CorD Magazine No. 127

GOOD RELATIONS ARE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE H.E. ILIR BOCKA

LJUBOMIR SIMOVIĆ

Writer, poet, member of the Serbian Academy of Science and the Arts (SANU/SASA)

MANY UNTAPPED LOCAL RESOURCES

ALEXANDER GRUNAUER

Head of the project “Local Economic Development in Eastern Serbia” at the German Organisation for International Coorperation, GIZ

MAY ’15 / ISSUE No. 127

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Ambassador of Albania to Serbia

THE PEN IS EXTENSION OF MY HAND

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DSW - THE GERMAN-SERBIAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

MILD OPTIMISM IN EXPECTATION OF REFORM RESULTS CORD CHARITY MASTERS 2015

GATHERING OF GOOD VIBRATIONS

EXCLUSIVE

JYRKI KATAINEN EUROPEAN COMMISSION VICE PRESIDENT FOR JOBS, GROWTH, INVESTMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS

New Growth

INJECTION

ISSN 1451-7833

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CONTENTS ISSUE 127

EDITOR: Saša Marić s.maric@aim.rs

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ART DIRECTOR: Ilija Petrović i.petrovic@aim.rs

08 | C O M M E N T

86 | P R O F I L E

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Rule of Law - Condition Above All Others

Gathering of Good VIBRATIONS

Bolstering Agriculture

CorD Charity Masters 2015

GORAN VASIĆ

DrVLADIMIR PAVIĆEVIĆ

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20 Years in the EU

New Growth INJECTION

Austria, Finland and Sweden

JYRKI KATAINEN

European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness

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Mild Optimism in Expectation of Reform Results DSW - The German-Serbian Business Association

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Many Untapped Local Resources

H.E. ILIR BOCKA

Ambassador of Albania to Serbia

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Each Selection of the Sterijino Pozorje FESTIVAL IS BINDING MARINA MILIVOJEVIĆ MAĐAR Selector of the 60th Sterijino Pozorje Festival

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my Pen is an EXTENSION OF MY HAND LJUBOMIR SIMOVIĆ

writer, poet, member of the Serbian Academy of Science and the Arts (SANU/SASA

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Clients Appreciate Our Dedication MIRKO BUTULIJA

President of the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia

ALEXANDER GRUNAUER

Head of the project “Local Economic Development in Eastern Serbia” at the German Organisation for International Coorperation, GIZ

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Protecting Property and Lives WOLFGANG KINDL

Good Relations Are OF PRIME IMPORTANCE

Director of the Guarantee Fund of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

Uniqa International CEO

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Highest Growth in Voluntary Health Insurance GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ Uniqa Serbia CEO

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Why This is The Best Time To Be At a Media Agency Opinion

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GUIDE TO Private and State Education in serbia 80

chill out 82

Finally in Nature Fashion

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Developing Knowledge, Skills and Competencies International School of Belgrade (ISB)

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Month of A Thousand Pleasures Fashion

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Ready to Face Foreign Competition BILJANA CVERTKOV

Yugoslav River Shipping CEO

Facing New Challenges

CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Mirjana Jovanović, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Tanja Banković t.bankovic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION: Snežana Bjelotomić, MRP Editorial EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGER Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Ivana Krsmanović, i.krsmanovic@aim.rs Ivana Fidler, i.fidler@aim.rs Aleksandra Ebilji, a.ebilji@aim.rs EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Ruža Ristanović r.ristanovic@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Ana Besedić a.besedic@aim.rs OFFICE MANAGER: Nataša Nešić n.nesic@aim.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o., Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fax: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.rs www.cordmagazine.com www.allianceinternationalmedia.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliance international media 2015

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COMMENT

Rule of Law - Condition Above All Others Dr VLADIMIR PAVIĆEVIĆ

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The basic principle of all modern, democratic countries is the rule of law. Article 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia clearly states that the rule of law is a fundamental prerequisite of the Constitution and that it is based on inalienable human rights

on the issue of the proposed laws related to the instituting of notahe rule of law, according to the letter of our Constitution, is ries. Despite being faced with reasoned criticism of the bills, which exercised through free and direct elections, constitutional referred to publicly noted calls, the justice minister insisted on their guarantees of human and minority rights, the separation of powers, an independent judiciary and observance of the auadoption and the parliamentary majority duly adopted the proposthority of the Constitution of our country and its laws. als. These same laws were then subsequently amended twice in less Judging by the contents of the Constitution, the rule of law is the than eight months, which led several deputies to conclude that the most important principle of our constitutional order and it would be National Assembly in this session is adopting a patchwork of laws. reasonable for this principle to also be applied consistently in pracSuch an approach of this minister, whose actions should be based on tical political action. Our reality, however, deviates from the projectthe principles of the rule of law, represents inappropriate toying with ed ideals. There are many examples of this thesis, but in accordance rights and the rule of law. with my experience of parliamentary work in the past year, I will here Finally, the third example of failing to respect the rule of law concerns the actions of members of parliament highlight selected cases of violations of the rule when they are not forced to have any connecof law in Serbian parliamentary practice in the Judging by the period from 16th April 2014 to 15th April 2015. tion with the representatives of the executive in their work. During the debate on a proposed law In the majority of cases, the Government contents of the of Serbia proposes the laws which are debatinitiated by MPs, it was queried whether a repConstitution, the rule resentative of the Government would be able to ed on the National Assembly among members.

However, more than once in the past year we speak at the session. The Rules of Procedure of of law is the most have witnessed the Government, with the signathe National Assembly clearly define that in this important principle ture of the Prime Minister, submitting bills that case a representative of the Government may of our constitutional attend the session of the National Assembly, are unconstitutional to the parliament. The last such case was the so-called lex specialis - Law order and it would be but without having the right to address the session. However, that did not prevent the Speaker on determining public interest and specific exreasonable for this of the National Assembly granting a minister the propriation procedures and issuance of the conprinciple to also be struction permit for the Belgrade Waterfront right to speaks, calling on parliamentary whips to project. Despite the accurate and clearly stated agree to permit that. This acted as a proclamaapplied consistently tion in principle that, as members of the National arguments of prominent professors of law who in practical Assembly, we can agree not to respect the rules call into question the constitutionality of this law, a parliamentary majority adopted the proposed and procedures. The consequence of such an appolitical action text, arguing that such conduct shows the politiproach is the completely undermining of the imcal will to realise this project and the announceportance of the rule of law. ment of external investors that they may be able to find the money Given that the Progressive government in Serbia won its election for that project. The rule of law is, thus, repressed, rather than being votes by sending the message that it would use its powers to embark on reforms, I think it is important to note here that there is no treated without hesitation as a principle that should be of the utmost reform without respect for the rule of law. The rule of law is a condiimportance in the assessment of any proposed legislation.

Another example of apparent breaches in the rule of law in the tion above all others, which separates modern, democratic and civiNational Assembly is provided by the actions of the justice minister lised countries from all others. ď Ž

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INTERVIEW

JYRKI KATAINEN European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness

New Growth

INJECTION Katainen, who is responsible for implementation of the Juncker Plan, has high hopes that this investment plan will boost economic growth in both weaker and wealthier EU Member States, provided it is implemented well

E XC L U S I V E

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urope has to reinvent itself and the only way to do that is to embrace reforms and boost its external competiveness. Each member state has to work on that, including Greece, which was on a good path before the policy changes. The Commission wants to help Greece find the solution to its problems, but that solution must be fair from the Greek point of view and also from the perspective of other European taxpayers, says Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness.

Katainen, who is responsible for implementation of the Investment Plan for Europe (Juncker plan), which aims to revive investment in strategic projects around Europe and should unlock additional investment of at least €315 billion over the next three years, has high hopes that, if implemented well, the investment plan will boost economic growth in both weaker and wealthier EU members.

■ The ECB has launched its own monetary easing method that wasn’t uniformly embraced as a tool to boost the EU economy, though it presently seems to be yielding some positive results. Do you see them as sustainable and able to lead the EU towards the end of recession?

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PLAN

IMMIGRANTS

GREECE

The Juncker plan will invest equally in riskier countries and more stable and wealthy countries, in that sense helping Europe to unite.

Even though the situation is very difficult in some of our member states, we should not close our borders to immigrants and accuse even more vulnerable people of causing our own problems.

The Commission wants to help Greece find a solution to its problems, but that solution must be fair from both the Greek point of view and also from the perspective of other European taxpayers.

- It is clear that ECB monetary decisions will help the eurozone, and the EU as a whole, to strengthen its economic growth. The monetary policy, together with very low interest rates and the very low price of oil, will stimulate the economy in the eurozone area. This combination is very welcome in the current situation.

■ The euro and the U.S. dollar have almost equal value today. Do you see that as a good opportunity to improve EU exports to other countries, or as a sign that the European economy is weak?

- The exchange rate always reflects the economic fundamentals and it is not a secret that recovery has come quicker in the United States than in Europe. However, I have to say that there were other currencies that have depreciated more than the euro, and if we are looking at the nominal effective terms of the euro exchange rate, the euro is very close to its long term average. Of course, in the current state of play the exchange rate will help EU exporters.

■ You once warned that mutual resentment between citizens of the northern creditor states and poorer debtor countries may have fuelled euro scepticism and perhaps this may pose a threat to the unity of the 28-nation bloc. However, southern countries often see you as an austerity hawk who would rather add to divisions than to cohesion. What is your stance regarding the impact of austerity measures on EU cohesion?

- We have to make sure that all member states can develop equally. One principle which is very important is that all member states respect rules we have decided together. A healthy economy in one country will help other countries and, vice versa, if there are weak economies, especially in the euro area, this has a negative effect on other eurozone member states. That is why it is very important that everybody does their homework. Right now the European Commission is encouraging member states to do their structural reforms, which will increase their competitiveness because a big part of our current challenges in the economy are structural in nature, and due to the fact that countries have not reformed

themselves early enough. Having said that, we have to be ready to help, especially the countries which are in the most vulnerable position, and that is why our investment plan, for which I am responsible, is very important because it will help private investors to invest in riskier countries, but also for countries to step up more.

■ Do you think the creation of a banking union achieved the main goal of stabilising the eurozone, or is there also a need for fiscal unity?

Unemployment and competitiveness correlate very directly with the level of education.

Therefore, I would like to influence the member states’ policies on teacher training, which are a core aspect for the quality of education

- I wish we would have had the banking union before the crisis. If that had been the case, we would probably have managed to avoid the crisis we faced a couple of years ago. The banking union is very important in terms of financial stability and strengthening confidence in the currency union. We have to make sure we have a strong financial sector and that all member states pay attention to competitiveness and that fiscal policy is growth friendly.

■ But you still think fiscal policy should be kept at the national level?

- We need deeper integration in some areas, especially in the single market area and with more fiscal responsibility at the M AY

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national levels. A deeper fiscal union implies taxation and I don’t see that member states would like to give taxation rights to the EU level. We must be ready to assess what would be the next steps in fiscal integration, but it is unrealistic to expect that we would end up in situation where we would have just one European budget or EU taxation.

This will not happen, but there are obviously some areas in which we need more integration in the longer run.

■ By saying that key reforms to pensions, labour markets and education are needed in order to keep European countries competitive with the rest of the world,

it is possible to revitalise social dialogue in the age of the mantra of flexible labour force?

- There are big differences among the member states. In some of them social dialogue is an elementary part of policymaking, while in other countries the governments, employers and employees don’t have that much to do with one another. I support dialogue between social partners strongly, because it is the way to find the best solutions by combining global competitiveness and fairness.

■ You once said that combatting eurosceptics in the pan-European election would require EU leaders to address issues that are important to voters who support populist political parties. One of the main forces that fuelled populist movements on the left and the right were questions of high youth unemployment and the influx of immigrants. Which of these might be tackled through better economic policy; and is that the task of each European country on its own, or EU institutions?

- We need both national and European action. For instance, public employment services are in the hands of member states and in that respect there are big differences between them. Some member states have very flexible, well-functioning labour services and in those countries the unemployment rate, especially among youngsters, is very low. There are also differences in the educational sys-

If the investment plan really manages to boost economic growth, it will, of course, have a positive impact on the neighbourhood. The more economic growth in Europe, the better it is for nonEuropean countries, because we trade with each other and it provides people with more job opportunities how far would you go in repositioning the European social model?

- I think there is a very strong commitment to maintain the European social model of market economy. Look at the Nordic countries in which the size of the public sector is very large - those are also the most competitive EU member states. As such, the combination of social protection, fairness and global competitiveness is a good combination. You don’t need to choose one above the others. Competitiveness is a way to finance the welfare society and that is why global competiveness, external competiveness, is the best friend of the social model of market economy.

■ According to Swedish social democrat Marita Ulvskog, your strength is that you “come from a Nordic country and so understand the importance of strong social partners on the labour market…” Do you think

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tem, especially in terms of vocational training. For example, in Austria and Germany, where apprenticeship plays a crucial role, youth unemployment is the lowest. We can learn from each other and we have to spread the best practices from countries that are doing the best to countries that are not doing so well.

At the European level we have the European Union youth initiative and it has its own budget line in the European budget. So, the EU helps the most vulnerable countries where youth unemployment is very high. It is understandable that when people see high youth unemployment it destroys confidence in the future. That is why we have to act more, especially at the national level, but also at the European level.

One issue that is very important for me personally is the quality of teacher training. If you look at the unemployment rates or differences in external competitiveness

they correlate very directly with the level of education and there I would like to influence member states’ policies on teacher training. It is a kind of new core thing when talking about quality of education.

■ And what do you think about the attitude toward immigrants? It is also one of the major issues influencing populist movements.

- That is right. Europe has always been an open continent and the free movement of people is part of our values, meaning that our citizens can travel freely across borders.

We also recognised our human responsibility for people

I have to say that uncertainty in the world economy and our neighbourhood always has a negative impact on investment, so if, for instance, the situation was more stable in Ukraine and Russia it would have a more encouraging impact on the economy

note that the crisis in Greece is just one symptom of the crisis in the fabric of the Eurozone, arguing that austerity measures are hurting everyone. Does such a reasoning seem plausible to you or not, and why?

- If we look to Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus, we see that they were committed to reforming their countries and three of them have already exited the financial assistance programme, growth has returned and job creation has started within those countries. Before Christmas the situation was heading in the right direction in Greece too, even though the Greek people faced severe challenges and unemployment rates that were unacceptably high. Nevertheless,

suffering in other parts of the world. Even though the situation is very difficult in some of our member states, we should not close our borders and accuse even more vulnerable people of causing our own problems. This is also part of our social European model. Of course, the regulation must be fair and we do not need to accept social security shopping or social dumping in working life. However, the free movement of people within the EU is very important and I want to support it also in the future.

■ It seems that, according to various indices, there is a high risk of Greece withdrawing from the eurozone (Grexit), despite some progress in talks between Greece and its creditors. What is your opinion regarding the possibility of Grexit and its possible impact in the short and long term?

- We will never speculate on Grexit, as this is not an issue we are working on. We are trying to solve problems, not speculate and make things worse. It is clear that the Greek government must stick to its commitments. The Commission wants to help to find the solution, but that solution must be fair from both the Greek point of view and from the point of view of other European taxpayers.

■ In that context, how would you comment on the recent visit of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Russia?

- All people have a right to visit whoever they want to visit and we don’t have any particular opinion on that issue. What interests us is whether they will stick to their commitments towards other European taxpayers who are willing to help them.

■ Leading economic figures in the Greek government

things were moving in the right direction and now, unfortunately, things have moved backwards. So it is difficult to find any other solution than to correct problematic things.

■ You are a supporter of the Juncker Plan for a European Strategic Investment Fund, though some observers remain reserved. How will this fund work and which investment areas should it support?

- The new EFSI fund is part of the European Investment Bank and is an independent fund providing risk sharing elements like equity investment or junior tranche investments to the private sector. Private sector investors can contact EFSI independently and the management of the fund will analyse all the projects according to their merits. The Commission, member states or any other political body, will have no influence at all when it comes to the selections or the process. The key issue is to encourage M AY

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private investments and concentrate on high risk projects.

Among the sectors for investments are the energy sector, digital investments, research and innovations, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.

■ Do you think the Juncker Plan can be helpful in creating a fairer and more integrated Europe, or will it fuel further division between the north and the south of the continent? How might the Juncker Plan impact on the high level of unemployment in Europe?

- I think it is a very important plan in the sense that it will unite Europe more than it will divide us, because the fund will invest equally in riskier countries as in more stable and wealthy countries. The European budget will provide guarantees to the fund and that will make it possible for the fund to invest in riskier projects like economically viable projects in higher risk countries and in higher risk technology projects in wealthy countries.

■ Do you believe that, provided implementation goes well, some countries on the fringes of the EU, such as the Western Balkans and Serbia, may experience some positive economic waves?

- We are all so connected. If the investment plan really manages to boost economic growth, it will, of course, have a positive impact on the neighbourhood. The more economic growth in Europe, the better it is for non-European countries, because we trade with each other and it provides people with more job opportunities.

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■ Despite some glitches, it seems China is on its way to becoming the world’s leading economy, which might in turn soon make the Yuan a second world reserve currency. How do you think the euro stands in that respect in the long run, compared to the U.S. dollar and the Chinese Yuan?

Everything depends on our competitiveness and that is why Europe has to reinvent itself. We have a very integrated market with both China and the United States, and that is why it is a good thing if China is growing. This provides more opportunities for European companies to sell their products and services

■ How much do those sanctions hurt European economies and the pace of its recovery, and does the political goal justify the negative economic outcome?

- At the aggregate level, the sanctions have not affected the European economy that much. Negative results were quite limited, but there are some countries and some areas in business which have suffered more than others. For instance, agricultural products, especially dairy products and some fruit and vegetables, have suffered more than others.

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Moreover, the countries trading the most with Russia have suffered more than others. However, at the aggregate level the negative impact on the European economy has been quite limited. Of course, I have to say that uncertainty in the world economy and our neighbourhood always has a negative impact on investment, so if, for instance, the situation was more stable in Ukraine and Russia it would have a more encouraging impact on the economy.

- Everything depends on our competitiveness and that is why Europe has to reinvent itself. We have a very integrated market with both China and the United States, and that is why it is a good thing if China is growing. This provides more opportunities for European companies to sell their products and services. The only way to survive in tougher competition is to keep your own corners in good shape and pay particular attention to competitiveness.

■ It seems everyone wants to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is regarded by some as a rival to the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), ruled by American, European and Japanese interests. How do you see the potential political and economic impact of this bank?

- It is very difficult to assess the political impact of the fund. It is a new creation that aims to help investment and it is clear that investment in China will have a positive impact on economic growth in the rest of the world. I am also sure that China is willing to invest in pure technologies, for instance, and in that respect Europe can offer good products and knowhow for that purpose. I am also certain that China is interested in investing in Europe, as we have already seen happening during the last few years. So, this is also a positive thing. ■

DSW

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The German-Serbian Business Association

Mild Optimism in Expectation of Reform Results Martin Knapp, Director of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Serbia (left), Dr Roland Seeliger, President of the German-Serbian Business Association, and H.E. Heinz Wilhelm, German Ambassador

A

t late April meeting of the association’s members in Belgrade saw companies express their mild optimism regarding the economic future.

Many shared the opinion that the results of the reforms launched by the Serbian Government last year were still not fully visible.

Close to 42% of those surveyed said that the reform process remains unsatisfactory. However, 44% of respondents said they thought the process has been developing in a satisfactory manner. Only 14% of those surveyed have assessed the reform process as being good.

The results of this year’s survey are almost identical to last year’s projection regarding the overall economic situation in Serbia. Two-thirds of those surveyed expect the economy to decline this year. Of the 100 surveyed companies, only 10% think that 2015 will be better than 2014, while the hope for economic growth is weak. These results have remained almost the same since the onset of the global economic crisis in 2008 and 2009.

There is a trace of optimism in terms of companies rating their own operations as better than the overall economic climate.

One third of respondent companies rated their operations as good, with almost 60% stating

For the past ten years, the German-Serbian Business Association has been conducting a members’ survey on the economic environment in Serbia. The results of this survey have always been followed by the submission of requests for the adjustment and improvement of important business conditions

that they are satisfactory and only 4% rated their own operations as unsatisfactory. GermanSerbian companies say they are less optimistic about this year than last. However, there is a positive trend permeating throughout, given that less than a half of those surveyed expect the situation in their companies to improve, while 50% believe that the situation will remain unchanged.

Only 7% are of the opinion that the situation will worsen compared to 2014.

In terms of business development and employment prospects, the expectations are more subdued than in 2014. Last year almost every second com-

compared to last year estimate that they will have to reduce the number of their employees.

Similar to last year, 39% of companies want to invest more in 2015. Still, 22% of them project a drop in investment activities.

This percentage is higher than last year’s.

Legal security, economic policy, public administration and transparency in public procurements are the areas given the worst rating. The surveyed companies also gave a poor rating to the fight against corruption and crime. This area was rated higher last year.

Criteria pertaining to the Serbian labour market were satisfactory. German-Serbian com-

This year we plan to establish the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the first bilateral chamber of commerce in Serbia, which will include the Delegation Office of German Industry and Commerce and the German-Serbian Business Association, with its approximately 300 members pany expected to employ more people. This year, however, every third company plans to do that. Some 47% of companies do not expect any changes in their number of employees. However, twice as many companies (17%)

panies are happy with the productivity and motivation shown by their workforce, as well as their qualifications, academic achievements, labour costs and the general availability of experts.

The survey was conducted in

16 CEE countries, while participants also rated other countries in the region. Serbia was ranked 11th out of 20 countries in the ‘desirable business location’ category. When asked whether they would reinvest in Serbia, 88% of companies replied in the positive.

Companies that already operate in Serbia have a better opinion about the country than those that have never operated here.

“The good thing is that, despite everything, most companies view their operations in Serbia as satisfactory. In terms of the overall environment and economic future, it was quite indicative to see that a significant number of companies do not feel the effects of the reforms that could provide a good basis for analysing the success achieved so far by reforms. This year, as in the last few years, businesspeople had almost identical objections to the work done by the public administration, legal security, transparency in public procurements and fighting corruption. We are willing to help the government with reforms, because we believe that it is only through such a partnership that can we noticeably improve the economic environment, which will in turn entice new investments,” said Dr Roland Seeliger, President of the German-Serbian Business Association and Director of Hemofarm A.D. 

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INTERVIEW

H.E. ILIR BOCKA Ambassador of Albania to Serbia

Good Relations Are

OF PRIME IMPORTANCE It is essential that both Albania and Serbia improve their bilateral relations, in order to accelerate on their path towards EU membership. On that path, relations with Serbia are of primary importance, not only because of relations between the two countries, but also because of the need for good relations throughout the region

D

espite occasional disagreements, relations between the two countries continue to be dynamic and promising for a better future. Here I am primarily referring to the development of bilateral relations and efforts being made by both countries towards the common goal of EU membership. These are the foundations that should bring the two countries closer together in the future, instead of separating them.

■ Serbia and Albania share a common goal – EU accession.

How far has Albania progressed on its path to the European Union and what challenges still lie ahead for your country?

- At the end of 2014 Albania received official candidate status and the government is currently working towards the next step – the start of negotiations on the fulfilling of the requirements of all chapters, which is an undoubtedly long and arduous process.

■ How important to Albania on its road to the EU are regional relations, but also relations with Serbia?

- Everyone in the Balkans has got the clear message transmitted from Brussels that the path to the EU becomes shorter and flatter if we have closer cooperation in the region and less problems in bilateral relations among the countries in the area. In this framework, relations with Serbia are of primary importance, where both countries carry their responsibilities in ensuring the stability of the region.

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FOOTBALL

EMOTIONS

TIES

The interruption of the football match was an incident that shows how relations between the two countries are still tense.

The tensions between Serbia and Kosovo automatically transmits raw emotions to Albanian-Serbian relations.

Economic ties have shown a tendency towards advancement during the last few years and this is a positive sign.

■ How would you assess relations between our two countries at this moment? You once characterised them as dynamic.

Which word would you use now?

- Relations between the two countries continue to remain dynamic and at the same time promising for the future: there are, of course, instances where they are prone to stress due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the overall tendencies are leading towards an improvement in substance in the relations between both countries, and we are working daily to achieve this.

■ What are the most important topics and points for good relations between Albania and Serbia?

avenues of cooperation and prosperity, rather than seeking out that which divides us.

The development of relation between Serbia, Croatia and Albania, in this trinomial pattern, is of primary importance to the region, as it brings stability and strengthens the European perspective of the entire region

- What currently encourages us in further developing bilateral ties are the practical benefits for the respective populations and our common goals and aspiration for EU integration. Therein lies our understanding to work towards our mutual points of interest and both sides strive to find common

■ A little more than a month after you became ambassador, Serbia was visited by Albanian Prime Minister Rama. That was the first visit of its kind in the last few decades. From today’s perspective, how would you assess that visit?

- It was undoubtedly a historic visit in all aspects. Due to the charged atmosphere and problems associated with this event, the visit had historical implications, similar to other examples in the modern history, such as the visit of German Chancellor Willy Brandt to Warsaw in 1970, or that of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Tel Aviv in November 1977.

■ Unfortunately, that visit remained in the shadows of the football match drone incident. How much did that incident realistically impact on relations between Albania and Serbia

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and did it cause any damage at all?

- Absolutely, the interruption of the football match was an incident that shows how relations between the two countries are still tense, with both negative and positive connotations. But, at the same time, this situation is worthy of analysis and action from both sides in an effort to face each other in a concrete and constructive way.

■ Tensions in relations between Serbia and Kosovo can be easily explained by many centuries of historical conflicts. However, where did this tension between Albania and Serbia come from, now in the 21st century? Does it have any real foothold?

- There is a combination of two factors that you have mentioned: the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo automatically transmit raw emotions to Albanian-Serbian relations. The sooner these countries normalise their relations, the better the prospects for improving relations in the bilateral and regional context.

Relations between Belgrade and Tirana were also marred during the 20th century by traumatic events and nationalist passions that led to the difficult present state of bilateral relations.

■ When it comes to stability in the Balkans, it is generally thought that the crucial factor is in good relations between Serbia and Croatia. In your opinion, how important are good relations between Serbia and Albania in this context?

- The Serbia-Croatia binomial I would convert into a trinomial: The development of relations between Serbia, Croatia and Albania, in this trinomial pattern, is of primary importance to the region, as it brings stability and strengthens the European perspective of the entire region.

■ Unlike Serbia, Albania has been a member of NATO since 2009. What are all the benefits a country gains from membership in the Alliance and why is that important for general security?

- Albania’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance comes as an appreciation of the country's contribution to stability in the region and as a result of the fact that the Albanian state showed its responsibility towards the values of this community. To be member of NATO means more responsibility in domestic and foreign policy, but simultaneously provides a sense of security. You feel valued and appreciated, while feeling safe and responsible for your actions.

■ The quality of relations between two countries can most easily be measured by the level of economic cooperation, although our two

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countries are economically poor. However, what level is this cooperation at currently?

- Undoubtedly! Economic cooperation between both countries is also reflected in the current relations between the two countries.

Economic ties have shown a tendency towards advancement during the last few years and this is positive sign. There is still great potential to be discovered in the economic field.

■ Which areas have the greatest potential for the further development of bilateral economic cooperation?

- The ambitious projects that were mentioned respectively by both prime ministers, Edi Rama and Aleksandar Vučić, during the 16th December meeting here in Belgrade, which include the building of the Highway extension of the Niš Highway that will be linked to the Tirana-Pristina highway, and also the linking of Belgrade and Podgorica with Durres by rail. These projects will improve the region’s transport infrastructure and serve as important topics of discussion during the upcoming EU + Western Balkans meeting in Vienna.

The Niš Highway project, to be linked to the TiranaPristina highway, and also the linking of Belgrade and Podgorica with Durres by rail, will improve the transport infrastructure of the region and serve as important topics of discussion during the upcoming EU + Western Balkans meeting in Vienna

■ The greatest contribution to the development of friendly relations is made by the bringing together of two cultures. To what extent does the Embassy of Albania work on the presenting and promoting of Albanian art and culture in Serbia?

- There is lot to be done. The post-Cold War period and long lasting isolation have left a void in mutual trust between the two nations; a vacuum that can only be filled through communication, art and culture, an exchange of ideas and projects etc. We do have lots of ideas, but we lack the funding for them. As an Embassy we are trying to fulfil the legal basis of our agreements, in order to facilitate public and private sector initiatives.

■ In recent years Albania has been developing its tourism potential. Increasing numbers of tourists from Serbia are deciding to spend their summer holidays in Albania. How can this fact be used to improve relations between our two countries?

- I do see a lot of potential in this sector. Individuals and small groups of people from Serbia have shown with their experiences that there are many avenues for potential cooperation. Serbian visitors have discovered Albanian hospitality and nature's attractions on the shores of Durres, Vlora and Saranda.

It has been an overall positive experience of human interaction which is needed by both nations. Both countries have many interesting values to share and this will be a good investment in the future of bilateral relations between Serbia and Albania. ■

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SUPPORT

GLOBAL DIARY

"I hope the EU will recognise the importance of offering support to the countries in the region.

Such projects would improve the economic situation in Serbia and Albania.”

— Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian Prime Minister

WORLD’S BIGGEST TULIP CARPET IN ISTANBUL ▶ Organised by the Istanbul Metropolitan

Municipality, the Istanbul Tulip Festival hosted a 1,262-square-metre tulip carpet that was made of 545,000 live tulips. Known as the biggest tulip carpet in the world, it was on display until 26th April at Sultanahmet. Teams of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Park and Green Area Directorate weaved the tulip carpet flower-by-flower in two nights on Sultanahmet Square. The carpet, which is the first in the world in terms of living flowers, created an outstanding sight and motif on the site of the oldest square in Istanbul.

Although the tulip is usually related to the Netherlands, it is less known that this flower also has an important place in Turkish culture.

CLINTON FOUNDATION LIMITS FOREIGN DONATIONS ▶ The Clinton Foundation, which

has been facing mounting criticism for accepting foreign funding and struggling to raise money for a planned June conference in Greece, has agreed to limit, but not eliminate, the donations it accepts from

NIKOLIĆ FORCED TO CANCEL VATICAN VISIT ▶ Serbian President Tomislav

foreign governments.

The foundation has also announced plans to suspend its overseas conferences, including the one in Athens, as part of a set of reforms aimed at quieting complaints that the charitable organisation’s fundraising activities could compromise Hillary Clinton’s independence as she runs for president.

The foundation said that it planned to continue to accept donations from six countries “that have funded" Clinton Foundation programmes: Australia, Canada,

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BRUNEI ROYAL WEDDING

Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK. Some countries that donated to the organisation last year, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, did not make the list of nations whose donations would be accepted while Hillary runs for president.

Nikolić had to postpone an official visit to the Vatican scheduled for 17th April when, according to a statement by the director of Serbia’s civil aviation authority, coffee was spilled on the plane’s cockpit instruments, causing the “emergency slot extension” fail-safe to activate.

Serbian authorities stated pre-

UK ElectionS 2015

President Nikolić and Pope Francis in the Vatican in 2013

viously that Nikolić's visit to the Holy See had been intended to confirm the “good relations between the Vatican and Serbia”.

“We hope the visit will take place soon,” said presidential advisor Stanislava Pak, speaking to national news agency Tanjug.

Nikolić's last visited the Vatican to attend the papal inauguration for Pope Francis in March 2013.

▶ Prince Abdul Malik (31), the son of the Sultan of Brunei and second in line to the oil rich nation's throne, wed former computer data analyst Raabi'atul Adawiyyah (22) on 5th April and the couple's celebrations lasted until 10th April, with a reported 5,000 guests in attendance.

The now-billionaire bride opted for a bouquet of gems rather than flowers and both bride and groom's wedding outfits were covered in diamonds. Even her shoes, a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, had been embellished with diamonds.

▶ Brits are heading to the polls on 7th May.

The UK is divided into 650 constituencies.

The winner in each constituency becomes its representative in parliament, an MP. This system is called, 'First Past the Post'.

After all the votes are counted, whichever party forms a majority of MPs is invited by the Queen to form a government. If there is a hung Parliament, with no clear winner, as was the case at the last elections in 2010, a minority or coalition government of two or more parties may be formed.

Prince Abdul Malik (3rd left) and Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah (3rd right), pose with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (2nd left), Queen Saleha (2nd right) and other members of Brunei's royal family

The nation of approximately 400,000 people may be small, but it is one of the wealthiest in the world, due to an oil-fuelled economy.

PARTNERSHIP

CHILD ABUSE

— Edi Rama, Albanian Prime Minister

1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18.

"The Albanian side is ready to start working on such projects. This would be a good sign of partnership between Serbia and Albania.”

STEPHEN HAWKING WANTS TO TRADEMARK HIS NAME ▶ Stephen Hawking, the British physicist famous for his groundbreaking research in the face of pronounced physical disability, has applied to trademark his name.

Like author J.K. Rowling, soccer star David Beckham and fellow physicist Brian Cox, Hawking filed for the trademark in order to prevent people from using his name inappropriately in products. The trademark would also allow Hawking to set up a charitable foundation, possibly to support research in physics or motor neuron.

MURDOCH TO SELL MADISON SQUARE PARK TRIPLEX ▶ After living at the very top of One Madison for a year, Rupert Murdoch

Western Balkans 6 Meeting in Brussels

▶ On 21st April Commissioners Hahn and Commissioner

Bulc hosted a Brussels meeting with the six prime ministers from the Western Balkan countries. The meeting in the EU capital was a continuation of the Western Balkan 6 ministerial meeting in Pristina on the region's core transport network. The Brussels meeting confirmed the agreement of the core network through a joint statement and saw discussion of concrete ways to help implement the network.

Nikola Gruevski, PM of Macedonia (left), Isa Mustafa, PM of Kosovo, Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian PM, Milo Đukanović, PM of Montenegro, Violeta Bulc, EU Commissioner Responsible for Transport, Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Edi Rama, Albanian PM, Denis Zvizdić, Chairman of the council of ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Goran Svilanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council.

has decided to move downtown – to a West Village townhouse for $25 million, according to reports.

That means his penthouse in the luxury high rise on the south side of Madison Square Park is on the market for $72 million.

That's $14.75 million more than he paid for the triplex just a year ago. The penthouse has around 500 sq/m of space spread through three floors, five bedrooms, five and a half baths, and a wraparound terrace providing 360-degree views of Manhattan.

The next owner will also have access to One Madison's 1100 sq/m of amenities, including a 5.5-metre lap pool, fitness centre, yoga room, screening room and children's playroom.

MAGLEV TRAIN SETTING NEW WORLD RECORD

cord of 581 kph.

The maglev hovers 10 cm above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets.

JR Tokai wants to have a train in service in 2027 along the route between Tokyo and Nagoya, a distance of 286 km. By 2045 maglev trains are expected to link Tokyo and Osaka in just 67 minutes, slashing the journey time in half.

▶ Japan’s state-of-the-art mag-

lev train set a world speed record during a test run near Mount Fuji in mid-April, clocking 603 kph.

The new record came less than a week after the train clocked 590 kph to break its own 2003 world re-

BIGGEST SPRING FESTIVAL IN EUROPE OPENS IN STUTTGART ▶ The 77th Stuttgart Spring Festival has begun. The fair entices people to enjoy the outdoors in BadenWürttemberg's state capital with some 240 attractions and stands, selling everything from beer to candy floss. The weather showed its sunny side for the opening day, much to the delight of the beer sellers and fairground staff. Organisers say that the first weekend, which involves traditional beer keg tapping, attracted some 180,000 visitors to the Cannstatter Wasen fairground.

The rides are set up around three huge beer tents from the traditional fairground Ferris wheel to the high speed big dippers, like Alpina and Höllenblitz or "hell lightning". With 240 stands and lasting three weeks, the Stuttgart Spring Festival is regarded as the biggest such event in Europe. Some 1.5 million people are expected to visit the fairground by 10th May, when the festival ends with a big fireworks and music display.

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INTERVIEW

B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

Each Selection of the Sterijino Pozorje

FESTIVAL IS BINDING MARINA MILIVOJEVIĆ MAĐAREV Selector of the 60th Sterijino Pozorje Festival

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Sterijino Pozorje (Sterija's Theatre) Festival, but according to the selector of the Pozorje, “every selection of Sterijino Pozorje is binding, not only the jubilee selections. The anniversary is just a good moment to remind ourselves of the values and relations that the festival has fostered all these years”

H

owever, it is not well known that this is not the only anniversary. This year Sterijino Pozorje also celebrates 50 years of the continuous publishing of the magazine “Scena” (Scene), while next year will also mark the 60th anniversary of the existence of the Sterija's Theatre institution. Sterijino Pozorje is not just a festival, but rather it also conducts publishing activities, brings together distinguished dramaturges and also has an extremely rich documentation centre where you can find information about virtually every play going back decades – not only that which has been performed, but rather the entirety of all parts – posters, awards, critiques, film footage, number of performances, attendance details etc. This is a vast treasure that is awaiting the moment when it will be digitized.

It was no surprise for theatre connoisseurs when it was announced that assistant professor at the Department of Dramaturgy of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad and doctor of theatrical science, Marina Milivojević Mađarev, had been appointed as the selector of this year’s oldest and most important theatre festival in the Balkans, which takes place this year from 26th May to 3rd June in Novi Sad, under the traditional name Sterijino pozorje.

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Milivojević Mađarev has been engaged continuously in theatre work for more than a decade. She has published her works in the country and abroad and presents them at numerous conferences in the country and elsewhere in the region.

CorD’s interlocutor is also a playwright and 10 of her dramatic works and 20 radio dramas have been published.

■ Sterijino pozorje is the oldest and most prestigious theatre festival in the area of the former Yugoslav. This was the case until the collapse of Yugoslavia, and it remains so today. Did you ever dream of being a selector of this festival?

- Honestly, I never thought about being a selector of Pozorje, just as I never dreamt of being a playwright for the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, a member of the Scena editorial board or a lecturer at the Academy... These calls came to meet me and I accepted them as challenges. I have always seen myself as a dramaturge, which is expressed through the writing of dramas, work on plays and writing theatrical works. Work on the job of being a selector for the Sterijino pozorje festival enables the most comprehensive investigating of our contemporary theatre life and that is one of the biggest challenges a playwright can face today.

■ What was your main motto during the selection of plays that will be performed in the official competition at the festival?

- The fate of a playwright in Serbia is a conclusion or, if you want

a motto, a selection stemming from each play watched and from an awareness of what is Pozorje’s tradition. The original idea of Sterijino Pozorje was to promote new domestic dramas – premieres. However, it was soon realised that even the Yugoslavia of the time didn’t have a sufficient number of quality premieres every year, so the selection was extended to include domestic classics. However, during all these 60 years, premieres of domestic texts are given special attention and the selector is required to include at least three premieres in the selection each year.

This year we will have four. Next comes report writing, and before that working on a series of articles in Scene under the title “What is published and what is performed from dramatic texts”, I came upon the realisation that the fate of a dramatic piece is usually resolved in the premiere performance – a very small number of plays experience second or third performances. That's why I thought it was particularly valuable to bring to the festival new and already successful executed contemporary dramatic works, such as The Tragic Burlesque of Dušan Kovačević. Then, the fate of the playwright is linked directly to how our theatres stage classics.

I don’t know how familiar you are with the fact that of all of our so-called classics, the only ones performed continuously in During all these theatres are the exclusive works 60 years, of Sterija and Nušić, and that applies almost exclusively to their premieres of comedies. In this season and last, domestic texts Nušić’s works have been perare given special formed very often, and Nušić’s jubilee was only one of the reaattention and sons for that. I think the issue the selector of treating domestic classics is is required to very important for the development of contemporary theatre. include at least 3 The selected plays testify to the premieres in the new approach to Nušic, which selection each year prompted me to wonder how the countries of the region approach their classics – such as how the Slovenes perform Cankar and the Croats Krleža. I insisted on the region because this year is a jubilee of the festival, and for the first 36 years Sterijino Pozorje was a festival shared equally by all the peoples of the former Yugoslavia.

That is why our theatre stages are still closer to The King of Betajnova [Cankar, 1902] and Vučjak [Krleža, 1923] than they are to Hungarian or Romanian drama classics, regardless of the fact that Hungarians and Romanians are our neighbours.

■ How many plays did you watch in order to be able to select the nine plays that will compete for prizes this year?

- In total I watched 95 plays, but this figure also includes plays that I watched for the selection of Circles and the ancillary programme How others see us. At this year's Sterija Theatre Festival we will watch a total of 16 plays – nine in the competition section, three in Circles, two in the programme How others see us, while a special guest of the festival will be the play Hotel Kosovo by the National Theatre in Pristina, while in honour of the award win-

ners there will be a premiere performance of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, which will be performed jointly by the Serbian National Theatre and Novi Sad Theatre.

■ After watching so many shows, what could you conclude about the current state of the theatre in Serbia?

- Good plays emerge everywhere – both in small and large repertoire houses, both in Belgrade and out of Belgrade – in Vojvodina and central Serbia, in theatres that have their ensembles and in theatres where artists gather around projects. In the selection I endeavoured to show different models of production organisations in Serbian theatre. If there was some kind of existing review of good plays, I think it could be conducted two or three times a year. That is one of the most important impressions I have as the selector of this year's festival.

■ What is the most valuable in this insight for you; what is negative?

- The most valuable is that people in the theatre are ready, despite tough material conditions, to continue persisting in their work. What is really bad is the dramatic drop in the number of

BRANISLAV NUŠIĆ: Mister Dollar; directed by SNEŽANA TRIŠIĆ - National Theatre of Subotica

plays performed. Today we have large theatres with more stages that barely manage to stage three performances in a season. It is even tougher outside Belgrade. Reduced productions mean a smaller repertoire, smaller audiences, less space for continuous work in the profession for a large number of not only young artists, but also those who have reached full maturity.

How can an actor develop if their theatre has barely two premieres a year? They can consider themselves lucky if they have a single new role in a season. So-called free dramatic artists are in a particularly tough position. They have literally been driven to the edge of existence. I may seem old-fashioned, but I think the right to work and the right to a fair wage for honest work are basic human rights and the foundation of human society.

■ What are the most common objections you have heard, directly or indirectly, regarding your choice for this year's festival?

- When I read the comments on the work of the previous selector, most objections revolved around who had not been selected. I M AY

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always felt that was unjust. Selection is a matter of choice and all talk should be about that which has been selected, and not about that which has not. It seems to me that my selection has been received quite well. One of the few complaints that reached me, and which was published anonymously in the comments of the website of a major publication, was the question of why I selected the play Dok nas smrt ne razdvoji (Till death do us part) by the Integration Workshop.

The remark concerned the fact that the play was from last year.

This is about ignorance of the propositions of the festival. As the selector needs to watch virtually the entire production of professional theatres, it can happen that some plays, due to overlapping terms, fail to be seen. Such plays are left for the next round of selection. Igor Bojović did not manage to watch Till death do us part, which is why I watched it. I considered that I should include it in the selection.

(Chase tomorrow’s hagiography) at KPGT. The Sterijino Pozorje Festival has no tradition of inviting plays that were in contention for selection to appear as non-competitive plays. To the best of my knowledge, the only non-competitive plays invited are those for which the festival was itself one of the producers – e.g. Foundling Simeon 2006, Workers Chronicle 2011and Odlazak u Krasni 2014.

■ This year includes the selection How others see us. What should it show the festival audience?

- Nine years ago, when the concept of the festival was partially altered, there was an introduction of competing among plays performed according to Serbian texts by theatres from abroad.

However, I believe that in addition to promoting these it is equally important to understand how other cultures see and understand us through the interpreting of our pieces. That's

■ What praise have you received?

- I think it is inappropriate for me to talk about how others praise me. But if you are asking me directly, then I can say that I was mainly told that the selection is well balanced and diversified (probably because of the ancillary programme).

BRANISLAV NUŠIĆ: DOCTOR NUŠIĆ; directed and adapted by KOKAN MLADENOVIĆ Kruševac Theatre and the National Theatre of Sombor

HOTEL KOSOVO; written and directed by NENAD TODOROVIĆ - National Theatre of Pristina Serbian drama based in Gračanica

■ Why did you not invite, for example, the Zvezdara Theatre play Rodoljubac, as a guest or an alternate form, which actually addresses the life and works of Jovan Sterija Popović through the text of Milovan Vitezović?

- I do not know why you’re asking me about that play specifically.

I suppose it’s because it is a play about the life of Jovan Sterija Popović, who the festival is named after. If that’s so, then you should know that this is only one of three plays dealing with the life of this famous writer (there are also Misterija of the National Theatre in Sombor and Leteća trupa by the National Theatre Sterija from Vršac), which premiered during this selection cycle.

We should add to this two plays about the life of Branislav Nušić (Rođendan gospodina Nušića (The Birthday of Mr Nušić) at Zvezdara Theatre and Tri klase i gospođa Nušić (Three Classes and Mrs Nušić) at the Belgrade Drama Theatre, one about Ivo Andrić (Cain’s Scar) at the Šabac Theatre and one about Dimitrije Mitrinović (Dimitrije Mitrinović – Juriš sutrašnjice hagijografija 22 |

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why I included in the selection Dušan Kovačević’s Balkan Spy performed by theatre company “A La Place” from Japan and Nenad Prokić’s Finger Trigger Bullet Gun as performed by Stan's Café from Birmingham – thus, one consideration of us from the position of the Far East and one from the far west, from the UK, which is part of Europe, but also has a theatre culture that differs significantly from ours.

It is also important to emphasise that these two shows were not able to compete, but I felt it was important for us to see them.

Balkan Spy belongs to a completely different acting school and is incomparable to the work of our actors, while the British play, due to the distinctive model of theatrical life, is performed continuously and then removed from the repertoire, which meant it was unable to be entered into the selection round. On the other hand, bearing in mind that professional theatres in the UK rarely perform works by Serbian writers, that this is a premiere performance and that Nenad Prokić got a call from the theatre in Birmingham to write a piece about the start of World War I, I considered it intriguing to see how a British theatre experiences our dramaturgy and our history – how they see us. ■

For the first 36 years Sterijino Pozorje was a festival shared equally by all the peoples of the former Yugoslavia

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B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

INTERVIEW

LJUBOMIR SIMOVIĆ writer, poet, member of the Serbian Academy of Science and the Arts (SANU/SASA)

My Pen is

EXTENSION OF MY HAND

In December this year Ljubomir Simović will turn 80 years old, having spent more than 20 years as a member of the highest scientific and cultural institutions in Serbia – SANU/SASA. He spent the greatest part of his working life at Radio Belgrade, as a poet, essayist and playwright who has written four dramas, three of which (Hasanaginica, Travelling Theatre and The Miracle in Šargan) earned him the Sterija Award, the highest national recognition of the then Yugoslavia

H

e noted that during his childhood wild strawberries were sold in birch bark baskets and watermelons were dark green or striped, and when stabbed with a knife they reacted like a sweet shot. That city of Užice has not existed for a long time.

In that Užice, which no longer exists, Simović completed primary school, with stone pencils to write on shale boards, to which small sponges were attached like erasers and cloths for drying. They learned arithmetic with the help of willow twigs and beans, or by using an abacus, with white and black, or white and red, beads, strung on ten strings. Those tables and not that abacus have long ceased to exist.

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Simović completed secondary school in Užice, before graduating from the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, where he majored in the history of Yugoslav literature and the Serbo-Croatian language. Today that literature no longer exists, nor does that language.

In his brilliant poet’s biography, Simović, who in his poetry creatively combines the modern sense of the world and its symbols with traditional interpretations of national culture, there is this kind of detail – in 1983 publishing house Gradina in Niš destroyed the collection of poems by Ljubomir Simović entitled Istočnice, which was supposed to be published as a supplement in the magazine Gradina and as a separate book. Some readers today relate to that collection and remember the days when Simović’s banned Istočnice were photocopied, procured “under the table”, read aloud during the night, beside windows where the blinds were drawn. However, as the poet himself would say, those times no longer exist either. To today's generation it is incomprehensible how it is possible that some books could be banned for political reasons three years after the death of lifelong Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. Ljubomir Simović then realised that the madness of one government would pass, as everything passes, but some new trouble always comes. Still he was able to conclude - It's never been easy to fight with the authorities, but it has never been as difficult as it was in Broz’s time. Then you went to prison because of a film or a book.

He learned to wisely endure and on the phenomenon of enduring he recently told the author of this article: “I remember well one conversation with Branko Miljković, [a great Serbian poet from Niš, who was a year older than Simović and tragically ended his life under unexplained circumstances in Zagreb at the age of 26], on the road from Sremski Karlovci to Stražilovo. Branko at one point said – If a poet wants to write a new book, has to learn something new, even if that is only learning how to play chess.”

With or without chess, Simović has been present on the Yugoslav and Serbian literary scene for nearly six decades.

Alongside that, he is capable of being a harsh critic of any government for all its bad moves and omissions. He quickly realised that 6th October 2000 already saw the beginning of the betrayal of what we had expected from the events of 5th October 2000, saying: “Everything first started to be challenged, then to slide, so that after the assassination of Zoran Đinđić everything fell faster, in the opposite direction from that in which we believed Serbia would go.”

When we ask ourselves why things happen to us that others have seen and predicted, and we rushed to meet them, instead of trying to stop them, we mainly find an adequate response with difficulty. CorD’s interlocutor offers one possible explanation: “Some people need a leader like sheep need a shepherd. And they are ready to accept as a leader, without any checks, anyone imposed upon them. And meanwhile they have not read Domanović! And when they finally discover that the leader is blind, it's too late: bridges have been destroyed, the army HQ was bombed, Avala tower was razed

to the ground, Serbs from Krajina were expelled, Kosovo has been lost ... And that did not teach us anything. We will again choose a new leader and again we will only discover his blindness when we again finish at the bottom, in the trenches or in the grave.”

We should not waste too many words in order to interpret our own delusions caused by excessive expectations.

Nor should we try too hard to find justification for someone's misspent years in power. Perhaps the most appropriate is to see whether we are aware of what we have today.

We discuss this and his rich and successful artistic creations with this writer who has long since become a classic.

■ Your play Čudo u Šarganu (Miracle in Šargan) recently premiered at the National Theatre in Belgrade.

If a poet wants to write a new book, he has to learn something new, even if that is only learning how to play chess

We read that you were very satisfied with the direction of Egon Savin, who relocated your story from the periphery in the 1990s?

- It was more than exciting to see how that play, forty years after its first performance at Atelje 212, was performed by a new generation of great actors, and how it was presented to a new audience that is younger than this text.

■ How would you explain the fact that your drama The Šopalović Travelling Theatre has been perfomed continuously for nearly three decades on the stages of France?

- This is about a confluence of a series of fortunate circumstances. First of all, the premiere performance at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, directed by Dejan Mijač, should have gone the way it went. Then Vladimir Dimitrijević, M AY

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owner of the publishing house L Age d Homme in Lausanne and Paris had to organise the translation of that drama into French, and then to publish that translation in one of his publications. That translation experienced two editions and a version translated into Breton was soon published. Then that book had to find its way into the hands of director Jean-Paul Wenzel, who would stage Šopalović in the theatre Le Théâtre des fédérés in Montluçon in the summer of 1990.

That year saw that play declared as the best theatre performance in France, which enabled Wenzel to gain direction in the Parisian Theatre de la Ville, also known as the Sarah

ning of each show Chiang Kim read my message to actors.

During 1999, when Serbia was exposed to NATO bombing, the actors, as a sign of solidarity and support, sent me two wooden theatre masks, which I still keep on my wall today... Otherwise, that translation was published as a book bilingually in Serbian and Korean, and with footage from the show. What is most beautiful is that the story does not end with this: in 2010 Šopalović was staged on the scene of South Korea’s largest national theatre, Majeongdong.

■ This is not only the performance of this play in the Far East?

- That play was also staged on the scene of the Black Tent Theatre in Tokyo. It is interesting that the Japanese show was directed

by French director Prosper Dis, who directed Šopalović in 1994 at the Teatro Sableye in Orange-Kamarei.

■ Your works have also been performed in South America?

- Yes, Šopalović has been performed in Colombia, in Bogota, set on the scene by actress Fabian Medina, with the text translated by Sylvia Monros Stojaković.

Bernhardt Theatre. According to the report I got from the SACD, during this quarter of a century and a little more, this drama was staged by more than 100 French theatres. It was then performed at a French theatre in Casablanca, then in the theatres of Belgium and Switzerland, and not just for one or two seasons, but rather for ten or fifteen years after the first performance. In recent years it has again returned to the scene. Then came a staging in Canada, not only in French but also in English... In France, Miracle in Šargan has been perfomed in theatres in Cavaillon and Marly-le-Roi.

Some people need a leader like sheep need a shepherd.

And they are ready to accept as a leader, without any checks, anyone imposed upon them

■ And how did your drama The Šopalović Travelling Theatre find itself in South Korea?

- The most deserving for that is undoubtedly Chiang Kim, who, if I am not mistaken, was a student of Mate Lompar at the Slavonic Department in Seoul and who translated that drama into Korean. That traslation was staged at the Theatre Academy in Seoul in December 1998. At the begin26 |

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■ After so many translations, in more than 20 languages, and after so many performances around the world, let's add that Šopalović has also been performed in Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.

After all that, has your poetry been demoted to second place?

- No way! After 1988, when I finished the drama Battle of Kosovo, or more precisely after 2002, when I wrote the second version of this drama, I dealt mostly with poetry; poetry and essays about painters and sculptors.

I published a poetic trilogy consisting of the books Eggshell, Full Stop and Planet Danube.

Now I am only thinking about the new book of poems I am writing, and which, in a way, continues that trilogy. Those who follow my work know that my poems are also filled with elements of drama.

■ Is poetry translated less than plays?

- Less, but they are still translated. In the last five years in Romania were published two extensive selections of books of my poems, under the selection and translation of Slavomir Gvozdenović and Lupijana Aleksiua. Veno Taufer, in his selection and translation, published the book Planet Danube and other poems in Slovenia. Under the selection and translation of Vesna Bernard, an electronic edition of my poems was published in France.

■ You belong to that rare group of writers (I only know

of you and Duško Kovačević), who do not use a computer. Why is that?

- Ever since I can remember I have written with a pen. I later type that out on a typewriter. If necessary I retype each page, or the whole text, ten or twenty times, until I get what I want. I view the pen as a natural extension of the hand. For me, a computer today would be more harmful than beneficial. That’s because while writing I would think more about the computer than that which I write.

Quite simply, I could not write a poem on the computer just as I could not read Macbeth and Gargantua and Pantagruel on a screen.

Umberto Eco said that like this: Spend two hours reading a novel on your computer and your eyes will become like tennis balls. It's late and I'm afraid it would be risky to change my method of writing in these years, and to start from scratch near the end.

■ What represents good working conditions for you? Do you have a working time for writing, or deadlines that force you to write?

- Working conditions, whatever that means, are something I’ve never thought about. When

Sycophants have always existed, but it seems to me that there have never been as many as there are today

I had motivation, when I had genuine reason for writing, nothing bothered me. And I missed nothing. It is important to have a motive, to have a theme, and not whether you have a desk, a chair, a lamp and a stove.

And writing is a strange job anyway. There is no working and non-working time. The writer works even when it seems that they are not working.

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■ How do you experience your native Užice today, as your homeland?

- Užice, where I was born, and one’s homeland in general, is something that awaits you, that you did not choose for yourself. You are awaited by a specific geography, specific history, the language that is spoken there and even a certain mentality. I often say, slightly in jest, although there's a lot of reality in that, that in a way my homeland is World War II. And the very notion of homeland and the notion of

■ Who was the writer who shaped your youth?

- There were many, and they areprimarily poets. We should not forget that that was during the reign of socialist realism, and that our writers, who created during the interwar period, were not printed. Crnjanski and Rastko Petrović were in exile, which was enough for them to be excluded from school curricula and publishing plans.

Upon arrival for my studies, in Belgrade antique shops and libraries, I copied poems by Crnjanski and Petrović from inter-war books and magazines, and not only theirs, so I was copying on a borrowed typewriter and sharing with friends.

I had a custom of taking from the literary papers, which at the time were much greater than they are today, and cutting songs and sticking them in some thick notebooks.

I had several such volumes, but I didn’t save any of them. All I know is that from foreign poets they mostly contained translations of Apollinaire and Rimbaud.

■ One slogan for the promotion of culture in Serbia during the 1990s was – With culture it’s more beautiful! Unfortunately, from the then allocations of four per cent of the national budget for culture, today we have reached a total of 0.6 per cent. It is as if every government finds culture more difficult and unappealing?

World War II are somehow inseparable for me. As a child I had already heard of some towns, I had heard of some far away places that our personal destiny was dependent on. That’s how my horizons spread.

■ What you will never forget from that which you carried in your suitcase of memories? What has remained within you today from your native Užice?

- I brought everything. And I have not forgotten anything.

It is logical that those who gain diplomas, scientific titles and titulars not by learning but by buying, can hardly wait for educated young people to leave Serbia, so they can take their place

■ Is the beauty of your language and its accuracy, which experts acknowledge, due to the fact that you were born in an area where people speak properly, or is that the result of the special care taken by writer Ljubomir Simović?

- Both are important. The language of that area is lively and colourful, like its landscape, which for me, as I express in poetic images, is equally important.

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- Yes, the fact that the two biggest museums in Belgrade have been closed for 12 years is no coincidence, and these days it has been confirmed in the news that the Serbian pavilion in the Giardini at the Venice Biennale is rusty and collapsing and being rained on.

This is also confirmed by the cancelling of Serbian language courses at foreign universities, and the small number of lessons of the mother tongue in our schools. How could it be any different when the country is managed by people who bought their diplomas, ignorant people, people who do not know what they do not know?

■ You said recently in another interview that it would be normal for everyone, regardless of their position in society, to have the right to express their stance about anything publicly and without consequences. The relaying of stances should not be a privilege, but rather a natural and inviolable right of every citizen. What is the position of the thinking of intellectuals in Serbia today if they behave in accordance with this opinion?

- I will give you just one characteristic example. There is plenty of opposition to the Belgrade Waterfront project, as

proven by the warnings of many experts and warnings from the Academy of Architects of Serbia, but the government ignores that. The initial Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning and the Department Fine Arts and Music of SANU offered, in October last year, to carry out a public inspection entitled Comments and suggestions regarding the Belgrade Waterfront. But not one of the authors of that analysis was invited to participate in any discussion of that project. Expert opinions are ignored, with the government listening only to itself.

And that's not even the worst. In front of the National Assembly at the time when it adopted the lex specialis on the expropriation of assets in the Sava amphitheatre, there “spontaneously” gathered a mass of Progressives who, giving support to that law and this project, carried a mass of banners.

On one of them it said: Vučić, arrest them all!

– All the architects, urban planners, all Belgraders, wherever they were born; all those who argue that this plan is unsustainable, unprofessional, harmful and that during its adoption all laws have been ignored, including the Constitution!

■ To what extent do you concur with the thesis of some young, thinking people who suggest that this government does not like educated and well-schooled people, because they are difficult to manipulate? And from there, it seems, emerge all these quasi-colleges and schools that have been completed by some current ministers and most of their colleagues?

- It is logical that those who gain diplomas, scientific titles and titulars not by learning but by buying, can hardly wait for educated young people to leave Serbia, so they can take their place.

■ Why were you not interested in sycophants as a writer?

- Sycophants have always existed, but it seems to me that there have never been as many as there are today. Everyone sees that the emperor has no clothes, but they do not stop admiring his imperial outfit! I occasionally turn on the TV to see what parliamentary debates look like. I don’t knoe if there has ever been a government anywhere that acts with the kind of arrogance shown by this government that runs Serbia today. Listening to MPs of the ruling party and coalition I inevitably remember Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound, in which Prometheus says to Zeus’s messenger Hermes: Your speech is pompous sounding, full of pride, As befits the lackey of the gods!

Elections for the President of SANU/SASA are the most serious and most difficult elections in decades, considering the circumstances in which we find ourselves as a society

It's amazing how current Aeschylus is today! When Io asks Prometheus: So who will take Zeus’s imperial sceptre? Prometheus answers: himself, with his vain intentions!

The almighty head of the ruling regime will not be brought down by those who criticise him, but rather those who praise him.

I do not know whether some people are so stupid and gullible that they believe every colourful lie, or whether they are so greedy and immoral that they look how, holding that colourful lie for the truth, they can benefit as much and as quickly as possible!

■ Vladimir Kostić has just been elected as the top man of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which you welcomed very heartily. Why is that?

- I said that these elections for the President of SANU/SASA are the most serious and most difficult elections in decades, considering the circumstances in which we find ourselves as a society. I do not know how aware of these difficulties our citizens are, but within them each institution and its stability is important, particularly in the case of SANU/SASA. I think we gained a good and unique leadership, capable and ready to confront many problems. I hope the positive remifications of this election will be felt soon.

■ How dissatisfied are you with the work of SANU/ SASA?

- For this occasion I can say what I am pleased with. I am very pleased with the outcome of the last elections for the new Executive Board. ■ M AY

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BELGRADE MARATHON

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CorD Charity Masters 2015

Gathering of Good

VIBRATIONS

Rain, wind and unseasonably cold weather did not manage to spoil the biggest and most positive sporting event in Serbia, which saw participants run, walk and enjoy themselves in Belgrade for the 28th time

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his year’s SuisseGas 28th Belgrade Marathon will be remembered for the rain, wind and cold weather. However, it was the bad weather and generally bad conditions to be outdoors which highlighted the fact that this year’s marathon demonstrated its magnitude, might and good vibrations successfully, according to the majority of the marathon’s participants.

If nothing else, Serbia needs to pay much greater attention to this globally renowned sporting event and the biggest event in the country, which each year brings together many thousands of people of good will, positive vibrations and good energy.

The marathon’s participants came from all over Serbia, the region and the world to gather in the area between Tašmajdan Park and Nikola Pašić Square in the early morning hours of marathon day. As the start time approached, more and more people gath30 |

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ered, just as Belgrade Marathon Director Dejan Nikolić had predicted earlier when he noted a few hours before the race, while staring skywards, that this year's marathon would be remembered as one of the best.

A total of 317 people registered to participate in the traditional 9th CorD Charity Masters Race. They started to assemble around 9am on the morning of the marathon. After taking group photos, sending messages and agreeing on a strategy, CorD’s humanitarians assumed their starting positions at 10:10am to begin their race for charity. The CorD Charity Masters Race is all about people investing effort and exerting themselves to secure donations for those most in need.

The following companies, embassies and individuals participated in this year’s CorD Charity Masters Race: Telekom Serbia AD, Piraeus Bank AD, UniCredit Bank AD, Wiener Städtische Insurance a.o.d, the embassies of Ukraine, Australia and the Czech Republic, alliance international media doo (CorD magazine), ABC Serbia and a substantial number of outdoor recreation lovers and friends of CorD. A total of 1,242,500.00 dinars was raised. Together with the donations made in the previous eight years, the raised amount stands at €140,000 donated to organisations and individuals selected by race participants. ■

CorD’s RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ (left) and DIJANA RIBAĆ of Wiener Stadtische

Wiener Stadtische Team

IVANA SIMONOVIĆ, Communication officer at UniCredit Bank Serbia JSC, receives her certificate

IVANA ARBUTINA of Telekom Serbia, ALEKSANDAR ĐORĐEVIĆ, President of the Belgrade Marathon and CorD’s RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ

Impatience before the start

UniCredit Bank’s Charity Masters team

Telekom Serbia Team prior to the start of the marathon

Ready to go!

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ProCredit Bank team prepares for the start

MARJAN VELIČKOVIĆ, ProCredit bank Marketing Coordinator, receives his certificate for humanitarian work

NATALYA MARKEVYCH, First secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine

CorD’s star this year was IVANA KRSMANOVIĆ (left), who ran 21 kilometres, pictured with colleague MAJA VIDAKOVIĆ

H.E. IVANA HLAVSOVA (number 208), Ambassador of the Czech Republic, with the Czech Embassy team

One of the youngest at the start

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Piraeus Bank once again had the most participants this year

H.E. Australian Ambassador JULIA FEENEY (left)

Runners from the Australian Embassy

ALEKSANDAR ĐORĐEVIĆ, the biggest star of the marathon, pictured with VUK ISAKOVIĆ

Photo for memories: Runners from Macedonia and Poland

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FEATURE

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Austria, Finland and Sweden:

20 Years in the EU

Finland, Austria and Sweden joined the European Union in the fourth round of enlargement on 1st January 1995, bringing the number of Member States to 15. These three countries were the first new countries to join the EU following the end of the Cold War

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his survey was commissioned to understand how people in these three countries view the EU and the impact of EU membership, 20 years after accession. The questionnaire covered people’s associations with Europe, their sense of European identity, the nature of the impact of EU membership on national life, views on the priorities for the new European Commission and one country-specific question for each of the three Member States.

The survey was carried out by the TNS Political & Social Network in Austria, Finland and Sweden between 24th November and 3rd December 2014 and saw some 3,000 respondents from different social and demographic groups interviewed online in their mother tongue on behalf of the European Commission’s DirectorateGeneral for Communication. The methodology used was that of Eurobarometer surveys carried out by the Directorate-General for Communication (“Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer” Unit).

When asked what comes to

mind when thinking about Europe, the ‘EU’ and the ‘euro’ were the two most frequently mentioned associations, although the concepts of peace and freedom were also prevalent, emphasised by the ideas of unity, continent, community and open borders across the three countries.

A strong sense of European identity was evident among almost nine in ten respondents, who agreed with the statement ‘I feel European myself’ (87%), with similar results across the individual countries.

The majority of respondents have positive feelings about the EU (62%). This picture is similar across all three countries – while only around one in ten were very positive, at least half felt fairly positive about the EU.

Around four in ten respondents (41%) find the level of cooperation between the EU Member States to be close enough, though a similar percentage (36%) feel cooperation should be closer. This is particularly true in Austria, where around half (49%) feel that the level of cooperation should be closer.

Freedom of movement and consumer choice are viewed as key successes of EU membership across all of the three countries.

More than seven in ten respondents consider EU membership to have had a positive impact on students and workers mobility (76%) and choice of consumer products (73%). The two aspects where a majority believed that the impact of membership had been negative related to the

There is a strong sense of European identity, with almost nine in ten respondents agreeing with the statement ‘I feel European myself’ (87%), with similar results across the individual countries

Source: Flash Eurobarometer 407. This survey has been requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication. This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission.

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economic situation (56%) and social welfare (57%).

Employment is seen as the most important priority for the new European Commission and was mentioned by half overall (50%). Finns viewed this issue as especially important, with six in ten (63%) rating it as an important priority. The other most frequently mentioned priorities were economic growth, immigration and the environment.

Around nine in ten respondents in Austria (91%) stated the introduction of the euro as one of the events they remember most from the last 20 years of EU membership.

A third of respondents in Finland (34%) agree that their country has a say on EU policymaking, while half (51%) fairly disagree with this suggestion and 15% strongly disagree.

Some 44% of Swedish respondents believe that the 20 years of EU membership has had an overall neutral impact on their daily lives, but those who do feel it has had an impact are more likely to say it has been positive (35%) than negative (21%). 

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT MAY 2015

38 PAGE

39 PAGE

46 PAGE

50 PAGE

Protecting Property

Highest Growth in

Ready to Face

Bolstering

and Lives

WOLFGANG KINDL

UNIQA INTERNATIONAL CEO

Voluntary Health Foreign Insurance Competition GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ UNIQA SERBIA CEO

Agriculture GORAN VASIĆ

DIRECTOR OF THE GUARANTEE FUND OF THE AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA

BILJANA CVERTKOV

YUGOSLAV RIVER SHIPPING CEO M AY

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Many Untapped

Local Resources ALEXANDER GRUNAUER

HEAD OF THE PROJECT “LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN EASTERN SERBIA” AT THE GERMAN ORGANISATION FOR INTERNATIONAL COORPERATION, GIZ

As shown by the pilot project in nine Serbian local self-governments (LSGs), better property tax collection is just one of many areas in which LSGs can improve their professional capacities to promote their own development effectively

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upported by the Swiss-German funded project „Lokalni ekonomski razvoj u istočnoj Srbiji” (Local Economic Development in Eastern Serbia), nine Serbian local governments managed, as part of the pilot project, to achieve stability and sustainability of their municipal income thanks to more efficient property tax collection, enabling them to better serve the needs of their citizens. In this interview for CorD, Alexander Grunauer, head of the GIZ project, provides the details.

■ How important is better collection of taxes for local municipalities in times of austerity at all state levels?

- Led by its own national interest to cut expenditures, and required by its financier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Serbian government, among other things, had to cut central government transfer payments to LSGs. While in the past they heavily relied on these payments, nowadays LSGs are forced to improve collection of their own revenues/taxes, in order to secure and improve service delivery to their residents 36 |

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and businesses. From the standpoint of good governance, decentralisation and subsidiarity, such an increasing transfer of responsibility and accountability to LSGs is to be welcomed.

■ What does the collection of data on property tax in the nine pilot municipalities show in terms of potential increases in municipal income and, if collected, what impact would they have on the overall municipal revenues?

income in the first two months of the current year was initially 20% lower than in the same period of the previous year. This is, unfortunately, a prevailing trend in Serbia. In a nutshell, supported by the Swiss-German funded Project, these nine pilot LSGs managed to achieve stability and sustainability of their municipal income thanks to more efficient property tax collection.

■ How did citizens in these municipalities accept the enumerators and did they recognise the possibility of a fairer redistribution of the tax burden and greater coverage as a tool for improving the funding of public needs in these municipalities?

- Like anywhere in the world, people in Serbia don’t like anyone who has anything to do with

Buoyed up by our Project, municipal representatives in one of the Eastern Serbian municipalities are considering lowering the tax rate for all citizens if a major portion of property tax is collected - Let me give you an example. In the first two months of 2015, with our support, the Municipality of Sokobanja managed to collect a total of 9,574,534.23 RSD, which is three times more than in the same period of the previous year.

At the same time, local budget

taxes coming to their door. All joking aside, we had no incidents and, personally, I think that registration went smoothly, in part because the mayors announced this activity in the local media and explained the ultimate reason to citizens. The power of just

taxation may perhaps be best illustrated with the example from one of the municipalities with which we are working. They are considering lowering the tax rate for all citizens if a major portion of property tax is collected! As confirmed by this experimental pilot project implemented in nine Serbian LSGs, and verified by empirical international studies, simplification of the taxation system, reducing tax exemptions and decreasing the tax burden for individual tax payers, all lead to considerable decreases in the tax evasion rate.

■ The most successful municipalities in collecting property taxes can count on substantial rewards from your fund. When will the winners be decided; how will they spend the money and how do you intend to monitor spending?

- Property registration, one of the activities aimed at fostering local economic development in Eastern Serbia in the scope of our Swiss-German co-financed project, took slightly over a year. Our donor, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), an independent donor organisation, recognised the importance of local taxes, which is why we have, in cooperation with our partner municipalities and the Ministry of Finance, as well as with the SCTM, agreed on indicators against which the progress achieved in the area of property tax collection

is to be measured. We were able to turn our support into some kind of a competition, which was interesting to both the participating municipalities and our project.

One million Swiss francs, secured

by SDC as a donation, will be divided among the five most successful municipalities. The first on that list will be awarded 400,000 francs. The money may be spent exclusively for development purposes and we will control the use of these funds closely.

■ Have other local administrations recognised the potential of this GIZ project; and how can GIZ share its knowhow on property tax collection with them?

- Yes. In the course of the Project we were contacted by other municipalities that have also recognised the importance of updating their real estate databases and investing efforts in collecting as much tax as possible. This project is in the pilot phase for the time being and upon completion we will think about the potential follow-up.

■ You are also engaged in projects promoting rural tourism and working with winemakers and producers of medicinal herbs. Based on your experience, what do these GIZ projects suggest about Serbia’s potential in this area?

- Eastern Serbia has significant potential in these areas. However, there is still a lot to be done.

For example, we have noticed that even restaurants in Eastern Serbia do not offer wine from their own wine region. We have supported the networking of wine producers to help them access the market jointly. Wine producers from Negotin and Knjaževac were provided with assistance in strengthening their association, while GIZ recently donated a wine quality testing laboratory. We are working to obtain a stamp of the designation of geographic origin according to European standards,

in order to better market the wine on both domestic and foreign markets. Significant progress was made in the area of tourism, where prior to this project municipalities had individual presentations of their tourist offer, while now, with our help, they have de-

crisis. In your opinion, how have the professional capacities of local authorities to apply for donor projects improved over time?

- There is an obvious increase in the capacities of Serbian LSGs when it comes to identifying,

GIZ is working to obtain a designation of confirmation of geographic origin according to European standards, to assist wine producers from Negotin and Knjaževac

signed a joint tourist offer for all municipalities along the Danube.

■ You have been living and working in Serbia for many years and are quite familiar with the different stages of recovery Serbia has passed through on its way out of the

developing and implementing bankable projects in 2015 compared to 2005, for example. Unfortunately, these demanding and much sought after professional skills within the LSGs are too often developed only at the individual level. The institutional capacity in this quite relevant area

for promoting the development of Serbian LSGs, and the country as a whole, still requires improvement. This refers specifically to coordination and collaboration between different government levels and their institutions responsible for steering the development of the country.

■ Serbia has launched public administration reform at all levels. Cosidering your vast experience in working with local administrations in Serbia, what would you suggest are the areas in which Serbian municipalities should improve their professional capacities in order to work better with donors and implement projects more efficiently?

- The aim of official donor assistance is to promote the development of a country, to improve the livelihood of its population, and to improve the environment for doing business in that country sustainably. In this sense, I would like to rephrase the question to read: “What are the areas in which Serbian LSGs need to improve their professional capacities to effectively promote their own development”, as donations aim to contribute to this overall goal.

In my opinion, a good recommendation to every mayor is to look into what they would do differently if the LSG was not a public administration, but rather a private company providing services to citizens and the business sector. What would they do to secure revenues for the organisation? Which human resources would they (continue to) engage to deliver professional services to clients, citizens and entrepreneurs in the LSG? Based on my experience, I can determine that most cases provide plenty of room for HR restructuring and deploying available and scarce financial resources to reward qualified and relevant human resources and boost the development of an LSG. ■ M AY

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Protecting Property

and Lives WOLFGANG KINDL UNIQA INTERNATIONAL CEO

Our commitment to the partnership with Raiffeisen Bank in all our markets provides a strong business foundation that also allows us to be close to our clients through banking channels

U

NIQA has 22,000 employees and exclusive partners in a framework of 40 companies operating on 19 markets. The Development Strategy to 2020 should contribute to UNIQA becoming one of the top three participants on every market where it operates.

■ The UNIQA Insurance Group has recorded constant growth for years.

- UNIQA is the second largest insurance company in Austria, with a 21% market share. On the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, from a total of 15 markets, UNIQA is among the five leading insurance companies on nine of them.

Despite universal stagnation of the insurance market in Europe, UNIQA Insurance Group marked continuous growth in 2014 and on a total of 19 different markets we boast more than 10 million customers. Earning before tax (EBT) increased 22.9% - to €377.9 million. Premiums rose 7.6% - to €5.31 billion.

■ You recently organised the European summit on insurance in Belgrade, with experts from the 19 countries where UNIQA International operates.

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What are the latest trends in these markets?

- According to the opinions of UNIQA International experts, based on experience from other countries, investments in insurance services are expected to increase according to the following steps and stages of development.

In the first place is compulsory insurance like car insurance, followed by property insurance, unemployment insurance and accident insurance (PPI - payment

UNIQA operates. An interesting fact of the research is that, despite the economic crisis, Serbian companies are the most optimistic in the Balkans and as many as 41 per cent assess the economic situation in the country as being favourable to their development.

■ You have set yourself the goal of attaining third place overall in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and first place on the Austrian market by 2020. What makes UNIQA International’s offer unique on the market?

- UNIQA has developed a long-term strategy of its own development until 2020, with the vision to become one of the top three partici-

Serbian companies are the most optimistic in the Balkans and as many as 41 per cent assess the economic situation in the country as being favourable to their development

protection insurance), “fixed term” life insurance, followed by growth of investments in life and private health insurance.

Alongside this, considering last year’s floods, there should be consideration of ways to enable citizens to protect themselves against natural disasters and ensure the protection of their property and their lives.

Central Europe remains an engine of economic growth compared to other regions where

pants on each of the markets where we operate, doubling the number of clients and becoming the market leader in Austria, our home market.

In order to achieve these goals we have established a profitable growth strategy, which brings us a modern organisation and profitable and efficient business, but, most importantly of all, it enables us to be more committed and closer to the needs of our clients.

“We” are a dedicated team that is united towards a common goal:

offering our customers a level of security that makes their lives and the lives of their families easier.

■ Which principles of UNIQA International’s operations on its home market can be applied in Serbia and where do you see the need for improvement?

- UNIQA has a strong position on the eight markets of Southeast Europe, with premiums of more than €250 million in 2014. In this region we employ about 2,300 workers and have 1.7 million clients. The company operates under a single brand, as well as applying a single business model, with minor adaptations to local conditions. Evidence of UNIQA Group’s successful strategy on this market was provided by last year’s acquisition of Basler Insurance in Croatia and Serbia, with which we again demonstrated our commitment to the development of these markets and our plans to stay there and develop together with the markets, which have huge potential.

The small percentage of insured people and property in Southeast Europe shows that, with education and investment in developing markets, there could be a marked an increase in the number of insured people. Expected growth in economic activity in the next two to three years will certainly contribute to growth of the insurance market, so in the following period we expect stabilisation and a certain level of recovery. ■

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Highest Growth in Voluntary

Health Insurance GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ UNIQA SERBIA CEO

The aim of UNIQA Serbia is to soon be among the four largest companies on the Serbian insurance market, with a market share exceeding eight per cent

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espite modest economic indicators in Serbia, UNIQA has recorded impressive growth for years, the highest among the leading insurance companies on the market

■ What business strategy elements contributed the most to achieving this result and do you expect to reach the goals you set for yourself by 2020?

- UNIQA insurance is recognised on the Serbian insurance market as a modern and innovative company with an exceptionally professional attitude towards its customers. Our main task is to maintain this image, but also to ensure our efforts contribute to our company becoming a leader in this region when it comes to the quality of the service we provide to customers – with special emphasis on efficiency, cooperation and innovation.

By automating and standardising processes, as well as improving existing products, we have enabled the completing of most of production on the ground, thereby shortening the time previously required for the conclusion of a contract, ensur-

ing a swift service for customers and continuing further growth in our market share.

The way in which we will achieve our main objective, of ensuring the sustainable profitability of the company, is clearly defined as: continuing growth of the company’s market share and optimising company costs.

Our vision is to be among the four largest companies on the Serbian insurance market, with a

achieved a premium of €45.6 million, which represents an increase of 16.14% compared to 2013. The growth of life insurance totalled 25.81%, while the growth of non-life insurance amounted to 12.88%. The most dynamic growth was achieved in the voluntary health insurance sector (52%), followed by household insurance (35%) and travel assistance (14%).

According to a report of the National Bank of Serbia, UNIQA Serbia is a leader in the rate of payments on vehicle liability insurance claims for the seventh consecutive year. In addition to this, UNIQA has, for many years, been the company generating the highest growth rates among

Through MedUNIQA voluntary health insurance customers are able to secure treatment at more than 500 of the best private and public health institutions in the country market share exceeding eight per cent, which we believe we will accomplish in the near future.

■ In which areas of insurance do you have the highest growth figures in terms of policies and premiums; and how satisfied are you with your current market position?

- In the previous year, UNIQA

the top five insurance companies present on the market. Since the company’s arrival in 2006, it has invested over €60 million in Serbia, thus we can say that we are satisfied with our current position, but we are always striving to be better.

■ How have customers reacted to the products that you’ve

offered in the past two years – such as private health insurance – and which are the most popular types of insurance in Serbia at present?

- Through MedUNIQA voluntary health insurance customers are able to secure treatment at more than 500 of the best private and public health institutions in the country, by selecting their desired institution with an overview of scheduled times – all at an affordable price. Also available to clients are various insurance packages, as well as the MedUNIQA contact centre, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With the implementation of this voluntary health insurance system, UNIQA won the trust of a large number of companies and individuals in less than four years and currently occupies second place on the market.

However, the most popular type of insurance in Serbia remains compulsory vehicle liability insurance, with a premium comprising 33% of the total value of premiums on the insurance market, as well as the accident insurance, both while performing regular work and otherwise (32%).

Unfortunately, other types of insurance, such as voluntary health (13%) and life (8%) as well as property insurance (below 7%) are under-represented in Serbia. ■ M AY

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LOCAL NEWS 01 MINECO

CORRUPTION “The close connection between politics and business leaves room for a high level of corruption. All companies and economic resources still owned by the government need to be privatised immediately”. — DORIS PACK, Member of the European Parliament 02 HEMOFARM

Veliki Majdan Mine Exceeds Production Plan by 24%

First Company in Serbia With Privileged Status

Disruption in ore production and processing, caused by last May’s flooding, could not prevent the Veliki Majdan lead and zinc mine – majority-owned by British company Mineco Ltd. – from exceeding its annual planned production of lead and zinc concentrates by 24 per cent. While approximately 47,000 tonnes of ore have been extracted, 2,562 tonnes of lead concentrate and 3,582 tonnes of zinc concentrate have been mined, which exceeds planned lead concentrate production by 16 per cent and zinc con-

Hemofarm is the only company in Serbia to have been given privileged company status by the Serbian Customs Administration.

Being certified as a company with a privileged status confirms that Hemofarm has been recognised as a long-term ŽELJKO DUDIĆ and stable partner when it comes to Serbia’s foreign trade activities. This status also implies simplified custom clearance procedures and faster product marketing which, in turn, improves product competitiveness and facilitates more efficient operations. “The privileged status for us is yet more validation that we are doing a good job, both for ourselves and the community in which we operate. The latest data shows that, with almost €150-million-worth of exports, we are ranked 6th on the list of the top 10 Serbian export companies and that we are the biggest pharmaceutical exporter. This status will speed up our business operations significantly,” says Željko Dudić, Director of the Procurement Sector, who received the certificate on behalf of the company.

centrate by 31 per cent. In 2014 alone about €335,000 was reinvested from revenues into the renewal of mining and other equipment and fixed assets. Moving forward, an additional investment of half a million euros is planned for this year, with the employment of 40 new workers, alongside the 295 employees currently working at the mine.

03 TELEKOM SERBIA

Mts-Telekom Serbia’s All-Service Brand As of April this year, all Telekom Serbia’s telecommunication services will be provided under one brand – mts. The mts brand now has a new visual identity and has become the umbrella brand for all services provided by the national telecommunications company, including landline and mobile telephony, internet, TV and other multi-media services. “As a comprehensive brand, mts is a result of our efforts to build a strong, modern and recognisable brand that will communicate all of the services and values our company stands for in the best possible manner,” says Natalija Jegdić, Executive Director of the mts Residential Customer Division. The slogan “Your World” best demonstrates the company’s desire for the new mts brand to be fully dedicated to meeting customers’ needs and wants, as well as realising the brand’s idea while being inspirational.

05 UNICREDIT BANKA

Best Foreign Bank in Serbia

04 SLOVENIAN BUSINESS CLUB

Slovene Club's April Meeting The Slovenian Business Club is continuing its tradition of organising meetings that contribute to its continuous success.

The Republic of Serbia’s Customs Administration was the guest at the Slovenian Business Club’s April meeting.

Members learned about the current activities of the Serbian Customs Administration and the novelties it has prepared. On behalf of the Slovenian Embassy, minister Ljiljana Figar Ferme spoke about the importance of Serbian-Slovenian business collaboration. The meeting participants also found that, as of 1st October 2015, a 40 |

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joint transit system will be put in place as one of the innovations of customs operations. The joint transit system encompasses all transit activities conducted by the countries that are signatories of the Joint Transit Convention – including the 28 EU Member States, EFTA countries (Lichtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland) and the Republic of Turkey.

EMEA Finance magazine has declared UniCredit Bank The Best Foreign Bank in Serbia in 2014. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of UniCredit Serbia’s Executive Board, Claudio Cesario, said: “Despite all the market challenges we have been facing, we have managed to achieve excellent financial results. We have succeeded in being above the market average according to many important parameters. However, the most important thing is that, in spite of negative trends, we have increased our number of employees.”

EMEA Finance magazine presents numerous annual European Banking Awards and UniCredit was the winner in 11 categories in 2014. UniCredit Group was declared The Best Bank in Central and Eastern Europe, while its individual members were declared the best banks in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Italy.

NEGOTIATION “Serbia has proved that it is absolutely committed to the path to full EU membership and it would be good if Brussels now showed that Serbia’s resolute steps were not in vain by opening the first negotiation chapters soon” — TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ, Serbian President

06 SBERBANK SERBIA

Successful Trend Continued in 2014 Sberbank Serbia continued its successful operations in 2014, advancing its market position by improving and developing its product and service range. The bank’s profit stood at 1.55 billion dinars, while the number of granted loans increased by eight per cent compared to 2013, achieving a cumulative value of 77 billion dinars. Trust in the bank also grew, as demonstrated by a 12% rise in the number of new customers and year-on-year growth in customers‘ deposits of 27%.

We were successful in many areas, but I would like to single out the bank’s exceptional results in granting loans subsidised by the Serbian Government. We have granted 11.73 billion Dinars worth of subsidised loans, achieving a total market share of 8.63%. We have also accomplished excellent results in trading with foreign banks. Sberbank Serbia is among the top three banks offering this kind of service. We additionally became co-owners of the biggest regional loyalty programme, Super Kartica (Super Card). Awareness of Sberbank’s brand increased fivefold in just nine months,” said Valeriy Ovsyannikov, Sberbank Serbia Executive Board Chairman.

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

ANDREJ JOVANOVIĆ

CEO OF HOLDING COMPANY "MY BRANDS"

Former hockey player Andrej Jovanović has been named CEO of new holding company Moji Brendovi (My Brands), which unites Imlek, Bambi and Knjaz Miloš. He began his career by founding company Marbo Product, which attained a leading position in the snacks industry in Serbia and the region of Southeast Europe, with the production of famous snack brands Chipsy, Clipsy, Pardon, Max, minutes and Gud. Marbo was taken over in 2008 by multinational company PepsiCo. During that same period Jovanović launched company Anbo, with a portfolio including the Maglič agriculture estate, Belgrade’s Ikarus factory and lift production, installation and servicing enterprise David Pajić Daka.

In 2012 Jovanović participated in the establishment of the Medigroup General Hospital and in 2014 he began work on the development of large construction projects, including the “A Blok” architectural and structural complex, the largest residential and commercial project of its kind anywhere in the region. In cooperation with investment fund Mid Europa Partners, he has now purchased Imlek, Bambi and Knjaz Miloš and taken over the lead of the group via the new Moji Brendovi holding company.

ILIJA ŠETKA

IMLEK MANAGING DIRECTOR

New Imlek Managing Director Ilija Šetka spent ten years at Apatin Brewery, serving as company CEO and regional president for operations in Serbia and Montenegro from 2008 to 2013. During that period he participated in the change of ownership of the brewery between company InBev, Starbev (CVC investment fund) and Molson Coors. During his engagement at the Apatin Brewery, where he gathered together a strong team of associates, he managed to double profits and strengthen the brewery’s leading market position. Prior to arrival at the Apatin Brewery, he gained working experience at multinational companies Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser. Šetka is a graduate of the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Economics.

07 DELHAIZE SERBIA

Most desirable employer in Serbia in 2015 Delhaize Serbia is the most desirable employer in 2015, according to a survey conducted at this year’s “Career Days” Employment Fair.

The study included 400 students and young unemployed people.

Delhaize Serbia employs more than 10,800 people, which it provides with a large number of programmes aimed at developing their business potential.

Special programmes aimed at young people provide them with an opportunity to gain their first work experience and learn about the basis of retail operations. Youngsters are particularly interested in the retail management training programme and the International Graduate Trainee Programme, which offer immediate employment and mentors to lead their careers.

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

CORPORATE

Developing Knowledge, Skills and

Competencies INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE (ISB)

The International School of Belgrade (ISB) is an IB World School and follows the three programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is designed for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) is for pupils in Grades 6-10, and the Diploma Programmes (DP) is for students in Grades 11 & 12

T

he final year of each of these programmes sees students develop a culminating project in which they demonstrate their acquired knowledge, skills and competencies. This article will focus on the MYP Personal Project.

‘MYP Personal Projects involve students in a wide range of activities to extend their knowledge and understanding, and to develop their skills and attitudes.’ (IBO website).

This year our 31 Grade 10 students engaged in pursuing their personal interests and passions in a wide variety of topics. They began with extensive and in-depth research, kept process journals of their learning journeys, and presented final products and outcomes to younger students, staff and parents in two separate sessions on 31st March.

In the realm of sports and

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fitness, one student created a website of video clips showing fitness and exercise tips, another created a football kick-ups skills website, while a third organized a three-session basketball camp for pupils of our Lower School.

Two students researched, assembled and produced books with healthy nutritional information and recipes for teens; three worked in the literary field with products of a graphic novel, a ‘Doctor Who’ script and a series of artistic renditions representing five historical conflicts in the modern era. Following the concept of ‘Japonism’, which blends elements of Western culture with Japanese culture, one student produced a painting combining Egyptian and Japanese elements; another wrote, composed and created a song with lyrics that promote and encourage

environmental awareness and care; a third created a 10-minute film exploring the styles of different film directors. One student researched the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wrote a letter to the foreign policy advisor of the German Chancellor, lobbying for Germany’s involvement in the peace process; another learned the programming language ‘Python’ and began writing programs; and one student from Sremski Karlovci promoted the development of the tourism potential of that region of Serbia.

In the creative field, one student researched and built his own portable speaker system and another created a device that charges mobile

Describing her Personal Project, Helene wrote: “When I arrived in Serbia five years ago, I saw a lot of stray dogs roaming the streets. Feeling pity was useless, I needed to do something. I familiarised myself with the existing structures for stray animals in Serbia and decided to create the Stray Rescuers club at ISB, a student association fundraising for various shelters. For three years we have bought food for strays. This year it was obvious to me that I needed to take a step further. Animal Hope Riska, which spays and neuters 200 dogs and 20 cats, only had half of the cages covered and protected from stormy weather. I decided to find a

MYP Personal Projects involve students in a wide range of activities in order to extend their knowledge and understanding, and to develop their skills and attitudes phones from electric energy produced while walking. In the service line, one student wrote a book for young children on childhood cancer and three other projects are detailed below by students.

way to properly shelter all of the animals. A long process of fundraising: a charity concert, 35,000 email correspondences, advertisements etc., led to the raising of 430,000 RSD. The construction has

started and there will be, in a few months’ time, a roof over more than 100 dogs’ heads.”

Here are thoughts from Alek: “Over the course of six months I set myself the task of creating a product that would fit most of my needs, all in one place. This is when I came up with the idea of the Echair. E, of course, stands for everything. My first challenge was to create a design from scratch, only having a very broad idea of what I wanted to achieve as my end goal. I

Iris wrote about her experience: “My personal project revolved around the idea of having a healthy lifestyle through nutrition. Healthy food has played a big part in my eating habits, as a result of my parents’ upbringing. I wanted to provide a source of reference that would introduce adolescents to the benefits of eating healthy and I therefore decided to compile a snack book. Making it required extensive research, time and patience. It was

personal project as an opportunity to fulfil my passion for helping others. Due to the previous collaboration between our school and ‘Drinka Pavlović’, I decided to organise a fundraising event on behalf of the orphanage. The performers were children from a Serbian school and, having helped them with their costumes and scenography, they offered to perform for free.

The play was set for lower school children, allowing me to organise the event at the

you can go shopping. I aimed for it to be made to cater for younger people. This means that I included unique and interesting facts about the places you can visit in Serbia.

Apart from that, I included adventurous activities that can be done near the place, as well as events visitors can attend throughout the year.

I did this project because I am from Serbia, and since I go to an international school my foreign friends often ask me where to go outside of the

One can clearly perceive in the students’ words their passion and creativity, as they exemplify the ISB Mission: ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members to discover their passions to be global innovators designed the chair with the 3D modelling programme Autodesk Maya. After this I took my design and met with a furniture designer. Ultimately, I felt great success when I saw the chair finally working, but I felt even more accomplished and satisfied when I saw how happy the children and parents were about what I had done. It was especially amazing to present my product to the children, and this has given me some insight into what I might want to study in college and what career I might want to go into in the future, like teaching young children.”

drafted on the computer program InDesign and then carefully printed at a local copy centre. It contains numerous recipes that are simple to prepare, not time consuming and, most importantly, beneficial for the body. These were the basic criteria I had in mind. Adolescents lead very busy lives in which time and effort counts when eventually deciding what to eat.”

Elena reflected: “Living in a world where we don’t listen to understand, but rather to reply, and where people live life with everyday struggles, I couldn’t help but take this

ISB Lower School. In the end, 41,200 dinars were gained and used to buy necessities for the orphanage. I have never had to work so hard to accomplish a goal like this. From this experience I can clearly say that I had an opportunity to grow as a person. No child deserves to grow up without love and care.”

Stefan provided the following explanation: “For my Personal Project I decided to make a tourist guidebook about Serbia. But this is not an ordinary guidebook. It does not include museums, churches or places where

city for a weekend. I realised that a lot of people are unaware of all the beauties and secrets this small country I live in has to offer.”

One can clearly perceive in the students’ words their passion and creativity, as they exemplify the ISB Mission: ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members to discover their passions to be global innovators. ■ M AY

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REGIONAL NEWS 01 MONTENEGRO

SOLUTIONS “The position of the European Union with regard the solution of the political crisis in Macedonia is clear. There must be a two dimensional solution: a legal solution and a political solution” — JOHANNES HAHN, European Union Enlargement Commissioner 02 HUNGARY

Central Bank Rates Hit New Low

Turkish Lender Obtains Permission to Work in Montenegro Montenegro’s Central Bank decided to grant permission to Turkey’s state-run Ziraat Bank to operate in the country, officials said.

Ziraat Bank applied for permission in December 2014 and it is expected the Turkish lender will begin opening branches in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the Ziraat Bank general manager said the bank will launch licenced banking in Montenegro and Azerbaijan, in addition to opening a branch in Kosovo this year.

There are currently 12 banks operating in Montenegro, though only Prva bank, Atlas bank and IBM with domestic capital, according to Central Bank data. Ziraat Bank is the largest state bank in Turkey. The Ziraat network operates in the fields of insurance, leasing, investment and insurance funds.

Hungary’s central bank trimmed interest rates to a new low of 1.8 per cent on 21st April and flagged more cuts, taking advantage of falling prices, a strong forint and capital flows into Central Europe’s fast-growing economies.

The National Bank of Hungary, run by a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, trimmed 15 points off its base rate, matching a cut last month that ended an eightmonth pause.

According to the latest Reuters survey, 20 of 21 analysts forecast the bank would cut by 15 points again. One analyst projected a 10 basis point reduction.

03 BULGARIA

Tenders for Oil, Gas Exploration Rights at Silistar The tenders for oil and natural gas exploration rights for Block 1-14 Silistar and Block 1-22 Teres, two exploration blocks located in Bulgaria’s Black Sea continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, are underway.

The licences for prospecting and/or exploration of oil and natural gas will be awarded for five-year periods. The applicant should have generated to-

tal net income of sales not less than €150 million for the last three financial years. The launch of the competitions for the two exploration blocks is part of the commitment of the Bulgarian government to reduce the country’s dependence on imports and develop its domestic oil and gas reserves.

The government expects the competitions to attract the attention of leading international companies in the sector, as is the case with the Han Asparuh exploration block. The holders of the permits are expected to be selected in early autumn.

04 ROMANIA

First Programmatic Media Agency Prometheus is the first agency specialised in programmatic media and marketing analytics in Romania. At this point, the agency has its own technology and tools based on the first contract signed by Google with an agency in Romania for access to Google’s platform and exclusive tools.

The revolutionary aspect of the “Programmatic” planning, modeling and buying activities is that, at the end of a complex process, the brands can buy a particular ad exposure for a particular consumer, at a certain time and in a certain context. It represents moving towards cybermarketing, respectively the activity that brings together the three vital concepts: marketing, economics, technology.

The Group is one of the most important communication groups in Romania and brings together numerous media agencies and agencies specialised in various marketing niches, including Media Investment.

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“Cautious easing of the policy rate may continue as long as it supports the achievement of the medium-term inflation target,” said the rate-setting Monetary Council in a statement after the decision.

The bank also said that inflationary pressures “are likely to remain moderate for an extended period.”

Some other central banks in emerging Europe are also easing policy to stop their strengthening currencies from driving down inflation and hurting growth.

5 THINGS

THAT ARE KILLING YOUR BUSINESS

• A poor marketing strategy.

• An undesirable business location.

• Bad website design.

• Poor customer service.

• Uncompetitive pricing.

05 CROATIA

INTEGRATION

DID YOU KNOW

“Joint projects will enable the region to be closer to the EU in terms of living standards and ensure a quick integration of the Western Balkans”

The Balkan rivers host 69 fish species that live only here and nowhere else in the world?

— MILO DJUKANOVIC, Montenegrin Prime Minister

Podravka Acquires Majority Stake in Žito Croatian food group Podravka acquired a 51.55% stake in Žito, one of Slovenia’s biggest food companies, for €33 million, or €180.1 per share, a price described by Slovenia Sovereign Holding as “good”.

Slovenian law requires that Podravka publish a takeover bid for the remaining outstanding stock. The deal values the entire company at €64 million, but the actual price will be lower, considering that Žito has treasury shares worth about a tenth of the entire issue.

“We’ve achieved the maximum price possible and exceeded expectations,” SSH chairman Matej Pirc told the press as the deal was announced. He said Žito would get a strategic investor from the industry and has “a clear development vision”.

“Podravka wants to allow Žito to expand internationally and broaden its consumer base,” said Podravka CEO Zvonimir Mršič. The stake was sold by SSH, the manager of state capital assets, insurers Modra zavarovalnica and Adriatic Slovenica, as well as several mutual funds.

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

BOJAN RADUN

BAMBI MANAGING DIRECTOR

Bambi Managing Director Bojan Radun began his career in 1999 when he joined his family business, the Radun Group, which included soft drinks company Nektar. Radun held several positions within marketing and sales at Nektar from 2000 to 2007, when he became Executive Director for Operations. In 2009 he became Nektar CEO. This period saw Nektar achieve significant growth on the domestic and regional markets, and in 2011 it bought Slovenia’s Fructal for €50 million – representing the largest domestic investment beyond the borders of Serbia to date. Bojan is a consultant for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a member and former president of the Serbian Association of Managers and, since 2013, an executive vice president of this professional organization. Radun was named Bambi CEO as of 1st April.

MILOŠ STOJISAVLJEVIĆ 06 ALBANIA

07 FYR MACEDONIA

TAP Selects JV For Construction of Access Roads

Unemployment Reduced From 40% to 27.6%

Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has selected a joint venture formed by Gener 2 Sh.p.K and Sicilsaldo S.p.A. for the construction and rehabilitation of access roads and bridges in Albania. The decision concludes TAP’s pre-qualification process (launched in April 2014), followed by bid assessments from the shortlisted companies that met TAP’s rigorous pre-qualification criteria. The building of Albanian access roads and bridges is a crucial step in TAP’s preparations for pipeline construction, to begin in 2016.

Leading the joint venture is Gener 2 Sh.p.K, an Albanian construction and development company with almost 20 years of relevant experience, while Sicilsaldo S.p.A. is an Italian company specialised in engineering, procurement and construction services in oil and gas, as well as in the power sector.

One of the challenges that countries in Southeast Europe (SEE) are facing is unemployment.

According to Macedonian Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Dime Spasov, the country is “on the right path with respect to this matter. The unemployment rate in Macedonia has been reduced from close to 40% to 27.6% in the past several years,” said Spasov.

He added that reducing the un-

employment rate is a top priority of the government, referring to the employment measure focused on people aged 29 and younger, according to which approximately 8,000 people were employed within a year, reports the government.

KNJAZ MILOŠ MANAGING DIRECTOR

New Knjaz Miloš managing director Miloš Stojisavljević has amassed over 17 years of experience in executive positions in the consumer goods sector, as well as working for multinational companies. He led the transformation of his family business into a corporate structured company. He is founder and senior advisor of company G2M Efficiency, where he focuses on optimising sales and distribution, as well as on the improvement of overall corporate governance for companies Nektar (Serbia) and Fructal (Slovenia and Macedonia). Stojisavljević previously worked as Sales Director for Western Balkans at PepsiCo. International and at Marbo Product.

PETER JAGODIČ

NEW MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL CEO FOR EASTERN ADRIATIC MARKETS (EAM)

As of 1st April, Slovene Peter Jagodič has become CEO of Mondelēz International’s Eastern Adriatic Markets (EAM) unit. Following his successful advancement through the company (formerly Kraft Foods), in the role of managing director for the Slovenian market and in numerous responsible sales positions.

Prior to his appointment as head of the EAM unit, Jagodič was head of sales for the markets of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and company procurement manager. During his professional career he also spent nine years working in corporate sales and marketing at Henkel.

Jagodič relocated to Belgrade in 2014, where he took over the helm of the sales sector for Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and used his fifteen-year sales and marketing experience to achieve enviable financial results and increase the company’s net income in Serbia by almost 18%.

Jagodič is a graduate of the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Economics. He is a married father of two children.

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INTERVIEW

Ready to Face Foreign

Competition BILJANA CVERTKOV

YUGOSLAV RIVER SHIPPING CEO

Yugoslav River Shipping (JRB) has already embarked on the process of revitalising and modernising its fleet, relying on the Water Transport Development Strategy 2015-2025 and a stable supply of projects

V

iewing water transport from JRB’s perspective, we can conclude that this mode of transport remains largely untapped and possesses great development potential in Serbia.

With the continous improvement of operating standards, the quality of trained workforce and active participation in the Shipping Group at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and in the Water Cluster, JRB has constantly advocated for better utilisation of this economic resource.

■ JRB has been a long-term partner of the Smederevo Steelworks. How important is

to hear that their production is now stable and that, with the second furnace in operation, production will increase substantially in the following period, which will restore this enterprise to its position as one of Serbia’s leading exporters. This means a lot for JRB too, primarily in terms of ensuring our business security and the engagement of our fleet. JRB’s entire dry cargo fleet has been hired to transport raw materials for the steelworks and once production grows we expect to be hired to transport finished products too. By ensuring safe transportation, we are also creating opportunities for further investment in the JRB fleet.

JRB’s entire dry cargo fleet has been hired to transport raw materials for the Smederevo Sronworks and once their production grows we expect to also be hired to transport their finished products it for your company that the steelworks now operates in a stable manner and is implementing planned production increases?

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By relying on the Water Transport Development Strategy 2015-2025, recently adopted by the Serbian National Assembly, and securing stable transport contracts, we can say that JRB has already started revitalising and modernising its existing fleet. In addition to the

Smederevo Steelworks, JRB has also this year concluded transport contracts with other partners, both national and international.

■ JRB is one of the members of the Shipping Group and the Water Cluster. Could you tell us about the biggest potential of these associations?

- JRB is an active member of both the Shipping Group at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Water Cluster. We are currently chairing the Shipping Group and I have been at the helm for the past three years. I would also like to mention that this is one of the most active groups in the

Chamber. We think that only organised professional associations can impact on legislation with the help of the Chamber, but we can also join forces with the state authorities to create a good business climate and attract investments. As a founding member of the Water Cluster, JRB has been striving to gather all relevant water transportation structures with one mutual goal in mind – making it better for everybody. I think that, in this way, JRB contributes substantially to the development of water transport.

■ JRB invests constantly in the development and application of new standards. How important is this in the face of very stiff market competition?

- In the previous period JRB did a lot on complying with relevant standards, staff training and ac-

quiring equipment, both for ships and other company units. JRB now complies with standards ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, while we plan to implement a few more. Another goal of our company is to continue training our ship crew and other staff. Strict adherence to regulation at all times, staff training, complying with new standards,

keeping pace with, and facilitating, development, are all absolutely essential. In the absence of such activities it would be almost impossible to operate abroad, where JRB is predominantly engaged, considering the toughness of competition. Let me remind you that over 90% of JRB’s transport services are provided abroad.

■ How much do foreign and local companies in Serbia utilise the advantages of transporting cargo via water and what would you single out as JRB’s untapped potentials?

- From our standpoint, the Danube and Sava, or water transport in general, are still largely untapped and provide a great development opportunity for Serbia.

At present large companies do use water transport services, although this could be further improved through additional investments in the infrastructure and the fleet. JRB plans to develop

in this segment too, in accordance with market needs and future economic development. We are ready to provide special purpose ships, such as those equipped with coolers and similar. All of this, of course, depends of market development. Until this happens, we will stick to our traditional fleet that transports bulk and general cargo, oil derivatives etc.

of national importance. For now, this boat completely satisfies our ambitions in tourism. However, with the development of this tourism branch we will have to think about acquiring more passenger vessels.

■ You have been participating in training young people who are graduates of the Faculty

The 60 jubilee conference of CEOs of the Danube shipping companies, which will take place in October 2015, will provide a wonderful opportunity for us to prove ourselves as excellent hosts and to represent Serbia as one of the leading water transport countries on the Danube th

■ Last year, you renovated the Kovin tourist ship. Is this boat now sufficiently equipped to satisfy JRB’s tourism ambitions or are you contemplating further development in this respect?

- The Kovin is our oldest ship and we completely overhauled it last year. We were all happy to see this happen and this year the Kovin will sail and attract a lot of attention with its appearance.

I would like to remind you that the Kovin is over 120 years old and has been declared an object

of Transport and Traffic Engineering. How much does this help with practical training of the future transport workforce? Are these students able to start working for companies like yours?

- In the last few years JRB has been focusing on young educated people, since they are the future of JRB and our country. We have had exceptionally good cooperation with the vocational shipping school from Belgrade. The students from this school usually intern at our company and sub-

sequently start working for us.

As far as the Faculty of Transport goes, cooperation is developing increasingly. In early April 2015 JRB participated in a workshop called “Transport and Traffic Business Day”, during which we introduced ourselves to the students and expressed our wish for some of them to one day become members of our successful team.

■ You have also been participating in work undertaken by numerous international organisations and this year you are also holding a conference.

Could you please elaborate?

- JRB is a signatory of the Bratislava Agreements and a member of many international transport associations. This year we have the honour of organising the 60th jubilee conference of the CEOs of Danube shipping companies. The conference will take place in October 2015. We are given an opportunity to prove ourselves as excellent hosts, as well as to represent Serbia as one of the leading water transport countries on the Danube. This will also be a wonderful opportunity to gather all esteemed experts from all Danube shipping companies, as well as other companies doing Danube-related business, while trying to improve conditions and the work done by these companies, including the relevant legislation. ■ M AY

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ADVICE

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

“Our advice to the Greek government is to get on with the work of improving the short and medium-term economic prospects”.

WORLD NEWS

— CHRISTINE LAGARDE, Head of the International Monetary Fund

01 CHINA

02 U.S.

China Agrees Superhighway to Pakistan China’s President Xi Jinping has signed agreements with Pakistan promising investment of $46 billion. The focus of spending is on building a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the long-time allies.

They will run some 3,000km from Gwadar in Pakistan to China’s western Xinjiang region. The projects will give China direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond.

This marks a major advance in China’s plans to boost its influence in Central and South Asia, correspondents say, and far exceeds U.S. spending in Pakistan.

China plans to inject some $46 billion - almost three times the entire foreign direct investment Pakistan has received since 2008. Many say Mr Sharif’s penchant for “thinking big” and China’s increasing need to control maritime trade routes may well combine to pull off an economic miracle in Pakistan.

U.S. and Chinese Investors Buy Cirque du Soleil

NAWAZ SHARIF, Pakistan's Prime Minister (left) and XI JINPING, Chinese President

03 UAE

Emirates Airline Picks Rolls-Royce for €8.5bln Engines Deal

JOHN RISHTON, CEO, Rolls-Royce (left) and TIM CLARK President of Emirates Airlines

Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce John Rishton (L) and President of Emirates Airlines Tim Clark shake hands after a press conference in central London on April 17, 2015. AFP Photo Dubai’s Emirates Airline awarded a lucrative engines deal worth a record €8.5 billion to British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce.

The engines will power 50 Airbus A380s that were ordered at the Dubai Air Show in 2013 and will start entering service next year.

The deal, the biggest ever for Rolls-Royce and one of the largest ever export orders for a UK-based company, was unveiled at a press conference in central London by Emirates president Tim Clark.

04 TURKEY

Turkish Airlines Carries 12.8 million in Q1 Turkish Airlines, the country’s national flag-carrier, has announced it increased its total number of passengers by 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period of the previous year.

The total number of passengers in the first quarter of 2015 was 12.8 million compared to 12 million in January-March 2014.

The number of passengers rose by 5.9 per cent on domestic flights and 7 percent on international flights, the company said.

The seat occupancy rate declined from the same period last year by 1.5 per cent to 76.6 per cent.

It also added 19 new destinations from last year, giving it a total of 265 destinations worldwide, 43 of them domestic. The number of planes increased by 27 to 268 in the first quarter of 2015, the company said.

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American private equity firm TPG and China’s Fosun on 20th April bought Canadian entertainment juggernaut Cirque du Soleil for an undisclosed sum as the carnival looks to expand in Asia.

The circus troupe’s founder Guy Laliberte retains a small stake of the Montreal-based company he started in 1984 and will continue providing “strategic and creative input.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, Canadian media said TPG, which has also invested in ride-share firm Uber and the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas, acquired 60 percent of the firm valued at $1.5 billion.

Since its inception, Cirque has thrilled almost 160 million spectators in over 330 cities and 48 countries. It will present 18 shows around the world in 2015.

10 THINGS

EVERY SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS TO DO

• You need to manage your cash •Y ou need to develop a data-based culture.

•Y ou need to engage in Lean Planning.* • You need to understand your margins on all your products and services.

•Y ou need to have a strategy for recruiting and retaining talent.

•Y ou need to listen online every day.

• You need to engage in marketing that gives you return on investment (ROI).

•Y ou need to talk to your customers.

•Y ou need to know your competitors.

• You need to have a higher purpose

*Lean Planning is a set of tools for discovering a business model that works, building an action plan to test your assumptions, creating financial models and a plan for a viable business, and tracking your performance so you can adjust your plan on the fly, quickly and easily.

05 CANADA

TROUBLE

GOLD

“We want our European partners to meet us not half way, but a fifth of the way. To talk about Grexit is to invite the kind of trouble that no one knows where it will lead”.

There is 200 times more gold in the world’s oceans than has been mined

— YANIS VAROUFAKIS, Greek Finance Minister

Nautilus Moves to Start PNG Seafloor Mining Canadian company Nautilus Minerals is once again gearing up to become the world’s first deep sea miner of gold and copper at its Solwara 1 site in Papua New Guinea. 2018 has been named as the new start date.

Since Nautilus resolved a long-running dispute with the Papua New Guinea government in December, it has let contracts with global giants from Britain’s Rolls Royce through to engineering firms, shipbuilders and specialist part makers in China, Germany Italy and more.

The three purpose-built machines needed on the seabed are expected to be delivered at the end of this year and other components will be ready next year.

Nautilus CEO Mike Johnston says the final piece of equipment, a specially-designed ship to support mining, will be ready to start in 2018.

06 RUSSIA

Redistribution on Russia’s Clothing Market Eleven international clothing brands have abandoned Russia in the last year as the ongoing financial crisis forces the mid-price segment out of the market.

For commercial networks operating in Russia, 2015 began with losses: Demand for clothes, footwear and accessories has fallen by 27 percent in the first three months of 2015. That phenomenon concerns small companies – which in total represent less than 2 percent of the international brands present in Russia.

On the other hand, larger companies are now entering the Russian market. Among the new arrivals that have announced their entry into the Russian market by the end of

08 SWITZERLAN

Credit Suisse Profit up Despite Strong Franc

07 JAPAN

Large Firms to Raise Monthly Wages

Japan’s large firms agreed to raise monthly wages this year at the fastest pace in 17 years, a preliminary report from the country’s most-powerful business lobby showed in a positive sign for consumer spending.

Large companies that belong to the Keidanren business lobby said they will raise their workers’ nominal monthly pay by 2.6% this year, which would be the largest gain since 1998, the report on annual wage negotiations showed.

Rising wages are essential for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s campaign to shift growth into a higher gear and distance the economy further from 15 years of deflation.

The Bank of Japan has also repeatedly stressed the importance of annual wage negotiations as the central bank is pursuing quantitative easing to meet a 2% inflation target. However, some economists may temper their optimism due to worries that the majority of firms, which are small and not members of the Keidanren, are more reluctant to raise pay.

2015 are budget brands such as Cortefiel, Superdry and Violetta by Mango. Meanwhile, H&M, Monki, Uniqlo and Forever 21.

However, no matter how affordable the prices of the European and American mass-market segment are, they find it difficult competing with Asian stores, which are expanding their online presence in Russia. A dress that costs from $2 to $10 in China will cost from €20 to €50 in a European online store. As a result, the unprecedented low prices guarantee the Asian sellers a growth in demand.

Credit Suisse reported end April that its bottom-line earnings rose by 23 percent, riding on boosted securities trading and on considerable gains at its private banking operations for wealthy clients.

The Swiss lender was the first European investment bank to report quarterly earnings. It said first-quarter net profit stood at 1.054 billion francs (€1.02 billion), up from 859 million francs in the same period a year earlier and beating analysts’ expectations.

“Wealth management clients generated a particularly strong result, with improved margins, increased profitability and good net asset inflows from key growth regions,” outgoing CEO Brady W. Dougan said in a statement.

Dougan had been under fire for some time for making little progress in stabilizing the lender and for the hefty fines the bank had to pay. But Dougan is now being credited with aptly managing the effects of a strong franc after the currency’s cap against the euro was scrapped.

09 NORWAY

Norwegian Oil Industry Cut 15,000 Jobs Around 15,000 jobs have disappeared in the Norwegian oil related industry since 2013, due to lower oil prices and reduced activity in the industry, according to DNB Markets.

Job cuts in this industry have increased by 50 per cent in the last three months alone, Finansavisen reports.

The organisation Norwegian Oil and Gas appeals for tax cuts for the oil related industry.

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Bolstering

Agriculture GORAN VASIĆ

DIRECTOR OF THE GUARANTEE FUND OF THE AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA

Beyond recognition of the potential of using biomass in Vojvodina and its benefits for farmers and local governments, in May this year the Guarantee Fund of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (APV) is set to launch the first competition for applications for the guaranteeing of loans to be used in the acquisition of energy efficient equipment

T

he APV Guarantee Fund is offering a series of benefits to farmers seeking to purchase equipment and land, thereby creating conditions for the withdrawal of substantial EU funds in the future.

■ To what extent is the Guarantee Fund able to provide sufficient incentives for the acquisition of new agricultural equipment and machinery, as well as the purchase of land? What results have you achieved so far in this respect?

- The APV Guarantee Fund has two guarantee lines at its disposal. The first pertains to the acquisition of new agricultural machinery and equipment. Depending on the cooperation format, the interest rate, to be paid by the beneficiary, ranges between 2.2% and 4.5 per cent, which means that the costs taken on by the beneficiary have been reduced significantly. We launched a similar competition in 2014, which resulted in the issuance of a total of 70 guarantees for the purchase of 96 units of agricultural machinery. The second line of guarantees relates to issuing guarantees for long-term loans for the purchase of arable land. According to all 50 |

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relevant parametres, this product provided by the Fund is not only unique, but also the most affordable project of its kind in our country. Quite a lot of interest was shown in this project last year and the competition resulted in us issuing a total of 76 guarantees.

■ How much interest exists among local governments and banks in your project to provide incentives for farmers to engage in biomass production?

be up to 5.95 per cent. On 12th May the APV Guarantee Fund will also hold an international conference entitled “Promoting Renewable Energy Sources – Biomass in Agriculture”, with the aim of promoting the new programme of guarantees, as well as promoting the production and utilisation of biomass in agriculture. The conference is being organised in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the

On 12th May the APV Guarantee Fund will also hold an international conference entitled “Promoting Renewable Energy Sources – Biomass in Agriculture”, with the aim of promoting the new programme of guarantees, as well as promoting the production and utilisation of biomass in agriculture - The APV Guarantee Fund has established cooperation with five banks (Banca Intesa, Komercijalna Banka AD Belgrade, Credit Agricole Serbia and AIK Banka AD Niš). In May we will launch the first competition to apply for loan guarantees that will be used in the acquisition of energy efficient equipment. The annual fixed or variable interest rate will

German agency for international cooperation - GIZ and the Fund for European Affairs of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, under the patronage of the Provincial Secretariat for Energy and Mineral Resources of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.

The main goal of this conference is to establish a dialogue about production and use of biomass

by farmers, in addition to sharing relevant data about the costs, benefits, challenges and experiences related to biomass.

■ Is it possible to apply the concept of the energy village and energy cooperative in our country?

- Considering the distinct traits of Vojvodina, we think the concept of energy villages and energy cooperatives has great practical potential, as it will ensure that the energy segment will remain in the hands of local communities. We see this as our next step towards raising energy efficiency through the use of agri-biomass.

■ How important is the fact that the Vojvodina Guarantee Fund has become a member of the European Association of Mutual Guarantee Societies (AECM)?

- Apart from supporting SMEs through the issue of guarantees, the European Association of Mutual Guarantee Societies (AECM) represents the interests of its members before the European Commission. On 18th June this year, the Guarantee Fund will become a fully-fledged member at the Association’s Assembly in Berlin. As a member, the Fund will be recognised within the EU, while Vojvodina’s interests will be represented through the AECM. The most important benefits of our membership will be exchanging information and experiences with the Association members from other countries, coupled with easier access to EU funds. ■

CORPORATE

Clients Appreciate Our Dedication MIRKO BUTULIJA

President of the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia

The entire profit generated on the market by the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia (AMSS) is directed towards socially beneficial activities and returned to the society through sporting activities, as well as traffic accident prevention and safety

“O

ne of the results of AMSS’s competitive prices and good quality products is that our membership has been growing constantly. Our clients also appreciate how dedicated this organisation is to ensuring the safety of young drivers and motorcyclists,” says Mirko Butulija, President of the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia.

■ You went through a very turbulent period last year and we can now say that that is all behind you. How does AMSS stand at the moment?

- The AMSS story has always been developing. We have tried to reorganise the company a bit better, for it to be faster and more productive in all areas, and I think we are on the right track. This year we have already achieved good consolidation, tidied up loose ends and moved along on the market. Our clients know that all the profit AMSS generates is directed towards socially beneficial activities and given back to the society through sporting activities and traffic accident prevention and safety, which is why they have remained faithful to us. Our membership

has been growing constantly, because the products we offer are literally the most affordable in the entire region.

■ For the first time in Serbia, AMSS held two training seminars called 'Young Drivers of Serbia', which were focused on the safety of young drivers and are part of the FIA (International Automobile Federation) international programme. Could you tell us more about this?

- Training young drivers is something the FIA does on a regular basis and, from now on, this will al-

Zlatibor and Croatia. This development project for young champions is merely validation of the fact that the AMSS and the FIA care about the future of Serbian motor racing hopefuls.

■ This is not the only initiative the AMSS is participating in this year. You are also set to launch your regular traffic safety campaign called 'A Helmet Protects Your Life'. Could you elaborate?

- Every year, AMSS and AMS Osiguranje ado, insurance company run a very popular motorcycle safety campaign which con-

Every year, AMSS and AMS osiguranje ado, insurance company run a very popular motorcycle safety campaign which contributes significantly to the safety of a huge number of motorcyclists on the road so include the AMSS, so that care for young drivers in Serbia, their future in sports and the quality and success of racing, is upheld.

This is a very important campaign and to corroborate that let me just say that Bulgarian racing driver and current European rally racing champion Krum Donchev was a guest and an excellent lecturer at one of the seminars held in

tributes significantly to the safety of a huge number of motorcyclists on the road. Any AMSS member that has a moped, scooter or motorcycle, and a valid driver’s licence, will be able to participate in the campaign this year and become the owner of a high quality homologated helmet. Two thirds of those injured and killed in motorcycle acci-

dents are under the age of 30.

What we have been doing is to try to encourage them to make a habit of wearing a helmet and, thus, improve traffic safety.

■ Finally, we have to mention AMS Osiguranje ado, insurance company, which you mentioned in passing. Could you tell us how you are dealing with the competition and what gives you a stable market position?

- We have managed to maintain our strong market position by constantly advancing our services, processes and the system itself, as well as by constantly measuring our performance against set goals. We are not afraid of the competition, because we possess quality and our best products and services have already conquered the market and produced loyal customers. Our service portfolio is increasing by the day. We had a campaign at the recent Belgrade Motor Show which proved to be a very good one, both for us and our customers. When you have been recording constant growth in the number of sold insurance policies, you cannot help but be proud because you know how dedicated you have been to your work all this time. 

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APR

TELEKOM SERBIA RECEIVES NATIONAL CSR AWARD

This year's competition for national awards for corporate social responsibility, presented by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, saw Telekom Serbia win first place in the category of large and medium-sized companies for its campaign “When you drive, park your telephone!” At the formal award ceremony, held on the premises of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Telekom Serbia CEO Predrag Ćulibrk received the award from Aleksandar Vulin,Serbian Minister for Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Policy.

Minister ALEKSANDAR VULIN (left) and PREDRAG ĆULIBRK

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VELJKO RISTIĆ, Air Serbia Sales Director (left), and Air Serbia Commercial Director SLOBODAN STAMENKOVIĆ

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APR

AIR SERBIA LAUNCHES FIRST ETIHAD AIRWAYS PARTNERS BRANDED RETAIL SHOP

Air Serbia, the national airline of the Republic of Serbia, has opened the first Etihad Airways Partners branded retail shop. Located on the ground floor of Air Serbia’s new headquarters in Belgrade, this is the world’s first retail shop of its kind. The facility is equipped to serve travellers on behalf of all members of the airline partnership – airberlin, Alitalia, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Jet Airways, Etihad Regional, Etihad Airways and NIKI. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the entrance of the new retail shop in the presence of Air Serbia and Etihad Airways management and media representatives

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APR

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ZAMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS NELT

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SEMINAR “SERBIA AS YOUR NEW BUSINESS DESTINATION”

The Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce organised a seminar entitled “Serbia as your new business destination” on the premises of the Chamber of Commerce of Geneva in Switzerland. The seminar provided an opportunity for Geneva-based companies to learn more about Serbia as a potential business destination and obtain detailed information related to the Serbian business climate. Alexandra Rys, Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce of Geneva, welcomed seminar participants and thanked the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce for co-organising the event. The SSCC’s guests of honour on this occasion included H.E. Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Daniel Ruch and H.E. Serbian Ambassador to Switzerland Mrs Janković.

SSCC President Ansgar Bornemann gave an opening speech emphasising that Serbia was undergoing important reforms that would determine its further development.

ALEXANDRA RYS, Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce of Geneva, H.E. DANIEL RUCH, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, and ANA GRUJOVIĆ, Director of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Harry Kalaba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zambia, has visited the headquarters of company NELT in Dobanovci.

NELT CEO Nebojša Šaponjić and Miloš Jelić, executive director of the NELT Group, presented the current activities of the NELT Group to their esteemed guest and announced the further development of distribution activities, but also the expansion of the group’s business portfolio in Zambia.

Minister Kalaba expressed his satisfaction that such a successful company as NELT is present on the Zambian market. NELT today employs more than 1,300 people in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, as well as boasting staff in the sub-Saharan African countries of Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. Business on the African market is realised thanks to the signing of a distribution contract with long-term partner Procter & Gamble.

NEBOJŠA ŠAPONJIĆ, NELT CEO, and associates talk with HARRY KALABA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zambia

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SERBIAN PM VISITS RAUCH

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has visited Rauch’s factory in Koceljeva and expressed his satisfaction with the results of the company’s investments, which have increased the number of new jobs created in the last two years.

Since taking over the Voćar Koceljeva AD factory, considered one of the most successful privatisations in Serbia, Rauch has invested more than $30 million in new technologies, production lines and modernisation of the factory, which contributed to the factory in Koceljeva rapidly achieving the highest production standards and launching exports to 15 countries in Europe. The Rauch factory in Koceljeva is of huge importance to the town, but also the Serbian market as a whole.

Rauch Serbia achieved a turnover of €32.5 million in 2014, representing an increase of 16 per cent compared to the previous year.

PERICA ALEKSIĆ, Rauch CEO, welcomes serbian prime minister ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ to Koceljava

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APR

SAM & THE FISCAL COUNCIL

The Serbian Association of Managers organised a working breakfast with the Fiscal Council of the Republic of Serbia, which included open discussion of the national deficit, public debt, the new IMF arrangement, infrastructure investments, the grey economy and the restructuring of public enterprises, among other topics.

Serbian managers and members of the Fiscal Council exchanged opinions on the obstacles hindering private sector development and faster economic growth, as well as discusses ways for the Serbian economy to recover and overcome the economic crisis.

The discussions were attended by more than 50 SAM members and the President of the Fiscal Council, Pavle Petrović, alongside council members Nikola Altiparmakov and Vladimir Vučković.

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MID EUROPA PARTNERS AND EBRD INVEST IN SERBIA

PM VISITS SIEMENS

Siemens’ Subotica factory for the production of wind generators was visited by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and the ambassadors of Austria and Germany, H.E. Johannes Eigner and H.E. Heinz Wilhelm.

The delegation led by the Prime Minister toured the facilities of the factory that produces wind turbines for the needs of clients worldwide, thanks to which Serbia has gained its place on the technology map of the world. One of the first and largest investments in Subotica’s free zone, the factory for the production of wind turbines is an example of the latest technology in our country, and this plant’s successful operations ensure it provides a significant contribution to the development of the entire Serbian economy and its export capacity.

DR. MARC WUCHERER, executive vice president, siemens, large drives (left) and Serbian Prime Minister ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ

The new proprietors of some of the biggest Serbian companies – Imlek, Bambi and Knjaz Miloš – and several dairies in Macedonia and Bosnia’s Republika Srpska, Mid Europa Partners Fund will operate on this market under a new name – Moji Brendovi (My Brands).

The Fund's top executives are Thierry Baudon, Robert Knorr and Matteo Patrone, Head of the Serbian office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The newly formed group is managed by Andrej Jovanović, while the senior management team comprises top Serbian managers Ilija Šetka (Imlek), Bojan Radun (Bambi) and Miloš Stojisavljević (Knjaz Miloš).

“It gives us a great pleasure to be back in Serbia. We intend to invest our capital and knowhow in this group, in order to make it stronger and ensure its continuous regional expansion. We believe Serbia is on the right economic path and it is our pleasure to be able to contribute to the country's industrial growth,” said Knorr.

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CULTURE CALENDAR

VIVA VOX

INDILA

Kombank Arena, 9th May @ 20.00

Kombank Arena, 26th May @ 20.00

Belgrade’s Viva Vox Choir, led by conductor Jasmin, has existed since 9th May 2005. Shortly after they began performing, the choir introduced a rhythmic support beatbox and vocal techniques which mimic the sounds of drums and percussion, turning to the performing of popular music exclusively with voice and without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella). This combination makes the choir unique in our country.

Viva Vox acquired broader popularity at home and abroad in July 2011, when video footage of their performance of German band Rammstein’s song "Du hast" became a viral hit on social networking site YouTube. This was followed by a concert at Belgrade's Sava Centre on 1st December 2011, for which tickets were sold out already two weeks in advance. This concert was the first time the choir performed an a cappella mix of the songs British band The Prodigy, which surpassed their cover of "Du Hast" in terms of popularity. Just a year later, in early December 2012, Viva Vox performed in the large hall in front of a packed Sava Centre at not one, but three, consecutive sold-out concerts.

However, their energy is best to came to the fore in large local rock festivals Belgrade Beer Fest EXIT 2012 and 2013, which the choir officially opened.

French music star indila, together with two great young singers, Sara Jovanovic and Nevena Bozovic, as well as Belgrade band, “Zemlja gruva”, will perform on Kombank Arena stage on May

26th, within the “New Divas” festival!

Tickets at prices in 2550 and 3550 dinars can be purchased from at all CS Eventim locations, as well at the box office: Belgrade Arena, Bilet center of Belgrade, Dom omladine and "Ušće" shopping center. Tickets can be purchased at equal monthly installments without interest for “Komercijalna banka” credit card users at four specified sale locations.

"New Divas" festival is a part of a new program concept that Arena launches, with the aim to introduce the domestic public with a unique and memorable female vocals of the world, and our music scene!

Sara Jovanovic and Nevena Bozovic are talented young pop singers who gained many fans triumphing in the TV music contest, after which they continued very successful solo careers.

“Zemlja gruva” is a Belgrade band, recognizable by specific image, theatrical performance and independent action at the scene within their own "Gruvlend" studio.

The enchanting Indila won the global music scene with the single "Derniere

BALKANOPOLIS & FRIENDS K O M B A N K A R E N A , 1 5 TH M A Y @ 2 0 . 0 0

▶ Slobodan Trkulja’s “Balkanopolis and Friends” charity concert will be held on 15th May at Belgrade’s Kombank Arena. This concert will mark the one year anniversary of the solidarity shown during last year's May floods and the beginning of the relief campaign.

- It is my honour to announce this great charity event, which will include, beside myself, the performances of world music stars - said Trkulja, speaking at a press conference. “We are organising it for all the good people who showed solidarity during the floods. I am Danse" and experienced enormous success for a short time, both in Europe and in Serbia. Her first single won the first position on listenership lists in over 25 countries!

pleased that I hosted prominent artists from around the world who will support us once again. First of all I’m thinking of my dear friend, fado diva Mariza, a great friend of our people who was with us when times were hardest. There are also Oleta Adams, Jessica Mayes and Baba Malu, who will contribute to this event with their music and voices.

According to Trkulja, all proceeds from the concert will be invested in the programme of assistance and rehabilitation for the areas hit by the floods. to date, with over 3,000,000 copies sold, placing him in the category of the most popular local singers.

ŽELJKO SAMARDŽIĆ

Sava Centre, 28th May @ 20.30

Željko Samardžić drew public attention as a young and unknown singer with the song ‘Moja Marija’ at the festival "Prvi Aplauz" in Banja Luka in 1973.

Samardžić has recorded 13 albums

CULTURE NEWS

4th RESONATE I N S T I T U T F R A N C A I S , 1 3 TH A P R I L The French Institute joins the Resonate Festival of music, visual art and digital culture, which has attracted more guests from France for its fourth edition.

Joanie Lemercier is a visual artist who explores video and light in space. His education was based on the textiles his mother produced when he was five years old. Today he uses concrete structures – geometry, visual forms and minimal form – to toy with a luminous reality.

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Juliette Bibasse is a producer, graphic designer and traveler. She recently produced an exhibition entitled Bright Matter in New York, dealing with themes of light, space and perception. In Belgrade she will hold a workshop entitled Manipulation of light works changing reality.

Sitraka Rakotoniaina Harimanga is a French artist and designer who works with scientific experiments and speculative buildings. His work examines the connections between science and technology, on the one hand, and their role in culture on the other.

Resonate, together with these French artists, was an exciting event this year, attracting a large number of local art lovers.

THE GORIES D O M O M L A D I N E , 2 6 TH M A Y @ 2 1 . 0 0

▶ The Gories very rarely appear in front of an audience and, thus, every concert that you have the opportunity to attend may be their last. In America you can catch them at few garage festivals once every few years. They haven’t performed in Europe since 2009. However, this year the band comes for a short western European tour and the only show in the east will be here in Belgrade.

Alex Chilton once said that The Gories do the same thing with rhythm and blues as The Cramps did with rockabilly music in the ‘50s: they managed to present an almost ignored style of popular music to new generations in an original and unique manner. The Gories are undoubtedly one of the most influential garage rock bands in the history of the genre, certainly right after The Sonics and The Cramps. The band was formed in 1986 in Detroit by Mick Collins (guitar / vocals), Dan Kroh (guitar / vocals) and Peggy O'Neill (drums). They wanted to be the loudest and most uncompromising garage punk band of all time, and it can be said they have succeeded.

1828 and features original music by Ferdinand Herold, adapted for this opportunity by John Lansberi, is found in his love for the rural area of Suffolk, where the ballet action unfolds.

"The Wayward Daughter" includes Ashton’s most demanding choreography. His choreographic method helps him speak to us brilliantly about his love for Lisa, daughter, Simone, the widow and the owner of the local farms, and Kola, a young farmer, and her mother's attempts to marry Lisa off to Alan, the son of a wealthy landowner. Ashton expresses the youthful passion of Lisa and her lover Kola through a series of energetic pas de deux.

FILM

BELDOCS

various locations, 7th – 13th May

BALLET

THE WAYWARD DAUGHTER

Sava Centre, 5th May @ 20.15 Live from the London Royal Opera House The ballet “The Wayward Daughter” is one of the most virtuoso choreography works by Frederick Ashton.

The inspiration for this work, which is based on the French ballet from

AUDIO DON QUIXOTE

Serbian documentary makers have unfortunately remained stuck in the aesthetics of the 1960s and ‘70s that made them world famous, leaving our audience short of films which would present our recent past adequately and respectfully. Due to the passivity and incompetence of TV executives, we have also been chronically deprived of meaningful international documentaries.

The Beldocs festival has been struggling to close that gap for the last four years, with globetrotting networking and proactive devotion. This year, we are especially grateful for the financial support of the Fund for an Open Society, as well as to the Stari Grad municipal authority in Belgrade. We are presenting 80 new films, each of which will either delight or intrigue you. In order to support domestic documentary production, we are introducing a Serbian competitive program, and preparing an all-out policy for the development of creative documentaries in the country. Through numerous discussions and debates, we

are also promoting a discourse of compassion and understanding, all the while actively distributing selected documentaries. We are preaching to the converted, to non-believers, to the young, to television networks. We are seeking truth, humanity and inspiration, together, between reality and film.

For details of the programme and venues, visit beldocs.rs

KIDS

KOLIBRI – MAGICAL JOURNEY

Sava Centre, 10th May @ 19.00

Due to the great interest of the audience, after a sold-out concert on 5th April, children's ensemble Kolibri will perform the Hummingbird on 10th May at 7pm in the Great Hall of the Sava Centre.

The youngest music production en-

semble of Radio Television Serbia will present to the Belgrade audience hits from their latest album, as well as performing some of the most popular compositions from their former repertoire.

Great support will be provided by members of the Big Band, which will play music for the little singers. Art manager Ljiljana Randjelović will be accompanied by Big Band conductor Ivan Ilić.

Our youngest audience are invited to participates in this "Magical Journey" and be at the Sava Centre on Sunday 10th May.

WORLD BOOK DAY

Instituto Cervantes, 21st April

Goethe Institut, 23rd April

The first Serbian translation of Cervantes' Don Quixote is a work of Ðorđe Popović–Daničar and dates from 1895/96. Well-read and very much present in Serbian culture, it is now available online thanks to digitisation carried out at the Belgrade Faculty of Philology’s Department of Iberian Studies. It can be consulted on the basis of the Virtual Library Miguel de Cervantes (http:// www.cervantesvirtual.com). On this occasion, the year marking the 400th anniversary of Don Quixote presented the work of Popović, who was a pioneer in this field.

The library of the Goethe Institute is this year celebrating World Book Day, when the written word and authors are celebrated all over the world, with organised readings and book celebrations.

This year's programme was linked to the art of comics and saw the Geothe Institut organise a number of events, including: Workshop manga-comic "the illustrated Chick!", with moderators Jelena Ilic Pantic, art professor, and Dragana Ćećez Iljukić, professor of literature; Non-narrative strip, moderated by Vladimir Veljašević, professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade and; Literary Café, with a theme of literature and comics.

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FACES & PLACES

Mayor SINIŠA MALI (left), Belgrade Assembly Speaker NIKOLA NIKODIJEVIĆ and NIKITA MIKHALKOV

Mayor SINIŠA MALI

NIKITA MIKHALKOV NAMED HONORARY CITIZEN OF BELGRADE 17

APRIL

The recent Belgrade Days event saw Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov officially handed the Charter of the Honorary Citizen of the Serbian Capital at the Belgrade Assembly.

“By giving the Honorary Citizen Charter to Mr Mikhalkov we are creating an unbreakable bond with this Russian film director”, said Mayor Mali.

Mikhalkov underlined that this was his first time he had been made an honorary citizen of any city and that this charter ensured “Belgrade has left a mark” on his heart.

The official ceremony, held at the Belgrade Assembly, was also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, Energy and Mining Minister Aleksandar Antić and H.E. Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin, as well as other officials.

NALED APPOINTS NEW MANAGING AND SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBERS 17

APRIL

The Assembly of the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) has appointed new members of the Managing Board to manage NALED in the following two years, as well as spearheading the Alliance’s new initiative to improve the business environment in Serbia and bolster the country’s competitiveness on its path to EU membership.

NALED members have appointed five business executives - Vladan Atanasijević, Dimitar Andonov, Stanka Pejanović, Ernst Bode and Vojislav Genić, three representatives of local authorities - Miloš Vučević, Branislav Nedimović and Vladan Vasić, as well as appointing Ana Brnabić as civil society representative within NALED. The Alliance’s Assembly also chose new members of the Supervisory Board - Boban Đurović, Regional Business Manager at Cysco Systems, Suzana Radović, Head of Deloitte's office in Serbia, Dragan Đuričin, Vladimir Milovanović and Igor Anić.

SERBIAN ARMY DAY OFFICIALLY MARKED 21

APRIL

Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gašić and Chief of Staff of the Serbian Army, General Ljubiša Diković, jointly hosted a reception in hour of Serbian Army Day, which is officially marked on 23rd April, at the Guard House in Topčider.

The reception was attended

by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, representatives of the Serbian legislative, executive and judicial powers, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Army, religious leaders, foreign military representatives, diplomats, public figures and many others.

Serbian Army Day is celebrated in remembrance of 23rd April 1815, when the Second Serbian Uprising was launched.

The Uprising was a milestone in the establishment of the modern Serbian state and army.

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WOLFGANG KINDL, GORDANA BUKUMIRIĆ and ZORAN VIŠNJIĆ

UNIQA EUROPEAN INSURANCE FORUM President TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ, Minister BRATISLAV GAŠIĆ and Serbian Army Chief of Staff, General LJUBIŠA DIKOVIĆ

21

APRIL

Top executives from UNIQA Insurance Company’s operations for Europe, Serbia and the region met in Belgrade to exchange opinions and experiences with the latest insurance trends.

This was the first time ever that Belgrade has hosted the UNIQUA European International Forum, during which our country was visited by over 100 top insurance executives from UNIQA’s offices across Europe.

The UNIQA executives speaking at the Forum included Wolfgang Kindl, CEO of UNIQA International, Gordana Bukumirić, CEO of UNIQA Serbia, and Zoran Višnjić, Member of the Board of UNIQA International for Southeast Europe.

70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF ITALY 23 APRIL

H.E. Narinder Chauhan, Indian Ambassador

Within the framework of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Italy from the Nazi fascist occupation, the date that represented the end of World War II for this country, the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, in cooperation with Belgrade’s Art Link art association, organised a concert of duets by Italian bassoonist Giorgio Mandolesi and Serbian pianist Nataša Šarcević.

The two musicians performed in the renovated premises of the formal hall of the Italian Institute of Culture, which will again receive an audience after a long period during which this space was forced to close.

The concert was attended by H.E. Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo.

RUDRA VEENA MAKES DEBUT IN SERBIA 21

APRIL

The Embassy of India in Belgrade, in collaboration with the New Delhibased Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), took great pleasure in announcing the first live performance of the Rudra Veena string instrument courtesy of a three-member Indian classical music group led

by Dr Jayanta Kumar Das. The Rudra Veena is considered the mother of all stringed instruments. It is a large plucked string instrument like a Sitar that is used in Hindustani classical music. An ancient instrument, it is rarely played today. Rudra is a name for the Hindu god Shiva, rudra veena literally means “the veena dear to Shiva”. Its origins date back to the time when music was invented by meditation experts seeking a way to express their inner experiences. Rudra Veena is an instrument with the most meditative qualities.

NATAŠA ŠARCEVIĆ, pianist and GIORGIO MANDOLESI, bassoonist

H.E. GIUSEPPE MANZO (left), Italian Ambassador and GIAN FRANCO RENDA, Deputy Director of Italian Culture Center

ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL CAPITAL SUMMIT 2015

23 APRIL

23 APRIL

H.E. Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, Yossef Levy, hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Metropol Palace Hotel to mark the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the Independence Day of the State of Israel.

Following his opening address, Ambassador Levy presented certificates of gratitude for contributions in the improvement of relations between Israel and Serbia to journalist Mira Adanja-Polak, Bishop Pakračko-Slavonian Jovan, ballerina Aja Jung, Color Press Group owner Robert Čoban and Zoran Korać.

The reception was attended by Serbian National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojković, Culture and Information Minister Ivan Tasovac and Interior Minister Nebojša Stefanović, director of the Office of the Government of Serbia for Kosovo, Marko Đurić, and Serbian Presidential Advisor Oliver Antić, as well as other local officials and foreign diplomats.

Belgrade's Sava Centre hosted a summit of 13 cities of Central and Southeast Europe from 22nd to 24th April, with more than 250 participants discussing developments in infrastructure projects and the improvement of the quality of life in these major cities.

“The mayors underlined that capitals are the engines of their countries' progress and agreed that they should continue to meet regularly, said Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali, speaking to Tanjug.

Alongside the host city, the Summit was attended by mayors and senior officials from Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Skopje , Warsaw, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Athens and Tirana, as well as officials of the European Commission and the European Parliament, diplomats and businessmen.

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OPINION

Why This is The Best Time To Be At a Media Agency Josh Krichefski, the chief operations officer at MediaCom, responds to some of the criticisms and questions that have been directed at media agencies recently. He suggests the industry should stop questioning each other’s value and focus on the challenges

I

n recent weeks, the term "media agency" has been uttered almost like a dirty word on more than a few occasions in panel discussions, particularly around digital disruption. Maybe we should be flattered that evolving the fastest means we are blamed when change is uncomfortable, but it feels a bit wrong. So what are the naysayers worried about and can we reassure them?

■ Are we serving our own interests at the expense of clients’?

- No. Everything we do is designed to drive business growth for our clients and build longterm relationships with them.

Any agency that recommends one channel over another for commercial gain is naïve. Our clients are well-informed and they scrutinize our plans and what those plans achieve. Ultimately, our success is intrinsically built on their success.

■ Are people being replaced by robots?

- Every time technology has leapt forward, we have feared that humans would become less rele-

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vant. Every time, this has been proven wrong. Media is increasingly being planned and bought programmatically. However, the number of specialisms we cover and specialist experts working in media agencies is unprecedented, as is the requirement for strategic expertise to make sense of how the whole system works.

We have invested in data and technology to drive greater relevance and targeting, save us

in recent years go to entries in which client, creative agency, media agency and at least one media owner come together in partnership. The media owners that have set themselves up well for this are the ones we are doing the best work with. Granted, when data-enabled targeting drives a greater output, context can become secondary; but a combination of context and audience targeting is the Holy Grail.

We are starting to see great executional examples of the use of data for targeting and storytelling. But data can also teach us a lot about what content people like to watch and share from menial tasks and glean insight at the touch of a button.

This latest evolution does not mean more robots and fewer people – it means human time is spent coming up with solutions to clients’ problems.

■ Is context being ignored by media planners?

- All the media industry awards

■ Are data and programmatic killing creativity?

- It’s all about the consumer.

Unlocking the true potential of programmatic and dynamic creative allows us to deliver contextual, personalized, relevant and timely ads to people. The big idea has not gone away – there are now just more dynamic ways of bringing it to life.

We are starting to see great executional examples of the use of data for targeting and storytelling. But data can also teach us a lot about what content people like to watch and share. When media folk work closely with creative teams, the best work is done.

Programmatic was not invented by media buyers; we have just embraced it. If creative agencies do, too, together we will unlock its potential.

All of the questions are understandable. This hopefully dispels confusion. Rather than questioning each other’s value, we should focus on the bigger challenges, such as making sure we future-proof the business, staying at the cutting edge of technology, innovation and client service, and contributing profoundly to our clients’ success.

But that’s all in a day’s work.

We must also give our people meaningful reasons to come to work every day and continue to attract the best and most diverse talent in this brilliant industry.

After all, there has never been a more exciting time to work in a media agency. 

S P E C I A L

E D I T I O N

G U I D E TO

PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/16

INTERVIEW

Changing the System for the Better The most important changes in our education system are yet to come. Their purpose is to build a strong foundation for the validation of teachers and the quality of our textbooks and educational process, in addition to establishing rating criteria for acquired knowledge and educational institutions SRĐAN VERBIĆ Serbian Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development

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e are either implementing or preparing to implement numerous changes at all educational levels, which should provide students with better knowledge and establish transparency, predictability and clear criteria for the success of all participants in this delicate and exceptionally socially important process,” says Srđan Verbić, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development.

• You have said that the ministry's priorities were increasing the level of competence and developing our educa-

Salaries, which introduces wage categories for teachers and educational workers, as well as for the rest of the public sector. We will also see changes made to the umbrella Law on Education and the Law on the Foundations of the Education System, which will introduce many innovations. Through these laws we will also improve the work done by the education inspectorate, as well as making changes to the area of science and innovation, in addition to many other areas covered by this ministry.

Establishing an information system that will help us make decisions on the basis of data and facts, as opposed to

THE PUBLIC RATING OF HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS WILL HELP FOURTH GRADE HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS SELECT WHERE TO STUDY AND HELP EMPLOYERS FIND APPROPRIATE WORKERS tion system. What does that mean in practice, in terms of the ministry's legislative activities?

- Our education system simply craves great change. We have already implemented some, but it seems to me that we are yet to implement the most important changes. Huge changes in the education system will take place immediately after the passing of the Law on

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on the basis of feeling and estimates, as has been the case to date, will be of the greatest assistance when it comes to us making the aforementioned changes.

• What changes will be made to elementary schooling in terms of textbooks and the rating of acquired knowledge?

- We are currently in the process of passing a new Law on Textbooks, which will

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/2016

not only improve the quality of school textbooks significantly, but will also make them more available to those pupils who could not previously access them. Let me clarify this and add that I am not referring to the distribution of free textbooks, although we have also made significant changes in that aspect.

We have managed to find a solution for high school students who didn't have any textbooks at all, due to the inability of publishers to generate any profit from them. We also have a solution regarding textbooks for children living with special needs, who require specialised books (for instance, in the Braille script).

Then there are low circulation books for national minorities who are studying in languages other than Serbian and similar. We have also made use of E-books and introduced an electronic addition to textbooks that we believe will be an important learning aid that will improve the quality of textbooks.

Knowledge acquired in primary schools is constantly being measured and the public is itching to know about the end-of-year exam. We have made fewer changes to this segment, in order to make it an objective indicator of pupil's knowledge and success at school. Last year, for the first time ever, pupils took a third so-called combined exam, including

Serbian language and Maths exams.

This year we have changed the scoring system slightly and made it more just.

• According to Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, by next year or 2017 Serbia could have a so-called dual education system. In which way will this change the current approach to vocational schooling and to what extent will the dual education system be implemented? Which criteria will be used in selecting which Serbian schools or towns will implement this system?

- When a country has a dual education system, this speaks more about its economy than education itself. By default, countries with stable economies and low unemployment rates have a huge number of companies which find it more cost-effective to invest in training their future workers while they are still at school, rather than hiring weaker candidates without adequate practical experience.

We cannot copy the dual education system of Switzerland or Germany.

We need to develop our own vocational training system that is adapted to our economy.

• You have also announced the improving of work at gymnasium secondary schools and the introduction of an end-of-year exam there also, as a measure of acquired knowledge.

How does that affect high school students and university entrance criteria? How can you provide good teachers at this time of austerity?

- The end-of-year exam will replace university entrance exams and will resemble the end-of-year exams of primary schools. We recently conducted a survey among high school pupils, the results of which showed that most of high school fourth graders want to enrol in university in the same way they did when they were enrolling in their respective high schools, namely by compiling a list of schools they would like to enrol in. They think that having an end-of-year exam as opposed to a standard university entrance exam would be less stressful and give them

a better opportunity to actually enrol in their university of choice. Certain faculties have objected to this idea, but the end-of-year exam has proven to be a very good decision in quite a few countries.

• What changes will the new Law on Higher Education introduce?

- The current Law on Higher Education, which was amended in October last year, has been changed so many times, often in haste and under coercion, that it eventually became unusable. We want to pass a new law that

to be farsighted and become better at projecting which job qualifications the market will require in the next five years and more. We should also cease the hyper-production of useless vocations, because if we don't then we will only continue contributing to higher unemployment or further increase the brain drain. I have already mentioned that we will this year change the high school enrolment policy for the first time ever, for the mentioned reasons. We did encounter expected resistance, since the enrolment policy also influences the way schools are funded and the hiring of teachers. However, in the end, we need to be mindful of the priorities schools exist to promote in the first place.

• In your opinion, how should we regulate state-run and private schools in order for both to foster high education standards, while at the same time becoming validated by the market?

- During the last round of accreditations, which is still continuing, the Accreditation and Quality Commission raised standards for all higher education institutions significantly. Here in Serbia, however, there is no real com-

WE SHOULD STOP WITH THE HYPER-PRODUCTION OF USELESS VOCATIONS, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T THEN WE WILL CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT OR FURTHER INCREASE THE BRAIN DRAIN would, first and foremost, bring order to the funding of higher education facilities in a transparent and just manner. The new law should also create opportunities to raise the quality of university studies and define detailed procedures that will be honoured.

• In which way should Serbia reform its education system to ensure it is more adaptable to market requirements? How can we achieve balance between employers and society's interests in terms of enabling diverse and good quality education for individuals?

- If we are talking about high school education, which basically prepares students for the labour market, we need

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petition among educational institutions. It seems to me that employers play a major role in this respect, since sometimes they even admit publicly that they would rather have higher achieving students from certain faculties than others who proved to be unsatisfactory. We have decided to start ranking higher learning institutions based on very detailed indicators.

Such a public rating will be helpful to all interested parties, in addition to helping fourth grade high school pupils select where to study or helping employers find appropriate workers.

These rankings will provide realistic quality appraisal of higher learning facilities, which will then be forced to raise the quality of their studies. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/2016

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ANY 2012

INTERVIEW

Creative Approach to Education The Ruđer Bošković Education System has spent almost two decades developing a particular education model that has been noticed both in Serbia and the region, thanks to the success of the students involved and their constant development MLADEN ŠARČEVIĆ

General Manager of the Ruđer Bošković Education System

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ith its diverse curricular and extra-curricular programmes, the Ruđer Bošković Education System provides many opportunities for students through innovative learning, as well as creating opportunities for these students to achieve success as scientists, artists, linguists and athletes. Thanks to a highly educated team of teachers and professors who all have solid international reputations, this educational institution equips its students with the knowhow that will serve them well throughout their careers. The high quality of teaching is corroborated by numerous awards won by the students of the primary and secondary schools that comprise

• The Ruđer Bošković Education System is considered as a pioneer of the private education sector in Serbia.

Could you tell us something about the development trajectory of your curriculum and what you offer students today?

- We have been developing a very par-

THANKS TO OUR HIGHLY EDUCATED TEAM OF TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS, WHO ALL HAVE SOLID INTERNATIONAL REPUTATIONS, AND THE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF SUBJECTS AVAILABLE, OUR STUDENTS CAN ACQUIRE VERY DIVERSE KNOWLEDGE, IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING THEIR CREATIVITY AND INDEPENDENCE this educational institution. A namesake preschool was formed recently and also combines top quality teaching with a pleasant and stimulating environment. Curricular activities and discussions are held in English, while preschool pupils also learn about the Serbian language, culture and tradition.

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GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/2016

ticular education model for the last two decades and it has been noticed both in Serbia and the region, thanks to the success of our students and their constant development. We initially opened a gymnasium secondary school, followed by a primary school, and now we also have a preschool

facility, all of which operate on the same campus, in a unique location on Košutnjak. During the first few years we taught the national curriculum at our classical gymnasium school, as well as in our foreign languages secondary and primary schools. It was almost a decade ago when our gymnasium started implementing one of the best international diploma programmes: IBDP, which is known for its fantastic results and is attended by children from this entire region.

We are very proud of our well trained team of professors, all of whom have solid international reputations (they are known as international evaluators, team leaders and consultants). We have a substantial number of subjects available to students at all levels, providing them with a great choice and an opportunity to combine subjects in order to achieve the best results.

Immediately after opening the gymnasium, we also opened the primary school, which was the first privately run educational facility in Serbia to be accredited by the international Cambridge Academic Programme.

The gymnasium is also involved in the Cambridge IGSCE accreditation programme and, as of recently, its Alevel programme. This year the IB programme will be implemented at our primary school and the preschool facility at the PYP level (for ages 3 to 11).

Curricular activities and discussions are held in English, while pupils also learn about the Serbian language, culture and tradition.

Our students are given an opportunity to complete their preparatory education in accordance with all three of the aforementioned concepts (the international Cambridge accreditation programme, IBDP and the national primary and high school curriculum).

- The teaching concept implemented at Ruđer Bošković is all-day classes for all ages. Children spend eight hours a day at school and the school provides food, in addition to conducting athletic, cultural, scientific and other activities. There are teams engaged in planning and implementing many different projects (environmental,

languages). The walls at our schools are covered in awards won by our students. We also participate every year in several international competitions (art, physics, mathematics).

Our two strongest concepts are so-called specialised groups (comprising mathematicians, biologists, chemists etc.) and the Talent Centre.

• What sets international schools apart in terms of their curriculum and their approach to teaching?

- Our biggest advantage lies in the way our students learn and the result of this is functional literacy. We place great emphasis on practice and an interdisciplinary approach, while our grades are external and realistic. Participating in the Cambridge learning programmes gives our students more

PARTICIPATION IN THE CAMBRIDGE LEARNING PROGRAMMES GIVES OUR STUDENTS MORE INDEPENDENCE AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY ARE STUDYING, WHILE KNOWLEDGE GAINED IN THIS WAY LASTS LONGER AND IS MORE APPLICABLE

independence and better understanding of what they are studying. Knowledge gained in this way lasts longer and is more applicable. IB is an even more prestigious learning programme, since it fosters the individuality and creativity of students, while simultaneously developing their self-awareness and sense of responsibility.

• What extra-curricular activities can your students participate in and how successful are they in academic competitions?

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humanitarian, media, musical, design, scientific and other) and they are implemented on a regular basis. We also have good collaboration with other schools in Serbia and Europe. We often take our students to visit museums, theatres, exhibitions and fairs.

We also organise annual trips with the aim of enabling pupils to get to know Serbia better, while our primary school pupils go on well-devised excursions. The gymnasium students usually visit European cities (Rome, Paris, Athens, Barcelona).

Popularising science and participating in top notch competitions organised by the Serbian Ministry of Education constitutes a special segment of our curricular work (both in the primary and secondary schools).

We participate in various competitions and have achieved great results at the state level in almost all segments (mathematics, IT, natural and social sciences, sports, art, foreign

A substantial number of our students have been admitted to the internationally recognised PETNICA scientific youth station.

The school itself has also organised competitions and rewards and promotes learning and creativity. For the past 11 years we have been organising the Exhibition of General Science Research Papers (biology, chemistry, history, geography and physics) in Belgrade. This year we are holding our jubilee philosophy competition called Cognitia Libera at the state level. We will also organise an international history and economics competition called Ruđer’s International Days.

• How do you develop skills in your pupils and what innovative techniques do you use?

- I would like to single out the following skills that our students possess – creativity, humanity, environmental awareness, independence in acquiring knowledge, good working habits and IT skills. Our latest innovative approach pertains to implementing the TESLA software programme, which facilitates the utilisation of tablets in the learning process, in all age groups, in accordance with their needs. ■

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INTERVIEW

Education for st the 21 Century High quality education is the only road to a better life for us and future generations. This is the motto of LINK group, which is a pioneer in online education

Professor VALENTIN KULETO Ph.D., President of LINK group

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aradoxically enough, today’s educational institutions employ cohorts of teachers who are unprepared for challenges in teaching and learning, being undertrained to meet the highly set demands of knowledge-hungry students. “We do it differently. We have set off with the notion to understand our students’ needs”, says Professor Valentin Kuleto, President of LINK group, advocating the company’s mission. “Having created a modern educational philosophy, we proudly provide dozens of educational programmes and hundreds of online courses globally”, continues Professor Kuleto, while emphasising the accessibility to learning his company offers.

more successful. This is where we set off. We have embedded our mission into every process, decision and approach, accounting for professional academic service. Our educational programmes are most accessible, our teacher bestversed, our equipment highest-tech and our staff kindest of a kind.

While doing so, we strive to position our company as most innovative in the highly competitive market. We respond to this challenge by endowing the world with new solutions every day. With every successful step we make, we grow stronger in advocating the importance of being educated.

It is high time schools relocated from industrial age to 21st century. Living the

WE HAVE CREATED SCHOOLS FOR A NEW AGE, NEW PEOPLE AND NEW LEADERS WHO ARE COURAGEOUSLY STEPPING TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS AND CONFIDENTLY GETTING AROUND IN THE DIGITAL WORLD • LINK group has over 20 years of experience in vocational, secondary and higher education. How is your education system organized and how do you deal with the modern day challenges in this area?

- Our mission is to help people become

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YouTube life, young people have knowledge instantly available in a click or two.

Forty-five minute lessons are overrated - there’s no time for them any more! This paradigm shift is widely discussed today yet it can be easily overridden with visionary leadership. We have no time to

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/2016

www.valentinkuleto.com waste while waiting for this to happen.

This is the very reason why we have build our microcosm, in which we have both the right and the opportunity to change…

Change the lives of the young people.

Having realised that we have much more to offer globally than locally, we have decide to offer our services in the educational arena, where every trifle matters. Competing under these rules enables us to create high-quality services based on the globally-recognised standards. With this in view, we have forged partnerships with and received accreditations by some of the most influential companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk, and institutions like the British Council, Pearson VUE, Chartered Management Institute, Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), European Council for Business Education (ECBE) and the University of Cambridge, among others.

• There are seven educational institutions that operate under LINK group in Serbia. What educational profiles and levels do you offer to students in Serbia?

- Having created a modern educational philosophy, we proudly provide dozens of educational programmes and hun-

dreds of online courses globally. Our team is large and is made of various experts. The programmes are designed and delivered by academics, learning specialists and experienced educators along with the support team of design and video production. From beginning to end, there’s a synced workflow: from those who make sure the educational materials are teachable, to those who make sure they are duly delivered, to those who provide undivided support to our students while ensuring that the educational potential is fully sourced.

As far as our offer goes, we provide educational services related to the IT and business, both horizontally and vertically. In our system, there are two secondary schools, each focused on a specific academic aspect: Information Technology High School (www.iths. edu.rs), and Savremena International School (www.savremena.org.uk). Vertically, they seamlessly lead to our

tertiary institution - Information Technology School (www.its.edu.rs). Horizontally, we stretch over three professional academies: ITAcademy (www. it-akademija.com), BusinessAcademy (www.biznis/akademija.com) and InternetAcademy (www.biznis/akademija.com), which offer more than 50 oneyear professional programmes.

Right now, we offer more than a hundred, and counting, internationally-recognised diplomas and certificates. We incessantly look for new opportunities in ensuring the best possible competences. Let me share with you an interesting piece of information. In the last year or so, we have

delivered almost 250,000 different online courses. This year, that figure has doubled - with 500,000 online courses available to learners globally.

Thinking forward, we are in the processes of establishing a business school and an international primary school, wrapping up our educational offer. By doing so, we are able to cater to the educational needs of all our students - from primary to doctoral level.

• LINK group is the leader in development of solutions for online education in Southeast Europe. Are these new educational formats sufficiently acknowledged in the region and what is your target group?

- We are ahead of the time when the

• What is the position of education today? In order to achieve top results in business, how important is to constantly provide innovative knowhows and how does LINK group fare in this respect?

- We left behind the time when education ended with getting diplomas.

Today, you have to keep on moving. If you stop, you fail. This is understood by many but applied by few. Young people under the age of 30 face a huge unemployment rate, mainly caused by poor education. However, we can attest to the fact that in countries like Romania, where the unemployment rate is lower than the European average, good education gave dividends. In many countries in

IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, WE HAVE DELIVERED ALMOST 250,000 DIFFERENT ONLINE COURSES. THIS YEAR, THAT FIGURE HAS DOUBLED WITH 500,000 ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE TO LEARNERS GLOBALLY

technology-assisted learning opportunities had to be explained to students and their parents. Unlike many automatised learning systems, particularly those based solely on videoclips, we have insisted on the changed role of teachers in scaffolding students - they are now mentors and leaders. The concept that we adopted over a decade ago has now become one of the basic learning concepts.

It is commonly accepted today that success is built on quality education. So far, we have catered to students aged 15 plus. Our digital technology and online platforms break geographic boundaries. Education has become portable.

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our region this is not the case. Youth unemployment has exceeded 50%, which is really devastating.

On the other hand, educational institutions have lost the sense of their role and the reason of their existence.

They have become self-sufficient.

They adjust their programmes to suit their resources, teachers and the past experiences, and not the needs of their clients – pupils and students.

Paradoxically enough, today’s educational institutions employ cohorts of teachers who are unprepared for challenges in teaching and learning, being under-trained to meet the highly set demands of knowledge-hungry students. They are book-reproducers instead of trainers, mentors and leaders… Really misplaced.

We do it differently. We have set off with the notion to understand our students’ needs. We have created schools for a new age, new people and new leaders who are courageously stepping towards professional success and confidently getting around in the digital world. After all, we live in a time when we are educating the leaders of the new digital future. ■

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INTERVIEW

Seal of Excellence Collaboration with the world’s leading experts, world-class faculty members, as well as more than 11,000 satisfied clients, have contributed greatly to the affirmation of this school as the leading business school in the SEE region LYNNE MONTGOMERY

Vice President of the COTRUGLI Business School

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he COTRUGLI Business School is a leading business school in Southeast Europe, with headquarters in Croatia and Serbia and offices in Ljubljana, Sofia, Bucharest, Vienna and Beijing.

• What sets COTRUGLI Business School apart from other schools that provide managerial education?

- I think what makes COTRUGLI different is a unique combination of factors: the network of participants (students), professors who are not just academics but also all have international business and consulting experience, the fact that the whole programme is in English, and a wide variety of modules covering all aspects of business and combining theoretical (30%) and practical (70%) knowledge.

Additionally, all COTRUGLI MBA programmes have prestigious international accreditation from the Association of MBAs. This represents a seal of

and Executive MBA programmes.

How great is the interest in this scholarship project and how many students have so far completed your programmes?

- There is tremendous interest in the scholarships. We clearly do this as a very innovative CSR project and we do it because we would not want an extremely talented person(s) to lose out on this type of educational and life experience if we can, in some way, help with their financing. We believe strongly in the talent of young people in this region and, as a business school, we strive not just to “talk the talk”, but rather we “walk the walk”.

Over three million euros has been invested in these scholarships so far, in all countries where we operate. The interest in this type of the project is very high, as we usually have around 3,000 applications annually in all countries across the region.

Our Alumni community currently

I BELIEVE EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL TO ELEVATING THIS REGION OUT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND DEVELOPING HUMAN CAPITAL TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL excellence for MBA programmes for many top schools around the world, such as IMD in Switzerland, IESE in Spain, the London Business School and INSEAD in France, among others.

4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012 • COTRUGLI Business School awards scholarships for its International

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consists of over 1,400 students that have either completed the programme or are currently in the programme, while over 11,000 managers and executives have at some point engaged in the school’s educational programmes, such as Open Enrolment and In-house programmes.

• How important is the COTRUGLI Alumni Community network in the region when it comes to the exchange of experience and career advancement?

- I think networking within the Alumni community – with us, with the professors, with regional and international companies, with our guests and all they are exposed to – is quite unique and provides many professional opportunities. All events we or the Alumni organise have one purpose in mind: lifelong learning and exposure to ideas, trends and opinions, which is crucial to creating leaders in every sphere for tomorrow.

• You have teaching experience and great expertise in business development, PR and consulting. How important are these skills/expertise for educating professionals in this region?

- That is a very kind question! I believe in education as strongly as I believe in the young people of the region. And I can say with some confidence that it is the key to elevating this region out of the economic crisis and developing human capital to its fullest potential. When I speak of education, I mean it in the broadest sense in terms of skills, knowledge, training, expertise, language proficiency, creativity, entrepreneurial talents; in short – thinking and living “out of the box”. However, educational ministries, private and public faculties and businesses need a common and coherent thread to pull this together in the region. And that’s the challenge. ■

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BELGRADE

Caring for Every Aspect of Students’ Lives The British International School Belgrade provides a happy, caring and secure environment to all its students and encourages them to achieve their maximum potential in all aspects of school life

ALEKSANDRA KESEROVIĆ, (left) Chef of the British International School,Crown Prince ALEXANDER and ANDRIANA DANILOVIĆ

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he British International School was opened in Belgrade in 1997 to cater for the needs of diplomatic and foreign business families, as well as local families seeking education in the English language for their children. BIS was the first school in Serbia to be registered by the British Department for Education (DfE), as well as by the University of Cambridge. BIS is a member of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and an member of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). It is recognised by the Serbian Ministry of Education as a school offering foreign curricula.

BIS provide a happy, caring and secure environment, where each student is helped to feel equally important and is encouraged to achieve his or her maximum potential in all aspects of school life. The personal and social development of our students underpins all teaching and learning activities at BIS. BIS AWARD CEREMONY AT THE ROYAL PALACE This year once again a number of BIS students successfully complete the three levels of the International Award for Young People that is more commonly known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Students were recently presented with their certificates at a presentation ceremony hosted by HRH Crown Prince

Alexander and HRH Crown Princess Katherine at the Royal Palace.

Having spent weekends camping and completed many theory and practical tests, all the students (and their representatives) were thrilled to have their achievements recognised by their royal highnesses and Prince Alexander addressed them at the ceremony, expounding upon the theme of the value of such awards, before mentioning the fact that he also completed the Duke of Edinburgh Award when he was a student at Gordonstoun School. BIS Principal, Ms Aleksandra Keserović, gave a speech ex-

dents learn about first aid, danger in the mountains, camping, orienteering, outdoor sports and necessary equipment, amongst other topics. They then undertake two expeditions per Award level, in order to demonstrate what they have learned; the first expedition is a training run, while the second goes towards their Award level. Moreover, students must also spend a certain number of months completing a form of volunteer work.

At the Bronze Award level students complete a two-day expedition with one night away, but by the Gold level this rises to one qualifying expedition of four

THIS YEAR ONCE AGAIN HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER PRESENTED DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD CERTIFICATES TO BIS STUDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT BIS tolling the virtues and importance of the education they have received, as well as the challenges they faced in meeting the demands of this activity alongside their continuing academic progress.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander handed out a total of 14 awards; 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 9 at the Bronze Level.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is offered to students aged over 14 as one of the extra-curricular activities at BIS. Students had to learn both practical skills in weekly meetings, as well as undertaking expeditions. During these meetings stu-

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days and three nights (which must be in “wild country”) and also a separate residential of five days and four nights.

Completing this enables students to build their level of independence and a real belief in themselves, beyond their academic work.

BIS is grateful to have this shared belief with their royal highnesses. In doing so, it clearly demonstrates to the students the value that Principal Keserović has, not only for achieving excellent examination grades, but also for the overall development of students. ■

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PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

The Joy of Learning PRIMA International School wants pupils to remain curious and motivated by the world they live in, now and for the rest of their lives

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ducation plays a very important role in nurturing the mind and the overall personality of the child, leading to a bright future. The world is changing quickly and in this ever-changing global village the importance of a value based world-class education is becoming highly crucial to success. In choosing the right school for their children, parents are often haunted by questions like: How can we provide our children with the best education?

Which school will help them discover their talent?

Which school will nurture our children's future?

How will the school help our children grow into confident and capable people ready to take on the world?

The answer to all these questions can be found here at PRIMA International School!

At PRIMA International School, all this happens within a caring community environment that collaborates to inspire everybody in it – students, teachers and parents. We believe your children’s happiness and wellbeing is as important as their acquisition of knowledge and understanding, as both are fundamental to their future achievements. Above all, we want our students to feel good about who they are and where they come from, and to prize learning as a lifelong journey.

Director Brigitte MacIntosh BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AT PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Our new premises comprise adequate play areas equipped with swings, seesaws, slides, sand boxes etc.; track and field; a basketball court, a football pitch, a volleyball court and an open summer theatre stage which inspires our students to enjoy the Drama and Performing Arts Activities.

The PRIMA Primary After-School Activities Programme offers opportu-

PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IS A VIBRANT AND EXCITING SCHOOL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU! WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR Walk with me… …and you will quickly find there is something special about our school.

Some people say it is our spirit, others see it is the way we live our values. We also believe it is our all-encompassing commitment to instil the joy of learning in everything we do.

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nities for children to extend their interests and talents in a wide variety of enrichment classes.

The PRIMA Cultural Saturday Centre offers sports, games, art, music, dance and languages every Saturday to students of all ages!

The PRIMA Summer Camp offers a variety of activities, such as arts and crafts,

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2015/2016

music, sports, social activities, languages, movie time, computers, dancing, water sports and swimming, outings, drama, etc.

The PRIMA Choir introduces children to a variety of musical styles.

Taking full advantage of our location in one of the most culturally-rich cities in the Balkan region, PRIMA students experience exciting and educationally relevant trips throughout the year, from day trips to local parks, museums and theatres, to overnight stays.

10 GOOD REASONS TO MAKE PRIMA YOUR NEXT SCHOOL • PRIMA delivers a challenging and rigorous CIE programme to local and expat families successfully.

• Our reputation attracts highly experienced, specialist subject-area teachers from around the world. e build strong relationships with parents.

•W • Our curriculum champions interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning that promotes creative and critical thinking skills.

• We offer expert Learning Support and English as an Additional Language.

• We believe great learning takes place in and outside of the classroom.

•S tandardised testing in reading, writing and mathematics is used to measure student progress and academic growth.

• Our building is purpose-built with new science and IT labs, music and art rooms, a large sports field and an openair summer stage.

• Our school community is genuinely inclusive, with over 40 different nationalities represented.

• By visiting our school you will be able to really appreciate the busy, happy atmosphere created by the students and staff. ■

INTERVIEW

Technical Science Knows no Boundaries Our internationally-recognised diploma enables graduates to secure well-paid jobs abroad NENAD ZRNIĆ

Vice Dean for Education, Belgrade University Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

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n recent years the number of high school graduates wanting to enrol in the Belgrade Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has been on the rise. Last year’s number of applicants for the entrance examination was twice the number of students financed from the budget of Serbia. We are also thrilled by two more facts. The average high school grades achieved by candidates for admission to our faculty is increasingly higher, and in 2014 we achieved a balance between freshmen students who have completed secondary gymnasium schools and those coming from secondary technical schools.

• Why do you think the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has become one of the most popular choices among future students today?

- Increased motivation for studying can be analysed in two ways. The first relates to the fact that technical science knows no boundaries, thus our internationallyrecognised diploma enables our graduates to secure well-paid jobs abroad. Our goal is not to educate students who will seek their future outside Serbia upon graduation, but, on the other hand, the brain drain also exists in highly developed countries.

Another indicator shows that interest in our faculty is experiencing exceptional growth, but this is not the case for mechanical engineering studies at other universities in Serbia, which is a consequence of raising awareness among young people that they should complete their studies ANY 2012 at elite higher education institutions, as this is a guarantee of the quality of knowledge that employers and the labour market certainly know how to appreciate. The

comparative advantage of the Belgrade Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is also reflected in our excellent infrastructure facilities, classrooms equipped with computers and laboratories, as well as a large number of licenced software programs, which ensures high quality teaching processes and undoubtedly puts us in a leading position in the field of mechanical engineering in Serbia. Our desire and expectation is to become the leader in the educating of mechanical engineers in Southeast Europe.

• Which courses do students most commonly apply for and how does the Belgrade Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

• Your school has received international accreditation, thus the diplomas gained are also recognised in Germany. How much of a challenge does this pose to the college when it comes to the quality of professional staff and knowledge?

- In addition to the international accreditation of our study programmes by German Accreditation Body ASIIN, we also have a shipbuilding module accredited by the British Royal Institution of Naval Architects, RINA. Through the EU’s HETIP IPA project, we have drastically modernised laboratory equipment and space, as well as obtaining equipment worth several million euros that will be used

THE COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IS ALSO REFLECTED IN OUR EXCELLENT INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES, CLASSROOMS EQUIPPED WITH COMPUTERS AND LABORATORIES make innovations to its curriculum with subjects reflecting the greatest technological changes?

- The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering offers education in degree programmes: Bachelor studies, Master studies and Doctoral studies. Specialisation in the narrower sense is achieved on the master studies through one of 22 existing modules that cover all areas of mechanical engineering.

Students’ interest in individual modules follows the trends of the labour market.

With the introduction of the Bologna process to teaching, the continuous updating of the curricula is conducted, along with the monitoring of the tendencies of education at the world’s leading universities.

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for working with students. High quality teaching staff, along with the energy and desire for advancement among young assistant professors, represents a guarantee of future success.

• Do you believe there are prospects for your college and related faculties to again teach foreign students and, if so, what are the preconditions for that to be achieved?

- In 2013 we also received accreditation to teach in the English language. Over 70 foreign nationals currently attend such courses. With the further affirmation of the international reputation of our faculty, it is realistic to expect a permanent increase in the number of foreign students. ■

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INTERVIEW

Market Customised Education

All study programmes at the EDUCONS University are a result of this institution's determination to provide its students with sustainable knowhow and, as of recently, and with the help of donor funds, a sure path to securing a job Professor ALEKSANDAR ANDREJEVIĆ Rector of the EDUCONS University, Serbia

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he EDUCONS University provides students with interactive classes and an opportunity to acquire knowledge that is work applicable,” says Professor Aleksandar Andrejević, Rector of the EDUCONS University.

• EDUCONS is the first, privately run university in Vojvodina and comprises 11 faculties.

Which educational profiles and learning levels do you facilitate?

- The EDUCONS University, based in Sremska Kamenica, was founded in 2008. This is a dynamic higher learning institution which currently comprises 11 faculties – the Information Technology Faculty, Digital Production Faculty, Applied Security Faculty, Environmental Protection Faculty, Organic Agriculture Faculty, Business Economic Faculty, Fine Art Academy, Sport and Tour-

clear position of the EDUCONS University in the applied sciences segment, which means that we primarily provide applicable academic knowhow that helps students find their way in the dynamic business environment, considering the times in which we live and work. In collaboration with the highly ranked University of Hong Kong, we have trained our teachers and researchers to use the latest knowledge transfer in accordance with stateof-the-art technological innovations. Such a format for implementation of the teaching process is known at universities across the world as blended learning. This is a combination of an interactive conversation and exchange of knowledge through professors having discussions with groups of students during and after classes, while using all the latest technological advancements (mobile phones, iPads, lap tops etc).

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HIGHLY RANKED UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, WE HAVE TRAINED OUR TEACHERS AND RESEARCHERS TO USE THE LATEST KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS • As of the next academic year, EDUCONS University will have its own dormitory and sports hall. Could you tell us more about that?

- EDUCONS University has been investing substantially in raising the living standard of our students. As of June 2015, the University will have a dormitory and in September we will start building a sports hall that we • How does the EDUCONS curriculum differ in terms of content and quality?

4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012 hope will make student life at the university more fulfilling.

- All of our study programmes stem from a ism Faculty, European Legal and Political Studies Faculty, Teaching Faculty and Project Management Faculty. Classes at all of these faculties are taught at all study levels, including basic, masters, specialised and Ph.D. studies.

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• In which way does the University cooperate with business and local community? How does that tie in with acquiring practical skills and hiring students who graduated from your University?

- As of late, EDUCONS University has started to base its education format and training future workforce on the principle of fund-donor practices. This means that at present the majority of our faculties have partners in the labour market to suit their study programmes, i.e. fund donors who are recognised as leaders in their respective fields. In this way we have been directly implementing so-called project-based studying and, thus, becoming a targeted service for the business community. This concept has two basic implications – fulfilling companies’ needs for a qualified workforce and enabling our students to gain employment. Such a partnership format with fund donors means that students are guaranteed jobs, while companies have a great opportunity to acquire workers tailored to meet their needs, thanks to their active participation in creating study programmes. ■

Acquire Italian degree by studying in English language at eCampus university branch in Belgrade!

New Branch University in Belgrade! eCampus University was established on the 30th January 2006 by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) eCampus University Bulevar Despota Stefana 68c, 11000 Belgrade, 011 655 75 02 Web: www.ecampus.rs · E-mail: info@ecampus.rs WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE? • The possibility of attending the Italian university in your homeland • Acquisition of skills typical for the Italian educational system • Acquisition of the Italian degree recognised in Europe • Highly qualified university professors • Outstanding quality e-learning system offering a personalized online platform for each student

• Personal tutors always available for administrative and academic support • Possibility of credit transfer • Maximisation of student’s personal time • e-Learning lessons available anytime and anywhere • 24/7 Student support:

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH Business and Economics • Computer and Control Engineering • Civil and Environmental Engineering Industrial Engineering • Fashion & design

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INTERVIEW

Fostering High Criteria

The University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry is one of the leading scientific institutions in Southeast Europe Professor BRANIMIR JOVANČIĆEVIĆ Ph.D., Faculty of Chemistry - Belgrade

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niversity of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry is a higher learning institution which consistently applies the university principle according to which good teaching stems from good quality scientific work. The Faculty is known for fostering science and for decades the scientists of the Faculty of Chemistry have strived to be on an equal footing with their counterparts from highly developed countries.

• What references does the Faculty possess in the area of scientific and research work?

- Staff members at the Faculty of Chemistry have been cooperating regularly with institutes and universities from highly developed countries. Thanks to the funds provided by the Ministry of Science and the European Commission, we have managed to purchase the latest instruments to improve the quality of equipment we use at the Faculty. Only a researcher with actual experience as a lecturer

• How does the Faculty of Chemistry manage to deal with the challenges of the 21st century in terms of the content it offers and study quality during this time of crisis?

- Back in the 1990s, when the environment for conducting scientific work in Serbia was extremely bad, the Faculty of Chemistry had an internal agreement that we would adhere to the principle of fostering high criteria.

These criteria stand to this day and are applicable both to professors and students. It was equally as difficult for professors to advance in their careers as it was for students

IN 2014 THE FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY’S PROFESSORS AND ASSOCIATES PUBLISHED 168 PAPERS IN JOURNALS FROM THE PRESTIGIOUS SCI LIST, WITH 83 PUBLISHED IN THE WORLD’S LEADING SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS to complete their very demanding chemistry studies. But our principle yielded results. Today the Faculty of Chemistry in Belgrade is a renowned and accepted university institu| INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012 tion4worldwide.

Some chemistry graduates didn’t have much trouble finding a place at very prestigious foreign universities and institutes.

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and who has completed their post-doctoral studies abroad for at least a year can be appointed as an assistant professor. In order to become a professor and teach at our Faculty, you need to have at least 40 published papers in journals from the SCI list and have them quoted at least a hundred times. On the other hand, a Ph.D. student cannot present their doc-

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toral dissertation if they have not published at least two papers in SCI journals.

• How do you ensure the quality of your permanent and guest lecturers?

- The competition is stiff. Candidates have usually achieved teaching and scientific results that far exceed the legally required minimum.

We can choose among such tough competition and, by default, young professors already have a substantial body of scientific work behind them before they start working for us. Strict requirements push our staff to be constantly active; to come up with new experiements and prepare publications. By advancing in science, they also increase their teaching capacities.

The quality of teaching and scientific work is usually enhanced through frequent lectures by guest lecturers from abroad, all of whom have a very good scientific reputation.

• Which national and international institutions usually hire your graduates?

- The Faculty of Chemistry gives young people an opportunity to become excellent chemists.

The majority of our best students already possess substantial knowledge of chemistry and usually go abroad to obtain their Ph.D. In that respect, they are no different from their counterparts who have graduated from the most prestigious universities elsewhere in the world.

Luckily, a certain number of them stay here and, thanks to them, the Faculty is able to supplement its staff infastructure. There are virtually no industries that don’t need a chemist, whether they are directly involved in production or quality assurance. Just like the majority of other areas, finding a job as a chemist after graduation is a huge life challenge for any young person. ■

TODORIS ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

Knowledge for a More Beautiful World

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he Todoris Academy of Fine Arts is a privately run and fully accredited higher learning institution which operates under the auspices of Belgrade’s Union University.

The Academy has an 18-year tradition and accredited art studies, conducted in accordance with the Bologna Declaration, ensure our institution is recognisable in the European education space.

We carefully monitor modern development trends and are fully aware that education of young generations is one of the most important factors of present, and particularly future, development. In this time of boisterous development and fast changes in our mobile world, the following questions continue gaining importance: how to keep pace with the times; how to prepare young people for a future that will be even more complex and; how to ensure economic, cultural, social and scientific development? With that in mind, talented individuals deserve the special attention we give them. As a higher learning

institution in art, we seek talented individuals and provide them with adequate artistic education in areas like painting, acting, design, art production management and media. Although we are fully aware of the fact that social elite abides by their own laws and formation principles not based on talent, we believe that talented people should compose

modernism. We have therefore been doing our utmost for our study programmes to cover all segments of art, including as many professors, associates and renowned artists in our teaching process as possible, as these are people able to implement the wealth of their artistic experience in their teaching work and use modern means, meth-

AS A HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTION IN ART, WE SEEK TALENTED INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH ADEQUATE ARTISTIC EDUCATION IN AREAS LIKE PAINTING, ACTING, DESIGN, ART PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND MEDIA the social elite, which is why we have set up a scholarship fund that will help them achieve that. A substantial number of staged exhibitions, theatre plays and concerts serve to validate the true talent of our students and the quality of our educational work. Contemporary education is very complex in this time of globalisation, globalism, multi-culture, democratisation, transition and post-

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ods and techniques. Successful Master’s and Ph.D. students are involved in the teaching process, which is one of the ways our faculty cares about its students and their future. We are very proud to note that academic Vladimir Veličković and professor emeritus Vida Ognjenović both lecture at our faculty. ■

Saša Filipović

Academy Dean and Professor

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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE

Tradition and Excellence Since 1948 the International School of Belgrade has provided a quality education to the international community in Belgrade, relying on innovative and best instructional practice to address the varying learning styles of our students

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pportunities for academic excellence, artistic expression and international understanding are accessible for every student at the International School of Belgrade (ISB). Our challenging and diverse programs offer a high quality international education with a global perspective. ISB relies on innovative and best instructional practice to ensure we address the varying learning styles of our students.

From Pre–Kindergarten through Grade 12, ISB caters to a student population that represents over 40 nationalities. Our professional faculty and support staff are proud to serve such a multi-cultural student body. Our dynamic curriculum is based on the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Diploma, Middle and Primary Years programs. Like all high quality international

schools, ISB is accredited by educational agencies: the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools. Moreover, we are an authorised IB World School, where students learn to implement change with compassion and creativity in a complex global environment, and we are also authorised by the Serbian Min-

OUR CHALLENGING AND DIVERSE PROGRAMMES OFFER A HIGH QUALITY INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

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istry of Education, Science and Technological Development.

Since 1948 we have provided a quality education to the international community in Belgrade and our students’ parents have been vital partners since our inception. We appreciate the fact that they entrust us with the care of their children. We communicate regularly and openly with our school community members, while taking continuous steps towards improvement. And we will continue to do this in the months and years ahead. Finally, we are fortunate to be working in partnership with the ISB Board of Trustees; our board members unselfishly offer their time and talents in order to ensure the continuous improvement of programmes and services for all of our children. It is truly an honour to be a part of this vibrant and caring community, which has a clear mission: ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members to discover their passion to be global innovators. ■

INTERVIEW

Enrol in Your Future at the Faculty of Diplomacy and Security

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se your knowledge to secure your own future, expand your horizons and properly interpret the world you live, in order to be able to change it; give yourself a chance to be taught by diplomats and people who know just how important security is for both individuals and countries; establish a dialogue with renowned and competent professors, expand your curiosity and thwart the automatic consumption of knowledge. Do this not in order to strive to gain a diploma alone,

but rather in order to become a person who can use their diploma from the faculty for diplomacy and security to open every door in the world.

CORPORATE SECURITY Students who enrol in the Faculty of Diplomacy and Security will learn about all elements of corporate security, which encompasses the protection of human resources, corporate assets and corporate processes from loss, damage or destruction through the hostile or malicious actions of

individuals, groups, institutions and natural disasters. This major study subject also encompasses planning, supervision, revision and continuous work carried out by exterior and interior security services.

MORE SPECIFICALLY… Students of the Faculty of Diplomacy and Security will learn diplomatic skills, oratory skills, diplomatic protocol, martial arts, use of firearms, dancing, negotiation skills, critical negotiating and creative thinking. ■

OUR PROGRAMMES BASIC ACADEMIC STUDIES – DIPLOMACY AND SECURITY MASTER ACADEMIC STUDIES – DIPLOMACY AND SECURITY MASTER ACADEMIC STUDIES – CORPORATE SECURITY

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THE INTERNATIONAL NURSERY SCHOOL BELGRADE (INSB)

Learn Through Play INSB has been responsible for the care and education of children for over 60 years. All three of its departments are committed to offering a safe and happy environment for pupils from 18 months old to year six

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he International Nursery School Belgrade (INSB) and the International Primary School (IPS) are here to serve both the local and international communities. The Nursery School caters for children aged from 18 months to three years. The Primary School comprises the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) & Primary years one and two. Our intention is build year upon year until we reach year six.

Since its inception in 2014, the International Primary School (IPS) has offered a comprehensive and stimulating learning environment via the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and Primary Curriculum of England.

Our three departments are committed to continual self-evaluation, compliance with modern childcare provision standards and, most importantly, child protection.

NURSERY Our nursery school is where children first learn to feel comfortable away from their parents. It is where they begin to adapt to the big, wondrous world beyond the home. Supportive teachers provide a warm environment, encouraging exploration without undue pressure on our most delicate and sensitive students. To quote D.W. Winnicott, we believe that “the nursery is the natural extension up from the family, not the natural extension down from school.”

EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE The EFYS two-year programme provides children with myriad opportunities, internally and externally, to explore seven areas of development. Play remains a very important method of learning and may be enhanced by teacher involvement. Focused activities increase

WE WELCOME CHILDREN FROM ALL NATIONS AND ADOPT AND SUPPORT THE VALUES OF TOLERANCE, COOPERATION AND RESPECT, AS WELL AS NURTURING THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENTS We welcome children from all nations and adopt and support the values of tolerance, cooperation and respect, as well as nurturing the diversity of our students.

We are housed in a beautifully adapted three-storey building in the leafy suburb of Senjak. Our large grounds and play equipment offer children the opportunity to run and play freely. Our new playground equipment brings us up to European safety standards.

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and a Phonics programme is introduced.

Children begin to read and write.

The world has opened up.

PRIMARY SCHOOL Our primary school curriculum fosters learning in ten subjects, making links between these where possible. We all know the 3Rs of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. At IPS we also provide an environment of Reason, Respect, and Resilience in pursuit of goals. Our children learn to question, communicate, think and problem solve. We formalise the concepts and inklings acquired in the EYFS, and strive to ensure our children will be adept, confident and dignified global citizens.

Simply put, we at INSB & IPS aim to broaden a child’s understanding and communication with the world around them, in a safe and happy environment.

Our website, www.insb.rs, will provide more information, as will a telephone call to either of our directors: Primary & EYFS: +381(0)63 69 63 61 & Nursery: +381(0)63 863 69 65. ■

Where your children learn to question, communicate, think and solve problems in a nurturing, playful and supportive environment

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Schooling Future Global Citizens

* Early childhood and primary education * Children from 18 months - 7 years * Stimulating and comprehensive curriculum

* Small classes with a 1:6 teacher - child ratio * School hours 8.00 am - 3.00 pm * After school activities till 4.00 pm drama, football, swimming, ceramics, ballet and more

* Toddler sessions from 12 months for easier adaption * Experienced teachers * Oldest and most respected international nursery in Belgrade

www.insb.rs Temisvarska 2, Senjak, 11000 Belgrade • tel: +381 (0)11 266 7130 mobile: +381 (0)63 8636 965 • e-mail: office@insb.rs

C H A RT W E L L -

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

S C H O O L

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Excellence

s d r a w o T

• 14 years of experience • Caring environment tailored to the academic and personal needs of each child • • Preparing students to thrive in an increasingly technological and multicultural society • • Internationally renowned qualifications • Graduates accepted into prestigious colleges and universities worldwide • PRE-SCHOOL

PRIMARY

Teodora Drajzera 38; +381 11 3675 299

SECONDARY

Tolstojeva 54; +381 11 3675 299

Lackoviceva 6; +381 11 3675 340

ACCREDITED BY: Ministarstvo prosvete nauke i tehnološkog razvoja

reception@chartwell.edu.rs • www.chartwell.edu.rs

CORPORATE

Garmin GPS Innovations NUVI 3597 LMT

Prestige Series — Our Best Navigation With its elegant styling and ultra-slim profile, nüvi 3597LMT reflects a refined aesthetic that suits the interior of any vehicle. A powered magnetic mount securely holds and charges your nüvi 3597LMT as you drive.

• 5.0" high resolution dual-orientation display, with “pinch and zoom” • Detailed maps with free lifetime updates • Garmin Real Directions with Garmin Real Voice • Free lifetime traffic alerts • Voice-activated navigation, Bluetooth and Smartphone Link compatible

PRICE: €450

Vivoactive

From Work to Workout Play harder, work smarter, live better with Vívoactive. Built-in sports apps keep you active while smart notifications allow you to stay in contact with pressing work matters — all so you can keep your life in balance. Simply tap to choose among GPS-enabled running, golfing and cycling apps plus swimming and activity tracking. The high-resolution, color touchscreen stays readable in direct sunlight, so you can view your stats when you step out of the office for a run.

The ultra-thin profile — 8 mm — is comfortable to wear all day and can easily transition from office to golf course. You won’t have to worry about Vívoactive keeping up with your active days .The rechargeable battery lasts through all your activities with up to 3 weeks in watch/activity-tracking mode or up to 10 hours using GPS.

PRICE: €270

WHERE TO BUY In NaviShop, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 193, Belgrade , you’ll find all of our most popular devices coupled with exceptional customer service and hands-on product demonstrations. More information about the devices can be found via www. navishop.rs, or call and speak with our knowledgeable staff, who can answer your questions, help you find the perfect device and take your order.

Fenix 3

Life is a multi sport event, be ready for anything In fēnix® 3, uncompromising performance meets uncompromising design. No longer do athletes have to wear one specialty watch for training and competition, and then a different, more stylish watch for work and casual everyday wear. With the introduction of fēnix® 3, Garmin has achieved the ultimate fusing of state-of-the art fitness training features with state-of-the-art in satellite navigation. For athletes, and all of you who are in sport and fitness fēnix 3 is a full-featured multisport watch with advanced features that help you train smarter and compete harder in the water, in the saddle, on the road, or on the track. Between training and activities, fēnix 3 helps you recover in style and precision with its rugged, attractive construction and customizable smart watch capabilities. In addition, for adventurers, explorers and alpinists fēnix 3 provides the degree confidence they require to safely reach their destinations while navigating challenging environments.

Tel: +381 11 2414239, 2412-342

PRICE: from €463

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CHILL OUT

PLANET

RUSSIA

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO FALL THROUGH THE EARTH? ▶ How long would it take to fall

down a hole in the Earth and reach the other side of the planet? Even less time than previously thought, a scientist reveals.

A scenario often presented to introductory physics classes is that of a "gravity tunnel" — a tube drilled from one side of the Earth to the other through the planet's center. The answer taught for nearly a half-century for how long a fall through such a hole would take was about 42 minutes and 12 seconds.

The solution to this problem depends on the strength of Earth's gravitational pull, which in turn is based on its mass. As one falls through the planet, there is less mass beneath whoever is making the descent over time, so the force of the gravity experienced would lessen as one approached Earth's center.

Easter eggs ▶ The tallest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy in 2011. Standing 10.39 meters tall and weighing 7,200 kg, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant. But Portugal is the home of the largest decorated Easter egg, which reached almost 15m in height and 8m in diameter when it was made in 2008.

JAPAN

3D ON THE ROCKS ▶ Japanese whiskey company Suntory Whiskey has created the most beautifully sculpted ice cubes. ‘3D on the Rocks’ is their latest ad campaign, in which they used a high precision carving machine to create intricate ice cube sculptures to go along with that glass of whiskey.

In collaboration with ad agency, TBWA\Hakuhodo, the company used a 3D mill to carve works of art out of ice, effectively creating the world’s first 3D milled ice cubes. Some of the designs include: a great white shark, an astronaut, the Statue of Liberty, and Michelangelo’s ‘David’. Cheers!

INDIA

PLANTING 111 TREES TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF DAUGHTERS ▶ While a vast majority of Indians continue to prefer sons, a small village of Piplantri in the state of Rajasthan has its own unique tradition of celebrating their daughters. Since 2006, the residents of Piplantri have been planting a 111 trees to celebrate the birth of a girl! The beautiful tradition was started by the village’s former ‘sarpanch’(head) Shyam Sundar Paliwal, in the memory of his daughter Kiran, who passed away a few years ago. So far the villagers have managed to plant over 250,000 trees. Apart from planting trees, a special committee also identifies families that are reluctant to accept girl children. They then collect Rs. 21,000 ($336) from village residents, and Rs. 10,000 ($160) from the girl’s father – and invest this money in a 20-year government bond to ensure financial security for the child. “We make these parents sign an affidavit promising that they would not marry her off before the legal age, send her to school regularly, and take care of the trees planted in her name,” said Paliwal.

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HUNDRED DOLLAR ORIGAMI ▶ Origami articles made of

$100-dollar banknotes were put on display at an interactive exhibition, titled “100 Dollar Origami”, which opened last month in St Petersburg, Russia. The exhibition is timed to mark the birthday of the dollar sign that is believed to have been invented by American businessman Oliver Pollock in April 1778.

“The exhibits are animals, fishes, dinosaurs and various other objects, like apparel, folded out of $100 banknotes,” the press service of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture, the venue of the exhibition, said. Visitors were treated to “dollar tea”, a drink brewed from the dollar banknotes. Apart from that, they played chess with Russian roubles and US dollars, instead of black and white chess pieces.

After the exhibition, the banknotes will be carefully unfolded and deposited into Sberbank. The organisers, however, are not certain that a banknote would still be valid after being bathed in boiling water.

GREECE

ROUKETOPOLEMOS – CHURCH ROCKET WAR ▶ On the Greek island of Chios, is a small town called Vrontados with two churches – Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani. Each Easter, residents try to ring the opposite church bell. Only, they do it with rockets.

Tens of thousands of homemade rockets pass between these two churches that are separated by a ravine.

The tradition dates back to the Ottoman period.

The rocket war generally begins during midnight services on Easter Sunday. Priests inside the churches deliver their sermons despite the 60,000 rockets soaring outside. While direct hits on the church bells are said to determine a winner, usually no winner can be determined.

ALASKA

TAKE A CHILLED GUESS ▶ The practice of betting knows

no borders. In Alaska, entries for the biggest guessing contest — Nenana Ice Classic were closed on April 5. Thousands of people every year pay to try to guess the exact date and time the ice will break up on the Tanana River in Nenana.

Each guess costs a $2.50 ticket.

Each year, a clock is connected by cable to a wooden tripod anchored in the river ice about 90 metres from shore. When the ice breaks and the tripod falls, the cable tightens and stops the clock.

The ice went out last year at 3.48 pm on April 25. The record-winning pot totalled $363,627 and was split among 25 tickets.

For this time of year, the 35-inch measurement is thinner than average. But it is close to the measurement of 36 inches on March 31 of last year. The ice is not showing signs of weakness yet. “There has not been any water that we can see, of course,” she said. “It’s still solid from bank to bank.”

JAPAN

10 Things to Stop Doing If You Want to Be Happy 1. Neglecting yourself and your needs 2. Ignoring your inner GPS 3. Resisting darkness 4. Saying ”no” to the now. The more you try to escape the present moment, the more

miserable you are.

5. Afraid of making mistakes iming for perfection 6. A 7. Chasing happiness 8. Trying to control life 9. P utting off your dreams 10. Trying to fix others

MALAYSIA

ONION THAT DOESN’T MAKE YOU CRY ▶ Japanese company House Foods Group claims to have produced the world’s first ‘tear-free’ onion, by disabling the compounds that the popular vegetable releases when chopped.

Their researchers have spent over a decade studying the chemistry of onions. In 2002 they published a study describing the biomechanical process of how chopping onions makes you cry, which won them an Ig Nobel Prize – an award handed out to honour achievements organizers consider unintentionally funny.

Finally, the House Foods Group claims to have turned the theory into a reality, by bombarding onion bulbs with irradiating ions which causes them to produce low amounts of enzymes. Apart from facilitating a completely tear-free chopping experience, the technique also makes the onion less pungent.

OIL RIG TRANSFORMED INTO A HOTEL ▶ Seaventures Dive Rig Resort, located next to Mabul Island, Malaysia, has

been transformed into a scuba diving hotel to create perfect getaway for those looking to enjoy the sea breeze from the comfort of their hotel room.

The incredible site, previously used for oil and gas exploration, offers a range of diving experiences to guests who can enjoy a stay in one of 25 fully-furnished rooms as the rig.

It also boasts a movie room, a karaoke lounge and bar, pool tables, table tennis, a souvenir shop, a conference room, Wi-Fi access and can be accessed by either helicopter or boat.

Prices at the hotel start from AUD$300 (€210) per night.

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FASHION

Finally in

Nature PRICE:

€99

Plaid Bermuda Shorts These shorts are crafted in a cotton blend woven in Italy. Extended tab on waistband and a coin pocket on wearer's right side.

In the previous more than 120 issues of CorD magazine, we have sought to suggest to you the best seasonal fashion solutions, but we admit that, like many others, we made a mistake last year when we predicted good weather. This, unfortunately, did not come to pass and instead we had a lot of rain.

As such, this year for May we consulted with experts on long-range weather forecasts and, according to them, in the next two months we are awaited by a lot of nice and sunny days in Serbia and several rainy days, as is the norm in spring, while daytime temperatures will reach around 20 degrees Celsius.

With this in mind, in this issue we recommend for you some clothing solutions that will serve you during active holidays, walking, excursions in nature, popular May barbeques and relaxing in the company of friends.

Leather and Rope Belt The belt is crafted in genuine leather with braided rope detail.

PRICE: €45

Straw Fedora This hat is crafted from straw with a grosgrain band and an allover fish pattern.

PRICE: €298

PRICE:

€130

Lex Rib Tank This tank top has large ribbing and a seam-free shelf to hold shape and add support. With a racerback shape and a high neckline, it's perfect for studio workouts.

PRICE: €50

Canvas Sneakers These shoes have a canvas lining and a rubber sole. Imported.

PRICE: €72

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Trim Print Dress This Jewel Trim Print Dress will keep you cool on warm evenings and can be paired with tights and a cover-up on cooler days.

Kate Spade's Crossbody bag Rustic straw composition extends the breezy charm of a sized-down crossbody bag finished with burnished leather trim and goldtone hardware.

PRICE: €165

PRICE:

€72

Jersey Linen Printed Tee Our short-sleeve tee is crafted in jersey linen with a floral print at front.

Machine wash.

Imported.

Wire Bangle Mix and match multiple Alex and Ani styles for a playfully eclectic look.

PRICE: €22

Michael Kors Chronograph Bracelet Watch Swarovski crystals punctuate the tonal sunray dial on a chronograph bracelet watch that gleams with a warm golden hue.

PRICE: €232 PRICE:

€43

Tom Ford Soft Round Sunglasses

Ralthe Logo Print T-Shirt

Complete with metal inserts at the temples for a touch of polish, these sunglasses make for a devastatingly stylish buy.

PRICE: €480

Oversized and built for comfort, this swingy tee is a perfect layer for studio workouts. It has a high-low shirttail hem and a large fluoro graphic.

PRICE:

Nike Training Shoe

€65

This Nike 5.0 platform provides flexibility and traction with a barefoot feel, while Flywire technology and an inner sleeve lend dynamic support and snug, secure lockdown.

PRICE:

€92

Sleeveless blouse Try a wearable sleeveless blouse in a brighter colour that can be easily paired with your favourite trousers and skirts.

Gym Bag Perfect for carrying workout essentials with modern colour blocking and a lightweight, silky finish.

PRICE:

€73

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FASHION

Month of a

Thousand Pleasures They say that men are no longer as active when it comes to outdoor activities. Research shows that men do not like to change in their life and that it is more difficult for them than it is for women to replace their regular daily routine with mountain tops, cycling, hiking etc.

In order for us to avoid the word “laziness”, we say that men work so hard that they can hardly wait to find peace and relaxation in the home.

Of course, experts cannot apply their findings to all men. Well, we know some men who are neither lazy nor passive, especially if someone else does all the preparations, sets up the barbecue and chills the beer.

All joking aside, head of us is what many would refer to as the most beautiful time of year, which you can take advantage of in a thousand ways and ensure you always have a good time, especially if you are in comfortable, casual and appropriate clothing and footwear.

It would be a shame to miss out on this year's opportunity.

PRICE:

€32

Sweatpants Sweatpants in thick jersey with an elasticized waistband. Side pockets, back pockets, ribbing at hems, and mock fly.

Henley Shirt Henley shirt in jersey with short button placket and button-tab sleeves.

PRICE: €9

PRICE:

€14

Polo Shirt Short-sleeved polo shirt in cotton piqué with a collar and short button placket.

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Suede Lace Up Boat Shoes Stylish deck shoes are a wonderful compromise between smart and casual.

Smart suede gives these shoes a particularly suave polish.

PRICE: €68

Pure Linen Safari Hat This linen hat is woven from the best yarns available in Western Europe.

The quality of the yarn when woven, dyed and finished is then translated in beautifully balanced fabrics.

PRICE: €48

Tom Ford Aviator Sunglasses Complete with shiny black acetate temple tips for comfort, these sunglasses make for a truly luxurious buy.

PRICE: €315

Porsche Design Polo Shirt

PRICE:

This Pique Polo Shirt has moisture management and UV protection, ensuring comfort and protection whether you are indoors or outdoors.

PRICE: €115

Canvas Shoulder Bag

Gulf Master Watch Finished in black with a blue face illuminated by an LED light for easy reading even in the dark.

PRICE: €650

Fabric Belt

€23

Linenblend Pants Pants in a blend of cool linen and cotton.

Side pockets, back pockets with flap and button, and drawstring at waist and at hems.

Fabric belt with leather details.

PRICE: €12

Shoulder bag in washed canvas with a top zip and adjustable shoulder strap.

PRICE: €28

Leather Heavy Sole Brogue Shoes

Jeans Slim Fit

These brogues blend refined style with functionality. Made from long-lasting leather, this pair promises to be a wise investment.

5-pocket jeans in washed denim with distressed details. Slim legs, regular waist, and button fly.

PRICE:

€89

PRICE:

€37

Pure Cotton Canvas Holdall

PRICE:

€135

This practical holdall can be used for a multitude of purposes.

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PROFILE

Facing New Challenges The aim of the Belgrade Fair is to become the central location for global demand and supply to meet, while focusing on business visitors, all of which requires a brand new marketing approach

ALEKSANDAR IVKOVIĆ Head of Marketing at the Belgrade Fair

I

have spent my entire career working for the Belgrade Fair. My story would make good material for a TV movie. I started back in 1995 at the very bottom, worked in every single segment of this company and today I am head of marketing. I did not have to carry heavy crates to get where I am today, but I did carry a lot of papers in the beginning, from floor to floor, spedning hours standing behind the stands at the Fair. Back then I could already see how diverse the range of people connected to the Fair was, in this or that way, among exhibitors or visitors. Even today I believe that the inclusion of as many people as possible in the existence of the Fair is the key to success.

The year I started working for the Fair was far from good. The state was drowning in political problems, which in turn caused economic ones. The country was struggling to survive. Of course, the thought of leaving the country crossed my mind, but, as destiny would have it, the New Zealand Embassy in Rome did not even bother to open the envelope containing my visa application. It was returned to me sealed.

The Belgrade Fair was resting on its laurels for quite some time, operating out of habit and based on the notion that one

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simply has to exhibit at fairs. I used that period to graduate from university while buiding my work image in light of my profession and through results.

I am currently at a crossroads. The Belgrade Fair is embarking on new business endeavours with a new player. This is a concept that we have started to implement this season, with the end goal of making the Fair the central place for global demand and supply to meet within a radius of 500-km from Belgrade.

The fact that we have no competition in our country has forced us to declare the fairs from neighbouring states as

A careful approach to each individual exhibitor, targeted appeal and communication with the public, as well as adequate implementation of business and economic arrangements, are all aspects of the Fair's future vision for all events our competition. The Belgrade Fair is the leader in every respect – be it in terms of the number of exhibitors or visitors, the image it portrays, and the events held here. As things are at the moment, the Belgrade Motor Show will be the only automobile expo to be held in Eastern Europe this year.

The Belgrade Fair will continue to fo-

cus on attracting more business visitors, while striving to project an adequate image of the Serbian economy to the world, reflecting the country's economic state.

Here I am referring to visitors who are able to create demand by merging markets. On the other hand, the products promoted at highly specialised events held at the Belgrade Fair should be able to earn a good reputation by perpetuating a proper image, while in turn acting as a magnet for foreign companies and businesspeople. Plenty of creativity and ideas will certainly contribute to accomplishing these goals and this is something the Belgrade Fair will focus on. A careful approach to each individual exhibitor, targeted appeal and communication with the public, while listening intently to the micro- and macroeconomic environment, as well as adequate implementation of business and economic arrangements, are all aspects of the Fair's future vision for all events.

We believe this is important for all participants directly or indirectly involved in the fair industry, starting with transport companies, the catering segment and travel agencies, all the way to the institutions that take great care in ensuring the Belgrade Fair has as many exhibitors and visitors as possible. The media also play an important role in the fair industry. Our idea is to form a well-coordinated team with all of them, which would work together for a long time and help conquer market games with new, mutually agreed tactics. ď Ž

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