CorD Magazine, December 2019, issue no. 182 by CorD Magazine

H.E. AIDA SMAJIĆ

CHRISTOPH LEITL

President of EUROCHAMBRES

ARNAUD GOUILLON

Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Serbia

Integration Should Contribute To Harmonisation With The EU

Humanitarian

Serbia Has Roots, But Also Has Wings

www.cordmagazine.com

DECEMBER 2019/ ISSUE NO. 182

Improving Bilateral Relations Is The Goal

interviews opinions news comments events COMMENT

Repositioning Our Entry

INTO THE THIRD DECADE FOCUS

Gains Depend On How We Count Them

Exclusive

VLADIMIR BILČÍK MEP

783002 771451 9

Dialogue Is The Only Way

ISSN1451-7833

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S STANDING RAPPORTEUR FOR SERBIA

CONTENTS

COMMENT

NADA POPOVIĆ PERIŠIĆ

REPOSITIONING OUR ENTRY INTO THE THIRD DECADE I think that at least two positions could be dominant when it comes to the decade ahead. The world, and with it Europe and the region, faces antagonistic processes: on the one hand are disintegration processes while on the other are integration processes which, in my opinion, will only deepen in the next decade. At the same time, the growing absence of hope and the inability to see the global perspective seriously call into question faith in the future

08 DIALOGUE IS THE ONLY WAY

WE COUNT THEM

FOCUS

28 AI-ENABLED FUTURE: OPPORTUNITY OR DYSTOPIA?

VLADIMIR BILČÍK MEP European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur for Serbia

14 IMPROVING BILATERAL RELATIONS IS THE GOAL

51 QGP: FRONT-LINE SCIENCE AND WHY SERBIA NEEDS IT

DR. MAGDALENA ĐORĐEVIĆ Scientific advisor at the Institute of Physics in Belgrade CHRISTOPH AUER-WELSBACH Partner, IBM Ventures | Founding Director, City AI

52 CREATIVE SPIN ON TRADITION

JAPANESE CONTEMPORARY ART

31 BUSINESS DIALOGUE

56 FACES & PLACES

48 THE RISE & FALL OF “BETTERTOGETHER”

59 SERBIA HAS ROOTS, BUT ALSO HAS WINGS

ARNAUD GOUILLON, Humanitarian

64 CHILL OUT

@CORD_MAGAZINE

@CORDMAGAZINE

20 GLOBAL DIARY

CORD MAGAZINE

22 GAINS DEPEND ON HOW

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Miroslava Nešić-Bikić m.bikic@aim.rs

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

DESIGN: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Maja Vukadinović,

December

66 GIVE WITH STYLE

H.E. AIDA SMAJIĆ Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Serbia

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

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FASHION

68 CULTURE CALENDAR 70 AFTER WORK

ADAM NEUMANN

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Comment

Repositioning Our Entry Into the Third Decade

BY NADA POPOVIĆ PERIŠIĆ

dentity is becoming about fetishes, and convictions and ideologies that have been overcome are returning in a destructive form. The attractiveness of misogynistic and homophobic activity during a time of the proclaimed equality of rights and the work of religious fundamentalism at the heart of a secular present, as well as the destruction of nature, only show us how much we are deceiving ourselves today when we think that that we are safe and protected by the acquired achievements of civilisation. Thus one of the positions in the decade ahead of us must be a comprehensive endeavour to ensure that the global economic crisis, under the influence of growing social inequality, doesn’t grow into a global political crisis that could result in military conflicts of global proportions. The digital age that we are entering has a presumption regarding a new attitude towards time and space, while existing and accepted values are losing their pertinence; the digital age favours and strengthens the intensity of living in the present moment, with relational and attachment sensibilities become dominant; a culture of the repetitive consumption of lived experiences is outdoing anything else; the ambience of the internet and social networks give an appropriate value precisely to concepts and values that illustrate this new vision of modernity. The enormous potentiality and power of the media conditions the dematerialisation of individual frameworks by making

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I think that at least two positions could be dominant when it comes to the decade ahead. The world, and with it Europe and the region, faces antagonistic processes: on the one hand are disintegration processes while on the other are integration processes which, in my opinion, will only deepen in the next decade. At the same time, the growing absence of hope and the inability to see the global perspective seriously call into question faith in the future them virtual; networks, the development of horizontal relationships between individuals, are becoming the reigning models, which brings into question the image of a possible future in such a fragmented world. Everything that represents the economy (profit, benefits, growth, unemployment, research) is connected to processes of calculations and the force of numbers. This one-sided and reductionist vision favours the tyranny of profit, international speculation and wild competition. Everything is permitted in the name of competitiveness. The complexity of society and individuals, the reality of the world around us itself, is so blurred and its meaning escapes us. That’s why I think that in the third decade of this century we have ahead of us serious positioning and consideration for the mechanisms and actions of mass-produced information and culture. The numerical revolution has raised mass culture to a new level, but also provided the state and the economy with other instruments of total administration. Hope that the development of technology will encourage the development and growth of democracy cannot be realised while the framework of the culture industry is composed of kitsch and spectacle. Given that dominant logic is utilitarian and short-lived, its demands are to be technically super performative in its discipline, which leads to the impoverishment of knowledge and the increasing growth of uncultured norms. The

education system has become completely inadequate, because it is focused only on knowledge from its own disciplines and does not deal with the fundamental problems that we encounter in life. Knowing how to think critically, confront, discuss and create together in a trans-disciplined way represents the basis for creating and evaluating the culture of openness, as opposed to the culture of reticence. A possible answer and the taking of a position that could respond to these problems is to return to humanism; to empowering the individual, to improving society, nurturing community and nurturing nature, exploring routes to intellectual autonomy, educating emotionally mature personnel to make decisions independently, to confront illusions and partialities, misunderstandings of others and oneself. And finally, one of the positions with which it would be worth entering the new decade is to change the attitude and dominant belief that young people are depoliticised; today’s young people just seek to realise their political will in a different way, in a different and more self-contained way to be actors in society, or its subjects, and to fully realise themselves: “only personal and social reform, a fundamental awareness of who we are and what we want to become” could be a new position that could change this world in the next decade. Without serious reflection and consideration, we cannot revolutionise the world, and that should be the task in the decade that’s ahead of us.

Interview Exclusive VLADIMIR BILČÍK MEP

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S STANDING RAPPORTEUR FOR SERBIA His first engagement in Serbia – as European Parliament Rapporteur – is, coincidentally, to participate in the process of establishing a dialogue between the government and the opposition. Mr Bilčik, how do you see your engagement in this process, which was initiated by your predecessor, David McAllister?

First of all, I’m very pleased to be fully engaged as European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia. It’s important that we start at full speed with the work that we have to do in the Western Balkans and the region regarding enlargement. When it comes to dialogue, I basically jumped on a train that had already been running for some time and was initiated by my predecessor, David McAllister, in his capacity as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. I was fully engaged in the dialogue when I came to Belgrade in early November, and I see this engagement as an important part of my work, and as an important part of the

Dialogue Is

The Only Way

When it comes to improving the political environment in Serbia, conditions for free and fair elections and a functioning parliamentary culture, the only way forward is dialogue ~ says European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilčik in this interview for CorD Magazine 8

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POLITICAL CONFLICT

Everybody has to engage actively in attempts to find solutions, and that includes both the government and the opposition

work of the European Parliament, the aim of which is to produce results by the end of this year; results that will help create a better political environment for dialogue between the government and opposition, and will also create a better environment for elections. This is the aim and the task with which I came to Belgrade and with which I hope to return to Belgrade. However, my key message in terms of this engagement is that we need to see results on the ground. We also need to see delivery from the government and the opposition in political action in Serbia, and we need to see that political action should concentrate on the National Assembly. The aim of the Members of the European Parliament is to help with the quality of the political dialogue and political culture at the parliamentary level here in Serbia.

PRIORITIES

My priority is to be fully engaged in conversation with partners in Serbia, and to be an active, visible and fair voice on behalf of Serbia’s European perspectives in the European Parliament

which politicians in Serbia can have fair and meaningful competition. That competition should take place, first and foremost, in the National Assembly and, of course, in free and fair elections.

ENLARGEMENT

My position has always been that enlargement has been the most successful tool of the EU to make lasting change in its neighbourhood

How do you see the current state of media freedom in Serbia?

I will say two things: one is that, yes, I’m new to the position, but I’ve been following developments in candidate countries for years and

The part of the Serbian opposition that has the greatest support of citizens doesn’t believe that a dialogue is possible with the executive government, just as they believe that current media freedoms and regulatory conditions don’t enable fair election conditions. How do you view those stances?

I’m not going to get involved in evaluating positions related to a domestic conflict in Serbia. My main task is to listen to all relevant interlocutors and help all those on the ground in Serbia to find solutions to the current political crisis. This is my task, and that means that everybody has to engage actively in attempts to find solutions, and that includes both the government and the opposition. Frankly, the only way forward – when it comes to improving the political environment in Serbia, when it comes to conditions for free and fair elections, when it comes to a functioning parliamentary culture – is dialogue; dialogue is the only way. We at the European Parliament will be engaged in dialogue, which we see produces results on the ground and helps to create conditions under

The position of journalists, freedom of the media and freedom of the press are not just issues in Slovakia, but also across the EU … this is something that we monitor very closely and that represents an important part of the commitments that we expect candidate countries to fulfil

I did read the latest European Commission Report on Serbia with some concern. This Report is publicly available and it points to serious issues that must be improved when it comes to the position of the media and when it comes to fair access to media for all relevant stakeholders in Serbian politics. The main reference point here is, and will be for me, the Commission’s evaluation. I also want to underline that I come from an EU member state, Slovakia, which just last year saw the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak, who was murdered in February 2018 together with his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. The position of journalists, freedom of the media and freedom of the press are not just issues in Slovakia, but also across the EU

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Interview Exclusive following the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, and this is something that we monitor very closely and that represents an important part of the commitments that we expect candidate countries to fulfil in the run-up to their EU accession.

What have you underlined as the priorities of your mandate as European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia?

My priority is to be fully engaged in conversation with partners in Serbia, and to be an active, visible and fair voice on behalf of Serbia’s European perspectives in the European Parliament. I will not only be regularly drafting reports on Serbia’s policies and the state of affairs in the European Parliament, but rather I will also be communicating actively on enlargement, on Serbia’s work towards EU membership, and also on Serbia’s important domestic tasks that need to be fulfilled in order for us to see progress towards EU accession. You’ve announced that you will strive to help Serbia speed up its European integration. Is this even possible, considering that there is a strong current within the EU that advocates for a break in accessions until the implementation of internal EU reforms?

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Internal reforms in Serbia are the key to advancement to EU accession, particularly on issues that deal with the rule of law, the quality of democracy, media freedom and a number of other issues related to standards that are typical for EU member states. All

I think that one of the good things about the unfortunate decision not to open EU accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania in October is that we are once again having a very intensive political debate about the EU’s enlargement policy at the highest political level of this needs to be fulfilled in Serbia, and this is an important part of the domestic homework for Serbia. This also applies to other candidate countries from the Western

Balkans; the same goes for Montenegro and others with which I hope we will soon be able to open negotiations, particularly North Macedonia and Albania. The criteria is the same for everyone and should remain as such, and the only way to fulfil this is to deliver on the domestic front in candidate countries, including Serbia. And, yes, we are having discussions on enlargement. My position has always been that enlargement has been the most successful tool of the EU to make lasting change in its neighbourhood. Since 1989, Europe’s history has been a history of success thanks largely to successful rounds of enlargement. The EU has transformed fundamentally by increasing the number of member states and spreading stability, democracy, peace and prosperity to a much larger part of Europe, including my own country. As such, I see enlargement as a success story and I think this story must continue in the Western Balkans and I will certainly fight for that. There are many other supportive voices in the EU that see in this way. I think that one of the good things about the unfortunate decision not to open EU accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania in October is that we are once again having a very intensive political debate about the EU’s enlargement policy at the highest political level. I hope that we are going to be able to find answers that will not only clarify certain issues within the EU but will also fundamentally underline the fact that we cannot change the rules of the game that we started a number of years ago with Serbia, but also with other partners in the Western Balkans. Our partners were promised that their only future is in the EU and that we will help them fulfil the difficult tasks of the EU accession process. On the other hand, in your opinion, how could Serbia accelerate the opening of accession negotiation chapters?

I think that the best way to accelerate the opening of those chapters is to really close some of the chapters that have already been opened, and this is something that relates to domestic reforms, domestic change and delivery on the ground. I think that the latest European Commission Report was clear in asserting that there is a lot more that Serbia can do domestically to deliver on that front; to be

true to its political goal of being a country that is fully committed to its European perspective. We need to see more drive on the domestic front, so we can move closer to closing several chapters provisionally. Once that momentum continues to be maintained, I think there will be space to open more negotiation chapters. Let me also say that, on the EU side, I think we need to see a lot more political commitment to enlargement. Enlargement was not a priority for the previous European Commission. JeanClaude Juncker said early in his mandate that it wouldn’t be the Commission of enlargement. We at the European Parliament are going to vote this week on the new European Commission and President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, the new leader of the European Commission, has stated repeatedly that this is going to be a geopolitical Commission, while she has also sent clear political signals about the importance of enlargement to include the Western Balkans to her personally, and I am convinced that this

means a lot to her Commission. I believe we also need to see much more political engagement on the EU side when it comes to EU accession negotiations and making progress on negotiations. My basic point is that, if and when Serbia indeed delivers on the various chapters, we in the EU should be ready to award the price for delivery, which is ultimately the provisional closing of chapters we’ve been negotiating. It is extremely important that we have good will on both sides, which needs to be underpinned by credible results on Serbia’s internal reforms. What do you think about the Serbian President’s regional ‘Mini Schengen’ initiative, which proposes closer ties between the countries of the Western Balkans?

I personally welcome any initiative that fosters regional cooperation. Regional cooperation was extremely important in the cases of previous enlargements, particularly in the case of

my own country, Slovakia, and the Visegrád Group cooperation. That was a very important vehicle for our own ability to catch up with our neighbours in our accession negotiations in the early part of the last decade, before we joined the EU in 2004. I see any attempt at regional cooperation that aims to foster the European prospects of the region as a welcome sign, and I think this is fundamental. When it comes to ‘Mini Schengen’, I think we still need to hear more details about it and I will be happy to discuss this issue with leaders in Serbia and the region. I want to underline that the ultimate aim of Serbia is, of course, to one day join Schengen, so the ‘Mini Schengen’ and respective steps connected to this initiative should be complementary with the aim of European integration, and not progress contrary to the goal of joining the EU; it shouldn’t in any way be an attempt to create an alternative project, but rather should help speed up the process of European integration in the region. As long

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Interview Exclusive as this happens, I think we can all welcome it in the European Union, but it is, of course, too early to evaluate, because it is a regional initiative. As such, we will watch closely to see what happens on the ground and what results it brings.

ally lies in agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, and I think that - in terms of the EU - it’s important to be heavily engaged, to ensure that we utilise the opportunity that we have to foster dialogue. I think we have to be much more focused on dialogue and that this is the key to its relaunch, given the fresh political wind that we have in Brussels today.I am convinced this is something that we will be following very closely, and I will be doing my part here in the European Parliament. This is an important aspect of stability in the Western Balkans, but it is also an important aspect of the steps that need to be taken by Serbia to resolve some important issues on its journey to European Union membership.

You’ve spoken about the importance of resuming the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Do you believe that it could be possible to revive the old Brussels format of discussions?

Quite frankly, I think we need to revive the dialogue. Whatever format leads to the revival of the dialogue will be welcomed in the EU. With a new Commission, a new High Representative and a new political leadership in Kosovo, we perhaps need to find new ways of approaching this dialogue. But the dialogue must continue regardless, as it’s another important part of Serbia’s political engagement towards EU membership, in addition to domestic reforms. It is really up to the interlocutors on the ground in the region to find the most suitable form of the dialogue, but it’s also the task of the EU to make sure that the dialogue is serious and focused on producing results. I was happy to hear, for instance, that the new enlargement commissioner wants to be engaged in this dialogue in an important way, as well as new High Representative Josep Borrell, and, of course, I know that this is also going to be an issue for the incoming President of the European Commission. We at the European Parliament stand ready to be engaged in any way, and I think that we can help in the parliamentary dimension of the dialogue. Ultimately, whatever is agreed between Pristina and Belgrade will need to be implemented, and it will have to be implemented by the political stakeholders and parliaments in both cities, and in that sense I also see the potential for the European Parliament to play a greater role in dialogue and for the parliamentary dimension to be at the forefront of the dialogue once we start seeing results and delivery on the ground. However, the main thing now is to see how we can quickly relaunch this dialogue and how quickly we can use the window of opportunity. Certain analysts consider that the break in the dialogue and the placing of a focus on issues such as the possible partition of Kosovo

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The key to agreement really lies in agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, and I think that - in terms of the EU - it’s important to be heavily engaged, to ensure that we utilise the opportunity that we have to foster dialogue and mutual recognition actually indicate that the dialogue has been taken over by other centres and has moved away from Brussels. Do you believe that, in future, this dialogue should more transparently or more actively include the involvement of the U.S. and perhaps Russia, China etc.?

I think that the key parts of the dialogue are in Belgrade and Pristina. Of course, when we talk about the solutions, they have to be based on certain principles that are accepted, especially by the EU, but also by the wider international community. Those principles have to follow the principles of international law and the overall goals of sustainable and peaceful solutions. The key to agreement re-

Given that you hail from Slovakia – a country that’s friendly to Serbia and hasn’t recognised the independence of Kosovo – how will you respond to the question that’s already being posed to you regarding whether you will be objective in your reports on Serbia?

Let me say three things on that. One is that Slovakia has friendly relations with every country in the Western Balkans, including the administration in Kosovo. We are one of the five EU member states that didn’t recognise Kosovo, but we in Slovakia believe that the future of the whole region lies in its European perspective and, ultimately, in EU membership, so in essence we always approach political relations very constructively and will continue to do so. Secondly, I have the mandate of a Slovak Member of the European Parliament and I represent the European Parliament. I will follow the tasks diligently and also use my experience of working on enlargement over the past 20 years, as well as my political engagements with partners in the region, to show that we at the European Parliament are duly committed to the European perspectives of Serbia and the whole region, and I will do this in a very open, honest and fair way. The third remark to go with this is that, as you know, good friends tell each other the truth, so I will not only be very engaged with partners in Serbia, but I will also be very honest about numerous issues, including the difficult ones that have to be delivered and achieved on Serbia’s road to the European Union.

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Interview H.E. AIDA SMAJIĆ

AMBASSADOR OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA The new ambassador of B-H in Belgrade, Aida Smajić, says that she’s starting her term in Serbia with optimism, in the belief that some unresolved issues, such as defining an interstate border, can be agreed upon during her stay in Belgrade. In her first interview with CorD Magazine, Ambassador Smajić explains how procedural preparations are underway for the construction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway, and when it comes to considering new initiatives for the regional integration of the Western Balkan countries, she says that they can be considered, but only provided they don’t redirect energy from elsewhere and don’t represent an additional financial cost that would slow down reforms aimed at advancing the primary objective of EU membership. Your Excellency, you arrived in Belgrade recently as the new ambassador of BosniaHerzegovina to Serbia. What have you set as the priorities of your mandate?

When it comes to the priorities of my diplo-

Improving Bilateral Relations

Is The Goal

As next-door neighbours, in the waiting room for entry into the chambers of Europe, we should resolve our open issues through constructive dialogue, mutual respect and equal positions in all negotiations - Aida Smajić 14

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PRIORITIES

When it comes to the priorities of my diplomatic mandate here in Serbia, we can say that the top priority is improving bilateral relations

MUTUAL RESPECT

When it comes to the aspect of mutual respect, then I must refer to the UN Charter, and both countries are members of this global international organisation

matic mandate here in Serbia, we can say that the top priority is improving bilateral relations, which aren’t antagonistic at this moment, but nor are they good, because such a qualification means that there’s something “bothersome” in those relations. I think those are issues that have plagued our relationships for many years. As next-door neighbours, in the waiting room for entry into the chambers of Europe, we should resolve our open issues through constructive dialogue, mutual respect and equal positions in all negotiations. When it comes to the aspect of mutual respect, then I must refer to the UN Charter, and both countries are members of this global international organisation. Each country is an equal member of the UN and has an obligation to respect the UN Charter. When we speak together like that and when we sit opposite each other with such starting positions, our conversations will be much easier and we will resolve our open issues to our mutual satisfaction. In the preamble of the text of the UN Charter adopted in San Francisco in 1945 it emphasises “We the peoples of the united nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom...” And still today, 74 years after the adoption of that UN Charter, it is necessary to constantly repeat these words to all those who’ve forgotten them, to those who did not want to respect them and to those who still don’t want to hear them. If just one of the numerous open and unresolved issues

EU CANDIDATES

Given the strenuous and major political reforms implemented by North Macedonia and Greece, and the reforms conducted by Albania, they shouldn’t have been so easily undermined and somehow put “on hold”

between our two neighbouring countries is resolved during my term I’ll be satisfied. I will endeavour to fulfil this goal and, of course, more than that.

We in Bosnia-Herzegovina have identified which open issue is a priority, and that’s the issue of signing the State Border Extension Agreement. That agreement was initialled back in 2003 and is the most significant open issue burdening our bilateral relations

At what kind of tempo will the BelgradeSarajevo highway link project be realised?

Construction of the Sarajevo-Belgrade highway is a large, imposing infrastructure project that’s

worth 1.5 billion euros. With its construction, both countries would confirm their clear commitment to stronger and faster connectivity, but would also confirm our safe “route” to all EU countries and our strategic foreign policy goals - namely European and NATO integration (in the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina). At the beginning of October, following the trilateral meeting of B-H-Turkey-Serbia, we attended the official launch of works on the section of the highway at the Sremska Rača border crossing. The process of forming a Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina level was initiated a few days ago, after more than

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Interview Agreement. That agreement was initialled back in 2003 and is the most significant open issue burdening our bilateral relations. By permanently resolving this open issue, the Republic of Serbia would demonstrate and prove its respect for Bosnia-Herzegovina as a sovereign country, the sovereignty of which naturally also implies territorial integrity. As the ambassador in your country, I’m here to represent and promote the state of BosniaHerzegovina and all of its positive reforms, and to respect the Constitution and the laws of the country. Being an optimist when it comes to the resolving of the numerous issues that burden our overall relations is my personal right and ultimately a character trait of mine. What is completely clearly, and has been proven countless times institutionally, is that B-H respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours, and the credibility of such a stance was demonstrated through the signing of the border agreement with Montenegro and through tangible proposals and a genuine intention to ratify the same legal act, i.e. to negotiate and sign with our other neighbours. Finalising these bilateral issues would have remarkable symbolism in terms of mutual trust and cooperation. a year of failing to find a compromise on various political issues. Specifically, by naming a mandate holder for the composition of the Council of Ministers of B-H and the adopting of the Reform Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be sent to NATO Headquarters in Brussels (this is not the Annual National Programme (ANP) but it is its contents), it is almost certain that we will also very quickly receive this collective body of the government in B-H and that we will start working on all essential reforms that were halted in the previous period. I think that, following the appointment of the Council of Ministers, activities on construction of the highway will be intensified and that the relevant ministries and the expert group will move faster with the implementation of the identified operational obligations of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Here I’m primarily referring to the drafting of project documentation and finding the most affordable way of financing such a major project.

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I would like to emphasise that I don’t consider that any of the representatives of current policies in the region would dare to embark on such a misadventure, causing or participating in new armed conflicts Do you believe that Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia can resolve the issue of the interstate border during your term in Belgrade?

We in Bosnia-Herzegovina have identified which open issue is a priority, and that’s the issue of signing the State Border Extension

B-H Presidency Chairman Zvizdić, in a recent meeting with the French president, contradicted his earlier assessment that B-H is a ticking time bomb on the border with Croatia. How would you respond to the views of some Western analysts who still see the region as a possible crisis ho spot and don’t exclude the possibility of armed conflicts?

I can freely state that French President Macron didn’t have, or doesn’t have, full and truthful information on the reforms and efforts being exerted by the official authorities of BosniaHerzegovina as part of the international coalition for the fight against terrorism. BosniaHerzegovina remains strongly committed to being part of the global fight against terrorism and will continue to support the coalition in both diplomatic and political terms, but also in accordance with its possibilities. When you ask me if I think this area is a crisis hotspot and if I think there will be some new armed conflicts, I would like to emphasise that I

don’t consider that any of the representatives of current policies in the region would dare to embark on such a misadventure, causing or participating in new armed conflicts. The interest of the international community, and here I mean the evident interest of the quint of countries in this area, has grown markedly in recent months; international diplomats and negotiators have intensified their engagements in a desire to “untangle” this knot in finding a compromise and agreeing to continue EU and NATO reforms, especially in BosniaHerzegovina. I consider that the Council of the European Union and France, which caused a great injustice to Albania and North Macedonia with its veto, will now have to observe the diplomatic offensive of U.S. negotiators and diplomatic influence with the aim of giving new impetus to candidate countries and potential candidate countries in the reforms that have been instigated. Anyone in this region that has resorted to some armed “warfare” as a way to try to resolve

We must promote and choose policies and individuals who advocate for the idea of a united free and democratic Europe, a place where all citizens will live with dignity and with the same rights its territorial claims and aspirations, and attempted to change internationally recognised borders by force, has been defeated. There are no changes to borders on the territory of the Western Balkans, as concluded at numerous conferences and summits held in the region in recent years (here I would particularly emphasise the position of Germany regarding the issue of changing existing borders in the

Western Balkans). I believe that the affirming of internationally recognised borders and the signing of initialled agreements would end speculation on territorial pretensions, secession, division, ethnic exchanges and the hidden but real intentions of individuals to redraw existing borders. We must promote and choose policies and individuals who advocate for the idea of a united free and democratic Europe, a place where all citizens will live with dignity and with the same rights. These rights must be guaranteed to them by the countries that are member states and those that aspire to membership in the future. Are you concerned about the slowdown in the pace of the European integration of Western Balkan countries?

Of course I’m concerned about the slowdown in European integration. I would personally like to see all Western Balkan countries, and especially my own country, become full members of the EU and NATO. We in B-H are

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Interview working diligently to achieve this goal, and all the reforms that have been implemented to date on the path to EU accession are to be congratulated precisely due to the weight of the current political environment and the circumstances in which they were implemented – with the major presence of obstructions and retrograde attempts to halt positive processes. When we add to this the negative rhetoric and constant discouraging and destructive narrative, then every reform undertaken in B-H is to be commended and they each represent a great success of the state. When I say that we’re working diligently, I’m referring to all pro-Bosnian political forces and industrious people in institutions, politicians who act palliatively with their rhetoric, giving hope to the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina that their country will one day be a full member of the EU and the NATO Alliance. History remembers individuals only through their deeds, whether good or bad, and that is the role of history. It records our constant activities and our actions. It is up to us to assign a role for ourselves, whether positive or negative. Today we define and declare people and individual historical figures primarily on the basis of the good that they did, firstly for their own country and its citizens, and then later the extent to which their deeds contributed to the common good of civilisation as a whole. And today, 74 years after the end of World War II, the unification of Europe, every citizen of Europe should know who the criminals were, what they said and what they collaborated on, and who were the greats of the last century, like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr. Given the strenuous and major political reforms implemented by North Macedonia and Greece, and the reforms conducted by Albania, they shouldn’t have been so easily undermined and somehow put “on hold”. These countries deserve candidate status, B-H also deserves that, along with all the Western Balkan countries have agreed to work seriously to meet the criteria for enlargement. Likewise, NATO integration is also of strategic importance to the future and to the development of my country. That is the only realistic option, looking at the political, social and security aspects of B-H society. Certain countries experienced an economic flourishing when joining NATO – not immediately

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proach was the German-British initiative that resulted in significant progress for B-H on the road to Europe. That and that kind of approach should be continued. Our relationships should be based on the principles of reciprocity and mutual respect. Inter-state disputes and open issues, including the issue of borders, must be resolved exclusively in accordance with the principles of international law. B-H does not have, nor has it ever had, any claims towards its neighbours. We expect the same attitude towards Bosnia-Herzegovina from our neighbours. How is the Serbian president’s initiative regarding a new form of regional integration, the so-called “Mini Schengen”, viewed in Sarajevo?

Today, 74 years after the end of World War II, the unification of Europe, every citizen of Europe should know who the criminals were, what they said and what they collaborated on, and who were the greats of the last century, like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr after accession, of course, but rather after a certain period. It is obvious that, from this side, a country’s membership in NATO also brings unique economic benefits. A unified, complete and secure Bosnia-Herzegovina is key to the stability of the Western Balkans. That’s why the European Union, in its enlargement policy, should have a much more careful and caring attitude and approach to B-H, because that relates to the stability of the EU itself. A good example of such an ap-

B-H is participating actively in numerous regional initiatives and forums, from SEECP, via CEI, JJI, the Union for the Mediterranean and CEFTA, to many other regional and multilateral organisations that have long since established themselves on the territory of Europe and around the world. Everything that can contribute to the better progress of my country on economic, social, political and international fronts, we truly support by giving our contribution to the work of these numerous initiatives, organisations and forums. I am of the opinion that anything that would in any way disrupt B-H, or at least momentarily distract and detract from intensive work on reforms towards the Euro-Atlantic path or full membership – something that would deprive it of energy as a country and waste additional financial and human resources – should not be a priority. It is not necessary for us to constantly observe the Western Balkans as some mini-zone or micro-region; the further fragmentation of our strategic foreign policy goals does not benefit any country in this area that we mutually share. B-H citizens will adopt its position on the “Mini-Schengen” in accordance with procedures and after the serious analysis of institutions, the business community and experts. We have received some assurances that this initiative does not represent an attempt to create a substitute for EU integration or to derogate existing regional agreements such as CEFTA, because EU and NATO integration remain our primary focus.

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GLOBAL DIARY

Respect

“We want to work for a ‘phase one’ agreement (with the U.S.) on the basis of mutual respect and equality. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want.” – XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT

SINIŠA MALI’S DOCTORAL DISSERTATION PROVED AS PLAGIARISM The doctoral dissertation of Serbian Finance Minister Siniša Mali has been recognised as plagiarism, said University of Belgrade Chancellor Ivanka Popović. “The Commission on professional ethics concluded that there is a fact of plagiarism, i.e. theft of another’s intellectual property without proper reference,” said the rector. It is expected that the University will initiate the necessary procedures to revoke the doctorate of the Minister, which he received in 2013. The decision is final and will not be reviewed. Minister Mali, who has repeatedly denied accusations over his diploma, said he would continue working. President Vučić said that Mali would have to bear political consequences, but added that he hadn’t yet decided what they would be.

ALBANIA HIT WITH 6.4 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE A strong earthquake shook Albania in the early hours of 26th November, killing at least 45 people, injuring 300 others and causing buildings to collapse. The magnitude-6.4 quake, which struck just before 4 a.m. local time, had an epicentre 30 kilometres northwest of the capital, Tirana,

HONG KONG’S LOCAL ELECTIONS A record 4.1 million people registered to vote in Hong Kong’s local elections - representing more than half the population - while more than 2.9m people cast votes; a turnout of more than 71%, compared to 47% in 2015. More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats, all of which were contested for the first time. A further 27 district seats were allocated to representatives of rural districts. The pro-democracy camp seized 17 of 18 district councils, taking more than 340 of 452 seats. All councils were previously under pro-establishment control after its candidates dominated the 2015 elections.

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near to the town of Thumane, at a depth of 20 kilometres. Scores of aftershocks included three with preliminary magnitudes of between 5.1 and 5.4. The quake brought down at least three apartment buildings while people slept, with rescue crews working to free people believed to have been trapped in the rubble. Albanian President Ilir Meta said that the situation in the town of Thumane, closest to the epicentre, was “very dramatic.”

Deal

“A long-negotiated trade deal with China is potentially very close. The bottom line is that we have a very good chance to make a deal.” – DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT

NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION A new EU Commission with Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen as its first female president was approved by the European Parliament on 27th November. The approval vote - with 461 in favour, 157 opposed and 89 abstentions - was unsurprising, since she had already cleared the hurdles with European Union lawmakers in recent days. Von der Leyen delivered a speech before the vote, saying that Europe can shape the global order, putting climate change and migration at the heart of her strategy for the next five years. She also said the EU’s door remained open for Western Balkan countries hoping for membership. The European Council has to approve the Commission by a qualified majority before it takes office on 1st December.

LETTER TO SWEDISH KING IN BOSNIAN

English and didn’t arrive at the desired address. Specifically, the letter was not translated by the B-H Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the Office of Željko Komšić, “this was to be done by the B-H Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as is the case with all acts officially delivered from the B-H Presidency to foreign countries. Such is the procedure. Upon learning that the B-H Ministry of Foreign Affairs had acted differently, we decided to make an exception and send the letters in English. In addition, it is completely inaccurate that the letters were returned”.

After Peter Handke received the Nobel Prize for Literature, Željko Komšić, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed a letter to the president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Mats Malm, as well as to King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden. However, as Avaz news portal discovered, this letter was never translated into

MINI SCHENGEN INITIATIVES Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia have decided to advance regional cooperation together by forming a socalled “mini-Schengen” zone in order to improve life and the economy in the region until the EU opens its doors to them. The idea of Western Balkan countries coming closer together was first floated at a regional summit in Trieste in 2017, when leaders agreed on an action plan for the creation of a regional economic area. On the other side, five EU member states — Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — also talked about creating a “mini-Schengen”. It would be a dramatically scaled-down version of the passport-free zone, which currently has 26 members.

PRINCE ANDREW EVICTED FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE The Duke of York, Prince Andrew (56), has been ordered to move his private office out of Britain’s Buckingham Palace, amid continuing fallout over his former friendship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, authorised his eviction from the palace in London, in what is just “the latest humiliation for the beleaguered” Duke of York. Epstein, a former friend of presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, died in jail from what authorities have ruled a suicide, while he was awaiting prosecution on child sex trafficking charges. The report came hours after the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announced that the group’s board had “decided that the Orchestra should part company with its” royal patron, Andrew, “with immediate effect.” Prince Andrew has served as a patron of more than 200 charities.

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Focus

What are the pros and cons of the Western Balkans regional economic zone?

Gains Depend On

How We Count Them Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that forming a regional market might unshackle intraregional trade and make the Western Balkans a more attractive investment destination. However, there are deeper considerations that must be taken into account when gauging the motivations and ultimate benefits

s the Western Balkans regional economic zone a path to the EU market or not? Who may act as a unifying force in bringing the Western Balkan countries closer to one another? Which obstacles must first be removed? Is this idea even worth dis-

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cussing if it proved unachievable under CEFTA? Our interlocutors gave us varying answers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from unwavering support for the idea, to some marked reservations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but all underlined that there is a long list of obstacles that should first be removed.

CHRISTOPH LEITL

PRESIDENT OF EUROCHAMBRES

INTEGRATION SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HARMONISATION WITH THE EU REGIONAL INTEGRATION WOULD BE A WIN-WIN IDEA. YET, FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION, THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK HAS TO BE EUROPEAN, AS THIS IS THE NATURAL CHOICE FOR THE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES, BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND POLITICALLY

The formation of the Western Balkans Regional Economic Zone would be a “Win-Win situation” – both regionally and when it comes to cooperation with the EU: the EU remains by far the biggest trading partner of the Western Balkans, both for imports (73.5%) and exports (80.6%). EU companies are also the biggest investors in the region, providing 73 per cent of foreign direct investment. Regional integration strengthens competitiveness and cooperation within the Western Balkan countries – regional integration is a key factor in raising living standards in the Western Balkans. The creation of a Regional Economic Area (REA) brings more competition and allows economies of scale and productivity gains. A regional market would unshackle intraregional trade and make the Western Balkans a more attractive investment destination. It could also contribute to harmonisation with EU law – market integration based on EU rules and standards will help create opportunities for developing new value chains and increasing the attractiveness of the region for foreign direct investments, including from the EU. EU-based investors are the main external drivers of growth and job creation in the region. The key to strengthening the resilience of the region is to ensure the full adherence of any foreign–funded economic activity to EU values, norms and standards, notably in key areas such as the rule of law, public procurement, the environment, energy, infrastructure and competition. The stability of the Western Balkans can only be maintained in the long term under the umbrella of the EU: REGIONAL INTEGRATION WOULD HELP membership would mean that the borders between these STRENGTHEN THE RESILIENCE OF THE states would be both solid and permeable. This would make nationalist unification projects unattractive. WESTERN BALKANS. IT SHOULD ALSO Indeed, the EU’s enlargement policy must continue to ENSURE THE FULL ADHERENCE TO EU export stability. The opening of EU membership negotiaVALUES, NORMS AND STANDARDS OF ANY tions with the Balkan states of North Macedonia and FOREIGN–FUNDED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Albania would be an important signal for these countries. However, there are certain obstacles that must first be removed. On bilateral trade and customs problems (e.g. Kosovo-Serbia) – the dismantling of non-tariff barriers: relations between Pristina and Belgrade worsened, most visibly with Kosovo’s decision to impose 100 per cent tariffs on imports from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The EU cannot and will not import bilateral disputes and the instability they can entail. Definitive and binding solutions that contribute to regional stability must be found and implemented before a country accedes. Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are essential elements of the Stabilisation and Association and enlargement processes. The historic agreement reached between North Macedonia and Greece resolving the 27-year-old name dispute sets an example of reconciliation for the region and beyond. Rule of law needs to be improved, while jurisdiction and administrative capacity needs to be built up: the proper functioning of democratic institutions remains a key challenge in most countries. Credible progress in this area remains a significant challenge. These shortcomings often correlate with a lack of political will and institutional resistance.

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Focus

What are the pros and cons of the Western Balkans regional economic zone?

MARKO ČADEŽ

PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF SERBIA (CCIS) AND PRESIDENT OF THE MANAGING BOARD OF THE WESTERN BALKAN 6 CHAMBER INVESTMENT FORUM

MORE FREEDOM, MORE BUSINESS WITH THE BUILDING OF A COMMON REGIONAL MARKET, OUR COMPANIES WOULD GAIN SPACE TO DO BUSINESS WITH NEARLY 20 MILLION CONSUMERS. WITH THE REMOVAL OF NUMEROUS BARRIERS, WE WOULD CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR A MORE COMPETITIVE ECONOMY IN THE REGION The key advantage of a common Western Balkan market – based on the four key freedoms that are advocated for by the business communities of the region – is primarily in its size and the fact that establishing a single economic and investment space would remove barriers to successfully doing business, which now limit business and slow down cooperation and the growth of our economies, despite the fact that we have a mutual duty-free policy under the scope of the CEFTA agreement. With the building of a common regional market, our companies would expand beyond their own small national markets, gaining a larger space to do business, with nearly 20 million consumers, through which their people, goods, services and capital would move seamlessly, without restraints and kilometres of columns at the borders. What we can work on immediately is the harmonising of regulations – mutually and with Europe – the aligning of certificates and procedures, the working hours of inspection services, recognition and electronic exchanges of cross-border documentation. This would allow a veterinary or phyto-sanitary certificate, work permit, residency visa for foreigners, diploma, qualification, or other document relevant to business issued in one economy to be valid throughout the region. Instead of our companies having to acquire the same certificate six times only with a different seal, to master different but equally complicated procedures, for our lorries to spend hours, in some places even days, on the borders. With this we would create the conditions to do business SERIOUS ANALYSES PROVE THAT STRONGmore competitively in the region, whether a company operER REGIONAL INTEGRATION, TOGETHER ates out of Skopje, Pristina, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica or Tirana, for easier trade and transportation, with reduced WITH INTERNAL REFORMS, WOULD ENABLE paperwork, time and costs, for joint ventures and projects, THE ECONOMIES OF THE WESTERN BALsimpler exchanges of personnel etc. This would simultaKANS TO GROW BY SEVEN TO EIGHT PER neously provide an additional motive for foreign corporations – which don’t come here because of small, individual CENT ANNUALLY OVER THE COMING YEARS markets, rather because of the regional market as a whole – to invest more in the Western Balkans. All of this represents a prerequisite for a more significant increase in trade within the region, for more of our companies to export to the world, for us to attract more investors and tourists, for our economies to maximally utilise their potential and ensure sustainable growth. Serious analyses prove that stronger regional integration, together with internal reforms, would enable the economies of the Western Balkans to grow by seven to eight per cent annually over the coming years, faster than the three to four percent estimated for this year and next. The economy, the business interest of local and global companies, and a better life for our citizens would, thus, become the strongest factor of cohesion in the Balkans, which would also contribute to easing the resolving of political problems, creating greater stability in the region and accelerating European integration. Moreover, the Novi Sad agreement between the President of Serbia and the Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, made tangible in Ohrid and open to the rest of the region, is a major step towards the construction of a common Western Balkans economic area, with a view to model of the European Economic Area, which is insisted on by the more than 350,000 companies brought together by the chambers of commerce that are members of the Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum.

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MARZENA KISIELEWSKA

HEAD OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE DIVISION, GLOBAL RELATIONS SECRETARIAT, OECD

CONSIDERABLE GAINS DEEPER REGIONAL COOPERATION CAN ENABLE GREATER GROWTH PROSPECTS, SHARED PROSPERITY AND CONVERGENCE WITH THE EU. LIBERALISATION SHOULDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T STOP JUST ON TRADE, BUT MUST INCLUDE THE BETTER COORDINATION OF INVESTMENTS IN DIGITAL, TRANSPORT AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS THE HARMONISATION OF MANY OTHER POLICIES The economies of the Western Balkans have made considerable headway in liberalising their economies over the past two decades, which has paid off in the doubling of regional GDP and a six-fold increase in annual FDI inflows and export values. Despite this progress, GDP per capita remains a third of EU levels. Deeper regional cooperation can enable greater growth prospects, shared prosperity and convergence with the EU. Enhanced economic cooperation can help to achieve greater economies of scale by creating a unified market of nearly 20 million people and by putting the region on the global map for trade and investment. This would maximise the economiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategic advantages and develop dynamic business environments that are competitive on global markets. Western Balkan firms would gain an enhanced capacity to participate in cross-border value chains that create novel trade opportunities. The region would also become more attractive for investment and be better equipped to adopt sustainable and inclusive growth models. Unfortunately, barriers exist that prevent the Western Balkans from tapping the full potential of regional integration. For instance, in the area of trade, these barriers could be resolved through targeted measures to better coordinate border controls, harmonise standards and technical regulations, and establish quality infrastructure at the regional level. Of course, regional economic cooperation should not be centred solely on trade liberalisation. A better coordination of investments in digital, transport and energy infrastructure, as well as the harmonisation of policies promoting the mobility of skilled professionals, would also be necessary. These measures will enable all citizens to more freely pursue their ambitions and encourage the scientific and entrepreneurial innovations needed to succeed within rapidly digitising markets. The Western Balkans should focus on the immense benefits that regional cooperation can bring for citizens and businesses across the region. I am confident that, with political courage, clear eyes and honest dialogue, the immense promise of the regional economic area can be realised to the benefit of all.

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Focus

What are the pros and cons of the Western Balkans regional economic zone?

MILOS JELIĆ NELT GROUP CEO

TWO DIMENSIONS OF REGIONALISATION OUTSIDE THE EU CONNECTING THE MARKETS OF THE REGION WOULD ALLOW EACH COUNTRY – INDIVIDUALLY, BUT ALL TOGETHER – TO MORE QUICKLY EXCHANGE GOODS AND MONEY. HOWEVER, THIS REGIONALISATION OUTSIDE THE EU COULD POTENTIALLY COMPLICATE THE CONTINUATION OF FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS FOR ACCESSION TO THE UNION, OR EVEN DELAY THE VERY LAUNCH OF THOSE TALKS FOR SOME For Nelt, the Western Balkans is not an abstract geopolitical formulation, but rather has existed for years as a unified economic space. Our regional network connects over 30 locations on six markets, through which goods flow on a daily basis, where we provide logistics services and employ almost 3,500 people. Such a geographically defined space could

PREDRAG BJELIĆ

PROFESSOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS

CHALLENGING INTEGRATION ISSUES ELEVATING THE REGIONAL INTEGRATION OF CEFTA 2006 CARRIES ITS ADVANTAGES IN TERMS OF GREATER CUSTOMS TERRITORY, THE REMOVAL OF BORDERS IN INTRAREGIONAL TRADE AND GREATER ATTRACTIVENESS FOR FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS WHETHER THIS PAYS OFF, BECAUSE IT RELATES TO A TEMPORARY INTEGRATION WHOSE MEMBERS ARE STRIVING TO BECOME EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES Some new proposals suggest that the next logical step in the further trade integration of CEFTA 2006 would be the establishment of a customs union, and that was first proposed by the then Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić. The idea that the economies of the Western Balkans should also establish a common market in the region was first raised by then EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn at a summit of the Western Balkans Six in Sarajevo in March 2017. Elevating CEFTA 2006 to a higher level of integra-

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– with the reducing of administrative barriers and the liberalising of flows of goods, ideas, services and people – become even more accessible to businesses and more interesting to foreign and domestic investors. More efficient services is a goal we aspire to as a logistics provider. The complexity of integrated 3PL is additionally increased by the repeating of various controls and inspections at every border. Resolving the issue of declarations, the mutual recognition of certificates and regulations, the harmonisation of customs tariffs and aligning of uniform reports would greatly accelerate business operations by enabling the reduced consumption of company and human resources. We want a halt to the long delays at border crossings. Slowness is a common denominator of the current state of affairs and the costs that consequently arise have a strong impact on the competitiveness of products and services, and thus ultimately burden final consumers with higher prices. Connecting the markets of the region and easing business and other communications would raise the level of the business culture of each country individually, but also for everyone together, enabling a faster exchange of goods and money faster, and thereby raising the overall standard of living of the people of this region. As an international company, we have a great interest in investing more, and particularly in our employees, in enabling them to gain business experience in various markets, which further motivates them to lengthen their career with the parent company. However, this regionalisation outside the EU could potentially complicate the continuation of formal negotiations for accession to the Union, or even delay the very launch of those talks for some. As a current burning challenge, I have to single out the taxes imposed on the import of goods from Serbia to the Kosovo market. This is an example that contradicts all of the aforementioned and desirable efforts to regulate business relations in the Balkans. We eagerly await the moment when economic interests will be the dominant criterion for making political decisions, and not vice versa.

tion implies much greater challenges for all Western Balkan countries, and particularly for Serbia, as one of the largest economies, among the closest to EU membership and with the problem of the status of Kosovo*. These challenges include the following: is Serbia prepared to enter into the creation of a common customs territory with other Western Balkan countries, transferring to it the right to create and implement foreign trade policy, and in the process losing its foreign trade sovereignty; can Serbia create a Common Foreign Trade Policy with other Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo*, whose institutions it should recognise as equal, while recognising Kosovo* as an equal party; will Serbia succeed in agreeing on a common external customs tariff with other Western Balkan countries, to harmonise the rates they apply with third countries, when countries have diversified trade interests; is Serbia ready to renegotiate all foreign trade agreements that are currently in force, including the SAA with the European Union, as well as the agreements with the Russian Federation, EFTA countries, Turkey and others; and is Serbia ready to replace its individual path to the EU, where it is - along with Montenegro - one of the most advanced, for the shared path of a new customs union with the EU, which is dictated by the least advanced member (the so-called convoy effect)? The question, however, is whether Serbia is ready to once again prolong its membership in the World Trade Organisation with the creation of a new customs territory and international trade entity? Elevating the regional integration of CEFTA 2006 carries its advantages in terms of greater customs territory, the removal of borders and all other barriers to intraregional trade, and greater attractiveness for foreign direct investment, but the question remains whether this pays off, because it relates to a temporary integration whose members are striving to become European Union member states. It would be more sensible for that Regional Economic Space to be built through expansion of the CEFTA 2006 agreement, in the domain of free trade.

VLADIMIR GLIGOROV

ECONOMIST AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST

LOTS OF STORIES AROUND LITTLE USE FOR THE BALKAN COUNTRIES, EUROPEANISATION IS AN INDISPENSABLE MEANS OF DEVELOPMENT AND MODERNISATION. REGIONAL LIBERALISATION IS CERTAINLY USEFUL FOR NORMALISING RELATIONS AND FOR POLITICAL STABILITY, BUT THE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS ARE MODEST Regional cooperation is a policy that has been encouraged by the European Union and the United States at least since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999. It was expected that increased trade and investment in regional infrastructure would foster political normalisation, especially if it is a condition for advancement towards membership in the European Union. Twenty years later, the same is expected of a unified market in a reduced Western Balkans. There were, and remain, three obstacles to the implementation of this policy. The first is precisely the process of joining the European Union, which is bilateral, and not regional. Countries progress towards membership at different speeds. Those who are leading fear that regional integration could slow them down, while those are flailing have suspicions that they are being offered a replacement for membership. In the case of the Visegrad Group, which is often cited as an example of successful regional cooperation, it was clear that all member states would join the European Union simultaneously. This is not the case with the Balkans. Now, alongside that, it is uncertain whether membership will happen at all, so calls for regional cooperation emanating from Brussels come across as disappointing. The second obstacle to regional cooperation is that a unified market cannot also be a customs union. This is because countries have different trade relations with third countries. Here the European Union is not an obstacle, because all countries have free trade agreements with the EU. However, for example, Serbia has a trade relationship with Russia that other Balkan countries do not have. Thus, it is not possible to remove controls of the flow of goods at borders between the Western Balkan countries, just as is the case at borders with the European Union. The third obstacle is the imbalance of trade exchangTHE BENEFITS OF A REGIONAL ECONOMIC es within the countries of the CEFTA regional free trade ZONE WOULD BE RELATIVELY MINOR, AS zone. The only problem isn’t that Serbia has a surplus in regional trade while the other countries have deficits, THEY WOULD RELATE TO THE POSSIBLE rather that it isn’t entirely clear how regional cooperation EASING OF BORDER CROSSINGS FOR PEOimpacts on the comparative advantages of individual parPLE AND GOODS... A REAL IMPROVEMENT ticipating countries. This mainly pertains to countries that should be given a priority in the development of industry WOULD BE A UNIFIED LABOUR MARKET, (with the exceptions of Montenegro and, to some extent, BECAUSE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES VARY Albania), and it is unclear whether the regional single market promotes industrialisation to the same extent in all member countries. The EU is encouraging unification through the Berlin Process, in order for the market to be large enough for more serious foreign investment, but it is not clear whether all countries would benefit equally or similarly from them. These are the reasons – independently of the political disputes that certainly stand in the way of the normalisation of relations and bilateral and regional cooperation – that stand in the way of the unified market. Now, as before, integration has gone through bilateral, or now trilateral, agreements towards a possible regional agreement. However, as CEFTA – meaning a regional framework for cooperation – should expect other countries to join, the question is what additional benefits can be expected? They are actually minor. It mainly relates to the possible easing of border crossings for people and goods. When it comes to goods, significant improvement is not possible, because a customs union is lacking. A real improvement would be a unified labour market, because unemployment rates vary. Nonetheless, additional benefits are limited because demographic trends are negative and because traditional migratory flows are to leave the region, rather than to seek work within it – except of course through forced displacement.

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Feature CHRISTOPH AUER-WELSBACH

PARTNER, IBM VENTURES | FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CITY AI

AI-Enabled Future: Opportunity Or Dystopia?

ere Christoph Auer-Welsbach exclusively shares his thoughts on these issues and other burning questions with CorD magazine, after giving his keynote speech at the Wonderland AI Summit in Belgrade.

Given that the complex global challenges that we’re all facing require innovative solutions, AI could be a driving force for positive change, providing some of the greatest opportunities for humanity. However, it could also enable many dreadful dystopian scenarios

AI has grown to become the driving force behind the fourth industrial revolution. This is a burning and important topic, but the term ‘AI’ is still not totally clear for many in practise. How would you describe what AI is to a non-technical person? Basically, AI is just a technological framework; a tool that we need to ensure it is properly used, meaning in a diverse and responsible way to fulfil the real social needs of humanity and the world, reflecting each and everyone’s cultural, educational and environmental backgrounds. This is important, as AI is having a vast impact on our lives already. As we can anticipate now, AI exponentially amplifies all things human, the good and the bad. Herein lies the opportunity, but also the risk. You founded City AI to bring together not only industry experts, but people with various backgrounds and various perspectives – business, production, investment, science and more – with the mission of “enabling the diverse and responsible development

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and application of AI”. What are some of City AI’s main goals and major milestones reached so far? The City AI foundation has become a global, decentralised organisation that’s mostly run and driven by volunteers. Over the past three years, more than 70 cities in 50+ countries have become active through 300+ volunteering ambassadors, which - for instance - hosted and facilitated over 250 events, but also data science and machine learning workshops and boot camps, as well as global initiatives such as the ‘AI Ecosystem Wiki’ that we launched three weeks ago. As ambassadors who are aligned with the vision, we aim to further develop local AI ecosystems by raising awareness and facilitating education and, ultimately, collaboration. We are thereby ensuring that any AI stakeholder can be involved and will be heard and become part of the AI community. One thing is important though: as City AI, we aim to unite and enable the AI community globally to collaborate, and not to be stand alone parts of the AI community ourselves. We’re not done yet, which is why we’re always seeking more people, whether to support existing cities or activate new ones. AI provides one of the greatest opportunities for humanity – but many also see it as a threat or a risk. As with all groundbreaking

By Milos Belčević

technologies and innovation, the situation is never black or white. For instance, pattern or facial recognition can be used for both amazing or terrible things. What can we do to reap the benefits and avoid the threats or, so to say, to move more in the direction of a utopian rather than a dystopian ‘AIenabled future’? I believe that awareness, education and collaboration are the key drivers towards the diverse and responsible development and application of AI. The more people understand, and are therefore able to take action together, the higher the chances of any new technology or invention reflecting the common needs and wishes of humanity and the world. It’s our duty to be responsible for AI, and this means that the outcome is solely dependent on us. As technology becomes ever more accessible, the chances of achieving a utopian vision increase, but we’ll always be on the verge of dystopia, as technology often progresses faster than our ability to steer it.

What are some of the key steps or measures needed to apply ethical principles to AI? As previously mentioned, we need to make people and organisations accountable

We’ve made tremendous progress in previous decades, but we’re still only scratching the surface when it comes to solving grand challenges, such as fighting cancer or nerve damage, creating cheap or even free fusion energy, or creating new, advanced materials, to name just a few areas

for the outcome of applying AI in production at scale, as we do with any other technology. In order to do this, I advocate for creating design principles, in this case ethical ones, as well as aligning certain practises to ensure the decision making process is a) transparent and b) comprehensible. Right now, we’re facing the challenge that the term “ethics” seems to be overused, while at the same time the technology is often not understood well enough, creating a mismatch when discussing the applying of ethical principles to AI. It is actually quite simple: in the past we didn’t think about ethics when introducing speed limits on motorways, but we wanted to protect humans from potentially deadly accidents and therefore came up with rules to guide the development and application of vehicles and the environment. What are your personal favourite applications of AI? In which areas and industries do you see the greatest potential to benefit from AI? I don’t have a favourite application to

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Feature will help ever more people become aware and get educated and able to collaborate on developing diverse and responsible AI.

be honest. Personally, I’m obviously a huge fan of proper weather predictions and routing applications, as they make my life, and those of billions of others, easier. Lots of current applications are still only solving an ‘unpleasant’ problem rather than a ‘real’ one. We’ve made tremendous progress in previous decades, but we’re still only scratching the surface when it comes to solving grand challenges, such as fighting cancer or nerve damage, creating cheap or even free fusion energy, or creating new, advanced materials, to name just a few areas. We’ll get therein the end, but - as Gary Marcus states - “it might happen in the next 15 years. It certainly will happen in the next 500 years—there’s no mathematical reason why it can’t be done”. What can start-ups learn from major corporations and vice versa? To me the answer is always the same: start-ups are agile and can react to their environment, e.g. customers, quickly; corporations have a developed culture and processes that enable them to scale their operations. As a start-up, I encourage every founder to build 100-year companies, to get into the mindset that both characteristics are necessary along the journey. So, start-ups could spend more time to make themselves understood as a 100+-year-old industry and successful corporations dozens of years old in order to leverage wisdom and market access, while corporations need to embrace a more fearless culture in order to open their structures to remain agile and enable them to leverage innovation for their coming 100 years. We live in a world that’s facing complex environmental, political and economic challenges, and in order to solve these challenges we need partnerships, communities and cross-border cooperation. There is also a need for cooperation between companies, governments, individuals and so on. Where does City AI fit into this whole picture? City AI has been set up as a charitable non-profit organisation in the Netherlands, decentralised in its organisational structure, with the goal of being a platform for likeminded people, volunteering ambassadors, AI

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Is the “city” in the name City AI also a metaphor for communities (like the Greek Polis as the cradle of Culture and Democracy), or is it more of a coincidence? There are also many popular (and very needed) initiatives like green cities, agile cities etc. How did you opt for the word ‘city’ when founding and naming the movement? The term “city” was chosen for two reasons: 1) We identified cities as the smallest location-bound structure where communities are shaped and flourish; a very beneficial side effect is that cities are usually melting pots, which supports our “diversity” mission element perfectly; 2) We’re growing fast and the community asked for a global organisation to be put in place where the best option we could choose was the “city” itself. It would be great if “City” became a synonym for our mission with regard to AI as “Polis” is, but there’s still a long way to go. ;)

As we can anticipate now, AI exponentially amplifies all things human, the good and the bad. Herein lies the opportunity, but also the risk practitioners and AI stakeholders to engage with us. This platform will create a common vision and enable everyone to leverage that vision to facilitate activities aimed at achieving our mission. City AI is an AI community project in which everyone should participate. Each AI community member not only has the means to shape it, but also the obligation to ensure that they utilise their skills and resources wisely. Hence, City AI is trying to develop, initiate and run various activities, such as the AI Ecosystem Wiki, which

How do you think AI will impact on the way we interact with computers and each other in the future? As I stated at the beginning, AI is a tool. It will impact humanity massively, just as it already has over the past 20 years. Without optimised machine learning in production at scale, smart phones mostly wouldn’t be useful. Looking back, AI has thus enabled us to connect millions of people, if not billions, to make the world a more transparent place, further reducing issues such as warfare, hunger and disease by providing access to knowledge and the services necessary for us to live as one large community. This will accelerate over the coming years, while the interaction with devices might also increase, but I’d personally prefer my environment to interact with itself, so that I could mostly focus on real-life interactions. *This interview was conducted with the interviewee in his role as the founding director of non-profit organisation City AI and reflects Christoph Auer-Welsbach’s personal opinions. It is not related to IBM Corp and does not reflect IBM Corp’s opinions!

Leaders’

MARK HARRISON, Principal, Harrisons

20 Years & Counting PAGE /32

MEETING POINT

VLADIMIR POPOVIĆ, Managing Director for SEE, Ingram Micro

JANKO ANĐELIĆ, Sales Director for SEE, Ingram Micro

We Have a Team For Every Project

We Live The Problems Of Our Partners

PAGE /36

PAGE /38

MIROSLAV VRANEŠ, Account Executive, DELL TECHNOLOGIES

Real Transformation PAGE /39

SANJA PEŠIĆ,

Chief Executive Officer of Alma Quattro, a member of the Swiss APG SGA Group

Alma Quattro: “A Serbian Ambassador To The World” PAGE /42

MARK HARRISON, PRINCIPAL, HARRISONS

20 Years & Counting It was two decades ago that Mark Harrison abandoned his comfort zone to become the first English Solicitor to set up an English Law Firm in Serbia and Montenegro. That was a very brave step, but Harrison has no regrets. Today, 20 years on, the Harrisons law office is celebrating a great anniversary

cheering on Hajduk Split from Croatia! The Belgrade lawyer knew all the top Yugoslav businessmen working in London, basically for the daughter companies of their mother companies in Belgrade, and I gradually – over five or six years – became the trusted lawyer of, say, two out of every three large Yugoslav companies in London. I was then invited to Belgrade to meet their big bosses, travelling with JAT from London via Zagreb. They were the golden years of 1988 and 1989. I had then become Head of Central and Eastern Europe for a large firm, Eversheds, and convinced them to open an office in Belgrade in 1991. It was bad timing. In June

keep stressing that it is the people, loyalty, team effort and atmosphere that make up our law firm. We are still the only English Law Firm in Serbia and Montenegro. With the right people, the right approach and their talent, we have enjoyed and participated in numerous headline deals, says Harrison himself. It was over two decades ago that you decided to open an English law firm in Serbia. Why? I thought that might be your first question – everyone asks me ‘why Belgrade?’ The answer is simple: fate, in which I am a great believer. I had no connections to the

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then Yugoslavia. I visited as a child in 1973 and then my first time in Belgrade was 1976. Little did I know that, 22 years later, I would be moving there to live. It all arose in 1983, when I was a lawyer at Linklaters, a “Magic Circle” firm in London. One of their clients was Beogradska Banka and they agreed a lawyer from Belgrade could be seconded to the London Office for six months to see how an English law firm works. I was working late one night and saw this guy in a nearby room. Being a Yorkshireman, I invited him out for a drink. The next night I was at Tottenham Hotspur football ground with a group of Yugoslavs

We pride ourselves on our compliance with the strict requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England

of 1991 the troubles started in Slovenia and by May 1992 sanctions were in place, and weren’t lifted until late 1995. With the greatest of respect to most UK law firms, they turned their back on Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro), but I convinced my fellow partners that we had a duty to help Yugoslavia with legal measures

wherever possible. So, I led actions in the UK Courts, EU and U.S. to do what I could legally. My best feeling was when I called the Bank of England as defence witnesses for Aviogenex (who had four aeroplanes) to stop a Danish Finance House taking the planes from them. We won! Now, like anyone, I don’t forget my friends who help in times of trouble, and so, in 1996, Serbia remembered me and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office asked me to re-strengthen trade and business between the rump Yugoslavia and England. The best part was that I was the host on the “one night off” that visitors would get when visiting London, so I used to book a private room at a famous restaurant and announce “everything is now off the record”, and we partied. I then started leading deals in the region. The sale of the Pivara Skopje brewery to Heineken/Coca-Cola, followed by the sale of Nikšić Brewery in Montenegro to Interbrew - a Yorkshireman knows his beer. This made me consider whether to stay in a big law firm, where I was one of 300 partners, or to work for myself. To abandon the comfort zone? Why not become the first English Solicitor to set up an English law firm in Serbia and Montenegro? So, I sold up in England, moved out for good in February 1998, rented an office in Vračar above “The Bread of Life” charity and started looking for a secretary. The rest, as they say, is history. JUNE 1998 TO OCTOBER 2000 The dark side of the story. Sanctions again. Ordinary Serbian people were collateral damage; air strikes lasted from 24th March to 10th June 1999. It was awful. And it didn’t get rid of Milošević. He stayed in power for nearly another 16 months. So, we developed our Montenegrin practise. A beautiful place to work after spending years commuting for an hour to work in London. It is a perverse feeling flying into Tivat Airport by the sea in a suit to do work! It wasn’t easy for us. Foreigners were treated with suspicion and followed. There were no British or U.S. embassies. Things got worse in the summer of 2000, but finally came the great Revolution Day of 5th October 2000. After tear gas, we walked all night from Republic Square to

Slavia Square and back. The next morning I knew that the Firm was ready to take off! 2001 onwards…and so, we did. The only foreign firm in Serbia. We had been there through thick and thin. No other foreign firm had. The early bird catches the worm. Zoran Đinđić came to power – he was a really nice guy. And he formed a good government. Privatisation was the order of the day and we worked flat out. We hired more and more people. Danijela,

I like Serbia, I like Montenegro, I love the warmth of their people. This area has been my home for over a third of my life my office manager, has now been with me for 20 years. Goran Martinović, one of the best lawyers in the country, who I’ve known for over 28 years. Jelena Asanin, a top employment lawyer - 18 years. Veljko Veljasević - 17 years. Ines Matijević-Papulin, an outstanding banking and finance lawyer - 17 years. Jovan Ćirković, a brilliant talent - 12 years. Jelena

Sandić, our finance manager - 13 years. Lidija Labudović, a tough litigator - 10 years. I keep stressing that it is the people who make our law firm. On 2nd December 2019 we officially celebrate 20 years, and it is the loyalty, team effort and atmosphere of our firm that makes us so different. We are still the only English law firm in Serbia and Montenegro. Our client list is our ‘Badge’. We pride ourselves on our compliance with the strict requirements of the Solici-

tors Regulation Authority in England: AntiMoney Laundering Rules, Know your Client, Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, Integrity, Honesty. We are always looking to improve and enter new markets, like we did with the UAE over eight years ago. Companies from the UAE are now the 2nd biggest owners of agricultural land in Serbia. We love helping IT start-up companies. They are the future life-blood of Serbia; young entrepreneurs with bright ideas who need legal guidance to stand on their feet. And it’s great to see. I love my “little baby” Porto Montenegro, but most of all I like living in Belgrade. Serbs and Montenegrins are like Yorkshire folk: stubborn and proud of their heritage!! Good luck to them!

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Volume

“Over 400 German companies are operating in Serbia, employing a total of 60,000 people. The volume of Serbian-German trade totalled €4.7 billion last year and will exceed €5 billion this year.” – RONALD SEELIGER, PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LOCAL NEWS GORENJE GROUP

GORENJE AGREES TO SELL GORENJE TIKI

MORAVA AIRPORT

MORAVA AIRPORT OBTAINS IATA CODE

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has officially presented the Morava Airport with a three-letter location identifier – KVO. The website of the Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia still only lists airports in Niš and Belgrade, while Morava is on the list of airports with approved permits. The tender announced by the Serbian government for the selection of an air carrier from Morava Airport expired on 21st November. The tender documentation stipulates that the successful bidder must have at least one aircraft stationed in Serbia, with a capacity of at least 70 passengers, and another auxiliary aircraft also stationed in Serbia. As of the first week of December, the selected carrier will fly to Vienna three times a week, and from 10th March to 15th October 2020 it will also fly three times a week to Thessaloniki. Those routes have been declared as routes of public interest in airline traffic. Source: RTS

Slovenian household appliances manufacturer Gorenje has agreed to sell its Serbianbased unit Gorenje Tiki to Swedish water heater maker Nibe Industrier. Under the terms of the deal, the current management team of the Stara Pazova-based company will remain in place and the Tiki brand will be retained by the Swedish firm. According to chief executive Gerteric Lindquist, Nibe is solidifying its market position in Europe with this acquisition, gaining access to additional production capacities in Serbia. The takeover is subject to regulatory approvals. Source: gorenjegroup.com DELTA HOLDING

NEW OFFICE BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION Delta Holding is launching the construction of a new office building, Delta House, which is set to be the future headquarters of the company. This investment, worth €40 million and covering almost 23,000m2, will be situated in New Belgrade’s Block 19, between the Crowne Plaza hotel and Genex apartments. The project will employ 700 people, while approximately €2 million will be paid to the City of Belgrade budget for various fees and permits. The first five floors are intended for lease, with the top three to be reserved for companies operating within the Delta Holding Group. The building will have a ground floor restaurant, gym, lounge and relax area for employees, as well as 188 parking spaces. The completion of construction and its opening are planned for Spring 2021. This modern office building was designed in accordance with LEED standards, which guarantee the implementation of the highest ecological standards in the domain of construction and maintenance. ENVIRONMENT

EU SUPPORTS SERBIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

The EU accession process offers the unique opportunity for Serbia to raise its environmental standards, acquire the latest technologies and ensure a better quality of life for the people, says Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. Speaking to Balkan Green Energy News, Fabrizi said that Serbia should increase its resources allocated to environmental protection, in human resources and in funding, for example by applying the “Polluters Pay Principle”. In the interview, Fabrizi discussed EU assistance to Serbia in the environmental sector, the messages contained in the European Commission’s annual report, and results of the integrated campaign on environmental protection carried out this summer. The EU is Serbia’s top partner and biggest donor, having approved more than €3.6 billion in non-refundable aid since 2001, and the country’s key trade partner, accounting for nearly two thirds of all Serbian foreign trade. Moreover, two thirds of all foreign investments in Serbia are sourced in EU member states. Source: Balkan Green Energy

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5 EASY STEPS TO PLAGIARISE (WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT) If you think plagiarism is fine, morally speaking, here are five easy steps to avoid getting caught. Copy and paste are your best friends – so long as you don’t make any mistakes when using them. 1. Add adjectives and adverbs 2. Change the order of the words a bit 3. Choose an obscure person to plagiarise 4. Say it with an accent 5. If you get caught deny, deny, deny

Port of Belgrade

“Under Serbia’s 2020 budget bill, 168 million dinars will be set aside to design a new Port of Belgrade, with the first construction works expected to start by the end of 2021.” – VELJKO KOVAČEVIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WATER TRANSPORT XXXLUTZ

EXPANDING ON SERBIAN, GERMAN AND ROMANIAN MARKETS Austrian furniture retail chain XXXLutz intends to expand on markets where it already operates, such as Serbia, Germany and Romania, in the coming years. Through acquisitions, XXXLutz has become the second biggest furniture retailer in the world, behind IKEA. The company will work in the period ahead on integrating its new acquisitions, but does not want to expand beyond Europe. XXXLutz is also present on the markets of Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary and Switzerland, which it entered through acquisitions. The company operates in Serbia as the owners of Lesnina S, which has opened a department store in Novi Sad and plans to expand to Belgrade and Niš. SCIENCE

INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALLY OPENED Based on an initiative of company Teodesk, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence has officially opened at Science Technology Park Belgrade. This institute is a non-profit organisation that aims to connect experts on AI, young innovators and companies, creating surroundings in which they can share knowledge and create new solutions. Ivan Ralić, one of the founders of the Institute, emphasised at the opening that the organisation’s role is to be a connector and incubator for ideas, and that the key activities will including organising education courses, providing the necessary resources to young professionals and creating a community for exchanging knowledge and experience.

Placements postings

appointments@aim.rs

STYLIANOS ZAKOF, NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF SERBIA

The Hellenic Business Association of Serbia’s Regular Annual General Assembly saw the electing of a new Management Board, which consists of: Stylianos Zakof (President) - General Manager of Chipita, Nikolaos Sliousaregko (Vice President) - General Manager of the Junior Hotel, Vuk Dapčević (Treasurer) - Eurobank representative, Zafeirios Lampadaridis (Member) - General Manager of Mercure Belgrade Excelsior Hotel, Spyridon Vlachos (Member) - General Manager of Isomat. The new board members stressed that the HBA will continue to work to improve communication between existing and potential Greek investors and the Serbian authorities, creating a platform for the development and promotion of Greek businesses and providing information to its members in order to support the Greek business community and contribute to better economic cooperation between Greece and Serbia.

ROLAND RAITH, NEW GEBRÜDER WEISS COUNTRY MANAGER FOR SERBIA

Gebrüder Weiss has appointed Roland Raith as its new country manager for Serbia, while he is also responsible for Gebrüder Weiss Montenegro, whose country manager reports to him. Mr Raith has been with Gebrüder Weiss for more than 20 year and has held a wide variety of positions during this period, including country manager for Gebrüder Weiss in Slovenia. The strategic goal of Gebrüder Weiss is to continue, together with Mr Raith, to strengthen the company’s position in Serbia, but also across the entire regions of Central and Southeast Europe, where the company operates in more than 90 locations.

SERBIA

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE 2019 Over the weekend of 22nd-24th November it was the pleasure of the British International School in Belgrade to host its inaugural Model United Nations Conference. The concept of ‘Model United Nations’ is for young people to mirror the committees and working practises of the UN at school and community levels. The conference brought together students from all over the region, representing more than 20 countries and talking on behalf of all nations of the UN. Delegates discussed topics as varied as Kashmir, immigration, the South China Sea and Crimea. Everyone took an active part, explored new ideas and made new friends. BIS is already looking forward to organising next year’s event. The BIS mission states that the school wants to develop internationally minded students who will make a positive contribution to society, and the school’s management believes that the MUN conference did just that.

December

VLADIMIR POPOVIĆ, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR SEE, INGRAM MICRO

We Have a Team For Every Project Ingram Micro d.o.o. Belgrade, as part of the Ingram Micro group, which is the world’s largest distributor in the field of IT equipment, covers a regional market of more than 50 million inhabitants. Thanks to this, we can always offer partners, vendors and end users the best logistics solutions on the aforementioned markets. Regional operations on a market of more than 50 million inhabitants provides us with great strength and stability, because we don’t depend only on movements on the Serbian market and can always offer our clients alternative logistics solutions. We can learn a lot from this region. The success of Southeastern Europe is not accidental – standing behind it are great people, excellent business plans and brilliant strategies. Our task is to also apply this in the parts that we need. We also want to collaborate on projects that can be of interest not only to our countries, but also in global frameworks.

e have built up a reputation as a reliable and stable partner that provides a quality service to all suppliers and clients. At the heart of our operations is ensuring the satisfaction of partners who can always count on our technical, financial, marketing and logistical support, notes Mr Popović. Ingram Micro Belgrade is part of the Ingram Micro Group, which is the world’s largest distributor of IT equipment. Which markets do you cover from Belgrade? We cover the entire SEE NON EU market

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via our offices in Belgrade, Skopje and our representative office in Sarajevo. When it comes to market coverage, one of the goals of our company is to satisfy other markets with our quality and operational approach. For now we are successfully covering the markets of Serbia and Montenegro, with a distribution centre in Belgrade, the markets of the B-H Federation and Republika Srpska with a representative office in Sarajevo, and the markets of North Macedonia, Albania and the territory of Kosovo with a distribution centre in Skopje, while we have exclusive distribution rights from a number of our vendors for their products

To what extent is the success of the Belgrade office based on global experience and to what extent is it dependent on excellent familiarity with the demands of the local market and the specific needs of each client? With the help of our offices in the European region and qualified local partners worldwide, Ingram Micro can solve the problems of multicultural and multilingual companies from any part of the world, relying on many years of experience of thinking globally and acting locally. Ingram Micro focuses on providing superior services to customer by selecting the best possible team for each project, utilising the contributions of our consultants and the extensive knowledge of our experts from across the region and around the world.

You are known as a company that cares for its partners. How is that reflected? In technical areas, marketing, logistics, financial aid, education etc.? Interaction with partners is an integral part of working processes for many companies. Building good relations and finding a successful formula is always difficult. Over recent years, Ingram Micro has built a reputation as a reliable and stable partner by providing a high-quality service to all of its suppliers and customers. At the heart of our operations is partner satisfaction. It is important to us that our partner feels comfortable and satisfied in doing business with us. A partner can count on our strong support on all issues (technical, financial, marketing, logistics, education etc.). A personalised approach, technical expertise and an expressed sense of the needs of customers provide a high level of flexibility in meeting the demands of different vendors and different channels. Financial support, which is reflected through our presence on different markets, gives us access to the resources of global financial institutions. This enables us to invest successfully not only in our own development, but also in the development of our partnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; operations. Depending on needs and our level of cooperation,

Familiarity with the specificities of the local market and adaptability to local conditions for doing business is a key competitive advantage of our company

we offer our partners various services. Technical support, based on our many years of experience and investments in technical know-how and the development of business, enables us to offer a wide range of high-quality technical services for the implementation of projects of any level of complexity, from multi-million-dollar implementations to implementations for SMEs. We work constantly to improve the quality of technical support, as well as on the equipping of an appropriate number of experts with commercial and technical certificates from leading global vendors in the field of IT technologies. Marketing support is also an important component of our operations. Various activities are organised and implemented on a monthly basis with the aim of increasing

the loyalty of our partners and increasing their interest in cooperating with us. Together with our partners and vendors, we organise presentations and promotions for end users, training courses, workshops, conferences, seminars and creative programmes. We thus bring together our partners and key representatives of vendors, enabling them to establish contacts, get informed on the latest technologies and advanced IT solutions, as well as share innovative ideas. Ingram Micro d.o.o. Belgrade ensures a high level of logistical support based on many years of experience. We possess modern global warehouses around the world that enable us to deliver equipment to any location under the shortest possible deadlines. We have global warehouses that enable us to deliver equipment to any location within the CEE region. Equipment is stored in warehouses that are available in every country where an Ingram Micro office has been opened, and subsequently delivered to our partners and customers. The capacity of storage space, optimised transportation and integrated delivery, along with efficient organisation, ensures that equipment can reach its final destinations under the shortest possible deadlines.

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JANKO ANĐELIĆ, SALES DIRECTOR FOR SEE, INGRAM MICRO

We Live The Problems Of Our Partners Ingram Micro d.o.o. Belgrade is part of a group that has offices in 45 countries and 154 distribution centres worldwide. Ingram Micro cooperates with over 1,700 suppliers and customers, doing business with more than 200,000 partners in 160 countries

ee are proud of the fact that our partners see us as a reliable company that fulfils its agreed obligations. In order for us to remain a market leader, we need to understand and exceed the expectations of our partners, because we know that, with our speed and efficiency, we are helping them to achieve their goals and creating long-term cooperation. Ingram Micro has 154 distribution centres in 45 countries worldwide, which enables you to provide fast deliveries and swift distributions of solutions to each of your customers. Is that one of the biggest secrets of your success? There is no other company in the world today that provides such a wide and comprehensive range of technical and logistics services. Founded in 1979, Ingram Micro has held the status of a recognised leader for 38 years, delivering high-quality solutions to customers worldwide. Our strategic success lies precisely in experience, deep familiarity with each market where we operate, innovation

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and our commitment to providing our partners with advanced solutions and superior services, alongside optimal prices and adequate support. The world’s largest brands and IT solution system integrators rely on us to ensure top quality in their business. Our commitment to investing in and monitoring new technologies provides security for our business partners and their customers. We also provide our partners with stability and efficiency when that is most important and most needed. In short, we have a personalised approach that keeps pace with the most powerful logistics in the IT industry. What sets us apart and ensures Ingram Micro proudly carries the moniker of a Value Add Distributor is the fact that, in addition to

Ingram Micro is the distributor for a number of solutions that deal with security, both for traditional and modern IT infrastructures

a capable sales team, we also have a superior team of experienced engineers who possess adequate knowhow to create the most optimal solutions for particular environments. We are also a training centre, authorised by the world’s leading IT vendors. We are the ones who add value to IT sales. To what extent is your company’s excellent

reputation down to your personalised approach, feeling for the needs of customers and flexibility? The individualised approach that’s cultivated by our company is one of the most valuable components of our business. We understand the interests of partners and strive to do everything in our power to enable our partners to realise them. We have been operating on the market for so long that today we know most of the employees of all of our partners by name. An honest attitude towards partners is our trademark and one of the greatest qualities of our company, which is characterised by consistent, reliable and professional behaviour. Daily interactions consist of the individual actions of employees who practically live the problems of our partners, and that impacts greatly on the attitude of partners towards the company as a whole. Data security is coming to the fore in the information world, which is why Serbia has harmonised its laws with European regulations. Are you prepared to provide customers with everything they need? Successful operations are based on growing revenue and preventing losses. Viewed over the long term, in the era of cybercrime, investing in security should be seen as an investment that ensures the continuity of operations, strengthens partner confidence and improves the overall user experience. This is just the beginning of the journey – and as our organisation matures and evolves, we are dedicated to improving and implementing the highest possible standards for the protection of personal data.

MIROSLAV VRANEŠ, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, DELL TECHNOLOGIES

Real Transformation This year’s DELL TECHNOLOGIES forum was held in Belgrade on 12th November under the title ‘REAL TRANSFORMATION’. Our interviewee is Miroslav Vraneš, the Account Executive who opened the event and spoke about the importance of Dell Technologies as a global leader in the field of digital transformation

nformation technology has long been a support for and the basis of business itself, and at present no business operations can be imagined without a serious IT environment, which currently propels business forward, representing a driving force, changing the very essence of some profession and enabling a comparative advantage regardless of the industry in question. Also testifiying to this is the fact that an every increasing number of general manegers have emerged from the IT environment.

The IT sector launches new ideas, whicch is why the strides you make are large. Are we still awaiting truly revolutionary achievements? IT environment, business processes and models towards the Cloud environment. This is today a reality, and on this wave we are opening a new chapter that we call digital transformation. Each of us accesses various Cloud platforms on a daily basis – AWS, Google, Office 365, Sales Force, VirtuStream etc. The 5G network is also being implemented, which will increase the resource possibilites of the complete environment significantly ... seemingly unrelated concepts, artificial intelligence, smart phones, the Internet of Things, virtual reality and edge devices

have many common components, the most important of which is perhaps “information”, or data itself. The most important “assets” of every corporation are its people, who are those that enable the complete movement of operations, development, strategy etc. The second component in terms of importance is certainly data. Current technology

Technological modernisation is integrated into all industries that today cannot imagine their operations without the help of information technology. Everything is IT and IT is everything!

enables us to generate, collect, transmit, manipulate and analyse data itself more than ever before. A company that losts its data would not be able to recover from such a loss. How would the market and users react; how would competition take advantage of this new situation? Is the IT sector among the key drivers of Serbia’s economic development? The modernisation of human society is something happening faster today than at any historical juncture, and it will progress

ever faster... let’s just look at the possibilities of smartphones today compared to a few years ago. Man is the initiator of all modernisation; it is man who gives both the initial impulse and represents the ultimate goal. We at Dell Technologies are ready; we monitor but also create some trends. Dell Technologies has products that professionals can use in an office environment, from restaurants or cafes, at oil wells, while on holiday, whether you’re a top engineer, business user, freelancer, moulder or TV producer... The security and flows of dana are a particular branch on which we place great importance. Today’s interconnectivity and flows between all systems require special attention from all participants, to counter the possibility of software attacks from data centres themselves on individual users, who are generally more “vulnerable”. The transformation and development of new applications provide us with the opportunity to create new commercial services, as well as additional personalisation. Such a possibility of our dynamic environment provides us with considerable flexibility towards our clients and simultaneously represents a comparative advantage over our competitors. Transitioning to the Cloud demanded certain resources, in terms of human time and material resources. Digital transformation is a journey that requires certain turnarounds in the current environment. On such a journey, it is necessary to make a good choice of partners who also become strategic partners in order for the journey itself to be simplified and accelerated.

December

Euro

“Our plan is to join the ERM-2 in the second half of 2020, where we expect to spend two-and-a-half to three years. Then the euro adoption could follow at the beginning of 2023 at the earliest, or at the beginning of 2024,” – ANDREJ PLENKOVIC, CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER

REGIONAL NEWS BULGARIA

VITOSHKA RANKS AMONG TOP 50 MOST EXPENSIVE STREETS IN EUROP

PRISTINA

KOSOVO

CREDINS BANK RECEIVES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL A meeting of the Executive Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo saw preliminary approval granted to the request of “Credins Bank Kosovo” for licensing as a bank in the Republic of Kosovo. The licensing request submitted from Credins Bank Kosovo to the Central Bank during this year was assessed positively on the basis of the requirements of the Law on Banks, Microfinance Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions and the Regulation on the Licensing of Banks and Branches of Foreign Banks. Credins Bank Kosovo envisages offering a wide range of contemporary banking services in the banking market of the country under competitive conditions. Its founder and sole shareholder is Albanian-based Credins Bank JSC, which has been operating since 2003 and is among the country’s largest banks.

Vitosha Boulevard, known simply as “Vitoshka” among residents of the Bulgarian capital, has climbed the rankings of the most expensive streets in Europe according to the list of a leading U.S. real estate company. With monthly rental rates of €56 per square metre, Sofia’s shopping street reached 46th place in the survey, up one place compared to last year’s ranking. The survey covers 448 commercial destinations in 68 countries around the world, BNR reported. Other Balkan capitals in the survey included Belgrade, with Knez Mihailova Street ranked in 36th place – with a monthly rental rate of €90 per square metre, and Zagreb with Ilica Street – ranked 40th with a rental price of €75 per square metre. The Romanian capital of Bucharest remained in 49th place with Calea Victoriei and a monthly rental price of €50 per square metre. The most expensive retail location in Europe remains London’s Bond Street, with a monthly rental cost of €1,352 per square metre.

HUNGARIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE MINISTER PÉTER SZIJJÁRTÓ

HUNGARY

JOINT HUNGARIAN-U.S. FUND TO SUPPORT EXPORTS A joint Hungary-U.S. fund has been established to support SMEs on the U.S. export market. “Hungary has produced successive export records over the past five years and is now among 35 countries to have exported more than €100 billion еach year,” said Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó. “Outside of the EU, the U.S. is Hungary’s number one export market, we exported goods worth $3.5 billion to the U.S. last year,” added Szijjártó. Eximbank has established a 10 billion forint fund (€30m), the Columbus Fund, with €7 billion of its own resources, and €21 million from private sources with a view to providing capital to Hungarian SMEs involved mainly in info-communications, health technology and agricultural innovation.

CROATIA

COULD CROATIA’S INFOBIP END UP ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE?

Infobip is a truly impressive company from Vodnjan, Istria, which continues to go from strength to strength alongside the likes of Rimac Automobili. Although it isn’t being talked about too much yet, news that this incredible Vodnjan-based company could be listed on the New York Stock Exchange was among the biggest pieces of economic news so far this year, and it’s certainly news that has attracted the most attention, INFOBIP FOUNDERS alongside Hyundai’s massive investment in Rimac Automobili. It is expected that Infobip will make an initial public offering that would finally push it towards gaining the title of Croatia’s first “unicorn”, as a newer company worth in excess of a billion dollars. It’s been a while since all of that was first discussed, and that once very distant possibility has now steadily begun to take on a somewhat more palpable contour.

December

Drugs

“Many times when [leaders] are quoted [there are misinterpretations]… I myself said of the Netherlands that when there are drugs sold there as retail, I’m interested to know where the wholesale warehouse is.” – BOYKO BORISOV, BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER ROMANIA

EXXON TO SELL STAKE IN BLACK SEA GAS PROJECT

MONTENEGRO

FIRST “ELECTRICAL BRIDGE” WITH EUROPE Italian electricity transmission system operator Terna has officially made an undersea power cable linking Montenegro to Italy operational. The undersea cable represents the first “electrical bridge” between Europe and the Balkans, a crucial connection that will enable Italy to reinforce its role as a transmission hub of European and Mediterranean electricity. “Montenegro will earn significant revenues based on the 20 per cent stake of power transmission system operator Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem (CGES) in the total cable capacity. Through greater utilisation of the 400 kV network, we will reduce transmission losses and increase the level of technical resilience of the energy system,” said Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović. The €1.15 billion project consists of an interconnection between Montenegro and Italy (underwater cable), the construction and enhancement of the internal 400 kV network in Montenegro and the construction of 400 kV overhead lines between Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia. The total length of the power line is 445 km, 423 km of which is laid on the seabed. Source: The Office of the Italian President BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

BANJA LUKA TO LAUNCH “SMART CITY” CONCEPT The City of Banja Luka will launch a pilot project for electronic building permits starting as of 1st January 2020, as part of its development of the BANJA LUKA “smart city” concept, announced Mayor Igor Radojičić. This novelty was introduced on the basis of the “smart city” concept that represents one of the four goals of the 10-year Banja Luka Development Strategy. Noting steps so far implemented by Banja Luka in the “smart city” process, Radojičić mentioned that work is underway to digitalise the work of the City Assembly, which implies the complete transition to electronic delivery of materials for sessions and the electronic monitoring of Assembly sessions.

Consultants hired by American group ExxonMobil to prepare the company’s exit from the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in the Black Sea have contacted Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz with a proposal, executive director Adrian Volintiru told Profit.ro. Volintiru confirmed that the Romanian company is interested in buying a 15-20 per cent minority stake in the project that ExxonMobil is developing together with OMV Petrom under a 50:50 arrangement. In the case that Exxon wants to recover its investment of approximately $750 million made so far in the project, Romgaz should pay about $220-300 million for its 15-20% stake. Additionally, another $3 billion needs to be invested in the project by 2025, to which Romgaz should contribute around $450-600 million. NORTH MACEDONIA

MEDICAL CANNABIS TO BECOME AN EXPORT PRODUCT? Medical cannabis regulations in North Macedonia are likely to undergo significant changes prior to the end of 2019, allowing the export of marijuana for the first time. The government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev sent a draft bill to the Parliament that would substitute the current “Law on the Control of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.” The most notable changes for businesses include the creation of an independent cannabis regulatory agency, the permitting of marijuana bud becoming an export product and increased requirements for the approval of a a license. Provided the new version of the drug control law is approved through the parliamentary process – which local industry sources consider the most likely scenario – the reform would impact on both existing medical cannabis businesses and prospective entrepreneurs. ALBANIA

PER CAPITA INCOME FALLS The latest data presented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has shown that Albania’s expected per capita income was $5,732 during 2019, ranking Albania 102nd of 192 countries worldwide, with levels similar to those of Iraq, Paraguay, Lebanon, Libya etc. Despite 30 years having elapsed since the liberalisation of the economy and the abundance of resources it possesses, Albania is still one of Europe’s poorest countries. The only countries that ranked higher were Kosovo, with a per capita income of $4.442 (111th) and former Soviet Union countries including Ukraine (125th) and Moldova (128th). The wealthiest countries in the region are Montenegro, with a per capita income of $8,703 dollars, followed by Serbia, ranked 87th with $7,398, North Macedonia ($6,096 dollars, 95th) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (ranked 97th).

December

SANJA PEŠIĆ, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ALMA QUATTRO, A MEMBER OF THE SWISS APG SGA GROUP

Alma Quattro: “A Serbian Ambassador To The World” Alma Quattro is a Serbian company owned by the Swiss APG SGA Group since 2003, which is a national leader on the market of Out-of-Home advertising and street furniture. The company portfolio consists of billboards, backlights, scrollers, bus stop shelters, city lights, big boards, advertising columns and state-of-the-art LCD and LED screens

lma Quattro celebrated its leading position and 25 years of successful business operations on 14th November 2019 at Belgrade’s Belexpocentar, with over 650 guests in attendance from the country, the region and around the entire world. Here Sanja Pešić, Chief Executive Officer of Alma Quattro, speaks about this very important juncture – representing a milestone in the life of the company, which is entering a new era of operations under her leadership.

A quarter-century of doing business on a volatile and unpredictable market is an accomplishment that, I’m sure, all companies doing business in Serbia are aware of. For the majority of those of us who’ve been at the company since the beginning, this period represents half of our lives, while at the same time we wish for it to only be a small segment of the lifecycle of the company that we’ve been building. In order to be successful in the future and to be among the 0.40% of companies with a AAA credit rating in Europe, it is important to make a cut and express our gratitude to all those who’ve helped us on that path. Among our guests there were our clients, colleagues from agencies, representatives of city institutions, the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Embassy of Switzerland, representatives of the APG SGA group (which is our international family), and Jean Francois Decaux personally, as Chairman of the Executive Board of the biggest company in this industry worldwide, JCDecaux. These are really the people who, in their own way, made us better professionals. The celebration was also marked by two exceptionally important speeches given by Mr Jean Francois Decaux and Mr Daniel Hofer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the APG SGA group.

Twenty five years of doing business. What is the significance of this moment for your company?

What would you single out from those speeches as being significant for your company?

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Alma Quattro is the only company in the APG SGA group that has retained its name and identity, its management and employees, based on trust that we’ve been strengthening with our results, professionalism and knowledge of the local market over all these years. We believe in that, and our results speak for themselves – that we are “the people who get work done (in the best way)”, but feedback provides the basis for one to learn and develop, especially when it comes from the principles of companies that represent the peak of this industry in Europe and around the whole world. In his speech given to employees, Mr Decaux expressed his respect for Dejan Petrović, our founder, and Kosanče Dimtrijević, who was our CEO for many years, comparing them with his father, who established the Decaux company in post-war France, while we founded our company in 1994, in a country that was then under sanctions. However, the best testimony to your quality and professionalism is said about you when you leave the room and, as such, we heard the most important words from Mr Daniel Hofer, who addressed all guests. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swiss APG SGA Group which owns Alma Quattro, Mr. Daniel Hofer shared with us an anecdote that he first heard about Alma Quattro 10 years previously in Moscow, in a conversation with Jean Francois Decaux. It was then that Mr Decaux told him about our

founder and our CEO: “Look at these two men. They are excellent operatives and they lead a really big company.” He added that, after 10 years of analysing his own experiences and impressions, he is convinced that our employees and management were the keys to the success of Alma Quattro. Last but not least, he said that it was his personal opinion that Alma Quattro was an excellent ambassador of Serbia at an international level, as we represent the Serbian OOH industry in a way that projects a good image of our country – not only within the group, but worldwide – as a very reliable, loyal, correct and trustworthy partner in every sense of the word. We have always invested in our identity, name, honour and strong business collective resembling a family, which has endured all “cross winds“ we have faced over this quarter of a century. It is of key importance to know who you are and to act accordingly

in business every day for 25 years. It is even a greater pleasure and source of pride to know that our efforts have been recognised and appreciated, not only by our associates and collaborators in the country, but also by those abroad and even by those we have yet to meet. To be an ambassador of the entire country is a responsibility that we have not been aware of. It is a big responsibility. Talking about responsibility, what kind of responsibility does Alma Quattro have in its business and towards whom? Responsibility is not unfamiliar to us. We own, maintain and continuously upgrade all the media with advertising surfaces that we rent to our clients. On the one hand, we have responsibility towards clients who are the source of our income and, on the other hand, we have responsibility towards citizens for whom advertisements are intended and who

use the street furniture that the company is in charge of managing. Alma Quattro took charge of bus stops by replacing worn out “mushrooms“ with the kind of bus stop shelters that you can see in the biggest capitals of the world. Then the company continued to maintain and retrofit bus stop shelters by upgrading and introducing other street furniture as well. That street furniture is available to all citizens and visitors of Belgrade, and it is absolutely free. With the income we earn from advertising surfaces on the media, we finance the care for our community as a specific privately-owned public utility service of this country. Responsibility is not a problem when there are people who can shoulder it. For 25 years we have been building a collective where humaneness, mutual respect and professionalism come first, and as a result we are recognised as “the people who get work done”.

December

Control

“We’ll take back control of our VAT - we’ll be able to cut VAT on things that we currently can’t under EU rules sanitary products, you name it.” – BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

WORLD NEWS KAZAKHSTAN

AIR ASTANA PLANS TO BUY 30 BOEING 737 MAX AIRCRAFT

RAJEEV SURI, NOKIA CEO

FINLAND

NOKIA LOSES MARKET VALUE OF €6.6BN

Kazakh flag carrier Air Astana has said that it planned to buy 30 of the 737 MAX aircraft, which was grounded in March following two major disasters. Air Astana confirmed that it signed a “letter of intent” to buy 30 of the 737 MAX-8 model, with the order to be finalised in the coming months and the new planes to “serve as the backbone” of Air Astana’s new low-cost carrier FlyArystan. The last commercial landmark for the troubled model came in June, when Boeing secured a letter of intent from British Airways parent IAG to buy 200 of the planes.

Nokia shocked investors by saying that it has reduced its outlook for 2019–2020 and will forgo dividend payouts for the third and fourth quarters of 2019. Nokia posted an acceptable third-quarter result by announcing that it has downgraded its outlook for the year and decided to forgo dividend payouts for the third and fourth quarters. The Finnish mobile network equipment maker said that it has slashed its full-year operating margin outlook from 9–12 to 8.5 per cent. The outlook for next year was similarly cut from 12–16 to 9.5 per cent. According to Bloomberg, this saw Nokia’s share price plummet by more than 21 per cent – to roughly €3.7 – and wipe €6.6 billion of its market value. The U.S.based news agency also revealed that the decline was the steepest since it began gathering data in 1991. Source: Uusi Suomi

NEW ZEALAND

TIGHTENING FOREIGN INVESTMENT RULES

Foreign investors hoping to buy New Zealand’s strategic assets will now have to convince the government that such sales are in the national interest. New rules will for the first time give the government power to reject overseas investments in sensitive areas if it decides that they could be deemed detrimental to the country, said DAVID PARKER, NEW ZEALAND’S Associate Finance Minister David Parker. ASSOCIATE FINANCE MINISTER According to Parker, the test would apply to crucial infrastructure, including ports and airports, telecommunications and electricity networks, as well as firms developing military technology or supplying intelligence agencies. Foreign investments were previously screened on the basis of a buyer’s character and financial capability to complete a proposed transaction. “The reforms will apply to all overseas investors, irrespective of where they are from,” noted Parker.

December

10 BAD LUCK SIGNS FOR BUSINESS

A favourable business environment isn’t the sole determinant of business success; businesses can thrive in bad economies, and the definition of a ‘bad economy’ can vary with each individual investor. When it comes to internal business practises, however, there are 10 signs that you might be on the wrong path. 1. Negligence in Ground Research and Consultancy 2. Deficiencies in Capital Investment 3. Inconsistencies and Loopholes in the Financial Accounts 4. Incompetence in Public Relations 5. Negligence in the Execution of Ripe Ideas 6. Constant Quality Discrepancies in Product and Service Delivery 7. Excessive Conformity in Market Trends 8. Hasty Execution of Business Growth Phases 9. Poor Understanding of Consumer Behavior 10. Ill-Equipped and Underqualified Staff

NATO

“What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO. The alliance only works if the guarantor of last resort functions as such. I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what NATO is in light of the commitment of the United States,” – EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT THE NETHERLANDS

ESSENT TAKES OVER VANDEBRON

EASYJET EYES NEW PACKAGE DEAL SPACE British company EasyJet has announced that it will launch a sector for organised package holiday deals by Christmas 2020. The objective is to recoup former Thomas Cook customers left untethered since the bankruptcy of the tour operator. “The EasyJet air network can be connected to more than 5,000 hotels in Europe,” said Managing Director Johan Lundgren. Of the 20 million holidaymakers transported around the continent by the company each year, only 500,000 also book accommodation through the company. In total, EasyJet flew 96.1 million passengers in its last financial year – culminating at the end of September, representing a yearon-year increase of 8.6%. Sales increased by 8.3% to €7.5 billion, while profits reached €358 million – nine million more than in the previous year. FRANCE

PEUGEOT TO MERGE WITH FIAT CHRYSLER The majority of unions representing workers at Peugeot maker PSA are in favour of a planned $50 billion merger with Fiat Chrysler. However, the unions said that once the merger deal was signed they would be seeking detailed information about plans for the combined company. The merger would help the companies pool their resources to meet tough new emissions rules and investments in electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as to counter a broader downturn in car markets. Securing support from Europe’s powerful trade unions will be critical for the merged company, which will employ more than 400,000 staff and operate hundreds of factories worldwide. The deal has caused concern in Germany and Britain, where plants making Opel and Vauxhall cars have seen jobs cut in recent year as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Dutch energy sector market leader Essent is taking over green energy provider Vandebron, the two companies confirmed. Financial details have yet to be disclosed. Vandebron, a niche player on the energy market, has some 200,000 customers and had always resisted being part of a larger group. Essent, with over 2.5 million customers in the Netherlands, is in turn owned by German energy giant RWE. Vandebron was founded in 2013 and focuses on local energy production. EUROPE

EU RELEASES GROWTH FORECAST

EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial affairs Pierre Moscovici has admitted that the block is now in a rather moderate growth phase: “This is perhaps the most important feature of our forecasts for this quarter: this lack of rebound marks a change from our previous forecasts. This reflects the shocks suffered by the euro area and we know that the impact of these shocks will take time to dissipate, so we will enter a new, more moderate growth regime.” The European Commission expects the euro area to grow by 1.1% this year – representing a slight reduction compared to its summer and spring forecasts. The IMF is slightly more optimistic, envisaging growth of 1.2% this year. According to the IMF, this is mostly due to anaemic growth in Germany, the Eurozone’s largest economy. CHINA

CHINA TO INVEST $100BLN IN BRAZIL China has announced that it has secured around $100 billion from at least five state funds for a new investment programme in Brazil, mainly for infrastructure construction, during meetings held in Brasilia last week – Brazilian media report. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING (LEFT) WITH Figures from the Brazil-China Business BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO Council show that Chinese investments in Brazil over the past decade have reached $57 billion in 145 projects across 21 states and the Federal District. Most of these investments took place from 2017 onward, under then-President Michel Temer’s Government concessions and privatisation programme, with Chinese groups consolidating their presence in the electricity sector by acquiring producers, distributors and transmission lines.

December

Feature

Foreign Investors Council Presents White Book 2019

The Foreign Investors Council has presented the White Book 2019 to the highest Government officials and stakeholder community

he White Book, written by FIC members, is the major product by which, for more than a decade, FIC gives recommendations aimed at supporting economic growth and better living standards for Serbian citizens. The event was opened with an introductory address by FIC President Yana Mikhailova, followed by insight into FIC Index 2019 by White Book Editor-in-Chief Miroljub Labus, as well as addresses by the Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia H.E. Sem Fabrizi and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. In her introductory speech, FIC President Yana Mikhailova noted that “in-between two White Books Serbia continues steady but moderate progress on reforms. On a positive note, this year we have 41% progress in the partial implementation of White Book recommendations from 2018, which is higher than the average of 30-40% from 2011, when the White Book scorecard was first introduced. This year we achieved 7% better progress compared to last year, and we welcome

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this achievement and hope that this positive trend will continue in the months to come. We therefore strongly recommend the further acceleration of reforms with the joint goal of coming as close as possible to 50% in implementation of the White Book recommendations next year. Three key FIC expectations from the Government are to continue and accelerate membership negotiations with EU, as means of improving both business regulations and their implementation; work on sustainable fiscal consolidation (structural reforms, especially the privatisation and corporatisation of state-owned enterprises) and improvements in the implementation of law, especially in the tax area (strengthening tax administration), with a focus on reforms in nine priority topics: tax, labour, digitalisation& e-commerce, real estate, inspections, food safety, pharmaceuticals and the overall legal framework, with an emphasis on regulations on bankruptcy and foreign exchange operations,” concluded Mikhailova. According to the “FIC Index” published in

the newest edition of the White Book, in the period between November 2018 and October 2019, the two top performers remain the same as last year: tobacco and transport, while this year we have two new: oil and gas and notary. However, there is still room for improvement in areas seen as priorities by the FIC. Of the nine priority topics of the FIC-Government White Book Task Force, digitalisation, anti-illicit trade, bankruptcy and pharmaceuticals mark moderate progress, real-estate and tax mark some progress, while labour, forex and food safety lack progress. In the active panel discussion on ways to improve the business environment in Serbia, opinions were exchanged between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović, Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Sem Fabrizi, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Policy Zoran Đorđević, as well as FIC President and Market Head – Nestlé South East Market Yana Mikhailova.

SERBIAN VISIONS

WHERE TRADITION AND CULTURE MEET MODERNITY

Novi Dorćol ResidentialCommercial Complex

Fifth Consecutive Serbian Visions Multicongress Held The two-day Serbian Visions multicongress was held in Belgrade for the fifth time in late November, organised by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia

ver the course of two days, more than 40 events were held under the auspices of the Serbian Visions Multicongress, with NGOs and associations presenting their activities and discussing a number of important issues with students, citizens and professionals. The event’s topics covered the fields of the economy, education, culture, European integration, environmental protection, innovation, security and many other fields that interest modern man and create a vision for a better Serbia. “As is the case every year, I reiterate that this is about Serbian visions, and not German visions that are tailored to Serbia,” said German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Director Martin Knapp, speaking at the opening of the multicongress and noting that Serbian Visions is a platform for civil society organisations to show their commitment to this task, emphasising that one of the goals of this multicongress is to highlight the role of civil society and contribute to the progress of the entire community. Miroslav Miletić, advisor to the President of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia, said that the Serbian Visions Multicongress represents a unique concept of bringing together businesses, non-governmental organisations and professional associations in order to connect and network with the aim of improving the business environment. Serbian Visions plaques were also presented at the opening of the congress, with the Best Vision plaque presented to the association Žene na prekretnici [Women at a Turning Point], which is the only association dedicated to the economic empowerment of women aged over 45, who represent the most vulnerable group on the labour market. The plaque for the Best Social Engagement was presented to Milena Milojević from the Institute of Internal Auditors of Serbia.

Construction of the Novi Dorćol residentialcommercial complex, at 29 Venizelosova Street, is expected to commence by the end of 2019

his two-hectare plot will house a complex encompassing approximately 100,000m2, with the work divided into two phases. The complex will contain a residentialcommercial building consisting of several levels – G + 6 + Penthouse up to G + 11 + Penthouse – with two levels of garages. The complex will also contain other amenities, such as a swimming pool and spa centre, restaurants, children’s nursery, playrooms and many other services and retail outlets. The Novi Dorćol location has a deep historical heritage. Established as a centre of the textile industry with the opening of “The First Royal Privileged Company for the processing of hemp and cotton - Alexa Obradović”, the David Pajić Daka lift company was built on the site after World War II, named after one of the most prominent national heroes, a bust of whom will be on display in front of the newly constructed Novi Dorćol complex. In an effort to retain the spirit of old Dorćol, by preserving the historic Platnara building from the late 19th century and integrating elements of production halls into the new complex, the project will preserve the memory of the industrial architecture of the 19th century. Combined with a modern design, and modelled on metropolitan hubs like those of New York and London, Novi Dorćol represents a brand new and unique concept for a residential-commercial complex in the centre of Belgrade. The Novi Dorćol project is currently awaiting the approval of a construction permit, while the investor is Belgrade-based company Deka Inženjering, which also constructed A Blok – one of the most successful residential-commercial projects in New Belgrade.

December

Enterpreneur

ADAM NEUMANN

The Rise & Fall Of

“BetterTogether” 48

December

Adam Neumann spent some of his final days as the CEO of WeWork in the same way he had for countless weekends in recent years: surrounded by family at his house in the Hamptons, New York, U.S. With the company’s plan to go public smouldering, his control over the business dwindling and its biggest investor starting to turn against him, Neumann gathered his wife and business partner, Rebekah, and their five kids, piled into a car and drove east to the Tony beach community

Just a few months previously, Naumann’s coworking company had been valued at $47 billion, until it found itself rocked by criticism and controversy since filing its IPO paperwork in mid-August to reveal spiralling losses. Since the release of the paperwork, WeWork has suffered from a lack of investor interest and subsequently announced the shelving of its plans to go public. In the aftermath, attention turned to Neumann. His business investments came under scrutiny, along with his complex web of personal connections within WeWork, which could present conflicts of interests. WeWork announced some changes, but it wasn’t enough to get the IPO back on track. In response, Neumann announced that he was stepping down as CEO. in the”best interest” of the company, insisting that he was becoming a “significant distraction” to WeWork’s IPO plans. He’s now reported to be leaving the company’s board of directors and – in order to do so - will receive $1.7 billion as part of a buyout deal. Neumann is expected to sell stock worth a billion dollars to SoftBank, for which he will receive a $185 million “consulting fee”, and credit worth $500 million. He’s cashed out some of his stake in recent years and also taken out loans, with Neumann’s sales and debt transactions have reportedly totalled $700 million. Neumann himself has an estimated personal net worth of $2.2 billion. Since founding WeWork, Neumann has spent over $80 million on five homes, including two properties in New York City and one home in the Hamptons. He reportedly purchased a 13,000-square-foot home in the San Francisco area in 2018, complete with a guitar-shaped room, worth $21 million.

ADAM NEUMANN AND HIS WIFE, REBEKAH PALTROW NEUMANN

Stepping down as CEO, in the company’s “best interest”, Neumann will receive 1.7 billion dollars as part of a buyout deal

During Neumann’s period as CEO, WeWork has expanded to provide co-working desk space in commercial buildings in more than 120 cities around nearly 40 countries. The company was last valued at $47 billion. Just days after WeWork announced that it was officially delaying its IPO, a media report detailed Neumann’s hard-partying ways and drug and

December

Enterpreneur

MIGUEL MCKELVEY AND ADAM NEUMANN

alcohol use. Two of the most startling revelations in the piece: Once after announcing redundancies, Neumann sent around tequila shots and organised a surprise Run-DMC concert. His private jet was once also recalled in Israel after marijuana was found hidden in an onboard cereal box. Adam Neumann, 40, was born is Israel in 1979. His parents divorced when he was seven, and he moved around a lot as a child with his mother — reportedly having lived in 13 different homes by the time he was 22. As a child, Neumann spent time living on an Israeli kibbutz - one of the collective community settlements across the country – then attended a school near the Gaza Strip while his mother worked as a doctor at a nearby hospital. Severely dyslexic, Neumann couldn’t read or write until he was in third grade. As is customary for Israeli citizens, Neumann served in the Israel Defence Forces after completing secondary school. He served in the navy for five years, although only three years of service is required. “That’s where I got to know a lot of my best friends,” Neumann admitted in 2017. After leaving the IDF, Neumann moved to New York City in 2001, living in an apartment in the Tribeca neighbourhood with his sister, Adi. He spent his early days in New York going to clubs and “hitting on every girl in the city,” he said in a commencement speech in 2017. Neumann enrolled at the city’s Baruch College in January 2002, majoring in business. He said that he came up with the concept of WeLive – WeWork’s communal living business – for a school entrepreneurship competition. However,

December

The Neumanns’ departure marks a seismic shift for WeWork and its culture, which was shaped by the idea that personal and professional life should be indistinguishable the idea was killed in the competition’s second round, because a professor didn’t think Neumann would be able to raise enough money “to change the way people live”. Neumann dropped out of college just four credits short of graduating. He ultimately finished his degree 15 years later, in 2017, after completing a four-month long independent study, and delivered the commencement speech for Baruch College’s graduating class. It was while in college that Neumann met his now-wife, Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, a cousin of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The pair were wed in 2009 and today have five children. WeWork long had the image of a family business: a husband-and-wife pair at the helm and company slogans about how life is “better together”. Although Neumann started the business in 2010 with Miguel McKelvey, a kindred spirit who - like Adam - spent time on a commune during his childhood, they rewrote the founding story over

the years to include Rebekah. The three were listed as founders in registration documents for an initial public offering published last month. Rebekah, 41, has also served as chief brand and impact officer of the parent company, We Co., been CEO of an education arm of the WeGrow business, and is one of three people assigned to select a replacement for her 40-year-old husband if he dies. There were a lot of things about WeWork that made public investors recoil. For every $1 of revenue, it incurred about $2 in expenses and didn’t make a convincing case that it could reverse that equation. It sought to be valued as a technology business, but operated much like a real estate company, while its corporate structure resembled a schematic for a microwave.And the Neumanns seemed to embody it all with their sense of arrogance, as one financial analyst put it. The IPO prospectus offered a litany of apparent conflicts of interest. Neumann hired multiple family members besides his wife, including her brother-in-law, who also left the company. Neumann borrowed company money, collected rent from WeWork on space in buildings he owned and charged the company $5.9 million for the rights to a trademark he held on the name “We”. He had effective control of management decisions through stock with special voting rights, though it ultimately wouldn’t be enough for him to retain power. This account of Adam and Rebekah Neumann’s nine-year reign and swift fall is based on interviews with seven current and former WeWork employees, advisors and investors, and multiple other people familiar with the company. The departure of the Neumanns marks a seismic shift for WeWork and its culture, which was shaped by the idea that personal and professional life should be indistinguishable. This ethos is on display at the company’s co-working offices, where beer kegs are a fixture. And it’s also reflected in the private primary school operating within WeWork, which Rebekah said they built to give their children a worthy education, or the time Adam was seen visiting his kids at the school wearing nothing but an open robe and Speedos (He was coming from the steam room attached to his office). In Neumann’s email to staff announcing his departure, he suggested that the mission hasn’t changed. “When Miguel, Rebekah and I founded WeWork in 2010, we set out to create a world where people work to make a life and not just a living,” Neumann wrote. “I could not be more inspired by everything we have achieved.”

PROFILE

QGP: Front-Line Science And Why Serbia Needs It Quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is a state of matter that exists under extreme temperatures and pressures. As a reminder, the nucleus of atoms consists of protons and neutrons, which are in turn composed of even smaller particles (quarks and gluons). In QGP, the temperature and pressure are so high that quarks and gluons become free

DR. MAGDALENA ĐORĐEVIĆ, SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR AT THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS IN BELGRADE

hile it is considered that QGP existed in the early Universe, it is today created in powerful particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in CERN near Geneva, and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in Brookhaven National Laboratory in the U.S., where QGP was first discovered in 2005. Creating and studying QGP, thus, enables an understanding of the origins and properties of matter at the most basic level. How did it happen that someone in Serbia is studying such basic phenomena, which was discovered only 14 years ago? I was lucky to be involved in QGP research at just the right time, during my Ph.D. studies at Columbia University, when the first measurements started at the RHIC. This phase of my research also contributed to the discovery of QGP, and received the 2007 Ph.D. thesis award in Nuclear Physics from the American Physical Society. Following its

discovery, QGP research entered an exciting phase of studying its properties. It is exactly for this, i.e. for proposing a new approach to studying QGP properties, that our group received a grant of 1.4 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC). Through ERC grants, the EU finances the best science projects and researchers in the wider European area, with 44 countries included (even including Switzerland and Israel), so competition is very high. Thus, one may ask, why is our project important for Europe? Billions of euros are invested each year to take measurements in large particle

Without strong basic science, one cannot have a strong economy or society, neither in Serbia nor anywhere else

colliders, the largest of is located in CERN. Within the scope of the project, our team develops theoretical and numerical models in order to determine QGP properties from the data, so that the huge sums invested in, for example, CERN are used much more optimally.

An obvious practical benefit for Serbia is that the project brought significant nonrefundable financing from the EU. Part of these funds are used to employ our young scientists, who would likely move abroad without these funds. Equally importantly, we have employed foreign scientists in Serbia, because no scientific institution can be successful as a closed system, i.e. international exchanges of people within science are crucial. We have also bought cutting edge computing equipment that would otherwise not be available in Serbia. Even more importantly, the recent emphasis of Serbian science policies focuses on applied research, with immediate applicability on the product market. Our project concerns basic laws of nature, so it has no direct application to industry. Why, then, should someone in Serbia care about this research, beyond the funds that we brought to the country? Well, as you read this text, it may happen that you found the article through the World Wide Web, which was invented (for scientific purposes) by Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist working precisely at CERN. More generally, I don’t know if any country that has a strong economy and industry without having strong basic science (and vice verse). It is strong basic science that produces talented and educated people, who then contribute to all other areas of society. This is my main message: without strong basic science, one cannot have a strong economy or society, neither in Serbia nor anywhere else.

December

Art

Japanese Contemporary Art

KOHEI NAWA, VESSEL

Creative Spin On Tradition

December

Japanese contemporary artists are currently creating some of the most extraordinary, thought-provoking artworks. Determined to set their own rules, these prolific inventors have transformed the global art landscape with their uncompromising visions and trendsetting artistry

apan’s legacy of artistic innovation is long, varied and deeply influential. Despite being smaller than the state of California, the country has birthed numerous globally influential movements like ukiyo-e, whose detailed woodblock prints gave new form to landscape and erotic art, and the Gutai Group, whose intensely visceral abstractions, forged after World War II, helped pave the way for both Arte Povera and 1960s performance practises. Japan’s living artists of today continue to produce work that has an impact felt far beyond the island nation’s boundaries. Blockbuster names like Pop pioneer Yayoi Kusama, avant-garde performance artist Yoko Ono, and manga-inspired painter-sculptor Takashi Murakami have indelibly influenced art and visual culture across the globe. While they might get the most play in international press, countless other Japanese artists are producing groundbreaking work across mediums. Japan’s art history spans several thousand years, but the roots of its “contemporary art” can be traced back to the nation’s first opening to the West in the Meiji Era (1870s). The next half a century saw not only Western art make a renewed and lasting impression on Japan, but the influence of Japanese artists also began to stretch across the globe. Following the end of World War II, Tokyo went through vast changes

and the city became a fertile ground for bold experimental movements like the Gutai group, Hi Red Center and the later Mono-ha. These groups blurred the lines between art, everyday life and political action, and had exchanges with other international movements like Fluxus in New York (of which Yoko Ono and Yayoi Kusama were key contributors). Other forms of Western minimalist and conceptual art in the 1960s and ‘70s drew major inspiration from classical Japanese art, design and philosophy, particularly Zen Buddhism. As Japan grew to become an economic giant in the 1980s, increasing crossovers were seen between contemporary art and other disciplines, like photography, music, anime, fashion, design and technology. This led to the emergence of a new generation of artists who fused “fine art” and “pop culture”, like Yoshitomo Nara, whose work is deeply influenced by the manga comics of his youth, Mariko Mori, who combines science fiction with spiritual journeys, and Ryoji Ikeda, whose electronic music and videos fit just as well in a nightclub as at a major museum. And then, of course, there’s Takashi Murakami, who has combined art and pop better than any artist since Andy Warhol. Murakami’s ground-breaking “Superflat” exhibition toured the world in 2001, sharing his theory that Japanese visual culture has been

KATSUMI TSUJI

Japan’s living artists today continue to produce work that has an impact felt far beyond the island nation’s boundaries

December

Art

Japanese Contemporary Art

YOSHITOMO NARA, COSMIC GIRL, EYES OPEN, EYES SHUT

Japan’s art history spans several thousand years, but the roots of its “contemporary art” can be traced back to the nation’s first opening to the West in the Meiji Era (1870s) marked by a unique style of “flatness” from anime all the way back to 17th century woodblock prints. He also helped establish the careers of an entire wave of artists who combined kawaii (“cute”) playfulness with social critique, like Aya Takano and Chiho Aoshima. Like most of the international art world, the Japanese scene is today quite eclectic. However, one can see a fresh testament to Japanese tradition appearing in many artists’ work, even if it is “remixed” with contemporary techniques and topics in surprising ways. Kohei Nawa, for example, the multidisciplinary artist (and designer of the 2nd Floor of Los Angeles’ Japan House), harks back to centuries of nature portraiture by rendering animals like deer, wolves and tigers through complex computer models and 3D printing. Chiharu Shiota (who represented Japan at the 2015 Venice Biennale) creates breathtaking room-sized installations tied together with thread, highlighting an interconnected environment and the hidden lives of everyday objects. In the autumn of 2017, the wildly popular

December

KOHEI NAWA, THRONE

KOHEI NAWA, WHITE DEER

CHIHARU SHIOTA, STATE OF BEING

By author

As Japan grew to become an economic giant in the 1980s, increasing crossover was seen between contemporary art and other disciplines, like photography, music, anime, fashion, design and technology

TAKASHI MURAKAMI

CHIHO AOSHIMA

new media collective ‘teamLab’ illuminated an entire forest in Tokiwa Park (Ube city, Yamaguchi Prefecture), with interactive sensors that made trees “breathe” in response to viewers passing by. This project connected to the ancient Japanese practises of natureviewing – from hanami (cherry blossom viewing) to shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”). It also echoes an event that took place in another forest in Japan 61 years previously, when – in June 1956 – the Gutai Group staged an art show in Ashiya Pine Forest (Hyōgo Prefecture), effectively kicking off Japan’s contemporary art era. Though the technology may change, it seems that Japanese art’s creative spin on tradition has deep roots and will continue to grow.

AYA TAKANO, EARTH

YAYOI KUSAMA WITH PUMPKIN, 2010

December

&FACES PLACES 28/10/2019

United Nations Day Marked

The 74th anniversary of the establishment of the UN was marked with a formal reception in Belgrade. The event was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivica Dacic, the newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, Françoise Jacob, and the representative of the UN Secretary-General and the head of the Belgrade office Simona Miculescu. Françoise Jacob announced that in January 2020, the year of 75 anniversary of the UN, the campaign will be launched aimed at collecting data through contacts with the Member States, sectors and generations. Simona Miculescu said that the UN, as a stable partner of both Serbia and the region, is committed to peace and prosperity, and added that the country has made the strongest contribution to UN peacekeeping operations of all countries in the region.

IVICA DACIC, SIMONA MICULESCU, FRANÇOISE JACOB

AMBASSADOR TANJU BILGIÇ AMBASSADOR OANA-CRISTINA POPA (RIGHT)

28/10/2019

Romanian Armed Forces Day Marked

Ambassador of Romania to Serbia H.E. Oana-Cristina Popa hosted a reception on the occasion of Romanian Armed Forces Day at the new building of the Romanian Embassy in Belgrade. Romanian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Oana-Cristina Popa in her speech said that Romanian Armed Forces Day is being marked for the first time in the new building of the Romanian Embassy in Belgrade. She said she is pleased that the Romanian army’s new technologies have been presented on this occasion. The reception was attended by representatives of political life, the diplomatic community and the media. 29/10/2019

96th Anniversary Of Turkey Republic Day

Turkish Ambassador to Belgrade Tanju Bilgiç said Serbian-Turkish relations are at the highest possible level because of excellent relations between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. At the ceremony marking the 96th anniversary of the formation of the Republic of Turkey and the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Turkey, Ambassador Tanju Bilgiç expressed his gratitude to the Serbian authorities for organising a successful visit by Turkish President Erdogan to Serbia. The ceremony was attended by Serbian government ministers Aleksandar Antic, Rasim Ljajic, Zoran Djordjevic, Jagodina City Assembly Speaker Dragan Markovic, as well as numerous representatives of the diplomatic community in Serbia.

December

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

4/11/2019

Italy’s National Unity and Armed Forces Day Marked

On the occasion of the Italian Day of National Unity and the Day of the Armed Forces, Ambassador of Italy H.E. Carlo Lo Cascio and military attaché Colonel Paolo Sfarra laid wreaths in honour of the fallen soldiers who rest on the Italian Military Cemetery in Belgrade. Ambassador Lo Cascio later in the day hosted a reception at the ambassadorial residence welcoming many members of the Serbian govAMBASSADOR LO CASCIO WELCOMING GUESTS ernment and diplomatic community. AMBASSADOR LO CASCIO AND AMBASSADOR ANDREA ORIZIO 11/11/2019

Commemorating Armistice Day

First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic attended the marking of 101 years since Armistice, the World War I Armistice Day and laying wreaths at the French Military Cemetery in Belgrade. French Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Jean Louis Falconi, Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Goran Vesic, representatives of embassies of other countries, the Serbian Armed Forces and numerous associations also laid their wreaths. Ambassador Falconi emphasised that his country does not forget that Serbia paid a high price in the First World War, but that today it makes a great contribution to maintaining international security. He pointed out that since 1919, France has been continuously marking the anniversary of the end of the Great War in all French cemeteries around the world, where generations have come together to pay tribute.

AMBASSADOR CHOE HYOUNG-CHAN

14/11/2019

30th Anniversary Of Diplomatic Relations Between Korea And Serbia

AMBASSADOR JEAN LOUIS FALCONI

The Embassy of Korea to Serbia marked the 30th anniversary since the establishing of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Korea. Marking the anniversary, the Korean Embassy hosted a concert by Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Ensemble, held on 14th November at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. Among the amazing pieces performed was the national anthem of Serbia ‘Bože pravde’, performed using traditional Korean musical instruments.

December

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

&FACES PLACES

15/11/2019

National Day Of Brazil

The Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Serbia, H.E. Eduardo B. Barbosa, hosted an official reception at the Archives of Yugoslavia in honour of the celebration of the Republic Day of Brazil. Republic Day is celebrated in Brazil to commemorate 15th November 1889 when Brazil’s second Emperor, Dom Pedro II, was removed from power and the United States of Brazil was declared. More than 300 guests attended the reception, marked by the presence of Serbian government members, representatives of the diplomatic corps, business and AMBASSADOR BARBOSA WITH civil society, the Brazilian community in AMBASSADORS CHEN BO AND ANTHONY GODFREY Serbia et al.

AMBASSADOR EDUARDO B. BARBOSA

AMBASSADOR ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB ANDREA ORIZIO AND IVICA DACIC

26/11/2019

OSCE Mission Presents 2019 Person Of The Year Award

20/11/2019

Algerian National Day

On 20th November the Embassy of Algeria in Belgrade celebrated Algerian National Day, marking the 65th anniversary of 1st November 1954, and the date of the outbreak of the national liberation struggle. On that occasion, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Ambassador of Algeria recalled a great symbolic value of this historic date, the sacrifices made by the Algerian people for their freedom and independence, and the contribution of Stevan Labudovic cameraman at Filmske Novosti, in publicising the reality of the Algerian people’s struggle worldwide. Zoran Djordjevic, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Policy, Their HRH Crown Prince Alexander II Karadjordjevic and Crown Princess Katherine, as well as political, religious and military figures, members of the diplomatic corps and the Algerian community members in Serbia attended the ceremony.

December

The OSCE Mission to Serbia presented its 2019 Person of the Year Award at a ceremony held in Belgrade. The recipients of this year’s award are Bojan Cvejić, Web Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief at the daily Danas, Sonja Stonajović Gajić, member of the Managing Board of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP) and Aleksandar Ivanović, Director of the Citizen’s Association Monitor from Novi Pazar. This award recognises citizens of Serbia who contribute to the promotion of the OSCE values in the country. This year, the award focuses on the youth as a means of enhancing security and stability in the OSCE region, and the importance of adapting to change.

ANDREA ORIZIO WITH RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR’S AWARD

My life

Arnaud Gouillon, humanitarian

By Radmila Stanković

Photo by Anđela Ostojić

SERBIA HAS ROOTS, BUT ALSO HAS WINGS He is a Frenchman who was only 13 when he realised that Serbia had suffered a great wrongdoing when it was bombed by NATO forces. And it’s no surprise that he founded the humanitarian organisation ‘Solidarity for Kosovo’, which has been helping Serbs for the last 15 years. In this account, he speaks about the upbringing given to him by his parents, the reasons he loves Serbia, what are the beautiful and dark faces of France today, and why he believes in President Macron’s more realistic view of the Balkans and Russia December

My life

Arnaud Gouillon, humanitarian

December

Photo by Louis Jamin

n its history, Serbia recalls many foreigners who visited it, lived in it, helped it and wrote about it. Today we most often quote what was recorded about Serbs by Rebecca West, Archibald Rice or Peter Handke, while that sovereignty at the beginning of the 21st century belongs to a foreigner who has become a citizen of Serbia, but who is a Frenchman by birth, upbringing and education. His name is Arnaud Gouillon and last month, or more precisely on 27th November, he turned 34 years old. He has been living between Serbia and France for the last ten years, but his address of residence is in Belgrade. He is officially the founder and head of the humanitarian organisation Solidarity for Kosovo, and what he has done for Kosovo has to date been recorded on pages, led to the production of extensive documentary material, and in recent days, with the help of this charity, a historical comic book was published in France as a romantic drama called Welcome to Kosovo. Speaking about this project, CorD’s interlocutor explains: “The story follows the life of young Dimitri, who returned to Kosovo after being a refugee, shortly before the Serb pogrom of 2004. This romanticised drama is composed of real life events and will show the French public the recent history of the Balkans from a different, less biased perspective. Following books and magazines, documentaries and lectures, this is another step forward, with the aim of ensuring the voice of Serb victims is heard everywhere in the West.” Who is this charming devotee of the idea of helping the people of Kosovo, especially children? In this story we attempt to find the right answer to that question. “I had a happy childhood in a village near Grenoble, in the foothills of the Alps, where I grew up as the youngest of three children. I have an older brother and sister. We had everything we needed in the village where we lived. With a teacher for a mother and a father who was a civil servant for the railways who wrote history books, we were raised strictly and righteously. We didn’t watch television, except on rare occasions during the weekend. Our parents raised us with stories and my wife and I are trying to do the same with our girls. When I say that we had everything we

WITH CHILDREN FROM THE SUVI DOL SCHOOL IN KOSOVO, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF WHICH WAS FINANCED BY HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATION SOLIDARITY FOR KOSOVO

If you are open, if you know who you are and where you’re from, then it’s easy to open yourself up to others. Being a French “kin-lover”, I was capable of recognising what is specific about Serbs, and to love and adopt that needed, that doesn’t also mean that we had everything we wanted. Our parents bought us everything that was essential, and they wouldn’t have bought us everything we wanted even if they could. So they raised us to appreciate the value of what we have. They didn’t turn us into consumers, rather people for whom moral values were above all material values. We learnt not to measure everything in euros, but rather in elevated moral values. Today the average parent can provide their child with sweets and cheap toys made in China, and can satiate their child with various gifts. A child raised in such a way thinks that life means spending, buying, but my parents taught me

that life has meaning in categories other than consumer ones.” This CorD interviewee is simply fascinating with his perfect knowledge of the Serbian language, his fine expression, his careful choice of words when he tries to evoke the virtues of his parents, which he tries to recognise in himself, or to nurture as much as he can in everyday life. He would like to have his father’s work ethic, which consists of constant reading, writing and thinking. His father’s library is clear evidence of how much he’s read and what he’s done to gather together as much information as he needed to develop a more accurate overview of the world. He would like to have the logical reasoning of his father, who he says is a true intellectual in that sense, because he questions every truth, every claim and looks at everything from multiple angles and logically asks questions, seeking logical answers: “Thanks to him, we in the family had a different view of Serbia, a different opinion of Serbia when everyone around us had a negative opinion about it. My mother was a counsellor in her district for twenty years, and in France that’s a demanding job that implies working without privileges on a permanent basis. She’s been very active in her surroundings all her life, in order to help solve the problems of the local population, and I would love to have her

By Radmila Stanković

Photo by Louis Jamin

In order for the French to understand what life in an enclave means, I describe it like Asterix’s Village, surrounded by barbed wire, from which the inhabitants cannot escape without being exposed to enormous risk, humiliation, insults etc.

TOGETHER WITH CHILDREN FROM KOSOVO ENCLAVES DURING THE TRADITIONAL HUMANITARIAN SUMMER HOLIDAY IN TIVAT IN 2019

heartfelt activity and her passion for public appearances. She is capable of speaking very well in front of an audience. I wish I had that blend of my parents’ virtues.” As a schoolkid, Arnaud particularly loved mathematics and physics, in which he excelled. He didn’t like art, because in school he didn’t learn to draw but was rather choked by a theme, and he would have to answer questions on that theme. It was more about explaining than creating a work of art, and he primarily wanted to learn the basics of painting, for it to be made clear to him what perspective is, what are the laws of fine arts that one must know. Depending on period and age, his interests and desires of what he wished to be when he grew up changed. He initially wanted to be a police officer and a soldier, but once he started skiing and hiking in the Alps he decided that he wanted to be a mountain guide. That job was for him synonymous with freedom, adventure and encounters with nature and people: “I was good at the natural sciences, graduated from engineering school in the field of environmental protection and occupational safety, because I wanted my profession to make sense. And protecting nature and people makes sense, you see a tangible contribution.” Politics always interested him as a very positive vocation, as a way of pursuing the

common good. However, unfortunately, people today generally have a negative opinion of politics, which he explains as being for the following reasons: “That’s because today politics is equated with party politics and politicking. And politics is actually about serious work that I saw with my mother that yields results at the local level and makes sense. Politics is dealt with by people who are dedicated to the common good and don’t work to their own benefit, but rather to the detriment of their personal benefit. As a child I was always chosen to be my class representative , and in college I was a student representative. I have long since known that it’s not enough in politics to have ideas, but rather those ideas have to be turned into deeds. Only deeds leave a mark and can influence society to change it for the better.” Arnaud adores the Serbian word rodoljub [patriot], because its etymology includes the words rod [kin] and ljubav [love.] It means loving your kin, your ancestors, your family, your people and your civilisation. And the world to which we belong. When asked if this word isn’t just a synonym for patriotism, he explains: “Everything ending in ‘ism’ implies an ideology, and ideologies are by their nature mostly global; they don’t accept reality, rather they try to

change it to fit the ideology that they represent. That was seen with communism, with fascism, and today we see it with liberalism. And that’s why there’s no rodoljub-ism, because it is not an ideology. There is [in Serbian] patriotizam, but not rodoljubizam. Being a ‘kin-lover’ is a state of mind, and one can be a Serb, a Frenchman, an Algerian, a Brazilian and every inhabitant of the planet.” Interpreting his claim literally, our interviewee can be said to be a ‘kin-lover’ both as a Frenchman and as a Serb, given that he has both French and Serbian citizenship. He says that the Serbs and the French share the achievements of European civilisation and culture, and that there isn’t a great gap between the Serbs and the French. He believes that a Serb can feel at home in France, just as he feels at home in Serbia: “If you are open, if you know who you are and where you’re from, then it’s easy to open yourself up to others. Being a French kin-lover, I was capable of recognising what is specific about Serbs, and to love and adopt that.” When you meet him, when you talk with him, the realisation that, as a boy of 13, Arnaud was so seriously interested in the fate of Serbs, a nation to which he does not belong, is clearer to you. He informs us that in 1999, during the time of the bombing of Serbia, the propaganda in France was such that everyone had to have an opinion. And the children had to know everything about the bad Serbs, because debates were organised in schools: “Thanks to my family, we had a positive opinion of Serbia and Serbs, because we knew

December

Arnaud Gouillon, humanitarian

that the Serbs had suffered great injustices. Not all bad guys are on one side, nor are all good guys on the other. Everything isn’t just black or white. We knew that there were strong links between the French and the Serbs from World War I onwards; we knew that King Petar I Karađorđević fought on the side of France against Prussia in 1870. During the bombing, on television I heard all the worst about the Serbs, and from my father – presumably for the sake of balance – I heard all the best. I knew that we hadn’t done any kind of humanitarian deed by bombing a nation at the heart of Europe. I was a boy at the time, but I recognised that and it was etched in my memory then that we needed to stand in solidarity with the Serbian people.” We can easily conclude that Kosovo became his concern after the firebombing and demolitions of churches and monuments of Serbian history in Kosovo in 2004. It was then, after the pogroms committed against the Serb population, that he decided to establish humanitarian organisation Solidarity for Kosovo, in order to do something to alleviate the grief and anger caused by the pogroms and to produce something tangible and useful through positive action. Setting up such an organisation in France wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but he succeeded: “There were, of course, also negative reactions from outraged racists who still considered Serbs as being evil and genocidal, and that everything related to Serbia must be negative and bad. There were some who said it was great action regarding humanitarian aid, but they asked why Serbs? Imagine the question ‘why Serbs?’! It is as if Serbs cannot be victims, as if the child victims are not children, but rather Serb children. That wasn’t the demonisation of just a leader, an army, or a regime; it was the demonisation of an entire nation. And they didn’t stop there. That’s the kind of racism that hasn’t been seen in Europe since the end of World War II, because it didn’t stop at the demonisation of one nation. They also demonised anyone who stood up for the Serbian people. And this continues, unfortunately, although things are slowly changing for the better. We have succeeded in breaking through the media blackout in France and have more objective articles about Serbia and Kosovo,

December

Photo by Louis Jamin

My life

ARNAUD GOUILLON WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM FRANCE IN FRONT OF KOSOVO’S GRAČANICA MONASTERY

Unfortunately, there is no magic potion for Serbs in Kosovo, so they feel very lonely and isolated. They are the ghettos of the 21st century and I’m sorry that many people don’t want to talk about that which was impossible 15 years ago. We showed a documentary film lasting 52 minutes on one French television channel about the situation in Kosovo, and we managed to gather 12,000 donors. It wasn’t easy, but we persevered and succeeded. Perhaps our fight in the Western media is still unequal for us, but justice is on our side and we will continue as such.” Despite everything, he never considered giving up on his humanitarian work. He knows that these people – but most of all children – depend on the help of his organisation. It isn’t only important to them what they get, rather also the fact that some good people are behind them, thinking of them and that they will come to visit them with good intentions and understanding

for the difficult life in their enclaves. He has so far organised 45 humanitarian aid convoys bringing more than 500 tonnes of new materials, new clothes, shoes. Every year he brings from France school supplies and sports equipment. Moreover, together with the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, various projects are financed in the fields of agriculture, livestock farming and education. Some 34 schools have been renovated, six farms have been built, one dairy, one factory for pasteurising fruit and vegetables, while help has been provided for the renovating of several churches and monasteries. He is proudest of the farms that they’ve opened, because that allows people to live from their work, and not humanitarian aid. They drive the entire area in which they’re located. The total value of total assistance to Kosovo provided by this charity is 5.5 million euros: “In order for the French to understand what life in an enclave means, I describe it like Asterix’s Village, surrounded by barbed wire, from which the inhabitants cannot escape without being exposed to enormous risk, humiliation, insults etc. Unfortunately, there is no magic potion for Serbs in Kosovo, so they feel very lonely and isolated. They are the ghettos of the 21st century and I’m sorry that many people don’t want to talk about that.” Arnaud says he’s glad that the Serbian-

By Radmila Stanković

French relations are better today than previously, and he hopes that the mistakes made towards Serbia in the past will be understood in France, and that Serbia and the Serbian people will again be appreciated in the way that they deserve: “I have the feeling that French President Emmanuel Macron views the Balkans and Russia more objectively and more realistically, and with less ideology than his predecessors. And that is good, because international politics should be approached from a realistic perspective, and not an ideological one.” He thinks that he’s taken on some Serb qualities since he’s been living in Serbia, such as the ability to cope with sudden new situations. He initially found is difficult to organise himself here, because he was thinking and working in the French way, and here that isn’t functional and didn’t produce a good result . Today he doesn’t like the French conformism, which results in a lack of courage in every sense: “People are no longer capable of protecting themselves or their family in a physical sense, and they daren’t say what they think in moral terms. This conformity is reflected in public speaking, at public gatherings, in interpersonal relations, and those are new qualities that I like the least, because there you don’t feel free like you do in Serbia when it comes to

Photo by Louis Jamin

DISTRIBUTING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN THE NOVO BRDO AREA, WITH A HOMEOWNER IN FRONT OF HIS DILAPIDATED HOME

With Serbs I’m bothered by the unreliable tardiness that is displayed on a daily basis. Five French minutes usually equate to 30 Serbian minutes, because when someone tells you they’ll see you in five minutes they usually arrive half an hour later. And what directly annoys me in Serbia is negligence regarding the common good

interpersonal relationships and conversations, to understanding between peoples. With Serbs, however, I’m bothered by the unreliable tardiness that is displayed on a daily basis. Five French minutes usually equate to 30 Serbian minutes, because when someone tells you they’ll see you in five minutes they usually arrive half an hour later. And what directly annoys me in Serbia is negligence regarding the common good.” When I ask him what the most beautiful face of France is today, he replies instinctively: “The prettier face of France is lively villages full of children, where people and tradition are respected. That is the France that reminds me of Serbia, which is tranquil, authentic and beautiful. It is true that for most of the world France is composed of Paris, but for me that is its villages, and I recommend anyone going to France to visit them. Juxtaposed to that are the suburbs of all French cities, where crime and violence against the police flourish, where no order exists. I’m convinced that the French people will succeed in preserving that prettier face of their country. ” And when it comes to the prettier face of Serbia and the one that brings harm to Serbia, his life here and tours of Serbia give him the right to comment: “For me, national holidays, celebrations

and weddings are really the most beautiful face of Serbia. In them you see a good fusion of tradition and modernity. People go to church, dance the ‘kolo’, and after that they listen to rock ‘n’ roll, dress well and show that Serbia has not lost its roots, but is turned towards the future. It has roots, but also has wings. There aren’t many such countries around the world. I’m sorry that Serbia is damaged by polluted rivers, that they don’t maintain the buildings in which they live and work, that they don’t take care of the environment in which people live. Imagine how nice it would be if Serbs cared about their surroundings, their public spaces, with the same meticulousness and neatness with which they care about their homes?!” As devoted as he is to his humanitarian work, as touching as his stories are about the children from Kosovo he is helping so much, it should be noted that the most important roles in this man’s life are played by his wife Ivana Gajić and their daughters Milena and Irena. Ivana was born in France, 80 kilometres from the village where Arnaud lived, but they met in Zvornik and she waited for her future husband to receive Serbian citizenship before saying “I do” to him. Arnaud jokes that this means that his daughters will be able to say that they are Serbian on both their father’s and mother’s sides, if that’s what they want.

December

CHILL OUT CHINA

China Has 843 Five-Star Hotels A total of 10,249 star-rated hotels were recorded as existing in China at year’s end 2018, with 843 of them classified as five-star hotels, according to a report by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Total revenue for star-rated hotels exceeded 209 billion yuan ($30 billion) last year, with room reservations and dining services accounting, respectively, for 44.67 and 40.03 per cent of total revenues. The sector employed more than a million people in 2018, while nearly 24 per cent of star-rated hotels are under state ownership. The report also noted that, as of year’s end 2018, there were 598 hotels with different star ratings in China’s southern Guangdong province, representing the most in the country. Next comes Zhejiang Province, with 548 hotels, and Shandong with 544. INDIA

UNITED KINGDOM

The faces of idols at the famous ShivParvati temple in India’s Sigra have been covered in masks, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency in Varanasi having not escaped the extreme air pollution that has held North India captive, especially postDiwali. With air quality worsening by the day, devotees in this holy city are helping the gods avoid toxic air by covering their faces with anti-pollution masks. At the famous Shiv-Parvati temple in downtown Sigra, the faces of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali and Sai Baba have all been covered with masks.

Artisans at London-based design studio Bompass & Parr teamed up with scientists at the Aerogelex laboratory in Hamburg, Germany, to transfer the properties of the world’s lightest solid material to an edible dessert. The liquid in the meringue gel was replaced with liquid carbon dioxide, which can be be transformed into a gas in a process known as super-critical drying. Finally, the gas is removed from the end product, leaving behind only the skeleton of the original gel. In this particular case, the final product is a meringue dessert that consists of 96 per cent air and weighs only one gram. Dubbed the world’s lightest dessert, the meringue was presented last month at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, during Ithra’s Creativity Season, Tanween.

Gods In Varanasi Temple Get AntiPollution Masks To Avoid Toxic Air

World’s Lightest Dessert

FRANCE

Berlin Wall In Chocolate A French chocolate sculptor commemorated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by taking a hammer to a chocolate replica of the infamous barrier, reconstructed in Paris, and distributing the sweet chunks to applauding bystanders. Made with 200 kilos (440 pounds) of chocolate, the wall was scrawled with the words “freedom” and, in German, “I am a Berliner!”. It was then brought crashing down onto the pavement in front of Roger’s chocolate store in Paris, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Delighted bystanders gnawed on the chunks and carried away bags-full. The Parisians and tourists who came to watch the tasty spectacle included Cecile Reveret, who spent several years living in East Germany prior to the wall’s collapse, which marked a pivotal moment in the fall of Communism in eastern Europe.

December

SOUTH KOREA

Fake Funerals For Life Lessons More than 25,000 people have participated in mass “living funeral” services at Korea’s Hyowon Healing Centre since it opened in 2012, hoping to improve people’s lives by simulating their deaths. Dozens took part in the event – from teenagers to pensioners – donning shrouds, taking funeral portraits, penning their last testaments and lying in a closed coffin for around 10 minutes. South Korea ranks 33rd out of 40 countries surveyed in the OECD’s Better Life Index. Many younger South Koreans have high hopes for education and employment that have been dashed by a cooling economy and rising unemployment. According to Jeong Yong-mun, who heads the healing centre, funeral company Hyowon began offering the living funerals to help people appreciate their lives, and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation with family and friends. SPAIN

Picasso’s Electrician Hoarded 271 Of The Artist’s Works The controversy first began in 2010, when Pierre Le Guennec, Picasso’s former electrician, and his wife, Danielle, revealed they had a trove of rare pieces by Pablo Picasso. Le Guennec, who worked at Picasso’s villa in Mougins during the 1970s, claimed the works were gifts from the painter himself. The artist’s son, Claude Ruiz-Picasso, confirmed that the pieces were indeed the work of his famous father, but he suspected they weren’t gifts. Three days later, the police arrived at Le Guennec’s residence and seized 271 works worth between $74 million and $98 million. The Le Guennecs have now lost their appeal, with a French court ruling confirming the couple’s two-year suspended jail terms.

SWITZERLAND

World’s Most Expensive Watch History has been made in a record-shattering charity sale run by Christie’s in Geneva, and the credit goes to the Patek Philippe Watch company - with a watch made by this Swiss luxury brand selling for a whopping $31 million, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned. The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime reference 6300A-010 is the only one of its kind that will be made in stainless steel. It has two dials (one on the back) and 20 special functions, including a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, instantaneous perpetual calendar with a four-digit year display, second time zone, and 24-hour and minute subdial. The watch’s most unique feature is its front and back dials - one salmon coloured, the other black - that can be flipped or reversed.

JAPAN

Onion-Based Lemonade Onionade is about to become a real commercial product. The onionbased soft drink is made with water, Smile Ball onions, lemons, and honey. Described as fruity with a citrus aftertaste, Onionade can be consumed as is, or with soda and alcohol, as part of a refreshing cocktail. According to those who had a chance to try it at a recent event in Japan, Onionade smells just like an onion, but tastes more like apple. Onionade is currently available for online orders via a Japanese crowdsourcing platform. Its creators are us-

GREECE

British Runner Completes Marathons In All 196 Countries A British athlete has become the first person in the world to run marathons in all 196 countries recognised by the United Nations. Nick Butter, 30, of Dorset, England, said that he has been running marathons since he was 11 and decided to embark on his globe-trotting marathon quest in January 2018, in order to raise money for charity Prostate Cancer UK. Butter ran in a marathon in Greece, the final country on his world tour, on 10th November. The runner explained that he ran in organised marathons whenever possible, but often found himself having to chart and document his own 26.2-mile courses. Butter, whose lifetime marathon count is now 592, said that he doesn’t plan to slow down since completing his world tour.

ing the campaign to gauge demand for an onion-based soft drink, and so far it’s looking pretty good. After just a day, the campaign reached 61 per cent of its target amount, and - with 59 days to go - it’ll probably be funded several times over.

December

THOMAS SABO

Magic Stones large 18-carat yellow gold-plated bracelet €670

Give

WITH STYLE

FashionIt

Glo Lens Rose GoldTone Selfie Light €18

The festive season of Christmas and New Year is a time of presents, visits, encounters and gatherings, which also implies the giving of gifts, even if only symbolic. The desire to bring cheer to others is the most important and sincere characteristic of giving. Giving New Year's and Christmas gifts can make up for a mistake, ease reconciliation or clear up misunderstandings, because the festive season symbolises joy, forgiveness and new beginnings. Choosing a gift is very important, so make efforts to ensure the gift has style.

ASPINAL OF LONDON

Trunk mini transparent clutch bag €670

Fraas

Solid Cashmere Throw €336

MCM

Patricia Monogram Leather Chain Wallet €380

December

BANG & OLUFSEN

A1 Bluetooth Speaker €224

TATEOSSIAN

Round gear carbon fibre cufflinks €245

ETON

Geometric tile silk scarf €117

Beats by Dr. Dre

Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earphones €224

Vince

Men’s Gino Suede & Shearling Slippers €112

December

Culture

calendar

Bajaga i Instruktori

5-9 – Sava Center – 20.00

Legendary Serbian band Bajaga i Instruktori is celebrating a jubilee this year, 35 years, and on this occasion will hold consecutive concerts at Belgrade’s Sava Centre. The first Bajaga concert was held in April 1984 and since has been synonymous with good and quality rock and roll for 35 years. After last year’s concert at Stark Arena, which was named the Concert of the Year, the band held a series of concerts in the region and abroad during 2019 to mark the great anniversary. On that occasion, the audience at the Sava Center will have the pleasure to hear again Bajaga i Instruktori who will perform 35 of their biggest hits with the orchestra and the conductor Vojkan Borisavljevic.

5th American Independent Film Festival 12-15 – Belgrade Youth Center

Independent American, artistic, or as some call it “off Hollywood” film, does not cease to amaze with its freshness, variety of themes, characters and vitality. The American Independent Film Festival ‘Indie Belgrade’ continues to follow its unique thread of freedom, independence, unpretentiousness - in its selection of themes, characters, storytelling and directing. The festival offers the fresh breath of new and independent American film. In recent years, festival hosted the directors Gary King, the winner of the Raindance film festival, who managed to make a musical for only $60,000, Wayne Roberts, who made good old drama relevant again, and the famous double Oscar winner Alexander Payne who was also awarded the “Independent Film Icon” award”. This year’s festival will premiere seven independent American films, and in addition, festival will offer masterclasses and much more.

Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra

14 – Sava Center – 20.00 The Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra, the only band of traditional Jazz in the Balkans, is hosting its Traditional New Year’s Concert on 14th December at the Sava Centre Club, when it officially celebrates the full 18 years of its artistic creation! “A Charleston Spell” is a programme by which the Orchestra this year in a one-hour spectacle reveals all the magic of this beautiful dance, which completely enchanted the entire planet in the mid-1920s, displaying all the colour and aesthetics of probably the most beautiful artistic era of the 20th century. For this, along with the standard eightpiece composition of the Orchestra, they will be entrusted with the attractive dance troupe “The Dixie Dance Show” whose choreographies compliment this unique musical stage time masterfully. The capital and its guests will once again, traditionally, embark on time travel in the spirit of this era, making a wonderful New Year’s Eve unforgettable.

Una Saga Serbica

6 – Kombank Hall – 20.00 The beauty of the Balkans, its history, heritage, culture, and above all its traditional dance, are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for many artists. By connecting steps, words, notes, colours and people, Una Saga Serbica created a new angle of view on the culture of people from this parts of the Western Balkans and thus showed, in a unique way, all the beauty of the time that is behind us.

December

RECOMMENDS

Deep Purple

6 – Stark Arena – 20.00 One of the biggest bands in the history of rock and the most beloved bands in Serbia, the legendary Deep Purple will perform in Belgrade on 6th December at the Stark Arena. These British rockers, led by legendary singer Ian Gillan, made a spectacular appearance at the Arena in 2014 in front of over 10,000 rock ‘n’ roll fans! “Smoke on the water,” “Black Night,” “Hush,” “Highway Star,” “The Mule,” and other hits from the band’s career dating back almost half a century will resonate through the Arena!

Children’s Concerts - Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra

15 – Sava Center – 19.00 The Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra, founded 12 years ago under the auspices of the “Deca Deci Foundation”, is organising a traditional gala concert on 15th December at the Sava Centre. This concert of young virtuosos brings the spirit of the holidays every year turning one ordinary winter evening into a true New Year’s symphony. This year’s repertoire will include works of classical music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Bach, Bizet, performed by talented young soloists accompanied by a children’s orchestra and under the conductor Professor Ljubisa Jovanovic. The Belgrade audience will also enjoy traditional Christmas songs, popular opera arias as well as contemporary musical numbers.

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

GREGG’S ITALIAN FAMILY COOKBOOK Gregg Wallace, Anna Wallace 3300rsd

Gregg Wallace has fallen in love with Italian cuisine. Along with his wife Anna, and a little help from her Italian parents, he has created a simple Italian cookbook, so we can all enjoy traditional Italian cuisine at home. For Italians, food is not just about recipes; it’s a way of life. It’s about making time for each other, forgetting work and worries, and enjoying tasty, satisfying meals. Gregg and Anna share the dishes they have explored, laughed and argued about with their family, from vitello tonnato to orecchiette and crespelle to veal chops, bagna cauda and bowls of vongole. Brought to life through stunning photography in the Tuscan countryside and buzzing food markets, you’ll discover traditional recipes, cooked the authentic Italian way. ‘I want to do this book, and I want to do it with my new Italian family. Everybody knows this is my favourite cuisine...it is to my mind the greatest cuisine in the world. It’s family food; it brings people to the table; it’s not difficult to do, everybody can learn to cook this way...I have discovered so much love in this new family of mine, and it’s centred around the table. I want to share this passion; I want everybody to taste their slice of it.” - Gregg Wallace

December

AFTER WORK 30 SPK, JBAS, AHK, AMCHAM AND CANSEE OCT HOST SPEED BUSINESS MEETING The Slovenian Business Club, German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce, Japan Business Alliance and the Canadian-Serbian Business Association, held a Speed Business Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The B2B meeting was welcomed by the organizers and addressed by the Hyatt Regency General Manager, Hom Parviz, in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. This year’s Speed business meeting brought together a large number of member companies from all five chambers as well as non-member companies that contributed to its successful implementation.

02 BELGRADE FOREIGNERS NOV & VISITORS ROTARY CLUB The recently formed “Belgrade Foreigners & Visitors Rotary Club” (with members from 15 different countries who live and work in Serbia) celebrated their charter ceremony on 2 November at Stari Dvor. The group has been formed as a specific response to foreigners who live here wanting to get involved at grass-roots level with local charity and social work. On this occasion, 23 members received their official Rotary Club International pins. The new Rotary Club members and their guests celebrated afterward with a fun Halloween costume party. Special guest for the evening was Yinka Babalola, Vice President (2019-20) Rotary International, visiting from Nigeria.

01 EMBASSY OF MEXICO HOSTS NOV INSTALATION DAY OF THE DEAD

AMBASSADOR KATI CSABA AMBASSADOR H.E. MARCO ANTONIO GARCÍA BLANCO (SECOND FROM THE LEFT)

The Embassy of Mexico in Serbia, headed by Ambassador H.E. Marco Antonio García Blanco, and in cooperation with the Cervantes Institute in Belgrade, hosted the opening of the installation Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead altars known as altares de muertos or ofrendas is one of the most important traditions in Mexico. It is a mixture of Catholic-Spanish beliefs and pre-Hispanic traditions on the cult of the dead. Day of the Dead, or Altar of the Dead, is dedicated to the memory of the dear deceased. Food, aromatic elements such as copal, photographs of the deceased, religious elements, are presented on the altar by which Mexicans pay homage to those who have already left.

December

04 MINING SECTOR NETWORKING NOV EVENT AT THE CANADIAN EMBASSY Ambassador of Canada to Serbia H.E. Kati Csaba hosted members of the mining sector at the networking event held at the Ambassadorial Residence. The event was organised on the occasion of the annual Conference on Mineral Resources, held for the nine consecutive years in Belgrade. Ambassador Csaba said there is a growing interest in mining sector in Serbia. “Over the past year we have witnessed several important moments in CanadaSerbia cooperation in the mining and exploration industry,” noted Ambassador Csaba.

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

06 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB NOV NOVEMBER COFFEE MORNING

MILICA LUNDIN

The November Coffee Morning of the International Women’s Club Belgrade (IWC) was held at the In Hotel in New Belgrade. The hotel was a gracious host and provided a delicious assortment of beverages and bites to eat. Fifty four ladies attended, and they welcomed a number of guests among them. Milica Lundin, president of the IWC, spoke sharing important news and announcements. Vik Jensen also gave an update on preparations for the upcoming 2019 Charity Bazaar to be held on 1 December. Then there was a presentation from Neda Maletić, of the Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club, about the “Capture-NeuterRelease” program that cares for sick and injured cats and helps to control the populations of stray cats of Belgrade.

12 AMCHAM HOSTS NOV U.S. AMBASSADOR GODFREY Over 170 representatives of AmCham Serbia and the wider business community gathered at the AmCham Business Brunch to meet the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Anthony Godfrey. In his first public appearance in Serbia, the new U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Anthony Godfrey, described AmCham member companies as the best examples of international cooperation, saying that his doors are open as he continues the mission to support the business community. At a panel discussion moderated by AmCham President Jelena Pavlović and AmCham Board member Nicolaas Houwert, Ambassador Godfrey explained the key priorities of U.S. policy he will implement under his mandate in Serbia. Also discussed were the goals of the U.S. regional policy approach to Serbia and the Balkans and current developments.

JELENA PAVLOVIC, AMBASSADOR GODFREY, NICOLAAS HOUWERT

December

AFTER WORK 12 GERMAN AMBASSADOR NOV HOSTS CONCERT On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Thomas Schieb and Mrs. Claudia Schieb hosted a concert including a new classical guitar and symphonic orchestra composition by German composer Joaquin Clerch. The event held at the ambassadorial residence was attended by members of the diplomatic community as well as friends and partners of the Embassy.

AMBASSADOR CARLO LO CASCIO

18 WEEK OF ITALIAN NOV CUISINE IN THE WORLD The Fourth Edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World took place in Serbia from 18 to 24 November and was organised by the Italian Embassy in Belgrade in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute (IIC), the Italian Agency for Foreign Trade (ICE), the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (CCIS), Confindustria Serbia, the Vice Honorary Consulate of Italy in Subotica, supported by Italian and Serbian companies. The Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World and its rich program of events was held in 110 countries around the world, promoted by the Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

AMBASSADOR THOMAS SCHIEB

14 AMBASSADOR GUEX HOSTS NOV MEMBERS OF THE SSCC

The Ambassador of Switzerland H.E. Philippe Guex hosted a gathering of the members of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce at the Residence. Swiss Business Networking event gave SSCC members, mostly top management representatives of member-companies, led by President of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Majo MicoviÄ&#x2021;, an opportunity to meet with the Ambassador and discuss current topics and plans concerning operation of the Swiss companies in Serbia.

December

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

20 NOV OPENING OF THE FRENCH WEEK 2019 French Week, hosted by the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, was opened in Belgrade on 20 November. This event, which took place from November 20 to 27, is held for the seventh consecutive year, and this year is of particular importance because it is the year of the first decade of French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce. The aim of French Week is to promote the historical, cultural and business ties between France and Serbia, and its period is tied to the widespread custom in France - the welcome of young French wine Beaujolais nouveau.

21 EBRD PRESENTS TRANSITION NOV REPORT 2019-20 After a robust performance in 2018, economic growth is moderating in 2019. Lower growth primarily reflects stagnation in the agricultural sector and a fall in industrial production. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have been strong in the past few years, especially in 2018, more than covering the growing current account deficit. These are some of the highlights of the EBRD Transition Report 2019-20 presented in Belgrade on 21st November 2019. More information is available on our portal www.cordmagazine.com

December

AFTER WORK

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

21 EMBASSY OF ORDER OF MALTA NOV HOSTS MAKE A WISH EVENT Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta hosted the first Charity Dinner in 2015 in the Principality of Monaco in favour of the “Make a WISH” project. It was a success both for the participants and for the important collection of contributions. Four years later the Embassy hosted a second Charity Dinner in Milan, in anticipation of substantial financial commitments for supporting even more WISHES. The idea was presented to the new Lombardy Delegate Niccolò d’Aquino di Caramanico and immediately welcomed, so the organizational machine was set in motion masterfully managed by our Embassy Secretary Mauro Torre. There was a goal: 150 guests. It was significantly exceeded: 292 persons physically present and 16 “virtual”! An important success for the beneficiaries in Serbia who were counting on the support. During the Dinner the Ambassador Alberto di Luca and the Delegate Niccolò D’Aquino expressed gratitude to all who were present.

AMBASSADOR ALBERTO DI LUCA

22 NOV HELLENIC BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW MANAGEMENT BOARD The Hellenic Business Association of Serbia held its Regular Annual General Assembly, at which a new Management Board was elected. Stylianos Zakof (President) - General Manager of Chipita, Nikolaos Sliousaregko (Vice President) - General Manager of the Junior Hotel, Vuk Dapčević (Treasurer) - Eurobank representative, Zafeirios Lampadaridis (Member) - General Manager of Mercure Belgrade Excelsior Hotel, Spyridon Vlachos (Member) - General Manager of Isomat, Dimitrios Antoniou from Autotechnica Hertz, Konstantinos Panopoulos from De-Tox The Angle Café and Sanja Skočajić from Plexi Signs were nominated as alternate members of the Management Board.

December

HBA NEW MANAGEMENT BOARD

Corporate Social Responsibility BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY!

ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

WORKPLACE RESPONSIBILITY

2019

INTERVIEW

DRAGAN GOLUBOVIĆ PH.D.

Serbia's EU Agenda Influences CSR Policies Consider the abandoning of the use of plastic bags in Serbia as an important example of how the engagements of large companies in the domain of corporate social responsibility in the country moved from being purely philanthropic to become socially aware. Yet much more can still be done to push both large companies and SMEs towards being active in CSR

he European Union has been very active in promoting corporate social responsibility as an important tool in improving societies. Although Serbia is not following that example closely, the EU integration process is also likely to bring more advanced polices related to corporate social responsibility, says expert on CSR Dragan Golubović Ph.D.

• To what extent is Serbia’s institutional framework in the field of cross-sector partnerships and corporate social responsibility harmonised with European policies in this field? - It is noteworthy that issues related to cross-sector partnerships (CSP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have steadily gained traction in the European Union. Among others, they are addressed in the EU 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, the renewed EU Strategy on CSR 20112014, and the Action Plan on Human

Rights and Democracy 2015-2019. The importance of CSP and CSR has been further underscored within the framework of the EU Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, the European Commission’s sub-group on CSR has put forward a number of policy recommendations for the EU and its member states that would encourage and facilitate CSP and CSR practises. These include, among others, raising awareness and encouraging public authorities to utilise possibilities presented in the EU law for integrating environmental and social considerations into their respective procurement processes, supporting awareness and the implementation of due diligence by companies against human rights and other social risks etc. In addition to the aforementioned soft instruments, EU Directive 2014/95 requires disclosure of non-financial information by certain large economic undertakings and groups with respect to

The tax law doesn't currently recognise human rights, the promotion of gender equality or European integration as charitable causes

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environmental protection, social responsibility, the observance of human rights and other pertinent social issues. At this juncture, Serbia does not have a comprehensive strategy with respect to CSP and CSR. However, issues related to CSR are recognised as cross-cutting issues for a number of EU accession negotiation chapters, including public procurement, environment, and social policy and employment, to name just a few. It is therefore fair

to assume that policy measures pertinent to CSR will gradually be introduced as negotiations progress with the EU. • What have examples of CSR in Serbia to date shown about the extent to which companies perceive this area of their operations as an integral part of their development policies? - It is evident that issues related to CSR have been mainstreamed into the overall business strategies of large companies operating in Serbia, regardless of their origin (domestic or foreign). This practise reflects a general recognition that CSR is not an expense, but rather an investment that plays a significant role in ensuring that a company keeps and expends its customer base. On the other hand, it is still fairly rare for an SME in Serbia

to have some form of CSR strategy in place. This has to do with a number of factors, not least the lack of necessary resources and lack of capacity, as well as policy measures that would encourage and facilitate this process. • CSR often boils down to philanthropic donations. Is this still the case in our country when it comes to companies’ practises?

income for charitable causes. While the general framework for corporate giving is modestly favourable, there is significant room for its improvement. Among others, the list of charitable causes in the tax law needs to be aligned with the one in the Law on Associations and the Law on Foundations and Endowments, respectively. Currently, for example, the tax law does not recognise human rights, the promotion of gender equality or Eu-

The practise of CSR in Serbia has passed a point of the concept being reduced to giving donations - The practise of CSR in Serbia has passed the point of the concept being reduced to giving donations. Rather, large companies increasingly strive to lead by example in addressing pressing social issues. The recent decision of a number of large retailers to abandon the use of plastic bags is just one example of this trend. • What could be done in terms of tax policies in order to encourage corporate donations? - Under the tax law, a company may deduct up to five per cent of its annual gross

ropean integration as charitable causes, and thus donations for those purposes are not exempted from taxation. In addition, it is unclear whether a donation in real estate would qualify as tax exempt; whether a donation in the form of an institutional grant (a donation designated to support the institutional development of a donation recipient, rather than the implementation of a particular project) would qualify as tax exempt; what is the tax status of a carry-over donation; and to what extent a donation can be used to cover the overheads of a recipient. DECEMBER

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The more pressing issue, however, seems to be the practise of the Tax Office requiring a donor to submit to the Office material proof that a donation is spent legitimately by the recipient. This should ultimately be the responsibility of the recipient, rather than the donor. As a result of this malpractice, many donors avoid duly reporting on donations, but rather treat them in their books as other, non-deductible expenses. • One element of CSR is encouraging volunteering. What challenges do companies face in developing this important dimension of social action? - While the law does allow companies to host volunteer activities under certain conditions, it is overly intrusive and prohibitively expensive for a host of those activities. That is largely due to the fact that the law regards volunteering as a subset of labour relations, rather than as a private, voluntary activity. 6 |

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While the law does allow companies to host volunteer activities under certain conditions, it is overly intrusive and prohibitively expensive for a host of those activities Among other things, a host of volunteer activities are required to cover the cost of work insurance for a volunteer, as well as his or her medical, social and pension contributions. As a result, rather than encouraging and facilitating volunteer activities, the law is largely recognised as a major impediment for the development of volunteering. • Investing in one’s own human resources and the development of human capital represents an important dimension in the development of companies and in the development of society. To what extent do solutions in Serbia related to

scholarships favour investments? - The current legal framework provides quite modest incentives in this respect. Under the personal income tax law, a recipient of a monthly scholarship of up to 11,741RSD (circa 100 euros) is exempt from paying personal income tax. However, the Ministry of Finance is currently considering amendments to the law that would increase the tax exempt monetary threshold for monthly scholarships from 11,741RSD to as much as 30,000RSD. In addition, the new proposal would allow for scholarships to be paid not only monthly, but in any other time sequence, including one-off payments. ■

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BUSINESS

BOJANA RUDOVIĆ, MARKETING DIRECTOR AT BEKAMENT

Success Is Greater If It Is Shared Photo: BIZLife/Sanda Mokanić

We Build With Heart

ver the course of almost three decades, Bekament has grown from a small family business to become one of the most technologically advanced companies in the production of construction finishing materials. At Bekament they believe that success is greater if it is shared, which is why they wholeheartedly encourage the development of community in the areas of health, culture, sports, environmental protection and sustainable development. Bekament is a company that supports its Foundation’s projects through financial assistance, as well as through donations of its own products. Over the past two years, with the vision “We Build With Heart” socially responsible projects have been launched and implemented that have been recognised as significant for the community.

• Bekament is a company that’s spent almost three decades encouraging the development of the community in which it operates. What are the main aspects of your company’s corporate social responsibility? - Corporate social responsibility is integrated into our business strategy and built into the foundations of our company’s corporate culture, its vision and values, and encompasses various aspects of operations. Respect for ethical values and principles are certainly an imperative of our company. 10 |

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In strategic CSR settings, the basis of the structure is represented by employees, i.e. their needs, motivation and satisfaction, which also further contributes to the building of stable and long-term relations with all stakeholders. Bekament also supports humane initiatives directed towards caring for the people and the community in which it operates, which implies investing in the advancement of education, culture, health, sports and environmental protection. • Bekament is also officially one of the most socially responsible companies in Serbia, as confirmed by the VIRTUS awards and notes of thanks that you received in 2012, 2014 and 2018. How much does such recognition mean to you? - From the very beginning, the people who built Bekament have believed that success is

towards the humane and ethical dimensions of social responsibility, is also supported by the establishing of the Bekament Foundation. The aim of the Foundation is to unite the public and private sectors, to bring together companies, organisations and individuals, and to create an environment that will stimulate support for investments in the common good of society as a whole. In the past two years, with the vision “We Build With Heart”, social responsibility projects have been launched and implemented that have been recognised as being significant to the community. The most significant among them are the construction of a new wing of the General Hospital in Aranđelovac, restoration of the SOS village in Sremska Kamenica for children without parental care, reconstruction of the

Our goal is to encourage as many companies as possible to contribute to the community and sustainable development through socially responsible work greater if it is shared. We are constantly creating a reputation as one of the more socially responsible companies on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, which is also confirmed by the VIRTUS awards. Awards are indeed of great importance to us, because they testify to the strength that we hold within us as humans. That motivates us to continue to provide our own contribution in order for things to be better for all of us every day. • You also founded the Bekament Foundation two years ago. What is its primary area of activity? - One of the long-term strategic pillars of Bekament’s operations, and which is directed

Textile School in Belgrade and the Saint Sava Primary School in Aranđelovac, restoration of the Gendarmerie [police] building in Belgrade, the complete equipping and construction of two playgrounds for children in the Voždovac and Zvezdara municipalities etc. The projects that we joined in past few months imply silver membership in the BELhospice Sustainability Club, with the goal of improving the quality of palliative care for patients with malignant diseases. We’ve also joined the humanitarian action “Pruži korak” [Take a Step], which is organised by the National Association of Parents of Children with Cancer (NURDOR), in order to raise funds for the construction of a parental home in Belgrade. ■

CARLSBERG SRBIJA BUSINESS

For A Better Quality Life Caring for the community in which it operates is one of the priorities of Carlsberg as a company, which is testified to by the numerous donations realised through this company's foundations, at both the local and global levels. Globally, as one of the world's oldest commercial foundations, the Carlsberg Foundation operates through support for science, students, the arts and culture

ounded in 1876, when J.C. Jacobsen secured the future of his brewery by transferring it to the management of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Literature. The Carlsberg Foundation has been managed by the Carlsberg Group ever since, taking care to ensure that the brewery works with a focus on innovation and the production of high-quality products, while simultaneously supporting research in the scope of natural, social and human sciences. The Carlsberg and Dunđerski Foundation was founded in Serbia in 2015, with the aim of connecting the world-renowned Carlsberg Foundation and the works of Lazar Dunđerski, who has remained remembered in Serbian history as a great philanthropist and protector of children and the youth. The activities of the Carlsberg and Dunđerski Foundation are directed towards preserving the cultural heritage of Vojvodina, protecting the environment and supporting science and education, protecting consumers, but also developing the local community of Čelarevo. The scope of its support to science and education encompasses cooperation with educational institutions, as well as students and academics themselves, in the form of scholarships and grants. One example of the successful linking of the private sector and educational institutions

is Carlsberg’s long-standing cooperation with the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad. The Carlsberg and Dunđerski Foundation recognised the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Technology as a higher education institution that educates high-quality personnel, which is why it has awarded scholarships since 2015 to the best students of the second, third and fourth years of basic academic studies and master studies in the domain of food biotechnology. Alongside scholarships for the best students, Carlsberg Srbija also contributes to the work of the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad through the professional work placement practise that it provides for students. Additionally, at the end of October, another of the many socially responsible activities implemented by Carlsberg Srbija was realised at this higher

education institution. This was realised regarding the donation of a mini brewery. The mini brewery will enable students of this prestigious faculty to work specifically on individual devices, as well as on the entire process of producing beer after acquiring theoretical knowledge within the subjects of Beer Technology, Special Beer Technology, Alternative Raw Materials in Beer Production and Quality Control in Malt and Beer Technologies. Support for science and education, but also the development of the community, will remain in the focus of Carlsberg Srbija’s operations in the period ahead. The numerous social responsibility projects that are implemented demonstrate the company’s determination to contribute to improving the quality of life in the area in which it operates. ■

“With the donation of a mini brewery to the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad we are continuing our longstanding cooperation with this educational institution and striving to enable future experts in the beer industry to also acquire practical knowledge during their education, which they will be in a position to apply later in their work. Support for science and education is in the focus of our social responsibility projects and we will continue to further realise such activities,” said Carlsberg Srbija CEO Vladimir Vava.

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NEWS

FIVE NEW CSR TRENDS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD The main corporate social responsibility trends include increased transparency, investments in green technologies, the engagement of the local community and employees, as well as the recognition of economic inequality. Transparency – as part of the business model that embraces corporate social responsibility, transparency sees companies sharing ever more information about the environment and management.

THIS IS A LIST THAT EVERY COMPANY WANTS TO FIND ITSELF ON

Creating new resources – instead of simply moving on to the next source of materials, fossil fuels and cheap labour, socially responsible companies invest in green technologies and develop alternative resources. Global companies act locally – even the largest multinational companies recognise the value of local markets and supply chains, and actively attempt to engage in activities that are beneficial to local communities. Volunteering – companies that keep pace with CSR trends don’t only enable their employees to provide a positive contribution to the community through volunteering, rather they also encourage investments in time and labour for the benefit of society. Investing in employees – as the issue of economic inequality emerges at the top of the interests of every society, so it increasingly places pressure on corporations. That’s why increasing the earnings of the lowest paid employees is one of the major CSR trends.

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The renowned Reputation Institute, an organisation that specialises in researching corporate image and reputation, has been publishing its CSR Rep Track for years, as a list of the most socially responsible companies. The ranking started 10 years ago and is based on a survey of nearly 60,000 consumers in 15 countries, relating to the reputations of more than 3,000 companies. According to research conducted by the experts of this institute, a clear link has been established between corporate social responsibility and company reputation over the last decade, which is why companies’ efforts and endeavours to make the list are growing. The stronger and more effective CSR policy a company has, the better its reputation and brand image. When the perception of a company’s corporate social responsibility is bad, so is its image. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a self-launched workplace initiative that ensures businesses use their resources to make positive changes in their own communities and worldwide. Consumers expect this responsibility from the brands they believe in, with 63 per cent of U.S. consumers reporting that they expect companies to take the lead on issues of social and environmental justice. Apart from doing good, CSR can also enhance a company’s latest performance results by impacting on everything from customer loyalty to employee recruitment. Some 87 per cent of consumers say that they would make a purchase based on a company’s efforts, and 90 per cent of millennials would accept a pay cut to work for a company that shares their values.

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT LIKE THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY Disney is among the world’s five most socially responsible companies. One year they donated free tickets to their Disney parks to millions of people in exchange for a day volunteering. Moreover, in partnership with organisations like Make-A-Wish, Disney helps each year to fulfil the wishes of more than 10,000 children living in war-torn areas, countries hit by natural disasters, children living in absolute poverty etc. But that’s not all! Back in 1995, Disney launched the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, in order to support global and local nonprofit organisations that protect wildlife and the environment.

BILL GATES STILL WITHOUT COMPETITION

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT WE SAVE THE PLANET BY WORKING FROM HOME Microsoft has so far enabled more than 12 million young people in 54 countries to come into contact with advances in IT technology, to learn and advance. In 2018 alone, Microsoft donated three billion U.S. dollars to small businesses, as well as software services worth $1.4 billion to non-profit organisations around the world. The goals of former Microsoft CEO and major shareholder Bill Gates are to empower people through education and access to technology; to protect human rights and protect the environment, while he founded the non-profit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in order to most effectively get to grips with inequality worldwide, to eradicate malaria and develop agriculture.

It might not have launched the initiative, but Google is among the companies that are encouraging employees to work from home or anywhere else that does not require travelling to an office by car, motorbike or any other vehicle that emits polluting exhaust gases. Demonstrating the powerful efforts of Google leaders to contribute to reducing carbon emissions by reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the fact that the Google campus at Mountain View is home to goats. Their “job” is to maintain the lawn, in order for lawnmowers not to be used. Thanks to its major investments in green energy, Google is powering its data centre with 100 per cent renewable electricity. DECEMBER

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BUSINESS

NOVO NORDISK

Circular Mindset

rowing consumption, industrialisation and urbanisation threaten not only the sustainability of the environments in which we live, but also the health of people around the world. Every year at Novo Nordisk we use billions of litres of water and significant amounts of energy and resources to manufacture medicines. We distribute hundreds of millions of products to people who need them – and demand for our life-saving treatments is growing. That puts us on the front line of some of the biggest issues: climate change, water and resource scarcity, pollution and plastic waste. We are well-known and committed to driving change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases, but to do that we also recognise our responsibility and commitment to creating a sustainable, healthy environment for the long-term. Novo Nordisk has a bold and simple ambition: to have zero environmental impact. In order to achieve this, the company is embracing a circular mindset – designing and producing products so that they can be recovered and re-used, and reshaping

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Novo Nordisk has amassed two decades of experience of being at the forefront when it comes to environmental responsibility. And this responsibility has been driven by today’s environmental challenges, which have never been more critical or urgent

business practises to eliminate waste by turning it into new resources. Driving environmental improvement is a long-term task, and Novo Nordisk’s new environmental strategy, Circular for Zero, sets out the targets and milestones for the next chapter of this journey. We will implement circular approaches across our value chain by 2030. We’re aiming to hit zero carbon targets in our own operations and with key suppliers, eliminate wastage of energy, water and materials in the company, and take big strides towards reusability and recyclability through product innovation. We have previously focused on reducing carbon emissions in our operations. We have managed to achieve 100% renewable power in our production plants all over the World and

are a founding member of ground-breaking circular partnerships in Denmark. However, today it’s no longer enough to focus on the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes, which is why we are thinking beyond that at Novo Nordisk. As such, in making and structuring our business decision, we design and produce our products so that they can be recovered and reused, minimise consumption across our value chains, i.e. eliminate waste – in other words, apply a ‘circular mindset’ to whatever we do. By embedding a circular mindset, we want to unlock innovative ways to improve the company and, through that, our environmental footprint. And to meet the scale of this challenge we know we must collaborate deeply and widely with partners. ■

BETTER BUSINESS FOR BETTER SOCIETY

Responsible Business Forum gathers leading companies that contribute to the development of the society through the principles of responsible business. By practicing innovative approach to business sustainability, RBF encourages all sectors to contribute to the measurable social impacts. The RBF empowers companies to operate in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, create a synergy of resources and

knowledge and develops practical tools for managing socially responsible activities. At the same time, RBF works closely with relevant actors in the field of improving legal and regulatory mechanisms that contribute to improving the framework for the implementation of socially responsible activities. RBF is a national partner of leading European and global organizations devoted to sustainable development.

WWW.ODGOVORNOPOSLOVANJE.RS

BUSINESS

MARINA DELEON, COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT

Gifts With Meaning The New Year's holidays having always been a time for summing up results and making decisions for the year ahead. And a time of giving

n the corporate world, this need to give gifts and recognition on an annual basis has not changed; it has existed “since time immemorial”, just as our need to give to the wider community is not an expression of either the contemporary world or modernity, as a different philosophy of doing business, but rather is probably one of the immanent features of our civilisation. Traces can extend back deeply, but let me stop at giving to those who are weaker, those who are without, and that ennobling act also gives meaning to our lives and even deeper meaning to our work; “added value”, as someone would say today. Corporate giving, or corporate social responsibility, CSR, has a slightly different definition, but I believe it comes from the same source of desire for the successful to partly give something back to the wider community, making it better, more beautiful, more humane and making themselves and their efforts more meaningful through that act. And that ‘R’, which stands for responsibility, articulates the need for modern business operations to prove and demonstrate responsibility for the moral aspect of doing business in the broadest sense. 16 |

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Today we would also add to this strengthening through a common goal directed towards the greater good of the wider community, from the neighbourhood in which we operate to responsibility for the future of the planet... Why do i mention that specifically? Because of the general divide between an act that’s directed solely towards giving for philanthropic purposes or giving to vulnerable groups or donations, and giving through social programmes or projects aimed at raising awareness to a higher level to make our wider urban, national or global environment better...

As someone who is primarily an advisor and creator of CSR policy for my clients, I’ve often been asked how to choose the right corporate goal that is appropriate for the client, that makes sense in the context of the size and type of the company, and which is also something we’ll all be proud of, but also an act that will make a difference... A donation, yes, but always in such a way that it frees from the aspect of self-praise, an advertisement that could hurt the one to whom it is addressed. This is a difficult and very sensitive issue, but it is possible – with careful consideration, empathy – to reach a good result that helps discreetly

STUDENTS FILM AT ACB

TRADITIONAL ACB CALENDAR SUPPORTING ART

and meaningfully, and brings pride to your entire team. The traditional principle of giving in such a way that you do not know to whom you are giving and the recipient does not know from whom a gift has come has for many centuries been considered the highest form of help, both personal and corporate... This is possible as an individual act, but it’s tougher in the corporate world, while from the aspect of corporate needs it isn’t even a valid request. On the other hand, if CSR is conceived in such a way that it is obvious that it represents an attempt of a client to “clear their conscience”, while that client has completely different standards of doing business, or the action is obvious free PR, it will ultimately return to the corporation like a boomerang, bringing only a negative image instead of benefits and satisfaction. Viewed in theoretical terms, since the time that the term CSR was coined and came into use, in the United States in the 1950s, it has undergone many changes and new connotations. This business morality aspect has not changed, and I believe that striving towards that makes a lot of sense and is justified in both business and social terms. And it is practically better and yields results, thus my thinking would go in the direction of: use a little creativity to depart from clichés and see what your stronger

ing equipment or giving knowhow, you are giving someone a platform on which they can develop and can become one who will do the same tomorrow for the next generation. Enriching the concept of social giving from the R = responsibility aspect, CSR has undoubtedly gained much and is today more closely understood by young businesspeople who have a need to articulate their active relationship towards the immediate and wider community. That’s how each of our creative actions in which we gave space at the Airport City Belgrade business park to creative people, in order to prove themselves and to create new value from that, has paid off many times over and enriched the company’s image. And our team is extremely satisfied and proud when they see young people

ACB PROMOTES ECO AWARENESS

sides really are and what your true potential contribution is in that domain, then the project will simply shape itself in the best direction. Young creatives will find it easier to identify with a project to protect the planet or wastewater, or just to save a waterway that is closest to them, rather than some high-octane action that’s far away from them and which, regardless of its grandeur, absolutely doesn’t reflect the needs of their company. If you are giving, “teaching someone to walk” is a principle that I would always prefer to choose for corporate CSR. Through education, through the providing of a market opportunity, or donating space itself, buy-

who gained their first serious business experience in collaboration with us. And for donations in this context we’ve always selected either developmental creative projects or, when it comes to marginal or deprived groups, projects in which the recipient doesn’t receive a simple donation, but rather space to develop all of their potential and become independent in the scope of their possibilities. Not a long way, but actually it is. ■

Wishing you a happy & fruitful year! DECEMBER

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