in exporting their goods.

SMECA as an Export Credit Agency with its programs allow exporters easier access to information about foreign partners, credit risk insurance, bonds that are necessary for works abroad and factoring as a financing tool.

SMECA attended Fifth International Conference on Small and Medium- size Enterprises (SMEs) held in Sava Centar.

At the conference it was discussed the position of SMEs, and their development through Innovation Policy in Europe. Also, it was talked about regional development and improving climate for investments.

The political priorities in development of SME’s and financial stimulants, like credit insurance and similar instruments, were explored.

social community relations.

As underlined by CSR Europe’s Ben Davis, with its membership in this organisation, Delta Holding has taken over the role of the leader in promoting socially responsible behaviour in the region. “To be a pioneer means also developing social awareness that the benefit of social communities is best achieved through the partnership of the economy, the state and the nongovernmental sector. “ Zoran Cvijanović, Sustainable Development Advisor to Serbia’s Deputy PM, insisted: “This is a great signal and stimulus in raising consciousness about socially responsible behaviour, which really couldn’t come from a better place”.

In order to enhance corporate responsibility, Delta Holding has established its Fund for the Future, taking care of children without parental care, and the Delta Humanitarian Fund, which will invest in durable social, health, educational and culture values. reserves in November was the net purchase of €75.7million from exchange offices, which is €3.3million more than in October, coupled with €9.5million received from European Investment Bank loans.

The NBS also stated that €7.2million was paid out to foreign investors, while €4.8million was paid out for the old currency savings and for the Loan for Economic Regeneration.

Source: B92 Negotiations start with A-Tec egotiations regarding the signing of the contract on the transfer of exploitation rights and the sales contract of RTB Bor with A-Tec are starting. The Privatisation Agency informed bidders about the bid ranking and the first ranked bidder about the start of the negotiations. According to regulations, the deadline for signing the contract is 30 days after the final deadline for informing all bidders about the tender’s results, and the Agency has the right to extend this period for another 30 days - announce the Privatisation Agency.

The Austrian consortium of companies, A-Tec Briksleg, offered $466million for RTB Bor assets and was the first ranked on the tender, while Russian company SMR came second with a bid of $37 million.

The Briksleg Company belongs to the Austrian A-TEC Industries AG, an industrial group owned by Mirko Kovač.

Briksleg is the only producer of copper in Austria and the European leader in copper

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Hypo Alpe-Adria Leasing Absolute market leader ypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing d.o.o.

Beograd is a pioneer of the leasing business in Serbia, having been present on the market since 2002. According to data of the National Bank of Serbia for September this year, the share of Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing d.o.o. Beograd on the local market was 30.1%. Currently, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing has about 10,000 clients and more than 19,000 signed contracts.

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The company’s total investments in the last five years in Serbia amount to €552,778,000. As concerns the structure of financing, currently the company is mostly financing the leasing of motor vehicles 48.66%, then equipment - 34.38% and real estate - 19.96%.

Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing d.o.o. Beograd is part of the Hypo Group Alpe Adria financial institution, established in 1896 in Klagenfurt in Austria. Besides being the market leader in Serbia, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing is a leading leasing company in other countries of the region (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro) and, thanks to its strength and efficiency, it offers the most attractive leasing conditions on the market. Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing has 12 locations and 120 employees in Serbia.

As well as being a pioneer in financial

processing.

The total income of the A-Tec company’s metal industry division in 2006 exceeded $506.1 million.

Source: B92 Grujic becomes the owner of Lilly laden Grujić became the owner of 96.75% of the shares in the Lilly drugstore chain after taking over 76.69% of the company shares at public auction.

Before the announcement of the auction for the remaining shares, Grujić was the

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FIC Vellan elected FIC President tein-Erik Vellan, CEO of Telenor d.o.o., was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Foreign Investors Council at the regular annual meeting of the General Assembly on 10th December.

Srdjan Janićijević, general manager of Politika, will hold the post of Vice President, while the members of the FIC Board of Directors include Alpha Bank’s Panagiotis Vlasiadis, British American Tobacco’s Luiz Heeren, Carlsberg’s Isaac Sheps, Nenad Vučinić of Henkel, Gustavo Navarro of Holcim, and UniCredit Bank’s Klaus Priverschek.

Pointing out the plans and the future activities of the FIC, Vellan stated that the next edition of the White Book, the publication which provides recommendations for improvement of the investment climate, will be focused on the areas of the highest interest for the foreign investors, namely infrastructure, land title, and permitology.

“While the foreign investors are being humble and respectful toward Serbia, they have a strong desire to improve the general

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owner of 20.04% of the shares in this drugstore chain.

On 1st November, Grujić announced the public auction for the take over of 63,601 shares at the price of RSD 600 per share.

By the end of the public auction on 28th business environment. I plea on our members to use all their competence, experience and strong numbers to actively help achieve these goals,” Vellan said.

The FIC will continue to maintain a constant dialogue with the Government and other relevant institutions, offering concrete suggestions for upgrading the business environment for the benefit of foreign and domestic companies operating

leasing, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing is also a pioneer in the field of operative leasing: the first leasing contract in Serbia for real estate was concluded in Belgrade in June 2006. It was related to financing of business space and its value was about €1million. Since January 2006, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Rent d.o.o. Beograd has been successfully operating within the Hypo Group Alpe Adria. It is engaged in leasing (operative leasing) of vehicles, real estate, fleets and vessels.

With the aim of supporting corporate social responsibility in Serbia, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing has started its activity in the humanitarian domain. One of the first humanitarian projects was to provide scholarships for students from foster families. Hypo Alpe-Adria-Leasing is planning to go further November, Grujić had taken over 61,019 shares at the price of RSD601. He said that he is intending to further develop this company and take over new markets, open new retail stores and develop the old ones.

The market price of Lilly, with a share price of RSD600, is around RSD47million, and in 2006 the company recorded a net profit of RSD106million.

Lilly owns 10 drugstores covering 1,750 square metres. Grujić is also the joint owner of Hleb i kifle ltd and Neimarski poduhvat ltd.

Source: Beta in Serbia.

The FIC was established in 2002 and currently gathers 110 companies, whose combined investments in Serbia amount to more than €5billion.

The position of President of the FIC Board of Directors was previously held

by Raiffeisen banka’s Budimir Boško Kostić, who tragically passed away in late October.

Senior members of the Foreign Investors Council CorD / January 2008 53

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Ernst & Young SEE drawing large insurance groups ancassurance” is showing significant growth – M&A activity in the regional market reached €1.5billion in the first 7 months of 2007.

Ernst & Young Southeast Europe and the Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies were joint organisers of the conference entitled “Insurance Opportunities in Southeast Europe”, which focused on the rapid development that the insurance industry is enjoying as a result of the growth in Bancassurance, the significant M&A activity, as well as the adoption and implementation of the “3 – pillars” pension approach by certain countries in Southeast Europe.

The insurance industry has demonstrated significant growth rates in the last five years, driven by the activity of the large insurance and banking groups in Southeast Europe. The improvement of Southeast Europe’s macroeconomic indicators, which, however, are still well below the equivalent EU ones; the implementation of a stronger regulatory framework and the adoption of the EU directive “Solvency II” have set the basis for further growth in the insurance market.

Bancassurance services have grown significantly in the last five years in Greece. The banking network is proving

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Real Estate sales in Montenegro alf a billion euros worth of real estate on the Budva Riviera was sold in first nine months of 2007. According to official information based on tax revenues on real estate sales, the borough treasury collected more than €5million, twice as much as last year, when real estate sales in this tourist centre amounted to around €275million.

Even though ‘sales fever’ has experienced a slight calm in recent months, those from the Budva Borough think that the trend of rising prices for

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to be an effective distribution channel especially for life products whose sales through banks reached 33% (€2.3billion) of total life premiums in 2006. Furthermore Bancassurance continues to be a potential growth area for financial service groups in Southeast Europe.

Mergers and acquisitions in the insurance industry have been increasing since 2004. In the first seven months of 2007, 19 such transactions were concluded in Southeast Europe (9 in 2006) with a total value of €1.5billion (€190million in 2006). The three most significant deals in the first seven months of 2007 were concluded in Turkey, whereas in Greece four such transactions were concluded for an amount of €397million (only one deal in the period 2004-2006 for €6.3million).

Ernst & Young considers, taking into account the additional requirements of “Solvency II” that the consolidation trend the market has demonstrated recently is set to continue.

Pension reform in Southeast Europe was also discussed at the conference. It was noted that the “pay-as-you-go” system faced huge problems primarily due to the ageing of the population and the ever increasing number of pensioners in relation to active employees. Recognising that these systems would not be viable in the long run, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria and FYROM have taken measures to adopt the “3 pillar” approach which combines social insurance with private pension funds. real estate in this area will continue. The Borough plans to earn €3million from taxes on real estate sales next year. The price per square metre for new buildings in Budva and Petrovac is between 2.5 and five thousand euros, while the price for a square metre of construction land depends on the location and fluctuates between €200 and €1,000.

Some agencies estimate that a square metre of flats in Budva’s Old Town, which has already reached €10,000, is set to double.

Source: Seebiz.eu ’Plaza centres’ in Serbia ompany ’Plaza centres’ has announced that it will invest in excess of $500million in Serbian the next two years.

Plaza Centres, a subsidiary of Israeli public company Elbit Imaging, will invest in the construction of shopping centres and hotels in Serbia. Chairman of the company management, Mordekaj Ziser, says that for implementing those

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Budva’s natural harbour 54 CorD / January 2008

investments they plan to buy two more locations in Serbia, besides the land plot they already own in Kragujevac, plant ‘Sport’, and the former building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Belgrade, which they also already own.

“We will invest around 100 million euros in the construction of a hotel on the site of the former building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kneza Miloša Street, on an area of around 70,000 square metres”, said Ziser. Ziser added that London-based company Chapman Taylor should complete the hotels design within three months, and six to seven months after that licenses from Belgrade authorities are expected to clear the way for the start of construction. Source: Beta Koštunica leading the Working Group he Government of Serbia has formed a Working Group to co-ordinate the co-operation of Serbia and Russia in the field of oil and gas industry. Leading this Working Group is Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Djelić According to Minister of Trade and Services, Predrag Bubalo, “The other members of that group shall be line ministers from the economic part of the Government of Serbia”.

On 11th December, Russian Ambassador, H.E. Alexander Alekseev, handed over to the Government of Serbia a Draft Agreement envisaging joint construction of part of the Southern Creek gas pipeline through Serbia, as well as the strategic partnership in construction of the underground gas reservoir in Banatski Dvor, as well as modernisation of Naftna industrija Srbije - NIS. Source: B92

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Tigar’s investmentS irot-based Tigar AD plans to invest €16million in corporate development in 2008, which is considered to be the key investment year.

The investments planned for 2008 are four times greater than the ones from 2007, and necessary funds will be obtained through long term credits and from partners in new joint ventures, stated the company for production of rubber and rubber products, which trades through the Belgrade Stock Exchange.

The tiger’s share of investments has been envisaged for relocation and modernisation of factories ’Tigar Footwear’ and ’Tigar Technical Rubber’, for implementing the recycling project, as well as for continuing development of the company’s sales network in Serbia and throughout the Balkans.

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Unsuccessful recapitalisation, which should have served as the source of financing of those projects, as stated,

PORSCHE AUDI New Audi A4: sportiest midsize saloon udi opens up new horizons. The A4 is a sporty car with superb presence on the road; it takes Audi forward into a new dimension on the midsize car market. The engines that power the saloon, both TDI and spark-ignition, in all cases with direct fuel injection, combine effortless power with high efficiency.

The dynamic running gear and the use of many technologies taken direct from the large-car category are evidence of the brand’s lead in technical know-how.

The new Audi is a new way to drive. It will reach the market at the end of November 2007.

In its design, the new A4 reveals its sporty, progressive character: taut and dynamic in its outlines, it speaks the

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would not present an obstacle for investments.

“Regardless of the recapitalisation results, Tiger Corporation shall continue its investment activities according to the scheduled plans”. Tigar management evaluates that the unsuccessful issue of shares was primarily influenced by a general stagnation in the capital market, as well as very complex economicpolitical situation in Serbia.

Tigar bosses are currently negotiating about several different projects, and the shareholders, potential investors and the public shall be regularly informed about the results of negotiations, the company statement says.

Source: B92 language of technical perfection. With an overall length of 4.70 metres, the saloon has a substantial, powerful road stance and offers its occupants ample space in an interior full of light. The workmanship is typical of an Audi – quality with no compromises. The controls can be backed by the extra refinement of innovative assistance and multimedia systems. In the safety area, the brand with the four-ring emblem sets new standards: the coordinated action of the airbags and front seat belt force limiters protects the occupants even more effectively.

The new Audi A4 is being introduced with a choice of five engines, their power outputs ranging from 105 kW to 195 kW. The four-cylinder petrol engine, like the diesels, is turbocharged, and both types of engine have direct fuel injection. All the engines, with their supremely refined flow of power, make the A4 a pleasure to drive and, thanks to their high efficiency, consume distinctly less fuel than the previous versions.

READER’S REACTION

Željko Ožegović, Mayor of the Municipality of New Belgrade, reacts to December’s article ‘Tainted Venue’ (CorD44/pp.70-71).

“The New Belgrade Municipality is not opposed to the staging of musical or sporting happenings in its territory, but not on the site of the concentration camp where, in the period from 1941 to 1945, more than 40,000 people were murdered.

Since 1987, based on the decision of the Belgrade City Assembly, Sajmište (Fairgrounds) have been proclaimed as “Culture goods of the City of Belgrade”, and in 1992 a ‘Detailed Urbanisation Plan’ was adopted for the Monument Complex “Staro sajmište”. The New Belgrade Municipality, together with the Culture Council, has attempted on several occasions to turn public attention towards the importance of the site of Staro sajmište. As such, the statement claiming that we have not reacted in the last nine years” [CorD44/p.71, col.1, par.2 – claimed by concert agencies] is incorrect.

“On 19th October 2007 we sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture, Secretariat for Culture and Institute for Protection of Culture Monuments, protesting against the holding of a rock concert in the Poseidon Club on Staro sajmište, and on 22nd October 2007 we sent a public protest against holding concerts on the site of the former concentration camp. So, the New Belgrade municipality reacted much earlier than the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

“In the end, we received a letter from the Ministry of Culture on 14th November 2007, sent also to the Poseidon Club, stating: “Bearing in mind provisions of the Law on Culture Goods, as well as the importance of Staro sajmište as a cultural good and an area where a concentration camp used to be, and where a large number of people were murdered, the holding of any concerts, as has been the case in the last couple of years, is completely against the nature, purpose and importance of this cultural good.

In line with the aforementioned, all activities of the Poseidon Club pertaining to the staging of concerts and similar activities for entertainment represent not only an uncivilised and immoral act, but also stand for an activity infringing the provisions of the Law on Cultural Goods.” Željko Ožegović, Mayor of New Belgrade CorD / January 2008 55

Faces & PLACES

Left-to-right: Romanian Ambassador in Belgrade, H.E. Ion Macovei, French Ambassador, H.E. Jean-François Terral, and Swiss Ambassador, H.E. Wilhelm Meier, pictured at a celebration of Romania’s National Holidays (1st December) at Belgrade City Hall on 29th November.

President Boris Tadić presents Marko Skorić with this year’s Dr. Zoran Ðinđić Award for academic excellence in Novi Sad on 17th December.

The Royal Family – represented (left-to-right) by Prince Philip, Princess Katherine and Crown-Prince Alexander Karađorđević – welcome NBS Governor Radovan Jelašić to a 13th December reception marking the Karađorđević family’s slava (parton saint’s day) - Saint Andrew the 1st Called.

56 CorD / January 2008

A scene from this year’s Day of Goodwill (Dan Dobre Volje), which was held in the atomic shelter of the Society for the Assistance of Mentally Disabled Persons in New Belgrade. The Day of Goodwill, initiated by company Coca Cola HBC, took place for the fourth consecutive year this year.

Mr. Yair Frommer, of the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, and the Serbian Foreign Ministry’s Miloš Vasiljević, pictured at the opening of the 9th annual Days of Israeli Films at the Yugoslav Cinematheque on 13th December.

The Day Trippers, Denis Huber, Special Representative of the Council of Europe Secretary General in Serbia, Johny Groffmann, and Jens Modvig, Director of the UN Office in Belgrade, pictured performing at Belgrade’s Diplomatic Club on 1st December as the main attraction of the joint farewell party of Messrs Huber and Modvig.

H.E. Christos Panagopoulos, Greek Ambassador to Serbia, addresses attendees of a 7th December Hyatt Regency celebration marking five years of the successful work of the Hellenic Petroleum Group in Serbia.

A scene from the cocktail reception marking the Foreign Investors Council’s General Assembly annual meeting at Belgrade’s Hotel Club Admiral on 10th December.

A scene from the 3rd annual Souvenir Fair, which was held at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade on 8th December.

Bulgarian Ambassador, H.E. Georgi Dimitrov (centre), and Zahari M. Radukov, Minister Plenipotentiary/Deputy Head of Mission of the Bulgarian Embassy in Belgrade (right), welcome Portuguese Ambassador Da Silva to a 17th December reception marking the 70th birthday of the Bulgarian Embassy building in Belgrade and honouring the visit of Bulgarian Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, Ivaylo Kalfin.

CorD / January 2008 57

Faces & PLACES

A.S. Babar Hashmi, Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Belgrade, and H.E. Adel Ahmed Mohamed Naguib, Egyptian Ambassador to Serbia, pictured indulging in some friendly bartering at the International Women’s Club’s annual Christmas Bazaar at the Belgrade Fair.

Singer Momčilo Bajagić “Bajaga”, Deputy Belgrade Mayor Radmila Hrsmanović and singer Vlado Georgijev, pictured on 18th December at a City Hall press conference to announce the city’s official New Year’s Eve festivities.

H.E. Spiro Koci, Albanian Ambassador to Serbia, welcomes Royal Netherlands Ambassador, Ronald van Dartel, to a 26th November reception at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency marking the National Day of the Republic of Albania.

Milica and Nemanja Stanković, pictured performing at Belgrade City Hall on 11th December as part of a promotion of Nemanja’s CD of cello music, recorded following his announcement as ArtLink’s Most Promising Young Artist of 2007.

Left-to-right: Miloš Saramandić, Executive Director for Investment of Srbijagas in Novi Sad, Dr. Predrag Mihajlović, Deputy President of the Executive Board of Komercijalna Banka, and Tibor Pandi, Head of South Central Europe, Baltics, and Belarus, Citi Markets and Banking – pictured at Belgrade’s EXPO XXI for the celebration of the 37th birthday of Komercijalna Banka.

58 CorD / January 2008

Bulgarian Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, Ivaylo Kalfin, pictured at the ceremonial unveiling of Belgrade’s memorial to legendary Bulgarian revolutionaries Vasil Levski and Georgi Rakovski.

H.E. Kari Veijalainen, Finnish Ambassador in Belgrade, welcomes Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Gerhard Jandl, to a 6th December reception marking Finnish Independence Day.

H.E. Hans Ola Urstad, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, addresses guests of the annual OSCE reception at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel on 18th December.

Left-to-right: Serbian Defence Minister, Dragan Šutanovac, Serbian Health Minister, Tomica Milosavljević, and Director of the Military Medical Academy (VMA), Miodrag Jeftić, pictured on 18th December announcing that civilians will be able to seek treatment at the VMA from 1st January 2008.

Left-to-right: Adrian Cioroianu, Romanian Foreign Minister, Vuk Jeremić, Serbian Foreign Minister, and Kai Eide, political director of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, pictured on 16th December at the opening of the first ‘Ambassadors’ Conference’, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

CorD / January 2008 59

SOCIETY

MEDAL OF HONOUR Dr. Dušan Jovanović is a recipient of the highest Israeli honour: “Righteous among the Nations”

Humanity and kindness are never forgotten. They don’t grow out of date and don’t fade with time. Proof of this is provided by the title “Righteous among the Nations” which the state of Israel recently awarded to paediatric surgeon and retired professor of the Novi Sad Medical Faculty, Dr. Dušan Jovanović (85). This, the greatest honour that Israel bestows upon people of non-Jewish origin for rescuing Jews during the Second World War, was earned by Dr. Jovanović because he saved the lives of twenty Hungarian jews who were set to face the death penalty for being Jewish.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION Since the Second World War, 127 people in Serbia have received the title “Righteous among the Nations” and have been awarded the honorary medal of the state of Israel for saving the lives of Jews.

This title has been awarded since 1953, when the museum of Yad Vashem was founded. So far, almost 22,000 medals have been given to individuals from different countries of the world who saved Jews during World War II by putting their own lives on the line.

HONORARY MEMBER

By Zorica Todorović Mirković isking his own life back in October 1944, along with the lives of those closest to him, it was in what was then the Novi Sad City Hospital (today’s Novi Sad Clinical Centre) that this “Righteous” man

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hid a group of Jewish refugees for nearly three weeks. Thanks to Jovanović and his devoted colleagues, the group of Jewish convicts and German prisoners lived to see the liberation of Novi Sad on 23rd October 1944.

It was a time of war, death and much sacrifice. Exposing himself to danger, Jovanović – who was then a young medical student – wasn’t thinking of awards. When he recently received this great recognition from Yad Vashem – the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority even his own daughter, Mara, who is also a paediatrician, was pleasantly surprised: “Dad, you’ve never told us about this,” she said proudly while congratulating her father in a phone call from the U.S., where she now lives.

Dr. Jovanović says that he really didn’t speak much about those difficult days. He acted according to his conscience, which told him that it is completely normal to save people during war. Every life was precious to him. This sentiment was his guideline even before he took the Hippocratic Oath.

He wasn’t expecting this honourable recognition at all. It came spontaneously from Jewish friends. First he received the rare title of Honorary Member of the Jewish Community last year. In recognition, he received symbols of belonging and respect from the Jewish community – a white flag and a wonderful glass menorah.

Dr. jovanović latest award – the medal “Righteous among the Nations” – has an inscription in French on the back which reads: “Whoever saves one life saves the whole world”. This quotation from Jewish holy book, the Talmud, clearly states the view on how the magnitude of life and the faith in the value of each individual are perceived.

APPLES FOR THE STARVING

Dr. Jovanović still recalls that distant October and those twenty Jewish souls. As we sit and talk in the pleasant atmosphere of his apartment in the Vojvodina capital, Dr. Jovanović uncovered his album of memories…

“The autumn had just arrived,” he starts his tale. “You could feel in the air that the war was nearing its end. I think it was the fourth or maybe the fifth of October. I was at the City Hospital when I heard dull footsteps and saw that a large column of camp prisoners was passing down the street.

Several thousand people in rags were going through the city. I soon found out that those were Hungarian Jews. I can almost see those poor people now, all skin and bones, barefoot and in torn rags, barely dragging themselves. German Third-class soldiers in Hungarian uniforms were escorting these living corpses to Germany, making them walk all the way from the mine in Bor where they’d been kept.”

Dr. Jovanović stops only for a moment before continuing his recollection: “citizens watched the shocking scene from their windows. Not minding the frowning faces in uniforms, the people of Novi Sad leant out of the open windows trying to throw some food to these poor souls. They threw

PARISIAN SCHOLAR Dr. Dušan Jovanović is the great-grandson of painter Pavle Simic. After the end of the war, he graduated first in general, and afterwards, in paediatric surgery. He is a founder of the Clinic for Children’s Surgery in Novi Sad. He specialised at the Children’s Hospital in Paris, the cradle of modern paediatric surgery. what they had, mostly an apple or two.

The soldiers, themselves also tired and exhausted, wouldn’t let the prisoners stop or pick up what was thrown. With hits from their rifle butts, they pushed the column to continue the journey while the apples, followed by tormented and starving looks, rolled down the pavement.”

LIFE-SAVING ESCAPE

Suddenly, out of the river of half-dead people who were barely moving, a group of around twenty prisoners broke away. Dr. Jovanovic, who was silently watching this with his colleagues in front of the hospital, recalls the event. The prisoners were consciously taking a risk, knowing that they had nothing to lose. Somehow they managed to lose the soldiers and, quaking with fear, they hid in the hospital’s courtyard. They were not noticed and the procession continued moving down the road of death. “’Help, please help…,’ they begged in Hungarian, watching us with imploring eyes,” says Dr. Jovanović. “Nearby we could hear rifles being loaded and yelling… We knew they were looking for the fugitives. There was no time for fear.

Without a second thought, we hid them in the basement of the hospital where the skin diseases ward was at the time. We knew that if they found them, we would all perish. Still, none of us were thinking about that. We dressed their wounds and

Dr. Jovanović with his Righteous among the Nations Award

LUCKY STARS Some people are lucky in life, and Dr. Jovanović believes that he is one such person.

Otherwise, he says, he wouldn’t know how to explain how he got away unscathed by all the perils in his life.

He survived the Belgrade bombing of 1941, then afterwards, with his brother-in-law Boris Pescarević from Dalmatia, he found himself in Pale when Sarajevno was bombed. Later, together with his brother Milan, he went to Lapad near Dubrovnik, and while the Italians were shelling Gruz they lived in a rented flat whose landlord was an Ustaša fascist.

Dr. Jovanović also survived the infamous January raid in 1942, in which most of the 4,500 dead in Novi Sad and the village of Šajkaška were Jews and Serbs. gave them water and food. Meanwhile, not far from this safe shelter, the fascists were shooting hundreds of their comrades from the column.”

For days, Dr. Jovanović and his friends took care of the fugitives. It was necessary to secretly bring food, water, bandages, medicine, clothes, etc. Although they didn’t talk about it, they were afraid of being betrayed… Luckily, no one gave them away and the Jewish escapees got to see freedom after three weeks of hiding in the basement of the City Hospital.

Dr. Jovanović never found out what happened to these people afterwards. They each went their own way. It happened, however, three years ago, that he met one of the “twenty”.

“A ceremony was arranged at our Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in Novi Sad for the placing of a memorial on the building where the Hungarian Jews had been hiding,” says Dr. Jovanović. “On that occasion, I met one of the camp prisoners – Dr. Djerdj Spira from Budapest. He didn’t recognise me and nor did I him. So many years have passed…

I found out from him that none of the “twenty” who found refuge in our hospital are among the living anymore.”

Sadly, the same unfortunate statistic goes for the brave and humane doctors who helped in the rescue of the escaped Hungarian Jews. Dr. Jovanović is the only living witness of that event. n CorD / January 2008 61

society

Tales from the Big Plum

EVERYBODY LAUGHS IN THE SAME LANGUAGE… OR DO THEY? Happy New Year! Another New Year (actually two, with Serbian New Year in midJanuary) has arrived, heralding - for Serbia - price increases, political confusion, and few signs of rising employment. Time for Serbs to dig out their sense of humour.

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ut they won’t have to dig too deeply, for Yugoslavia, when told orally with the appropriate Serbs love to laugh even in the darkest accents, exaggerated speech, and gestures will times, as during the NATO bombing when jokes give you a pretty good idea: exploded around them just as frequently as, and • Piroćanci (from Pirot, reputedly stingy): Why with a lot less harm than, soft bombs, cluster do Piroćanci have two peepholes in their bombs, and cruise missiles. Example: sanctions doors, one at eye level and lower? -- To see had closed Belgrade airport long before the who’s come and what he’s brought.) bombing, and Budapest was the closest point • Montenegrins (supposedly lazy): A Bosnian of departure or arrival. During the bombing, a and a Montenegrin had a ten-metre race. joke advised returning travellers to depart from Who won? – No one. The Montenegrin gave Aviano, Italy (American Air Force base), since a up, and the Bosnian got lost.) plane bound for Serbia left every fifteen minutes.

• Muja and Hasa from Bosnia, (known for Recently in happier times, Novak Djoković their…well, see preceding joke.)

By Pat Anđelković (dubbed Joke-ović by the press) showed off his • Lala from Vojvodina (Naïve and submissive): impersonations of fellow tennis players during “My wife is a tramp,” he complains to his the U.S. Open, much to the local and Serbs-at-home friend. “How come?” asks his friend. “I sent audience’s delight. Like Göethe said, “Nothing shows a her a telegram that I was coming home, and man’s character more than what he laughs at.”

I found her in bed with some guy!” After a We all have an inborn capacity to laugh. Recent studies short silence, he adds, “Or maybe not. Maybe show that a section in the human brain has specialised she didn’t get the telegram.” “humour” neurons that have evolved over 15 million • Slovenians (about their country’s size): Why does a years, suggesting that humour may have developed Slovenian use only three speeds on his car? – If he along with respective community living among apes and used the fourth, he’d be across the border. humans. Tickle one of the great apes if you dare, and • Croatians (who create their own complex expressions they’ll grin and exhibit a rapid panting sound, the sound to distinguish Croatian from Serbian): How do you of ape laughter. Chimps may even laugh in anticipation say “cow” in Croatian? A four-legged, milk-giving, of the tickle, says Jane Goodall, who has also watched grass eater. chimps laugh when one observes another’s discomfort.

• Gypsies: One gypsy says to another, “Phew, your feet (Now there’s a shared trait; after all, there’s a 98.77% are dirty! The other replies, “I’m older than you!” similarity between human and chimp DNA.) But chimps No one likes to hear jokes about one’s own character or gorillas don’t tell jokes…or at least we don’t think from outsiders, so Serbs happily make fun of themselves they do, but perhaps one day they’ll have the last laugh. before others do. Jokes about little Perica depict a young, But what’s particularly funny here in Serbia? For cheeky Serb: Perica’s teacher asks, “How far is Pluto from the most part, Serbs laugh at pretty much what other the sun? -- About as far as Partizan is from the League of nations do. However, jokes about religion (at least about Champions). their own Orthodox religion) and sick jokes involving Serbian politics are a constant source of wry grotesque, violent, or exceptionally cruel “humour” amusement: What does a Serb do on Sundays before exist, but aren’t appreciated. The following ethnic jokes lunch? -- He goes to vote. The recent City Sanitation about stereotypical inhabitants of Serbia or the former scandal has been referred to as Kanta Nostra, (“kanta”=

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We all have an inborn capacity to laugh. Recent studies show that a section in the human brain has specialised “humour” neurons that have evolved over 15 million years, suggesting that humour may have developed along with respective community living among apes and humans. But what’s particularly funny here in Serbia? For the most part, Serbs laugh at pretty much what other nations do. However, jokes about religion (at least about their own Orthodox religion) and sick jokes involving grotesque, violent, or exceptionally cruel “humour” exist, but aren’t appreciated.

dumpster). Indeed, he who can laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.

Some of you may have read the ever-growing list entitled You Know You’re Serbian If... that’s been circulating the Net (just Google that phrase). While those Serbs in the Diaspora may find it funny, most Serbs in Serbia think it’s just plain dumb (or does that mean it’s true…?)

The minority of Serbs who can afford theatre tickets flock to see Branislav Nušić’s (1864-1938) The Cabinet Minister’s Wife, a story of a simple, rather dumb but strong woman in the pre-WWII Yugoslavia, whose life changes when her husband becomes a minister. Painfully aware of her lack of manners, education, and of what ministers’ wives are supposed to do, she blindly follows protocol, and in the process creates chaos for herself and her family.

Dušan Kovačević’s play Radovan III is a tragiccomedy that tells of lost identity caused by socialist “progress.” Radovan has moved from his native village to the city suburbs where he lives with his family on the 12th floor. His first daughter was raised as a son and is now a truck driver. His other daughter has been pregnant for five years since the father fled to America, and Radovan won’t let her give birth until she marries.

Zdravko Šotra’s film Ivko’s Feast, makes fun of social mores. Traditionally, no one should be turned away from a saint’s day celebration, but three long-staying guests turn his saint’s day into a nightmare when they refuse to leave.

Slobodan Sijan’s film The Marathon Family tells the

tale of a family struggling to keep their cemetery business from going under (pun intended) and have to make a clandestine alliance with unscrupulous entrepreneurs to supply them with recycled coffins at a cheap price, which keeps them heavily in debt to the grave-digging crooks.

Their son’s love affair with a member of the crooks’ family further complicates matters.

Television is within the reach of nearly everyone, and comedians such as Lane Gutović, and series like Ljubav, Navika, i Panika (Love, Habit, and Panic), are popular.

But the best one, in my opinion, is the social identity satire, Mile Against Transition. Mile(mi-lay), Serbia’s “everyman,” embraces the stereotypical backwardness of the Serbian mentality, of what Serbs should not be.

He has witnessed the disintegration of Yugoslavia, wars in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo, the collapse of the economy, and endured Milošević’s international isolation and entrenched corruption. He’s witnessed Milošević’s downfall, the assassination of the prime minister, and the failure of Serbia’s politicians. Mile wants to preserve authentic Serbian life and rebels against transition, from having to wear seatbelts to adopting a new work ethic.

Mile feels powerless, and he does what all of us would do in the face of frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty: he yells at his TV. Oddly enough, Mile was created to be taken ironically. Instead, Mile has become a popular hero whose anti-modern, anti-European tendencies are widely accepted, and Mile has emerged as a perplexing hero, a symbol of Serbia’s current predicaments.

And that in itself is kind of funny.. n CorD / January 2008 63

society

Ivica’s edge

Festival spirit The culture of fairs and festivals has grown to dominate the cultural content offered to the people of Serbia. There is no city, town or village in Serbia today that cannot boast of a festival of ‘something’. Film festivals, music festivals, theatre festivals, beer festivals, wine and rakija festivals, all kinds of gastronomy festivals have networked the country as the ultimate form of entertainment. Anyone who is anyone has to organise some guitar competition, film or theatre festival, mini book fair or something similar in his milieu.

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f any place in Serbia does not have a festival main cultural sponsor. of ‘anything’, it practically doesn’t exist on Since the state administration – as with the country’s cultural map. The problem is much anywhere else in the world – is filled with more distinct in the provinces than is the case in bureaucrats, the only and probably the most Belgrade. Even though the capital city can also secure way to get money is by providing some boast of an enviable (and often unnecessary) state clerk with a ‘project’. That practically mans number of festivals, the cultural life of Belgrade that nobody will get involved in the revitalisation is sufficiently decentralised to ensure that the of the local theatre, which will work throughout numerous festivals do not jeopardise it. The fate the whole year, but will choose the easier and of the provinces, however, is another tale. more secure option of organising some sort of Cultural life in the provinces practically does festival. not exist, because apart from rare theatres in the As a result of such thinking, the hungry

By Ivica Petrović bigger towns, there are no cinemas; music halls consumers of culture get their several-day dose a are either transformed into village disco clubs or year, and when the festival finishes they can watch are completely neglected. All that can happen there during the TV Pink again and enjoy local weddings all day long. Local year are turbo folk concerts and nothing else whatsoever in activists are happy that they have provided their local base terms of cultural content. with some sort of entertainment, and have maybe managed to From that point of view the need of small towns and local stick a few dinars in their own pockets, and in response to the authorities for such a kind of cultural offer is understandable. question as to what the cultural life in their places is like, they Namely, when you do not have a theatre, do not have a cinema can proudly say that they have a FESTIVAL. and are left to the tender mercy of turbo folk music, any If you hastily analyse the contents of such festivals, you festival is your winning ticket to culture. Moreover, the formal could (wrongly) conclude that almost all of Serbia adores jazz organising of festivals represents one of the few ways – in the music. The list of jazz festivals is expanding each year, and current official system of financing cultural events – for local much bigger countries could envy Serbia for that. The jazz politicians to obtain funding for small cultural events. festivals in Belgrade, Kanjiža, Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Sad, Culture in Serbia is deeply centralised and is still a long Šabac or Valjevo are a desirable list for much more developed way from any real private initiative. The majority of culture cultures. For many years, such manifestations were attached to depends on the state budget, and privatisation develops very the state or local budgets, and it is only recently that they have slowly. In that kind of situation the only way to organise been granted the status of semi-private events. something is to get money from the state, which remains the That means that sponsors are getting into the game, but part of the money is still provided by the state’s budget. Apart from jazz festivals, Serbia is not short of film festivals either; the tragicomic fact is, at one point, more domestic film festivals were organised than domestic films were made that year!

Theatre manifestations are not far behind; it is even difficult to count all the places which organise theatre festivals, regardless of whether they are named after some famous Serbian dramatist, or are simply organised in the desire to have, the same as with films, more festivals than theatre premieres.

Belgrade is a specific case, because some of the biggest cultural events are organised in the city. Some of them have already acquired an enviable reputation, but they are also seen as ‘holy cows’, immune to any kind of criticism. Every attempt to point out the old fashioned concept of certain festivals is considered as a scandalous attack on culture and the festivals, therefore, remain unchanged for years.

The first example is the film festival FEST which has, as the review of international films without a competitive character, rather lost its significance, but is still considered as one of the 64 CorD / January 2008

Serbia’s ‘festival mentality’ has its negative side. Occupied with festival logic, cultural workers have forgotten that the consumption of culture cannot be prescribed for several days a year, after which time whatever happens, happens. The FEST audience is mostly considered as a cosmetic crowd who do not go to cinemas during the year, but never fail to come to FEST just to be seen in the halls of the Sava Centre.

biggest cultural events. The situation with the theatre festival, BITEF, is somewhat different and, thanks to great enthusiasm, it has remained an important window to international theatre expression. After years of misery, BEMUS has again succeeded in being a relevant musical event dedicated to classical music lovers. Guest appearances of important and relevant international performers of classical music are helping to increase the overall rating of the Bemus festival.

However, this ‘festival mentality’ also has its negative side. Occupied with festival logic, cultural workers have forgotten that the consumption of culture cannot be prescribed for several days a year, after which time whatever happens, happens. The FEST audience is mostly considered as a cosmetic crowd who do not go to cinemas during the year, but never fail to come to FEST just to be seen in the halls of the Sava Centre.

Similar comments can be heard about the audience of BITEF and BEMUS. The problem with these kinds of events is that they become some sort of social obligation, i.e. to see and to be seen instead of enjoying the film, theatre or music

on offer. As such, those festivals have done little for the popularisation of the ‘elite culture’.

If we look at their final influence on the cultural model which dominates in Serbia, it is more than modest. Each festival manages to gather a few thousand visitors in a few days, but in the final account none of those events in Belgrade can reach the number of visitors at only one concert, for instance, of turbo-folk star Svetlana “Ceca” Ražnatović. When you look around you, or flick through the TV channels, all you can see after many BEMUS and BITEFs is the domination of turbo folk music, programmes called the ‘Grand Parade’ of ‘Grand Stars’ dominate, while the Belgrade Art Channel remains far from being the most popular TV station in town.

Throughout the long existence of festivals, enormous funds have been poured into them. However, a detailed analysis of their effects has never been made. Those effects are, however, visible, but sadly not in the way the FEST and BITEF selectors imagined. It is enough to turn on some local radio station, or TV channel and see what is the real taste of the nation and who its (un)cultured idols are. n CorD / January 2008 65

Festive customs

SERB-STYLE CHRISTMAS For Serbs, Christmas symbolises the birth of a new life.

It is celebrated for three days, with strict respect of fantastic Christmas customs

Of all the Christian celebrations, Christmas is for Serbs the one which is celebrated in the most luxurious way and it is enjoyed through the most beautiful national traditions. Serbs celebrate Christmas on 7th January and not on 25th December, like the majority of Christians, because the Serbian Orthodox Church – besides the Russian and Jerusalem churches – still clings to the Julian calendar.

By Sonja Ćirić; Časlav Vukojičić hristmas symbolises the birth of a new life and is therefore a celebration for the whole family. Celebration preparations start with the Christmas carnival – a holiday that is marked just before the six-week Christmas fast. At that time, more luxurious and more abundant dishes than usual are prepared; garlic is placed in the window to ward off witches who, according to belief, are extremely active during the carnival night. Also, every following holy day is coupled with customs that, according to belief, will encourage life progress. So, for Mratinci – the wolf protector saint – a sacrifice is offered: a black hen, chicken and rooster, in order to protect cattle; for Varvartica wheat with grains of other cereals is cooked in order to ensure a good harvest, and for Saint Nicholas, one of the most

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common Serbian Patron Saint’s Days, only lent dishes are served.

Three weeks before Christmas, Detinjci (Children’s Day) is celebrated. This is the first of three holidays preceding Christmas. Its aim is to create a festive mood and strengthen family ties. It is a custom for the parents to tie the legs of their children with a ribbon, until they give them presents for redemption, and therefore children with the help of their grandparents, a couple of days before Detinjci, prepare prunes, sweets and brandy.

During the second Sunday before Christmas, Materice (Mothers’ Day) is celebrated.

The custom is the same as for the previous holiday, only that the children now tie their mothers and married women in the family with a ribbon. During the last week before Christmas, Očevi (Fathers’ Day) is marked.

This time fathers must give presents to children in order to be liberated.

The day before Christmas represents a culmination of three-day Christmas celebration preparations. The whole day is filled with magical activities celebrating the souls of ancestors, in honour of natural deities and against demonic forces.

Early on the morning of Christmas Eve, a host sets out to the woods to collect a Yule log. The Yule log is from the oak tree, and the custom derives from the time when man thought of nature in an animistic way, from the time when the tree was celebrated as a deity. During the conversion to Christianity, the tree cult received a new meaning – that of the Yule log – but the trace of celebrations of the oak as a deity is clearly visible: when approaching it, the host first greets the tree, then offers grains and cake to it, he holds a

glove on the hand with which he would cut it, before doing so he turns to the East and crosses himself three times. He must cut it in three chops and that must be done with two fells from the eastern side and the last from the western side in order to have the log fall to the East. The log must not touch the ground or damage neighbouring trees during felling. After completing the work, the host eats the cake he has brought with him. When he returns to his home with the Yule log, he is not to enter the premises until dark.

While the host is out collecting the Yule log, the females of the family perform home chores and knead ritual Christmas breads.

These breads are made of wheat flour, water and yeast. The breads are of different shapes, depending on whether they have been intended for health, arable land plot,

Sun, wine, cattle or poultry. The breads are richly decorated. Then, lots of water is brought in, because it is a custom to use only that water during the day; cattle and poultry are well fed in order to allow the members of the household to have a peaceful supper; the house is meticulously cleansed, because until the end of Christmas celebrations, for three days, nothing should be touched – even the beds remain unmade, because people used to believe that in those days ancestral souls surround everything. Therefore, straw is distributed throughout the house, in order to have a place for those souls to rest, a table crammed with dishes is not cleared, but additional dishes are brought in. The feast is intended for dead souls, from whom the household members expect to receive help and luck.

Besides cleaning the house, necessary

things for a ritual supper are also prepared: a sifter is brought in with grains for sprinkling over the Yule log, and in the sifter is a glove necessary for cutting the cake; water is brought in for Ä?esnica (Christmas cake with a golden coin), and a roast is prepared... All those chores should be completed by sunset, the time when the Yule log, straw and roast are brought into house.

By that moment everything else which should have been done during the day before Christmas must have been completed: everything borrowed must be returned, and nothing can be lent because of the belief that otherwise luck would leave the house.

Sharp objects are removed from the house, in order to prevent injury of the present souls, and to protect from evil demons.

The Yule log is brought into house with the heavier, cut part coming first. The whole CorD / January 2008 67

XXX family treats the Yule log as though it were a deity. With the Yule log, straw is also brought into house, the floor is covered with it, and dishes with food for supper are placed on it. Straw is brought in because Christ was born on it.

The person who fetches the Yule log puts it on the fire place, smears it with honey or sugar, kisses it and says blessings and prayers for health and progress. The same should be done by the other family members.

The Yule log is then put to flames, with the person who fetched the Yule log sitting beside it, pouring wine over the flame with the prayer „I offer you wine and grain, and you will bring me fertility and harvest, so help me God!“ Then everybody is served wine, they wish one another luck. Then someone should arrive in front of the house and fire a gun three times to signify that the Yule log has been set alight.

Next, religious breads are brought to the table as are a large cake – representing the whole household – and food prepared for supper. The supper is always meat-free, consisting of an odd number of dishes, featuring certain kind of food: beans, fish, walnuts, honey, red apples, sour cabbage, cooked potato, potato thick soup, cooked wheat, and for drinks wine and brandy. People interpret that the custom derived from the burial cult and link it to underworld deities, especially because the dishes prepared for Christmas supper are also prepared for All Souls’ Day feasts.

Veselin Čajkanović, Serbia’s most renowned ethnologist, explains this custom as “offering sacramental sacrifice, and the feast is dedicated to deceased ancestors” who are in that way invited to the house, in expectation that they will help. Therefore people sit on the straw, in order to be as close to the ghosts of their ancestors as possible.

After that, the host lights a candle and puts it beneath the family’s icon painting, and the housewife brings in the embers with incense, fumigates the room and family members, and then puts a censer beneath the icon. Before the start of supper, the host lights a candle and reads the prayer “Our Heavenly Father”, praying primarily for the health of the household members. After the supper, spoons and tableware must remain in the place where they have been put by their users, in order to see the changes on them tomorrow: the ones who remained 68 CorD / January 2008

clean overnight have been used by an angel, and those who didn’t have been used by a devil. After the Christmas Eve supper, the host casts a walnut into each corner of the room, the first must be cast to East, and by casting one walnut to all four corners, the room shall be crossed. The members of the household then follow him, mimicking the sound of a clucking chicken, in order to ensure they have a fertile next year.

After supper the family celebration commences. People go late to bed on Christmas Eve, and even when everybody goes, one of the household members must remain awake next to the Yule log and wait for the moment when the Yule log burns out – that moment is celebrated as the moment of Christmas.

That event shall be announced by a gun shot.

The host takes a glass of wine and cheers everyone with a greeting “Christ is born” and the household members reply with the greeting “He has really been born”.

When Christmas Day dawns, the first visitor of Christmas arrives at the home.

The first visitor of Christmas must be a man, and is often a boy. He enters the house with his right foot, because the right side is considered lucky. Then he congratulates the holidays and sprinkles wheat over the members of the household, after which the lady of the house sprinkle wheat over him. After that he approaches the fireplace and adds kindle to the fire, trying to make as many sparks as possible, and the household members make a wish “As many coins, cattle, poultry and grain as sparks…” Before he leaves, the housewife presents the first visitor of Christmas with socks, food or drinks, and she must give him the cake which has been prepared for him.

Lunch is the most festive moment of the Serbian Christmas Day celebration. All household members are at the table. Before bringing the food to the table, the housewife fumigates the table, the food and all the rooms in the house, in order to protect

it from invisible forces. The lunch traditionally starts with a prayer. Immediately before the start of lunch, the host lights a candle. Dishes are brought to the straw covered with the tablecloth that was used for the previous night’s supper. The number of dishes is, as it was for Christmas Eve, odd. Traditional dishes are as follows: soup, sauce and potato, sarma (meat rolled in cabbage leaves), roast meat, cakes and tarts. For the roast, a pig or ewe is slaughtered, and those animals had to be without any mark on their body or any kind of abnormalities. The meat is baked in a special way.

Each dish is prepared in ample quantities, because for Christmas everybody has to be well fed and watered.

The most important part of the ritual for Christmas lunch is the breaking of česnica.

Besides the big religious bread and smaller breads, the inevitable cake of the Christmas ritual is česnica. It is prepared on the very day of Christmas from white wheat flour without yeast, in the open fire. Before baking, a coin is put in the dough – for luck.

During lunch the česnica is broken and each member of the household has to eat a piece, because in that way the magical force of the česnica is transferred to that person. Whosever finds a coin in their piece is said to be lucky the whole year round.

The second day of Christmas is reserved for visits to cousins and friends, for mutual Christmas congratulations. People used to go to visits using horse-drawn sleighs decorated with bells, everything with laughter and good mood.

The third day of Christmas is Saint Stephen’s Day, when straw and the ashes of the Yule log are removed from the house.

That day is also called “Female Christmas”, because on that day female family members rejoice with the remains of the prepared dishes.

The main parts of the Christmas celebration have been preserved to this day, both in the city and in rural communities. Bringing the Yule log in for Christmas Eve (in the urban variant this is nowadays an oak branch decorated with straw and grains, which can be bought at the nearby market), meat-free ‘lent’ supper, casting walnuts into four corners of the room, rich Christmas lunch and congratulations using traditional Christmas greetings “Hristos se rodi!” (Christ is born!) and “Vaistinu se rodi” (He really is born).

And, of course, the festive spirit survived to this day, due to the celebration and hope that the new Christmas shall also bring new luck to the house. n

CULTURE

Inspiring

performer Nemanka Stanković wows City Hall

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elgrade City Hall provided the venue on 11th December for the first of two Audi-sponsored promotions of the CD of cellist Nemanja Stanković – the winner of ArtLink’s Most Promising Young Artist of 2007.

In an intimate atmosphere, and to the accompaniment of young pianist Milica Stankovic, his sister, Nemanja wowed those in attendance with his immaculate and awe-inspiring renditions of Allegro de Concert by Charles Davidoff, Rondo op.

94 by Dvorzak and Moses Fantasy by Paganini.

Commenting on ArtLink’s work to promote and enhance the prospects of young artists, Ms. Neda Maletić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Diaspora, said on the evening: “I very much like what ArtLink is

doing. I think it is important work that deserves appropriate support.”

Among those in attendance from the diplomatic community in Belgrade was Patrick Hébert, Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Belgrade, speaking to CorD afterwards, Mr. Hébert explained: “After experiencing the performance by ArtLink award recipient Stanko Madić in January 2006, I had very much been looking forward to the concert by this year’s most promising artist, cellist Nemanja Stanković... With a delightful demonstration of his skills, Mr. Stanković charmed the audience. Sitting in the first row, I was impressed by Mr. Stanković’s litheness and how he instantly imparted his love of music to the audience. He has already taken prizes at several international competitions and clearly has

a brilliant career ahead of him.”

Mr. Hébert, continues: “I am always amazed by the quality and variety of cultural events in Serbia. The work of ArtLink promotes young artists in the region and contributes to the international renown of Serbia in all forms of art. ArtLink also plays an important role in advancing the presence of art from all over the world in Serbia, and the [Canadian] Embassy fully supports its plan to present the first Canadian Contemporary Film Festival in Belgrade, on the margins of FEST 2008”.

Also speaking to CorD about the event and the upcoming second promotion of Nemanja’s CD, Artistic Director of ArtLink, Jovanka Višekruna Janković, said: “I am extremely happy that ArtLink will give the Belgrade audience a New Year’s Eve Concert at noon on 2nd January at Kolarac Concert Hall, which has become a tradition. On behalf of ArtLink and our partner Audi, I would like to invite our partners and friends, as well as our audience, to be with us for this occasion. We will prepare our present for all who come – music CD by fantastic young artist Nemanja Stankovic, the Most Promising Young Artist in 2007.” n CorD / January 2008 69

Culture

Festival The cultural year at a glance

country This cultural year in Serbia was drawn to a grand finale by the Festival of European and Independent Film, EURO-IN FILM 2007 – held in Novi Sad from 4th to 7th December – and the Belgrade Festival of Authorial Film, where the Aleksandar Saša Petrović Grand Prix was awarded to the film California Dreamin’ – the final work of Romanian Director Cristian Nemescu, who died tragically in a car crash in summer ‘06.

By Novo Tomić he curtain has lowered on another year of culture in Belgrade. Now the winter festivities will yield days of hedonism and be followed by a period of quiet recovery, until we return with another film festival – the 36th FEST (22nd Feb. – 2nd Mar.), which will again afford Belgraders the chance to see the cream of world film production, with more than 200 films screened over ten days.

FEST will allow the Belgrade public to assuage, albeit temporarily, the cinematic crisis of the nation – a crisis that has seen many cinemas close their doors for good,

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70 CorD / January 2008

with just a few private ones offering a dilapidated repertoire and even worse equipment. The cinema crisis is perhaps being marked in the best manner by famous filmmaker Emir Kusturica, who has decided to show his latest film exclusively in his cinema at his Drvengrad wthno village on Mokra Gora! Only there, considers the mighty Kusta, can his filming prowess be viewed in an appropriate manner.

Festivals, festivals. It is a paradox, but Serbia could be called the land of festivals.

We have festivals of all kinds – film, theatre, music, literature. Only a small number of mackintosh-wearing individuals know

the exact number, but there are surely more than a hundred of them. It is well known what Bitef, Bemus, the already mentioned Fest, Sterijino pozorje, Exit, Dragacevska truba are, but some of other festivals are held in very small places, even villages, and are still important for Serbian cultural diversity. In July, for instance, the small town of Brus, beneath Kopaonik, will host the International Festival of Ecologicy, Sports, Gastronomy and Tourism Film, while the villages of Malo Crnice, near Požarevac, or Plazane, near Despotovac, will see significant amateur theatre festivals held.

Four of Serbia’s festivals are world famous. In 2007 Novi Sad’s Exit reaffirmed the reputation it earned in a short time.

Once again, the city’s Petrovaradin Fortress welcomed stars of world music – including Tanya Stephens, Robert Plant and Strange Sensation, The Prodigy, Groove Armada, Cansei de Ser Sexy, Beastie Boys, Lauryn Hill, Basement Jaxx, Snoop Dogg, LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad, Wu-Tang Clan – who again added to the branding of the festival, the city, and the country.

Speaking of rock music, we cannot fail to mention two additional events: in May, the small town of inđija played host to the world famous Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were welcomed by a reported 150,000 fans, and in August in Belgrade, the famous Rolling Stones performed their first ever concert in Serbia.

At Guča’s well-known Dragačevski sabor (Dragačevo Assembly), which has been held each August for the last few decade, only music peculiar to Serbia is listened to. Folk music is played by brass orchestras, which have been previously selected through competition in smaller festivals. Guča has launched to glory bands of legendary Vranje citizen Bakija Bakić and contemporary star Boban Marković, who is equally thrilling Vienna citizens when his band play Mozart on trumpets!

Serbia’s most famous classical music festival, Belgrade Music Festivities (BEMUS), has been in existence for 39 years.

It might not currently be at the level of previously, when the world’s top soloists and conductors appeared on the Belgrade music stage and its offerings were directly broadcast by “Radio France”, but every year there is something exclusive. In October, within this festival, famous Gidon Kremer appeared with his equally famous Kremerata Baltica Orchestra. Next BEMUS welcomed one of the most famous choirs in the world – St. Petersburg’s Glinka Choir – with its legendary conductor Vladislav Chernushenko. Belgraders perhaps didn’t even understand what masters of art they were listening to when they enjoyed the performance of the French string quartet “Quattuor Ebène” (Pierre Colombet - viola, Gabriel le Magadure - viola, Mathieu Herzog – alto, and Raphaël Merlin - cello).

The most prominent event of Bemus was perhaps the staging of famous musical Les Misérables, which was premiered for the festival by the ensemble of Madlenijanum Opera & Theatre.

“ in May, the small town of inđija played host to the world famous Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were welcomed by a reported 150,000 fans, and in August in Belgrade, the famous Rolling Stones performed their first ever concert in Serbia.”

Continuing on the topic of classical music, we must not forget that 2007 saw Belgrade welcome London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, cellist Miša Majski , violinist Julian Rahlin, Parisian ensemble Le poeme harmonique and vocal octet Svingle singers – all maestro-musicians of world class.

Thanks to the Belgrade International Theatre Festival (BITEF), some foreigners have learnt which country Belgrade is located in. BITEF has always been a festival of avant-garde theatre and experiment, and those experiments haven’t stopped to this day. Art director and selector of Bitef, Jovan Ćirilov, under the motto “I to je pozoriste” [That is also theatre] has included some plays for which other theatre connoisseurs said that they aren’t theatre, or are just a little bit theatre, but sometimes one has to persist in implementing one’s ideas. Ćirilov can be persistent, and maybe one day the public will be grateful to him for that.

Art Director of Bemus, Sreten Krstić, Concert-Master of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, experimented with “his” festival by including three jazz concerts in his programme (Otis Taylor, Klazz Brothers & Edson Cordeiro, and James Carter Organ Trio)! He may have faired better than Ćirilov simply because Serbs are big jazz lovers. Indeed, Krstić was most criticised for including jazz because the Belgrade Jazz Festival started immediately after Bemus, and those concerts were an excuse to remind ourselves that in Serbia, besides Belgrade, still couple more of jazz festivals are held: in Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, Valjevo and Kanjiža.

The most famous Serbian theatre festival, Sterijino pozorje, which has been held annually in Novi Sad for 52 years, honours great Serbian comedy writer, dramatist and poet Jovan Sterija Popovic (1806-1856).

Last year’s event once again confirmed that Serbia’s dramatic literature has been granted another significant author, Milena Marković, and that a good play can stimulate the other theatre workers to jointly perform a master-piece on the stage.

Film production in Serbia has been

“ 2007 saw Belgrade welcome London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, cellist Miša Majski , violinist Julian Rahlin, Parisian ensemble Le poeme harmonique and vocal octet Svingle singers – all maestro-musicians of world class.”

very meagre in the last couple of years. Indeed, the number of film festivals almost outnumbers the films produced. Leading in status is the Novi Sad Festival, because it is Serbia’s heir to the earlier Yugoslav Film Festival in Pula, and the Serbian & Montenegrin Film Festival in Herceg Novi. It is, however, still fighting for its right reputation, partially because in Serbia there are much older domestic film festivals, primarily the Festival of Serbian Actors’ Achievements in Niš, which is more than 30-years-old, and the Film Scenario Festival in Vrnjačka Banja. Both are held in August. More recently, the International Film Festival held in Subotica, Palić, took the lead, and the award it offers is becoming increasingly prestigious, at least in central Europe.

Amongst the year’s most important cultural events is the International Belgrade Book Fair, which has been held annually for the last 52 years. Although it is not on the level it used to be, it promises to once again become one of the most important Book Fairs in the world. In its shadow are two Novi Sad Fair Exhibitions of Books (Salons), one in spring, the other in autumn, and several other cities in Serbia (Niš, Leskovac, Šabac, et al.) have small publishing fair exhibitions.

However, when it comes to festivals, Belgrade is the undisputed leader. Besides the aforementioned manifestations, the city boasts ten more: the increasingly prestigious Dance Festival, then Belef (Belgrade Summer Festival), the Guitar Art Festival, festivals of cello, harp and flute, International Competition of Music Youth, the Festival of International Student Theatre, the very important Festival of Documentary and Short Film, Kalemegdanski sutoni (Kalemegdan Dusks), Choruses amongst frescoes, International Forum of Composers, and others.

At the beginning of December the First Festival of Poetry was held in Belgrade – thus ensuring that the adventure of another festival has just begun.

And we didn’t even find time to appropriately mention tens of painting colonies, salons, biennales and triennials, out of which some, like the Small Format Biennale in Gornji Milanovac, enjoy world renown.

One would have a hard time listing all of Serbia’s festivals in one article, but a small walk from place to place can nicely present what lays at the disposal of the Serbian culture public. n CorD / January 2008 71

CULTURE NEWS Invitation to young journalists he EU Enlargement Commission, in co-operation with the European Young Journalists Association, has invited young journalists to participate in the panEuropean competition about the EU enlargement policy.

“The enlargement of the Union is a process which carefully manages and helps the transformation of new member countries, stability, democracy, human rights and the rule of law all around Europe,”, the statement reads – adding that the young citizens of Europe have the most to gain from European Union enlargement.

Participants in the competition should submit a recently published article (published between January 2007 and 15th March 2008).

Articles about European Union enlargement, which can serve as inspiration for journalistic work, can be can be found on www.EUjournalist-award.eu.

European Union Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, welcomed this competition and emphasised that journalists are important creators of ideas for their generation. “Their ideas will still stimulate debate which will deterOlli Rehn mine the shape of our continent,” said Rehn.

National juries comprising media representatives will chose the winning article from each country in April 2008, and all articles will be published on the competition’s web page.

All 35 winners will be invited on a trip through Western Balkan countries and will have the opportunity to participate in a conference with media representatives from various countries in June 2008.

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Serbian Culture Days in Zagreb uring December, the event, Serbian Culture Days – presenting the current Serbian theatre, film, book and painting scene – was held in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. The event was opened with the Belgrade Drama Theatre play Delirium Tremens, directed by Goran Marković, in the Kerempuh Theatre. There was also a concert by the Teofilović Brothers, unique presenters of ancient Serbian and Balkan vocal music. The event also included a showing of Miroslav Momčilović’s film ‘Seven and a Half’, a modern comedy which was also presented at numerous do-

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Publikum calendar - August

mestic and international festivals and has received several significant awards.

As part of Serbian Culture Days, Stojan Aralica’s exhibition from the Gacko People’s Open University of Otocac fund will be opened in the Forum Gallery on 27th December. The exhibition will be open until 11th February 2008.

Publikum 2008 – Life Guide n December the Publikum Calendar for 2008 was presented in Belgrade and numerous lectures and a retrospective exhibition were held in the SANU Gallery. The guest editor of the Calendar for 2008 was Debbie Milliman, an American branding expert, writer, author and the presenter of the Design is Worth it internet programme, which is presented on the Voice of America. The designer of the Calendar was Sean Adams, an internationally recognised art director and partner in the Adams Morioka Agency from Los Angeles The Calendar’s creative team includes Ðorđe Milekić, creative director and one of the Publikum Calendar founders, and Nada Rajičić, editor and co-founder of the project. The designers were Marian Bantjes (Canada), Luba Lukova (Bulgaria), Mina Žabnikar (Slovenia), Chip Kid (USA), Jianping Hee (China), Gart Voker (South Africa), “Big Active” (Great Britain), “Fabrika” (Bosnia & Herzegovina),

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Mateo Bolonja (USA/Italy), “Elastic People” (USA) and two Serbian designers - Vladan Srdić and Igor Oršolić, B92 art director.

New Year 2008 nder the slogan ‘Belgrade is more beautiful when we are happy’, the Belgrade City Administration will this year organise New Year’s Eve 2008 on the city’s central squares.

The Stereo MC’s will be among the main stars of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Belgrade, which will take place in the city’s main squares and will encompass a varied several-week-long programme for young people and children; programmes in front of the Belgrade Arena and the traditional event, the Street of Open Heart.

New Year concerts will be organised on 31st December in front of the National Parliament, on Republic Square, and in front of the Belgrade Arena, announced the Belgrade City Assembly and Belef Centre.

The main part of the programme on the night between 31st December and 1st January will include famous domestic and foreign performers. The aim is to cover different tastes. Apart from a large domestic audience, a significant number of foreign guests and tourists are also expected.

The stage in front of the National Parliament will mostly host domestic authors for a wider audience of various generations and

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will start with Van Gog, who won this year’s MTV award for the best regional rock band.

In addition toVan Gog, the pop singer Vlado Georgijev will also perform on this stage and the Flamingos will appear just before midnight. The members of the Flamingos band, Marinko Madžgalj and Ognjen Amidžić, will also be the main presenters. After midnight there will be performances by O Djila, which performs Roma music, and Haris Džinović .

DJ Balkan Beats, from Bosnia & Herzegovina who lives in Germany and presents electronic interpretations of traditional Balkan sounds, will also appear on this stage.

There are plans to show activities from other New Year celebrations in European capital cities by video beam, as well as messages from those who marked the year 2007 for Serbia – tennis stars Novak Djoković, Jelena Janković and Ana Ivanović.

The programme on Republic Square will be intended for the younger generation who like harder sounds and electronic music. The British band, Stereo MC’s, Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga and Bebi Dol will appear on this stage.

The novelty this year will be the stage in front of the Belgrade Arena.

Two ice-skating rinks will be opened as part of the New Year celebrations. A skating rink of 800 square metres in front of Belgrade Arena will be placed on the northern side and will be open until 21st January. As in previous years, the second rink will be on the Nikola Pasić Square and will be open from the Catholic Christmas until the end of January.

In addition to ice rinks, Santa Claus and traditional New Year and Christmas decorations, there will be some new contents: an ice sculpting school, cyber play rooms, ice hockey tournaments, fashion shows on ice, DJ programmes, socialising with domestic animals and pets and various competitions.

The New Year carnival will take place in the city centre on 31st December from 11am til 2pm and the festive procession will be led

Viminacium coins

by the big metal doll – Max Metallic, actors from the Dadov Theatre, gymnasts, animators on stilts, animators with fire wheels, Santa Clauses on high forklift trucks, etc.

The carnival will be followed by a musical programme of various musical styles and sensibilities – renaissance music, percussionists, string quartets, opera … all performed by young and established domestic artists.

The Street of the Open Heart, the traditional event in Svetogorska and Makedonska Streets and Skadarlija will, like every year, take place on 1st January. The organisers of the Street of the Open Heart are the Serbian Tourist Organisation and Atelje 212 Theatre.

Amphitheatre discovered in Viminacium great discovery has been confirmed at the famous Viminacium archaeological site in Serbia. The discovery is that of an amphitheatre – the only classical amphitheatre in Serbia and the third on the area of the former Yugoslavia.

It was also confirmed that near the northern wall of the emperor’s city, which was one of the most important centres of the Roman Empire from the middle of the 3rd to the middle of the 4th century AD, is a monumental building which in classical times had the function of a modern stadium.

In the stratum, which dates from the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th centuries, archaeologists dug out several lines of seats built from massive stone blocks and found sporadic traces of marble, which indicates that some parts of Belgrade will welcome the Stereo MCs this New Year the amphitheatre were

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panelled with this expensive material.

“The level of preservation of the amphitheatre is surprising,” emphasised the director of the Viminacium archaeological locality, Momir Korać, adding that they have already found eight steps which lead to the inside of the building under the theatre level.

This is an indication that under the stands there was a developed system of steps for entering the arena from the underground rooms.

Korać presented one assumption of the existence of a tunnel which directly connected the emperor’s palace with the amphitheatre, because according to the knowledge obtained through an analysis of digital models of the terrain and an analysis of satellite photographs, close to the arena there is a monumental object which could have been the residence where visiting emperors stayed while visiting Limes and the Upper Mezija Province. The first results are fascinating, said Korać, who has managed the excavation of several spectacular buildings discovered in the Viminacium locality in the last five years, such as the unique aqueduct, the emperor’s mausoleum, the gate of the military camp, a complex of temples outside the city ramparts and numerous graves containing precious objects, including the oldest Christian reliquary found in the Balkans to date.

Thanks to Korać, the most modern technological achievements were implemented for the first time in Serbia’s archaeological practices, thus enabling the discovery of the presence of 21 major objects through stereoscopic analyses.

Research on the Viminicium locality is underway and will not be stopped during winter. It is expected that visitors will be able to see the new discoveries in spring 2008.

After Croatia (Pula) and Macedonia (Stobi), now Serbia also has a classical amphitheatre which, Korać hopes, can again play the same role as it did almost 2000 years ago.

CorD / January 2008 73

CULTURE CALENDAR

NEW YEAR’S PARTIES/ CONCERTS ARMAND VAN HELDEN

DJ’s - Lapac, Mouse, Goran-Che, Kuzma, SaleRokada, Brit, Dooshan, Riđi ...

POP & ROCK CONCERTS FLAMINGOSI Sava Centre 25th December, 8pm RADE ŠERBEDŽIJA AND FRIENDS

GREAT STRAUSS NEW YEAR’S GALA CONCERT With the participation of Ballet Ensemble of Strauss Festival Orchestra Sava Centre, 27th December, 8pm EURIDICE Ensemble Italy, baroque music Ethnographic Museum, Studentski trg 13, Organised by Renaissance –

Supported by Pete Gooding (UK) and domestic support EXPO XXI, Belgrade 31st December. From 9pm Van Helden is a famous house DJ RESTART PARTY NEW YEAR`S GALA CONCERT RTS CHOIR AND SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA Sava Centre, Great Hall 29th December, 8pm Conductor: Bojan Sudjic EVENTS 46th International New Year’s Fair Belgrade Fairgrounds 14th – 30th December NEW YEAR’S BOOK FAIR Dom Sindikata Nikole Pasića Square 15th December – 15th January 31st December. From 9pm NICK WARREN (Bristol, UK) MATTHEW DEKAY (Amsterdam, NL) PAOLO MOJO (London, UK) DEJAN MILIČEVIĆ (Belgrade, Serbia) DEE FACE (Novi Sad, Serbia) KILE & NEZZA (Subotica, Serbia) NIKOLA MAJDANOVIĆ & PHANTOM (Subotica, Serbia) O Djila and Broadway band Sava Centre, Restaurant Sava 31st December. From 9pm MASQUERADE FANCYDRESS BALL

famous actor Rade Šerbedžija performs with friends, musicians: Kemal Monteno, Vlatko Stefanovski, Jure Ivanusic, group Absolutno romanticno, Livio Morosin band and others Sava Centre 30th December, 8pm THE SMASHING PUMPKINS 27th January Belgrade Arena The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988.

Disavowing the punk rock roots shared by many of their alt-rock contemporaries, the Pumpkins have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, electronic…

CLASSICAL MUSIC JOVAN KOLUNDZIJA JUBILEE - 40 YEARS ON STAGE

31st December.

KST, Belgrade Student Club – Belgrade Technical Faculty Journey around the world 29th December. From 10pm 10 stages. Featuring: Električni Orgazam, So Sabi, Thousand Miles, Rooster Blues, Band X (AC/DC Tribute), Irish Stew, Trula Koalicija, Ska Ringišpil, Black Ark Crew 74 CorD / January 2008

Jovan Kolundzija (violin), Nada Kolundzija (piano) Kolarac Concert Hall 23rd December, 8pm

Centre for Ancient Music Ines Salazar, soprano, Elisabetha Fiorilo, mezzosoprano, Nikola Kitanovski, tenor New Year’s Concert: BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 28th/29th December, 8pm Conductor: Aleksey Igudesman Kolarac Concert Hall Programme: J. Strauss: Tritsch Tratsch A. Igudesman: Polka an der Wolga J. Strauss: Wiener Blut Walzer A. Igudesman: Rush Hour J. Strauss: Egyptian March A. Igudesman: Winter Polka J. Strauss: Hungarian Cheer A. Igudesman: New Years Polka J. Strauss: Unter Donner und Blitz A. Igudesman: Polka without Notes A. Igudesman: Bulgarian Waltz J. Strauss: Emperors Waltz A. Igudesman: Horror Movie W. A. Mozart / Aleksey Igudesman: Alla Molto Turka A. Igudesman: Uruguay

Camerata Serbica 12th January, 8pm Sava Centre, Great Hall BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – January ‘08 Note: both concerts to be held in Kolarac Hall 18th January Robin O’ Neill, conductor Michael Collins, clarinet Programme: B. Britten: Sea Interludes from opera Peter Grimes A. Copland: Concerto for clarinet and orchestra A. Dvorák: The Noon Witch L. Janacek: Sinfonietta 25th January Asher Fisch, conductor Guy Braunstein, violin Programme: L. van Beethoven: Concerto for violin and orchestra R. Wagner: Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (Das Rheingold) Forest Murmurs (Siegfried) Sigfried’s Rhine Journey (Götterdammerung) Sigfried’s Funeral Music (Götterdammerung) The Ride of the Walkyre’s (Die Walküre) Giuseppe Verdi Aida 24th January, 8pm Sava Centre, Great Hall Belgrade National Theatre Ensemble FESTIVAL Seven Magnificents Festival of Documentary and Long feature film 25th – 29th January Sava Centre FILM PREMIERES (December and January) BEE MOVIE

Opening night: Sava Centre, 19th December Directed by Steve Hickner, Simon

J. Smith Voices: Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Lary King, Oprah Winfrey, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Barry Levinson.

Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey, and subsequently decides to sue us.

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

Starring: Reiko Aylesworth, Stevan Pasquale, John Ortiz, Shareeka Epps, Johnny Lewis.

Warring alien and predator races descend on a small town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS In cinemas from 3rd January Directed by Tim Hill Starring: Jason Lee, Cameron Richardson, Justin Long, Jane Lynch, David Cross.

In cinemas from 20th December Directed by Shekhar Kapur Starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush.

An exploration of the relationship between Elizabeth I and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh.

FRED CLAUS

In cinemas from 20th December Directed

by David Dobkin Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey.

Fred Claus, Santa’s bitter older brother, is forced to move to the North Pole.

P.S. I LOVE YOU In cinemas from 20th December Directed

by Richard LaGravenese Starring: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, Kathy Bates, Harry Connick Jr. A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life

Based on the 1980s cartoon series about a music group of chipmunks comprised of mischievous group leader Alvin; tall and quiet Simon; and chubby, impressionable Theodore AMERICAN GANGSTER In cinemas from 3rd January Directed by Ridley Scott Starring: Denzel Washington, Russel Crowe.

In 1970s America, a detective works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East

I AM LEGEND In cinemas from 10th January Directed by Francis Lawrence Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Sally Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan.

Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable NATIONAL TREASUREBOOK OF SECRETS In cinemas from 30th January Directed by Jon Turteltaub Starring: Justin Bartha, Nicolas Cage.

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth’s diary.

CHARLSTON ZA OGNjENKU (Charlston for Ognjenka) Premiere: Sava Centre, 31st January, 8.30pm Directed by Uroš Stojanović Starring: Sonja Kolačarić, Katarina Radivojević, Olivera Katarina, Stefan Kapičić, Nenad Jezdić ART EXHIBITIONS DAY IN, DAY OUT Photographs by Gabriel Glid Art Gallery of Belgrade Cultural Centre, Knez Mihailova 6, Exhibition runs 12th – 31st December MY VIRTUAL WORLD Author: Daliborka Pesic Ozon Gallery, Andrićev venac 12, Exhibition runs 24th – 30th December FILUM GRANUM – PORTUGUESE STYLE (jewellery) Museum of Applied Arts, Vuka Karadžića 18 Exhibition runs until 13th January

GOETHE INSTITUTE JEWELLERY Exhibition of jewellery created by students of the Belgrade Faculty of Applied Arts and Design Exhibition runs until 15th January 2008 Note: The Goethe Institute will be closed from 24th December until 9th January PARALLELS AND CONTRASTS: SERBIAN ARCHITECTURE 19802005 Museum of Applied Arts, Vuka Karadžića 18 Exhibition runs until 15th January 2008 NEW YEAR’S SELLING EXHIBITION Selling Gallery Belgrade, Kosančićev venac 19 Exhibition runs 25th December – 20th January INTERNATIONAL TEA AND COFFEE CUP EXHIBITION – WHITE ONLY Singidunum – Small Gallery, UzunMirkova 12, Exhibition runs 26th December – 15th January VAUBAN – THE BELFORT CITADEL French Cultural Centre, Knez Mihailova 31

Exhibition runs until 19th January ARCHOSAUROMORPHA – RULE OF THE REPTILES Gallery of Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Đure Jakšića 2 Exhibition runs until 2nd February

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR 2REQUIEM In cinemas from 27th December Directed by Greg Strause, Colin Strause CorD / January 2008 75

Culture

Children’s Philharmonic

“The plan is to make the New Year Gala Concert of the Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra become a traditional event gladly attended, like that of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.We have very ambitious plans, because our young artists with their performance and energy leave no one indifferent. They are, for sure, like the Serbian tennis players: the best thing this country has; they deserve the cover pages and the full attention of the media and the public,” says Dragana Željković, member of the City Council.

By CorD he Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra “Children to Children” held its first concert at the city’s Philharmonic Hall on 22nd December 2007. The concert was intended for the sponsor companies, and on the same day they a matinee concert was held for children with special needs, who were given New Year’s presents from companies Super Vero and Coca Cola.

Through these initial performances, the Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra started its work.

The Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra “Children to Children” is a long-term project aimed at affirming the youngest music talents and promoting classical music. The project was launched

T

76 CorD / January 2008

by the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and Publicis Group, under the patronage of the Belgrade City Assembly.

Through the establishing of co-operation between the Philharmonic Orchestra and music schools, the idea is to enable a continued public presence of the most talented young musicians. This co-operation

allows selectors to decide who will perform and personally take part in creating the fund “Children to Children” and contributing to the popularisation of classical music.

“We believe that supporting the youngest musicians and co-operating with music schools is our professional obligation, but also a great pleasure,” says Ivan Tasovac, Director of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. “The Philharmonic Orchestra is currently able to contribute to the development of the music scene in Serbia and, by using its reputation, can act as a link and facilitator of our talents worldwide. Our wish is also that the children share the music with their colleagues in a completely relaxed environment, to strengthen their ambitions and enjoy working together.

Forming a children’s orchestra is our longterm goal that requires means, as well as making a selection among children from the whole of Serbia, which is something we will achieve, I am certain, with the help of sponsors.”

At an audition held in December 2007 at “Mokranjac” Musical School, the jury – comprising members of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra – chose the most talented children of Belgrade’s music schools, and the winners of prestigious awards, 15 soloists and two orchestras.

The Masters of Ceremonies were wellknow actors who wanted to contribute to the affirmation of this idea, and the concert was to be broadcast by B92 within its New Year programme.

St. Sava’s Day Concert The Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra “Children to Children” is holding a special concert for the diplomatic corps in Belgrade on 27th January – St. Sava’s Day – at the Belgrade Philharmonic Hall. The concert, organised by Publicis Group of Serbia and Montenegro and CorD Magazine, will see the youngest musicians of Serbia present their New Year programme to the members of the diplomatic community. The idea is to make this concert on St. Sava’s Day become a traditional event, just like the New-Year Gala Concert on 22nd December.

The Young Artists Olga Radović: born 18th June 1994 in Belgrade, Olga is a fifthgrade pupil of ’Kosta Manojlović’ Music School in Zemun, Class of Ms. Radojka Ivanović.

Awards in competition: - Competition ’Mali virtuoz’ (‘Young Virtuoso’), Belgrade, Laureate, Special I Award, 2004 - Competition of Music School ’Vladimir Đorđević’, Belgrade, I Award, 2005 - IX Festival of Young Pianists of Music School ’Mihailo Vukdragović’ - II Pianist Memorial ’Vučković’, I Award, 2005 - Republic Competition, 2005, I Award - VIII Pianist Competition EPTASerbia, Faculty of Music, Laureate of I Category, 2005 - X International Festival of Young Pianists, Laureate of Young Categories, Šabac, 2006 - IX International Competition of Young Pianists, Niš, I Award, 2006 - X Festival of Young Pianists Musical School ’Mihajlo Vukdragović’, Šabac, 2006 - III Pianist Memorial ’Vučković’, Belgrade, I Award, 2007 - Republic Competition 2007, Belgrade, I Award - International Competition at Kosice, April 2007, VI Place Anja Petković: born 31st July 1996 in Belgrade, Anja is a fifthgrade pupil of ’Kosta Manojlović’ Music School in Zemun, Class of Ms, Jelena Vukajlović.

Awards in competition: - I place at the school’s competition in 2004 - I place at the Republic Competition in 2004 - II place at the International Competition ’Petar Toskov’ - I place at the school’s competition in 2005

- I place at the open competition ’Vatroslav Lisinski’in 2005 - I place at the school’s competition in 2006 - II place at the Republic Competition in 2006 - I place at the Festival of Music and Ballet Schools of Serbia in 2006 - I place at the school’s competition in 2007 - I special award at the open competition of Music School ’Vatroslav Lisinski’ - III place at the International Competition ’Aleksander Glazunov’ Liora Šijački: born 6th November 1995 in Belgrade, Liora is a fourth-grade pupil of Music School ’Vatroslav Lisinski’ in Belgrade, Department for Classical Guitar, Class of Mr, Igor Ivić.

Awards in competition: - Republic Competition in 2006, I Award - VI open school’s competition (Memorial Dušan Protić), 2006, I Award - Mali virtuozi (‘Young Virtuosos’) of Music School ’Konjović’, 2006, I Award - VII International Guitar Festival, Leskovac, 2006 – First Category- Laureate - Special Award - Laureate for the first three categories - Seventh open school’s competition, 2007, Laureate (third grade) and Laureate for Primary School - VIII International Guitar Festival, Leskovac, 2007, I Award - Guitar Open Festival, Subotica, I Award - Guitar Art festival, Belgrade 2007the youngest finalist Nikola Dragosavac: born 1994, Nikola is a sixth-grade pupil of Music School ’Josip Slavenski’, Class of Ms. Olga Bauer.

Awards in competition: 2005 and 2007 - Republic Competition, I Award

“The plan is to make the New Year Gala Concert of the Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra become a traditional event gladly attended, like that of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. We have very ambitious plans, because our young artists, with their levels of performance and energy, leave nobody feeling indifferent. They are, for sure, like the Serbian tennis players: the best thing this country has; they deserve the cover pages and the full attention of the media and the public,” says Dragana Željković, member of the Belgrade City Council.

“Over the course of the summer months, we will do our best to arrange public performances for the Belgrade Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra, to be held in the

2004 - EPTA Serbia, I Award - Belgrade Podium of Young Talents dedicated to Mozart, II Place, special award for the best performed Mozart composition 2007 - Memorial ’Vojislav Vučković’, I/1 Place 2004- VIII Festival of Young Pianists, Šabac, II/1 Award 2006- Competition of Young Pianists, Niš, I/3 Place 2005- International Competition of Young Pianists at Kosice, Slovakia in A category - III place and in 2007 in B category – II place from 2003 till 2007 – Promenade of Piano Talents of Serbia– always I/1 Place Kristijan Petrović: born 6th July 1996 in Valjevo, Kristijan is a sixth-grade pupil of Music School ’Vladimir Đorđević’ in Belgrade, Major in Violin, Class of Mr. Zoran Ilić.

Awards in competition: 2002, 2004 and 2006-Republic Competition of Music Schools of Serbia – I place 2004 and 2006 -Festival of Music Schools of Serbia, Lazarevac– soloist, I Award 2004 and 2006 -Festival Music Schools of Serbia, Lazarevac– chamber music, I Award 2005- Laureate (100 points) competition at Ub 2005 and 2006-Open Competition of Music School ’Vatroslav Lisinski’ Belgrade– I award 2006 - International Competition ’Ohridski biseri’ (‘Pearls of Ohrid’) – I Award 2006 - International Competition’Petar Toskov’. – III Award 2007- International Competition’Petar Toskov’– II Award Lenka Petrović: born 14th July 1995 in Belgrade, Lenka is a

city’s most beautiful open spaces, like the Belgrade Fortress. This sort of cultural programme will surely not only contribute to the establishing of music and musical talent, but also make our city more beautiful,” continues Željković.

By covering the costs of yearly subscription for four concerts, sponsor companies will take part in creating a fund that will be used to grant scholarships to talented children, as well as paying for instruments and the forming of children’s orchestras, improving the skills of children and teachers at specialist master classes, establishing co-operation with similar organisations worldwide, etc.

This spring will see the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra audition pupils of mu-

fifth-grade pupil of Music School ’Kornelije Stanković’, Class of Ms. Staša Mirković Grujić.

Awards in competition: 2003 – Belgrade, Republic Competition of Music and Ballet SchoolsII award 2004 – Paris, International Competition – UFAM- I award 2005 –Belgrade, Republic Competition of Music and Ballet Schools –I award 2007 – Velenje, International Harpists Competitions – won I-second award Radmila Jovanović: born 13th August 1995 in Belgrade, Radmila is a fifth-grade pupil of Music School ’Davorin Jenko’, Violin, Class of Ms. Danica Gavrilović.

Awards in competition: 2003– Competition ’Mali virtuoz’ (‘Young Virtuoso’) – I Award 2004– International Competition ’Petar Toskov’ – III Award Republic Competition – I Award 2005– Festival of Musical Schools – I Award 2006– Republic Competition – I Award 2007– Verbagna, Italy – I Award (100 points) and the Special Award for performing Kabalevsky Strahinja Petrović: born 1996 in Belgrade, Strahinja is a second-year pupil of Music School ’Vatroslav Lisinski’, clarinet, Class of Mr. Ljubiša Jovanović.

Awards in competition: 2006 - I Award at the Open Competition ’Davorin Jenko’ 2007 - Special Award – Laureate of Primary Music School– winds - Laureate – Festival of Music School ’Petar Stojanović’, Ub - I award at the Republic Competition - I award, Competition of wooden winds, Požarevac

sic schools across Serbia. Those chosen for the children’s orchestra would go on to attend a summer camp led by worldrenowned music tutors.

“In cooperation with the media, our task is to enable talented young musicians, and this idea in itself, to get the publicity they deserve. The support we have been getting from the very beginning – from all institutions, companies, music schools, etc. – shows that there is good will, but also a need for this sort of initiative. Indeed, we are already planning other concerts for a broader audience, as the interest is huge,” says Žaklina Kušić, CEO of Publicis Group for Serbia and Montenegro and the founder of the fund “Children to Children”. n CorD / January 2008 77

Celluloid Popcorn

INTERVIEW: Goran Radaković

Collaboration

coming “International collaboration is definitely the wave of the future of film, because borders between markets are increasingly being eliminated.”

By Vik Jensen oran Radaković took his first steps in the world of film as a child actor aged just 11. As he explains to CorD, “In 1975 I played my first role in Zdravko Šotra’s film “Siroče” (Orphan)… In the part of Belgrade I come from, Zemun, it was really as though I had fallen from Mars, because I think I was the first actor in the whole neighbourhood who had appeared on television – and back then appearing on television inspired a much greater fascination than is the case today.”

G

n You started acting at a very young age.

How did your career progress after that first break? r I played again in some amateur plays, stopped acting during puberty and secondary school, and when it was “tough” – when I completed secondary school – I immediately wished to act professionally. So I applied for the Belgrade Academy. They accepted me and I completed the Academy. That was a completely different time than today. The Academy was the one and only school for the dramatic arts – there were no private schools. Anyone who wanted to be an actor could only be so if they completed the Belgrade Academy of Dramatic Arts… You couldn’t pay to become an actor, either you act or you don’t. I remember that year there were around six hundred and something applicants, but only 11 of us were enrolled. n You act both in film and on television.

Do you prefer either medium and, if so, why? r The theatre is one thing I know for sure, because it interests me more, at least for the time being, and because I really do not have any inclination towards it. I can go to see a theatre play, but to act or go to rehearsals and act in the evening is of no interest to me.

“ I think that art and film do not have much in common with welfare. If that was the case then Scandinavian countries would probably have the best cinematography in the world, but they don’t.”

Normally, film is definitely something which is maximally exciting and interesting to me, and I love it. As far as I’m concerned, that delineation between film and television is fading away; and good television is increasingly working in a similar way, that is, like film. For instance, during my most recent television experience we worked with one Hd camera, and nowadays almost 80 per cent of films made in Serbia are filmed with Hd technology. The technological differences between film and television are not what they were, and now these two mediums are increasingly developing and approaching each other. In the future, in my opinion, the differences between film and television are going to be abolished. n What has been the most productive period of your career? r For sure, 1996, ‘97, ‘98 were really years when an abundance of films were created each year. I remember 1997 very well. That year I worked as a producer, scenario collaborator and actor in the film “Tri palme za dve bitange i ribicu” (Three palms for two punks and a little fish). That is the year when I recorded some 15 films, six or seven of which were virtual masterpieces. That is the year that films like “Rane” (Wounds), “Crna mačka, beli mačor” (Black cat, White tomcat), “Rat uživo” (War Live) and Paskaljević’s “Bure baruta” (Powder Keg) were made.

“Tri palme za dve bitange i ribicu” was the most popular film in terms of audiences during that year and the next, when the dis-

“ I have no paranoid fear that Hollywood’s influence will destroy small film industries like ours… There is completely sufficient space for both Hollywood films and our domestic film industry” 78 CorD / January 2008

tribution started. I find that very interesting, particularly in a year of such strong competition when Serbian cinemas were full. Some six million cinema tickets were sold in Serbia that year. In comparison, only some 7 to 800,000 cinema tickets were sold in 2006/7. n How much is the film industry affected by changing to the way film is financed in the post-socialist era? r I think that art and film do not have much in common with welfare. If that was the case then Scandinavian countries would probably have the best cinematography in the world, but they don’t.

However, funding is a problem – though it is probably a universal one. Films used to be made in Serbia with lots of state money, with little political connections that directed us to sponsors, and those were again, in principle, state money: sponsors’ money that you never repaid. Unfortunately, that is now all but gone and we find ourselves in a period of harsh capitalism. Sponsors are looking out for their own interests and connections.

That said, a new area of funding recently emerged in Serbia, which has to do with the access to significant the European funds of “Euroimage”. I have personally co-operated with them and received funds from “Euroimage” for the film “Guča”, which we shot in 2005. Moreover, each country has its own national funds, and there are certain panEuropean funds under the auspices of European cinematography. Filmmakers in Serbia might have some opportunity to access these funds. The money procured is costly, and the funds are hard to get hold of: you need to prove high quality production; you have to produce the relevant papers, to deal with the financiers and obey the law and regularity in

n You’re currently shooting a new miniseries. Could you tell us about it? r It’s a series called “Vratiće se rode” (Storks will Return). We are somewhere in the middle of shooting and it is expected to have around 25 episodes. I think that is the biggest project of B92 television, in terms of featured series, and except some smaller ones, maybe the first of its kind. In any case, it is something that B92 hasn’t done before.

Besides producers, there are also Adrenalin and Cobra, that is, Dragan Radulić – the man who came up with the idea and started the whole story. It might be a little silly to say, but the greatest joy for me is that this is something truly and completely different. It is different in terms of style, method, text, regarding certain wisdom, in the end, because we have a man who has returned to Serbia after seventeen years of life in comfortable LA. That is our friend Goran Gajić, movie director, who has simply brought with him a kind of power, know-how and all the good things from the centre of the world regarding films and series; he is transposing that in the best possible way here. I think that we all follow in his footsteps, and I am convinced that we’re making a series that will mark a total improvement in the area of television series. n Have you ever thought about upping sticks and heading to Hollywood? r I have never considered it, I have to admit. I was there; I saw how it all looks and, for me, it all just seemed so far away and unreachable. Simply, the language barrier is something specific, except if I play myself or I’m playing a Serb in a Hollywood movie.

Everything else looks strange to me. I didn’t even dream about a move there.

“ The technological differences between film and television are not what they were, and now these two mediums are increasingly developing and approaching each other. In the future, in my opinion, the differences between film and television are going to be abolished.” all your acts when you shoot a film, in order to receive the first, second and third part of that money, which is all difficult in Serbia.

There are other funds that will become available as Serbia moves closer to the EU. In any case, the fact is that the Serbian state helps many filmmakers each year. We have received funds from the Serbian Ministry, the city of Belgrade supports with amounts that are not insignificant – up to a couple of hundred thousand euros – and it is possible to collaborate with certain television companies which are more and more aggressively and frequently making their film production, some interesting financial arrangements, that is, co-production relationships. n How would you assess the trend in cross-

border collaboration on film? r International collaboration is definitely the wave of the future of film, because borders between markets are increasingly being eliminated. You simply can’t pay for one film worth, for instance, 1.5 million euros – like the film “Guča” – only for it to be seen by 20,000 or so cinemagoers in Serbia. At the same time, such a film as Guča, which is full of the basic traits of Serbia’s national music, satisfies the wish to advertise a brand which is definitely recognisable in Europe, and that is the biggest trumpet festival in Guča. It is crazy to make that film only for one’s own sake, or for one market, when international collaboration can allow us to access greater audiences and funding and markets.

n Do you prefer blockbuster movies or art house film? r Either format can be good. I don’t have any prejudice. I mean, I love good Hollywood movies and I like good Art house films.

The division is really for good or bad films.

Moreover, unlike many other people, I have no paranoid fear that Hollywood’s influence will destroy small film industries like ours… There is completely sufficient space for both Hollywood films and our domestic film industry, which is good; there is also room for art house film, provided the film in question is good. Hollywood, on the other hand, can get away with producing films that are a load of rubbish. I consider that rubbish coming from Hollywood as brain washing.

It is stupid to waste time or expose oneself to negative influences by watching that junk.

However, Hollywood also produces good and intelligent films which move the borders both in us and in cinematography. In the end, everything is dictated from there. We can love it or hate it, but we have to be aware that we are dictated to from there in order to survive. n CorD / January 2008 79

Culture

Violinist Jovan Kolundžija marks the ruby anniversary of his artistic career

Joyous career Celebrated violinist Jovan Kolundžija completed his postgraduate studies at the Belgrade Academy of Music under Professor Petar Toskov, before going on to complete his advanced studies with the famous Henryk Szeryng.

Behind Kolundžija is an enviable international career, and over four thousand concerts performed both in the country and abroad.

Behind this rather meagre information, which Kolundžija cites in his biography, hides a virtuoso of a special kind.

By Novo Tomić ovan Kolundžija has been one of Serbia’s favourite musical artists for forty years.

Testimony to this fact will be provided in Kolarac Hall on 23rd December, when he will be giving his celebratory testimonial concert marking four decades of a highly successful career.

Kolundžija plays the Guarnerius violin, the only known example of this old instrument in Serbia. Sixteen years ago he established the Guarnerius Art Centre and has since endeavoured to honour Serbian culture in a special way.

On the occasion of this jubilee concert in Belgrade, Kolundžija answered a few questions for CorD magazine even though, as he said, he does not care for interviews anymore, since he has given over 100 to date!

J

n When somebody marks their jubilee, it is inevitable that one will look to the past. How do you see your past music years and at this moment do you think more about them or about the next forty to come? r As a man and an artist, I always concentrate on what is happening now and what is to come. Looking back, what took place during my career was a huge experience and, to a great extent, a pleasure. I certainly learned a great deal from that experience, 80 CorD / January 2008

enough for the next 40 years, as you said, to be more valuable. n What marked your career; what made it what it was? Some people think that you did not achieve everything you could have with your talent. r I never had any doubt about my great love for the violin and music. I wanted everything I’ve done all this time to be my life’s vocation. Meeting Henryk Szeryng was the most precious thing that happened to me on that journey.

As regards my career, I built it in a similar way to the way the country we live in was built. Lots of good and significant things happened until the moment when it fell into crisis, which became a crisis for all of us.

The consequence of that was the break I made in giving concerts, because it seemed

to me that I was not strong enough to ignore what was happening around us. From that unfortunate time the most significant trace I left on the performing plan was ten concerts by ten composers (Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Mendelson, Bruch, Lalo, Wieniawsky, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Brams), which I played in only four days in 1994, with the St. George Strings and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, in front of an overflowing Kolarac crowd. The second significant thing was establishing the Guarnerius Art Centre which, since 2001, has become one of the precious places for the Belgrade public. n However, you found the strength to return to playing? r A few years ago I again dedicated myself to the instrument and various programmes.

The result of all this should be achieved in Kolarac on 23rd December. At that concert,

within the framework of my 40-year jubilee on stage, I hope I will start an even higher quality phase of interpretation of music in front of an audience. The crown of this dedication which I am going to share with audiences next year will be 10 Beethoven sonatas. I will play that at the end of 2009, three evenings in row, with my sister Nada Kolundžija and two renowned pianists. n You are known as a musician who strictly sticks to the classics and does not perform modern music too much.

Who are your favourite composers and compositions? Is there any composition which you have not played during these forty years and you wanted to?

Kolundžija and Sering

r My nature drags me towards composers from the 18th and 19th centuries. As regards compositions, I think that one of the best is Johan Sebastian Bach’s partita no.2 D-moll.

Of course, there are also numerous compositions by my favourite composers: Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky ... I have never played Sibelius’s beautiful Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, I hope I will put it on the repertoire in the following years. n Once you stated, if they cited you correctly, that your impression was that in your career luck followed you more than your own efforts to try to build your career yourself! From this distance, how do you now see your efforts and how do you see luck? r It is true that during all these years I did not have any special plan. My career spontaneously went in a certain direction that I cannot complain about. Numerous calls from our country and the world followed one after another and I surrendered to them.

But, when I say luck, I mean that I did not have to waste my time on marketing, which helps your career. Since luck without cover cannot last forever the logical conclusion is that I deserved it. n You used to travel a great deal and have performed on many stages. How is it now, considering that we do not hear you in Belgrade very often? Why do you perform in Belgrade less than the audiences would like?

Heart and Spirit The late Henryk Szeryng: “At this moment, I consider Jovan Kolundžija to be the best violinist of the younger generation of artists. Jovan has inborn qualities which cannot be learnt or taught. By this, I mean the quality of sound, warmth, a humane approach to music, a feeling for style. He is a happy combination of heart and spirit...

Jovan Kolundžija is a unique jewel among the young violinists of the world. He reaches the highest peaks of performing arts... An exceptionally brilliant international career lies ahead of him...” r My intensity in performing was not that significant, and considering that my new 40 years are about to start, that will be a completely new page in my career which means at least two concerts a year in Belgrade, one with an orchestra and one recital. I promise my audience that. n Have you ever fallen into crisis and doubts regarding your art and career? r Of course. I would not like to compare my career with that of other artists, but it seems to me that we all go through a crisis time in our work and attempt to reach the perfect interpretation. At this moment I cannot say how long that lasted but I think that I managed to find the right answers to many questions which I previously resolved more spontaneously than consciously. n You never wanted to move abroad, and with your skills you could have lived wherever you wanted. However, not only did you stay in Belgrade but you invested everything in Guarnerius. It seems that you do not regret that? How do you manage, in these uncultured times, to maintain Guarnerius, as a sort of cultural oasis, and what are your future plans for Guarnerius? r The challenges which I placed before myself, and later before my wife and sister, because of Guarnerius, all in the desire to transform a ruined space into the oasis of beauty it is today, and all that happened during the 1990’s and we know what that time was like, was on the edge of possibility. Firstly, because of the enormous amount of money which had to be invested and later because of the constant struggle to provide funds in order for the season to be the best possible.

This enormous energy and persistence bore fruit and the results are the numerous exceptionally high quality programs achieved (concerts by the most eminent artists from within the country and abroad, young talented performers, master classes, exhibitions, performances, literature evening etc.). Therefore, the survival of Guarnerius is no longer in question. I am grateful to everybody, all of the sponsors who helped this fine arts centre. The mayor of Belgrade, Nenad Bogdanovic, showed great understanding for Guarnerius and I

am extremely grateful for that. Of course, we want to present the Belgrade audience with as many quality artists as possible, to organise festivals, offer support to young talent, to organise educational programmes… n Great violinist Henryk Szeryng was among the greatest admirers of your talent and skills. He even called you his spiritual son. Did he have the most influence on you or does that honour belong to somebody ‘from the shadows’? r My admiration for Henryk Szeryng is still so great, even though he is no longer alive, that my feelings for him cannot be separated from the feelings I have for other artists I met during my career. Of course, everything Menuhin, Ojstrah, Weissenberg, Gitlis said about me mean a great deal to me. But not only did Szeryng influence me as a violinist and a man, I can also surely say that he was one of the greatest violinists of the last century, certainly the greatest for interpreting Bach and Mozart. n When you were once asked what the event of the season was for you, you replied: “The summer holiday with my daughter in Zlatibor”. Did your family suffer because of your career, or your career because of your family? Or did you manage to bring that into harmony? r It is certain that my relations with my family and friends suffered because of my career, and that followed me all through my life. But I simply think that there is no remedy for that. Where is the border of that dedication? Everybody finds the answer to that question in his own way. I hope that I did not cross that line, and if I did, my impression is that they all forgave me for it.

However, my vocation is delicate. I would like to believe that all those who expected more from me will understand why that was impossible. n Will you have more jubilee concerts this season? r Yes, I have connected this jubilee for Belgrade and Sarajevo and I will perform in another 15 large towns in Serbia and Montenegro. Unfortunately, Croatia is not on that list, but not because I did not want it to be. n CorD / January 2008 81

Leisure

Winter Diplomatic Club in Belgrade

decorative arrangements, which were complemented with yellow leaves and nuts.

“The quoted foodstuffs were also the main ingredients of the dishes from the menu, which was for that evening also prepared according to the prescribed theme”, says Mrs. Vujović, continuing: “Sparkling wine from Tuscan wineries for aperitif, chestnut soup, meat with sauce and side dishes containing chestnuts, fruit salads and grape cakes. The waiters themselves, as well as the ‘Singing Waiters’, are also adequately attired.”

In reality, the ‘Singing Waiters’ aren’t reEvery second Saturday, Belgrade’s Diplomatic Club res- ally waiters. They are professional musicians students of music. Especially for these taurant plays host to evenings organised under the title or themed evenings, Mrs. Vujović organised ‘Singing Waiters’. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a group of young people – pianist Dragana Kesić, soprano singer Natalija Nikolić and good music and supreme culinary specialities. tenors Nenad and Slaven Čiča. With Silver snowflakes, a decorated fir tree with presents beneath it, twinkling brother excellent musical performances and impectable candles, evergreen branches next to every plate, white table cloths, cable singing, these young artists evoke the silver-white details on dresses or in ladies’ hair, smooth piano chords, lush finest emotions and resounding applauses of listeners. voices of singers – everything is somehow romantic, warm, festive, fable- their“The evening starts with an aperitif, conlike ... How can it be otherwise in the “Winter Fairytale” than romantic, tinuing with rich topical dinner,” explains Vujović. “At the moment when real waiters, festive and magical. accompanied by the ‘Singing waiters’, start serving the dishes, the ‘Singing Waiters’ start to sing. The real waiters retreat and the singers remain on stage. Song after song follows. It happens that the guests themselves start singing, even dancing, and that is exactly our goal – to make sure guest diners, amongst whom are many diplomats, foreign visitors and Belgraders, have lots of fun.

By Ljiljana Matejić-Vučković Mrs. Vujović is recisely one such evening has been reIn reality, the ‘Singing Waiters’ aren’t really waiters.They are planning to continue cently portrayed to numerous guests of professional musicians or students of music. Especially for the themed ‘singing the Diplomatic Club restaurant in Belgrade. these themed evenings, Mrs.Vujović organised a group of waiter’ evenings on “I had this idea in my head for a long young people – pianist Dragana Kesić, soprano singer Natalija a long term basis. In time,” explains Slobodanka Vujović, conJanuary one of the SatNikolić and brother tenors Nenad and Slaven Čiča. ceiver of the evenings of ‘Singing Waiters’. urday evenings in the “I have worked for a long time in our diploDiplomatic Club resmatic representative offices abroad and there I have seen many ways that social events can and drink to a higher level, to make it more taurant will be entitled “On the beautiful blue be envisaged; to make, out of simple dinners pleasant, and also to bring quality music – in Danube”. And, of course, the evening will be enriched by the music of Strauss, waltzes and in a restaurant, unusual events and happen- this case popular classics – closer to guests.”

Considering that the ‘Singing Waiter’ culinary specialities of Austria... ings that everybody likes. In agreement with Late January and early February is the the restaurant owner in the Diplomatic Club, evenings were first organised in autumn, it I started to organise topical evenings twice a is completely logical that they covered the time when masked balls are traditionally month. These evenings do not merely entail themes of Autumn sonata, Autumn in Tus- held. This custom will serve as an inspiration for the night of ‘singing waiters’. Imadequate decoration of the restaurant, dress cany, but also Rhapsody in Blue.

For the Autumn in Tuscany evening, the mediately afterwards, Valentine’s Day will code for the public and selection of music and artists, but also a menu that completely whole restaurant was in the shade of autumn provide the inspiration, then the beginning of matches the set topic, as well as preparation and the colours of the Italian flag. As this Ital- spring will inspire. Mostly, hosts invite lovof adequate small presents for every guest. ian province is famous for its grapes, wine ers of good music and top culinary specialiBesides that, I wished to elevate sitting with and chestnuts, grapes and chestnuts were ties to come and socialize with the ‘singing friends or family in a restaurant with dinner used as the basic elements of the evening’s waiters’. n

FAIRYTALE

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82 CorD / January 2008

Leisure

By Ljiljana Matejić-Vučković ej salaši na severu Bačke” (Hey you farmsteads in the north of Bačka), sing Tambouritza folk singers in a famous old folk song. And between the homesteads in the extreme north of Vojvodina, in the midst of pine forests that grew on the fertile plain, there is another jewel – the beautiful Villa Majur. This luxurious hotel, only eight kilometres from the centre of Subotica, readily accepts and accommodates even the pickiest of guests in its 12 rooms, four business apartments, three lux apartments and VIP apartment, as well as in the conference hall. Majur Restaurant boasts an aperitif salon and covered terrace. It offers top quality domestic wines and aperitifs, the tastiest culinary specialities from this area, but also dishes and drinks of almost all countries of the world. Everything is coupled with the pleasant melodies of the ‘Hajo’ Tambouritza ensemble, which is ready to fulfil almost every musical wish.

“We have already existed as a restaurant for 16 years, and we are the first classical restaurant in Serbia which was ranked with four-star quality as far back as 1996,” explains Josip Saulić, Head of the Wellas Company Catering Department,

H

Awards Majur Restaurant 1998 The best quality of services – Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina 1998 Tourist flower – Tourist Organisation of Serbia 2002 Medallion for Improvement of the Quality of Services – Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina 2003 The best Quality of Services – Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina 2003 Absolute Quality Champion – Novi Sad Fair 2003 Golden Tourism Heart – the best restaurant in SCG and Republika Srpska – SACEN International 2004 Grand Cup of Novi Sad Fair 2005 Grand Cup of Novi Sad Fair Villa Majur Hotel 2006 Golden Tourism Heart – SACEN International

Weekend-break destinations

Magic Majur

On the very border between Serbia and Hungary, near the Kelebija border crossing, in the middle of pine forest, lies the Villa Majur luxury hotel and restaurant of the same name. Here one can find a farm and stud farm of Lipizzaner horses, which also hosts unusual presentations of old coaches, two-wheeled carts, diligence carriages and sledges. parent company of Villa Majur. “Now we can also boast two additional international quality certificates of high standard, as we have been awarded with the ISO 9001 and HACCP. This is a result of the daily efforts of all the staff, over a period of sixteen years, to include the highest possible quality in everything we do, in order to ensure the guests who spend time in our facilities take with them only fond memories, and return to stay with us again. Since last year our portfolio has included a newly constructed luxury leisure section of the hotel, complete with a “Wellness” centre that includes a covered swimming pool, sauna, weights room and relaxation massage centre,” says Saulić.

Guests of Villa Majur don’t merely enjoy the peace and tranquillity that emanates from the surrounding pine forest, but they can also afford themselves moments of rare romance. In summer they can enjoy the countryside in carriage rides, in winter over snow by sledges, with teams of Lipizzaner horses, guests can drive through the woods that surround the villa, but also through the nearby Kelebija woods – which represent a unique air-spa of the area.

The hospitable senior staff of the Majur restaurant and stud farm composes daily programmes for the entertainment of their guests. For instance, while adults enjoy tennis on one of two open-air courts, children can visit the modest zoo or learn to ride at the stud farm’s regular riding school lessons for children.

Those who prefer walking and sightseeing are offered the rare opportunity to explore the stud farm’s rich collection of coaches, two-wheeled carts, sledges and one diligence carriage. Some coaches are almost a century old.

For the New Year, on 1st and 2nd January a traditional New Year’s picnic is organised. For this event the hosts offer their guests top Backa specialities – from hot brandy, rare cheeses, sausages, aspics and Hungarian perkelt, to hot doughnuts with jam and strudel filled with poppy seeds.

“Whoever comes to us shall be prepared not to rush anywhere. Why should one rush, when one has come to rest? And we can negotiate anything. In the end, we’re there to please our guests,” emphasises Saulić as one of the main principles of the Villa Majur team. n CorD / January 2008 83

TOS Recommends

Winter Wonderland This month, CorD & the Tourist Organisation of Serbia invite you to make the most of the Balkan winter by visiting the winter mountain resorts of Serbia.

84 CorD / January 2008

Divčibare

Divčibare is situated on Mount Maljen, 37km south-east of Valjevo, at 980m/asl.

As a consequence of the beneficial geographic position, coastal climatic influences Divčibare. This is where the Carpathian and Panonian climate, which explains the increased presence of iodine in the air.

Divčibare has a mild climate and an average of 239 days without wind and 280 days without precipitation. Winters on Divčibare abound with snow, and the

average air temperature in summer does not exceed 22 degrees Centigrade. It is for these reasons that Divčibare has been proclaimed a climate spa.

Mild climate, beneficial geographic position, rich flora and fauna, abundance of natural wells and flowing waters place Divčibare among the most attractive places in Serbia, equally attractive both in summer and winter. Divčibare is home to coniferous woodland, and in the very centre are mountain pine trees, which oth-

erwise do not grow anywhere else above 2,000m/asl. Natural reserves in Divčibare include an ancient wood in Great pleča, Vražji vir (Devil’s Vortex) on the river Crna Kamenica (Black Stone) and Crna Reka (Black River) canyon. A special attraction is provided by the 20-metre high waterfall Skakalo (Jumper) on river Manastirici (Lady-monk).

Tourist information and accommodation: Tourist Organisation of Valjevo Municipality - “Valjevo turist” Prote Mateje 1, 14000 Valjevo Tel: 014/ 221 138 Email: tovaljevo@ptt.yu Url: www.divcibare.co.yu

In Divčibare there are terrains for tennis and mini golf, as well as trim lane and marked walking lanes. A riding school is open year round. Surrounding peaks and mild slopes are covered in snow three to four months of the year.

Skiers can take advantage of a couple of ski lanes. On the northern slope of Crni vrh (Black Peak) the longest lane (800 m) lies.

This lane is serviced by a cable car with a capacity of 700 skiers per hour. The lane is illuminated and there is a possibility to ski at night. Near the guest house „Zmaj“ (Dragon), in Golubac and at the high point “Stražara“ (Guardian point) there are three smaller ski lanes, up to 300 m long, with a capacity of 200 skiers per hour. Divčibare gorge has excellent terrains for ski running. In hotels and rest homes there is a possibility to rent and service ski equipment, and during the winter season a ski school also works.

MOUNT TARA

Tara, one of the most beautiful mountains in Serbia, is located in western Serbia. It is covered with dense woodland embroidered with clearings and meadows with rocky cliffs, ravines and caves. It spreads at an altitude from 1,000 to 1,200m/asl.

Tourists have at their disposal arranged hiking lanes (10 km), and for sportsmen and recreation lovers there is a trim lane (1.6 km), football terrain, open terrains for sports and other offers.

In the winter period, visitors to Tara can ski on lanes situated immediately next to the hotel “Beli bor” (White Pine), at an altitude of 1,000m/asl. There are also two ski lifts: one for children and novices 150 m long, and the other for recreational skiers 450 m long.

Tara National Park spreads over an CorD / January 2008 85

TOS Recommends

area of 19,750 hectares. Tara is characterised with variegated flora, amongst which stands out Pančić’s Spruce, which can only be found here. Diversity of habitat and conserved vegetation have enabled the survival of many animal species, such as the brown bear, chamois, white grouse, golden eagle and others.

Forests, canyons and river banks contain traces of prehistoric, antique, Roman and Byzantine culture. The 13th century Rača Monastery, necropolis of tombstones Perućac and Rastište, are a part of Serbian medieval heritage. Unique folk art is represented by Dinar log cabins, located alongside the banks of the Drina.

clear lakes surrounded with spruces and birch-woods, a mix of Mediterranean and mountain climates, maximum number of sunny days, beneficial air enriched with turpentine and ozone, endless panorama...

Mount Zlatar, according to its morphology, climate and vegetation and authentic nature, can be included into significant tourist regions, where sports-recreational, excursion, health-treatment, hunting, congress, short trips and village tourism can be developed.

In the winter period guests can use an 800m ski-lane, with ski-lift 420m long, situated 200m from hotel “Panorama”.

Close to Mount Zlatar one can visit the Uvac river canyon, inhabited the rare Griffon vulture. This natural reserve, classified as an ecological area due to interesting sceneries, clear water abounding in fish and the possibility of rafting and phototourism, attracts the attention of many tourists. Three artificial lakes – Zlatarsko, Sjeničko and Radoinjsko – as well as monasteries Mileševa and Banja, log cabin churches in Kućani and Radijevići, complete the tourist offer of Mount Zlatar.

MOUNT ZLATAR

MOUNT GOLIJA

Tourist information and accommodation: Tourist-Sports Centre Bajina Bašta Milana Obrenovića 34/III, 31250 Bajina Bašta Tel/fax: 031/ 865 370, 865 900 Email: office@stc-bajinabasta.com, stcbb@eunet.yu Url: www.stc-bajinabasta.com

Zlatar Mountain (the highest peak Golo brdo 1,627m/asl), is situated between the rivers Lim, Uvac, Mileševka and Bistrica.

The name of the mountain summarises all of its qualities: aromatic meadows and Tourist information: TOURIST ORGANISATION ZLATAR Karađorđeva 36 Tel: 033/ 62 621 Fax: 033/ 62 621 E-mail: tozlatar@verat.net, office@zlatar.org.yu

86 CorD / January 2008

Golija is a biosphere reserve under UNESCO protection. It is one of the most beautiful forest-rich mountains in Serbia.

It is situated 40 km south-west of Ivanjica and offers great opportunities for rest and relaxation in almost intact nature. The highest peak is Jankov kamen (Janko’s Stone -1833m/asl). In 2001, the area of Mount Golija has been placed under state protection as the “Golija Natural Park”, located in the 1st category of protection as a natural treasure of extreme importance.

The slopes of Golija are extremely suitable for skiing.

Golija is full of natural wells of clean and healthy water, which at their spring represent small creeks which are then

Tourist information: Tourist Organisation of Ivanjica Municipality Milenka Kusića 47, 32250 Ivanjica Tel/fax: 032/ 665 085 Email: tooivanjica@yu1.net Url: www.ivatourism.org

joined to make rivers, otherwise rich in various fish.

In Golija, one can find various monuments and monasteries originating already from the end of XII and the beginning of XIII century, like St. Transfiguration church in Pridvorica. In village Gradac there is „Gradac cross“ of unusually big dimensions, ornated with early Christian symbols and letters from 1662. In Golija there is also church in village Ostatija which is 46 km far from Ivanjica. It has been erected during the time of Nemanjići and dedicated to Unmercenary Physicians Kuzman and Damnjan. One of the most representative culture monuments that can be visited at the foot of mountain Golija is also „Roman Bridge“ 17 km far from Ivanjica, and it is believed that it has been constructed during the time of Nemanjići, although it is named the Roman Bridge.

The bridge has one arch, 14 meters long and 2.40 meters wide–renewed and conserved.

At an altitude of 1408m/asl, 40km west of Ivanjica, there is the hotel „Golijska reka“ (Golija river), which has a football pitch and terrains for other sports, including tennis. A special attraction of the area is hiking to Janko’s stone, Nović’s hill as well as marked „the lane of health“, 3km long.

Tourist information: Tourist Organisation of Gornji Milanovac Municipality Vojvode Milana 1/IV 32300 Gornji Milanovac Tel: 032/ 720 566 Email: togm@ptt.yu Url: www.togm.org.yu

In Golija one can find accommodation in the hotel „Golijska Reka“ (Golija River), which is situated in the very heart of Golija, and private accommodation that can be provided by the Tourist organisation of Ivanjica Municipality.

RUDNIK MOUNTAIN

Rudnik Mountain, dominating Šumadija, is located around 100km south of Belgrade. Besides the highest ‘Cvijić’s’ Peak (1132m/asl), high points are also Srednji and Mali Šturac, Molitve (Prayers), Palje-

vine (Arsons) and Marijanac. Good travel directions enable easy access to Rudnik.

The advantages of Rudnik are provided by the vicinity of historical sites at Oplenac and Takovo, of monastery Vraćevšnice, Voljavče, Nikolje and of Ovčar-Kablar monasteries, cosy climate, clear air and many hiking & rambling lanes.

The town of Rudnik was a centre of mining activity long before the arrival of Slavs. Before Roman times this area was inhabited by Illyrians and Celts. Judging by the rich traces of material culture, one can conclude that Rudnik was home to a major Roman settlementted, with coin mint. Serbian rulers and feudal masters also fought for Rudnik. The dinar of King Dragutin, minted in Rudnik, is the first Serbian dinar with Cyrillic inscription. In the 14th century Dubrovnik and Sass colonies were there, and a special importance is given to Rudnik after demise of Novo Brdo in 1441. Rudnik, with its ore riches (silver, lead, copper) wasn’t the only source

of revenue of Serbian rulers, but that was also the settlement with developed crafts and trade, the initial point for spreading cultural influence all over Serbia.

Thanks to extraordinary forests, natural health lanes and vicinity of big cities, Rudnik is suitable for development of summer and winter, health, school, sports and hunting tourism. Due to its extraordinary climate conditions (lots of sunny days during the year, air flows, high air ionization, unpolluted natural environment) already in 1922 Rudnik has been proclaimed an air spa.

Guests can mountaineer to Veliki Šturac, steep volcanic highland Ostrvica (Islet), ending in walls of Jerina’s town or they can visit nearby historical places Oplenac and Takovo, monasteries Vraćevšnica, Voljavča and Nikolje. Also, there is an opportunity to hunt large and small game. n

NOTE For all additional information and promotional brochures covering the tourist offer of Serbia, visit the Serbian Tourist Organisation Info Centre, located at Dečanska 8a, Belgrade.

Tel: 011 3230566 Working hours:Monday – Friday: 9:30am – 9pm Saturday: 9:30am – 5pm CorD / January 2008 87

techno talk

Braun Pulsonic Manufacturer: Braun Price: €185 url: www.braun.com Braun’s Pulsonic is the world’s only razor with a pulsating head that stimulates tiny vibrations on the skin, in order to give you the closest shave ever possible. We don’t know how or why it works, but we do know that our face is smoother than our arse. In a good way.

Earthkeepers Manufacturer:Timberland Price: €100 url: www.timberland.com The inspiration behind Timberland’s new Earthkeepers boot is borne out of the company’s desire to create an original, outdoor-tested boot with a smaller environmental footprint than other boots. Here they are - Timberland durability and lightweight versatility - the lining is made of recycled materials, the outsole is made with recycled rubber and they’re waterproof.

AluRunner Price: €410 url: www.alurunner.com The AluRunner is made from high-grade aluminium and has a built-in shock like the one you’d find on a full-suspension mountain bike. It has 165 mm of travel, which can eat up bumps from rocks, ice blocks and novices that happen to be between you and the bottom of the hill. When you’re done sledding, the whole thing flattens down to less than 7 inches and stores in a handy carrying bag.

88 CorD / January 2008

Nintendo Wii Manufacturer: Nintendo Price: €200 url: www.nintendo.com Four players at a time can whip around motion-sensing “Wiimotes” that turn spastic movements into on-screen action.

A distinguishing feature of the Wii console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect acceleration in three dimensions. Another is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.

Alienware Area-51 m9750 Manufacturer: Alienware Price: from €1,500 url: www.alienware.com Whether you’re a gamer or you’re just an Internet surfer, this powerhouse will get you where you want to go before you can say Web 2.0. Packed with an enormous 1GB NVIDIA SLI graphics card for maximum visuals and Intel Core2 Duo processor, this speedster is one of the fastest laptops on the planet. But that’s not all. There’s also a built-in DVR so you can record any TV programme (even HD) and have with you wherever you go.

iRobot 560 Roomba Manufacturer: iRobot Price: €305 url: www.irobot.com The gift of never having to vacuum again is surely a great one. This little robot will run around any floor sucking up crumbs and toenails until they’re clean enough to eat off. When it’s tired, it retreats to its base to recharge its battery…and work on its plan for global domination.

The New iRobot Roomba 500 Series Robots feature dramatic improvements in navigation and floor coverage, edge and corner cleaning, brushes, filters and advanced anti-tangle technology.

CorD / January 2008 89

techno talk

Sony PlayStation 3 Manufacturer: Sony Price: €350 url: www.playstation.com The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced

by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. The PS3 is the first console with next-generation primary storage media, Blu-ray Disc, though it also supports DVDs, CDs, HDDs and with some models SACDs.

Sneaux Ravers Manufacturer: Sneaux Price: €40 url: www.sneauxshoes.com Whether you’re out skating or doing ridiculous stunts like Steve-O, these kicks have got your back—er, feet. They go flawlessly from kick flips to kickin’ it.

90 CorD / January 2008

Xmod Wireless Manufacturer: Creative Price: €140 url: us.creative.com Creative’s Xmod Wireless streams music in Xtreme Fidelity from your PC, notebook or MP3 player around the home. Simply connect it to the USB port of your computer or the headphone socket of your MP3 player, place the X-Fi Wireless Receiver in any room, connect speakers or headphones - and you’re ready to enjoy your music, wire-free! The included remote controls music playback on your computer as well as volume and the system’s X-Fi Crystalizer and X-Fi CMSS-3D technologies, which enhance MP3 tracks and convert them to surround sound. Want music in more rooms?

Simply add extra Receivers!

Crumpler Complete Seed Messenger Bag Manufacturer: Crumpler Price: €70 url: www.crumplerbags.com This roomy one-shoulder bag has plenty of storage to hold all those presents you have to return to the shops. It also offers tight-holding Velcro to keep scrooges from stealing the goodies from your sack of festive prezzies.

Mad River Killer B Sledge Price: €70 url: www.madriverrocket.com Kneeling on a regular sledge is like an invitation from the snow to your face. But the Killer B is built like a wakeboard, which makes it much more stable and faster than a regular sledge. A strap and two grooved pads keep your legs in place, and a specially moulded body makes for awesome handling.

Canon HG10 HD Camcorder, Manufacturer: Canon Price: €750 url: www.canon.com This little cam can shoot 1920x1080 footage at 24fps, then record it all to a built-in 40 GB HDD. That means your home movies will look better than Peter Jackson’s. It also has a 2.7inch multi-angle LCD, so you can immediately relive joyous moments and hilarious injuries.

CorD / January 2008 91

Sport

Time for Tennis Serbian sport in 2007

Novak Đoković, Jelena Janković and Ana Ivanović have overshadowed all other Serbian sporting successes this year. Rowers and swimmers follow tennis players, while volleyball defends the honour of team sports and the country’s young footballers win silver.

By Aleksandar Miletić eople continue to ask me – how is that possible? I say that it might be a consequence of radiation from the [NATO] bombing or something else. The situation in our country was very bad: there were no sponsors, no tennis association, nothing. I do not blame anybody, the political situation is terrible, and then you can imagine what it was like with tennis, one of the most expensive sports in the world”. This statement, made by Janko Tipsarević after he qualified for the 4th round of Wimbledon, drew smiles from foreign journalists and served them as the new ‘argument’ in

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96 CorD / January 2008

the research of a new phenomenon: how it is possible that a small and ‘new’ country (Serbia) suddenly launches several tennis players to the top of the world?

Not a single politician, artist or scientist, in fact – nobody – has contributed so much to the affirmation of our country in recent years as our tennis players managed this year. Firstly, Novak Đoković, Jelena Janković and Ana Ivanović, but also Janko Tipsarević and Nenad Zimonjić. Because of these young stars, Serbia has become the ‘tennis country’ virtually overnight.

Some people describe that as paradoxical, because tennis is mostly connected with

the world of the rich.

Until a few years ago our country (under numerous different names) was one of the most successful in team sports with a ball (at the same time we won medals in basketball, volleyball, handball and water polo), but now it seems that the country has redirected its sport ‘production’. Suddenly, the individual ‘producers’ are shining, and tennis players are being followed by rowers, kayakers, swimmers, motor racers… Discord and bad selection in several associations has pushed ‘big’ team sports into the background and returned those sports which rely on the wings of

‘parental capital’ to the stage.

At the end of this year, Serbia has the most competitors among the first five in the world tennis ranking lists – ATP (male) and WTA (female). Novak Đoković is third on the ATP list, Jelena Janković third and Ana Ivanović fourth on the WTA. They have won a total of 12 tournaments: Đoković 5, Janković 4 and Ivanović 3.

They were particularly noticed at Roland Garros (Novak and Jelena in the semifinal and Ana in the final) and Wimbledon (Novak and Ana in the semi-final, Jelena in the third round of the singles and a winner in the mixed doubles with J. Murray).

How much the popularity of tennis has grown in Serbia was best seen in September in the Belgrade Arena, when the country’s players beat Australia in qualifications for the Davis Cup World Group in front of a full house of 20,000.

This year was also marked by rowers and kayakers. Coxed fours (Stojić, Jagar, Marjanović, Popović and coxswain Mimić) won the silver medal in the World Championships in Munich. Serbia gained another two medals in the European Championship in Poznanj. The coxless pair, Nikola Stojić and Goran Jagar – perhaps our trump card for the Olympics in Beijing – came second, while the light four (Urošević, Babović, Nedeljković, Tomić) won the bronze medal.

Serbia’s kayakers won three medals in the World Championships in Duisburg, and two in the European Championship in Ponte Vedra. The world champions from Segedin 2006 – Ognjen Filipović, Bora Sibinkić, Milan Đenadić and Dragan Zorić – won the silver medal in K200.

Kayak pair, Filipović and Zorić, won the bronze medal for the same distance as the female four-seat Miljana Knežević, Antonija Panda, Marta Tibor and Renata Kubik. Both male teams won medals in Ponte Vedra too: the K4 gold and the K2 bronze.

In Belgrade, in the Kayak and Canoe European Championship for competitors up to 23-years-old, Antonija Nađ defended her title from Athens in the1,000 meters single/Canadian single.

Our best swimmer, Milorad Čavić, sixth in the 100 metres butterfly in the World Championship in Melbourne, could soon be joined by Ivan Lenđer i Čaba Silađi in the major international finals competi-

How much the popularity of tennis has grown in Serbia was best seen in September in the Belgrade Arena, when the country’s players beat Australia in qualifications for the Davis Cup World Group in front of a full house of 20,000.

tions. In the European Championships for juniors in Antwerp, Lenđer won the gold medal in the 100 metres butterfly and the silver for the 50 metres, while Silađi came second in the 50 metres breaststroke.

The best Serbian wrestler, Kristian Fris, is third in Europe and the world. He won bronze medals at the championships in Sofia (Europe) and Baku (World). Aleksandar Maksimović became the junior European champion in wrestling in Belgrade.

Miloš Mijalković has represented the nation’s hope in judo in recent years, and he duly fulfilled national expectations at the European Championships in Belgrade by winning the bronze medal.

The boxing season was marked by Nikola Jovanović (junior champion in the European Championships in Sombor) and Nikola Stevanović (junior IBF world champion).

As for shooting, in which we are used to good results, we have already ensured several places for the Olympics in Beijing 2008. From a series of successes we have singled out two bronze medals in the European Championship in small calibre rifles in Granada – individual Nemanja Milosavljev and team, Pletikosić, Mirosavljev and Sebić, and two silver medals in the World Cup in Bangkok - Lidija Mihajlović and Stevan Pletikosić (Jasna Šekarić 4th place).

As regards athletics, Olivera Jevtić is again the centre of attention as the winner of the 20th Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon. She also came second in the half marathon in Porto, and won a bronze medal in the European cross country championships (Duško Markešević was second in the young seniors competition).

Luka Rujević came second in shot putting in the European Championships

Basketball showed two faces in 2007.The young representatives did something nobody has managed to do before by winning six medals (five gold and one silver), while the male senior team experienced a debacle in the European Championship in Spain

for young seniors in Debrecin, and Ivana Španović won the same position at the World Championships for young juniors in Ostrava.

Miloš Pavlović came close to fulfilling his dream – entry into Formula 1. He drove excellently for the Draco Racing Team and was placed third in the general rating for the Renault Formula World Championship. Another “migrant worker” in Italy, cyclist Ivan Stević, also proved successful, winning the gold in the race on the B World Bicycle Championship in Cape Town, South Africa.

Serbia’s footballers failed to ensure there would be a need for them to apply for visas for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. They crashed out after first reducing their chances to a minimum after performing badly in the last three matches.

However, Serbia’s young footballers have out preformed themselves again. In the European Youth Championships in Holland, Serbia came runners-up after being beaten by the hosts in the final.

Basketball showed two faces in 2007.

The young representatives did something nobody has managed to do before by winning six medals (five gold and one silver), while the male senior team experienced a debacle in the European Championship in Spain by ending the competition with three defeats in their group.

Volleyball continued to collect medals on all fronts, which was the consequence of serious work in the domestic volleyball association. Our seniors came third in the European Championship in Russia while the female players made their biggest success in the European Championship in Belgium and Luxembourg – the silver medal (lost 0:3 to Italy in the final) After a long time our water polo players failed to bring a medal from a big competition (fourth place in the World Championship in Melbourne) but managed to win the World League in Berlin (9:6 against the Hungarians) which qualified them for the Olympics in Beijing. In the European Championship for players up to 18 years of age, held in Malta, Serbia won a gold medal. n CorD / January 2008 97

HOW TO…

…Go skating?

If you find your desire for skating frustrated by the salt and grit laying on Belgrade streets this winter, why not visit one of Belgrade’s skating rinks and enjoy warming refreshments while you skate the day away? Belgrade’s Olympic-sized skating rink at ‘Hala Pionir’ is open to the public yearround, and also stages ice hockey events and figure skating competitions. During the winter months, the fresh air skating experience is provided at the romantic setting of Kalimegdan fortress. Situated beside the basketball and tennis courts, Kalimegdan’s skating rink is open throughout the winter months and offers skating to music, as well as a snack bar.

CROSSWORD Solve this crossword puzzle and test your Serbian – the clues may be in English, but the answers should be entered in Serbian

…Get emergency car repairs or roadside assistance?

If your car breaks down while you are driving in the city, or even in the countryside, you are best advised to contact the ’International Touring and Information Centre of the Automobile Association of Serbia & Montenegro’. If you happen to be a member of this organisation, or similar affiliated foreign organisations, you can receive special terms.

All relevant information can be obtained 24-hours-a-day by calling 9800 or 24 19 555, or via the website at www.amsj. co.yu

…Get food delivered day and night?

Fancy some take-away food, but not sure where and what you can get? Check out the website www.donesi.com. This innovative site, available in both English and Serbian, lists restaurants by type of cuisine and provides details of the menu on offer, including prices, location, delivery zone and working hours.

…Find party caterers with a difference?

…Find an English-speaking dentist?

Sick of being unable to explain just how much your tooth hurts to your Serbian dentist? Why not try out the services of dentist Katarina Gačić, a fluent English speaker. Contact Katarina on 064 3390527 or via email on katarina_gacic@ hotmail.com

…Make yourself understood?

Find yourself frustrated by your inability to say simple things in Serbian? Here at CorD we are endeavouring to make your stay in the region a tad less alien by providing a few simple phrases that will help you make yourself understood: è The political situation in Serbia is frustrating èP olitička situacija u Srbiji je uznemirujuća è Are you a member of a political party? è J este li član političke stranke? è How much is this going to cost? èK oliko će ovo da košta? èD oes your hotel have its own bureau de change? èD a li vaš hotel ima svoju menjačnicu? è Could you clarify what this means? èD a li možete da mi objasnite šta ovo znači? è When does the flight to Berlin board? èK ada je ukrcavanje na let za Berlin? è I ’m a vegetarian. Lamb is not a vegetable. è Ja sam vegiterianac/ka. Jegnjetina nije povrće.

98 CorD / January 2008

HORIZONTAL: 1. Part of Belgrade, around Technical Universety,2.

Name of acter Delon-slime that drips from a nose,3. Then, thereforecatle breeding,4.Yell of impatience-Handball Club (short)-Toward, in a direction of, 5.Car plate for Loznica-Hopeless situation-Symbol of phosphorus,6.Symbol of sulphur-A big elevator (plural),7. City in Romania, 8. Town in Southern Serbia-Symbol for neutron,9.

Registration plate for Romania-River which disembogue in Danube in Belgrade-Registartion plate for Valjevo,10.Fashion magazine for women from Paris-Same letteres-Statue,11.Affiliation of several companies (foreign)-Town in Banat, birth place of Mihajlo Pupin,12.

Kitchen dish-French harbor at Lamansh,13.”Village” which Emir Kusturica built at Mokra Gora.

VERTICALLY: 1. Famous Spanish ‘violoncello player, PabloSudden attack,2.Fortress at which Davy Crocket was killedSymbol of krypton-Museum in Paris,3.Target that you shoot at-Ritual fire that is lit in an open space-“King” of animals,4.

Name of singer Lennox-Village in Šumadija where Karađorđe was appointed as a leader of the First Serbian uprising- word in negation,5.Symbol of azote-Place in Šumadija where singer Miroslav Ilić was born-Symbol for neper,6. River in Sibir-Italian sculpturist Antonio-dekagram (short),7. Unit for power-Male name-Defect,8. Place at Danube, half Serbian half Croatian-voltAmp (short)-String musical instrument, 9. Serbian meat specialtyin front, frontal.

Solution - horizontal Kamenović, Alen, bale, zatim, tov, ama, RK, ka, LO, očaj, P, S, kranovi, Krajova, Preševo, n, R, Sava, VA, el, cc, kip, pul, Idvor, avan, Kale, Drvengrad

When organising any kind of party, function or reception, hiring the services of a quality caterer is an important element, allowing you to save time, relax and enjoy your celebration.

However, finding something original, creative and slightly exotic is even more important and is no mean feat in Belgrade.

But fear not, the Iguana team are here to cater for your alternative catering needs for any event – from children’s parties, christenings and family celebrations, to weddings, seminars, office parties and official receptions. Contact Goran on 063 7448690.