CorD Magazine, November 2021 issue no. 205

ŽARKO LAUŠEVIĆ

ACTOR

Giving Up Is The Easiest, But I Didn’t Want That

The Struggle For Inclusivity Is a Collective Marathon

www.cordmagazine.com

Aspiring For New Horizons

GORAN BAŠIĆ

DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

NOVEMBER 2021/ ISSUE NO. 205

H.E. AMR ALJOWAILY

AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT TO SERBIA

interviews opinions news comments events COMMENT

Smörgåsbord FOCUS

In Which Direction Is The Serbian Labour Market Changing?

Exclusive

LILYANA PAVLOVA

783002 771451 9

Determined To Help The Region’s Green Transformation

ISSN1451-7833

VP OF THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK

CONTENTS

08 L ILYANA PAVLOVA

24 GIFT THAT WILL MOST DELIGHT THE WEALTHY

VP OF THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK (EIB)

DETERMINED TO HELP THE REGION’S GREEN TRANSFORMATION

DR DEJAN JOVOVIĆ Feature

CURRENT TOPIC

ACTOR

GIVING UP IS THE EASIEST, BUT I DIDN’T WANT THAT My Life

56 CHILL OUT

12 H.E. AMR ALJOWAILY

AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT TO SERBIA

ASPIRING FOR NEW HORIZONS

50 Ž ARKO LAUŠEVIĆ

27 BUSINESS DIALOGUE 40 THE FORMER MONK WHO RUNS A $100M MEDITATION FIRM

60 WEEKEND STYLE Fashion

62 CULTURE CALENDAR

RICHARD PIERSON AND ANDY PUDDICOMBE Enterpreneur

16 GLOBAL DIARY 18 IN WHICH DIRECTION IS THE SERBIAN LABOUR MARKET CHANGING?

43 NOTHING WITHOUT AGREEMENT WITH ONESELF MAŠA VUKČEVIĆ MARKOVIĆ Profile

64 FACES & PLACES

Focus

@CORD_MAGAZINE

44 THE ELUSIVE MARC CHAGALL

@CORDMAGAZINE

Art

CORD MAGAZINE

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

CORDMAGAZINE

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs

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

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

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PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION & EDITING: PULLEN EDITORIAL

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PUBLISHER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs DIRECTOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com

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Comment

Smörgåsbord

BY ZORAN PANOVIĆ

J

ust as people in the Soviet Union used to whisper jokes about Brezhnev and the Kremlin’s gerontocracy, a similar kind of covert, political, bar humour existed in Serbia during the time of the communist Yugoslavia: so, they would say that one elderly official was led to the Belgrade airport and asked ‘are we going somewhere or picking someone up?’, while another was said to have brought a chair to a buffet and sat at the ‘Swedish table’, and when he began eating and a friend from the party warned him that it was a Smörgåsbord, he said that he would get up when the Swedes arrive.

After many years, the Smörgåsbord is once again a strong political metaphor in Serbia.

Just as every political option takes only what it wants from public opinion polls, as though selecting from a Smörgåsbord, so the buffet principle is used after the publishing of every report of the European Commission on Serbia’s progress as an EU membership candidate country. The presenting of these famous reports is now a thing of rituals, expectations and interpretations, while it is most effectively presented in the media when a theatre of “public reading” is created.

There is no better example of political reality being a matter of perception than the interpretation of EC progress reports on Serbia.

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Every report, including the latest one that arrived in October, is a new buffet, a new Rashomon, a new Rorschach inkblot test. The government sees Serbia progressing towards the EU, the opposition sees it stagnating.

And everyone is right – both are happening, which is very sensitised and nuanced even for a skeletal bureaucracy. It’s as though they write to us slowly because we’re incapable of reading quickly. And as though the old habit of communism is returning – reading between the lines.

Every report, including the latest one that arrived in October, is a new buffet, a new Rashomon, a new Rorschach inkblot test.

The government sees Serbia progressing towards the EU, the opposition sees it stagnating

In an atmosphere when neither the government nor the opposition want EU accession to come too quickly, and those from the EU aren’t rushing us either, all sorts are being written: normalisation with Kosovo is key; the Region is fluctuating between cooperation and rising tensions; Serbia has purportedly taken “a number of actions that contradict the EU’s foreign policy positions” ... But just enough, one would suggest cynically, proportional to Europe’s determination to see another neurotic member join its ranks. When it comes to migrants, Serbia is a veritable advanced guard outpost of Europe, and it has received plenty of praise for that role. Those who don’t

like Vučić’s government will say that the Hungarians are deftly balancing the reports, because Orban is Serbia’s biggest lobbyist on its road to joining the EU, or the EU that he envisages. One even gets the impression that Serbia has already become a member of the Visegrád Group.

But can progress that’s limited by threats and violence against journalists really be progress?

The ‘certain progress’ in the economy is less logically problematic, but this is still a long way from a functioning market economy.

Transition is apparently a permanent state, with statistical relapses prolonging longterm inefficiency. Little progress has been made with the judiciary. Incendiary rhetoric continues to persist in the public sphere, with the political climate still polarised, while on the other side, paradoxically, the interparty dialogue is seen as being aimed at reaching a broad party consensus on EU-related reforms, which is ‘of crucial importance to the country’s progress on the road to the EU’.

In a state of well-rehearsed simulations and role playing, one gets the impression that last year’s EC progress report was much more critical than this new one. But that is only the impression, as we’ve already said – it is a matter of perception, but also more skilful reading on the part of the authorities.

It seems as though everyone – both the government and the opposition, and Serbia as a whole – is “encouraged”, comforted by the recommendation that two more clusters be opened. It is as if there is an emergence of nostalgia for Štefan Füle, who was perhaps the best when it came to his ability to beautifully ‘encourage’ us. If you’ve forgotten about him, he was once the commissioner for something that was still called “enlargement”, and which many believed in... at least in Serbia.

Interview Exclusive

LILYANA PAVLOVA

VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK (EIB)

Determined To Help

The Region’s Green Transformation The Western Balkan region needs to become part of the solution to both challenges – the pandemic and climate change. To achieve this objective, we need to remodel the way we think, live and do business. As part of Team Europe, the EIB is scaling up its support for sustainable growth in the Western Balkans.

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TRANSFORMATION

The EIB will intensify its collaboration with all key partners in the public and private sectors to roll out the major projects and financial products that are so essential to economic transformation

A

s the pandemic continues to ravage the economies of the Western Balkans, concerns about the long-term negative impacts of the crisis remain. The recovery is taking place gradually and we will only see the full impact of COVID-19, compounded by the effects of climate change, in the years to come. The green and digital transition provides some light at the end of the tunnel, reassuring us that we, and future generations, will be able to continue benefiting from natural resources and living in the familiar environment to which we are accustomed.

We discussed these important topics with Lilyana Pavlova, Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) responsible for the Western Balkan region. She gave us the perspective of the European Union’s bank when it comes to addressing challenges of the green and digital transition, but also recovery after COVID-19. How do you see the future development of the Western Balkan region? What are the opportunities for growth and what will be the role of the European Investment Bank in ensuring economic progress?

The Western Balkans needs to become part of the solution to both challenges – the pandemic and climate change. To achieve this objective, we need to remodel the way we think, live and do business. Economic and social paradigms from the pre-COVID era should be replaced with a greener, digital and inclusive model that is able to ensure sustainable growth and equal opportunities for all. These goals are part of the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans, which envisages the mobilisation of up to €30 billion in investments in a greener and more sustainable future.

At the recent EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, the President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer, reiterated the EIB’s support for the region’s EU integration, its sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the digitalisation of the regional market, in line with the EIP and the Team Europe initiative.

SUSTAINABILITY

The EIB is looking forward to contributing to the financing of the Railway Corridor X in Serbia, as a key sustainable transport project across the entire Western Balkan region

DIGITALISATION

We want to stimulate the digitalisation process by supporting the introduction of the 5G network, the upgrade of existing infrastructure and the increased availability of digital skills

Although the Plan provides an excellent incentive by potentially leveraging up to €30 billion of new investments, its success will depend on the determination of all parties involved to seize the existing opportunities and remain on the path to EU accession by supporting the associated reforms. This will result in the faster preparation of strategic projects and the creation of a stable business environment. As one of the key financiers of the Plan, the EIB is working with the European Commission, as well as

As the EU climate bank, the EIB plans to help the Western Balkans achieve its climate goals and undergo a green transition that will enhance the resilience of the local economy and provide better living conditions for people across the region other international financial institutions in the region, on an extensive pipeline of investments to support the Green Agenda, the digital transition, connectivity and small and medium-sized enterprises. Targeted impact financing is one of the options being rolled out. In parallel, the EIB – as the EU bank – is also looking forward to scaling up its advisory support for preparing and implementing projects that will assist a faster recovery of the region and its adjustment to the new scenario created by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. We can see that environmental pollution and climate change are among the biggest challenges for countries in the Western Balkans, which have started to impact our

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Interview Exclusive The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of quality digital connections, both for our private and professional activities, but also for the competitiveness of the economy. Are there some EIB investments aimed at helping the countries of the region upgrade their digital infrastructure and skills?

lives on a daily basis. Which steps would the EIB propose when it comes to making this region greener and less polluted?

The Economic and Investment Plan goes beyond transport and energy to look at the broader digital and green agendas. As the EU climate bank, the EIB plans to help the Western Balkans achieve its climate goals and undergo a green transition that will enhance the resilience of the local economy and provide better living conditions for people across the region. Since the start of 2021, the EIB’s policy has been to only support operations that are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, as it aspires to make Europe the first net zero-carbon continent. As part of its Climate Bank Roadmap, the EIB is the first international financial institution to publish a detailed operational interpretation of its alignment. Our commitment to allocating 50 per cent of our lending to climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025, as well as mobilising up to €1 trillion for these categories of projects, confirms our ambition to lead the fight against climate change.

The Western Balkans will not be left behind and the EIB has already started the process with concrete, climate-friendly investments, while also developing new projects in the areas of environmental sustainability, renewable energy, agrifood, environment protection and sustainable transport. In sustainable mobility,

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The EIB has already started supporting the improvement of digital infrastructure in Serbia by investing €65 million in the Connected Schools Project, while we plan to roll out similar projects throughout the region. This project will enable over 1,500 schools and some 50,000 teachers to increase their digital capacities by developing skills and educational platforms the EIB is already supporting the improvement of waterway, rail and urban transport projects across the Western Balkans. These initiatives should reduce environmental pollution and improve living conditions for people across the region.

Digitalisation is key for employment and longterm economic stability in the region. The EIB Investment Survey indicates that the Western Balkans is facing a digitalisation gap, although about a fifth of firms increased their online business activity during the COVID-19 crisis.

EU firms also lag behind their U.S. peers when it comes to digitalisation. Only 66% of manufacturing firms in the European Union report having adopted at least one digital technology, compared to 78% in the United States. As such, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and the public sector in digitalising their products and services is a vital prerequisite for the long-term competitiveness and resilience of the local economy.

We want to stimulate the digitalisation process by supporting the introduction of the 5G network, the upgrade of existing infrastructure and the increased availability of digital skills. Globally, our financing has helped boost new digital business models, launch 60 satellites providing broadband internet into space and pave the way to 2.6 million subscriptions for 5G services in 2020. The EIB has already started supporting the improvement of digital infrastructure in Serbia by investing €65 million in the Connected Schools Project, while we plan to roll out similar projects throughout the region. This project will enable over 1,500 schools and some 50,000 teachers to increase their digital capacities by developing skills and educational platforms.

The digital transition is also an essential factor for innovation in development, the knowledgebased economy and more sustainable and greener solutions in all sectors. The EIB Group has been at the forefront of innovation and advanced research for decades. Since 2000, it has allocated €210 billion to innovative studies that tackle many of the social and economic challenges we are facing today.

In the region, our €200 million in R&D investment has helped develop platforms and infrastructure for innovation, benefiting the academic community and the economy alike.

These funds helped build advanced research laboratories and innovation centres, providing overall logistical support for the development and marketing of new, technologically-advanced products and services.

A stronger private sector, as a key provider of employment, is an essential factor in the successful recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. What kind of support do the region’s SMEs need to retain their businesses and adapt to the new circumstances caused by COVID-19?

The EIB Bank Lending Survey indicates that access to finance remains a constraint for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Western Balkans, where about 34% of firms are credit-constrained, ranging from 18% in Albania to 47% in Montenegro, mostly due to unfavourable interest rates.

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIB granted additional flexibility and introduced exceptional measures to speed up the disbursement of new and existing funds, especially for the companies hardest hit. For the private sector alone, some €715 million has been unlocked since the COVID-19 outbreak to help small businesses in the Western Balkans address their liquidity, working capital and employment constraints.

EIB funds are available under more favourable conditions, with increased maturities and lower interest rates, in order to help the hardest hit firms not only stay afloat and maintain jobs, but also recover faster, expand and adapt to greener and digital business models.

For these purposes, we are seeking new financial instruments that would accelerate these

efficient and climate-friendly practices among companies in Montenegro.

The EIB Bank Lending Survey indicates that access to finance remains a constraint for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Western Balkans, where about 34% of firms are credit-constrained, ranging from 18% in Albania to 47% in Montenegro, mostly due to unfavourable interest rates processes. In 2020, the EIB Group signed the first guarantee agreement under a pilot digitalisation programme to enable Serbian companies to expand their digital capacity. During the same year, the EIB introduced the first ever innovative impact incentive loan aimed at encouraging and rewarding companies that decide to employ people from vulnerable social groups on a longterm basis and support women’s entrepreneurship.

Moving forward, the EIB intends to sign new loans to support the introduction of energy-

All these initiatives require substantial support and the inclusion of all relevant practises to get things rolling. What is the EIB’s approach to addressing these issues?

Looking ahead, the EIB will intensify its collaboration with all key partners in the public and private sectors, in order to roll out the major projects and financial products that are so essential to economic transformation. It will extend its support beyond financing to policy dialogue, capacity building and progress in the core rights and obligations that bind EU member states.

An important example of this approach is the first ever Western Balkans Rail Summit, which was jointly organised recently by the European Investment Bank, the Transport Community, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Commission.

This summit marked a major step forward in the modernisation of the railway network across the region. This important, greener and smarter transport model is vital for reducing air pollution and facilitating the shift to cleaner mobility options. The EIB is looking forward to contributing to the financing of the Railway Corridor X in Serbia, as a key sustainable transport project across the entire Western Balkan region.

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Interview

H.E. AMR ALJOWAILY

AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT TO SERBIA

Aspiring For

New Horizons

Vrnjačka Banja, Niška Banja and Sokobanja received their first groups of tourists from Egypt this summer, with much appreciation from the three municipalities. I was happy to accompany them and meet with the three mayors during these visits. So, tourism is now an important ‘industry’ for cooperation between our two countries ~ Amr Aljowaily

A

s he prepares to complete his term in Belgrade, Egyptian Ambassador Aljowaily says that he’s satisfied with the new quality ascribed to relations between Egypt and Serbia. Speaking in this interview for CorD Magazine, the ambassador confirms that initiatives aimed at strengthening economic cooperation will receive a new boost at the end of this year, when there should be sessions of the Joint Committee

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for Economic Cooperation and the Joint Business Council.When it comes to political relations, in which recognition for the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo imposes itself as one of the key issues, Ambassador Aljowaily says: “Egypt fully supports the peaceful resolution of international conflicts and disputes, with full respect for the principles and rules of international law and the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations”.

Your Excellency, given that you are approaching the end of your term in Serbia, what would you say to summarise the years that you’ve spent in Belgrade?

‘Planting seeds’ for bilateral machinery and ‘early harvesting’ activities pretty much summarise my four years in Belgrade. We have established a solid base of cooperation in all fields, through the negotiating of an array of agreements and

By Ljubica Gojgić

BILATERAL RELATIONS

I am confident that our work over the last four years has yielded results that earn more than a passing grade. When we speak about ‘pioneering activities’, we mean undertakings that are innovative in method and creative in substance

memoranda of understanding that are now ripe for signing at the next high level bilateral meeting.

While it has taken incredible time and effort to coordinate the drafting of such legal texts, given the bureaucratic necessities on both sides, once formalised these bilateral mechanisms will enable the technical cooperation between the two sides to hit the ground running. These seeds have been genetically ensured to require little nurturing in order to yield results, given their careful crafting and diverse enriching.

Investing time and effort in the constructing of these foundations didn’t prevent us from undertaking activities and projects in the more immediate term. An unprecedented exchange of high-level visits, a diverse set of cultural and economic activities and an extended range of communication at the societal level provided the fuel that kept the engine running while the road of legal infrastructure was being constructed to expand our cooperation to encompass new fields and aspiring for new horizons. Has the pandemic caused a slowdown in the pace of the development of bilateral relations between Egypt and Serbia, which you announced would experience “many pioneering activities” in the interview you gave back in 2018? What have you managed to implement?

First, I am impressed that your question reflects a methodology of ‘monitoring and evaluating’ earlier statements and interviews. We should encourage such evaluations by setting benchmarks and designing measuring sticks for our diplomatic activity. I am confident that our work over the last four years has yielded results that earn more than a passing grade. When we speak about ‘pioneering activities’, we mean undertakings that are innovative in method and creative in substance. I would argue that the diplomatic projects initiated in political, military, economic and cultural fields meet – if not exceed – these requirements. If we are to cite

NAM

The NAM produces a valuable ‘literature’ adopted by its summits and ministerial meetings, and developed at the expert level, which guides and enriches the outcomes of multilateral meetings

a few examples, the three main coastal regions of Egypt (Alexandria, South Sinai and the Red Sea) now have sister city status with counterpart regions in Serbia. Provincial twinning has extended beyond the traditional dimension of cultural cooperation to include high-level trade and investment delegations knocking on the doors of economic cooperation by reaching out to the regional level, far beyond the centralised role of capitals and intergovernmental machinery. While facing the pandemic restrictions, hybrid activities enabled the engagement of national actors from

‘Planting seeds’ for bilateral machinery and ‘early harvesting’ activities pretty much summarise my four years in Belgrade. We have established a solid base of cooperation in all fields, through the negotiating of an array of agreements and memoranda of understanding that are now ripe for signing at the next high level bilateral meeting the homeland, reinforced by a presence in the field from embassies. The necessity of physical distancing was a blessing in disguise that enabled virtual rapprochement. By being the national guest of honour at the Tourism and Book fairs, the African Durbar Event and the Archaeological Film Festival, we raised awareness of such signature activities in both countries, as well as networking experts from both sides.

UN

If the UN didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. The UN is unique in being the only international organisation that combines universal membership with a comprehensive mandate

During his visit to Egypt this summer, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković discussed the possibility of organising sessions of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation and the Joint Business Council by the end of this year, in an effort to advance cooperation between our two countries. Is that plan being realised?

As we said, the network of legal instruments is being finalised, while the protocol of the committee is being drafted. We are now waiting for the best timing to convene the joint mechanism. The two co-chairs of the Joint Business Council have finally been named. A virtual conference between them is now being coordinated. We have used the time well for substantive cooperation to further reinforce the expected results of the meeting when convened. Many Serbian tourists visited Egyptian resorts again this summer. In your capacity as ambassador, you’ve advocated for the establishment of a direct Belgrade-Cairo flight. Will this remain your unfulfilled desire?

Well, that desire was finally fulfilled when the direct Belgrade-Cairo flight was resumed after almost 14 years of suspension. The COVID-19 situation forced a suspension of several flights for Air Serbia, one of which was the Cairo route.

We are in constant contact with Air Serbia, so we can together reflect on how to overcome the challenges of the pandemic world to recommence this direct flight. We are also working on other fronts. Air Cairo has maintained direct flights with Hurghada throughout the year, and during his visit to Belgrade this July, its chairman announced plans to launch direct flights to Sharm El Sheikh from Belgrade and that the airline is exploring plans for Niš. I have conducted and facilitated many meetings in the civil aviation field, with the aim of further expanding the network of flights and routes between the two countries. I look forward to positive results in this regard.

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Interview applied; the second is to enhance the network of flights, including by resuming direct routes between the capitals – taking into consideration the fact that the population of Cairo alone exceeds 20 million; and the third is to run a promotion campaign to raise awareness about Serbia as a tourist destination. Belgrade last month hosted a summit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement. What impressions did you take away from that event?

There were a number of impressions at different levels. At the level of logistics, it was impressive to see the efficient organisation by the host state, Serbia, despite the challenges of the pandemic. At the level of representation, it was gratifying to see the level and size of participation. At a substantive level, it was inspiring to listen to the ideas expressed regarding the continuing relevance of the NAM principles and purposes. As the ambassador of a founding country of the Non-Aligned Movement, how do you view the Movement’s significance today?

You’ve also spoken about Egyptian interest in investing in tourism in Serbia, with an emphasis on spa tourism. Are there any indications that such ideas will be implemented?

Well, there are more than indications. Concrete results have been achieved. Serbia has well-established knowhow in medical-related and wellness tourism, from which new Egyptian spas can benefit. In fact, one leading company in Egypt that’s developing a major resort of this kind in the Sinai has already signed a technical cooperation agreement with the house of expertise in Vrnjčka Banja, while Niška Banja and Sokobanja are also invited to join the Mayor of Niš’s delegation to Sharm El Sheikh this November.

Actually, these three destinations received the first groups of tourists from Egypt this summer, with much appreciation from the three municipalities. I was happy to accompany them and meet with the three mayors during those visits. So, tourism is now

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We continue to support the ongoing direct dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. Our voting pattern in international organisations remains unchanged and is based on a principled position an important ‘industry’ for cooperation between our two countries.

However, in order for tourism from Egypt to increase, I invite the authorities to work on three parallel tracks: the first is to smoothen the visa regulations through group tourist arrangements and other facilitations with all necessary guarantees

Well, we just saw how the discourse of the Belgrade commemorative meeting demonstrated the conviction of its members regarding the Movement’s continuing relevance, as applicable to the founding purposes and principles. We can add to this the fact that the NAM produces a valuable ‘literature’ adopted by its summits and ministerial meetings, and developed at the expert level, which guides and enriches the outcomes of multilateral meetings. This is particularly significant in the domain of disarmament and international security, on the one hand, and peacekeeping and peacebuilding, on the other.

In fact, the top ten troop contributing countries to the UN’s multidimensional peacekeeping missions have continuously been from NAM member countries. This is a significant contribution to world stability. And it has not been without cost. Indeed, men and women in uniform from NAM countries have continuously sacrificed their lives in support of these peace missions. This is a valuable contribution to international peace and security, one that should be recognised and valued by the international community as a whole.

I tried to capture some of the examples in a chapter entitled “Adjusting the NAM to New Global Realities: Employing Institutional Memory and exploring Best Practices” in a book that was

published this year by the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade. I also invite all readers to consult the valuable CorD special edition published on the same occasion, where I was also pleased to provide Egypt’s contribution. You’ve stated that the multilateral system, which has the United Nations at its heart, is an Egyptian foreign policy priority.

How would you comment on the commonplace opinion that both the NAM and the UN have lost their power and significance, and that geopolitics is often conducted beyond the framework of the UN?

If the UN didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.

The UN is unique in being the only international organisation that combines universal membership with a comprehensive mandate. Its three pillars of work – in international peace and security, economic development, environment and climate change, and human rights, humanitarian and social issues – are indispensable for a stable, secure and prosperous world. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive to strengthen the UN. In fact, issues of reform are high on the agenda of Egypt’s role in this global organisation, further supporting the African Common Position and other regional and transregional initiatives to which Egypt belongs. With the end of your term in sight, could you clarify Egypt’s stance on the independence of Kosovo? The authorities in Priština have announced fresh attempts for Kosovo to join international organisations like UNESCO and Interpol. What position will Egypt take if it comes to a vote?

Egypt fully supports the peaceful resolution of international conflicts and disputes, with full respect for the principles and rules of international law and the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations. Political solutions reign first. We continue to support the ongoing direct dialogue between Belgrade and Priština. Our voting pattern in international organisations remains unchanged and is based on a principled position. Our position is a source of appreciation that we have received warmly from all relevant parties. Growing relations with Serbia are a testimony to the validity of our stances in this regard. Could you provide more details about the recent discussions between the Egyptian

We are committed to the implementation of what was agreed upon during the Egypt-Libya Joint Higher Commission, held in Cairo last September, in order to achieve further cooperation between the two countries, and serve the mutual interests of the two brotherly peoples in light of the multiple bonds, common objective and shared destiny that bind them and Russian foreign ministers and the proposal that the two countries engage more actively to support peacekeeping operations in neighbouring Libya?

Egypt is committed to the stability of the neighbouring brotherly Libya. We are engaged in all the relevant regional and multilateral processes aimed at finding a lasting political solution to the situation in Libya. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry conducted a visit to the Libyan capital,

Tripoli, to participate in the Conference in Support of the Stability of Libya, held on 21st October. Egypt affirmed its utmost keenness to support brotherly Libya within the framework of bilateral relations in a manner that fulfils Libyan aspirations for a better future, and contributes to the restoring of Libya’s security, stability, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

We are committed to the implementation of what was agreed upon during the Egypt-Libya Joint Higher Commission, held in Cairo last September, in order to achieve further cooperation between the two countries, and serve the mutual interests of the two brotherly peoples in light of the multiple bonds, common objective and shared destiny that bind them.

In response to your question, I would point out that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met this month with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev. They discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in light of the deep-rooted and diverse ties binding Cairo and Moscow, in addition to exploring a number of international and regional issues that are of interest to both countries. The meeting also tackled a number of international and regional issues of mutual concern, mainly the situation in Libya and enhancing various endeavours that would lead to a comprehensive political settlement, wherein Minister Shoukry stressed Egypt’s support for the political roadmap approved by the Libyans and the necessity for the departure of all foreign forces and the ending of any foreign presence on Libyan territories.

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GLOBAL DIARY

“The political decision makers who will meet at COP26 in Glasgow are urgently summoned to provide effective responses to the present ecological crisis” – POPE FRANCIS

AUSTRIA’S ALEXANDER SCHALLENBERG SWORN IN AS CHANCELLOR AFTER SEBASTIAN KURTZ QUITS Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg was sworn in as chancellor after fellow conservative Sebastian Kurz stepped down as Austria’s leader in the face of corruption allegations, to keep the ruling coalition with the Greens alive.

Schallenberg was sworn in at a ceremony in President Alexander van der Bellen’s office along with his successor as foreign minister, Michael Linhart, who like Schallenberg is a career diplomat and had been serving as ambassador to France.

MERKEL TO BRING LIKELY SUCCESSOR TO G20 TALKS German Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited her likely successor Finance Minister Olaf Scholz to join bilateral discussions with other world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit this weekend, a German government official said.

The three German parties working to form a new coalition government aim to wrap up their talks by the end of November and hope to elect Social Democrat Scholz as the new chancellor in the week of Dec. 6, party officials said last week. The fact that Merkel and Scholz will take part in the summit together is a sign of continuity in Germany’s approach to the G20, the government official said.

IRAN AGREED TO RETURN TO NUCLEAR TALKS Iran will resume talks with six world powers before the end of November, its top negotiator said, seeking to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.

“Had a very serious & constructive dialogue with Enrique Mora on the essential elements for successful negotiations. We agree to start negotiations before the end of November,” Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani wrote on Twitter following meetings with EU officials in Brussels.

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November

“I have instructed Gazprom, a natural gas company, to pump more supplies into the EU” – VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

TURKEY REVERSES THREAT TO EXPEL EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backtracked on an earlier threat to expel 10 foreign ambassadors. “We believe that these ambassadors, who have fulfilled their commitment to Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, will now be more careful in their statements,” he said in televised remarks following a three-hour Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

The 10 ambassadors had called for the release of businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala — jailed in 2017 despite having not having been convicted of a crime — in a joint statement last week. Erdogan had said that the statement was an “impudence” and ordered the ambassadors to be declared persona non grata.

RUSSIA SUSPENDS ITS MISSION TO NATO Russia’s foreign minister said that the country is suspending its mission to NATO. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the move is in response to last week’s expulsion by NATO of eight members of Russia’s mission to the military alliance.

NATO said that they were secretly working as intelligence officers and halved the size of Moscow’s team able to work at its headquarters. Lavrov also announced that NATO’s military liaison and information offices in Moscow would be closed.

REMOTE BRITISH ISLAND THAT REMAINS UNTOUCHED BY COVID Located some 1,200 miles (2,000 km) west of the African nation of Angola, and 2,500 miles east of Brazil, St Helena has a population of around 4,500 people, and is 47 sq miles (121 sq km) in size. To put that into context, it has about the same landmass as Jersey in the Channel Islands.

St Helena’s claim to fame since March 2020, is that it remains one of only a handful of places on Planet Earth to have not reported a single case of coronavirus.

November

17

Focus

IN WHICH DIRECTION IS THE SERBIAN LABOUR MARKET CHANGING?

The Problem Isn’t That People Are Leaving.

The Problem Is That They Have No Reason To Return

Major changes have hit the Serbian labour market, which can be seen in the shortage of personnel for both complex and simple jobs. Although different approaches to solving this problem exist, they aren’t supported by a clear overview of the situation and systematic considerations about how the workforce of the future should look.

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he Vienna Institute for International Comparative Studies recently announced that the economies of Central and Southeast Europe are recovering faster than expected, while at the same time a labour shortage trend is beginning to be felt again. It is evident both in the area of highly educated workers and when it comes to workers who have completed a lower level of education. Will we resolve the accentuated shortage of labour

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in Serbia through automation or importing lacking workers? Will we only entice cheap labour from underdeveloped countries or will we become an attractive destination for digital nomads? Is it possible to achieve circular migration in Serbia? These are some of the questions that have been relevant in Serbia for a long time, and which will only come to the attention of the public as demographic aging advances and people continue to leave the country.

JELENA BULATOVIĆ

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SERBIAN ASSOCIATION OF MANAGERS, SAM

WE MUST DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MIGRATION WE WANT AUTOMATION WILL INCREASINGLY BE ON THE RISE, NOT ONLY AS PART OF PROGRESS AND ADVANCEMENT, BUT RATHER AS A RESULT OF THE NEED TO RESOLVE THE SHORTAGES IN SOME OCCUPATIONS. IT IS THUS NO EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT WE WILL HAVE ROBOTS IN THE FIELDS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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he Serbian labour market is suffering from the consequences of global trends. The brain drain is a global phenomenon that’s being faced by most countries around the world. From this region, young people want to go to the EU; from some European countries, young people want to go to the U.S. etc. Moreover, Serbia has unfavourable demographic trends, and demography impacts on the labour market and the economy, and vice versa. We have a low birth rate, high mortality and a high level of emigration, all of which impact negatively on the labour market.

We already have occupations that are in short supply, not only when it comes to highly qualified personnel in the field of IT, such as data scientists and data analysts, but also when it comes to jobs like traders, warehousemen, forklift drivers, as well as workers for various occupations in construction and agriculture. The cost of labour for these occupations is on the rise on the market, while the economy is turning to some other solutions when it comes to staff shortages, such as automation and the importing of labour, which are already evident on the market.

We are witnessing, for example, that we already have foreign workers in the construction sector, while automation will also increasingly be on the rise, not only as part of progress and SWITZERLAND TOPS THE LIST OF COUNTRIES advancement, but rather as a result of the need to resolve the WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION AND GLOBAL shortages in some occupations. It is not a complete hyperbole COMPETITIVENESS, REPRESENTING AN EXCELto suggest that, for instance, if we don’t have enough workers for LENT EXAMPLE OF ACTIVELY DEALING WITH THE some jobs, say in agriculture, that we will have robots working in the fields in the near future.

BRAIN DRAIN TOPIC Serbia must choose as a society the direction it wants to go when it comes to circular migrations. And that direction will determine whether we will import cheap labour or high-quality workers and digital nomads. We already have initiatives that encourage and ease the return of our diaspora to the country, and as a country we shouldn’t prevent young people who want to go abroad to study. Instead of that, we should create such a society that compels them, after a certain period of time there, to want to return to the country. I’ve always found the example of Switzerland interesting, where they identified the brain drain problem 20 years ago and worked intensively to reverse the trend. Their model has shown that investing in innovative professions leads to faster economic development, the growth of competitiveness and improved living standards, and this ensures that the country has become more attractive for young and old to stay in or return to the country, while attracting other, high-quality workers from other countries. Switzerland tops the list of countries when it comes to innovation and global competitiveness, and I think it represents an excellent example of actively dealing with the brain drain topic. I would like us, as a country, to head in that direction and feel the positive effects of circular migrations.

November

19

Focus

IN WHICH DIRECTION IS THE SERBIAN LABOUR MARKET CHANGING?

MARINA RAKIĆ HR DIRECTOR, MK GROUP

WE FIGHT FOR OUR TALENTED PEOPLE A LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS IN SERBIA ARE ALREADY IMPORTING LABOUR TO FILL LOWER POSITIONS. AT THE SAME TIME, AUTOMATION PROCESSES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED THAT DON’T NECESSARILY IMPLY A REDUCTION IN THE WORKFORCE, BUT RATHER ALSO THE RE-EDUCATING OF THE EXISTING WORKFORCE FOR NEW JOBS.

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he search for a high-quality workforce has always been topical. The aim of every employer is to find the best candidates on the market, to motivate and retain them. Over the past 20 years, however, a real struggle for talent has been playing out on the global market, and for several reasons. The liberalisation of the world market has led to greater movements of people seeking attractive jobs. Digitalisation has led to the disappearance of some jobs, but also to the emergence of new positions that didn’t even exist until recently. Furthermore, we have seen an acceleration of business processes and faster cycles of change, which in turn leads to more frequent transformations within organisations. From the perspective of human resources, the departure of people to attractive markets has made it more difficult to find people for a large number of positions, while digitalisation has led to people with completely new knowhow and skills being sought. With competition greater than ever before, people’s costs are also rising year-onyear. Serbia, like all other countries, is not excluded from this global process.

When it comes to the further direction, companies must primarily invest more in their own workforce and follow trends that make them an attractive employer. At MK Group, we strive to THE BEST WAY FOR ANY EMPLOYER TO HANDLE secure not only adequate earnings, but also education, training and other benefits for employees, as well as to work continuTHESE CHALLENGES IS TO INVEST IN PEOPLE, IN ously to build an organisational culture that supports innovation THE BROADEST SENSE, AND IN A CULTURE THAT and growth.

SUPPORTS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Modern business operations require companies to encourage people to develop, but also to provide them with opportunities to learn continuously and gain new experiences. I will mention that MK Group has, among other things, just implemented its one-year Digital Academy project, and we will continue with this practise in the years ahead. This project has been conceived with the aim of developing talent and improving the knowhow and experience of employees. During the nine months that the Digital Academy lasted, seven of the most talented experts from the MK Group system had an opportunity, through nine modules, to acquaint themselves with the most modern technology in agriculture, to operate drones, but also to improve their agronomic knowledge and managerial skills through training in project management, business processes and financial management.

Viewed on the whole, large migrations of populations are inevitable, which is why a large number of employers in Serbia are already importing labour for lower positions. Although we are just at the beginning, there is every chance that this process will continue and accelerate. In parallel with that, automation processes are being implemented that don’t necessarily imply a reduction in the workforce, but rather also the re-educating of the existing workforce for new jobs. That’s actually why it’s important to have understanding and to build your own personnel and talented workers.

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MIHAIL ARANDARENKO

PH.D., PROFESSOR, FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE

CIRCULAR MIGRATIONS ARE OUR REALITY PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY LEAVING SERBIA, BUT THEY ARE SPENDING MUCH LESS TIME ABROAD. TEMPORARY WORK ABROAD IS A FAR GREATER CAUSE OF LABOUR SHORTAGES THAN PERMANENT EMIGRATIONS FROM THE COUNTRY. OUR TEMPORARY AND CIRCULAR EMIGRANTS MOSTLY GENERATE THEIR EARNINGS OUTSIDE SERBIA, THEN SPEND THEM IN THE COUNTRY. THAT HAS ITS POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS, BUT IT IS ALREADY OUR REALITY.

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emand for labour has long been increasing under the influence of economic growth and investments, primarily in construction, industry and IT services. On the other hand, the supply of labour is decreasing, mostly due to a rapid decline in the working age population as a result of the large Baby Boom generation retiring, but also as a result of increased labour migration. As such, the biggest labour market problem in this decade won’t be unemployment, as it was in the past, but rather an increase in the quality of jobs.

Serbia isn’t leading the way on technological development, nor are our labour costs at a level that would mean that automation could seriously jeopardise employment over the medium term.

On the other hand, current labour shortages in sectors that are CURRENT LABOUR SHORTAGES IN SECTORS THAT recording expansion, such as construction and some services, ARE RECORDING EXPANSION, SUCH AS CONare already a reality, but that will continue to predominantly relate to temporary migrant workers with modest qualifications and no STRUCTION AND SOME SERVICES, ARE ALREADY lasting aspirations to migrate.

A REALITY, BUT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PREDigital nomads are another story. They are an attractive DOMINANTLY RELATE TO TEMPORARY MIGRANT phenomenon that draws attention, but their number is not, and WORKERS WITH MODEST QUALIFICATIONS AND cannot be, large. Apart from that, they are by definition an unstable and fickle grouping. Many countries have already introduced NO LASTING ASPIRATIONS TO MIGRATE. benefits similar to ours, competition is strong among attractive European cities, so attracting digital nomads can’t be built into some more serious strategy for the development of human resources.

On the other hand, circular labour migrations are already the predominant reason why our people head abroad. That wasn’t the case until around 2015. When we look at data on the total number of emigrants from Serbia in the main recipient countries, they are mostly stable countries that are not growing or are growing slowly. On the other hand, the number of emigrants leaving Serbia over the course of a single year was increasing steadily and rapidly until the outbreak of the pandemic, almost tripling over the past decade. In other words, people are increasingly leaving Serbia, but they are spending much less time abroad.

Temporary work abroad is a far greater cause of labour shortages than permanent emigrations from the country. For example, in 2019, more than 60,000 of our citizens received residence permits in the EU for the first time, while at the same time around 50,000 of them – not necessarily the same individuals – returned to the country. Thus, net emigration to the EU was perhaps only 5,000-10,000, but the number of those working outside Serbia for most of the year probably exceeded 40,000. Our temporary and circular emigrants mostly generate their earnings outside Serbia, then spend them in the country. That has its positive and negative aspects, but it is already our reality.

November

21

Focus

IN WHICH DIRECTION IS THE SERBIAN LABOUR MARKET CHANGING?

MILOŠ TURINSKI PR MANAGER, INFOSTUD

UNEMPLOYMENT IS A THING OF THE PAST THE LABOUR MARKET HAS SHORTAGES IN TWO DIRECTIONS. THE FIRST IS CERTAINLY THE IT FIELD, WHILE THE SECOND ENCOMPASSES SEMI-SKILLED OCCUPATIONS WHERE THE WORKERS REQUIRED FOR MANY POSITIONS ARE VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT. AND THIS HAS LED TO THE IMPORTING OF LABOUR, PRIMARILY FROM ASIA AND AFRICA. THIS SITUATION IS CURRENTLY MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN IT COMES TO DELIVERY SERVICES.

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ver the past 10 years, under the influence of digitalisation, Serbia’s labour market has changed rapidly. Various situations and trends, but also new generations, impacted on the emergence of new occupations, but also the slow “die out” of old occupations. The situation with the pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation process even further, thus imposing mandatory qualifications that candidates are expected to possess, such as basic digital literacy.

On the other hand, the labour market that used to have a high level of unemployment now has shortages in two directions. The first is certainly the IT field, which has had a problem with personnel shortages for years, particularly mid-level and senior personnel, while the second direction encompasses semi-skilled occupations, such as crafts, where the workers required for many positions are virtually non-existent. Here we are mostly talking about construction and hospitality profesA DEVASTATING STATISTIC IS THAT AS MANY sions, but also jobs like car mechanics, plumbers, hairdressers AS 83% OF RESPONDENTS IN A JOINT UNDPand even warehouse workers.

Such a situation has started leading employers to import laINFOSTUD SURVEY ARE CONSIDERING MOVING bour, primarily from Asia and Africa, in order to meet their staff- ABROAD, THOUGH THE POSITIVE ASPECT OF THIS ing needs. This situation is currently most noticeable when it STORY IS THAT ONLY 23% OF THEM ARE ACTIVELY comes to delivery services. In parallel with this, the IT industry WORKING ON DOING SO is also turning to foreign countries in response to its inability to identify high-quality personnel (most commonly senior staff), so in recent years there has been ever more discussion of digital nomads as a potential solution. According to research conducted by the Digital Serbia Initiative, although Belgrade tops the list of European cities where digital nomads stay, it is necessary to work on creating better conditions to entice as many digital nomads as possible.

When it comes to circular migration, research conducted earlier this year by UNDP and Infostud, via a survey and analysis of job advertisements, yielded the devastating statistic that as many as 83% of respondents are considering moving abroad, though the positive aspect of this story is that only 23% of them are actively working on doing so. On the other hand, something that we can still see as a positive aspect is that young people stressed that they would only go abroad to study, after which they would return to apply all the knowledge they’ve acquired on our market. Most of those who would leave the country permanently are people who are already active on the Serbian labour market and have amassed more than 10 years of work experience.

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SARITA BRADASH

RESEARCHER AT THE CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY FOUNDATION, CDF

NOBODY IS CHASING A BAD LIFE FOR WHOM COULD SERBIA BE AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION WHEN IT HAS THE LOWEST EARNINGS IN EUROPE, WHICH DON’T EVEN ALLOW THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYED CITIZENS IN THIS COUNTRY TO MAKE ENDS MEET WITHOUT STRUGGLING?

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rom the aspect of basic labour market indicators (rates of employment, unemployment, activity and inactivity), we are certainly recording improvements. However, one should bear in mind that the increase in employment rates is largely a result of a reduction in the working age population. Compared to 2014, there are 361,600 fewer workers.

On the other hand, the improvement of indicators is mirrored by a decrease in the quality of employment: the share of employees with permanent contracts is decreasing; the share of precarious employment (self-employed and helpers of household members) is extremely high; hundreds of thousands of people work in the informal sector, while most employees don’t earn sufficient funds to ensure a decent standard of living.

When it comes to ways to resolve the labour shortage problem, we should consider that there has been no relevant research in Serbia on occupations that are lacking, nor are forecasts of future needs conducted. However, I don’t believe that automation could be an option – not only because of the structure of the economy (where low and medium-low technology activities dominate), but rather also because of the low level of business sector investment in research. AccordDESPITE THE GENERAL IMPROVING OF LABOUR ing to Eurostat data, such investments amounted to just €23 MARKET INDICATORS, THE UNFAVOURABLE per capita in 2019, which is 50 times less than investments in POSITION OF WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IS Sweden, 15 times less than in Slovenia, seven times less than in Hungary and half the level of investment in Bulgaria. With NOT CHANGING. IF WE COMPARE SERBIA TO EU regard to the “import” of labour, the question that should be COUNTRIES, IT IS STILL LANGUISHING AT THE answered is ‘for whom does Serbia represent an attractive desBOTTOM OF THE SCALE FOR THESE INDICATORS tination when it has the lowest earnings in Europe – earnings that don’t even allow the majority of employed citizens of this country to make ends meet without struggling?’.

Let’s recall that the authorities of this country haven’t even succeeded in finding a solution for their own freelancers, so I don’t see how they would be more successful with nomads.

The fact that you earn more than you spend isn’t the only decisive factor in deciding where you will do business. Quality of life, functioning institutions and the rule of law are just some of the factors influencing such a decision, and each of the factors in that equation has a negative sign in Serbia.

When it comes to achieving a state of circular migration, that depends on several factors. If there is no change when it comes to the reasons why tens of thousands of people leave Serbia every year, it will not be possible to entice those same people to return. Let me remind you of some of those reasons: an inability to find an appropriate and well-paid job; corruption; nepotism; a lack of the rule of law; dysfunctional institutions; poor quality education (from preschool onwards); low quality of healthcare protection.

November

23

FEATURE

WHAT IS BROUGHT BY THE NEW LARGEST ALLOCATION OF IMF SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS?

Gift That Will Most

Delight The Wealthy

The approximately 890 million dollars’ worth of special drawing rights received

by Serbia could be used to fortify foreign exchange reserves, preserve the stability of the financial system, cover budgetary needs or pay off debts ahead of repayment deadlines. And judging by the announcements of the Finance Ministry, Serbia will opt for the latter option 24

November

BY DR DEJAN JOVOVIĆ, Scientific Advisor - Expert on International Finances and full member of the Scientific Society of Economists of Serbia (NDES)

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ugust 2021 saw the completion of the largest general allocation to date of so-called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) – supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets that are defined, maintained and issued by the International Monetary Fund – worth 456.5 billion SDRs ($650 billion).

The figure of $650 billion directed in the form of SDRs will help boost foreign exchange reserves and strengthen confidence in, and the resilience of, the global economy, as well as enabling countries to secure fiscal measures to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IMF has made the general allocation of SDRs to all member countries (190) on the basis of the established rule, in proportion to the level of their national quotas in the IMF, which means that the highest quotas – of around 375 billion dollars – were received by the richest countries that need them the least. Countries with growing economies and developing countries have been allocated $274 billion. Those faring the worst were the poorest countries with the lowest quotas, as has always been the case to date. They received only 21 billion dollars, or around three per cent of total SDRs issued, despite needing SDRs and other financial resources the most and despite having seen their debts grow to a massive total of around 750 billion dollars.

The IMF allocated 627.6 million SDRs to Serbia, which totals approximately 890.2 million dollars, on the basis of the country’s quota, which amounts to 0.14% of all quotas. The Serbian government will decide whether and how to spend the allocated SDRs, which can be used to fortify foreign exchange reserves, make conversions to other currencies, preserve the stability of the financial system, cover budgetary

needs or repay some more expensive debts before they mature.

According to an October 2021 statement given by the new IMF Resident Representative in Serbia (Yulia Ustyugova), Serbian officials have already been shown how to “evaluate the macroeconomic impact of withdrawing these funds and how this could reflect on the sustainability of debts”, and the finance minister then announced that Serbia will use part of the received SDRs to repay obligations on foreign debts that reach maturity in 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the global economic crisis that it caused in 2020, led to the instigating of negotiations on a large issuance of SDRs by the IMF. The U.S. presidential elections of

Although an appeal was made for rich countries – which received almost 400 billion dollars in the latest distribution of SDRs – to renounce at least a quarter of that amount to help poor countries overcome the consequences of the pandemic and conduct universal vaccination programmes, no concrete agreements were reached late 2020 resulted in victory for Joseph Biden, and his administration – unlike Trump’s – didn’t oppose the expanding of the IMF’s resource base through the extensive allocation of SDRs. At that time, another argument emerged favouring the issuing of SDRs, when the World Health Organization opted for the course

of general vaccination, which demands major financial resources. It was impossible for this problem to be solved by developing countries, particularly the poorest ones, despite the IMF attempting to “help” these countries through affordable financial assistance.

The world’s richest countries (primarily the G7 countries) considered the issue of “austerity” and helping the “poor South” to implement universal vaccination programmes, in which a huge number of people need to be vaccinated in countries that don’t have the money to do so. The IMF and G7 calculated that approximately 100 billion dollars needed to be collected for this kind of “humanitarian assistance”, but they failed to reach any agreement. It was thus decided to assist these countries in the “least painful way”, which meant approving new large allocations of SDRs and their dissemination.

An appeal was made for rich countries – which received almost 400 billion dollars in the latest distribution of SDRs – to renounce at least a quarter of that amount to help poor countries overcome the consequences of the pandemic and conduct universal vaccination programmes. However, that appeal was left without a response, with no concrete agreements reached on the mobilisation of 100 billion dollars.

However, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva received G20 support in mid-October 2021 to form a new Trust that will enable wealthy IMF member countries to donate their share of the newly formed SDRs reserves for emergencies to the large number of countries that require help. Writing in a joint statement, financial officials of the G20 countries supported the new Resilience and Sustainability Trust and called on the IMF and the World Bank to “collaborate closely” on the development and implementation of funding under the scope of the new Trust.

The formation of the Trust is intended to solve the problems of the many poor

November

25

FEATURE

WHAT IS BROUGHT BY THE NEW LARGEST ALLOCATION OF IMF SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS?

and middle-income countries that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing them without sufficient funds to prepare for and tackle extreme weather events. Georgieva expects developed economies to reach the goal of transferring about 100 billion dollars of the new SDR allocation to poor countries.

SDRs are distributed by the IMF to the central banks of member countries, which can only use them among themselves and another 15 international financial institutions (prescribed holders).

Countries that intend to utilise SDRs can replace them with “freely usable currencies”, i.e., the world’s five most important currencies that comprise the basket of SDRs currencies, or to find an exchange partner among those countries, and it should be expected that the U.S. will buy the most SDRs. The basket now consists of the U.S. dollar (41.73%), the euro (30.93%), the Chinese renminbi (10.92%), the Japanese yen (8.33%) and the British pound sterling (8.09%). The value of SDRs is determined on a daily basis according to the exchange rate market and is published on the IMF website (one SDR was worth $1.42 in October 2021).

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In order for SDRs to play a greater role in the international monetary system, it is necessary to secure numerous preconditions, to conduct regular allocations and those that are significant in scope, while one of the most important preconditions is to more strongly develop the private SDR market, i.e., for central banks to conduct transactions with private holders in SDRs The IMF assigns members countries interest on its SDRs holding through the net cumulative allocation of these reserve assets (through which rich countries actually subsidise poor countries, lending them funds at extremely low

interest rates), while the member country pays the same amount in charges on SDRs holdings below this allocation, which at present amounts to 0.050%.

If, for example, the entire SDR quota of 890 million dollars received by Serbia was to be exchanged for one of the base currencies, Serbia would pay the IMF approximately 446,000 dollars in the name of costs, as it would have a shortfall of SDRs. SDRs are actually a form of supranational “non-cash money”, which the IMF has the exclusive right to issue and which can only be used for special purposes. This new artificial monetary reserve currencies are called “special” because they don’t have the characteristics of a loan. In contrast to gold and banknotes, SDRs are an artificial form of currency that doesn’t exist physically, but rather only represents accounting money and is not acquired by any payments made by countries to the IMF in national or other currencies, which means that they have the characteristics of a gift.

SDRs are assets that can be used to eliminate a balance of payments deficit in the same way as gold or reserve currencies, which is why they are colloquially referred to as “paper gold” and have the role of a “world currency” that’s fictitious and artificially created as a means of payment in international financial transactions.

So, any country can save, gift or exchange an SDR, which automatically becomes “money” when it is exchanged for a hard currency. For now, SDRs cannot be used to carry out regular trade transactions or make investments.

In order for SDRs to play a greater role in the international monetary system, it is necessary to secure numerous preconditions, to conduct regular allocations and those that are significant in scope, while one of the most important preconditions is to more strongly develop the private SDR market, i.e., for central banks to conduct transactions with private holders in SDRs.

Leaders’ EPSON

Turn Down The Heat One Woman’s Quest to Understand Climate Change

PAGE /28

MEETING POINT MILORAD ILIĆ, Galenika Executive Director for Investment Projects and International Business Development

Pharmaceutical Operations in the EU

PAGE /34

Turn Down The Heat

One Woman’s Quest to Understand Climate Change The smooth ice was like a clear window into the black abyss of the deep Siberian lake. Sergey Zimov, a Russian scientist studying Ice Age methane trapped in the Earth, turned back to the young American graduate student once again, motioning her forward. “I want to show you something important, Katya,” he said. Fuelled by a rush of adrenaline, Katey Walter Anthony continued to shuffle slowly across the frozen surface until Sergey stopped.

“Looking down through the ice was like looking up at the night sky – but instead of stars, clusters of bubbles streamed up,” she recalls. It was a moment that would change everything for this Arctic researcher.

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aised near California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Katey was drawn to the quiet serenity of remote lakes. Friends were hardly surprised when, as a Ph.D. student, she leapt at the opportunity to study in Siberia. She had suspected that ancient methane was randomly leaking from beneath Arctic lakes, but what Zimov showed her changed her understanding of how melting permafrost is influencing global climate change. It turns out that this was not random at all.

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Permafrost, a thick frozen layer of ground found primarily in polar regions, contains twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. As ice melts from global warming, Arctic lakes form and become natural digesters that turn soil microbes into methane – a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Understanding the implications of thawing permafrost and the impact of melting Arctic lakes leaking methane has become critical to understanding climate change. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the

planet and Katey’s research has helped to reveal that Arctic lakes are emitting five times as much methane as previously thought.

Emissions from these lakes, also known as thermokarst lakes, are expected to peak by 2050, and it takes just one year for these powerful greenhouse gases to mix into our global atmosphere. As Katey explains, “we estimate that up to 10% of the projected global warming this century could come from thawing permafrost, and that affects the entire Earth. What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic.”

The scope and perils of our global climate crisis are well documented. In 2020 alone, wildfires ravaged the Brazilian Amazon and the country of Australia, while the most active Atlantic hurricane season in history was documented, disastrous flooding surged in China and global temperatures soared as levels of Arctic sea ice shrank to alarming lows. Burning fossil fuels for energy may have started during the Industrial Revolution, but over half of all human-caused carbon emissions have been produced since 1988.

The question is no longer whether the Arctic is melting, but rather how fast. NASA has reported that while many models predict the Arctic Ocean will become ice-free for at least part of the year before 2100, other models predict that it will happen much quicker – within the next 50 years. Either way, the consequences would be devastating for natural ecosystems; most polar bears, for

example, could become extinct in the wild by the end of this century. While the Earth has always experienced natural cycles of warming and cooling, in evolutionary terms, Katey explains that “a four-degree increase in temperature would occur over 8,000 years; now that same temperature rise is happening in less than 100 years, as a result of fossil fuel induced carbon emissions.” She goes on to recall, “places where I used to crosscountry ski a decade ago are now swamps and sinkholes. The Arctic is literally melting before our eyes.”

Although Katey understands that this may paint a grim picture of the future, she is quick to note that people need to spend more time connecting with nature, rather than living in fear. “By going outside, the impact on our health and our relationship with the natural environment will improve.

Regaining this connection with nature is one of the most important things we can do.

When our hearts are in it, that will guide our future decisions to do the right thing.” But are there decisions that we can make right now to help? Katey emphasises that we can reduce our impact on carbon emissions by saving energy at home and at work. “When we invest in energy-saving technology, we save money in the long run, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions. It’s a winning combination,” she insists.

Sustainable development is a decision that is important for the largest corporations, but also for global society as a whole. It is part of the business policy of all companies that want to rely on a healthy business in the future. For example, Katey prints copies of maps and data from her research and notes that there are also positive examples that prove change is possible. Although seemingly negligible at first glance, printers are often one of the largest producers of heat during operation and wastage, through large amounts of consumables in the form of toners and cartridges. Some companies, such as Epson, have introduced printers that use technology without heating during operation and when turning on the device.

The problems of traditional thermal printing are additional delays, interruptions, waste and high consumption of energy, money and

time. With Epson’s new printers that come with heat free technology, consumption is kept to a minimum. Laser and inkjet printers may look the same on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Epson’s Heat-Free Technology does not require heat in the ink ejection process. Instead, pressure is applied to the Piezo element, which flexes backwards and forwards to fire the ink from the printhead. Less energy use means less fossil fuels consumed, which means less carbon emissions going into the atmosphere.

“Our choices really do matter in work and in

life. And when businesses and people make smart decisions about what technology we use, that will also make a positive difference for our environment.”

Epson’s heat-free technology uses up to 83% less energy. Reducing heat is one of the best ways to eliminate the impact on the environment. By choosing technology without heating for reduced energy consumption, the global warming effect of the glass bell will be reduced, which aims to slow the melting of ice in the Arctic and improve the environment as a whole.

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“The work that has been done in just one year is simply amazing. I’m delighted with the creativity of the people from Serbia” – JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR

LOCAL NEWS

SERBIAN GOVERNMENT AND ORACLE SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING At the pavilion of the Republic of Serbia, at this year’s World EXPO 2020 held in Dubai, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Serbian government’s Office of Information Technologies and eGovernment and Oracle.

The purpose of the MoU is to evaluate the possibility of an Oracle data region as part of the State Data Center in Kragujevac in Serbia to support the growing demand for cloud services in the region. As part of this agreement, Oracle and the Serbian government will collaborate on developing initiatives around COVID-19 and other health priorities.

MARKO ČADEŽ RECEIVED A NEW MANDATE IN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE EUROCHAMBRES At the session of the General Assembly of the Eurochambres, the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Čadež, was elected a member of the Board of Directors of the largest European business association, which represents 20 million companies and gathers 45 national and 1,700 regional and local chambers. According to Čadež, who represents the Western Balkan economies and chambers of other non-EU countries on the Board of Directors of the Eurochambres, the fourth term is not just another recognition for the personal and previous contribution of the Chamber of Commerce to the work of the Eurochambres Western Balkans region.

STATE-OF-THE-ART NCR TECH CAMPUS OPENS IN BELGRADE A new state-of-the-art technological campus of the American company NCR has been opened in Belgrade, which will employ more than 5,000 people. The campus spans approximately 30,000 square metres and is located in Block 42 in New Belgrade, and the total value of the investment is over $100 million.

This is the biggest NCR campus in Europe, which will also be a centre for the development of new technologies and a point where ideas of the company and the local community will meet and be exchanged. NCR started its business operations in Serbia in 2011 and it currently employs over 4,200 people and supports 5,100 clients worldwide. The cornerstone for the campus was laid in May 2019.

AEROSPACE HUB OPEN FOR COOPERATION WITH COMPANIES FROM SERBIA Representatives of Serbian companies in the aviation industry, which are participating in the world exhibition in the United Arab Emirates, visited the Mohamed bin Rashid Aerospace Center in the Dubai South zone and discussed the possibilities of establishing cooperation with the management.

Director Mohamed Al Falasi called on our companies to take advantage of the opportunities and benefits offered to companies from Serbia by the Aerospace hub and start a business in Dubai. You are very important to us, said Al Falasi and emphasized that global giants such as Lufthansa, Generalelectrica, Airbus, Amazon are already operating in the area of the hub, which occupies 70 square kilometers.

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“Serbia is reliable a partner for foreign investors in the latest technologies, and is an IT regional leader in the era of the Fourth industrial revolution” – MIHAILO JOVANOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR IT AND EGOVERNMENT

Placements postings

&

appointments@aim.rs

H.E. DANIEL EMERY, NEW AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Mr Emery is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and most recently served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Australian Embassyin Zagreb. He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Ankara, as well as postings in Seoul and Moscow.

Mr Emery holds a Master of Laws postgraduate degree from the Australian National University; a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree (Honours) from Adelaide University.

H.E. FARIS ROUMI MOHAMMED SHAHEEN AL-NUAIMI, NEW AMBASSADOR OF QATAR TO SERBIA

Born 22nd January 1966, Faris Roumi Mohammed Shaheen Al-Nuaimi began working for the Qatari state administration in 1987 and was employed at the country’s interior ministry until 1991, when he transferred to the foreign ministry and served in the cabinet of the minister from 1992 to ‘93. Posted as third secretary at the Embassy of Qatar to Egypt from 1993 to ’98, whilst there he earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Cairo’s Higher Institute of Cooperative & Managerial Studies (1997). He served as second secretary at the Embassy of Qatar to the UK from 1998 to 2001, before moving from London to Rabat, where he served as first secretary at the Embassy of Qatar to Morocco from 2002 to ’04. After postings at the ministry – within the Directorate for the Gulf Cooperation Council (2004-06), the Directorate for Europe and America (2006-07) and the Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2007-08) – he was appointed Consul General of the State of Qatar, with the rank of ambassador, at the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Dubai, UAE (2013-15). Following a second stint in the Cabinet of the Minister, he was appointed Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Serbia on 16th September 2021.

Ambassador Shaheeen Al-Nuaimi is married.

H.E. ANNIKA BEN DAVID, SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Born 30th April, 1967, in Uppsala, Sweden, Annika Ben David earned a master’s degree in Political Science in 1992 and graduated from the Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Relations Internationales, Institut de Hautes Études Internationales, Geneva, Switzerland, in 1995.

Following engagements with the UNHCR in the mid ‘90s, she served as a desk officer of the Department for Political Affairs at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996, then completed her diplomatic training during 1996-97. She served as Second Secretary (Political, Consular and Cultural) at the Embassy of Sweden in Tel Aviv, Israel (1997-2000), then First Secretary (Political, Economics, Trade) at the Embassy of Sweden in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2000-04), before later returning to the Embassy of Sweden to Israel as Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission (2006-10). From 2010 to ’13, she was Head of Section for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa at the ministry’s Africa Department, after which she was appointed Ambassador of Sweden to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (201316). Prior to arriving in Belgrade, Ambassador Ben David served as Ambassador at large for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law at the Swedish Foreign Ministry (2016-21). A Divorced mother of two, she is fluent in French and English and has a basic understanding of Hebrew and German.

MEDEJA LONČAR, NEW CEO OF SIEMENS SERBIA

In a career that’s spanned almost 35 years to date, Medeja Lončar has been part of the management teams of reputable Slovenian and international companies operating in several sectors: mobile communications, retail, industry and utilities. She has amassed experience in the fields of strategic development, sales and marketing. During her 18 years at Siemens, she has spent 14 years successfully managing the company’s affairs in Slovenia and three years doing so in Croatia, while she’s been actively involved in many strategic projects in these countries, but also across the entire Adriatic region. In her work, Ms Lončar places special emphasis on the importance of the concept of Industry 4.0 and introducing Siemens’ customers to the new era of digitalisation. Ms Lončar is also CEO of companies Siemens Slovenia and Siemens Croatia.

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“The European Investment Bank’s support will be reinforced by an increased local presence and a tailor-made approach to this region of Europe” – WERNER HOYER, EIB PRESIDENT

REGIONAL NEWS

LAUNCH OF THE MARKET ACCESS PLATFORM BY THE CCIS AND THE WB6 CIF The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Serbia and the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) launched a new online platform to support companies in joining regional and international supply chains.

The digital Market Access platform is an opportunity for companies from the region to create an online profile and provide themselves accessibility and visibility to all interested trade, business and investment partners.

BRDO-BRIJUNI DECLARATION The leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans met in Brdo near Kranj for a summit on the future of relations between the Union and six partners from the region.

After the meetings, the participants agreed on the Declaration, which confirms the European future of the region.

BLOOMBERG ADRIA TO START OPERATING IN SERBIA IN 2022 Bloomberg Media and Mtel Swiss, a media company majority owned

by Telekom Srbija, announced an agreement to create the first multiplatform business news network in Southeast Europe, with centers in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Macedonia.

With a plan to launch in 2022, Bloomberg Adria will provide business and financial news, analysis and data for a growing community of business decision makers and future leaders in the region, via television, print and digital media as well as mobile and social networks.

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MILORAD ILIĆ, GALENIKA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Pharmaceutical Operations in the EU Over the course of the previous three years, Galenika has undergone an intensive period of investment and transformation, thanks to which it has repositioned itself and took a solid second place on Serbia’s pharmaceutical market which you can perform almost all activities online. The EU’s strict but predictable regulation enables you to carefully plan your activities and count the initial assumptions and timelines.

Over the course of the previous three years Galenika has undergone an intensive period of investment and transforma-

We have already registered 19 products, while the registration of another eight is underway

W

e see great potential for further growth, both in the region and the EU markets, and one of the milestones last year was the establishment of Galenika International in Hungary, as our EU hub - says Galenika’s Milorad Ilić.

Compared to the customary practice of making acquisitions as a means of penetrating new markets in the pharmaceutical industry, it is definitely a

more challenging option to build from scratch and believe in your brand when leveraging your investment. However, the set-up is particularly eased when entering EU markets.

Structuring operations in the EU, including consideration of the preferred corporate structure in the most appropriate EU country, is one of the most important decisions a company can make.

Incorporating a company is relatively straightforward, with several steps in

tion, thanks to which it has repositioned itself and took a solid second place in Serbia’s pharmaceutical market. Considering the fact that we see great potential for further growth, both in the region and in the EU markets, one of the milestones last year was the establishment of Galenika International in Hungary, as our EU hub. We have already registered 19 products, while the registration of another eight is underway.

As a modern and stable company with a great team and an innovative way of thinking, Galenika will become even bigger and develop a strong EU presence.

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“Wild $T1mes!” – ELON MUSK, CEO OF TESLA MOTORS

WORLD NEWS

LONDON PROPERTY MARKET ‘REVIVAL’ SEES PRICES JUMP £28,000 IN A SINGLE MONTH The latest UK House Price Index shows that the average property price increased by 10.6 percent in the year to August 2021, up from 8.5 percent in July 2021. Although Britons were leaving the capital in the midst of the pandemic, the market has seen a “revival” with house prices increasing substantially.

However, the latest UK House Price Index shows that the London property market could be reviving again. The average price of a home in London jumped 5.6 percent in the month from £498,083 to a record £525,893, adding almost £28,000 to its value.

SPANX SELLS MAJORITY STAKE TO INVESTMENT FIRM BLACKSTONE Spanx has sold a majority stake to private equity firm Blackstone in a deal that values the US shapewear brand at 1.2 billion dollars. The Atlanta, Georgia-headquartered company said the acquisition will help accelerate its digital transformation, expand its global footprint, and add new categories.

Spanx founder Sara Blakely will retain “a significant equity stake” and will continue to oversee daily operations along with the brand’s senior management team. She has also become executive chair of its newly appointed board, which the company said it aims to make all-female.

Blakely founded Spanx in 2000 with 5,000 dollars in savings and an aim to reimagine the male-dominated shapewear and undergarment industry.

CHIVAS BROTHERS OWNER PERNOD RICARD SEES ‘GOOD SALES GROWTH’ CONTINUING The French group, whose brands include Mumm champagne, Absolut vodka and Martell cognac, said it expected robust sales growth to continue through its 2022 financial year. That growth could ease a touch, however, after strong demand in China, the US and India helped the firm deliver forecast-beating organic 20 per cent growth in the first quarter of its latest year.

Pernod, which is the world’s second-biggest spirits group after Johnnie Walker-owner Diageo, said consumption by people staying at home remained resilient, while the re-opening of the hospitality sector lent support during the quarter. Travel retail remains subdued due to continued Covid restrictions, the group noted.

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“Hyperinflation is going to change everything. It’s happening.” – JACK DORSEY, CEO OF TWITTER

BITCOIN TOPS $67.000, BUOYED BY “BUY THE RUMOR AND THE FACT” SENTIMENT Bitcoin reached new record highs, up to around $67,000, which is where an area of resistance resides according to the technical patterns projected by the Onyze team. Its founder, Alvaro Rubio, had already warned in statements to ‘Bolsamania’ that the price would run into this level in its ascent to $100,000. Experts ‘blame’ the debut of the ProShares ‘crypto’ US ETF on Wall Street. The consensus of all the analysts consulted points to an extension of the rally, despite a warning of a possible profit-taking move.

“Buy the rumor and the fact seems to be the message in the crypto-verse,” comments Craig Erlam, analyst at Oanda. “A landmark moment for the cryptocurrency space as it continues to strive for mainstream adoption.

But not one, it seems, that’s triggered any significant profit-taking,” he adds.

WAYVE AND DPD LAUNCH FLEET DATA COLLECTION PILOT The two companies will work together to explore how innovations in computer vision and machine learning can be applied to existing fleet and delivery operations to increase the safety of smart urban delivery solutions. Data collection devices have been deployed on 50 DPD vans in Greater London as part of the pilot, which will enable Wayve to collect driving data from vans during their normal operations.

Wayve’s camera-first system, which works through 4G connectivity, provides a 360-degree surround view of the vehicle with zero impact to the vehicle operator. The company has been developing its AI-driven mobility technology for the past four years, including on-road testing in multiple UK cities.

SOLARWINDS HACKERS TARGETING THE GLOBAL IT SUPPLY CHAIN The Russian-linked hacking group that’s been blamed for an attack on the U.S. government and a significant number of private U.S. companies last year is targeting key players in the global technology supply chain, according to cybersecurity experts at Microsoft.

Nobelium, as the hacking group is known, is infamous for the SolarWinds hack. Tom Burt, Microsoft corporate vice president of customer security and trust, said Nobelium has “been attempting to replicate the approach it has used in past attacks by targeting organizations integral to the global IT supply chain.”

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$100m

RICHARD PIERSON (LEFT) AND ANDY PUDDICOMBE SET UP THE BUSINESS IN 2012

The Former Monk Who Runs A

Meditation Firm 36

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dailygazette.com

Enterpreneur

RICHARD PIERSON AND ANDY PUDDICOMBE

It was a series of tragedies that sent Andy Puddicombe’s life onto a completely different path

W

hen he was 22, Andy was standing outside a London pub when a drunk driver ploughed into a group of his friends, killing two of them.

A few months later his stepsister died in a cycling accident, and then an ex-girlfriend passed away during surgery.

Andy was doing a sports science degree at the time, but amid the grief he dropped out.

Seeking a complete life change, he decided to travel to the Himalayas to train as a Buddhist monk.

He ended up spending the next 10 years as a monk, which took him all over Asia, and involved him meditating for up to 16 hours a day. He says that the meditation helped him come to terms with everything.

“It gave me a shift in perspective - it taught me to focus less on oneself, and instead bring greater happiness to others,” says Andy, now 46.

His friends and family however, were a little shocked and worried. “None of them really knew what to make of it. But despite this they were incredibly supportive and encouraging.”

In 2005 Andy returned to the UK to set up a meditation business, but it still wasn’t a widely-appreciated practice in his home country at the time.

“Some people were put off by the language behind meditation, or saw it as a bit of a hippy thing to do,” he says. “It was quite inaccessible.

People didn’t have time for it, or know how to do it.”

Setting up his own small private practice in London, Andy taught burnt out professionals how to use meditation to help them in their daily lives.

Today he and his co-founder Richard Pierson, 38, run popular meditation app Headspace, which has been downloaded more than 54

It gave me a shift in perspective - it taught me to focus less on oneself, and instead bring greater happiness to others million times around the world, and has annual revenues said to be more than $100m (£82m).

Back in 2005, Richard was one of the struggling professionals who booked an appointment with Andy. After university Richard had gone into the advertising industry in London. He had risen quickly through the ranks, but it had taken its toll.

“When I met Andy I was pretty desperate,” says Richard. “I had continuous social anxiety, and that was very challenging. I didn’t have a friendship group where I could be open with them about these pressures.

“After the first session it highlighted how many thoughts I had in my head, and just how manic my life was - I found it exciting that there was a pathway.”

Once Richard realised how much he benefited from the meditation, he decided that he wanted to go into business with Andy, to help spread the word.

BBC Radio 4 - Don’t Tell Me The Score, Mindfulness- Andy Puddicombe “It was very much a skill swap,” says Richard.

“He taught me meditation, and I came up with

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disruptionmag.com

Enterpreneur

a bunch of ideas for him on how to make him more visible. I just thought it was such a shame that he was in a room on his own.”

By 2010 they were doing events around the UK, where they would talk about the benefits of meditation, and even do group meditation sessions.

Using this money, and help from friends, they created the first version of their Headspace app that year. Users could choose from a number of 10-minute guided meditations to follow.

Striking lucky early on, the UK’s Guardian included a Headspace booklet in every newspaper one Saturday, while airline Virgin Atlantic added bespoke Headspace meditation content to its planes’ entertainment system. This led to a growing number of people downloading the app, which today costs £9.99 per month.

Andy, who is the voice of the app, says: “In the early days it was just us, no one would give us any more money, so we’d just ask for

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We both practise meditation every day. We do really believe in it and that’s important for the team and anyone that downloads the app to know favours from all our friends.

“One of our friends gave us a recording studio for free, and another an office for free.

Some people really believed in what we were doing, and took pay cuts to come and work for us - we’re so grateful for that now.”

In 2013, Richard and Andy decided to move the business and themselves from London to Los Angeles, where their headquarters

has been based ever since.

“It is not that we didn’t love London,” says Andy. “But both of us dreamed of living in California and having a more outdoorsy lifestyle - we love to go surfing and hiking, and it suited our families too.”

Largely self-funded at the beginning, Headspace started to take investment from 2014 in order to expand the app and business. It has now secured more than $75m of external funding, but Andy and Richard still own a majority stake.

Whereas at the start they’d both been involved in everything, as they started to grow they took on different roles. Richard became the chief executive, looking at the management and overall running of the whole company and its 300 employees.

Andy’s primary job is to still focus on expanding the app, and being the voice. But does it ever get recognised when he is out and about?

“People will normally recognise my voice in an airport or a restaurant,” he says. “[And], my dentist couldn’t work it out the other day. It wasn’t until we started talking about meditation, and I realised that she used Headspace, that I could see in her eye that the penny had dropped.”

Neil Seligman, author of books on meditation, says that Headspace has “led the mindfulness revolution in the digital space”.

“The genius of Headspace was to take something as difficult and nuanced as teaching mindfulness meditation, and break it down into bite-sized, snackable videos, audios and practices,” he adds. “This is how they transformed the industry and penetrated the global market.”

But Headspace isn’t just an app. The company has more than 300 business clients, such as Google, Linkedin, General Electric and Unilever, for whom it helps managers and staff meditate.

It also works with US universities including Harvard and Stanford, and the UK’s National Health Service, on studies into the health benefits of meditation.

Andy still meditates every day, albeit less than the 16 hours of old. Richard also makes time for it.

“We both practise meditation every day,” says Richard. “We do really believe in it and that’s important for the team and anyone that downloads the app to know.”

BBC News

PROFILE

Nothing Without Agreement With Oneself An interest in both science and practice provided me with a perspective from which I could see that the field of mental health has a lack of essential communication between these two approaches to the same topic, which – in my opinion – cannot exist without one another.

However, even science and practice combined are unable to do much if they don’t step away from their sheltered academic or therapeutic environment in society, and attempt to influence the broader social context without which little can be done when it comes to mental health

MAŠA VUKČEVIĆ MARKOVIĆ, PH.D., RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY; DIRECTOR OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL INNOVATION NETWORK, PIN

I

thus decided to establish the PIN (Psychosocial Innovation Network), as an organisation that gathers together people from practice and science who will, in unison, attempt to understand mental health problems and jointly influence the system.

As a research associate at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, and as the director of PIN, I had the opportunity to see how academic and practical currents can learn a great deal from one another.

The PIN is now six years old. It has implemented more than 40 projects that have, within their scope, provided support to more than 6,000 people. It has yielded the required scientific evidence for the development of psychological interventions, provided insights into the experiences of vulnerable groups, changed the practice of granting international protection through the introduction of psychological assessments, established national mental health mechanisms and an international Consortium

(CoReMH) that’s focused on the mental health of refugees, and much more. It seems as though the trinity — of science, practice and advocacy — works well as a team.

I’ve been asked many times what led PIN to this where it is now, and here I don’t have much of a dilemma. It was primarily an agreement I reached with myself at the very outset: I will invest a lot of time engaging with PIN. If you aren’t prepared to do that when you launch something of your own, it will be tough for it to come to fruition, and even if it does, it will be tough for it to endure. Engagement includes an equal focus on the work – programmes and goals, but also on people – for that to be good for them, for the organisation to be able to provide a stimulating environment where people feel that they are advancing and that they are involved and questioned. If any of that doesn’t exist - people will leave. Another thing would be to carefully select the first team with members with whom you agree, first and foremost in terms of values, and which, like you, are ready to allocate a lot of time, whenever that’s necessary. And you should deploy all your strength to preserve this team, which is both your rechargeable battery and organisational strength. The third piece of advice is to be prepared that the organisation and some of its members will grow faster or slower than you envisaged, yourself included.

This will perhaps lead to a need to change

structures within the organisation. And that will sometimes be difficult to accept, and will sometimes bring with it sadness, rage or fear.

But flexibility and a willingness to revise settings, whatever that may mean, are key to an organisation being able to grow at its full capacity, organically, how and when the time is right for that.

And when crises emerge, and they always do, there is no retreat, switch to autopilot, or the notion that things will resolve themselves – they won’t. And if they aren’t resolved cracks will appear, which the team members will see even when you think they don’t, and enthusiasm, commitment and trust will seep through those cracks little by little. As such, when those crises emerge – remind yourself of that initial agreement you made with yourself - I will engage with it - and revise whether or not you’re ready for that. If you’re not – leave it to someone else, perhaps the organisation has outgrown you, and the goal is for that which you build to be able to live without you, but also without any other member. And if you are ready - call together the team and throw yourself into the work, regardless of how difficult that might sometimes be and how it might require you to leave your comfort zone. Do that for the sake of the organisation, the team, yourself, and first and foremost for the mission you’re fighting to fulfil.

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Art

THE CONCERT

The Elusive

Marc Chagall

D

avid McNeil fondly remembers the day in the early 1960s his father took him to a little bistro on Paris’ Île St. Louis, the kind of place where they scrawl the menu in white letters on the mirror behind the bar, and masons, house painters, plumbers and other workingmen down hearty lunches along with vin ordinaire. Wearing a beret, a battered jacket and a coarse, checkered shirt, his fa-

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ther— then in his mid-70s—fit in perfectly.

With conversation flowing easily among the close-set tables, one of the patrons looked over at the muscular, paint-splotched hands of the man in the beret. “Working on a place around here?” he asked companionably. “Yeah,” replied McNeil’s father, the artist Marc Chagall, as he tucked into his appetiser of hard-boiled egg and mayonnaise. “I’m redoing a ceiling over at the Opéra.”

Chagall, the Russian-born painter who went against the current of 20th-century art with his fanciful images of blue cows, flying lovers, biblical prophets and green-faced fiddlers on roofs, had a firm idea of who he was and what he wanted to accomplish. But when it came to guarding his privacy, he was a master of deflection. Sometimes when people approached to ask if he was that famous painter Marc Chagall, he would answer, “No,” or more absurdly, “I don’t

With his wild and whimsical imagery, the Russian-born artist bucked the trends of 20th-century art think so,” or point to someone else and say slyly, “Maybe that’s him.” With his slanting, pale-blue eyes, his unruly hair and the mobile face of a mischievous faun, Chagall gave one biographer the impression that he was “always slightly hallucinating.” One of those who knew him best, Virginia Haggard McNeil, David’s mother and Chagall’s companion for seven years, characterised him as “full of contradictions—generous and guarded, naïve and shrewd, explosive and secret, humorous and sad, vulnerable and strong.”

Chagall himself said he was a dreamer who never woke up. “Some art historians have sought to decrypt his symbols,” says Jean-Michel Foray, director of the Marc Chagall Biblical Message Museum in Nice, “but there’s no consensus on what they mean. We cannot interpret them because they are simply part of his world, like figures from a dream.” Pablo Picasso, his sometime friend and rival (“What a genius, that Picasso,” Chagall once joked. “It’s a pity he doesn’t paint”), marvelled at the Russian’s feeling for light and the originality of his imagery. “I don’t know where he gets those images...” said Picasso. “He must have an angel in his head.”

Throughout his 75-year career, during which he produced an astounding 10,000 works, Chagall continued to incorporate figurative and narrative elements (however enigmatic) into his paintings. His warm, human pictorial universe, full of personal metaphor, set him apart from much of 20th-century art, with its intellectual deconstruction of objects and arid abstraction. As a result, the public has generally loved his work, while the critics were often dismissive, complaining of sentimentality, repetition and the use of stock figures.

A major retrospective of Chagall’s unique, often puzzling images was recently on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, following a highly acclaimed run at the Grand Palais in Paris. The first comprehensive exhibition of Chagall’s paintings since 1985 brought together more than 150 works from all periods of his career, many never before seen in the United States, including cloth-and-

paper collages from the private collection of his granddaughter Meret Meyer Graber. The exhibition, says Foray, the chief organizer of the show, “offered a fresh opportunity to appreciate Chagall as the painter who restored to art the elements that modern artists rejected, such as allegory and narrative—art as a comment on life. Today he is coming back strong after a period of neglect, even in his home country.”

Retrospectives are planned for 2005 at the Museum of Russian Art in St. Petersburg and at the State Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow.

Movcha (Moses) Chagal was, as he put it, “born dead” on 7th July, 1887, in the Belorussian town of Vitebsk, near the Polish border. His distraught family pricked the limp body of their firstborn with needles to try to stimulate a response. Desperate, they then took the infant outside and put him in a stone trough of cold water. Suddenly the baby boy began to whimper. With that rude introduction to life, it’s no wonder that Marc Chagall, as he later chose to be known in Paris, stuttered as a boy

and was subject to fainting. “I was scared of growing up,” he told Virginia McNeil. “Even in my twenties I preferred dreaming about love and painting it in my pictures.”

Chagall’s talent for drawing hardly cheered his poor and numerous family, which he, as the eldest of nine children, was expected to help support. His father, Khatskel-Mordechai Chagal, worked in a herring warehouse; his mother, Feiga- Ita Chernina, ran a small grocery store. Both nominally adhered to Hasidic Jewish religious beliefs, which forbade graphic representation of anything created by God.Thus Chagall grew up in a home devoid of images.

Still, he pestered his mother until she took him to an art school run by a local portraitist. Chagall, in his late teens, was the only student who used the vivid color violet.Apious uncle refused to shake his hand after he began painting figures.

For all his subsequent pictorial reminiscing about Vitebsk, Chagall found it stifling and provincial—“a strange town, an unhappy town, a boring town,” he called it in his memoirs.

THE WALK

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Art

THE FIREBIRD

In 1906, at the age of 19, he wangled a small sum of money from his father and left for St. Petersburg, where he enrolled in the drawing school of the Imperial Society for the Protection of Fine Arts. But he hated classical art training. “I, poor country lad, was obliged to acquaint myself thoroughly with the wretched nostrils of Alexander of Macedonia or some other plaster imbecile,” he recalled. The meagre money soon ran out, and although he made a few kopecks retouching photographs and painting signs, he sometimes collapsed from hunger. His world broadened in 1909, when he signed up for an art class in St. Petersburg taught by Leon Bakst, who, having been to Paris, carried an aura of sophistication. Bakst indulged Chagall’s expressive, unconventional approach and dropped names exotic to the young man’s ears, such as Manet, Cézanne and Matisse. He spoke of painting cubes and squares, of an artist who cut off his ear.

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Many consider Chagall’s work during his four-year stay in Paris his most boldly creative “Paris!” Chagall wrote in his autobiography.

“No word sounded sweeter to me!” By 1911, at the age of 24, he was there, thanks to a stipend of 40 rubles a month from a supportive member of the Duma, Russia’s elective assembly, who had taken a liking to the young artist. When he arrived, he went directly to the Louvre to look at the famous works of art there. In time he found a room at an artists’ commune in a circular, three-story building near Montparnasse called La Ruche (The Beehive). He lived frugally. Often he’d cut a herring in half, the head for one day, the tail for the next. Friends

who came to his door had to wait while he put on his clothes; he painted in the nude to avoid staining his only outfit. At La Ruche, Chagall rubbed shoulders with painters like Fernand Léger, Chaim Soutine, Amedeo Modigliani and Robert Delaunay. True to his nature as a storyteller, however, he seemed to have more in common with such writers as French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who described Chagall’s work as “supernatural.” Another friend, Blaise Cendrars, a restless, knockabout writer, penned a short poem about Chagall: “Suddenly he paints / He grabs a church and paints with a church / He grabs a cow and paints with a cow.”

Reconnoitering the then-prevalent trends of Cubism and Fauvism, he absorbed aspects of each into his own work. There was his Cubistinfluenced Temptation (Adam and Eve); the disconcerting Introduction, with a seven-fingered man holding his head under his arm; and the parti-colored Acrobat, showing Chagall’s fond-

By author

ness for circus scenes. At La Ruche he also painted his explosive Dedicated to My Fiancée, which he tossed off in a single night’s feverish work and later submitted to a major Paris exhibition. It took some artful persuasion on his part to convince the show’s organisers that the topsy-turvy mix of hands, legs and a leering bull’s head was not, as they contended, pornographic.

Returning to Vitebsk in 1914 with the intention of staying only briefly, Chagall was trapped by the outbreak of World War I. At least that meant spending time with his fiancée, Bella Rosenfeld, the beautiful, cultivated daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest families. Bella had won a gold medal as one of Russia’s top high-school students, had studied in Moscow and had ambitions to be an actress. But she had fallen for Chagall’s strange, almond-shaped eyes and often knocked on his window to bring him cakes and milk. “I had only to open the window of my room and blue air, love and flowers entered with her,” Chagall later wrote. Despite her family’s worries that she would starve as the wife of an artist, the pair married in 1915; Chagall was 28, Bella, 23. In his 1914-18 Above the Town (one of his many paintings of flying lovers), he and Bella soar blissfully above Vitebsk.

In 1917 Chagall embraced the Bolshevik Revolution. He liked that the new regime gave Jews full citizenship and no longer required them to carry passports to leave their designated region.

And he was pleased to be appointed commissar for art in Vitebsk, where he started an art school and brought in avant-garde teachers. But it soon became clear that the revolutionaries preferred abstract art and Socialist Realism— and how, they wondered, did the comrade’s blue cows and floating lovers support Marxism-Leninism?

Giving up his job as commissar in 1920, Chagall moved to Moscow, where he painted decorative panels for the State Jewish Chamber Theater.

But ultimately unhappy with Soviet life, he left for Berlin in 1922 and settled in Paris a year and a half later along with Bella and their six-year-old daughter, Ida. In Paris, a new door opened for Chagall when he met the influential art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who commissioned him to illustrate an edition of the poetic classic the Fables of La Fontaine. Chauvinistic French officials cried scandal over the choice of a Russian Jew,

ADAM AND EVE EXPELLED FROM PARADISE

THE TRIUMPH OF MUSI

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Art

ABRAHAM AND THREE ANGELS

LOVERS IN THE SKY OF NICE

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a mere “Vitebsk sign painter,” to illustrate a masterpiece of French letters. But that blew over, and Chagall went on to do a series of resonant illustrations of the Bible for Vollard.

Increasingly alarmed by Nazi persecution of the Jews, Chagall made a strong political statement on canvas in 1938 with his White Crucifixion.Then 51 and in his artistic prime, he portrayed the crucified Christ, his loins covered with a prayer shawl, as a symbol of the suffering of all Jews. In the painting, a synagogue and houses are in flames, a fleeing Jew clutches a Torah to his breast, and emigrants try to escape in a rudimentary boat. Not long after, in June 1941, Chagall and his wife boarded a ship for the United States, settling in New York City.The six years Chagall spent in America were not his happiest. He never got used to the pace of New York life, never learned English.“It took me thirty years to learn bad French,” he said, “why should I try to learn English?” One of the things he did enjoy was strolling through Lower Manhattan, buying strudel and gefilte fish, and reading Yiddish newspapers. His palette during these years often darkened to a tragic tone, with depictions of a burning Vitebsk and fleeing rabbis. When Bella, his muse, confidante and best critic, died suddenly in 1944 of a viral infection at the age of 52, “everything turned black,” Chagall wrote.

After weeks of sitting in his apartment on Riverside Drive immersed in grief, tended to by his daughter, Ida, then 28 and married, he began to work again. Ida found a French-speaking English woman, Virginia McNeil, to be his housekeeper. A diplomat’s daughter and bright, rebellious and cosmopolitan, McNeil had been born in Paris and raised in Bolivia and Cuba, but had recently fallen on hard times. She was married to John McNeil, a Scottish painter who suffered from depression, and she had a five-year-old daughter, Jean, to support. She was 30 and Chagall 57 when they met, and before long the two were talking painting, then dining together. A few months later, Virginia left her husband and went with Chagall to live in High Falls, New York, a village in the Catskills. They bought a simple wooden house with an adjoining cottage for him to use as a studio.

Though Chagall would do several important public works in the United States—sets and costumes for a 1942 American Ballet Theatre production of Tchaikovsky’s Aleko

By author

and a 1945 version of Stravinsky’s Firebird, and later large murals for Lincoln Center and stained-glass windows for the United Nations headquarters and the Art Institute of Chicago—he remained ambivalent about America. “I know I must live in France, but I don’t want to cut myself off from America,” he once said. “France is a picture already painted.

America still has to be painted. Maybe that’s why I feel freer there. But when I work in America, it’s like shouting in a forest. There’s no echo.” In 1948 he returned to France with Virginia, their son, David, born in 1946, and Virginia’s daughter. They eventually settled in Provence, in the hilltop town of Vence. But Virginia chafed in her role, as she saw it, of “the wife of the Famous Artist, the charming hostess to Important People,” and abruptly left Chagall in 1951, taking the two children with her. Once again the resourceful Ida found her father a housekeeper— this time in the person of Valentina Brodsky, a 40- year-old Russian living in London. Chagall, then 65, and Vava, as she was known, soon married.

The new Mrs. Chagall managed her husband’s affairs with an iron hand. “She tended to cut him off from the world,” says David McNeil, 57, an author and songwriter who lives in Paris. “But he didn’t really mind, because what he needed most was a manager to give him peace and quiet so he could get on with his work. I never saw him answer a telephone himself. After Vava took over, I don’t think he ever saw his bank statements and didn’t realize how wealthy he was. He taught me to visit the Louvre on Sunday, when it was free, and he always picked up all the sugar cubes on the table before leaving a restaurant.” McNeil and his half sister, Ida, who died in 1994 at the age of 78, gradually found themselves seeing less of their father. But, to all appearances, Chagall’s married life was a contented one, and images of Vava appear in many of his paintings.

Chagall also produced lithographs, etchings, sculptures, ceramics, mosaics and tapestries. He also took on such demanding projects as designing stained glass windows for the synagogue of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre in Jerusalem. His ceiling for the Paris Opéra, painted in 1963-64 and peopled with Chagall angels, lovers, animals and Parisian monuments, provided a dramatic contrast to

the pompous, academic painting and decoration in the rest of the Opéra.

“He prepared his charcoal pencils, holding them in his hand like a little bouquet,” McNeil wrote of his father’s working methods in a memoir that was published in France last spring. “Then he would sit in a large straw chair and look at the blank canvas or cardboard or sheet of paper, waiting for the idea to come.

Suddenly he would raise the charcoal with his thumb and, very fast, start tracing straight lines, ovals, lozenges, finding an aesthetic structure in the incoherence. A clown would appear, a juggler, a horse, a violinist, spectators, as if by magic. When the outline was in place, he would back off and sit down, exhausted like

“Paris!” Chagall wrote in his autobiography. “No word sounded sweeter to me!”

a boxer at the end of a round.”

Some critics said he drew badly. “Of course I draw badly,” Chagall once said. “I like drawing badly.” Perhaps worse, from the critics’ point of view, he did not fit easily into the accepted canon of modernity. “Impressionism and Cubism are foreign to me,” he wrote. “Art seems to me to be above all a state of soul...

Let them eat their fill of their square pears on their triangular tables!”

Veteran art critic Pierre Schneider notes, “Chagall absorbed Cubism, Fauvism, Surrealism, Expressionism and other modern art trends incredibly fast when he was starting out. But he used them only to suit his own aesthetic purposes.

That makes it hard for art critics and historians to label him. He can’t be pigeonholed.”

When he died in Saint Paul de Vence on 28th March, 1985, at 97, Chagall was still working, still the avant-garde artist who refused to be modern. That was the way he said he wanted it: “To stay wild, untamed . . . to shout, weep, pray.” www.smithsonianmag.com

PARIS THROUGH THE WINDOW

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Žarko Laušević, actor

GIVING UP IS THE EASIEST, BUT I DIDN’T WANT THAT He could have been a writer and a painter, but instead he chose to be an actor who writes books that sell in many copies. In his revelation for CorD Magazine, he speaks for the first time about his childhood and upbringing, about the way he has restarted his life from scratch several times – when he came to Belgrade to study in 1978, completed college and started a new life. Then tragedy struck, and he found himself back at the start after being released from prison, and following the NATO bombing he left for New York – where he again found himself having to start from scratch. And that departure was the most painful.

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My life

ByByRadmila RadmilaStanković Stanković

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othing more powerful and sensitive than actor Žarko Laušević appeared on the film and theatre scene of Yugoslavia during the 1980s. His every performance was worth remembering… and worthy of awards. He was 25 years when he gained huge popularity thanks to the television series Sivi Dom [Grey Home], and he was 27 when he won the 1987 Golden Arena award for the film Oficir s ružom [The Officer with a Rose] at the then Yugoslav Film Festival in Pula and Emperor Constantine in Niš. He was 30 when he was given the Sterija Award in Novi Sad for the characters of Rastko Nemanjić and Saint Sava in the play Saint Sava. He is also the recipient of the most awards at the festivals City Theatre in Budva, Grand Prix at the Film Meetings in Niš, Zoran Radmilović awards etc. Žarko Laušević (61) was born in Cetinje and was 14 when he moved with his parents and siblings (one brother and one sister) to the then Titograd, today’s Podgorica. His father, Dušan, was a professor of history who went on to become the director of the State Museum of King Nikola in Cetinje. His mother, Roksanda, was a school secretary. The youngest of three children, he recalls a happy childhood and upbringing: “If there’s anything that I remember with nostalgia from that time, then that would be the serenity of the family fortress. I don’t have the right to generalise, but our parents were dedicated guardians of the treasure of our family love and that implicit tenderness. I was also lucky in life to have great teachers who gave my guidance and showed me the patterns that shape future standards. And I don’t only mean those in the schools that I attended.

And nor do mean only the wise people I’ve met. There are certainly also important books that are teachers, that shift your consciousness, light the path that you’ve intended to take and direction attention towards the signposts at the crossroads that you encounter on that path. Attention to peculiarity. I later searched constantly for that peculiarity in the things around me, and it is – if I may comment on myself – somehow dominant in my handwriting, but also in that which attracts me to

If there’s anything that I remember with nostalgia from that time, then that would be the serenity of the family fortress. I don’t have the right to generalise, but our parents were dedicated guardians of the treasure of our family love and that implicit tenderness acting. Write about the extraordinary… in an ordinary way. As an actor, choose the extreme traits of the character you’re portraying… and be vivacious. Transcribe from life.”

As a primary school pupil, he was somehow naturally instructed on obligatory school reading. However, his fondest memory from that period was one of his father’s recommendations. That was the book The Most Beautiful Legends of Classical Antiquity by Gustav Schwab (1792-1850). This collection of Greek and Roman stories relates to gods and people, while alongside historical revelations, it also represents a unique moral of good and evil:

“That book remained my obligatory reading for my entire life. I happily return to it even today and one of my children is very strongly attached to that book. That isn’t merely an issue of being familiar with the classics, but rather also something that forms respect… towards tradition, towards history, and ultimately, or initially, towards oneself. That’s how I experience it. Without being familiar with history, we can’t know ourselves.”

In those youthful days, his favourite music was that performed by Miladin Šobić, then a young Montenegrin singer-songwriter who would go on to cause a sensation on the Yugoslav music scene, before mysteriously disappearing from that scene. He had the privilege of listening to him perform in his flat, live!: “I still do so today, though unfortunately only through cassettes, or YouTube. I warmly recommend Miladin. That emotion still hasn’t re-emerged.”

Alongside his victory in the State Recital Competition, at the age of 16 he also became a member of the then newly established amateur theatre company “Dodest” (Dom omladine - drama experimental stage Titograd). That was the first indication that he could become an actor, but also that he could become a writer or a painter, as he is equally talented in those areas:

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My life Žarko Laušević, actor

THE LAUŠEVIĆ FAMILY, CETINJE,1963

“I was courageous enough, I am able to say today, to try my hand, because I didn’t fear challenges. I had many complexes, who doesn’t have them? I had constant stage freight and blushed in front of a girl and before a performance. One day I would think that I was skinny, the next day that I was fat. I thought that I didn’t know how to speak, and today I’m still afraid to speak in front of a large number of people.

“I hid my ambitions at that time. I acted in one of the first Montenegrin TV dramas, back in 1978, with Petar Božović and Sonja Jauković, directed by our dear professor, Milo Đukanović, who later became much better known for directing the series Truckers [Kamiondžije], as well as for being a member of the Black Wave [film movement]. My father wanted me to attend the art academy, so he wasn’t really impressed by my acting debut.

However, sometime later he consented and supported me for the rest of his life. My mother and sister, of course, knew about it and supported me, which continued throughout my entire life. Did acting intoxicate me? I don’t know, but it caused me to liberate myself, to find myself and to constantly search further.

It’s a great thing when you pick a vocation that will fulfil you for the rest of your life, that you

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It’s a great thing when you pick a vocation that will fulfil you for the rest of your life, that you won’t hate and won’t think about retirement. It still fulfils me to this day won’t hate and won’t think about retirement.

It still fulfils me to this day.”

He enrolled in the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, in the class of Professor Miroslav Minja Dedić (1921-2015). The class also included Sonja Savić, Zoran Cvijanović, Svetislav Goncić, Branimir Brstina… The professor stayed in contact with all of them until his life ended on 1st March, 2015, the day when Žarko was aboard a plane travelling to Belgrade, where he was set to start work on shooting for the Miroslav Momčilović film A Stinky Fairytale [Smrdljiva bajka]. Today, as always, he chooses words of love and respect to describe him: “Professor Dedić was an exceptional personality. We loved and were afraid of him at

the same time, but I suppose that’s the very definition of authority. I think he had a decisive influence on all his students. Okay, not to generalise, he did on me. He compelled me to view everything I do through his prism, even today, after his departure. And I will never abandon that.”

Entering the acting ensemble of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre was a great privilege, an honour, and above all recognition for a young actor. Žarko was 22 when he became a permanent member of the most powerful Yugoslav theatre: “At the beginning of my third year of acting studies, I was invited to the National Theatre

by Mrs Vida Ognjenović, where she was the director of Drama and had started directing the play Gorski Vijenac [The Mountain Wreath].

I think the fact that she was also a lecturer at our college had a decisive influence on me receiving Professor Dedić’s consent for that engagement, because the school rule forbade students from working professionally until completion of, if I recall, the sixth semester.

It was a small role, but apparently also big enough to ensure that, after the premiere of this most famous work of Njegoš, I was hired

by Stevo Žigon for his next play, Romeo and Juliet. Theatre corridors then filled my head

with the notion that I had been envisaged as the lead, but Žigon assigned me the role of Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. I wasn’t disappointed after the casting came out on the bulletin board, but rather decided to do my best. I started almost fanatically practising fencing, while at the same time preparing for an unusual stage element.

Along the way, I directed all my strength to be able, with the incredible physical goal that I’d set for myself, to maintain maximum awareness regarding speaking tasks. Towards the end of the second act, I realised that my months of effort had paid off. After receiving the affections of the audience, despite playing a serious villain, I received applause on the open stage, and at the very end of the first part of the play, there was a unified murmur.

That’s when Tybalt is slain by Romeo’s sword, and my Tybalt – after the directional shock on stage and the extraction of the extras and Romeo himself – stood for a short delay with both hands outstretched, holding a knife in one hand and the fencing foil in the other, fell like a monument being demolished, in one piece, on his back. That was no longer acting.

It was fanaticism that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, in contradiction of any sporting fall, in contradiction of common sense. And in my mind was only the assumption that a man who dies no longer has common sense.

The audience couldn’t believe it. I was rewarded with the most valuable praise for an actor – a long ovation and shouts of ‘bravo!’.

If my start had been on those amateur boards at Dodest, back in 1976, I can consider that

ŽARKO IN THE FILM SMEKER, 1986

1981 and the role of Tybalt as being my true professional beginning.”

That which Professor Dedić had marked in Žarko’s schooling continued to be done at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, in a much more pragmatic way, by actor and director Stevo Žigon. Laušević today thinks that he couldn’t have had two better mentors during those years that are most critical for a young actor, when his quivering being is still struggling to make the right first step, and every step is on the red line: “Žigon took me to the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, in his next directorial work. That was Dragan Tomić’s Raskršće [ Junction]. It was also a junction for my life. In the mornings, during rehearsals for that play, I was guided by Žigon’s special instinct to uncover the secrets of the professional stage, while in the afternoons I would work on my graduation exam with Professor Dedić, a monodrama based on Njegoš’s The Ray of the Microcosm.

When I look back today, that was perhaps the happiest and most fulfilling part of my

Fear is a common topic in my books. It seems to me today that fear is dominant in this society, and it’s as though I no longer see elementary civic courage

biography. The system of work that was then formed, together with two great artists, has remained at the essence of my acting to this day. Yes, after Raskršće I received a JDP scholarship and pledged my allegiance to the most splendid theatre in Yugoslavia.”

He was in his Jesus year [33] when drunken hooligans attacked him and his brother, Branimir, in front of the Epl café-bar in Podgorica, on 31st July 1993. Acting out of self-defence, he killed attackers Dragor Pejović and Radovan Vučinić, and ended up in prison in Spuž (Montenegro), then in the prison in Požarevac. He was initially sentenced to serve 15 years, but that was subsequently reduced to four years, and as Žarko had already served four years and seven months at that time, he was promptly released. He left the country shortly afterwards, moving to New York with his family.

And he started all over again: “And I was ready for that, because I’d already started from scratch several times in my life. I started a new life when I came to Belgrade in 1978 to study, and I started a new life when I finished college. Then that tragedy struck, and after being released from prison I was at the beginning again. After the bombing, I went to New York – and started again. That departure was the most painful.

I initially had indications of a possible film career in America, but a new court modification soon arrived that refuted the judgement of the federal institutions and passed a new verdict, which meant that I had to become

ŽARKO AS MILOŠ OBILIĆ IN THE 1989 FILM BATTLE OF KOSOVO

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My life Žarko Laušević, actor a completely illegal immigrant, despite having entered the country legally. I realised that a force exists that I could not ultimately defeat. You can prove persistently that this is a cup, while someone claims that it is a pot, a telephone, and you realise that there are no words with which you can prove the obvious truth. Fortunately, that was also settled.”

Life in New York brought many problems and only one advantage: God had rendered him unknown, as a blessing for his drowning in life there. He experienced that which most thinking people on the public scene desire.

When fame and popularity strip them of their anonymity, and they had chosen a public job precisely so that would happen, there comes a moment when the strongest desire is to flee from the public: “That happened to me. New York provided me with the possibility of walking down the street and not being recognised by anyone, although there are plenty of people from our world there. I have that oasis and that peace in that city. I have the joy of hanging out with my children, walking the dog, and any job. And over years I’ve done every job I could - laying parquet flooring, painting and decorating, masonry, removing tiles, installing, all of that fulfilled me because I was helping my wife and children on that elementary path of survival. A man doesn’t only do what he wants, but rather also what he must, when he is confronted by such restrictions. I could otherwise have given up, which I didn’t want to do, because giving up is the easiest thing to do.”

Instead of playing, it was in New York that Žarko started writing. He did what comes naturally to him. He had always kept records of the events and details of his life, so the pathway to a book was clearly marked – diary confessional prose which, at the initiative of Manja Vukotić, then editor-in-chief of Serbian publisher Novosti, he would publish under the title Godina prođe, dan nikad [A Year Passes Quickly, A Day Takes Forever]. The second work is entitled Druga Knjiga [The Second Book], while the third is called Sve prođe, pa i doživotna [Everything Passes, Even A Life Sentence], with both of those works published

by Hipatia. That is how Laušević completed his trilogy under the shared title Dnevnik jedne robije [Diary of a Prisoner]. And all

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three books recorded incredible sales results and are still being sold.

Writing in the preface to the third book, writer and director Vida Ognjenović notes:

It’s no coincidence that we go to the doctor with a bottle of rakija, whisky, anything to bribe him not to find anything wrong. That is a primordial fear, the fear of disease “Those Laušević’s, precise vivisection of his own position in convicted guilt to the point of cruelty, with authentic sharpness of thought and bold actions in the very heart

of the facts, make this book exceptional. Its strength lies in the fact that it is painless, that it doesn’t mystify, doesn’t induce pity and doesn’t pose, but rather exposes and doesn’t recoil when facing confrontation. Due to this completely unique author’s attitude, I believe that this journal book would pass the strictest selection to join the list of the top works in its literary genre.”

Literarily powerful and documentarily convincing, exciting, at times painfully dramatic, Laušević’s books are rich in the scale of observations that are far from the mere recounting of events. He records the situation in Zabela as prisoner number 28 375, and then meaningfully recalls details from his life before that tragic 31st June, 1993. He explores them and contemplatively rounds them off with a relentless re-examination of everything he participated in: “Fear is a common topic in my books. It seems to me today that fear is dominant in this society, and it’s as though I no longer see elementary civic courage. There is always a resorting to some detours and roundabout ways to solve basic issues that imply the functioning of the state, chasing a godfather, friend, or someone who you can handover something to finish for you. If the system functioned as it should, there might be no need for any kind of civic courage. I supposed a diagnosis is the beginning of treatment. And we are still afraid to go to the doctor, all out of the fear that they will finding something. It’s no coincidence that we go to the doctor with a bottle of rakija, whisky, anything to bribe him not to find anything wrong. That is a primordial fear, the fear of disease. Two days before going to the doctor, we live textbook lives to reduce the risk of them detecting a disease. And we are sick. I’m just afraid that there’s no council that will convince us of that.”

In recent years, after the film A Stinky Fairytale, which earned him the Grand Prix at the 2016 Niš Film Festival, Žarko increasingly finds himself in Belgrade. He’s acted in the series Balkan Shadows, Roots, Five, Civil Servant, Name of the People, Alexander of Yugoslavia, The Kalkan Circles, Time of Evil…

As a top professional, he turns his roles into unforgettable characters that compel audiences to watch those shows.

And how does he see Serbian cinematography and the rich television production scene now, from up close? What is play that is inherent to him as an actor today, but also play in the society that we all participate in, playing smaller or greater roles: “Strange times. This is what all incapable people thought during other times. We still don’t know who killed Kennedy ... why Ovid disturbed... and why Covid was needed... Perhaps the distant future will shed light on history, but art should comment – now. But should wisely

Perhaps the distant future will shed light on history, but art should comment – now. But should wisely pretend to be a fool when facing the past and to imagine that there will never be a new past again.

That’s its only chance.

And always has been.

That protects art from the transience of the moment that it pretends to outwit pretend to be a fool when facing the past and to imagine that there will never be a new past again. That’s its only chance. And always has been. That protects art from the transience of the moment that it pretends to outwit.

“Play is a dangerous thing. De ludo ramanorum… panem et circenses… Every society has its games. Sometimes they are Olympic, sometimes who knows what they’re like and who knows who stands behind the need to organise that circus that you are drawn into and think in, convinced that you aren’t part of the game, but rather that you are seriously contributing something, ostensibly changing the destiny of the world. Delusion! I believe only in Andrić’s Aska, as a survival method.

The sooner sobriety comes, the less delusion there will be.”

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CHILL OUT New Store-to-Door Drone Delivery Model for Densely Populated Cities Wing’s new store-to-door service is going to debut in the United States, with Walgreens being the first retailer in the country to test the new on-demand air delivery system. The first operations are going to take place at a Dallas-Fort Worth area Walgreens store, serving just Frisco and Little Elm for now.

But Wing plans to expand its operation all over the country, and eventually everywhere in the world. A drone delivery hub will be set up at the Walgreens store, an operation that Wing claims will only take a few hours. It will function as a command center, and these tiny hangars will be easy to install at any business interested in using Wing’s drone delivery solution.

Google Will Allow Under 18s Or Their Parents To Request Their Pictures Be Removed From Search Results Google rolled out a new safety feature that lets minors under 18 request images of themselves be removed from search results.

The tech giant launched a help page for such requests that not only lets minors request the removal of information, but also prevent information of themselves from appearing in Search and on a specific website - parents and guardians are also allowed to submit requests. However, there are circumstances in which a person’s request may not be granted – ‘the exception of case of compelling public interest or newsworthiness,’ Google shared in a statement. Users must also be 18 years old or younger for Google to approve the request, meaning if they are over the age they cannot apply to have images removed when they were a teenager.

Anti-Biden Song Shoots To The Top Of The iTunes Chart Toppling Adele A U.S. rapper has knocked Adele off the top of the charts with his anti-Biden song which has been banned by YouTube for spreading ‘harmful false information’ about Covid. Bryson Gray’s song Let’s Go Brandon skyrocketed to Number One of the iTunes chats, featuring provocative lyrics such as ‘Joe is a crook’, ‘they buildin’ back better, but only the Taliban’, and ‘pandemic ain’t real, they planned it’. The phrase Let’s Go Brandon was sparked after reporter Kelli Stavast mistook chants of ‘f*** Joe Biden’ at a NASCAR rally in September for the more benign phrase, and it has since become a running joke among Biden critics, used as shorthand to mock the president.

It also led to conspiracy theories that NBC were deliberately orchestrating a cover-up by refusing to air criticism of Biden.

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Flying Motorbike That Costs £500,000 Can Travel At 60mph Speed For Up To 40 Minutes A flying motorbike that can cruise at speeds of 60 miles per hour (100kph) for up to 40 minutes is due to go on sale for just under £500,000 ($682,000) next year. The ‘Xturismo’ — the brainchild of Tokyo-based drone start-up A.L.I. Technologies — was unveiled during a test-flight on an empty racetrack in the foothills of Mount Fuji. The firm is planning to produce a limited run of 200 of the single-rider hoverbikes, each of which weighs in at 661lbs (300kg), for delivery in the first half of 2022. Alongside being used as part of leisure activities, the bike has potential to help rescue people from accidents at sea, a Japanese MP said.

Cuttlefish Memory Stays Sharper Than Humans As They Get Older Cuttlefish can remember events right up to their last few days of life, according to a new study. The research is thought to be the first evidence of an animal whose memory of specific events does not deteriorate as it gets older.

Memory tests were conducted on 24 common cuttlefish - half of them were 10-12 months old (so not quite adults), while the others were between 22 and 24 months (equivalent to a human in their 90s).

More Than a Million UK Households Have Fallen Victim To Scam Consumer group Which? believes third-party sellers are exploiting Amazon’s highly competitive search ranking system for products - which favours items with high sales volumes and good reviews - by sending items to unsuspecting people and then falsely logging it as a genuine purchase.

The watchdog, which surveyed 1,839 UK adults between 13th and 17th August, said it was concerned at the amount of households who said they received an Amazon package at their home address that they did not order and was not sent by a known person.

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1. Belstaff - Eur 179 | 2. John Lobb - Eur 987 | 3. Tom Ford - Eur2,860 | 4. Maison Margiela - Eur410 | 5. Rubinacci - Eur395 | 6. Tom Ford - Eur 912 | 7.

Lardini - Eur 641 | 8. Native Sons - Eur 425 | 9. Bottega Veneta - Eur 574 | 10. Stetson - Eur 142 | 11. Loewe - Eur 2,511 | 12. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Eur 158 | 13. IWC Portugieser - Eur 7,250

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14. Manolo Blahnik - Eur 1,150 | 15. Loro Piana - Eur 5,230 | 16. Mother - Eur 325 | 17. IWC Portugieser - Eur 7,250 | 18. Balenciaga - Eur 1,290 | 19. Gianvito Rossi - Eur 730 | 20. Bottega Veneta - Eur 230 | 21. Joseph - Eur 262 | 22. Joseph - Eur 292 | 23. Loro Piana - Eur 1,520 | 24. Christian Louboutin - Eur 1,486 | 25. Alix NYC Eur 179 | 26. Tom Ford - Eur 226 | 27. Diptyque - Eur125 | 27. Annoushka - Eur1,947 | 28. Bare - Eur 1,778

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Culture

calendar

8th Japanese-Serbian Film Festival

53rd BEMUS

This year’s edition of the Japanese-Serbian Film Festival will be held from 12-15 November at the Yugoslav Cinematheque (Uzun Mirkova 1). The audience will be able to see part of the repertoire in the KC Belgrade Hall.

This year, JSFF will screen more than 40 films on the topic of “Status”, including European premieres of Japanese feature films, as well as the multiple nominated and awarded “Red Post on Escher Street” by Zion Sono, while “Oasis” by Ivan Ikić will open the festival.

In the competition for the Grand Prix and the best Serbian and Japanese film on the topic, only short works will compete this year, while the revue program will be filled with feature films that, according to this year’s selection, responded most appropriately to the festival.

The eighth JSFF was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Serbia and the Embassy of Japan in Serbia.

The stars of classical music are arriving at this year’s 53rd edition of the Belgrade Music Festival - BEMUS, which will be held from November 1 to 13 in several concert venues in Belgrade. The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy live programs with all valid epidemiological measures. BEMUS opens the superstar of concert podiums, Georgian pianist Katya Buniatishvili, on November 1 at Kolarac, which is joined by the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Canadian conductor Mark Parisot. The famous artist, who

12-15 November - Yugoslav Cinematheque

1-13 November – Kolarac

is presenting herself to the Belgrade audience for the first time, will perform on November 3 with the All Stars line-up, which will include her friends and renowned musicians Khachatur Almazjan - violin (also known for working on the music of “Milky Way”), Hračja Avanesjan - violin, Adrien Boaso - viola and Narek Hahnazaryan - cello, performing masterpieces of chamber music repertoire.

Program www.bemus.rs

Concert In Honor Of Vlade Divljan 10 November – Kombank Hall

After two successful Belgrade concerts, the third extended concert in honor of the famous musician Vlado Divljan and performed by the band “(Un)normal and friends” will be held on 10 November at 8 pm in Kombank Hall.

In the still limited capacity of 500 people, the audience will have the opportunity to listen to songs from all periods of Divljan’s rich musical career, and part of the repertoire will include the greatest hits of the group “Idols”.

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Grand Opening Of The Free Zone Film Festival 4 November – Kombank Hall

The Free Zone Film Festival opens a space for debate, promotion, review and understanding of human rights, social phenomena and problems in the world and the region. For 15 years, the Free Zone has been encouraging audiences to rethink their values, prejudices and sharing responsibilities in the social and cultural context in which they live.

SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

RECOMMENDS

Scarfe: Sixty Years Of Being Rude Gerald Scarfe 17243rsd

In the stunning retrospective Scarfe, which expands on 2005’s Drawing Blood in every way, Gerald Scarfe’s work is presented as no book has presented it before. This fully illustrated, 576-page volume reveals the truth of sixty years of politics and culture, packed with images that have defined not only one artist’s career, but also twentieth and twenty-first century British life. A showcase of Scarfe’s glittering career in design, reportage and showbusiness, Scarfe presents drawings, sculptures and photographs alongside witty and poignant captions and stories.

The Art Of War Sun-tzu 791rsd

Still a source of inspiration for soldiers on the battlefield and managers in the boardroom 2000 years after it was written, Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War is the most influential book of strategy in the world, translated from the Chinese

by John Minford in Penguin Classics. For more than two thousand years, Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War has provided leaders with profound insights into the use of skill, tactics, psychology and discipline to outwit opponents. Said to have inspired Napoleon, and used by Mao Zedong and General Douglas MacArthur, as well as many famous business gurus, politicians and sports stars, its ancient words of wisdom provide a touchstone for today’s managers and executives fighting their boardroom battles.

Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons in Life and Business Richard Branson 1151rsd

Richard Branson is an iconic businessman. In Screw It, Let’s Do It, he shares the secrets of his success and the invaluable lessons he has learned over the course of his remarkable career. As the world struggles with the twin problems of global recession and climate change, Richard explains why it is up to big companies like Virgin to lead the way in finding a more holistic and environmentally friendly approach to business. He also looks to the future and shares his plans for taking his business and his ideas to the next level.

The Fellowship Of The Ring (The Lord Of The Rings, Book 1) J. R. R. Tolkien 1079rsd

Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the first part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, featuring a striking black cover based on Tolkien’s own design, the definitive text, and a detailed map of Middleearth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

The Great Dune Trilogy

The Sun And Her Flowers

Herbert’s evocative, epic tales are set on the desert planet Arrakis, the focus for a complex political and military struggle with galaxy-wide repercussions. Arrakis is the source of spice, a mind-enhancing drug which makes interstellar travel possible; it is the most valuable substance in the galaxy. When Duke Atreides and his family take up court there, they fall into a trap set by the Duke’s bitter rival, Baron Harkonnen.

Winner of The Good Reads Choice Award for Poetry 2017 From Rupi Kaur, the bestselling author of Milk and Honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. Illustrated by Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. It is a celebration of love in all its forms.

Frank Herbert 4031rsd

Rupi Kaur 1547rsd

November

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&FACES PLACES

05/10/2021

Serbian-Russian Business Forum Held Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and strategic ties with the Russian Federation help the resilience of the Serbian economy and contribute to greater attractiveness of Serbia for foreign investments, said Mihailo Vesović, director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis and Internationalization of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce at the opening of the Serbian-Russian Business Forum. The meeting, which was held within the session of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation between Serbia and Russia, gathered representatives of 42 Russian and 110 Serbian companies from various fields. The Ambassador of the Russia to Serbia, H.E. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, said that it is realistic for the annual exchange of the two countries to reach the value of four billion dollars.

06/10/2021

Gala Evening Of The French-Serbian Chamber Of Commerce On 6 October the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (CCIFS) organized its eleventh gala evening at the Hyatt Hotel for nearly 200 members and partners, representatives of the French-Serbian business community.

Before the opening ceremony, the guests gathered for a cocktail and with champagne opened the exhibition of the Spectrum Center for the Promotion of Science, which introduced them to the theme of this evening: Light.

At the inauguration, the President of the Chamber, Dragan Stokić, addressed the guests and thanked them for their presence. As the newly elected president, he reminded the guests of the Chamber’s priorities, which are primarily comprehensive support to members, but also operational support to all companies that want to work in the Serbian market, first French, but also all others.

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SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

08/10/2021

Belgrade Hosted Marking Of The 60th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The Non-Aligned Movement More than 105 countries, nine delegations of international organizations and 40 foreign ministers were taking part in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the NonAligned Movement in Belgrade. The high-level meeting will be held on 11 and 12 October in Hall 11 of the Belgrade Fair. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, welcomed guests and said that international cooperation is the only way to the overall well-being and prosperity of all humanity. “Despite numerous ups and downs, the history of the Non-Aligned Movement is, I am convinced, a success story,” said Vučić.

12/10/2021

Boosting Circular Economy – Nordic Experience The event hosted by the Nordic Business Alliance, Nordic Embassies in Serbia and Serbian Chambre of Commerce (PKS) was held on 12 October at the PKS premises.

Its aim of the event, which is part of the series of events held in the past months, is to increasing the awareness of local stakeholders about circular economy and to make proposals on how to continue with implementation of circular economy principles in Serbia, based on the Nordic experiences.

“Norway has consistently supported the socio-economic development of Serbia for many years, and through various projects, we have built a strong partnership with the Government of Serbia and various national and local institutions, which was the basis for our joint success,” said Ambassador of Norway, H.E Jørn Gjelstad.

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&FACES PLACES 19/10/2021

IWC October Gathering The International Women’s Club Belgrade held its second Coffee Morning of the new club year on the te­rrace at Belgrade waterfront. The event was attended by over 60 IWC members and some guests. It was generously hosted by the ProHealth clinic.

On this occasion IWC donated clothes and school supplies to the UNHCR, an international NGO that provides assistance and support to refugees in Serbia. Partners of the IWC - ProHealth, Housewife Detox, and the Hyatt Regency Hotel – Hyatt provided gifts and vouchers for a special lottery drawing.

20/10/2021

A Historical Event Of Serbian Culture In The Vatican The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and the Vatican, Nikola Selaković and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, opened the exhibition “Serbia and the Holy See 1878-1914” at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, on the occasion of 100 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of SCS and the Holy See. The opening of the exhibition was attended by the Ambassadors of the United States, Russia, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Spain, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Cuba, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Turkey, Cameroon, Panama, Greece and Chargé d’Affaires of the United States, Croatia , Romania and Albania, as well as numerous diplomatic representatives accredited to the Holy See.

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SEE MORE: WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

21/10/2021

Speed Business Meeting Held Slovenian Business Club - SPK, Serbian Association of Managers - SAM and Canadian-Serbian Business Association - CANSEE organized a “Speed Business Meeting - Fall Edition” at the Hyatt Regency Belgrade, which was also a partner of this event.

In order to encourage networking of the foreign and domestic businessmen, 12 eight-minute one-on-one meetings were organized. The highly attended SBM was attended by 59 companies from various business sectors.

The sponsor of the event was the company Cargo-partner.

22/10/2021

European Commission Annual Report Presented Emanuele Giaufret, EU Ambassador to Serbia, present European Commission annual report on Serbia to speaker Ivica Dacić.

After the event, Ambassador shared in his tweet “Parliaments are the heart of democracy: National Assembly has a key role in promoting Serbia’s accession to European Union. Inflammatory statements in Parliament to be avoided to improve cross party dialogue.”

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&FACES PLACES 26/10/2021

United Nations 76th Anniversary Marked Strong appeal for greater cooperation, green transformation and appreciation of lessons learned from recent crises, including COVID-19 On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the United Nations, the Government of Serbia and the United Nations team in Serbia jointly marked this day at a ceremony dedicated to the diverse cultural and natural wealth of Serbia.

The need for urgent action for the benefit of people and the planet was pointed out at the meeting, considering the necessary solutions to promote diversity, inclusiveness and solidarity, as well as overcoming the triple crisis facing the planet - climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, as pointed out in the recently published report of the UN Secretary General “Our Common Agenda”.

26-28/10/2021

Belgrade Security Forum Held The 11th Belgrade Security Forum was held under the slogan Testing Humanity. During the three days, the Belgrade Security Forum panels hosted discussing the effects of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, the crisis of democracy, and the growth of authoritarianism, xenophobia, and mistrust, all of which, as BSF organizers said “has put humanity on one of the greatest tests in history.” The forum was jointly organized by the BFPE Foundation for Responsible Society, the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, and the European Movement in Serbia.

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

What divides us pales in comparison to what unites us. ~ Edward Kennedy

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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INTERVIEW GORAN BAŠIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Struggle For Inclusivity Is

A COLLECTIVE MARATHON Companies can do a lot to nurture diversity and create a company culture that’s inclusive, but it’s important for such policies to receive broader support, through an institutional framework and the commitment of the wider community. If this is not forthcoming, the results achieved will have a short range and a limited impact

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nly a small number of companies succeed in striking a balance between the values underlying economic liberalism - such as profit, benefit and competitiveness – and inclusive values based on fairness, solidarity and human rights. This interview with Goran Bašić, director of the Institute for Social Sciences, shows that this relates to an extremely complex and delicate topic in a world that is ever-less inclined to nurture diversity.

Over the course of the last decade, the terms “diversity” and “inclusive company culture” have entered the lexicons of many companies. If we look at statistics on the participation of women, members of ethnic, religious or sexual minorities, or people with disabilities in workplaces at

Inclusion should be people-centred, i.e., directed towards promoting a healthy work environment in which employees, or the users of the services they provide, feel pleasant, motivated to work and accepting of diversity through trust, and not as a desirable political action the global level, what do those stats tell us about the real-life implementation of these commitments?

- Unfortunately, the world we live in is becoming increasingly insensitive when it comes to diversity. Human rights char-

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

ters, standards for their protection and partial inclusivity practises represent an inadequate response to people’s need to live with dignity. Contemporary liberal capitalism creates inequalities that hit many impoverished people, not just those who’ve been denied the right to work or to equally exercise their rights to basic work as a result of cultural deprivation, prejudice or discrimination. Under global conditions, experiences vary simply because the inclusion process is either non-existent or equated with social protection in countries where capitalism is strengthening and no culture of human rights and social solidarity exist. In democratic countries where a political culture that’s interwoven with human rights has already developed, the social inclusion process is unfolding, but even in these countries there are still serious obstacles, difficulties and the risk that it would be seriously imperilled by even a slightly stronger global economic crisis.

Finally, the enemies of social inclusion are ignorance, prejudice and discrimination.

Public policies should be directed towards overcoming these phenomena, because full inclusion in society is otherwise not possible. It is difficult for citizens to cope under

such circumstances, as they are burdened with personal problems, a lack adequate education for an inclusive society and such public policies and economies are incapable of addressing the need for interventions and the correcting of “injustice”.

Companies have a tendency to work in accordance with the expected benefits that they can derive from the inclusion process and changing that attitude isn’t easy, as it doesn’t only depend on a company’s work ethic and policy, but rather also on operational success and stability of results Does this topic attract the attention of researchers in our country and what kind of information do we have at our disposal?

- There is little information among our public when it comes to the results of social inclusion for groups that are at risk of poverty and social marginalisation. Although obligations have been prescribed for state bodies to monitor strategic processes,

including inclusive policies towards Roma, persons living with disabilities, youth and other groups, this is either not done or is done in a dysfunctional way. The Institute for Social Sciences develops methodologies to monitor social inclusion policies, but it hasn’t encountered interested interlocutors in the public administration.

The data we have at our disposal, or that we could provide, are reliable and indicate the goals and good practises achieved, but also the numerous oversights, shortcomings and ambiguities in public social inclusion policies. One gets the impression that the public administration is not interested in dealing with the problems, but rather satisfies itself with implementing objectives, measures and activities that don’t require changes to infrastructure, management, decentralisation and the development of support. Researchers lose tremendous strength to overcome obstacles and resistance during the data collection process, while real problems are arising when it comes to the use of data. As a rule, the findings and analyses of research remain unused, because public policies are incapable of absorbing them in a progressive way.

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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INTERVIEW Who should primarily deal with this issue: management and workforce administration experts, sociologists or psychologists?

- It is necessary to have a synergy of experts from various fields and at multiple levels. The basis for mapping and analysis is certainly a problem in organisations, institutions and companies where people exercise some of the rights arising from inclusive policies. Next, local governments and civil society have a very important role to play in developing support systems, and then planning and implementing inclusive policies. Managing inclusion is a complex process that demands good organisation and coordination among the public administration, local governments, civil society and academia. At this juncture, no such level of connectivity exists in any inclusive policy.

What do you think are the preconditions for creating an inclusive work environment? To what extent does it depend on the companies themselves, and to what extent is it dependent on the institutional framework, social context and examples set by the state itself?

- Companies and institutions themselves can do a lot, but their results are unfortunately limited and partial if there is a lack of institutional and social support.

As an example, which I’m not sure is representative but is certainly indicative, multiple researchers are employed at the Institute for Social Sciences, but the highest scientific ranks are held by men, which indicates a problem of essential inequality. The conditions at the Institute are the same for everyone, but without a shift in awareness regarding the role of women in our society, we cannot expect encouraging results to be forthcoming.

The situation is even more complex when it comes to the position of members of marginalised social groups who, in addition to changing their social habitus, also need institutional support in the local community.

Thus, it is necessary to shift the paradigm and programme of the education system, cultural policy and system of values. Complicating the situation even more is the fact that full inclusion hasn’t even been achieved by the economically developed

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

Companies have a tendency to work in accordance with the expected benefits that they can derive from the inclusion process and changing that attitude isn’t easy, as it doesn’t only depend on a company’s work ethic and policy, but rather also on operational success and stability of results.

Dismantling the welfare state and returning to values of economic liberalism contribute more to deepening differences than to promoting inclusion countries of the European Union that have a higher social and political culture. Finally, it is also important for the private sector and personal initiatives to be included in the process itself, and this is currently at the level of the exception rather than the rule in our society, but also in many others.

In your opinion, how should general diversity be measured at the level of companies and how should it be improved?

Is it a matter of using global indices or internal procedures to measure employee satisfaction or something else?

- It is certainly necessary to develop internal policies, procedures and methods of monitoring that are harmonised with international standards and national policies and regulations. However, inclusion should be people-centred, i.e., directed towards promoting a healthy work environment in which employees, or the users of the services they provide, feel pleasant, motivated to work and accepting of diversity through trust, and not as a desirable political action.

What do you think about the possibility of introducing affirmative action measures to ensure an appropriate structure of workers?

- Affirmative action measures are more needed in other public policies, primarily education and local community support for families, with which inequalities are eliminated and people’s competencies are encouraged, thereby strengthening social trust and affirming equal life opportunities regardless of diversity. In the work process or when hiring employees, affirmative action measures make sense, but contemporary, technologically-organised and digitalised operations and work demand certain competencies. In this context, affirmative action measures have a limited effect and cannot provide a long-term contribution to solving this problem.

The reasons cited by companies for nurturing diversity include mapping the structure of consumer groups in order to better understand consumer attitudes, improving decision-making processes and ensuring a wide pool of talent, but also issues of morality and justice, i.e., creating equal opportunities. Is it important whether a company is motivated by profit or altruism, or does the end goal matter?

- I mentioned that companies have their own logic based on the values of economic liberalism in terms of profit, benefit and competitiveness. A system functions when a balance is struck between these values and inclusive values based on justice, solidarity and human rights. Unfortunately, this usually isn’t possible because inclusion doesn’t top the priorities of the public policymakers who should organise, implement, and promote inclusion. Dismantling the welfare state and returning to values of economic liberalism contribute more to deepening differences than to promoting inclusion.

MARIJA ŠKRBIĆ DRAŽIĆ, COORDINATOR FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, MANPOWERGROUP

BUSINESS

Inclusion As A FORM OF RESPONSIBILITY A number of different studies led to us becoming aware of the fact that developing and managing a culture and policies of diversity and inclusion within a company make that company socially responsible and desirable on the labour market. However, in order to be able to essentially call the company socially responsible in this area, we should explain this idea from the starting point, to ensure we have the right foundations

D

iversity in the workplace can be both a good and a bad thing, largely depending on how the concept is nurtured and whether an inclusive culture is truly applied. The starting point would be a company’s decision to be inclusive, followed by the implementation of this business model and the familiarising of employees with the topic, including active work with them to enable management to start monitoring and managing inclusion within the company.

The answer to the question that arises (why is a culture of diversity and inclusion a desirable business model for the company?) lies in the employees, who represent the foundation of every company and its best brand ambassadors on the labour market.

New generations are increasingly recognising and defining “desirable” companies on the basis of their attitude towards the local environment, employees and inclusion, as well as the world in general: employees want a company’s values to align with their own values, which motivates them to work and contribute even more.

Motivated (and valued) employees are more involved, more innovative and more attached to the company and its overall goals.

Higher levels of involvement and innovation lead to business growth and, consequently, profit growth.

These factors influence the lifespan of the company, but also the local community and the world generally.

“A good company offers excellent products and services. A great company also offers excellent products and services, but also strives to make the world a better place.” ~ Philip Kotler, Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause Guided by the principles of corporate social

New generations are increasingly recognising and defining “desirable” companies on the basis of their attitude towards the local environment, employees and inclusion, as well as the world in general: employees want a company’s values to align with their own values, which motivates them to work and contribute even more responsibility, ManpowerGroup has launched the project “Business Inclusion”, with the objective and purpose of strengthening “hard-to-employ”, marginalised groups on our labour market while promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion.

We believe that if we have people who are more active in job searches and a market that is more open to accepting “hard-to-employ” groups, with an understanding of the advantages and benefits of this business model, we are on the right track to having more employed candidates

from different groups and are, thus we, a step closer to business inclusion.

In conclusion – on the one hand, we can view inclusion and diversity as an orientation towards people and the humanising of business, while on the other hand, in essence, these values and culture, provided they are managed in the right way, can come to represent a strategic business model. And any resources directed towards their long-term development are most definitely an intelligent investment.

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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WE ARE ON THE PATH TO AN INCLUSIVE, FAIR AND EQUITABLE WORLD t HEINEKEN, we make a conscious effort every A day to contribute to an inclusive, fair and equitable world. Our inclusion and diversity ambitions play a vital role in achieving that goal. We believe that embracing inclusion and diversity sparks joy and fosters a sense of true togetherness. And this togetherness is part of who we are as a company, as we believe that the best moments in life are those we share with others. e stand by our core values of respect for people.

W We seek deeper connection with our increasingly diverse consumers and costumers. We celebrate diversity of thought which, in turn, sparks greater innovation and leads to better business performance We will nurture bold and brave leaders to create space for everyone, equally. We’ll ensure that every HEINEKEN employee feels a strong sense of belonging and has the psychological safety to speak and play a role in shaping the future of our organization We will amplify the voices, act as a catalyst for positive change and bring smiles to faces of our people Together, we will do our part to Brew a Better World

OUR COMMITMENTS

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Gender balance across senior management: 30% women by 2025, 40% by 2030 Cultural diversity: Across each region at least 65% of country leadership teams are regional nationals by 2023 100% of our managers trained in inclusive leadership by 2023 Equal pay for equal work: Assessments and action by 2023 Diversity And Inclusion 2021

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

Diversity and inclusion, which are the real grounds for creativity, must remain at the center of what we do. ~ Marco Bizzarri Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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BUSINESS JOVANA ANTOVIĆ, PUBLIC POLICY AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, METRO CASH & CARRY SERBIA

BUSINESS

METRO’s Company Culture Is One Of

TRUE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Those fortunate enough to have experienced a good, positive, working atmosphere know that the very reason behind it is a solid company culture – a culture based on values and rules of conduct that determine ways of communicating, cooperating and managing people. These values and rules should be based on universally recognised freedoms.

I

have deliberately used the term ‘fortunate enough’ for those like me, who have had the opportunity to develop their career in nurturing and affirmative surroundings, because even though we live in the 21st century and topics of diversity and inclusion should be integral to every workplace – those aren’t always more than just letters on paper. However, with younger generations entering the global workforce and ever-changing business models – “agility” is becoming an increasingly more relevant approach when it comes to defining and implementing any culture, especially the culture of big companies. And yet, I believe that the core of every successful business culture lies in employee satisfaction, in that good feeling “in the stomach” that we have in the morning while getting ready to start a new workday that makes us feel contentment.

Achieving that feeling is never easy, and the steps necessary to achieve the goal of having satisfied employees must start from the beginning – which is basic respect for human rights and freedoms.

That’s because it’s only when we feel respected by our colleagues and employer that we can be at

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

For METRO AG, and consequently METRO Serbia, this topic is essential because we operate in over 30 countries, employ almost 100,000 people and serve millions of customers – of all different national, religious or political backgrounds, ages, genders, or sexual orientations our best professionally and, of course, personally.

For METRO AG, and consequently METRO Serbia, this topic is essential because we operate in over 30 countries, employ almost 100,000 people and serve millions of customers – of all different national, religious or political backgrounds, ages, genders, or sexual orientations. For this global corporation to feel and function like a stable system, rather than the mere sum of its parts – it is necessary to cultivate a culture in which everyone can express themselves and share their opinions without fear. For example, METRO AG has recently been recognised for its comprehensive commitment to employees from the LGBTIQ+ community and has been awarded the PRIDE Champion Gold Employer Seal by the UHLALA-Group, one of the leading LGBTIQ+ social enterprises. The company’s focus on visibility and communication, as well as legal framework and regulations, were the key factors leading to this

valuable acknowledgement.

METRO stands and acts against discrimination of every kind, on any issue. As this is true for us, we also expect it of our business partners, demanding the same principles be applied in their business operations if they want to work with us.

At METRO, everyone can truly develop and grow professionally, based solely on their work, skills and career ambitions, while respecting others and contributing to creating a positive working atmosphere between colleagues, business partners and customers.

Creating this kind of company culture took decades of education, learning and dedicated work, and the results are well-earned and we believe equally durable. And that’s why so many METRO employees, myself included, are proud to be able to state publicly that METRO is truly a place where everyone can be who they are!

BRANKA RADOJIČIĆ, HRBP AT CARLSBERG SERBIA

BUSINESS

Diversity Is OUR STRENGTH With more than 40,000 employees, the Carlsberg Group represents one of the world's four largest international brewers, which unifies diverse cultures, people and brands under its roof. Carlsberg is also a leader of innovation because, among other things, it has a wealth of diversity of its own and fosters an inclusive culture

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When we are well-informed, we are able to notice if we behave differently towards different colleagues, if we have equal expectations of everyone, and if we value each of their contributions equally. With a tangible grasp of what diversity-based exclusion and discrimination look like, we can also recognise it in subtle forms, especially in ourselves. When we realise how much we also have in common with those who are different from us, accepting and respecting diversity comes naturally.

e work actively to ensure employees feel safe in their working environment, promoting the proper values defined by our policies, with which we protect the rights of every employee - says Carlsberg’s Branka Radojičić, adding that employees provide their greatest contribution when they are satisfied.

In which ways do diversity and an inclusive company culture contribute to employees achieving their full potential?

The world that we are part of is abundant in diversity, which enables us to build upon and expand our knowledge, understanding and experience, thereby making us more creative and innovative. We adopt new ideas and solutions born of thinking that differs from our own, which we then modify and find applications for in the challenges that we face ourselves, as individuals and teams. We thus unlock our potential, then motivate and inspire others.

What connects diversity – success – corporate values – leadership?

A company achieves its greatest success when it functions as a single team, and it will be more creative, innovative and productive when that team is composed of individuals who possess different qualities. In order for a team to “breathe in unison”, it’s necessary for everyone to share the same values that are passed on to a team’s members by its leaders. That’s why we at Carlsberg use the 3A mindset (Alignment, Accountability, Action): “Alignment with decisions”, “Accountability towards one’s job” and the “Action” we take comprise the formula for team success. When we unify different perspectives of employees with a model of conduct that defines the way we work together, advance employees and

In order for a team to “breathe in unison”, it’s necessary for everyone to share the same values that are passed on to a team’s members by its leaders create a winning culture, diversity will never be our weakness, but rather only our strength.

What are the prerequisites to create an inclusive work environment?

A prerequisite for an inclusive environment is education that enlightens employees and opens them up to the positive aspects of diversity.

Is inclusion a form of responsibility?

The purpose that guides our daily work is to make beer for a better today and tomorrow, and for us that means improvement on every front.

Companies have a responsibility to awaken the awareness of the collective and enable conditions under which inclusion is a natural reaction. Part of the responsibility belongs to employees, and we encourage them to have zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment and similarly destructive forms of behaviour.

Carlsberg also provides support and the possibility of anonymously reporting unethical and immoral conduct via the Speak Up line.

How do you ensure equal opportunities for the development of employees?

The values that we represent are tolerance, solidarity, fairness and equal treatment and opportunities for every individual, endeavouring for every employee to feel like a valuable part of the community, who contributes – with their work and skills – to common progress, and that they are the basis for creating opportunities for their own growth and advancement. Satisfied employees provide their greatest contribution, and the success of a company is measured by the level of satisfaction among the people who compose it.

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BUSINESS KATARINA JOVANOVIĆ BUĆAN, HR MANAGER FOR THE SEE REGION AT INGRAM MICRO; HR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE CEE REGION

Every Employee Is INVALUABLE Ingram Micro is a global leader that has 154 distribution centres, more than 1,700 suppliers and 200,000 clients, while standing out as its greatest asset are its 35,000 employees

challenges and the needs of our vendors and partners. A constant desire to learn, accept changes and improve is our reality, which we discuss very openly in the company and with job candidates.

Engineers have a natural need to acquire new knowledge, to be certified, to participate in complex projects, thus ensuring that the sales team always has solutions ready. Innovative, dynamic and professional people who love their job stay at Ingram for a long time and create a comparative market advantage. We learn and grow as a team – there is no other way.

T

he time has come for our experienced teams to be joined by young engineers to whom we will convey Ingram’s culture, values and knowhow, while at the same time learning how Generation Z thinks. We look forward to the synergy that we will create together, reveals Ingram Micro’s Katarina Jovanović Bućan in this CorD interview.

How do you manage to retain and motivate your people during these times when everything is changing?

The new normal has taught all of us that, among other things, we all need a good balance between our working and private lives, and that a hybrid work environment – provided it is well structured – yields many more advantages, efficient work and improved results. Satisfied employees, and even more satisfied vendors and partners, are our imperative.

Is the good selecting of personnel one of the preconditions for doing business successfully?

Good, timely selection is one of the preconditions for doing business successfully, and finding high-quality people is a common goal of ours. Sometimes a person who has real potential is already part of the team, and it is up to the leaders and HR team to recognise and support them in a new role.

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

We are extremely proud of the success of the Programme of advanced training for students of technical faculties that we established together with renowned technical faculties in Serbia, professors and our experienced colleagues Staff selection has gradually become more complex. Innovation is essential, as is the involvement of leaders in the entire process. Only together are we able to select the right person, set expectations well and motivate the candidate to join us. Apart from a detailed orientation programme and introduction to the company, its corporate culture and values, new colleagues are also provided with a buddy system, which will help them to quickly find their feet in Ingram’s environment. Once you’ve already found a good person, you must do everything in your power to integrate and motivate them.

Your employees belong to the IT sector, which ensures that they are naturally encouraged to learn and improve. Does the company provide them with opportunities to do that?

Ingram Micro is a company in which employees are focused on responding readily to market

Who at your company is responsible for recognising talented individuals and directing them towards more responsible positions?

People grow and develop within the company, and thus space is created for the arrival of new young personnel. It was at the beginning of this year that we launched a programme through which we familiarise young people from technical faculties with Ingram as a company, the role of a distributor in today’s global market, but also the altered role of engineers.

We are extremely proud of the success of the Programme of advanced training for students of technical faculties that we developed within the scope of cooperation with renowned technical faculties on the territory of Serbia. This project has become part of Ingram’s global learning and we are delighted that the Centre for Technical Expertise from Belgrade and the HR department will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with colleagues worldwide. We are certainly ready to exchange experiences and open the door to new generations. Our email address is hr-see@ingrammicro.com.

This is also a very precious project for us because the young engineers who successfully traverse Ingram’s training become part of our company, but also part of the business environment of our partner network.

IVANA MARKOVIĆ, HR SECTOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LIDL SRBIJA

BUSINESS

Respecting Diversity RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Lidl forms part of Germany's Schwarz Group, which is one of Europe's largest discount food retail chains. Lidl is known in our country as a desirable employer that believes equal opportunities for all employees and respect for diversity are the main elements of long-term success

F

or Lidl’s HR Sector executive Director Ivana Marković, respect is key – respect for individuals, respect for differences, respect for opinions... She believes that respect leads to understanding and empathy, without which there can be no good cooperation or success for individuals and companies.

What is it that has resulted in your company gaining the status of a desirable employer on all the markets where you operate?

Our company offers every employee equal opportunities, because we believe that equal opportunities and respect for diversity are the main elements of long-term success.

Standardised salary structures are based on objective criteria, such as professional experience, qualifications and skills, and in no way on discriminatory criteria.

At our company we really have diversity when it comes to the ratio between employed men and women, their rights. This is not something that is merely discussed at Lidl, like a dead letter on paper, but rather is something that we live by, because we’ve invested a lot in that internal organisational structure.

Testifying to this is the fact that women account for more than 60 per cent of employees at our company and they hold all positions – from sales and logistics centre staff, to expansion and managerial posts.

Regardless of the position they work in, we provide our female colleagues with special support in achieving a balance in their private lives, such as, for example, through customised health insurance packages.

You just mentioned customised health insurance packages. Is that the only benefit that distinguishes you from the competition?

worker, every person, is very important.

At the beginning of their engagement with us, all of our employees – regardless of the position that they will hold – go through an education programme that’s devised for every job. This means that each new employee observes their more experienced colleagues for several weeks or months and is familiarised with the job and the company through “job shadowing”, while their buddy acquaints them with the company from a human, informal side.

We thus help to ensure our new colleagues feel welcome in their new team and minimise the level of stress that’s inevitable when starting work at a new company. This is greatly appreciated by our employees.

At Lidl we really have diversity when it comes to the ratio between employed men and women, their rights to equal pay and the number of working hours. That’s not just a dead letter on paper Although we have more than 2,200 employees in Serbia, the basic benefits that we offer all employees exceed the standard for this market. Here we include, primarily, private health insurance under equal conditions for all employees, competitive earnings, an attractive work environment, work from home, family office and the like. For us, every

Do you believe the claim that the best worker is a motivated worker who knows that they will be able to advance if they work hard?

Yes, certainly. Motivated employees are the engine of our success. We know that it is precisely this fact – that all employees have opportunities to advance and develop – that makes us recognisable on the market and a top employer. An equal chance, no matter how unattainable it may be seem, is actually a fairly simple matter - in a meritorious society, where individuals are encouraged to pursue their ambitions and supported, a policy of equality at work is a win-win.

Through such a comprehensive approach, we have reached a situation where the majority of our management staff are recruited from within our own ranks, which directly demonstrates the extent to which our company values hard work, effort and the engagement of employees.

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FACTS AND FIGURES

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

EMPOWER BUSINESS Diversity and inclusion are two terms that promote true values and place an emphasis on humaneness, tolerance and respect, which enables companies to secure their prosperity, better operations and an entire raft of long-term benefits, from a greater choice of personnel to positive changes in society

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

BECOMING A DESIRABLE EMPLOYER IS EASY

A large survey conducted back in 2014 by Glassdoor showed that almost 70% of jobseekers consider diversity and inclusion as essential elements when it comes to choosing an employer. Today, in the modern business of the digital age, this is even more pronounced simply because modern technologies erase borders, barriers and differences, so employers who are sufficietly open to diversity have greater possibilites when selecting workers. And while diversity and inclusion enable them to choose staff members who suit them, on the one hand, they also lead to them being dubbed a desirable employer that everyone would gladly work for.

SUPPORT WORTH FIVE MILLION EUROS FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

INCLUSIVE EMPLOYERS CHANGE SOCIETY FOR THE BETTER

By hiring people from marginalised and minority groups – whether they are people living with disabilities, members of the LGBT community, Roma or single parents – a company demonstrates its commitment to corporate social responsibility, which means that it simultaneously contributes to raising awareness and improving society.

By securing an inclusive work environment while promoting tolerance and respect, every company has the power to influence all its employees, helping them to recognise, overcome and dispel social prejudices and convictions that merely serve to threaten others. This is also transferred from the work environment to private life, family, relatives and friends, and subsequently the rest of the community is led towards a positive change in attitudes.

INTERGENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES – ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE?

The Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development has joined forces with the European Union and UNICEF in order to improve access to, and the quality of, pre-university education for every child, especially children in disadvantageous positions, over the course of a three-year period. The start of the project, which is worth five million euros in grant funding provided by the European Union, was marked by the signing ceremony at the Teacher Education Faculty in Belgrade. The signing of the project, which aims - among other things - to contribute to increasing the number of children and students with developmental disabilities enrolling in regular education while reducing the number of children included in special schools for educating pupils with development disabilities, was attended by Branko Ružić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Respresentative in Serbia et al.

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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The workforce is aging. As such, many collectives – particularly in the public sector – have workers who hail from four different generations, each of which has its own specifics, its own strengths and its own weaknesses. Naturally, these generations all have different needs, abilities and expectations when it comes to skills in the age of automation, improvement or retraining, healthcare, benefits and incentives, hierarchical advancement and numerous other topics that have direct and indirect influences on diversity and inclusion.

The comparative advantage of diversity lies in the merging of a workforce that has various perspectives and life and professional experiences, while its weaknesses are primarily reflected in misunderstandings, poor communication and cooperation, though a good HR team can both idenfity and solve these problems.

SUPPORT FOR EXPRESSIONS OF GENDER IDENTITY – AN IMPERATIVE FOR 2022

Gender identity and gender expression are topics that are discussed a lot in developed countries and will be paid special attention next year. According to website ideal.com, the goal is to raise awareness of the challenges faced by employees who don’t identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Organisations nationwide, from small retail outlets to major corporations, are struggling to tackle issues related to the use of gender-specific toilets, many of which are simply offering gender-neutral options. HR departments are focused on providing health benefits to employees undergoing gender reassignment, those who don’t identify with their current gender or those who simply don’t want to determine their fixed gender. The HR managers of large U.S. companies are already undergoing training and will subsequently transfer their new knowledge – regarding gender inclusion, the gender identity of employees, their universal and specific needs, ways of communicating and expressing themselves – to senior and middle management.

STRENGTHENING HR SECTORS EMPOWERS COMPANIES

The main role of every HR team is to take care of employees, and ensuring that they can do so successfully requires that senior management provide them with tools for analysis and evaluation, conditions to communicate freely, as well as agility and all other resources that help them implement the company’s corporate culture.

Companies that have no cooperation and understanding are unable to progress if they cannot resolve internal conflicts and intolerance, which is precisely why it is important for the HR team to ensure a culture of diversity and inclusion, through training courses and programmes.

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Diversity And Inclusion 2021

DIVERSITY EXPERT – OCCUPATION OF THE FUTURE

10 GOLDEN RULES FOR ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION*

1. Nurture and establish a sense of belonging among employees.

2. Treat ALL employees fairly.

3. Provide all employees with an equal chance for advancement.

4. Don’t play with the truth when it comes to composing job advertisements and interviewing candidates.

5. Support innovation and creativity.

6. Educate employees on diversity and inclusion.

7. Support and encourage teamwork and cooperation.

8. Enable flexibility in the workplace wherever possible.

9. When hiring staff, rely on valid and reliable tools for assessing candidates’ personalities, character traits, motivation and skills.

10. Promote diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organisation. * Compiled on the basis of research conducted by McKinsey.

REMOTE WORK PROMOTES DIVERSITY

Diversity, fairness and inclusion in the workplace relate to fair and impartial processes and outcomes for every person in the company, which is why it is important – as published on Linkedin – for leaders and employers to have insight into everything happening in their company at all times. Justice serves as a reminder that not everyone starts at the same level, while swift and vigilant action is important in building a fair workplace.

It is for this reason that the number of diversity experts – professionals dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace – is on the rise in developed companies, especially multinational groups. Their job represents a combination of the work of the HR sector, in terms of recruiting, taking on leadership roles and responsibilities...

Diversity experts organise educational sessions on diversity and inclusion, create an inclusive culture in the workplace, introduce new ideas aimed at improving diversity and inclusion, advocate in favour of the use of inclusive language, prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace etc. Judging by the number and diversity of jobs that they do, it is clear why diversity experts will be in increasingly high demand in the coming years.

Remote work, or teleworking, which was imposed on us by the COVID-19 pandemic, has proven to be a great option when it comes to promoting diversity in the workplace. Teleworking enables employment managers to expand searches for suitable candidates beyond their immediate surroundings, while simultaneously allowing certain categories of workers – including those with certain health problems, single parents and parents of young children – to remain part of the team despite the restrictions brought by the pandemic.

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity, life would be very boring. ~ Catherine Pulsifer 20

Diversity And Inclusion 2021

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CONTENTS

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HARD TIMES ALWAYS REVEAL GOOD FRIENDS

EXPECT CONTINUITY FROM VIENNA H.E. Nikolaus Lutterotti,Ambassador of Austria to Serbia

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POWER RESIDES IN CONTACTS, TRUST AND DEVOTED WORK Nada Knežević, Director of the Austrian Representative Office of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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PRIORITISING USERS’ NEEDS City Express

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WE NEED TRADITION AND INNOVATION Adrien Feix, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum (ACF) in Belgrade

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WOOD IS OUR WORLD Melanija Pavlović, General Manager, JAF d.o.o.

Nova Pazova

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GETTING BACK ON A POSITIVE TRACK Erika Teoman Brenner, Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of Austria

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MAINTAINING HIGHQUALITY STANDARDS Jelena Knežević, partner, Leitner&Leitner

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SERBIA IS A RATHER EXOTIC MARKET Claus Graggaber, Erste Group Head of Commercial Real Estate Finance International and Managing Director of Sirius Offices Belgrade

SPARKLING BEAUTY Viennese Craftsmanship

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ALIEN WORLD UNDER AUSTRIA’S DOOMED GLACIERS Science

20 15

RELIABLE PARTNER TO CLIENTS, Dejan Turk, A1 Srbija and A1 Slovenija CEO

OUR COMMITMENT TO RETAIL PARK DEVELOPMENT IN SERBIA REMAINS Gerald Grüll, Head of Retail at IMMOFINANZ

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AUSTRIAN ETIQUETTE AND CULTURE HARD FOUGHT VICTORY

IMPRESSUM EDITOR IN CHIEF Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs ART DIRECTOR Branislav Ninković b.ninkovic@aim.rs PHOTOS Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR Mark Pullen mrpeditorial@mail.com

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PROJECT MANAGERS Biljana Dević b.devic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović v.vukajlovic@aim.rs Mihailo Čučković m.cuckovic@aim.rs OFFICE MANAGER Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs FINANCE Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs

GENERAL MANAGER Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PUBLISHER Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs DIRECTOR Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com

PRINTING Rotografika d.o.o.

Segedinski put 72, Subotica GERMANY 2021 Published by: alliance international media Prote Mateje 52, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fascimile: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: office@aim.rs; office@cordmagazine.com

www.aim.rs; www.cordmagazine.com No 33 ISSN: 2560-4465 All rights reserved alliance international media 2021 The views expressed in this publication are those of the presenter; they do not necessary reflect the view of publications published by alliance international media

THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

NOVOMATIC, RECOGNISABLE AS THE REGION’S FASTEST GROWING COMPANY Novomatic Group is a European leader and one of the world’s biggest companies in the areas of technology and games of chance.

This group, which comprises around 350 international companies, has been recording success on the Serbian market for two decades already, through the recognisable Admiral Club and Admiral Bet brands.

In the field of gaming technology, Novomatic is a leading manufacturer of gaming equipment that has approximately 4,700 intellectual property rights.

Admiral Bet has positioned itself as part of a powerful brand that continues to grow in Serbia thanks to the opening of new betting shops, its unique offer, the best odds and a wide range of entertainment options, thereby setting new standards in this industry.

Apart from providing excellent conditions for monitoring and betting on sporting events, Admiral Bet also offers a wide selection of state-of-the-art gaming machines, for which Novomatic is recognisable around the world.

In an effort to link the company to the highest quality sporting competitions, Admiral Bet has become the title sponsor of basketball’s Admiral Bet ABA League, one of the strongest sporting leagues in Europe.

This brand also became a sponsor of the Serbian national basketball league, the KLS, which unites fans of basketball across the country. As one of the world’s strongest nations for basketball, Serbia insists on a strong domestic league, and the quality of that league will be increased significantly with the help and sponsorship of Admiral Bet. Alongside all of this, Admiral Bet has used its new platform to bring together a large number of players and provide the opportunity to expand this “virtual” community through various promotions and bonuses. Moreover, in addition to its numerous betting shops, it has also enabled players to bet online, which certainly represents the future of Serbia.

Admiral Slot Clubs, which have been synonymous with glamour and luxury for more than two decades, are unique in the region and are aimed at providing a great time for all visitors.

With a unified, luxurious interior, lovers of games of chance will soon have an opportunity to voyage into this realm of fun at the new, exclusive Belgrade Waterfront location.

Admiral Slot Clubs provide a unique atmosphere, cutting edge technology that’s always a step ahead of the competition and is recognisable for quality, which justifies the brand’s greatest representation in this area.

During the period of the pandemic, the company retained its social responsibility policy and clearly demonstrated how much it cares about health and safety, but also about its employees who kept their jobs.

In this way, and with strong relations of trust, the management plans to further penetrate and conquer the market.

NOVOMATIC AG |Novo Investment doo Japanska, 3a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia, Europe www.novomatic.com | www.novoinvestment.rs

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COMMENT

HARD TIMES ALWAYS REVEAL GOOD FRIENDS Many European interlocutors, including Austrian ones, have highlighted the fact that Serbia quite often fails to demonstrate tangible and credible improvements in terms of the rule of law, judicial independence and media freedoms, to mention only a few of the various areas where visible improvement is needed. Without considerable progress on reforms, even the best wishes for EU enlargement cannot come true

C

onstant change is a sign of our times - nothing old is good enough and nothing new can last long. In contrast, good bilateral relations thrive as a result of continuity. Despite the change at the helm of the Austrian government, the new Austrian chancellor will continue the policy that has served to fortify relations between Austria and Serbia. Just like his predecessor, new Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg sees the future of the region as being in the European Union. This is indeed echoed in the CorD interview with Austrian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Nikolaus Lutterotti, who put it this way: “We want to see an acceleration of the accession process. You can count on our continued full support.”

This comes during times of two events with a centripetal force: news conveyed by agency Reuters that quoted diplomatic circles as saying that at least some EU member states have gone cold on the idea of accepting the countries of the Western Balkans into the EU; and the European Commission confirming that the future of the Balkans lies in the European Union. In that respect, the expectation that Serbia might open two

6

new chapters, after a long deadlock, sounds promising.

And yet, friends wouldn’t be friends if they didn’t speak openly about the outstanding issues hindering Serbia’s EU path. Indeed, Many European interlocutors, including Austrian ones, have highlighted the fact that Ser-

between Austria and Serbia, where ever more Austrian companies are seeing Serbia as a good place to invest.

Following the decline of 2020, there is a visible optimism that the bilateral trade exchange will again reach 1.5 billion euros in 2021, thus equalling the all-time high recorded in 2019.

On the basis of the latest EC assessment of progress achieved by Serbia in the accession process, it is evident that the country is moving forward in a positive direction when it comes to the market economy. This is certainly reflected in Austria-Serbia bilateral trade and the constant interest in investing in Serbia among Austrian companies bia quite often fails to demonstrate tangible and credible improvements in terms of the rule of law, judicial independence and media freedoms, to mention only a few of the various areas where visible improvement is needed.

On the basis of the latest EC assessment of progress achieved by Serbia in the accession process, it is evident that the country is moving forward in a positive direction when it comes to the market economy. This is certainly reflected in bilateral trade

Furthermore, a delegation of Austrian businesspeople from Carinthia visited Serbia with the aim of expanding existing business opportunities here and exploring new ones. According to the Austrian Embassy, further efforts are to be exerted in support of the expansion of bilateral economic relations, with some old and new topics on the agenda: renewable energy, e-mobility, sustainability, digital transformation, infrastructure, urban technology and tourism.

AUSTRIA 2021

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AUSTRIA 2021

INTERVIEW

H.E. NIKOLAUS LUTTEROTTI, AMBASSADOR OF AUSTRIA TO SERBIA

EXPECT CONTINUITY

FROM VIENNA

New Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has reaffirmed that the future of this region lies in the European Union. And we want to see an acceleration of the accession process. You can count on our continued full support ~ Nikolaus Lutterotti

O

n the eve of the adoption of the European Commission’s annual report, which has proposed the opening of two new clusters in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, the Austrian ambassador reiterated that the speed of opening chapters depends on the speed of reforms implemented in the

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candidate country. The final decision, which should be brought by the 27 EU members by the end of this year, will be influenced by the assessment of whether substantial progress has been achieved in the field of the rule of law, says Austrian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Nikolaus Lutterotti in this CorD interview.

Your Excellency, given the latest developments on the Austrian political scene, could you explain to us what is meant by the “temporary resignation” of chancellor Sebastian Kurz?

On 11th October, the new Austrian Chancellor, Mr Alexander Schallenberg, was sworn in by President

FOCUS

In his very first speech before parliament, Chancellor Schallenberg stressed explicitly the government’s continued focus towards the Western Balkans and the need to realise the region’s EU prospects

Alexander van der Bellen. And so was the new foreign minister, Michael Linhart. The coalition government will continue working on the basis of the existing government programme.

As far as Austria’s foreign policy is concerned, you can expect continuity. In his very first speech before parliament, Chancellor Schallenberg stressed explicitly the government’s continued focus towards the Western Balkans and the need to realise the region’s EU prospects. The first visit of new Foreign Minister Michael Linhart led him to Bosnia-Herzegovina, a very clear sign of how dear and important not only Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also the whole region, is to us in Austria.

The recent revelation of Reuters news agency, citing diplomatic circles, that there is no longer pan-EU agreement on enlargement to include the Western Balkans reverberated massively around the region. Do you believe there could be a scenario that sees the permanent suspending of the enlargement process?

Frankly, I don’t see how a suspending of the enlargement process would be in the interest of the EU; it is also not in the interest of the candidate countries. The EU recently reaffirmed at the highest level that the future of the Balkans lies in the European Union. The visit of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the region was also a clear signal of the strategic importance of this region to the EU. But the enlargement process also requires a clear and unequivocal commitment from the countries of the region to adhere to the values, rules and standards upon which the European Union is founded. Candidate countries need to undertake and implement EU reforms. The more tangible and credible the improvements,

THE BRDO SUMMIT

ECONOMIC EXCHANGE

If you read the Brdo declaration, it becomes evident that the EU is by far the region’s closest partner, largest investor and principal donor

After a decline in 2020, trade is picking up again considerably this year. Austria continues to be the second biggest investor in Serbia

the faster the accession process will move forward. Austria has a very clear view on enlargement. That was reaffirmed by the new Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg: the future of the region lies in the European Union, as full members.

And we want to see an acceleration of the accession process. You can count on our continued full support.

if you read the Brdo declaration, it becomes evident that the EU is by far the region’s closest partner, largest investor and principal donor. The EU decided on an Economic and Investment Plan amounting to 30 billion euros and EU member states agreed on the IPA III programme, which will provide funds totalling 1.1 billion euros over the next two and a half months, until the end of 2021.

The EU has supported the Western Balkans resolutely in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences, with 3.3 billion euros to date. The Brdo Summit also reflected the broad spectrum of areas of cooperation and support: implementation of the Green Agenda; enhancing the market integration of the Western Balkans with the EU Single Market; expanding connectivity; improving transport through the “green lanes”; lowering roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans; an innovation agenda; and deepening cooperation in the area of the Common and Foreign Security Policy.

How do you view the recent Slovenian proposal that EU enlargement to encompass the entire Western Balkans be accelerated and completed by 2030?

How would you comment on the recent EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Slovenia?

The EU decided on an Economic and Investment Plan amounting to 30 billion euros and EU member states agreed on the IPA III programme, which will provide funds totalling 1.1 billion euros over the next two and a half months, until the end of 2021 We are grateful to the Slovenian Presidency of the EU for the enormous efforts and focus they have devoted to the EU accession process. We also believe that there is a need to send a clear message to the region that the enlargement process is not a never-ending process. Hence, we believe that it would be useful to have a clear timeline.

Regarding the Brdo Summit, we believe that it provided a strong signal of the strategic importance that the region represents for the EU and for the EU’s commitment to the enlargement process. Moreover,

Despite support from countries like Austria, Serbia is not advancing in the EU integration process, as can be seen in the decisions of the European Council not to open any new negotiating chapters over the course of the past two years. What do you think are the reasons for this deadlock?

The opening of new clusters depends on the progress of EU-related reforms.

Besides the introduction of respective legislation, it is equally important to implement the reforms adopted. In the past years, there was no unanimity among EU member states on opening new chapters, also because of the assessment that reforms were insufficient, in particular when it comes to reforms related to the rule of law.

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INTERVIEW Do you share the concerns of some of your colleagues who cite the situation in the field of the rule of law and democracy as being among the reasons for the EU’s decision not to open new accession negotiation chapters with Serbia?

The EU accession process requires credible reforms in the area of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, including the fight against corruption, ensuring the safety of journalists and media freedom. Progress on these socalled fundamental issues, as covered by chapters 23 and 24, are crucial for each EUMS to assess whether to agree to opening new negotiating clusters or not. If Serbia continues its work and implements some of the reform efforts exerted in past months in the field of the rule of law, I am quite optimistic that it will lead to the opening of a new cluster.

How do you see the latest developments in relations between Belgrade and Priština?

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The “ReFocus Austria” programme aims to promote Austrian businesses and focuses on the core competencies of Austria’s economy: renewable energy, e-mobility, sustainability, digital transformation, infrastructure, urban technology and tourism The latest developments once more showed how important the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is in order to build trust and normalise relations for the benefit of the people.

The Brussels agreements need to be fully implemented. We trust in the efforts of Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák and give him our full support.

Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said that Serbia is Aus-

tria’s most important economic partner in the region. How much has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on our mutual economic exchange?

Before the pandemic, trade between our two countries was developing very positively. With a trade exchange of 1.5 billion euros representing an all-time high in 2019. After a decline in 2020, trade is picking up again considerably this year. Austria continues to be the second biggest investor in Serbia. More than 400 Austrian companies are active in the country and provide over 22,000 jobs. Most of these companies have been in Serbia for a long time and pursue a long-term strategy. I was therefore not surprised that Austrian investors remained in Serbia throughout the pandemic. A few days ago, a delegation of Austrian businesspeople from Carinthia visited Serbia with the aim of expanding existing business opportunities here and exploring

Media recently reported on concerns from Germany and some other EU member states regarding alleged problems with regard to visa-free travel in Serbia and Albania. Do you believe the situation could result in the suspension of visa liberalisation?

Illegal migration remains one of the biggest challenges for the European Union, but also for us in Austria.

There is a need to cooperate very closely and coordinate our response to this challenge, as we have done in the past. This includes the issue of visa-free travel into the region.

In a September interview for the Italian media, then chancellor Kurz said that approximately 8,000 refugees arrived in Austria via the so-called Balkan route in 2021. What is this alarming statement meant to convey?

It is crucial to remain vigilant and pay close attention to the development of migratory flows. We have witnessed an upsurge in illegal migration to Austria in 2021, mostly via the Eastern Mediterranean route. We have very close and good bilateral cooperation between Austria and Serbia, but also the other countries of the region, in the

area of migration, particularly through the Joint Cooperation Platform headquartered in Vienna. A contingent of nine Austrian police officers is working alongside the Serbian border police on the border between Serbia and North Macedonia.

AUSTRIA 2021

new ones. The Austrian Embassy will engage more intensely in the coming months to support the expansion of our economic relations and the recovery of our economies. The Austrian government, together with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, has initiated a global economic outreach programme. The programme, called “ReFocus Austria”, aims to promote Austrian businesses and focuses on the core competencies of Austria’s economy: renewable energy, e-mobility, sustainability, digital transformation, infrastructure, urban technology and tourism.

How is implementation unfolding when it comes to the donation of a million vaccine doses against COVID-19 that Austria is set to send to the Western Balkans by year’s end. Which countries will receive these vaccines?

So far, Austria has donated and delivered 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was carried out in August.

We are in constant contact with all countries of the region to assess the needs and requirements according to their vaccination strategies and priorities for the distribution of the remaining 500,000 doses.

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AUSTRIA 2021

INTERVIEW

ERIKA TEOMAN BRENNER, COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR, EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA

GETTING BACK ON A POSITIVE TRACK The Austrian companies operating in Serbia have managed the pandemic and its economic fallout very well. Furthermore, we are also pleased to report that there are a few new companies from Austria that have expressed interest in investing in Serbia in the very near future. We are therefore convinced that Serbia will continue to be an attractive investment location

I

t cannot be said that we are over the pandemic, but good news is definitely on the horizon. In this interview, Erika Teoman Brenner, Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Austria in Belgrade, shares some reasons for optimism.

To summarise, she says that we can expect the upward trend in bilateral trade and investments to continued.

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However, we mustn’t allow figures reflecting an upsurge to deceive us - further reforms to improve the business climate are still very much needed.

According to your poll conducted in late 2020, despite the reduced turnover among 40% of the surveyed companies that operate in Serbia, 30% still planned to

invest even more over the next 12 months. Has that optimism been maintained throughout 2021?

It is too early to make a final assessment of the investment expansions this year, but based on the information we receive from our companies, we can confirm that the Austrian companies operating in Serbia have managed the pandemic

RECORD

After a strong rebound in 2021, we can expect to surpass the record trade level of 2019 by the end of this year

and its economic fallout very well.

We are also pleased to report that there are a few new companies from Austria that have expressed interest in investing in Serbia in the very near future. To summarise, we are convinced that Serbia will continue to be an attractive investment location.

How have these developments impacted on bilateral trade and investments? What would be the final score for 2021?

Our bilateral trade fell by approximately 14% last year, due to the crisis.

This year we are witnessing a swift recovery, regarding both exports and imports. In the first six months of this year, Austrian exports to Serbia increased by 22%, whereas imports from Serbia to Austria grew by 13%. The structure of our trade has remained quite unchanged over the years and reflects the strength of both countries’ economies. We can expect the positive trend to continue and surpass the record trade level of 2019 by the end of this year.

PARTNERSHIPS

EDUCATION

In order to make the most of digital transformation in the context of recovery from the crisis, cooperation and new partnerships are more important than ever

After challenges due to the pandemic, we are confident that the dual vocational training programmes will advance again with the great support of companies

reduced. It is important to note that all the reforms that we’ve touched on in previous years would not only increase the confidence of foreign businesses in the Serbian market, but, more significantly, would serve to benefit domestic companies.

possible workforce shortages and how would they respond to that?

Even during the pandemic, our companies in Serbia were actively looking for qualified staff. There are definitely some professions, particularly in the technical field, where they are starting to feel a serious shortage. Individual companies only have a limited number of tools at their disposal to respond to this situation: firstly, they have to be an attractive employer and, secondly, they have to invest in the continuous qualification of their workforce. On a more general level, we believe that it is crucial to create a certain public awareness that work-based learning opens up many new opportunities for young people who acquire skills that are relevant on the labour market.

We believe that it is crucial to create a certain public awareness that work-based learning opens up many new opportunities for young people who acquire skills that are relevant on the labour market The availability of qualified workers has been strongly attributed to the interest of Austrian investors for Serbia. Are the surveyed companies concerned about

What challenges have been faced by the implementation of

Although Austrian companies cherish the opportunity to work in Serbia, many critical points have remained the same year after year, despite the overall improvements of preceding years achieved thanks to reforms, such as those related to corruption and red tape. How do you explain this and what can be done?

As you correctly mentioned, there has been quite an improvement in the business environment over recent years. We know that reforms take time and don’t come overnight, but our companies still think that there are a few areas where improvement is necessary. They feel that the rule of law should be strengthened, transparency increased and red tape 13

AUSTRIA 2021

INTERVIEW the dual education system during the pandemic and how does this influence the activities of Austrian companies?

The companies certainly faced some challenges in light of the safety measures imposed due to COVID-19 and they had to readjust the organisation of their business. Moreover, the schools had to conduct their final exams for the 2019/2020 academic year under difficult circumstances, as they were officially closed. Although students neither went to school nor to companies for training, they were able to attend dual education classes on a daily basis via national television stations and other digital means.

But we are confident that the dual vocational training programmes will advance again, with great support of the companies involved.

Now that COVID has, in a way, become a new normal for us, could you predict future trends in bi14

lateral cooperation? Are we going to see more cooperation in digital transformation?

Austrian companies operating in Serbia feel that the rule of law should be strengthened, transparency increased and red tape reduced… If adequate reforms are applied, that would serve to benefit both foreign and domestic businesses operating on the Serbian market Although digital transformation started long before the emergence of COVID-19, the pandemic has definitely highlighted the increasingly important role of new technologies.

Not only have they allowed us to work remotely, but they also help us to build new connections and conduct business

transactions. In order to make the most of the digital transformation in the context of recovery from the crisis, cooperation and new partnerships are more important than ever before.

How have these changes affected the activities of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA aimed at fostering bilateral cooperation?

We are continuously re-evaluating our activities and services in light of the ongoing pandemic. We are relying more on digital meeting formats and try to encourage our companies to participate in the digital B2B events that we organise here in Serbia. While we definitely see encouraging results of our efforts to connect people online, we still think that there is a need to have a certain number of in-person meetings. Striking a good balance between all these different modes to promote bilateral cooperation is a challenge, but the more experience we gain, the better we will manage.

Thanks to its synergy with the A1 Group, A1 Serbia achieves better cooperation with other markets, exchanges of expertise and the possibility to offer its customers new, advanced solutions for the digital age. All this enables A1 to traverse, as smoothly and easily as possible, the path from a telecommunications company to a serious ICT company

I

t is expected that 5G will enable a significantly larger number of connected devices, which will contribute to the automating of agricultural processes and traffic, the evolution of digital solutions and an incomparably better user experience in all segments of private and business life.

ment of new and more complex services.

In the majority of the countries of the region where the auction has been completed, the implementation phase is now underway, while in those places where 5G has already been introduced, such as Austria and Slovenia, for example, the impressions are positive.

When it comes to your company, 2021 has been marked by rebranding. Has that opened up new possibilities for you, as a strong international “player”?

Synergy with the A1 Group has enabled us to have even better cooperation with other markets and exchange expertise, while giving us the possibility to offer the Serbian market new, advanced solutions for the digital age in which we live. This gives us a tailwind in being a reliable partner to our users and providing them with a stable and strong network and services, while at the same time helping them to find the best solutions for themselves. The results are already evident. We have gone even further when it comes to tariff offers, launching our own brand of devices, striding into the domain of internet security and increasingly paving the way for us to transform from a telecommunications company to a serious ICT company.

The A1 Group’s support has enabled us to this year implement significant improvements to network infrastructure.

We erected as many as 100 base stations in the first eight months of the year, increasing the network’s capacity by more than 70 per cent. The first confirmation of quality has also arrived from Ookla®, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, testing applications and technology. Speedtest®, Ookla’s flagship network testing platform, collects hundreds of millions of measurements about the performance and quality of

You recently awarded nine million dinars to projects for children within the scope of the “world you dream of” program. How much has been done in the first stage of the program and what can we expect next?

The projects from the programme’s first cycle are currently in the implementation stage. Local communities throughout Serbia have already received devices for gauging air pollution, thanks to the project of the Internet Society of Serbia, and we will soon see the launch of the free educational programme on the topic of the visualisation and interpretation of data from the Loop Foundation [Fondacija Petlja]. The freephone line of the Centre for Mothers, “Mummy, how are you?”, will start functioning by the end of this year.

The projects intended for children are expected to be realised next year. Thanks to the Zaigrani [Playful] Initiative, 100 nursery schools throughout Serbia will be equipped with unfinished ecofriendly toys that encourage creativity and learning. The Logo Centre will launch an application for children at an early stage of development, while within the scope of the educational programme Zasadimo život zajedno [Let’s plant life together], primary school children will learn about healthy habits and nutrition, and everything that they grow will be donated to Nurdor [the national association of parents of children suffering from cancer] and to children struggling with cancer.

During the first eight months of 2021, we erected as many as 100 base stations and increased the network’s capacity by more than 70 per cent networks around the world each day.

Ookla declared A1 the fastest mobile network in Serbia for 2021, and we’re extremely proud of that fact.

You announced recently that A1 will cooperate with Nokia on the introduction of 5G to Serbia. What kind of expectations do you have when it comes to this technology having in mind the experiences of other markets where 5G technology has already been implemented?

What is most important for us operators, but also users, is that the new spectrum will increase the capacity of the network, which has practically reached its limit due to the significantly larger amounts of data transmitted over the last two years. Service delays will be reduced, which will spur the develop-

BUSINESS

RELIABLE PARTNER TO CLIENTS

AUSTRIA 2021

DEJAN TURK, A1 SRBIJA AND A1 SLOVENIJA CEO

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AUSTRIA 2021

INTERVIEW

NADA KNEŽEVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTRIAN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE OF THE SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

POWER RESIDES IN CONTACTS,

TRUST AND DEVOTED WORK Firmly established links between businesspeople, but also support provided to them selflessly by chambers of commerce and consulates, ensured that not a single job agreed with Serbian business leaders suffered even during the most difficult stages of the pandemic. This is illustrated clearly by the results of the trade exchange and potential investments reached again, if not slightly exceeded,” says Nada Knežević, director of the SCCI Austrian Representative Office.

Cooperation between institutions, particularly chambers of commerce, was much more intensive throughout the entire period of the crisis than it ordinarily is under regular conditions, and all stakeholders engaged maximally in helping the economy, through exchanges of information and experiences, to grab a connection under extraordinary circumstances, explains our interlocutor. “I consider it a special success that every Serbian company that needed to send its workers to Austria during the period of the crisis in order to assemble their products and systems, as stipulated by their business contracts, was actually able to do that, despite numerous challenges.”

A

lthough cooperation between Serbian and Austrian companies during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in a way that was far from regular, the level of business cooperation was preserved thanks to the maximum engagement of companies. As such, the fall in the 16

trade exchange during 2020 was far less in the case of Serbia than it was with Austria’s other partners, as shown by data from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI).

“The trade exchange recovered quickly during 2021, and the pre-crisis period value of this exchange is expected to be

To what extent was it possible, under these conditions, to organise in-person visits and direct contacts between businesspeople from the two countries?

The organising of these kinds of meetings wasn’t at all easy because, during certain periods, permission for movements was granted exclusively for pressing, urgent business matters. Receiving the consent of border authorities to enter the territory of the state, consent to move within the territory during permitted times or periods when movement was prohibited, was mainly achieved by the SCCI Representative Office engaging with the services of the Austrian Interior Ministry and other relevant provincial authorities.

Every company that addressed the SCCI

CONNECTIVITY

CHANCE

COOPERATION

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation between Austria and Serbia wasn’t suspended even during the period of the most restrictive measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus

If any Austrian company were to seek a place to relocate production operations from a distant destination to one closer to Austria, Serbia has a great chance of enticing such investments

Mutual cooperation between the two chambers – starting from the highest level, via the representative offices, all the way to the economic branch sectors within the chambers – can be assessed as exceptional

or the SCCI Representative Office was provided with all the required information, as well as support in carrying out essential visits. Such activities certainly implied additional engagements, but nobody who had an urgent job to do was left without the possibility of doing that job. Businesspeople should also be praised for being very conscientious when it came to conducting visits and adhering to the stringent health conditions that they had to respect during their movements and work. A particularly extensive job was conditioned by the transiting of businesspeople through Austria towards other Western European countries, because movements were possible only by road during large intervals, but activities were conducted extremely successfully in this sense. It is also important in this regard to mention the close and very intensive cooperation with the consular department of the Serbian Embassy in Vienna, which engaged on these matters wholeheartedly. They worked 18-20 hours a day during individual periods, in order to monitor all the events, but - regardless of the stress and pressure that was a daily reality – the satisfaction felt after successful implementation nonetheless prevailed and also provided motivation for further work.

new investments, and which forms of cooperation showed themselves to be the most successful in the digital space?

Despite the described challenges, one cannot say that the coronavirus impacted on new investments. Those investments that had already started, continued being implemented, though admittedly at a slower pace than previously planned.

The Serbian market isn’t a complete unknown to Austrian investors, especially given that a very large number of Austrian companies already do business in Serbia. The crisis, which hit the transport and logistics sectors particularly hard, as well as the standstills present globally in terms of maintaining supply chains, can be freely said to have even led many Austrian companies to consider relocating their production facilities from faraway destinations to regions that are closer to their home country.

Regardless of the importance for Serbia of continuing to entice foreign direct investments, including from Austria, I consider it very important to highlight the fact that, in recent years, we’ve seen a particularly pronounced interest in opening subsidiaries in Austria among Serbian companies. When Serbian companies decide to expand their operations to the market of the European Union, they most commonly choose to establish their companies in Austria. One of the

motivating factors for that is certainly the large Serbian diaspora present in that country, but the main logic behind such an investment is based, to the greatest extent, on the fact that a company that starts operating and selling successfully on the Austrian market can use Austria in its further steps as an excellent springboard for advancement and growth on the German market, which is ten times larger, or that of Switzerland, which is recognised among Serbian businesspeople as a very demanding and closed market.

In this respect, the costs of entering the Austrian market come with the logical further growth of the company on a market that, viewed as a whole, is much larger, and in doing so they can utilise new resources within the parent company that were already established during the process of entering the Austrian market.

How did the fact that the number of contacts was reduced reflect on

How interesting a location is Serbia for Austrian companies when it comes to offshoring and nearshoring?

It is not only Austrian companies, but also state institutions of the Republic of Austria, which recognised during this crisis the significance and importance of certain production capacities – especially key ones that have gradually “departed” to faraway destinations following defeat in the struggle for cheaper production conditions – being brought closer to the

STRABAG SRBIJA Milutina Milankovića 3b 11 070 Beograd / Srbija Tel.: +381 (0)11 2221-700 office.rs@strabag.com STRABAG SEVERNA MAKEDONIJA Mirce Acev 2, Skoplje-Centar 1 000 Skoplje / Severna Makedonija Tel.:+389 (2) 510-1800 macedonia@strabag.com STRABAG CRNA GORA Zetskih Vladara 5 81000 Podgorica / Crna Gora Tel.:+382 (20) 448-300 office@crnagoraput.me

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AUSTRIA 2021

INTERVIEW

show that having a university degree is no guarantee that someone will be able to secure employment.

home country, or even returned to the territory of Austria. Serbia has great prospects for any Austrian company seeking a place to relocate production operations from a distant destination to one closer to Austria. In this regard, Serbia is benefited in particular by all the investments of previous years that it has directed towards the construction of road and rail infrastructure, where remarkable progress has been made.

Although it was previously difficult to imagine Austrian investors investing in southern Serbia, as they were first and foremost interested in the region of Vojvodina, which was best connected by road, the situation now is such that several of the most recent major investments headed in the direction of Niš, primarily due to the strong development of infrastructure, but also the available workforce that still remains at their disposal in this region.

How would you today assess experiences with dual education; what else can be done for this concept to be even more successful?

The exchange of experiences between Serbia and Austria in this aspect is very intensive, while communication between the two countries’ chambers of commerce, which are to a certain extent 18

The instant opportunities emerge on the Serbian labour market that are similar to those represented in Austria or Germany, i.e., when we reach the juncture at which it is possible for someone with this kind of education to earn far more than someone with a university degree, then this type of education will be accepted without hesitation the carriers of this form of education, is particularly pronounced. Our country’s economy and the speed of its development are decisive factors that will dictate the pace at which this concept of education will develop in Serbia. Considering how many Serbian citizens are employed at German and Austrian companies that are already operating in Serbia, as well as the fact that a large influx of German investments is still expected, it is completely clear that this concept will gradually become more successful.

The mental barrier preventing some schoolchildren from opting for this type of education instead of university studies will reduce over time, because time will

In which ways are the Serbian and Austrian chambers deepening their cooperation and what are the priorities of your future work?

The economic areas and topics that the two chambers cooperate on are so numerous that it’s difficult to imagine an area where we haven’t at least established communication or exchanges of information. The Austrian Economic Chambers has a strong system that’s developed over decades and which, in and of itself, represents one of the most important pillars of Austrian economic development. Viewed historically, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, despite being one of the oldest, has had different periods of rises and falls, but in recent years has undergone many structural changes that have significantly improved its work and, thus, its image. All the positive experiences that we can gain in exchanges with the Austrian Chamber are applied, but that is a process in which we must develop solutions that are suitable to our economy.

Copying the system verbatim, 1:1, is not possible because, despite the great similarities between the two countries, there are also numerous specificities. Mutual cooperation – starting from the highest level, which relates to the two presidents, via the representative offices of the chambers that exist in both countries, all the way to the economic branch sectors that exist within the chambers – can be assessed as exceptional. Both chambers organise numerous events that create opportunities for companies to establish mutual contacts, create opportunities to exhibit collectively at fairs, submit and exchange all required information on opportunities for future cooperation, consider proposals for amendments to laws and additional measures to facilitate business operations. Apart from providing capacity building and reform support to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Austrian Economic Chamber has provided, and continues to provide, financial support for projects that the two chambers work on together.

LeitnerLeitner offices work together closely and across borders – a principle that has been put into practice for more than 60 years. They think ahead with the aim of realising viable, innovation solutions for their clients

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n order to enhance potential in the post-pandemic world, we should be prepared to react proactively and work together to build a more competitive business – maximising the strong side of our economy and minimising the weaknesses How important is it in your work that your offices work together closely and that you have excellent relations with consultancies?

Our staff’s expertise and integrity play a decisive role. This rapid transfer of knowledge ensures that clients have the combined knowhow of our entire company at their disposal at all times. The areas of tax, audit and financial advisory harbour a variety of challenges, so it is very important to have an experienced expert at hand with whom you can discuss your individual topics at eye-level.

We also cultivate close personal – and tried–and-tested professional – relations with a number of renowned consultancies.

In this way, we can eliminate countryspecific risks and identify the best possible solution, even in complex situations.

We strongly consider the outstanding technical skills of our team and high quality of LeitnerLeitner services as being key factors of our success in Serbia.

Our consistently high-quality standards have also helped us achieve success and constantly increase our locations in the CEE and SEE regions.

I am particularly proud that LeitnerLeitner, as a team, successfully overcome all challenges placed before us, whether from a legislative perspective and continuous amendments to legislation, or from the perspective of challenges related to the pandemic and the normal course of business.

BUSINESS

MAINTAINING HIGH-QUALITY STANDARDS

AUSTRIA 2021

JELENA KNEŽEVIĆ, PARTNER, LEITNERLEITNER

to implement the reforms necessary to attract both foreign and domestic investors, giving Serbia strong potential to maximise efforts to entice new investments.

We are all part of one system and the problems of one impact on others – that’s why the business sector has to be united and active in legislative, fiscal and tax changes.

We strongly consider the outstanding technical skills of our team and high quality of LeitnerLeitner services as being key factors of our success in Serbia Judging by FDR inflows, it seems that our country enjoys great trust and a good reputation around the world. Do you think this trend will be sustained?

LeitnerLeitner has numerous multinational clients who have already made huge investments in Serbia, while there is a significant number of those that are planning to launch new investments.

Also, statistically, more than half of all FDI in the Western Balkans from 2010 to 2019 was made in Serbia, representing the highest amount in the entire CEE region. Serbia has taken important steps

The IT sector expanded during the pandemic and currently contributes almost as much to the Serbian economy as agriculture. Does this mean that it pays off the most to invest in these two branches of the economy?

Throughout the pandemic, the IT sector expanded as a percentage of Serbia’s economy and global corporations have begun investing in the tech sector in Serbia. Together with agriculture, production and the automotive sector, ICT is becoming one of the pillars of the Serbian economy. Serbia ranks 40th on the list of the biggest software exporters globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how important food security is to all countries. Serbia stood out as a country with high independence and an excellent performance in the agriculture sector: production levels didn’t drop despite the state of emergency and lockdowns, while record results were also achieved in production and exports. With export growth of more than 14%, Serbia has also established itself as a regional leader in the agriculture sector. The further objectives should be to continue recordbreaking production in the agriculture sector and achieve even better results through raw material processing and the defining of a finance programme for production.

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AUSTRIA 2021

BUSINESS

GERALD GRÜLL, HEAD OF RETAIL AT IMMOFINANZ

OUR COMMITMENT TO RETAIL PARK DEVELOPMENT IN SERBIA REMAINS our tenants throughout the pandemic.

Our main competitive advantage is our focus on smaller towns and bringing new shopping trends to people living far from the capital and other major cities. Now they can find entertainment and a broad range of products with convincing cost-benefit ratios at their

Our STOP SHOP portfolio covers 100 locations in nine countries, with nearly 750,000 sqm of leasable space

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hen the COVID-19 crisis first gripped the world, retail was among the sectors hardest hit. However, visits to STOP SHOP retail parks in Serbia quickly returned to pre-crisis levels and their operator, Austrian company IMMOFINANZ, even increased its locations from 10 to 14 last year, bringing fresh opportunities for price-savvy shoppers throughout Serbia. The biggest retail park developer in Central and Eastern Europe recently reached an occupancy rate of 100% in its Serbian portfolio, which encompasses facilities in Čačak, Lazarevac, Niš, Požarevac, Vršac, Valjevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Borča, Smederevo, Subotica, Leskovac, Šabac, Sombor and Zaječar.

Gerald Grüll, Head of Retail at IMMOFINANZ, reiterates that this Austrian investor is here to stay and will further strengthen bilateral cooperation and economic growth with its upcoming investments.

With four acquisitions in 2021 and a 100% occupancy rate, it seems that 20

the pandemic hasn’t hindered the plans of IMMOFINANZ in Serbia.

How do you see this?

We are very proud of this full occupancy milestone and remain committed to our operations here. Retail parks have experienced something of a revival, proving to be the most successful and crisis-resilient retail format during the pandemic. They meet the need for more affordable products and offer an outdoor parking area with direct access to retail units, with low consumer density. STOP SHOPs in Serbia remained a safe place for shopping, so it was not much of a surprise that the turnover in 2020 was slightly higher than in 2019 in the overall portfolio, apart from lockdown days.

What do you think was your winning formula?

We believe our success is driven by a solid strategy and steady plans. We benefited greatly from both our focus on fair leasing and low operating costs, as well as active communication with

local STOP SHOP, without the need to travel an hour or two to the nearest shopping centre. These are some of the reasons why IMMOFINANZ has been recognised as one of the region’s most successful companies in the commercial real estate sector.

You gave a promise in 2015 that you had come to Serbia to stay.

What are your plans for this market?

Our initial investment of 60 million euros in Serbia has grown to approximately 150 million euros and we certainly hope it will continue to grow.

Our STOP SHOP portfolio covers 100 locations in nine countries, with nearly 750,000 sqm of leasable space. Further acquisitions and internal development projects are currently under preparation, with the aim of expanding to 140 STOP SHOP locations over the medium-term. The focus is on markets in CEE, Southeast Europe and Austria, as well as selective entry into other Western European countries.

The CEE region currently offers the most attractive yields and prices in the retail business. Of course, Serbia remains an interesting market and we are constantly seeking new business opportunities in the country.

AUSTRIA 2021

City Express is a company that was founded in 2002 and has had its development and potential recognised among international companies interested in our market. It was in November 2007 that the ownership of City Express was transferred to Austrian Post [Österreichische Post], a leader of the parcel delivery sector in the CEE region

BUSINESS

PRIORITISING USERS' NEEDS

C

urrent development in the volume of operations is confirmed by the planned capacity expansion programme, which will take the form of the opening of new regional delivery centres and increasing the number of employees and vehicles.

How much has the COVID-19 pandemic led to your company’s operations changing?

Petar Anđelić, Sales & Marketing Manager: In the initial period of the pandemic, we noticed a general fall in the number of shipments compared to the prepandemic period. We also faced a disturbance in the redistribution of parcels in part of the segment dealing with deliveries to private individuals and registered entities. Due to restrictions on citizens’ movement and the reduced working hours of retail outlets, major retail chains and retailers based their trade on the B2C model, with retailers selling their products directly to consumers. This had a positive impact on e-commerce, which influenced the growth of our operations, and such a trend is continuing.

The first half of 2021 was still impacted by the pandemic, but it was very successful on the whole. Compared to the huge burdens in the background during the same period of last year, the volume of operations increased in the first half of 2021. With this good result, City Express has raised its expectations for 2021 as a whole.

You began as the country’s first private company for express deliveries and will celebrate your 20th birthday as a company next year. This been an exciting 20 years, right?

Goran Blagojević, Finance Manager & Procurator: The company was founded in 2002 and has been under the ownership

FROM LEFT: GORAN BLAGOJEVIĆ, PETAR ANĐELIĆ AND MARKO ČUČUROVIĆ

We are proud of the fact that we’ve been a member of the CEE parcel division of Austrian Post for almost 15 years of Austrian Post from November 2007. Since then, major investments were made in the modernization of all sectors of the company, raising the quality and introducing new services. With modern logistics software, the electronic tracking of shipments, automation of the packages processing and constant investment in personnel, the level of service has been raised significantly. We are proud of the fact that we’ve been a member of the CEE parcel division of Austrian Post for almost 15 years and that we’ve managed to set standards, which are aligned with the group’s strategy. Together we facing various challenges and sets priorities and goals, at present, we actively participating in a sustainability project, in which common aim is to switch to alternative sources of electricity, electrify the fleet and reduce our CO2 emissions.

You don’t only succeed in delivering about 97% of shipments to their destination

within 24 hours, but also work constantly to introduce new services and improve existing ones. What is your secret?

Marko Čučurović, Logistics & QM Manager: Numerous new solutions introduced to operations and processes have enabled optimal and modern services, as well as strongly assisting in the growth of e-commerce. Our development strategy places the focus of all changes on the needs of users. In order for us to respond to the needs of both users and the market, we have offered flexible shipment deliveries – through the Parcel Shop network of facilities, where it is possible to pick up and deliver a parcel. City Express is currently in the process of precuring ‘paketomat’ parcel pick-up vending machines, which will enable the sending and receiving of shipments 24 hours a day through a network of ‘paketomat’ machines set up nationwide.

By investing in new, top-class PDAs [personal digital assistants] manufactured

by Zebra, we will offer two new services from the beginning of 2022: announcements of the impending arrival of shipments, with expected delivery times; and payments for reclamation and transportation services via payment cards.

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BUSINESS

MELANIJA PAVLOVIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER, JAF D.O.O. NOVA PAZOVA

WOOD IS OUR WORLD Austria’s JAF Group represents one of Central Europe’s largest wholesalers of wood-based panel materials and timber. It has been operating in Serbia since 2008, and during that time has earned a reputation as a reliable distributor, which – alongside quality – ensures the delivery of a wide array of products throughout the entire territory of Serbia. With a programme of renowned suppliers, its warehouses succeed in responding to all the demands of the furniture and construction industries. JAF Group opened its Serbian subsidiary with headquarters in Nova Pazova, while it has had a modern exhibition space in New Belgrade since 2019 turnover exceeding a billion euros, 58 subsidiaries in 18 countries - what else do we need to know about JAF? It is interesting to mention the historical data about the way a small family business, established in 1948, developed, advanced and grew its business over the years to become a major corporation. “JAF” is an abbreviation of the names of the founders - Josef and Antonia Frischeis, whose descendants are still in the business today. The founder had a vision and strategy to expand his business eastwards, so the business developed in such a way that JAF is known for its professionalism in many Balkan and Central European countries, and is also recognised as a reliable partner. “Wood is our world” represents the guiding notion that runs through our business.

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AF is a partner that you can rely on at all times. In its machining centre in Nova Pazova, the company offers customised service cutting, edging, material processing with a CNC machine, as well as cutting, joining and veneer press services.

JAF continues to achieve exceptional results in Serbia, led by General Manager

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Melanija Pavlović, a graduate architectural engineer who continues to share and upgrade her many years of experience with JAF’s entire team in Serbia.

The JAF Group is Austria’s largest supplier of wood panel materials and timber. Apart from the impressive figures - 75 years in existence, a

You sell only high-quality products made by renowned manufacturers. Do you manage to satisfy the needs of the market even under conditions of rising demand?

The Serbian market is demanding, as are many markets in the region, but also in Austria. Our portfolio encompasses sales of plywood, refined plywood, raw plywood, MDF, veneers, compact panel boards, decking, timber, natural wood etc. 2020 was a year that brought numerous challenges that confronted the world for the first time, but also JAF Group. We thought that 2020 was the toughest year, but 2021 has proved to be even more demanding in a different way. Price hikes and shortages of raw materials impacted on increasing the prices of panelling materials and wood in general, as well as the extending of

delivery deadlines on the part of suppliers. Considering that we are a large corporation and have good networking, we succeeded in meeting all of our customers’ needs and procuring enough goods, even during these challenging times of increased demand. Our mission is to be close to the customer and to be a reliable partner in doing business.

Have you managed to return your operations to regular flows after the shock of 2020 and what do you predict for the period ahead?

We managed to end 2020 successfully, although forecasts had been pessimistic in May, given the outbreak and development of the pandemic. 2021 began in a new rhythm, with increased demand, and has so far yielded results that exceed those planned.

The period ahead will be more than challenging, considering the situation with shortages of numerous raw materials or delays in their delivery. This has a major knock-on effect on the final products that we distribute or supply.

Timely planning is needed, and efforts to ensure that the warehouses are filled with goods so that we have something to offer the market and our customers.

The close and intensive cooperation between JAF and Austrian institutions in Serbia is based on the constant advancement of operations, working conditions for employees and other segments that contribute to constant growth and development. How much does their support mean to you?

We, as representatives of Austrian capital in Serbia, have excellent cooperation with the Embassy of Austria and the commercial department of the Embassy of Austria. We are grateful for the support that we receive from H.E. Nikolaus Lutterotti and Erika Teoman Brenner. Thanks to the initiative of Advantage Austria and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, we have joined the Dual Education programme in order to help educate and advance young people, providing them with secure employment and enabling them to remain in Serbia. Our industry has a staffing shortage and we have a constant need for professional personnel who can gain

Thanks to the initiative of Advantage Austria and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, we have joined the Dual Education programme in order to help educate and advance young people, providing them with secure employment and enabling them to remain in Serbia the knowledge and experience required to work in the furniture industry through high school education.

You are proud of the company’s rich tradition, while you are simultaneously focused on the future and the world of innovation. Is that precisely why JAF is number 1?

If you don’t follow the trends in business, then you lose step with business.

The market dictates the rules and we respect and adapt to those rules. Technology is advancing, design and raw materials are changing, and with that also the final products. Daily innovations also have an impact on various segments of our operations. By monitoring trends, our innovation team has developed online platforms that enable our partners to operate more efficiently. A great advantage is that customers have access

to our “Online Shop”, “Veneer World”, “Decorfinder” and others. JAF is a socially responsible company that takes care of its customers, employees and operations.

JAF is number 1 as a reliable partner that, through its operations and support, guarantees high-quality and consistency for its customers.

Since the establishment of its Serbian subsidiary, JAF has been striving to provide its customers – apart from high-quality goods -- with the assistance and support of wood technology and forestry engineers, as well as expert advisors. Is it difficult to find skilled workers and to what extent do you succeed in motivating your employees to stay with JAF for many years?

We are proud that ten engineers work at our company, thanks to whom our customers receive high-quality technical support and advice on the selection of materials and systemic solutions for their projects. It isn’t easy to find qualified workers and we are struggling with staff shortages. Many companies have opened subsidiaries in the Municipality of Stara Pazova over recent years and everyone needs workers. People comprise business and it is necessary to invest in people through working conditions, insurance, education, and assured and timely earnings. Our employees are our strength and the drivers of our development.

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BUSINESS

CLAUS GRAGGABER, ERSTE GROUP HEAD OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FINANCE INTERNATIONAL AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SIRIUS OFFICES BELGRADE

SERBIA IS A RATHER EXOTIC MARKET Erste is very active in Serbia’s real estate sector and is known as a reliable partner for financing real estate projects. Its aim has been to contribute to developing Serbia’s market on a long-term basis, as the group considers commercial real estate as being part of a country’s critical infrastructure

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hen it comes to logistics, we believe that Belgrade has all the potential to become a central hub for the Balkans, as the city is strategically located at the intersection of a number of pan-European corridors - says Mr Graggaber

station and having a number of bus and tram stops on the plot, providing direct access to the Ada and Gazela bridges. In the meantime, Sirius Offices has become the national headquarters of several international companies from various industries, such as Erste Bank Serbia, Strabag or Milenijum Osiguranje. At the same time, we have pursued an attractive tenant mix that includes a number of smaller tenants related to IT and shared services. The project also incorporates a supermarket and two stylish restaurants.

Last but not least, the site benefits from Sirius square, which spreads over an area of 2,300m2 and provides an area for relaxation, communication and events for tenants and visitors.

Can you tell us why Serbia is an interesting market for Erste?

At Erste Group, we always take a long-term view. We financed our first real estate project in Serbia almost 15 years ago. Back then, the main segments of the country’s real estate sector – namely retail, office, industrial and tourism – were underdeveloped and Serbia was seen as a rather exotic market to many banks in Western Europe. Since first entering the Serbian real estate market, we have financed projects worth more than half a billion euros, covering all segments. We still see opportunities and will support our clients in their future endeavours.

You are also part of the management of Sirius Offices Belgrade, a project that you have developed with your subsidiary Erste Group Immorent. Why did you choose Serbia to invest, and to become a real estate developer yourself?

Immorent is a 100% subsidiary of Erste Group and has been a project developer for 50 years, both in Austria and around the CEE region. More than 10 years ago, Immorent set up Immorent Singidunum, its own project company in Serbia, and acquired land in New Belgrade. That area in Milutina Milankovica Street, 24

Sirius Offices has become the national headquarters of several international companies from various industries formerly known as the 3rd Boulevard, had been rather vacant and wasn’t very appealing back then. This has changed significantly over the last 10 years and we believe that we’ve contributed to that change to a considerable degree.

The location of Sirius Offices is now one of the most attractive corners of New Belgrade, being right next to the train

How do you see the future of the Serbian real estate market?

We believe that the real estate market has shown healthy development over previous years and that it will continue to offer attractive opportunities in the future. None of the segments have experienced a dramatic valuation increase, therefore returns are likely to remain attractive and sustainable. While the market for shopping centres in Belgrade is experiencing some saturation, we still believe that there is potential for this segment in secondary cities across the country. There is currently a low vacancy level in the office market and we expect continuing demand for office space, mainly from the IT and R&D sectors.

We at Erste are committed to Serbia and its people, and we will continue providing our contribution to the country’s ongoing positive economic development.

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AUSTRIAN

ETIQUETTE AND CULTURE Every country has its own quirks and it can be useful to understand them. Getting to grips with Austrian etiquette and culture can help you engage properly with locals and ensure that your business dealings go well. Because of this, you should pay attention to the nuances of social niceties in the country

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enerally speaking, Austrian etiquette and society follows the norms of Germany. This means that Austrians are polite, formal, and have a level of reserve. They also follow many of the same languages, religions, and traditions as Germany.

Catholicism is an integral part of Austrian society. However, the Austrian constitution enshrines freedom of religion and there are many minority religions in the country.

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German is the official language of Austria. As such, 98% of Austrians speak German as their native language.

Of course, there are also many regional dialects within the country. Nevertheless, speaking German will bring you far more social and business opportunities. However, some regions recognize Croatian, Slovenian, and Hungarian as official languages, too. This is because they see an influx of immigrants from these countries. Additionally, most local schools teach English as the main foreign language.

Austria is a largely egalitarian society.

Whether discussing gender, class, or other divisions, Austria offers a greater degree of equality than many other countries. In fact, on the Power Distance dimension, Austria scores 11, which means that the country places emphasis on equality and participative communication. As a result, it has a very strong social welfare system that covers health, education, employment, and retirement needs.

Politically, Austria is a very democratic society. As a Federal Republic, it has a parliament made up of five political parties that include conservatives, liberals, and greens. All Austrians can vote from the age of 16. Perhaps because of its reasonably diverse political landscape, patriotism does not play the same role in Austria as it does in other countries such as the United States. In addition, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam sentiment is on the rise in Austria and has become a recent political flashpoint. As a result, these groups are sometimes marginalized in society. Although the traditional class system is now far less prevalent, it does still exist to a certain extent and is largely built across economic lines.

GENDER ROLES IN AUSTRIA In Austria, both genders are more or less equal. This is especially true among the younger generations. In fact, Austria’s constitutional law protects gender equality. As such, Austrian etiquette generally sees that women and men are treated the same in society. Nevertheless, there are still some inequalities. For instance, while women are certainly gaining pace in education and employment, there is still a significant gender pay gap.

In fact, statistics show that 19.2% of women aged between 25 and 64 hold an academic degree. Conversely, only 15.9% of men do so. Similarly, in 2019, the employment rate of women from 15 to 64 years was 69.2%, an increase of 4% over the past 10 years. That said, 2018 figures show that women are still earning 20.4% less than men.

Despite this, traditional gender norms often still prevail in Austria. As such, this is still a country of nuclear families where men are the head of the household. However, younger urban couples are becoming more equal, with men becoming more involved in household chores and childcare. Additionally, government assistance is pushing gender equality in the home. For example, when having a child, parental leave can be split between the mother and father, enabling women to return to work.

MEETING AND GREETING PEOPLE IN AUSTRIA Austrian etiquette dictates a certain level of formality in social situations.

This is because most Austrians tend to be more reserved, at least until they feel a level of connection with others.

Therefore, formal greetings are very much the norm.

As such, you will find that handshakes are very common. Generally, you will shake someone’s hand when you first meet them, and certainly in business settings. In addition, you should offer formal verbal greetings, such as “Guten Morgen” (good morning), “Guten Tag” (good tag), or “Guten Abend” (good evening). But, informally – or between family and good friends – women might lightly hug or offer two light air kisses on the cheek. You can also add verbal greetings such as “Hallo” (hello) or “Servus” (hi).

Because of the formality of Austrian etiquette, you should always greet Austrian people with titles. This is especially true in business meetings. Try and use professional titles, if available – like “Doktor” – or “Herr” (Mr). In general, first names are only used with friends, family and people you know well.

Austrian etiquette also dictates that you should never show up at someone’s home without warning. Instead, you should always call ahead and make plans to visit someone in their home.

ans also love enriching conversation, so try to avoid banal small talk about the weather (unless it is especially pertinent).

Instead, try and engage people in topics they are interested in.

Of course, being a rather conservative society, there are also some topics that you should avoid. This includes WWII and the Holocaust, because they are still very sensitive topics in Austria.

Migration is also a divisive topic, so be careful with this.

CONVERSATION AND COMMUNICATION IN AUSTRIA Once again, Austrian etiquette requires a certain level of reserve in conversation. In general, you should expect a formal, polite style of communication.

That said, with better acquaintance, this should become more warm and open. Similarly, Austrians tend to be very direct, honest, and straight to the point. However, this is tempered with a subtle – often cynical – humor. You should also remember that Austrians don’t tend to ask personal questions until they know you quite well.

When it comes to conversational topics, you can never go wrong with talking about Austria’s stunning natural beauty and regional diversity. However, Austri-

CLOTHING AND DRESS CODE IN AUSTRIA Austria’s Catholic traditions mean that people here tend to be quite conservative and this applies to their dress sense, too. They also dislike attracting attention to themselves. As such, you won’t usually see very skimpy or overly outrageous outfits. Instead, aim for quiet elegance and sophistication. You should also remember that Vienna is separate from the rest of the country, and people tend to dress up more for the opera or theatre, so feel free to go all out. You can never be overdressed for these occasions.

In general, casual dress for women involves dresses or skirts in summer or pants and sweaters in winter. For men, pants and collared shirts are always appropriate. In addition, Austrians usually favor dark, solid colors or simple patterns. Athletic gear is also frowned upon, as are sneakers and Birkenstocks. For business, men usually dress formally. This means dark suits with a dress shirt and tie. Similarly, women favor conservative dresses or a skirt suit.

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CITY OF VIENNA AGAINST AIRBNB

HARD FOUGHT VICTORY After a long fight, the Vienna Housing Councillor has finally won a victory against Airbnb, which is now forced to remove all apartments in the city belonging to social housing from its website. Furthermore, the platform decided to cooperate with the City by revealing data on the number of rented apartments and watching for possible breaches, though it remains to be seen whether this action will be lasting or short-lived

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he love between Airbnb and Vienna is mostly a bitter one. It was more than two years ago that Vienna was among the ten European cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Krakow, Munich, Paris and Valencia) that asked the EU for help in fighting the expansion of Airbnb. The cities also didn’t much like other holiday rental websites, as they felt soaring rental prices were pushing locals out of their own neighbourhoods. As an example, Palma de Mallorca voted to ban almost all listings after a 50% increase in tourist letting led to a 40% rise

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in residential rents. Back in 2016, over 11,000 apartments in Vienna were already being offered through Airbnb and 2,000 apartments were constantly rented, thus making them inaccessible to normal tenants. This prompted the City, that same year, to amend its Tourism Promotion Act in order to force people to pay taxes on income earned from short-term sub-letting, even if they only did so occasionally.

Along with writing letters to the EC, by the end of 2018 the City of Vienna had also amended the Vienna Building Code to render short-term letting – including through rental

services like Airbnb – illegal across large areas of the city. This decision was in line with pre-existing rules stipulating that only up to 20% of a building’s floor space can be used for non-residential purposes in residential areas. The 2018 alteration stated that commercial use for the purposes of short-term leasing does not qualify as residential use, thus prohibiting such rentals. However, apartments in residential zones were allowed to be rented (even on a short-term basis) if the owner or head tenant continues to use the apartment for their own purposes. That is to say that a student was permitted to rent

a spare room or an entire apartment during the summer break, provided they will return. Fines for violating these rules were set at up to €50,000, to be split between the tenant and the owner(s) of the building if they failed to inform the tenant about such restrictions.

Apart from being worried about the deteriorating of neighbourhoods, City officials also complained that those renting out apartments via Airbnb often avoided paying the relevant municipal tax, thus depriving the City of important revenue that would otherwise be used to support domestic tourism. The new rules were meant to oblige Airbnb to cooperate with the City in gathering these taxes.

However, as these actions failed to yield promising results, the City last year took legal action against Airbnb listed apartments in community housing.

The subletting of municipal housing was already prohibited, but it took almost two years for City officials to push platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com to delete all advertisements related to council housing addresses.

The City told the platforms that they would be held accountable for such breaches of the rules if community housing continues to be offered.

Finally, as reported by local media, in mid-October this year Airbnb removed all Viennese municipal apartments from its site. Given that social housing accounts for a large proportion of apartments in Vienna, this was an important move. The final decision came when Vienna’s Commercial Court confirmed that city-owned apartments could not be rented on platforms like Airbnb.

And now only apartments which clearly state that they are not among municipal-owned apartments can be shown on Airbnb.

Airbnb itself decided to comply, while also introducing measures intended to support “responsible tourism” in Austria. Airbnb also finally agreed to grant Viennese authorities access to its data in order to ensure that the rules are followed, to regularly remind Austrian users of the

Airbnb agreed to allow digital registration for hosts, which already exists in countries like France, the Netherlands and Spain, as well to publish figures on Airbnb’s usage in Austria for tax purposes rules and to remove any listings in violation of those rules.

Airbnb agreed to allow digital registration for hosts, which already exists in countries like France, the Netherlands and Spain, as well to

publish figures on Airbnb’s usage in Austria for tax purposes. Furthermore, the company introduced a hotline for neighbours to directly report suspected illegal rentals or disruptive parties occupying a rental property.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether this action will be lasting or short-lived. As is well known, Wiener Wohnen — Europe’s largest property manager owned by the City of Vienna - already banned subletting via Airbnb, but not all tenants have obeyed those rules. It is therefore believed that opposition to the changes will be strong and persistent.

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INTERVIEW

ADRIEN FEIX, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTRIAN CULTURAL FORUM (ACF) IN BELGRADE

WE NEED TRADITION

AND INNOVATION

The fact that the European capital of culture is a non-EU city is quite unique. As such, this is a great opportunity for Novi Sad, and for Serbia, to present itself, but also for us to show our culture, values and connections, and to show that European engagement in Serbia is real

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Jelena Jorgačević

here are two important anniversaries related to relations between Serbia and Austria this year: 185 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries; 20 years of the activities of the Austrian Cultural Forum (ACF) in Belgrade. This provided a good starting point for our conversation with ACF Belgrade Director Adrien Feix. And we used this opportunity to discuss various topics:

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contemporary art, which remains in the focus of this institution around the world; environmental issues and Serbian responses; the importance of language to developing a genuine understanding of other cultures; the significance of tradition and the limitations it presents; new ACF projects, particularly those that will be implemented in Novi Sad during its tenure as the European Capital of Culture for 2022.

Considering this year’s anniversaries, how would you describe the current juncture, i.e., present relations between our two countries?

In the context of 185 years, it is always a very small frame that you can look at and work in. This long relationship has sometimes been good and sometimes worse, but has been very close most of the time. We, as the Austrian Embassy and as the Austrian Cultural

forum, are now making sure that these enduring cultural relations stay alive and are constantly filled with new life, and not just to build them up on the basis of a strong tradition and famous names. If you ask me to characterise the present period, I would describe it as a period of great activity in Serbia and Austria.

We are facing new challenges in this strange time of COVID-19, but it has also brought us a lot of new creativity, new art forms, new ways to communicate art and engage with the public. Our goal is to constantly connect our two cultures under these circumstances.

You noted that cultural relations shouldn’t be limited by a strong tradition. The slogan of the ACF is also “izVan tradicije”, which is a play on words in Serbian meaning simultaneously from and beyond tradition. So, how can these two be reconciled?

It is one of the usual contradictions that has to be reconciled – innovation and tradition. There is always a fine line between these two. Art, science and culture have to move along this line. They can neither fall into the recreating of tradition nor into something entirely disconnected from tradition, because they will lose the context and their connection to the more general population. So, you must be on the edge, and that is where we are trying to be, or at least what we are encouraging people to do. Our slogan is “izVan tradicije” because it covers the need for both, and it makes the exchange work.

With regard to this mission, what do you consider as being the most important and valuable work of the ACF over the previous two decades?

We are proud of the 20 years of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade, which is a comparatively short period when you look at the institutes of other countries that are here, but I think that we have a slightly different role. Our focus is almost exclusively on contemporary forms of creation,

contemporary art, literature and film.

This represents a certain counterbalance to the traditional image of Austria around the world.

In which areas do you see room for improvement?

Besides the basics of our cultural work here, we try to venture into other fields. One of the issues is environmental sustainability, which is multifaceted and connects social, technological, scientific and political issues. It is different in each country.

We, as the Austrian Embassy and as the Austrian Cultural forum, are now making sure that these enduring cultural relations stay alive and are constantly filled with new life, and not just to build them up on the basis of a strong tradition and famous names.

If you ask me to characterise the present period, I would describe it as a period of great activity in Serbia and Austria

In Serbia it has to do with air pollution, sustainable city planning, traffic etc.

We are going into these areas. For example, we are supporting projects related to theatre and ecology, like the Dancing Trees project.

Another important topic for us is digital humanism, which is a sort of new buzzword, but which is actually essential for the future of civilisation.

It encompasses all questions related to the power of technology, large companies and social networks; the issue of facial recognition, databases that

can have your DNA and all kinds of personal characteristics… It deals with the issue of how to place humans at the centre of a world that is possibly going to be shaped by technologies, and how to understand and control that world.

What are your impressions when it comes to the political, social and cultural responses to issues of environmental sustainability in Serbia?

It is no secret that Serbia is facing a lot of challenges in the field of ecology.

That is the first step. The question is what you do further with this insight. In general, countries that are 31

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of Contemporary Art in Novi Sad. We will also have an exhibition on climate, aimed at enabling younger people to better grasp the issues of climate change.

Otherwise, we will have lots of concerts and a very intensive programme in September and October covering the fields of literature, music and theatre. The fact that the European capital of culture is a non-EU city is quite unique. As such, this is a great opportunity for Novi Sad, and for Serbia, to present itself, but also for us to show our culture, values and connections, and to show that European engagement in Serbia is real.

in a similar situation always have a lot of trouble making real change, which is also noticeable in Serbia.

Development in the field comes a bit later, after economic and social development, i.e., it is the second phase of development that follows huge confrontation, collisions of various interests etc. It is extremely difficult to make improvements if you lack a widespread consensus that something needs to be addressed.

Could you tell us more about current and future AFC projects?

On the occasion of 20 years of the ACF in Belgrade, we have a very big project called “At A Second Glance”, which started as an online platform where artists from Serbia and Austria could submit their works, video works, images and paintings on the topic of clichés and prejudices between our countries. We have decided to now 32

You must be on the edge, and that is where we are trying to be, or at least what we are encouraging people to do. Our slogan is “izVan tradicije” because it covers the need for both, and it makes the exchange work switch the format to the real world.

There is an exhibition and Austrian artists are coming to Serbia…

We had the Austrian Film Festival in October, which was the first edition after a long break.

Next year we will have another geographical focus – Novi Sad, the capital of culture. We will be very present there and our programme will be announced during November.

There will be one major exhibition of feminist avant-garde at the Museum

Finally, you have been learning the Serbian language for some time now. There are a lot of people in Serbia who are learning German, and that number is increasing. In your opinion, does knowing the language reveal some nuances that cannot otherwise be comprehended? And does it change the way you are accepted here?

Although language education is not our focus in Serbia, we engage here with the faculties of philology and philosophy, where German is taught.

And we have a lot of projects, especially with the German language department in Belgrade. Students come here to do translation work with us; we have a competition in literary translation. We also have connections and projects with schools where German is taught.

I am convinced that knowing even a few words of someone’s language opens a new layer of communication. For me, knowing the language signifies the whole way of thinking and being. You cannot really understand a culture without knowing the language(s) there.

The assumption that you can bypass this by doing what we are doing now – speaking English – is a mistake. Lingua franca conveys certain messages, but it does not convey the subtexts and so many nuances. I think it is essential that lots of people here learn German and for us, as diplomats, to learn Serbian.

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VIENNESE CRAFTSMANSHIP

SPARKLING BEAUTY New York’s MoMA collects it, star chef Alain Ducasse serves it, the best designers create it, and people all over the world treasure it everyday: glassware made by Vienna manufacturer J. & L. Lobmeyr sparks universal fascination.

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ounded in 1823, this family-owned Viennese glassworks draws on six generations of research into the properties of crystal. This dedication and the resulting expertise have made Lobmeyr creations highly revered and sought after, renowned for their elegance and exquisite craftsmanship.

Throughout the past two centuries Lobmeyr has moved with the times, letting cultural developments influence its designs to reflect the wants and needs of its clientele.

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In 1883, Lobmeyr and Thomas Edison made the first electric crystal chandelier for the Vienna Hofburg Palace. Another highpoint was the equipping of the great mosques of Mecca and Medina in the 1970s. Recently, the company renovated the crystal chandeliers of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

It’s the little differences that make Lobmeyr glassware what it is. Before

The magic of glass is that, although it is made from one of the most basic, common minerals on the planet, silicon dioxide, it can be transformed into something highly precious by skill alone being sold, for example, the glassware has gone through at least 24 pair of hands and four separate quality controls, the last of which is always by a member of the family.

The mastery of the Lobmeyr glassblowers is world-renowned for their craftsmanship. This can be seen in their creation of thinly delicate muslin glass. Less than a millimeter thick, it creates a incomparably fine connection between mouth, glass and drink.

Lobmeyr glass designers are painters, architects and designers. Around the turn of the century, those were Josef Hoffmann or Adolf Loos, today it is Stefan Sagmeister, Ted Muehling and Marco Dessí have created their own designs amongst others.

The magic of glass is that, although it is made from one of the most basic, common minerals on the planet, silicon dioxide, it can be transformed into something highly precious by skill alone. ‘This is the essence of it; what we are all about,’ explains Leonid Rath, one of three acting partners of the family business.

Today the company offers a full range of forward-thinking contemporary designs and archive-inspired creations, catering to the broad and expanding tastes of consumers and collectors around the world and frequently collaborating with leading artists, architects and designers.

A purchase from this establishment will encompass both beauty and value for years to come.

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SCIENCE

By Lisi Niesner

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ALIEN WORLD UNDER

cientists are venturing inside otherworldly ice caves growing beneath Austria’s doomed glaciers to study why they are melting even faster than expected, and understand the fate that will befall glaciers elsewhere if climate change is not halted.

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It is already too late to save the glaciers of the eastern Alps, which scientists now say are past the point of no return and will be gone completely in the next few decades.

The eerie blue caverns beneath them hold clues as to how the ice -- which built up over millennia and

melted over decades -- collapsed far faster than expected. That could help communities that depend on glaciers in other parts of the world to better manage their decline.

“We can’t do anything anymore for eastern Alpine glaciers. But here we can see what happens if we do noth-

AUSTRIA'S DOOMED GLACIERS ing for the other glaciers,” said Andrea Fischer, who brought a photographer into the caverns beneath the Jamtalferner glacier in the Tyrolean Alps, towering above the Austrian border with Switzerland.

The Jamtalferner is among Austria’s 30 largest glaciers and one of

10 where scientists take very precise measurements annually, documenting the now irreversible decline.

The hollows are eroding the glaciers from within, as warmer air and meltwater come into contact with ever more of the ice, until it collapses.

“These holes are a typical sign of

collapse that we observe. It is also a reason it happens so quickly - the ice is completely eroded and this process is not visible from the surface, then suddenly it all implodes,” Fischer, acting director of the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research.

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