CorD Magazine, October 2022, Issue No. 216

b.ninkovic@aim.rs

06 NIHILISM BY ZORAN PANOVIĆ

08 GARRY JACOBS

President and CEO of the World Academy of Art & Science, Chairman of the Board & CEO of the World University Consortium WEAPONS CANNOT BRING PEACE

12 H.E. CHEN BO

Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Serbia

27 BUSINESS DIALOGUE

36 JELENA BOJOVIĆ

Director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution BIOTECHNOLOGY WILL DEFINE OUR FUTURE WORLD

DR MARKO SELAKOVIĆ

Head of the UAE Representative Office of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia; faculty member and professor at the S P Jain School of Global Management SUCCESS IS A NATURAL RESULT

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

OFFICE MANAGER: Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs

FINANCE: Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs

44 JOHN PAUL DEJORIA

Entrepreneur, self-made billionaire and philanthropist FROM GREETINGS CARDS TO BILLIONDOLLAR TEQUILA & BEAUTY EMPIRES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs

DIRECTOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com

PUBLISHER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs

The views expressed in this

are those of the presenter; they do not necessary reflect the view of publications published by alliance international media

Feature SLOBODAN G. MARKOVICH, MBE, Head of the Centre for British Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Belgrade

This September’s 11th consecutive summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process saw the seeking of visa liberalisation for all countries of the region, formal EU membership candidate status for BosniaHerzegovina and support from the EU to cope with the difficult situation regarding energy – all things that aren’t dependent on summit par ticipants. That which actually could have been resolved (the issue of B-H representation and legitimacy) remained unresolved. It is an insult that Serbia and Croatia, with their principal poor relations, are apparently jointly defending Dayton’s Bosnia. It is good that the participants in these para-Yugoslav, crypto-European talks at least don’t have the destructive potential of the participants in the tour of Tito’s mansions, national – republic leaders – on the eve of the ethnic-religious war that caused the disintegrated of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The regional crisis that has a Yugoslav char acter, even without the existence of Yugoslavia, is only mimicking adaptation to international circumstances. As such, the separatism of Al banians in Kosovo during the time of Titoland included a strong Leninist component, while there are even those who are of the opinion that the USSR had a significant influence on prompting the Kosovo crisis, while Kurti is now trying to present himself as an Albanian Zelensky (just as Alija Izetbegović at one point drew bizarre comparisons between his army and Tito’s WWI Partizans), which places Vučić

BY ZORAN PANOVIĆ

Nihilistic Tendencies

All gatherings of Western Balkan leaders under the patronage of Merkel-Macron turned assuredly into a routine of indecision, while the impression of futility has been further underlined by spin-off meetings like the Brdo-Brijuni Process

in the position of “little Putin”. Perhaps Vučić, who has constructed his cult of personality by employing a Putin-like approach, is flattered by such comparisons, but only to a point – while it clearly avoids suggesting a puppet position, which is an impression Vučić would like to avoid in the perception of Western eyes.

Serbia is attempting to formulate its policy in paradoxes, which isn’t always easy: the first and main paradox is that Serbia’s main economic partner country – Germany – is not simultane

the Stalinist Soviet Union having served to emancipate Yugoslavia from rigid communism and enable the famous non-alignment in the first place. Tito’s charisma was a strong mo bilising mechanism for Yugoslavia’s resistance to Stalin’s threats, while the question today is whether Vučić’s cult could reverse pro-Putin public opinion in Serbia.

Preparations are underway for a new summit of EU and Western Balkan leaders to be held in early December, and for the first time in one of the countries of the region that looks like it won’t be Serbia. Will that be a judgement against Serbia for balancing and nurturing relations with Russia? Or will it be yet another cynical encouraging of the countries of the Region who are lining up to buy Turkey’s Bayraktar drones?

ously Serbia’s political ally. A second paradox is that Vučić is attempting, with a smaller country and less room to manoeuvre, to elevate the policy of neutrality that he inherited from Vojislav Koštunica to the pedestal of Tito’s non-alignment, while at the same time acting under the vow given to Russians in 2019 – “1948 never again”, despite Tito’s 1948 break with

Vučić perhaps sometimes has the will for variants of the Titoist policy of “active peace ful coexistence”, but he doesn’t always have the resources and calculations. That’s why it’s easier for him, together with Dačić and Vulin, to quote Tito in some other areas, for example the one about us working as if there will be peace for a thousand years, while preparing as if war will break out tomorrow.

And at the price of nihilism – for the West to burn in nuclear Armageddon and for the fallout radiation to hit both “Serbian lands” and Serbian children, and for the distressed local nationalists to hope that Putin will solve the problem of decompensation, or frustration from the defeat of the 1990s.

Preparations are underway for a new sum mit of EU and Western Balkan leaders to be held in early December, and for the first time in one of the countries of the region that looks like it won’t be Serbia. Will that be a judgement against Serbia for balancing and nurturing relations with Russia? Or will it be yet another cynical encouraging of the countries of the Region who are lining up to buy Turkey’s Bayraktar drones?

Or after the summit, will Serbia – based on the agreement reached in New York between Selaković and Lavrov – have to consult with Russia over whether it can (or dare) join the EU?

GARRY JACOBS

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE WORLD ACADEMY OF ART & SCIENCE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD & CEO OF THE WORLD UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM

Inspite of the remarkable progress of science and technology since 1950, today the world confronts unprecedented challenges to human security and the sustainability of our life on this planet. The COVID-19 pandemic, the current war in Ukraine and the fast approaching calamity of climate change all pose threats to the security and sustainability of people everywhere – such as adequate food production to feed a rapidly growing population, quality healthcare and cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s, a safe environment with clean energy, pollution-free manufactur ing, protection for biodiversity and recycling of precious raw materials - says Garry Jacobs, president and CEO of the World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS) and chairman of the board & CEO of the World University Consortium, who visited Belgrade to attend the recent World Conference on Basic Sciences and Sustainable Development, held on 20th–22nd September in Belgrade. The conference was organised by WAAS, in collaboration with UNESCO, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Club of Rome, the Serbian As sociation of Economists, the World Univer sity Consortium, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of

Weapons Cannot Bring Peace

Recent wars have only proven that they do not and cannot bring the peace and security we need to address the real problems facing humanity. Today, we need a shift to a new paradigm that places the security of human beings – all human beings – first ~ Garry Jacobs

SCIENCE

WAAS believes it is the responsibility of scientists and intellectuals in all fields to step forward to meet the threats to human security and sustainability

WOMEN

Personally I am convinced that many of the problems we face today would be more effectively addressed if women leaders were in the majority

CHALLENGE

Our problem is not that we face insurmountable problems but rather that we insist on addressing our problems through outmoded thinking, concepts, policies and institutions

the Republic of Serbia and Belgrade’s Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences.

“This conference is intended to highlight both the magnitude of the threats and the prom ising opportunities emerging on the horizons of the basic sciences in order to multiply scientific research efforts around the world to focus on critically important areas and to education policy-makers to recognize the importance of enhanced funding and support for basic science research,” explains our interlocutor. “The Academy is giving great importance to this initiative for several reasons – one arises directly from the historical circumstances in which WAAS was founded and the other from its current work with the United Nations.”

”Fundamental science came of age in the mid-20th century with the advent of antibiotics, television and, of course, nuclear weapons. The Academy’s founders included Albert Einstein, who urged US President Roosevelt to develop an atomic weapon before Germany did, and Robert Oppenheimer, who led the Manhat tan Project which developed the first atomic bombs detonated in Japan. It also included Jonas Salk, discoverer of the Salk vaccine, who said his vaccine could not be patented because it belongs to all humanity.”

These and many other conscientious sci entists and intellectuals who witnessed the enormous potential of science to threaten human security began to explore the idea of an international, non-governmental body that could address the major concerns of humanity. The First International Conference on Science and Human Welfare was held in Washington DC., 1956 calling for the establishment of the World Academy of Art & Science. WAAS was founded in 1960 as a call to science to come out of its ivory tower, turn to address the problems of the real world, take responsibility for the consequences of scientific knowledge and technology, and assume an active role in shaping decision-making to ensure a peaceful, safe world for all. “The primary objective of WAAS is to influence decision-makers in all fields -- government, research, business and finance – to address the pressing challenges that confront humanity today with greater urgency and sincerity. Today the threats to

human security and sustainability are greater than at any time in the past. WAAS believes it is the responsibility of scientists and intel lectuals in all fields to step forward to meet these challenges,” says Jacobs.

That’s also why, adds our interlocutor, WAAS has just entered into collaboration with the United Nations on a global campaign to generate awareness and mobilize all sectors of society to address major threats to human security. The project is called HS4A or Human Security for All.

The presentations at the Belgrade con ference documented many of the potential contributions of the basic sciences that merit greater attention and support in fields like

In 2013 WAAS collaborated with the UN Of fice at Geneva (UNOG) on a project to study the pressing global challenges confronting humanity. In 2019-20 we joined with UNOG again to examine the type of leadership the world needs to address these challenges. The biggest change that has taken place in the past three years is that all the pressing global chal lenges have grown in magnitude and intensity, while the multilateral institutions established to address them have been weakened by a retreat of member nation-states to the Cold War mentality that divided global society into opposing camps for four decades. These changes are alarming. If left unaddressed, they will have growing impact on peace, security and well-being worldwide.

 When you think about sustainable development during this time of wars, the pandemic and climate change, do you ever suspect that “sustainable growth” is beyond our means as scientists, poli cymakers and ordinary people? What gives you a sense of optimism, and what leaves you in doubt?

The world today possesses all the resources, technical knowhow and organizational capabili ties needed to address the challenges we face and provide for the human security of every person on earth. Global financial resources top US $450 trillion. Our problem is not that we face insurmountable problems but rather that we insist on addressing our problems through outmoded thinking, concepts, policies and institutions. Our concepts are confused and our priorities are contradictory. We strive to control carbon emissions while continuing to subsidize fossil fuels and permit deforestation.

physics, chemistry, molecular biology, medicine and healthcare, water, food safety and security, engineering, energy and climate science.

 Looking back over the three years that have elapsed since your last visit to Belgrade, what do you consider the most significant changes that have taken place in the world?

We are still promoting a narrow conception of security in terms of military preparedness, while the greatest threats to human security come from issues that cannot be addressed by producing more weapons. Global military spending exceeds $2 trillion and is rising. In comparison we are spending only about $65 billion to finance more than 40 agencies of the UN system established to address the needs of all humanity. We need a shift to a new paradigm that places the security of human beings – all

I am not pessimistic about the future. On the contrary there are many positive developments and untapped potentials. What is lacking is sufficient understanding, awareness and commitment among both policy-makers and the general public, lulled into complacency or panic by fake news and party politics

Interview Exclusive

human beings – first. We need to reject reversion to outmoded ideas that led to the production of more than 70,000 nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Abolishing all these weapons now will make the world a safer, more secure place for people everywhere. Resort to these weapons will severely aggravate the already very serious threats to the global environment.

I am not pessimistic about the future. On the contrary there are many positive develop ments and untapped potentials. What is lack ing is sufficient understanding, awareness and commitment among both policy-makers and the general public, lulled into complacency or panic by fake news and party politics. We are still stuck in the outmoded thinking of the Cold War. The old competitive security paradigm is simply not appropriate for the interconnected, interdependent world we live in today. We need to establish a cooperative security system that ensures the rights and safety of people everywhere. Recent wars have only proven that they do not and cannot bring the peace and security we need to address the real problems facing humanity.

be mentioned as the top contributors to the advancement of the SDGs?

Virtually every discipline can contribute mean ingfully to enhance sustainable development. Some by inventing new health care remedies, others by reducing the consumption of nonrenewable energy resources and the pollution they generate, by substituting more abundant resources, recycling and multiplying their fac tor productivity. It is not possible to predict the winners. But it is possible to reorient and intensify the emphasis of all disciplines on

meeting fundamental needs for human security and sustainability.

Another very important thing needed is a radical reorientation of our educational system to make the social application, implications and consequences of science and technology an integral part of general education. Our present system is still focused on producing specialists in narrow fields, when what we need are scientists with a broad understanding of how technology impacts society. Artificial intelligence is an example of a very powerful tool for progress; but, like many technologies, it’s a double-edged sword which can be wielded for both positive and negative purposes. Yet engineering education focuses almost exclusively on the technical dimensions and fails to instil either the awareness or the values needed for conscientious and responsible science.

To illustrate the approach, WAAS is col laborating with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which produces the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest annual exhibition of technological advances in the world. CTA has agreed to adopt human security as the main theme for the 2023 CES in order to generate greater awareness among its members of both the critical social needs to be met and vast opportunities that innovative businesses can tap. In fact, WAAS is provid ing the judges for a special awards program to recognize companies offering on the most innovative products to enhance human security.

The Belgrade conference represent ed one of the main events within the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD 2022). What is the greatest enduring contribution of this conference?

I consider the greatest enduring contribution is the increased attention and emphasis on the importance of social responsibility in the scientific community combined with a growing awareness among scientists of the potential contributions they can make to society by focusing on socially-important areas rather than pure science for its own sake.

 Many institutions were involved in preparations for this event. What role did WAAS play?

WAAS is not a traditional research academy divided into different disciplines and each working on its specialized projects. From the outset, the Academy was established to function as a trans disciplinary, transnational institution focusing on global challenges from the perspective of the whole world and all humanity. Our approach to problems is to bring together experts and generalists from a

This year has been proclaimed the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustain able Development. Which disciplines should

We need radical reorientation of our educational system to make the social application, implications and consequences of science and technology an integral part of general education

WITH ACADEMIC VLADIMIR KOSTIĆ, PRESIDENT OF THE SERBIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS

very wide range of disciplines and professions to work together on problems by viewing them from multiple perspectives. For example, our work to evolve the framework for new economic theory has involved representatives from the physical and social sciences and humanities as well as from business, civil society, government and international organizations. We bring the same approach to this project in order to promote a global, transdiscipli nary, human-centered, values-based perspective of the role and responsibility of science in a world which transcends compartmentalized disciplines and national boundaries.

One conference topic was “For Women in Science”. Have we managed to remove the glass ceiling and reduce discrimina tion when it comes to the inclusion of women in basic science disciplines?

Different countries and different institutions have very different records in terms of the inclusion of women, but I think it is fair to say that very few, if any, can claim that gender bias has been fully eliminated. At WAAS we have made considerable strides over the past decade but still have a long way to go. Personally I am convinced that many of the problems we face today would be more effectively addressed if women leaders were in the majority.

I would like to devote this last ques tion to nuclear physics. As we know, many scientists had serious doubts when their scientific advancements led to the invention of the nuclear bomb. Today, again, the world is gripped by the fear of possible nuclear war, while we have similar fears with regard to the implementation of AI, the cloning of human beings or pandemic-causing viruses produced in laboratories. How do we stand today when it comes to ethics in basic science?

Your last question is the most important of all. It raises a fundamental issue that the idealistic founders of WAAS sought to ad dress six decades ago. The world missed a great opportunity to eradicate all nuclear weapons at the end of the Cold War. We did succeed in reducing the number of warheads from 70,000 to about 15,000. But that is still 15,000 too many. No one is really safe on earth until all the weapons are outlawed and abolished. Although the power to do so seems to rest with political leaders and diplomats, the truth is that these weapons were created by scientists and scientists cannot wash their hands of responsibility for eradicating them.

The recent threat to resort to nuclear weapons only demonstrates that a single

Artificial intelligence is an example of a very powerful tool for progress; but, like many technologies, it’s a double-edged sword which can be wielded for both positive and negative purposes. Yet engineering education focuses almost exclusively on the technical dimensions and fails to instil either the awareness or the values needed for conscientious and responsible science

person or organization possessing even one is in a position to blackmail the whole world. Global rule of law can never truly prevail

unless or until the entire world community declares that the use, production or possession of these weapons is a crime against humanity. This does not look like a realistic development in the foreseeable future, but history testifies to the fact that many things that seemed inconceivable or even impossible have taken place when they were least expected. Virtu ally no one foresaw the sudden end of the Cold War, the fall of the Iron Curtain, the massive reduction in military spending and the breakup of the USSR. In July of 1989, President Gorbachev and German Chancellor Kohl met privately and discussed the future of Germany. They both confided that Germany will be reunited in the future but both agreed it would take at least 30 years to bring that about. Within less than 12 months of their meeting, German reunification became a real ity. If these two individuals could not foresee such a momentous event even when it was just around the corner, then we must have the humility to concede that our own capacity to anticipate and predict future possibilities is severely limited. To me that provides a reason to believe that if humanity really joins together in a common aspiration for a better future, we can and will achieve it much faster than even the optimists believe is possible.

The World Needs Solidarity, Not Division

On the Kosovo issue, China has always respected Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We insist that the best way is for the parties concerned to have dialogue and reach a mutually acceptable political solution within the framework of the UN Security Council Resolutions ~ Chen Bo

Idonot believe that stirring up the Cold War mentality is the right way, says Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo in this interview for CorD Magazine, speak ing about new tensions in Ukraine, around Taiwan, but also in Kosovo, which are often mentioned in connection with the thesis about the reconstituting of geopolitical relations around the world. She adds that “respect for

H.E. CHEN BO, AMBASSADOR OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO SERBIA

By Ljubica Gojgić

TRADE

According to data from the Serbian Statistical Office, our bilateral trade volume increased from 1.88 billion U.S. dollars to 5.1 billion U.S. dollars between 2017 and 2021

TAIWAN

Everyone can see clearly that “Taiwan independence” forces and foreign interference are the biggest obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question

national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as set out as an important principle of the UN Charter, represents the bedrock of contemporary international law and international relations”.

Your Excellency, it was announced dur ing your recent meeting with the Serbian Prime Minister that a free trade agree ment between China and Serbia should be signed by the end of this year, which will enable most products to be imported and exported without the charging of customs duties. What do you expect of that?

Over the past years, China-Serbia trade volume has kept increasing. According to data from the Serbian Statistical Office, our bilateral trade volume has increased from 1.88 billion U.S. dollars to 5.1 billion U.S. dollars between 2017 and 2021. China has become Serbia’s second largest trade partner. The volume of our mutual trade reached 3.68 billion U.S. dol lars from January to July this year, with 32% year-on-year growth, fully demonstrating the strong momentum of China-Serbia economic cooperation. China’s large market, with 1.4 billion people, will continue opening-up, which will create ever more opportunities for global, high-quality products. Serbian goods, including food and agricultural products, are increasingly popular in China due to their unique advantages. For example, three Chinese enterprises joined the recent Open Balkan International Wine Expo and signed agreements worth 800,000 euros with Serbian wine suppliers. China looks forward to cooperating with Serbia in further facilitating the economic cooperation between our companies. We believe Made-in-Serbia will be more competitive in China.

 The Serbian Prime Minister stated recently that China became Serbia’s sec ond most important economic partner in 2022, with one of the most important investments being the one in the mine

in Bor. This investment has prompted concern among citizens over environmental pollution and quality of life in the area around the mine. Could you say something about guarantees related to environmental protection that the Zijin company has committed itself to, which was also recently mentioned by the President of Serbia?

Since it began participating in the mineral industry here, Zijin has made Serbia the second largest copper producer in Europe and has made a great contribution to the economic

The volume of our mutual trade reached 3.68 billion U.S. dollars from January to July this year, with 32% year-on-year growth, fully demonstrating the strong momentum of China-Serbia economic cooperation

development of Serbia, with 63 million U.S. dollars in taxes paid in the first half of the year. The municipality of Majdanpek recently announced that Zijin Copper provided 700 million dinars in tax revenue for the region in the first two quarters of 2022, an increase of more than 200% year-on-year. Zijin has provided strong support to enlarging local employment and solving problems of citizens, while offering a stable source of income for most local families. (Original news article: https:// majdanpek.rs/news/176) At the same time, Zijin is also committed to addressing decades-long environmental problems. According to the company, Zijin Copper had invested a total of

LINGLONG

The Chinese government always requires Chinese enterprises operating overseas to comply fully with local laws and regulations

165 million U.S. dollars in environmental and ecological improvement by July this year, with efforts including the adding of 1.45 million square metres of green areas, as well as improving the management of dust particles, solid waste, wastewater, flue gas and noise pollution. Since the flue gas desulphurisation system was made operational last year, the average local level of sulphur dioxide in the air has fallen significantly, which is greatly appreciated by the local people. The company emphasises that its Čukaru Peki mine is completely green, as it is in line with EU standards, with some indicators even higher than that. The Zijin smelter renovation and expansion project will be completed soon. We believe that the local environment will become increasingly better with the assistance of new technology and equipment.

This summer has been marked by new tension between China and the U.S., culminating in Washington support for Taiwan that Beijing views as a contradic tory to the “One China” principle. You told media recently that “no one should underestimate China’s determination and readiness to defend its sovereignty”. Do you believe that tensions in the Taiwan Strait will de-escalate or that further escalations are set to follow?

Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. This is not only an indisputable fact in the sense of history and international law, but also on the basis of the universal consensus of the international community. The Taiwan ques tion is purely China’s internal affair. The current tension in the Taiwan Strait is entirely the result of U.S. provocation and “Taiwan independence” forces soliciting U.S. support to advance their agenda. While claiming to adhere to the One China Principle, the U.S. backs Taiwanese independence with actions including the sale of weapons to Taiwan and developing official relations with it. Recently, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker

of the United States House of Representatives, and some other U.S. officials visited Taiwan, ignoring strong protests from China. This is typical provocation. The peaceful reunification of China is the shared aspiration of all Chinese people. China is the last party that wants to see disruption of Cross-Strait stability. China has always adhered to the peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question, and will continue to do so, but it will never allow its sovereignty and territo rial integrity to be violated. Everyone can see clearly that “Taiwan independence” forces and foreign interference are the biggest obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question.

the framework of the UN Security Council Resolutions. We noted recently that unilateral actions taken by a certain party have led to the escalation of tension. At a time when Europe is facing enormous security challenges, maintaining stability in Kosovo is of even greater significance. That is why joint efforts should be exerted to avoid heightened tensions. We commend Serbia for its efforts to seek a solution through dialogue.

 You have spoken on multiple occa sions about China’s stance with regard to Serbia’s sovereignty and the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. Does this position mean that a Chinese veto would also prevent any possible new at tempt to see Kosovo admitted into the UN?

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always been committed to upholding international fairness and justice, opposing hegemonism and power politics, and safeguarding the overall interests of developing countries. Our position on the Kosovo issue is consistent and clear. We will continue to insist on this position.

There has been discussion of the pos sible restructuring of international rela tions, and perhaps even new alliances among states, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. How would you define China’s position; is it possible to talk about China aligning with one of the sides in that conflict?



The Taiwan question, similarly to the war in Ukraine, relates to Serbia’s own struggle to preserve its sovereignty in different ways. How do you see the lat est developments in Kosovo, with new armed conflicts having been mentioned as a possible scenario?

I have to stress that the Taiwan question and the Ukraine issue are fundamentally dif ferent in nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. Respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as set out as an important principle of the UN Charter, is

According to the company, Zijin Copper had invested a total of 165 million U.S. dollars in environmental and ecological improvement by July this year, with efforts including the adding of 1.45 million square metres of green areas, as well as improving the management of dust particles, solid waste, wastewater, flue gas and noise pollution

the bedrock of contemporary international law and international relations. Double standards should not be applied in this regard.

On the Kosovo issue, China has always respected Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We insist that the best way is for the parties concerned to have dialogue and reach a mutually acceptable political solution within

We call on the parties concerned to achieve a ceasefire through dialogue and negotiation, and to find a way to accommodate the legiti mate security concerns of all parties concerned as soon as possible. It has been proven that supplying arms and sanctions will not solve the problem. I do not believe that stirring up the Cold War mentality, playing up bloc confrontation, creating a “new Cold War” and undermining the environment for international cooperation are the right way. The spill-over effects of the Ukraine crisis are becoming more pronounced. In the face of complex and grave challenges, the world needs solidarity rather than division, and dialogue rather than confrontation. China will always stand on the side of promoting peace talks and contributing to world peace and development.

Chinese companies are rebuilding the Novi Sad - Subotica section of the highspeed railway in Serbia, with the aim of linking Belgrade and Budapest. That project initially formed part of China’s global “Belt and Road” initiative, which included 16 countries of Central and Southeast Europe. To what extent do current political circumstances impact on economic cooperation between China and EU member states?

With the opening of the Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway, the Serbian people have already felt the convenience of the Belgrade-Budapest railway, which is a tangible benefit of mutually beneficial cooperation. China and Europe are important partners in trade and economic co operation, as well as key forces for building an open world economy. Despite COVID-19 and other complex factors, China-Europe trade and economic cooperation has shown strong resilience and dynamism. Bilateral trade hit a record high of 820 billion U.S. dollar in 2021. The latest data from Eurostat shows that, in the first half of 2022, trade between the 27 EU member stated and China reached 413.9 billion euros, up 28.3% year-on-year. These figures are evidence of the close economic ties and vast potential for cooperation between China and Europe.

The China-Europe Railway Express service made its 10,000th trip this year, which is indeed inspiring. The Express currently runs on 82 routes and reaches 200 cities in 24 European countries. It has not only served as an accelerator for China-Europe trade and the socioeconomic development of countries and regions along the routes, but also played an important role in stabilising global industrial and supply chains, and promoting the world’s post-COVID eco nomic recovery.

In the face of an increasingly complex inter national landscape, China-EU relations should not be misled by the “Cold War mentality”. De veloping China-EU relations with the principle of win-win cooperation serves the interests of both China and the EU and meets the needs of maintaining world peace and development.

 The Sinopharm factory for Covid-19 vaccines has been constructed in the Bel grade industrial zone as a joint Chinese, Serbian and UAE project. Is it known when

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pan demic, China and Serbia have been supporting each other in epidemic prevention and control, and carrying out cooperation in various fields including vaccines, which creates a model for building a Community of Common Health for Mankind. China, Serbia and UAE are working collectively to push forward the construction of the vaccine factory. I look forward to the factory being completed and becoming operational as soon as possible.

 One of the huge Chinese investments in Serbia is the one in Zren

janjin, where the Linglong business complex is under construction. The investment attracted criticism over poor working conditions and the un clear status of foreign workers engaged on the spot. Did you have a chance to visit the site and do you believe there is space for improvement there?

The Linglong Tire project is an important greenfield investment of Chinese enterprises in Serbia and will create more than 1,000 jobs upon completion. Its progress has therefore received attention from all parties. Not long ago, some media reported that Linglong vio lates the human rights of workers with actions including “illegal immigration” and “forced labour”. The competent Serbian authorities have investigated and concluded that they didn’t find any such problems. However, some forces still used the mentioned reports to smear Chinese enterprises, China-Serbia relations and China’s international cooperation. The Chinese government always requires Chinese enterprises operating overseas to comply fully with local laws and regulations. Social supervi sion is conducive to encouraging enterprises to continuously improve and enhance the level of compliance of their business operations, but groundless defaming is unacceptable.

operations will be launched at this factory and what its production plans are like?

The current tension in the Taiwan Strait is entirely the result of U.S. provocation and “Taiwan independence” forces soliciting U.S. support to advance their agenda

GLOBAL DIARY

Solutions

“As fractures deepen and trust evaporates, we need to come together around solutions. People need to see results in their everyday lives, or they will lose faith in their governments and institutions, and they will lose hope in the future” – ANT Ó NIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

QUEEN ELIZABETH II HAS DIED

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. She spent 70 years on the throne, after being crowned on 2nd June 1953, making her the longest reigning Britsh monarch in history.

During her time as Queen, lots of things changed in the UK and around the world, but one thing that never changed was her strong sense of duty to the UK and the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a monarch who spent her life keeping the promise she made when she was first crowned: to serve her people and her country.

With her death, her eldest son, Charles, is now the UK’s King. He will be known as King Charles III.

SERBIA CANCELS PLANNED 7-DAY EUROPRIDE IN BELGRADE

Serbian government banned a seven-day long programme of events marking EuroPride 2022 in Belgrade, citing a “risk of violence” after antiLGBT groups announced they too would march through the Serbian capital. On the morning of Saturday, 17th September, however, the Serbian

RUSSIA: PARTIAL MOBILISATION OF 300,000 RESERVISTS

On 21st September 2022, a troop mobilisation in Russia was announced by President Vladimir Putin during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In his speech, Putin said the “partial mobilisation” was suggested to him by the Ministry of Defence and General Staff of the Armed Forces. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia has a “huge mobilisation reserve” and plans to mobilise 300,000 in reserve. It is impossible to accurately verify the data on mobilisation plans since Paragraph 7 of the Decree—which, according to press secretary Dmitry Peskov, relates to the number of people mobilised—is classified as “for official use only”. Mobilisa tion activities technically began immediately. President Putin signed into law a bill introduc ing lengthy jail terms for wartime acts includ ing desertion and “voluntary” surrender.

government give the go-ahead for the parade march. At least two dozen European politi cians attended the parade, including the EU commissioner for equality, Helena Dalli, and Member of the European Parliament Vladimir Bilcik. EuroPride president Kristine Garine announced an appeal to the ban of the sevenday Europride - “Banning Pride is unconstitu tional,” Garina tweeted. “It’s been ruled on by the Serbian court several times. The ban will be appealed in court and will be overturned.”

Democracy

ITALY GETS ITS FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER

A complete tally of Italian votes showed a clear victory for a coalition that includes two conservative forces, including the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party of Giorgia Meloni, a once-marginal figure who vows to defend “traditional” social values, close off pathways to undocumented immigrants and push back against the “obscure bureaucrats” of Brussels. Meloni’s opponents warn that her rise could turn into an epochal event in European politics, pushing Italy into an illiberal bloc with Poland and Hungary, and causing tensions that cut through the heart of the continent. On the other side, far-right leaders in Europe celebrate the expected Brothers of Italy election win Marine Le Pen and members of Hungarian and Spanish parties are among those welcom ing poll results.

MASS PROTESTS ROCK IRAN FOLLOWING YOUNG WOMAN’S DEATH

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by Iran’s notorious morality police because they thought she was not dressed conserva tively enough, sparked one of the most intense waves of popular anger seen in

SERBIA SUFFERS EARLY ELIMINATION FROM 2022 EUROBASKET

Serbia’s title hopes of winning the gold ended as they suffered a defeat against Italy in the Last 16 round – 94:86. Italy’s team opened the 4th period with a key 16:2 run during which they scored some big three-point shots to gain confidence in a critical moment of the match. Italy point guard Marco Spissu scored 22 points for the winning side, including 6 three-pointers, while on the other side Nikola Jokić scored 32 points for Serbia. EuroBasket 2022 shattered scoring records, with the level of the game being the highest in recent memory. There have been multiple upsets in modern EuroBasket history, most of them regarded as tragedies by local fans.

STATE FUNERAL FOR FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE

Iran or years, as well as a deluge of condem nation from abroad. For a week now, protesters, most of them young women and men, have taken to the streets in dozens of Iranian cities. The scale of the demonstrations has astonished authorities, who have responded with guns, beatings and telecommunications shut downs in a fruitless attempt to quell the unrest. State television put the death toll at 17, including two security officers.

A state funeral for Japan’s longestserving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been held in Tokyo amid public anger over the cost of the ceremony and revelations over his party’s ties to a controver sial religious group. More than 4,000 guests stood in silence as a member of Japan’s self-defence forces entered the Nippon Budokan hall, where a 19-gun salute sounded in honour of the assassinated former leader. Abe’s widow, Akie, dressed in a black kimono, carried her late husband’s ashes into the hall, followed by Japan’s crown prince, Ak ishino, and other members of the imperial family. Abe was killed in early July by a man armed with a homemade gun who has reportedly told police that he had targeted the conservative politician over his support for the Unification church.

“We will work with partners to make our democracies stronger. We will reinforce democracy as the fairest way to deliver the greatest benefits to people around the world” – URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.

We Will Still Read One Another

Some countries have decided, after the veritable fast of the pandemic, to boost the love of publishers and readers by providing publishing houses with significant incentives to present their books on well-arranged stands. Domestic publishers are awaiting visitors with a mix of hope and anxiety, but they already know that the book fair concept must change drastically if it wants to survive

Themain motivation for the staging of this year’s Belgrade Book Fair is the great desire of almost all publishers to preserve one of the most important cultural events in our country - so Bora Babić, director and editor-in-chief of publishing house Akademska knjiga [Academic Book], succinctly summarises the fears and hopes of publishers who will await the pub lic under the domes of Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair from 23rd to 30th October, after a break over two years that fundamentally changed the way we live and the way we perceive our reality and future.

We asked Mrs Babić and other reputable publishers and editors about the place of book fairs in this new reality. How much do they need to be physical gatherings and how much should they be digitalised? Do fair halls still represent undisputed arenas to encounter books and hang around with books; and how do they see the future of encounters between books and readers? Finally, considering the decidedly dark images of the immediate future, we asked our interlocutors whether book fairs should represent a way of fleeing the not-so-pleasant present or whether they should try to bring awareness to that present. Here are their answers.

BORA BABIĆ

BETWEEN COURAGE AND FEAR

A GOOD BOOK ALWAYS ENLIGHTENS, AND WE MIGHT BE WISE TO READ THEM MORE OFTEN, EVEN AS A SELF-IMPOSED ASSIGNMENT. IT IS ONLY BY READING THE BEST LITERATURE THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE, AND CHANGE IT – EVEN IF THAT CHANCE IS MEASURED IN MICROMETRES.

Bookfairs are cautiously returning. Almost all major fairs have again reduced their total exhibition space this year compared to 2019, with significantly reduced numbers of participants – exhibitors, but the number of visitors has also decreased comparably. In the countries of Western Europe, ministries of culture are attempting to preserve book fairs by subsidising part of the costs of leasing space for exhibitors. For example, thanks to the support of German Com missioner for Culture and Media Claudia Roth, lease prices at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair will be reduced by 30% for all exhibitors, according to the size of their stand. This difference in price will be reimbursed from Germany’s Neustart Kultur programme, which was established in 2020 to strengthen the industry of books and publishing, and to support book fairs during the pandemic.

The International Belgrade Book Fair wasn’t held during the previous two years, while this year publishers bravely registered for participation, though the majority of them fear that they won’t make back the money they’ve invested. Online sales, internet marketing and major discounts from publishers throughout the year, but also the continuation of the pandemic, will impact on reducing the number of visitors, and thus re duced book sales are expected. Renowned world fairs conduct research almost every year and provide exhibitors with timely information on projected visitor numbers and their educational and age structure, forming space leasing and ticket prices on the basis of the results of that research. These data are invalu able to participants, as they form the basis for them to be able to plan their earnings, or determine how much the investment pays off. Unfortunately, the Belgrade Fair doesn’t invest in this kind of research.

IN THIS THIRD DECADE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, DIGITALISATION AND THE INTERNET ARE REDUCING THE INTEREST OF PUBLISHERS IN INVESTING IN BRANDED WORLD FAIRS, AS THERE IS A MUCH FASTER AND CHEAPER WAY FOR INFORMATION ABOUT BOOKS TO REACH READERS OR FOREIGN PUBLISHERS, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COPYRIGHT

Only when the Fair ends and publishers “count their takings” will it become clear what will have to change in the concept of the event itself. The Book Fair will probably have a festival character in the future; it will be obliged to offer a programme with significantly higher quality content in order to attract the highest possible numbers of attendees from our country and the region. My prediction is that publishers will be unable to finance such an event on their own in the future, but rather the state, together with the Belgrade Fair (or some other organiser), will have to find new financing models.

Throughout the history of the Book Fair, the biggest stands in Hall 1 have always belonged to publishers that are so-called market leaders, who have published the most titles during the year, and that remains so today. Fortunately, significantly smaller publishing houses also have their stands in the same hall, thanks to the quality of their publishing programme, and that is primarily a good thing because of the structure of visitors, because we mustn’t forget that the Book Fair must also be profitable for participants. If it gains a festival character, which is my prediction, Hall 1 certainly won’t just be a ‘megastore, but will receive other mise-en-scènes.

DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF PUBLISHING HOUSE AKADEMSKA KNJIGA [ACADEMIC BOOK]

BOOK FAIR

BRANKO KUKIĆ

EDITOR OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE

LITERARY BAZAARS

PUBLISHING BOOKS IS A PROCESS THAT’S CONNECTED TO KNOWLEDGE, TO CREA TION, TO GOALS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE FORMATION OF ANY SOCIETY. AND THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN CROWDS, LIKE AT FAIRS, BUT RATHER IN AGREEMENTS AND COOPERATION BETWEEN SERIOUS PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THE ESSENCE OF THE WORLD

Manlikes to be in a crowd. Fairs are the best places to satisfy that primal desire. Book fairs are both fairs and super markets, the purpose of which is to turn a quick profit, but also to sell poor quality goods. As with any fair - like the one in Šabac for example - it is an opportunity for people to meet, to brag, to swindle one another, to whinge about the situation in the state and society, to gossip about other people and dissenting voices, to drink something and to kill time. It’s a nonsensical, glittering place of instantly forgettable miracles. That’s why I don’t like those places.

I’ve given book fairs a wide berth, because they don’t have any special connection with culture. Due to the things that I’ve stated, they’re usually a form of false culture or nonculture. They are a meeting place for a crowd gathered from impaling stakes and nooses. One who is seeking something serious won’t find it there – except, of course, some serious and significant books. That’s simply because publishing books is a process that’s connected to knowledge, to creation, to goals that are important for the formation of any society. And that doesn’t happen in crowds, but rather in agreements and cooperation between serious people, people who understand the essence of the world, people who speak critically about our problems, weaknesses, failures, misconceptions, flaws and foolishness.

THERE ARE EVER MORE EDITORS LACKING VISION AND AESTHETIC DISCIPLINE. THAT’S WHY THERE ARE EVER FEWER GOOD WRITERS, BECAUSE THERE ARE FEWER GREAT ROLE MODELS, AND BECAUSE OF ALL THAT THERE ARE EVER FEWER SOPHISTICATED READERS OF LITERATURE

Miroslav Krleža put it nicely: “It’s stinky in a crowd, but it’s warm”. Serious creators and publishers should use their books – artistic, scientific and all other kinds – to navigate the world in the direction of the most significant thing man is able to create. That’s because books are instruments that prevent us from becoming slaves to stupidity and superficiality, though books contain most of that. If important topics are turned into “light pieces” in a nation, state and society, then the meaning of everything is lost, impotence in establishing a value system prevails, we are left unaware of who our role models are, our foundations and guides towards meaning, elegance and bravery.

A large quantity of books are published in our country today. But a question arises as to the quality of those books. The quality of published books is dependent on the level of education and creativity of editors in publishing houses. This is the number one problem and issue in publishing. There are ever more editors lacking vision and aesthetic discipline. That’s why there are ever fewer good writers, because there are fewer great role models, and because of all that there are ever fewer so phisticated readers of literature. This sequence and progression is considered ever less today, because a high-quality reader creates a new high-quality reader. That’s the only route to enduring values. Culture is the golden chain of meaning that con nects us, and not the chains that restrain us. This is discussed ever less in our country and around the world today, because the book has become a consumable product and not a spirit over the waters of a transitory world. A time will come when the greatest works of literature are longer read. And man’s taste will thus be corrupted, criteria will decay, and the world will be in the hands of insignificance and banality. And then man, as a former creative being, will lose the meaning of his existence. Those will be “hollow people” who trapse around the bazaars and fairs of a foreign world.

GOJKO BOŽOVIĆ

POET AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF PUBLISHING HOUSE ARHIPELAG [ARCHIPELAGO]

DIGITAL REALITY BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE BOOK FAIR CONCEPT

EVEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, BOOK FAIRS FACED THE QUESTION: WHAT TO DO TODAY AND HOW TO CONTINUE TO EXIST UNDER FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERED SOCIAL, CULTURAL, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGICAL CIRCUMSTANCES?

The deep and numerous crises that have gripped the world over the last fifteen or so years experienced one of the pos sible peaks precisely in the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, it could have been said that dissatisfaction was a feeling permeating the world. The pandemic made fear the unifying feeling. And dissatisfaction neither dissipated nor was it suppressed with this – it is still there, smoul dering under the radar of public attention.

Left without many of the public events that it needs like oxygen, culture that was already globally marginalised became even more marginalised during the pandemic. Reduced to small spaces of public influence, contemporary culture was lost from sight during the pandemic, due to the cancelling of recognisable cultural events. However, a period of two years is long enough to start satisfying some cultural needs in other ways, and even with different contents, especially those of an enter taining kind, or some of the heralds of digital worlds.

After all, book fairs and literary festivals couldn’t be held during the time of the pandemic. But one ought to be open. Even prior to the pandemic, book fairs faced the question: what to do today and how to continue to exist in altered social, cultural, media and technological circumstances?

The great challenge of entertainment is the most dangerous threat to the living and active future of culture, and that also goes for literature and publishing. Both culture and literature will exist, but whether they will be socially visible or small oases of devotees who communicate only with each other isn’t the same. Digital media is becoming a strong competitor to print media, which impacts both newspapers and books equally. The devel oped digital reality brings into question the very concept of book fairs. If we can find all books online, what will fair premieres then be? If publishing rights are bought and sold throughout the year, in constant communication between publishers and literary agencies, book fairs can no longer be exchanges of copyrights.

IN ORDER TO BE EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE PUBLIC, THE BELGRADE BOOK FAIR MUST BE COME A PLACE FOR BOOK PREMIERES, A PLACE FOR MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS, AND THE BIGGEST LITERARY FESTIVAL IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD

The Belgrade Book Fair is more of a hypermarket for books than a classic fair. Therein lies both its charm and its problem. Charm because, as the last place in Serbia where all books currently on the market can be seen, it preserves the living contact between writers and readers. Problem because every hypermarket has its own logic, and as a result that isn’t the logic of culture. The figure of the seller has long since relegated the figure of the writer to the periphery at the Belgrade Book Fair, and stands that were once places for meetings and conversations have now become exclusively sales stalls.

In order for it to be even more attractive to the public, which will be its key issue after the pandemic, and in order for it to remain the main book fair between Istanbul and Leipzig, the Belgrade Book Fair must become a place for book premieres, a place for meetings and discussions, and the biggest literary festival in this part of the world. As both a publisher and reader, I believe that this would ensure even better book sales.

VLADISLAV BAJAC

FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF GEOPOETIKA PUBLISHING, WRITER, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL BELGRADE BOOK FAIR AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHERS OF SERBIA (UPIS)

WE’RE RETURNING TO WRITERS!

BOOKS MUSTN’T BE AN “ESCAPE FROM THE PRESENT”: THEY ARE JUST A DIFFERENT REALITY, LEGITIMATE AND EQUIVALENT TO ALL OTHERS. WITHIN THEM LIVE THE WRIT ERS WHO, ADMITTEDLY, HAVE GOT LOST SOMEWHERE AND NEED TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE BELGRADE FAIR’S HALL 1, AS WELL AS OTHER PLACES, URGENTLY

All book fairs in the world, from the biggest and most important to the smallest, continue to exist on the map of world publishing, and justifiably so, for multiple reasons.

Regardless of all the technological changes of recent decades that have also come in this area, publishing has main tained a balance between printed (paper) and electronic books. Specifically, following the sudden and somewhat overexag gerated boom in electronic books in the Western Hemisphere, the market of electronic books has stabilised at approximately 30% of total books published. Serbia was rather slow in accepting that trend during those years, but that sped up with the outbreak of COVID-19, for understandable reasons, and firstly because that was enforced. That’s how the share of e-books in total production also increased here.

There are broader reasons why example is important and symptomatic. Namely, it also served to show that the fear of the disappearance of the traditional, printed book was unjustified. It has remained the dominant form of communication with readers. Of course, this doesn’t mean that classic book fairs shouldn’t adapt to new technologies in this or some other way. This means that audiences should be offered digitised content in a more visible way, but in parallel with printed content. That would specifically represent the fulfilling of the basic principle of the sector and of every society: to offer the reading public a choice, based on the principle of a democratic offer, whereby each reader decides on their own preferred way of reading.

THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF BOOK FAIRS SHOULDN’T BE BROUGHT INTO QUESTION. WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT CHANGES TO THEM: FORM, STAGING VENUE, CONTENT, DEPTH OF MESSAGES

The Belgrade Book Fair should retain some of the traditional forms of communicating with the public, but should also change some of the instruments of that communication. It should also reduce the number of programmes (especially those registered by the publish ers themselves) in order to improve the quality by having fewer of them. There should also be a clearer division of the proper, profes sional segment of publishing from all other collectives for which this is a secondary activity, particularly from those that are excessively connected to the profession and institutions of politics and religion. The fair must also be freed from the ballast of everything that made it a bazaar to a large extent: sponsors with products in places where they don’t belong, all cheap showbiz elements, visual distaste and the cacophony of those sounds that don’t belong to that world.

Books mustn’t be an “escape from the present”: they are just a different reality, legitimate and equivalent to all others. Within them live the writers who, admittedly, have got lost somewhere and need to be brought back to the Belgrade Fair’s Hall 1, as well as other places, urgently. We need to open a debate on the state of publishing in Serbia, to amend some laws, to return high-quality literature from all genres to the centre and thereby celebrate education. The possibility for young people to read should be restored, which is now abused by its pliability by other sources of information (that are not educational), cultural articles should be returned to the media and help should be given to remind journalists of cultural values that used to exist.

So, the continued existence of book fairs shouldn’t be brought into question. We ought to think about changes to them: form, staging venue, content, depth of messages etc. But their basic function should be left alone, equally everywhere – from Paris and London, to Cairo, Beijing and Frankfurt: encounters live and ‘in person’ between readers and books. That’s how one maintains the ideal temperature of both body and spirit – and of both man and book.

ZORAN HAMOVIĆ

ONLY THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

THE FAIR IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A LARGE GATHERING OF CREATIVE PEOPLE IN ACTION. IF THEY SPEAK AGAINST POPULISM AND DICTATORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO INITIATE CONSCIOUSNESS, THEN THE FAIR MAKES SENSE. IF THAT ISN’T THERE, THEN IT’S JUST A REGULAR DISCOUNT BOOK SALE AND A GALLERY OF VARIOUS LOONS

Bookfairs are primarily seeking ways to survive as events. In that sense, some try, in various ways, to use more PR activities to reach and motivate more potential participants and visitors. However, for meeting and for the needs of, for example, buyers and sellers, the space of a fair under domes is not essential. Shaping the atmosphere of the fair is the joy of meeting with writers and publishers, as direct conversations are what motivate and compel people from other cities to come to Belgrade and stroll between the stands. Perhaps it is indeed the largest bookshop attended by everyone, or almost everyone, who publishes books and other useful publications. The internet can provide information, but it cannot also provide the sense of belonging to a group of people who continue to be devoted to books, believing that this reality can be changed, but not abolished. Nevertheless, if we speak in terms of numbers and percentages, if we quantify what is happening to print publications – from weekly newspapers to books – it is certain that someone will be able to say that there is no going back to the past, particularly after the experience of the coronavirus pandemic, but rather that there is an intensive development of electronic communications and non-exclusive exchanges of content.

THE INTERNET CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION, BUT IT CANNOT ALSO PROVIDE THE SENSE OF BELONGING TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE TO BE DEVOTED TO BOOKS, BELIEVING THAT THIS REALITY CAN BE CHANGED, BUT NOT ABOLISHED

The adaptation of fair events should head in the direction of digitalisation and creation of the virtual connecting of authors, visitors and journalists, which technology now makes possible. Only the sky is the limit in terms of the ways in which excep tional programmes can be made with relatively little funding. By combining the physical presence and video links, animation and the creation of books as a guide to augmented reality provides the opportunity for us to create interesting programmes for fresher and more desirable mise-en-scènes. The Frankfurt Book Fair is among those from which we can learn the most. It provided an excellent example of what can be done even during the pandemic, and actually provided directions to the world of new ways of gathering and functioning, revealing the future of what we’ve called a book and a book fair.

Should book fairs represent a way of fleeing the not-so-pleasant present or try to bring awareness to that present? Art is of ten unjustifiably defined as an escape from reality. When it is in fact the offer of a different reality that refines the existing one. You don’t get far by fleeing. But satisfaction lies in adjusting the existing reality, the feeling that we have done something better for ourselves and others. Good solutions and inspiring gestures have changed habits, created a more felicitous and noble reality in which it is desirable to live. Talented people change the environment in which they find themselves and entice others to follow them. The Fair is first and foremost a large gathering of creative people in action. If they speak against populism and dictators in an attempt to initiate consciousness, then the fair makes sense, if that isn’t there, then it’s just a regular discount book sale and a gallery of various loons

The Fair is first and foremost a large gathering of creative people in action. If their spirit is accentuated there, if their litera ture and ideas speak there, if they disrupt the public internally and externally with their charisma, by raising attention, if they speak against populism and dictators in an attempt to initiate consciousness, then the fair makes sense. If that isn’t there, then it’s just a regular discount book sale and a gallery of various loons who lease a stand to attract the attention of those who are similar to them. Massiveness doesn’t mean much in and of itself; less is always better. The privilege of the future has always resided in the small.

DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF PUBLISHING COMPANY CLIO; PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHERS OF SERBIA (UPIS)

Feature

Herfather, Prince Albert, Duke of York (1895-1952) became King George VI in 1936 and reigned till 1952. He was the first person from the British Royal family to establish close relations with Serbia and Yugoslavia and participated in at least five symbolically important events that linked Serbia and Yugoslavia with Britain. In the early spring of 1916, Crown Prince and Regent Alexander of Serbia visited Britain. On that oc casion, Prince Albert received the Prince Regent at Charing Cross station in London and escorted him to see his father King George V. That was the first visit of a Serbian head of state to the United Kingdom. The Times reported that: “the

Slobodan G. Markovich, MBE, Head of the Centre for British Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Belgrade

HM Queen Elizabeth II, Serbia and Yugoslavia

In the history of the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) was the longestreigning sovereign. She was the queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realm for more than 70 years. During her long life and reign, she took part in several events relevant for British-Serbian and BritishYugoslav relations

reception accorded the Crown Prince outside the station was magnificent, and no foreign visitor has been more warmly received.” (The Times, 1st April, 1916). This was a u-turn in mutual relations since the Belgrade regicide of 1903 had produced a particularly negative impression in Britain and even led to a three-year-long break in diplomatic relations. The Great War turned everything around, and British public opinion became the champion of its small and heroic ally, Serbia. The British court endorsed this kind of appraisal during the visit of the Prince Regent to London.

After the end of the Great War, Prince Albert twice visited Belgrade. On 8th June, 1922, Prince Albert acted as ‘kum’ (chief witness / godfather) at

the royal wedding of King Alexander Karađorđević and Princess Marie of Romania, great-grand daughter of Queen Victoria. On that occasion, Prince Albert represented his parents, the King and the Queen. (The Times, 9th June, 1922). In October 1923, he came again, this time to attend the christening of the infant son of Queen Marie and King Alexander. On 20th October, the Duke and Duchess of York were greeted in Belgrade, in front of the royal palace, where “in spite of the cold, large crowds awaited the arrival of the Koom and Koomitsa [Godfather and Godmother].”The Duke of York held the baby throughout the service, as Christian Orthodox tradition demands, and Ser bian Patriarch Dimitrije conducted the ceremony.

(The Times, 21st October, 1923). It is important to mention that the Serbian word “koom” (or kum in more modern spelling) can denote both a best man at a wedding and a godfather or godmother at a christening. The Duke of York represented his father as the best man of King Alexander in 1922 and was godfather to his son in 1923. The baby was named Peter, after his grandfather Peter I the Unifier. The Duke of York also acted as the best man at the wedding of Prince Paul two days later. Prince Albert was the second son of King George V, who was succeeded by his eldest son Edward VIII (r. January-December 1936), and only after his abdication did the Duke of York become the king of the United Kingdom as George VI.

On 20th March, 1944, King Peter of Yugo slavia married Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark. On that occasion, King George VI and King George of Greece acted as witnesses. Finally, on 24th October, 1945, the christening of Crown Prince Alexander took place at Westminster Ab bey in London, in the presence of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. King George VI and his daughter Princess Elizabeth were godparents to the Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia. The ceremony was conducted by Patriarch Gavrilo and Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. (The Times, 25th October, 1945) Princess Elizabeth was 19 at the time of this ceremony and held the Crown Prince in her hands.The event made such an impression on her that, many decades later, she vividly described that moment to several Serbian diplomats.

Although the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was an official British ally until 1945, the victory of the Yugoslav communist-led Partisans in the civil war led to the suspension of the Yugoslav monarchy in November 1945. In the first years of communist Yugoslavia, its relations with both the U.S. and the UK were fraught with tension. Everything changed suddenly in June 1948, when the Soviet Union expelled Yugoslavia from the association of communist countries. After that, Yugoslavia found unlikely allies in the Western countries. In the 1950-53 period, communist Yugoslavia received assistance from the U.S. and UK, and the Yugoslav leadership visited Britain in March 1953. It was the first meeting of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and Queen Elizabeth, but since the Queen had not yet been crowned, it did not have the rank of an official visit, but rather a “private own”. Nevertheless, Yugoslav President Tito was

AND THE DUKE OF YORK

received with full pomp, which was very important for him because, at this time, Yugoslavia was mak ing efforts to build bridges with Western states. The rapprochement between the two states proved rather short-lived. The Suez Crisis in 1956 brought the two countries into a new dispute, which was amplified during the decolonisation of British Africa between 1956 and 1966. Yugoslavia’s direct opposition to Israel in 1967 was another low point. Only after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1968 did Communist Yugoslavia try to re-establish warmer relations with the West, including Britain. In the 1970s, mutual relations

reached a new high point that included several visits on both sides. In November 1971, the Yugoslav President made his first one-day official visit to the UK and had lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The visit was organised under “unusually stringent security precautions.” (The Times, 8th November, 1971)

In October 1972, Queen Elizabeth, accom panied by Prince Philip and their daughter Anne, made a four-day visit to Yugoslavia. It was the first communist country she visited, and that very fact was not received favourably in some quarters in the West. In Britain, the visit was seen “as yet

1945, BAPTISM OF CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER, WESTMISTER ABBEY

1972, PARK OF FRIENDSHIP

1972,

another step in the readjustment of the British monarchy to the requirements of present-day realities.” (The Times, 17th October, 1972) At that moment, Yugoslavia was going through a deep crisis due to the re-emergence of ethnic tensions and the persecution of intellectuals, students and dissidents by the Yugoslav communist regime, which prompted criticism in many circles in the West. Under such conditions, Belgrade gave the Queen an “enthusiastic reception despite the political crisis”. British journalists were somewhat surprised that the Queen’s host, Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, who was “unusually stern”, could not wait with his announcement about the withdrawal of his support from the Serbian Party leadership till the visit was over.

During their visit, the Queen and Prince Philip laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Un known Hero at Avala Mountain. The Queen also planted a tree in the Park of Friendship and visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery and the University of Belgrade. She spoke “of the traditional respect and understanding between Britons and Serbs and of the sincere admiration the British have for the long and courageous Ser bian struggle, first to achieve freedom and then, with other constituent republics of the Yugoslav federation, to build a united nation.” The Queen also mentioned the dangers of neglecting the

environment in the age of modern technology: “You cannot feed the beauty of the countryside into a computer and statistics cannot themselves make clean air, sparkling rivers or contented community.” (The Times, October 19, 1972).

The Queen was awarded the golden plaque of the City of Belgrade by its mayor. On that occasion, she said at the Belgrade City Hall: “Some 50 years ago, my father and mother were in a position to visit Belgrade and therefore I am particularly happy to be here with my husband and daughter.” (Politika, 18th October, 1972) This was a discreet reminder to the Queen’s hosts of the relations her family had had with the Yugoslav royal family.

During her trip, the Queen also visited Za greb, where “a crowd of 15,000 people applauded”, and spoke of the close contacts between Britain and Croatia. As Dessa Trevisan of The Times noted: “The toast was addressed to the Serbs in Belgrade and to the Croatians in Zagreb, reflecting the Queen’s awareness of the delicate relationship between the two largest nations of Yugoslavia.” (The Times, 21st October, 1972).

Visits continued in the 1970s, and President Tito paid a short visit to the UK in March 1978, then in October that same year, Prince Charles visited Yugoslavia. At the funeral of the Yugoslav President in May 1980, the British delegation

included Prince Philip, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington.

The official visits in the 1970s happened in the period when Josip Broz, the Yugoslav life-long president, after he met with Brezhnev in Belgrade in 1971 and again in June 1972 in Moscow, was seen in the West as getting too close to the Soviet Union. In retrospect, one can see that the Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia took place between Tito’s visits to Moscow in 1972 and 1973.

What happened in the early 1950s when communist Yugoslavia came closer to the West is nowadays known in historiography as a “Cold War anomaly”. A new climax in British-Yugoslav relations took place in the 1970s. In 1988, one of the last British ambassadors to Communist Yugoslavia, Andrew Wood, aptly summarised the process begun in 1948: “A British-Yugoslav marriage of convenience had nevertheless begun – and mar riages of convenience are often the most durable.”

Communist Yugoslavia collapsed in 1991 and the Wars for Yugoslav Succession followed. The Queen never returned to Yugoslavia or Serbia after 1972. In 1995, she attended the 50th birthday celebration of Crown Prince Alexander in Lon don and danced a waltz with the Crown Prince, whom she had baptised half a century earlier.

Finally, in 2016, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, made a regional tour and visited Zagreb, Belgrade, Priština and Podgorica. During his visit to Belgrade and Serbia, Prince Charles, in addition to official meetings with the officials of Serbia, had special meetings with the Serbian Patriarch and the Friends of Mount Athos (FOMA) and paid a visit to the Temple of St. Sava in Belgrade and Kovilj Monastery. He also visited Crown Prince Alexander and was shown an exhibition on the mutual contacts between the two dynasties. On 17th March, 2016, in his address in the National Assembly of Serbia, he singled out some historical and public figures that symbolised relations between the United Kingdom and the region, including Father and Bishop Nikolai Velimirović, Flora Sandes, Fitzroy Maclean, Rita Ora, Novak Đoković and Mother Theresa.

What emerges from this short review is that, in one hundred years spanning from 1916 to 2016, the British Royal family gave a very important contribution to the development of British-Serbian, British-Yugoslav and BritishBalkan relations.

BAPTISM OF HRH CROWN PRINCE PETER, 21ST OCTOBER, 1923. KING ALEXANDER, PRINCESS ILEANA, ROMANIAN KING FERDINAND AND QUEEN MARIE (SITTING), DUCHESS AND DUKE OF YORK

IVAN STANOJEVIĆ, Owner, StanTech d.o.o.

BOJANA RUDOVIĆ, Marketing Director at Bekament

LJUBA JAKIĆ, Managing Director, Insignitus Gold Serbia

ERICH COSSUTTA, President, Dragon Maritime Group

SAŠA JOVANOVIĆ, President of the Municipality of Merošina

TRANSFERA

Always Bet on Gold

Here we interviewed Insignitus Gold Serbia MD Ljuba Jakić, a winner of numerous international awards for profitability and work under particularly delicate circumstances. He is considered the initiator of the bullion gold business in Serbia, thanks to which he enjoys the respect of customers and competitors alike.

You’re a very well-known figure in business circles across Europe, but could you nonetheless present yourself to our readers? I have many years behind me (70), though admittedly they were very fulfilling ones, so I have no regrets about that, while there were also many obstacles that I overcame on that long road. When I recall the past, it seems that somehow many things in my life revolved around gold, without me even being

aware of that. I’ve resided at 24 addresses in seven cities and four countries, while I’ve also changed my profession four times. As a civil engineer, I wrote programs for mathematical models and dealt with IT sector marketing, system gastronomy, etc. I spent part of my career working in key positions at McDon ald’s in Serbia, Austria, and Slovenia. Its logo consists of the so-called “Golden Arches” forming the letter ”M”. Then, in 2007, I was a partner in bringing the quick-service brand KFC to Serbia, the main product of which is its “Golden Wings”, and in the twilight of my career, I found myself working with bullion gold with a purity of 999,9.

I’m playing the “fourth quarter” of my life, but my passion for creating has never abandoned me or dissipated. I guess my constant movement keeps me going. They say that a rolling stone gathers no moss.

How did the bullion gold market in Serbia emerge?

It was in June 2013 that a group of my Austrian friends, who thought the Serbian market was perfect for starting a new proj ect, appeared. If there is any country in the world that has been confronted by the high est hyperinflation ever and the printing of banknotes with fifteen zeros, that was Serbia in the period from 1991 to 1993. That’s why this fact was the incentive to launch from here specifically.

However, nothing was known about bullion gold at that time; no written regula tions existed, nor was there any existing law dealing with this topic. This resulted in us spending a long time going around in circles. Ultimately, my partner Karl Walder decided that we should launch the project immediately, given that it isn’t prohibited by law. We received the Ministry of Trade’s approval for our written business concept and started preparations.

One specific barrier was represented by the existence of VAT, which meant that every purchase cost 20% more, discourag ing people from easily deciding to make a purchase. Shrewd players began buying gold abroad and smuggling it over our border, where they were greatly disillusioned due to the duty charged. However, there were a few clever exceptions who were aware that the price of gold would continue to rise,

Insignitus Gold was the first company to realize just how big a market Serbia is. The company’s aim is to remain the No.1 brand and for its customers to return and recommend it to others, and for the rule “Write with gold and seal with gold” to be applied every time Insignitus Gold is mentioned

which it has. Over the course of these nine years since 2013, when we - as “Insignitus Gold” - opened the Serbian market, the price of gold has increased by 96%, marking an average of 12% per year.

What kinds of problems have you faced? Have you been compelled to solve them on the fly?

By grasping the reason for sporadic and small sales, we approached the Ministry of Finance in August 2015 with a proposal to amend the Law on VAT and abolish VAT on bullion gold, which has been done everywhere else in the world. That situation endured for more than two and a half years and I had already lost hope when I one day received a call from the Ministry of Finance with a proposal that I join the team tasked with amending the law and abolishing VAT. We worked quickly; everything happened in a flash and the Law on VAT was amended to include Article 36 b, with which the 20% VAT was abolished by the National Assembly in December 2017 thereby completely defining trade in bullion gold in Serbia. It was then that the conditions were created for the market to be formed and fully legalised, and for smuggling to stop.

However, Insignitus Gold was the first to recognise how big the market is because our people still keep cash in banks in vari ous currencies with minimal interest. When they realise just how much the value of money depreciates over time, they decide to exchange it for gold and thus protect their capital from certain losses. We always go out of our way to satisfy the wishes of customers when they decide on the structure of their purchase and the prices they can afford to pay, and they immediately receive their gold without any waiting or postponements of delivery deadlines.

How do events around the world influence the gold market?

The COVID-19 crisis caused bullion gold to become particularly interesting, and then came the war in Ukraine, which led to de mand increasing by more than 1,000%, and that demand is not waning. The lockdowns imposed almost worldwide resulted in more money being printed and placed into circula tion than ever before. The consequence of

this is clear: skyrocketing prices and official data on inflation that doesn’t correspond at all with the reality facing consumers. That’s why we advise everyone who is able to transfer their savings to gold and not to keep money in any paper currency, because their

feeling that nothing is difficult for me despite my advanced years. We believe that such an approach is what distinguishes us from the competition and that we will continue to identify new ways of providing our clients with top service and affordable purchases. But, not only that. “Write with gold and seal with gold” means we are here to keep our promise, each word we say must be the truth. We live in a time where presentation is more important than substance. Although I can partially understand, but I might object to the competition that the information quoted on their websites is often tricky. That’s why I advise customers to meet the bider personally to form their own opinion for the final decision.

Over the course of these nine years since 2013, when Insignitus Gold opened the Serbian market, the price of gold has increased by 96%, at an annual average of 12%

decline in purchasing power is devastating and interest rates provided by the bank are discouraging.

Does the fact that you don’t view gold as being more valuable than people distinguish you from the competition? Why is Insignitus Gold No. 1?

In working with buyers, I’m fulfilled by sales conversations and developing an under standing of how people think differently and what they find important. We process the minutest detail that one of them mentions and incorporate that in order to improve our operating procedures. That’s something I consider a kind of creation of mine, one that brings me satisfaction in my work and the

The walls of our 5th-floor office at 30 Knez Mihailova Street are adorned with two posters – one titled “Kai zen” [Kaizen] and the other “Nulla dies sine linea” [Latin for “no day without a single line”] – which serve to remind us of two essential work principles. The first is the Japanese business concept of constantly improving all business activities and personal effectiveness. Their emphasis on ensuring the highest quality in all aspects of production is characteristic of the inclusion of all employees in the search for continuous improvement, regardless of how big or small. And that is precisely where creation that fulfills every normal human being can be realised. The second poster’s Latin saying can be translated as “Not a single day without a line” and means that one should do at least something every day.

With these two posters, and a few photos and international diplomas for profitability in the year 1999, we want to leave the impres sion on clients that our approach to work and life is very serious and reliable, and that our relationship with them is filled with the great est respect and appreciation. My wish is for my younger colleagues to also adopt these principles of quality because that will greatly help them to advance through active work.

We would like to leave a golden trail be hind us always; a feeling that we’ve done a good deed for people in our work and created a feeling not only for material value but also for social values, by having helped someone preserve their capital from collapse.

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC CELEBRATED 20 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

One of the leaders in the field of sustainable business, the Schneider Electric company, celebrated 20 years of successful business in Serbia and Montenegro with a festive event at the White Palace in Belgrade and presented the most significant achievements in the past period, as well as plans for the next period. On this oc casion, a large number of guests gathered at the event, including representatives of relevant public institutions, and embassies, as well as associates and partners of the company. The company’s director for Serbia and Montenegro, Ksenija Karić, addressed the audience and pointed out that Schneider Electric, over the past 20 years, has become part of a large number of significant infrastructure projects in Serbia.

“It has been 5 years since the establishment of the Office for IT and eGovernment. The greatest success in that period was the creation of a team that set new standards for the work of public administration and without which the development of electronic services and IT infrastructure would not have been possible” ~ MIHAILO JOVANOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR IT AND E-GOVERNMENT

SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO OPEN BEIJING OFFICE

President of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbian (CCIS), Marko Čadež, and President of Chinese company YiHai Group, Linda Wang, jointly emphasised the need for the CCIS to open its own office in Beijing. Ms Wong, a world-renowned businesswoman and philanthropist, agreed to be the honorary representative of the Serbian economy in the People’s Republic of China. The goal of the Chamber office in the Chinese capital will be to further improve cooperation between Serbia and China, as well as supporting domestic compa nies positioning on the global Chinese market.

TRUST OF GERMAN COMPANIES IN SERBIA AS AN INVESTMENT DESTINATION GROWING

The German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) conducted a survey on the economic environment in Serbia among the Chamber’s member companies during March and April of this year. The latest results indicate a serious increase in the confidence of German companies in Serbia as an investment destination, it was pointed out at a press conference to announce the results. Although the world, at the global level, is going through the third crisis in the last 20 years to hit the entire economy, the results of the AHK survey show that the assessment of the economic situation in Serbia for the year 2022 has not worsened. A further increase in trade cooperation between Serbia and Germany is expected, though perhaps not reaching a double-digit growth rate.

“Europe will gradually enter a recession by the end of the year, with the German economy – as the engine of the entire EU economy –facing increased energy supply problems for its own economy” ~DEJAN ŠOŠKIĆ, ECONOMIST, REGULAR PROFESSOR AT THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE

MPC PROPERTIES’ CONTRIBUTION TO DECARBONISATION AND A HEALTHIER ECOSYSTEM

MPC Properties has developed a socially responsible strategy in accordance with ESG goals (Environmental, Social, Governance) in order to achieve the well-being of the wider community in which the company operates. As one of the leading real estate companies in the region, MPC Properties has greatly contributed to the promotion and popularisation of green construction for the past 10 years. This is confirmed by the buildings in the company’s portfolio that obtained the most important world certificates. UŠĆE Shopping Center is one of the first and largest certified shopping centres in the region and in Europe, the Navigator Business complex has been awarded the prestigious LEED Gold Certificate, while the business building UŠĆE Tower Two was designed and built in accordance with the BREEAM standard.

AIGO CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF BUSINESS

With a good atmosphere, and in the company of 400 associates, partners and friends, company AIGO celebrated 15 years of successful business. “While we remember the positive atmosphere that prevailed, we want to thank you for celebrating the fifteen years of AIGO’s existence with us. In the next 15 years, we want to continue our jour ney together with you through this 21st century, in which fresh innovations, the next inventions and years of searching for creativity await us,” AIGO announced.

ZIJIN MINING GROUP PRODUCED 98,000 TONS OF COPPER AND 122,000 OUNCES OF GOLD IN SERBIA

Zijin Mining Group announced that two of its companies in Serbia produced a total of 98,000 tons of copper and 122,000 ounces of gold in half a year.

Information about the results posted on the official website of the group states that the Čukaru Peki copper-gold mine in Serbia is the most profitable project of Zijin Mining.

For the company Srbija Zijin bakar, in addition to the mining and processing capacities of the Veliki Krivelj mine, it is stated that “the technical upgrade of the company’s smelter will be completed soon”. The global Zijin Group also announced that underground mining in the Jama mine is progressing according to plan.

New Investments Mark Jubilee Year

During this major jubilee year, Bekament has strengthened its market position and its reputation as a leader in this part of Southeast Europe by investing 12 million euros in a new factory for the production of extruded polystyrene and two new production lines within the liquid program plant

In the year during which it celebrates its 30th anniversary, Bekament is recognised as a strong brand, both in Serbia and around the region. The right strategic approach to the business has enabled Bekament to increase its turnover continuously, by around 20% annu ally. With investments of a total of 12 million euros the company has further strengthened its market position and justified its reputation as a leader in this part of Southeast Europe.

Bekament has celebrated the 30th anniversary of its operations, which was additionally marked by new investments that are also meaningful for the Serbian economy. Could you tell us more about that?

The successful business of Bekament, which have endured for three decades, are built on well-laid foundations, while a strong vision, strategic decision-making and the power of employees to drive the company forward have all contributed to it becoming a renowned company and one of the most technologically advanced in the region.

Apart from being a jubilee year, this year also holds special importance to us because of investments worth 12 million euros, which includes the opening of a new factory for the production of extruded polystyrene and two new production lines within the liquid program plant.

The new factory ranks among the most modern plants in Europe and implies an investment of eight million euros. This invest ment has also enabled the creation of 40 new jobs. We’ve also invested four million euros in the factory of liquid program, which has expanded production capacities significantly.

By investing in new production plants, we’re also expanding our network of busi ness partners and contributing to the real ising of conditions enabling the growth of employment, and this also reflects positively on the Serbian economy.

Bekament has long since outgrown the confines of Serbia. You surely have major plans to expand your already rich portfolio and conquer new markets?

Bekament ranks among the manufacturers with the broadest and most diverse range of products, the development of which is subjected to continuous investment, both in terms of improving existing products and developing new ones.

We strive to keep pace with world trends, harmonising our development and produc

tion technology with stringent European standards; we work on the creation of innovative formulations, considering the direction of developing products that are functional, problem-solving, eco-friendly, antiallergic and energy saving. Such an ap proach to the development of our portfolio enables us, among other things, to grow our turnover continuously, by around 20% annu ally. Our operations encompass 15 markets of the EU and the region, under the scope of which are also three new ones that we entered this year: Italy, Cyprus and Czechia.

Bekament is a strong and recognisable brand –not only within the framework of the construction industry, but also further afield. The importance of marketing to the company is evident. Could you better acquaint us with that?

The construction industry keeps pace with intense market changes, both in terms of technological development and in terms of communications. Such changes inevitably demand adaptation to modern business principles, strategic thinking and creativity, constant alertness, but also flexibility. It is just such an approach to doing business, coupled with a well-conceived marketing mix, that has contributed to Bekament being recognised today as a strong brand, both in Serbia and around the region, and certainly beyond the framework of the construction industry.

A well-defined appearance on the mar ket differentiates us and positions us as innovators and educators, while quality stands out as the top brand value. Likewise, Bekament increasingly directs its activities towards humane initiatives that promulgate solidarity and empathy. I consider that such a socially responsible engagement of brands should be implied as one of the basic pillars of the operations of every company.

Bekament is recognised today as a strong brand, both in Serbia and around the region, and certainly beyond the framework of the construction industry

Placements & appointments@aim.rs

postings

H.E. ANKE KONRAD, NEW GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Born on 16th June 1966 in the German municipality of Süderholz, the new ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Serbia studied the Russian language and literature in Moscow from 1985-’90, graduating in Slavonic studies, before serving as a research associate at the University of Greifswald from 1990-’92 and then attending the Dip lomatic Academy in Bonn from 1993-’95. She joined the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995 and received her first foreign posting at the German Embassy in Warsaw from 1995-’99. Returning to her home ministry in 1999, she was posted to Zambia in 2002, where she served as a permanent deputy to the ambassador in Lusaka (2002-’04) and subsequently per formed the same role at the embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 2004-’06. She was posted to the permanent mission to international organisations in Geneva in 2006, where she remained until her 2010 posting as Deputy Head of Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. Returning to the embassy in Warsaw from 2014-’18, she was promoted to Head of Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin prior to her 2022 arrival in Belgrade. Ambassador Konrad is a married mother of three children.

H.E. CHRISTIAN EBNER, NEW AUSTRIAN AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

Austria’s new ambassador to the Republic of Serbia studied law at the universities of Vienna and Salzburg, before becoming Assistant Professor of International Law and International Relations at the University of Vienna from the year 2000 to ‘04. He joined the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs in 2004, serving initially in the Office of Legal Affairs (2004’05) and then as Head of Office of the State Secretary at the ministry (2005-’07). His first overseas posting saw him appointed Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations in New York (2007-‘11), after which he was named as an ambassador and served as Deputy Representative of Austria to the United Nations Security Council (2009-’10). Following advisory roles – firstly as Advisor to the Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Minister for European and International Affairs (2011’13) and then as Advisor to the Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (2013-’14) – he was appointed as Ambassador and Head of Cabinet of the Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs from 2015-’17. Prior to his arrival in Belgrade in 2022, he was based in Madrid from 2018 and served as Austrian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality Andorra and as Permanent Representative of Austria to the World Tourism Organization. Ambassador Ebner is a married father of two children.

H.E. CATHY BUGGENHOUT, NEW AMBASSADOR OF BELGIUM TO SERBIA

The new ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Serbia joined Belgium’s diplomatic service in 1993, prior to which she worked as a lawyer. She gained her diplomatic experience through postings in Paris, Washington, London, Belgrade, Luxembourg, Croatia and Brussels, with several of her postings focused on international trade. She also has ex perience dealing with political and consular issues, having served as chief consul general of Belgium in Shanghai and New York. She returns to Belgrade, this time as ambassador, after a break of 26 years.

H.E. FAYEZ MUJBEL SULAIMAN ALMUTAIRI, NEW AMBASSADOR OF KUWAIT TO SERBIA

The new Kuwaiti ambassador to the Republic of Serbia earned his bachelor’s degree in law and politics/political science, before joining Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a diplomatic attaché in 1988. He was posted to the Kuwaiti Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in 1992 and remained there until 1997, serving as third and later second secretary, before relocating to Oman and serving at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Muscat, also in 1997. He was promoted to the rank of First Secretary in 2001 and Counsellor in 2006, before being posted to Morocco and serving at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Rabat. He was appointed Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Djibouti in 2011 and promoted to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary in 2014. Prior to his arrival in Belgrade, this divorced father of six children was posted to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016) and formally promoted to the rank of Ambassador in 2021.

The Middle East Is The New Target

The Belgrade company StanTech is present as a recognisable, reliable brand in more than 20 countries covering markets in the East, the EU and America. In the USA, they have worked for several big names, such as Bondulle, Kelloggs, Honda, Aptar...

Thanks to a brilliant team, in novation and product quality, we can provide clients around the world with very reliable solu tions for specific projects at competitive prices - says Mr Stanojević, adding that StanTech has the potential to become a partner of many global production automation companies.

StanTech is in Belgrade, and you live in America. How is it to manage a company remotely?

Managing a company remotely is only possible with a good, loyal and coordi nated team. The company is made up of people and the final outcome depends on them. I think that belief in a common goal, a high-quality attitude towards work and mutual respect is a very important factor in the development of StanTech.

More heads are always smarter than one, so we try to consult often and exchange opinions before making a final decision. Nowadays, spatial distance is an easily surmountable problem and communica tion via the Internet is extremely simple. What is the biggest challenge for me and represents a big disadvantage is that I am not present when things happen, when an idea turns into a realisation, when we celebrate victories or console ourselves over defeats. Despite this, my presence in the U.S. has its upsides, because the American market is the main catalyst for the company’s rapid development and the adoption of new technologies and working methods.

What makes your solutions superior? I think that what sets us apart from the competition is the simplicity, the practical nature of the engineering solutions, the

ability to analyse and simplify the solu tion in a way that is optimal for a given application. We pride ourselves on the high level of creativity and innovation of our machines and I think we have at tracted the attention of the market with this way of working. I am happy that I

have enthusiastic people in my team. With their energy, dedication and hard work they can deal with the seriousness of the work we do and enjoy the final outcome together.

You regularly participate in the most pres tigious international fairs such as PackExpo in Chicago, and you are currently preparing for Dubai Food Manufacturing. What you will presenting in Dubai?

Exhibiting at trade shows across the U.S. is very important. In addition to a large client base, we have the opportunity to learn about new technologies in the field of automation and to follow global trends. Exhibiting at the Dubai fair demonstrates a desire to be part of that market. We think that sales opportunities in the Middle East market are important and that there is a real possibility of entering them. I think we have the potential to become a partner of many global companies for production automation.

In the last three years, the whole world is facing difficult business conditions. How do you deal with all these challenges?

In our business, the delivery of com ponents is under strain, which is very difficult, and so the control of the dead lines for the completion of our products is also difficult. Another problem is the spread of infection in the community, but after vaccination the situation has stabilised. Despite all the challenges that draw a lot of our energy, there has been an increased demand in our area! Automation of the packaging and pal letising process is no longer a planned aspiration of production managers, but a necessity without which regular work and deliveries cannot be imagined.

We pride ourselves on the high level of creativity and innovation of our machines and I think we have attracted the attention of the market with this way of working

Always Striving For Win-Win Cooperation

The Dragon Maritime Group is an intermodal transport pioneer in Serbia. Since the 2017 establishing of a regular railway line between the Port of Piraeus and Belgrade, more than 65,000 containers have been transported via the “Land-Sea Express” service

due to the need to lessen the burden on road infrastructure, reduce pollution and increase the efficiency of transport in terms of transit times and quantities of transported goods. It also has an advantage due to the easing of cargo transports between Serbia and the EU as a result of Serbia’s current limited access to the international road freight transport market in some EU countries.

Despite the fact that we’re facing nu merous challenges as a result of the works currently underway to improve Serbia’s rail infrastructure, which primar ily manifest in the form of poorer transit times, we strongly support the efforts exerted by the state aimed at modernising the network and ensuring Serbia is even better connected with global cargo flows.

Increasing volumes of rail transport traversing Serbia, the modernising of railways and the introducing of new multimodal terminals, as well as the establishing new railway corridors with the countries of Central and Southeast Europe, will bring Serbia many benefits - announces Dragon Maritime Group President Erich Cossutta, speaking in this CorD Magazine interview.

It’s extremely important in your line of work for the transport of goods, both imports and exports, to be eased by shorter transit times and competitive prices. How difficult is it for you to handle the competition and what is your greatest asset?

Intermodal transport is today one of the most represented forms, given that rail transport has significant advantages over road haulage, and that’s not only

You often note that Dragon Maritime Group would not be what it is today without the kind of reliable partners it has. What forms the basis of your collaboration and those excel lent relations?

We are proud of the fact that we’ve achieved very successful cooperation, since establishing our service in Serbia, with our long-term partners – railway operators, terminals and ports – by fos tering mutual trust and support. We always strive for win-win cooperation, on the basis of our common interests and the identifying of solutions that are har monised with the values of both parties.

We know that you work constantly on the in troducing of new services. What is included in everything that you can currently offer clients, alongside container transports, cargo inspec tion, warehousing, freight forwarding etc.?

In accordance with economic trends and changes to the business climate, our company strives to diversify its opera

tions to the maximum possible extent. Our aim is to be able to offer our clients a “one-stop shop”. It is our belief that the future lies in modern technology and one of our upcoming priorities will also be digital transformation and our inclusion in the global digital supply chain. We are working actively on the introduction of digital platforms that are able to track the entire course of cargo flows.

The future lies in modern technology and one of our upcoming priorities will be digital transformation and our inclusion in the global digital supply chain

We see Belgrade as a regional hub for the development of intermodal transport on the territory of Southeast Europe and our goal is to contribute to an even bet ter connection of Serbia with the world flows of goods, through new logistics solutions and transport routes.

Biotechnology Will Define Our Future World

Biotechnology is crucial to advancing solutions in fields like medicine, agriculture and the food industry. Growing investments and technological advances have served to accelerate its development and application possibilities, which is why biotechnology will define our future world

The Government of the Republic of Serbia recognised the opportunity to become the region’s driver of the development of bioeconomy and, together with the World Economic Forum, founded the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Serbia. This is the first such centre in the region and only the third in Europe, while it is the 16th to be founded by the World Economic Forum worldwide. The centre began operating in March 2022, under the auspices of the Office for IT and eGovernment of the Republic of Serbia and with UNDP support. The Government of the Republic of Serbia and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with the UNDP, are organising the first Interna tional Conference, entitled “The Future of Biotechnology”, to be held at Belgrade’s Palace of Serbia on 20th and 21st October. This conference will be officially opened by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and World Economic Forum President Borge Brende. This is the first such event to be organised by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with the World Economic Forum.

As a country that has recognised the importance and potential of biotechnology, we founded the Centre for the Fourth In dustrial Revolution, together with the World Economic Forum, with the aim of identifying opportunities brought by new technology, primarily in the field of biomedicine, and to work on the develop ment of an ecosystem that will stimulate the development of biotechnology and

bioengineering - says Jelena Bojović, director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, speaking to CorD Magazine.

Biotechnology is today one of the key areas that we mention when consider ing areas that could accelerate Serbia’s economic growth. Where are we today on this front and in which direction should we develop our capacities?

What can we discover about these development directions at this upcoming international conference? The goal of the Conference is to bring together in one place the three sectors of society that have the greatest influence on the development of biotechnology: the public and private sectors and the academic community, to encourage co operation and exchanges of knowledge

and experience. Apart from biotechnol ogy, the topics that will be represented at the Conference relate to bioinformat ics, bioengineering, the use of data in development of healthcare and biotech development, encouraging public policies and scientific achievements and their application possibilities, especially in the field of medicine and healthcare.

Given that this event is a high-level international conference, which of the panellists and sessions would you draw our attention to in particular?

The conference’s two-day programme comprises several sessions: a ministerial panel, expert thematic sessions, as well as visits to our most famous institutes: the State Data Centre in Kragujevac and local businesses. Apart from Serbian participants, panellists and speakers will be coming from all over the world, including Singapore, Rwanda, Norway, the UAE, U.S., UK and many other countries, representing leaders in this field and examples of good international practice. It is precisely due to the diverse content and prestigious participants that I believe all the panels that we’ve organised will be very interesting to the scientific commu nity, because we haven’t previously had so many prominent experts in this field in one place. I will use this opportunity to invite members of the scientific and business communities to register and attend the panel discussions that are the most interesting to them. All information and ways to apply can be found on the website biotechff.gov.rs.

What are this conference’s long-term goals?

The long-term goals are for the “Future of Biotechnology” conference to become a regular annual gathering of the new biotechnology community in Serbia, and to position Serbia as a country of new technologies, knowledge and innovation. Any cooperation with countries that have already recognised biotechnology as one of the priorities is important to us for any kind of cooperation and the dissemination of knowledge in this area,

The Government of the Republic of Serbia and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with the UNDP, are organising the first International Conference, entitled “The Future of Biotechnology”, to be held at Belgrade’s Palace of Serbia on 20th and 21st October

as we have laid the foundations for the development of this area in Serbia.

How important to Serbia is it to cooperate with the World Economic Forum, given that this cooperation extends far beyond the conference itself?

We are all witnessing the extremely rapid advancements of science and technol ogy, which we can utilise to make our everyday life simpler and easier. This is precisely the role of the Centre: to use the connecting of science, new technolo gies, knowhow and business to help us receive better and more effective medical

treatments, to ensure innovative new medicines and devices are made available to us, to live in a healthier society thanks to technological solutions. Cooperation with the World Economic Forum is very important to us, particularly through cooperation with all centres around the world and with the leaders of the World Economic Forum. Serbia has been given an opportunity to utilise the latest sci entific achievements, while at the same time enabling the promotion of our own science, economy and knowhow.

How does the Centre for the Fourth Indus trial Revolution facilitate activities related to Serbia’s innovation potential and which partners does it cooperate with the most? The projects dealt with by the Centre encompass the development of a unique repository of genetic data, with the aim of being able to quickly diagnose rare diseases, make smarter choices of medi cines through personalised medicine (it is known which medicines are more effective for patients on the basis of genetic markers), the use of artificial intelligence in fast and smart diagnostics, as well as the use of new technologies in the pharmaceutical industry, applica tions of cell and gene therapy, and the development of fast-growing high-tech companies in the health sector. We will bring together scientists and research ers, as well as representatives of the state, industry and civil society, in order to create conditions for the develop ment, testing and improvement of new technologies, while we will also strive to develop cross-sector partnerships in an effort to encourage innovations that benefit society. We are already cooperat ing with all other centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution around the world, as well as international companies in the area of biotechnology, Serbia’s scientific community, the Institute for Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, the Faculty of Biology of the University of Belgrade, associations of patients in Serbia, as well as international organisa tions that deal with the development of biotechnology.

MONTENEGRO BUYS 3.34 MILLION EPCG SHARES

The Government of Montenegro bought 3.34 million shares of Elektroprivreda (EPCG) on the Montenegro Stock Exchange for almost EUR 15 million. The amount of shares sold corresponds to a share of 28.27 per cent of the offered package. Finance Minister Aleksandar Damjanović announced that the state plans to buy EPCG shares for EUR 15 million through a stock market sale. Ten per cent of EPCG shares were offered for sale, i.e. a total of 11.81 million shares. The price per share is 4.49 EUR. The seller and buyer of the shares was the brokerage house VIP Broker Montenegro.

INFLATION IN CROATIA 12.3%

Inflation in Croatia was 12.3 per cent in August, and in that month food and non-alcoholic beverages went up the most, almost 20 per cent compared to August last year, announced the Croatian State Sta tistics Institute. The inflation rate of 12.3 per cent in August is the same as in July of this year. At the beginning of this year, inflation was less than six per cent, and then due to the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, prices exploded, reports Mina. In the last three months, inflation has remained at more than 12 per cent, reports HRT. When the prices of food and drinks in August last year are compared to this year, the growth is an incredible 20 per cent.

BANCA TRANSILVANIA PLANS EUR 1 BLN BOND ISSUES OVER NEXT TEN YEARS

The Managing Board of Banca Transilvania invited shareholders on 18 October to approve a programme of bond issues, with “a flexible struc ture, through several separate issues,” worth a total of EUR 1 bln, to be carried out over the next ten-year period. The individual issues would be denominated in euros, local currency (RON) or another currency, as the case may be, under market conditions in terms of interest rate, with a maturity of not more than 10 years, with the coupon frequency of the annual or semi-annual. The first bonds will be offered under a private placement to qualified investors and/or up to 150 natural or legal persons other than qualified investors per Member State in accordance with the applicable legislative framework, with the delegation of powers to the Board of Directors on the offer of bonds for subsequent tranches.

“The chamber requested, and the government has adopted, measures that also include thermal energy consumers, who will now be included in the same way as gas buyers were until now” ~ LUKA BURILOVIĆ, PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF CROATIA

“At the Open Balkan Wine Vision event, most of the buyers were distributors and importers, and also representatives of the HoReCa sector, retail chains and wholesalers from Serbia and the region”

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO DECLINE IN SLOVENIA

The indicator measuring consumer confidence in Slovenia declined for the fifth consecutive month in September to drop to the level it was in early 2020, the latest Statistics Office figures show. Declining by one percentage point to -40, it was 19 points below the level in the same period last year owing to a 5-point decline in consumer expectations about the future state of household finances and a 2-point drop in ex pectations about the state of the economy. Consumers were slightly more optimistic than last month about major purchases (up by one point), whereas the subindicator measuring the current state of household finances remained level.

NORTH MACEDONIA DONATES TANKS TO UKRAINE AS IT MODERNISES ITS OWN MILITARY

North Macedonia plans to donate an unspecified number of Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine as it seeks to modernise its own military to meet NATO standards, its defence ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said Ukraine will receive tanks belonging to the western Balkan country’s tank battalion which is in the process of being upgraded. “Taking into account this situation and the requirements of the Ukrainian defence ministry, the government has decided that a certain quantity of these (tank) capacities will be donated to Ukraine, in line with its needs,” the statement said.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE BIJELJINA-RAČA HIGHWAY HAS BEGUN

The construction of the section of the highway from Bijeljina to Rača, 20 kilometres long, has begun in Velika Obarska, and the entire work should be completed in two and a half to three years. The Bijeljina-Rača sec tion is a continuation of the highway from Belgrade to Sarajevo. That highway will be continued to the new bridge on the Sava on the border with Serbia and the Kuzmin-Sremska Rača section of 18 kilometres in Serbia, writes Beta. The ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the works was attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the Serbian member of the BiH Presidency, Milorad Dodik, and the President of the RS, Željka Cvijanović.

~ MARKO ČADEŽ, PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY OF SERBIA

Driven By A Good Team & Strong Vision

Merošina has always occupied an ideal geographical position, with the City of Niš on one side and the City of Prokuplje on the other. However, as of two years ago, it has also had great leadership, which has utilised the close proximity of two highways – Belgrade-Skoplje and Niš-Priština – to entice numerous investors and improve the lives of residents

Prior to being appointed municipal president, Saša Jovanović – as a member of the then temporary governance body – kept abreast of all happenings, problems, plans and projects. This ensured that he was able to immediately launch the implementation of existing proj ects, but also to create major plans, which he reveals in this CorD interview.

Following many years of stagnation, Merošina is finally striding forward with assured steps. What has changed in that respect?

It is true that everything started to improve as of two years ago, but we don’t deserve all the credit for that, because we also had major support from the state. Admittedly, we had well-worked projects that we used to apply to all ministries and we received funds, but workers’ income taxes remain our main source of revenue. Over the course of just one year, revenues generated from income tax increased by 30 per cent, which also means that employment is on the rise, while tax collection is increasing, as are revenues from property taxes and our own and ceded revenue.

However, I must stress that no leader – whether in business, medicine, culture or local government – can achieve anything on their own if they don’t have a good team. And in Merošina we have a good team.

It seems as though the entire municipality is a major construction site. Are we being deceived by the impression?

No, you are correct... A lot of work and con struction is happening in our city, and we also have big plans. Construction permits have

been secured for the reconstruction of the Jastrebački Partizani Primary School and the building housing the social work unit, but also for the reconstruction and exten sion of the Municipal building. Strategic importance is given to the construction of a faecal sewer network covering approximately 67 kilometres, while we’re also planning to construct a water supply network on the territory of the municipality.

Priorities also include the infrastructure equipping of the Mramorsko Brdo business zone, covering an area of 55 hectares. In the meantime, we’ve reconstructed Industrijska Street, the settlement of Batušinac is being tarmacked and we’ve secured 34 million dinars from the budget for new works. I also have to mention the construction of a preschool institute, increasing the capac

ity of the wastewater treatment system, improving energy efficiency, the “Help at Home” project, wastewater management, as well as two capital projects: reconstruc tion of the highway section from Merošina to Prokuplje and the Niš-Pločnik section of the Niš-Priština highway.

Has the example of your municipality also shown that investing in infrastructure is the best way to entice investors?

We are also preparing two industrial zones for investors, which already have the re quired road and water infrastructure, while work on the sewer system is underway. We have mostly attracted domestic companies and one mixed Italian-Serbian firm, MING Kovačnica [MING FORGING], which should employ 60 workers in its first year of opera tions. They plan to increase their capacity in the year ahead, so they’ve already established cooperation with the dual education depart ment of the Technical School in Prokuplje. Another Italian-Serbian company is building a 2,500-square-metre production facility and will manufacture recycling machines. They buy the land – we don’t give it to them for free. There’s also a company from Niš that’s purchasing five hectares and will employ another 100 workers.

Miktronik, the general representative of Bosch for Serbia, has already launched its operations in Merošina, while two more Serbian companies have also entered the industrial zone and we’re awaiting the ar rival of Fero Stil, Livnica Stil and some other companies, so we have no problem with unemployment. Anyone wanting to work can find a job.

New Logistics Epicentre Of The Region

Transfera’s new logistics centre (TLC1) opened ceremonially on 11th September 2022. with more than 250 associates and friends of the company in attendance. This invest ment, worth over €14 million, was realised in a record nine-month period, in the industrial zone in Novi Banovci, on the outskirts of Belgrade. This massive logistics centre forms part of a much larger scale project: Transfera Logistics Park (TLP).

This state-of-the-art centre is equipped with the most sophisticated technology for warehouse operations – the Warehouse Management System (WMS). TLC1 also

applies the highest FM global standards and the Customs administration is present in all operations. Another top priority met from the outset was the use of renewable energy sources.

TLC1 covers over 30,000m2 of space, with 3,000m2 of office space intended for administrative purposes and the remain ing 27,000m2 mostly divided between the warehousing area and accompanying facilities for rest and recreation, such as restaurants, cafes, staff canteens and fit ness tracks. Transfera currently has over 360 employees and will have an estimated turnover of €100 million by year’s end.

“During this extremely challenging pe riod, and in the midst of current events that have impacted transport and logistics worldwide, we managed to construct one of the largest logistics centres in the region in record time. I would like to take this op portunity to thank the entire team for the hard work shown during this period, without which these results wouldn’t have been pos sible. Our plans don’t stop here. Our goal is to continue developing and expanding our business to other markets, as well as to continuation construction of the logistics park,” said Transfera CEO Duško Radović, speaking at the opening ceremony.

BOEING TO PAY $200 MILLION TO SETTLE CHARGES OVER MISLEADING INVESTORS

Boeing will pay $200 million and then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg will pay $1 million to settle charges over misleading investors in the wake of two deadly crashes of 737 Max jetliners, the Securities and Exchange Commission said. Shares fell about 2% in premarket trading Friday. “In times of crisis and tragedy, it is especially important that public companies and executives provide full, fair, and truthful disclosures to the markets. The Boeing Company and its former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, failed in this most basic obligation,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler in a statement. The two crashes — one in October 2018 and another in March 2019 — killed all 346 people aboard the two flights and led to a worldwide grounding of the jetliners. The grounding was first lifted in late 2020.

CHINESE COMPANY APPOINTS ITS FIRST VIRTUAL CEO

NetDragon, a Chinese company, has announced that Ms Tang Yu, an Al-powered virtual humanoid robot, has been appointed as the Rotating CEO of its flagship subsidiary, Fujian NetDragon. Tang Yu The appointment is a move to pioneer the use of Al to transform corporate management and leapfrog operational efficiency to a new level. Her colleagues, also members of the board, will use her as a data centre and analytical tool. Also, Tang Yu should ensure a quality work environment for employees, the company’s statement reads.

ALIBABA PLEDGES

$1 BILLION TO CLOUD COMPUTING CUSTOMERS TO REIGNITE GROWTH

Alibaba said it will invest $1 billion over the next three fiscal years to support its cloud computing customers as the Chi nese e-commerce giant looks to reignite growth after a historical slowdown. The investment consists of “financial and non-financial incentives, such as funding, rebates and go-to-market initiatives,” Ali baba said in a press release on Thursday. The company said it is also setting up a program to help its customers localize their cloud computing business needs depending on the market. Alibaba is the world’s third-largest cloud computing player behind Microsoft and Amazon, according to Gartner.

“We are in a period where things are accelerating; we have multiple crises to manage” ~ GUILLAUME FAURY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF AIRBUS SE

VOLVO STARTS SERIES PRODUCTION OF HEAVYDUTY ELECTRIC TRUCKS

Volvo Trucks announced that production of three heavy-duty electric truck models was now underway, with its president saying that the news represented “a big moment” for the firm. In a statement, Volvo Trucks said the electrified Volvo FM, Volvo FMX and Volvo FH vehicles could run at a weight totalling 44 metric tons. According to the company, the range for the electric FM is up to 380 kilometres or just over 236 miles. Ranges for the FMX and FH are up to 320 km and 300 km, respectively. The company said production was beginning at a facility in Gothenburg, Sweden. Next year will see production commence at a site in Ghent, Belgium.

TURKEY CUTS INTEREST RATES AGAIN IN THE STRUGGLE UNDER 80% INFLATION

Turkey’s central bank surprised markets once again with its decision Thursday to cut its key interest rate, despite inflation in the country surging beyond 80%. The country’s monetary policymakers opted for a 100 basis point cut, bringing the key one-week repurchase rate from 13% to 12%. In August, the Turkish infla tion rate was recorded at 80.2%, quickening for the 15th consecutive month and the highest level in 24 years. Turkey also cut rates by 100 basis points in August and gradually lowered interest rates by 500 basis points at the end of 2021, setting off a currency crisis.

DENMARK AND GERMANY NOW BUILDING THE WORLD’S LONGEST IMMERSED TUNNEL

Descending up to 40 meters beneath the Baltic Sea, the world’s longest immersed tunnel will link Denmark and Germany, slashing journey times between the two countries when it opens in 2029. The tunnel, which will be 18 kilometres (11.1 miles) long, is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects, with a construction budget of over 7 billion euros ($7.1 billion). It will be built across the Fehmarn Belt, a strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland, and is designed as an alternative to the current ferry service from Rødby and Puttgarden, which carries millions of passengers every year. Where the crossing now takes 45 minutes by ferry, it will take just seven minutes by train and 10 minutes by car.

“We are not delivering airplanes to China. We certainly wish we could. We are remarketing a small portion of them. We continue to defer the production of any Chinese airplanes” ~ DAVID CALHOUN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE BOEING COMPANY

JOHN PAUL DEJORIA

SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE AND PHILANTHROPIST

Seekingto increase your turnover during the year ahead? Then allow yourself to be inspired by the meteoric rise of the American entrepreneur, self-made billionaire and philanthropist that is John Paul DeJoria. Prior to becoming a billionaire, this conscious capitalism maverick tried his hand as an encyclopaedia salesman, and even spent time working as a janitor. His first job, at the tender age of just nine, was selling Christmas cards door-to-door, in order to help his im poverished family cover household expenses.

DeJoria almost didn’t get his first big break. It was back in 1980, when he joined forces with renowned hair stylist Paul Mitchell to create the company John Paul Mitchell Systems, that their main investor pulled the plug at the last minute, abandoning them with just $700 of borrowed money to launch their company.

As an example of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps, DeJoria had been struggling to make ends meet and living in his car at the time. Speaking in one interview for Reuters, he admitted that the company’s iconic blackand-white logo emerged because their budget was so lean that they didn’t have the funds to be able to print in colour.

Skip 40 years into the future to see that to day’s John Paul Mitchell Systems is a successful haircare products and styling tools manufacturer that serves 87 countries. DeJoria sold his other flagship endeavour, Patrón Tequila, in 2018, to Bacardi for a whopping 5.1 billion dollars. Not a bad result for a man who used to regularly order a single 99-cent happy hour margarita, combine it with the free side order of chips and salsa and call it dinner.

Given his track record, we can rest assured that DeJoria knows plenty about sales and business success. And that’s why we’re bringing you four of his top tips for overcoming difficult times and keeping your business on track.

1. PRIORITISE DIRECT CONNECTIONS

Speaking in one interview for Inc., DeJo ria shockingly admitted that he doesn’t use email… Believe it or not, but he says that he doesn’t even use a computer. Yes, he might be ranked among the 400 richest Americans by

Forbes and he might claim that around 10 of his companies require his personal attention at least some of the time, but he is far from a digital warrior. It’s highly likely that he’s even busier than you, so if he can avoid digital distractions during working hours, so can you.

An email or direct message is a nice way to get the ball rolling, but there’s nothing better than the bond that can be created through chatting directly, person-to-person. If you’re striving to make sales and strikes deals that last for years, prioritise personal connections and building up a relationship.

It is said that your network is a represen tation of your net worth. If you see yourself pursuing a life of entrepreneurship for years to come, be sure to make face time a priority, even if that doesn’t result in immediate sales.

Taking the time to establish should tangible

An email or direct message is a nice way to get the ball rolling, but there’s nothing better than the bond that can be created through chatting directly, personto-person

Here we bring you four tenacious life lessons from successful, transformational entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria

ageist.com

Entrepreneur

links could help set you up for a lucrative future partnership or telling introduction that leads to business success.

2. CREATE PRODUCTS THAT ARE REGULARLY REORDERED

Speaking in a CNBC interview back in 2017, DeJoria noted: “you don’t want to be in the product business; you want to be in the reorder business”. And the data suggests that he’s spot on. According to research con ducted by management consultants Bain & Company, a mere five per cent improvement in customer retention can lead to profit increases of 25 to 95 per cent.

If repeat purchases of the same product form part of your business plan, be sure to prioritise the developing of a truly world-class product, and to support your sales channels with top customer service. Customers who love the shopping experience that you provide are keen to refer your business to their friends, which can make them invaluable partners for acquiring new loyal clients.

Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end

3. DON’T ALLOW REJECTION TO GET YOU DOWN

When you find yourself facing a series of re jections, it’s easy to let your enthusiasm wane. Whether those rejections boil down to doors slammed in your face or an empty email inbox, it’s important to maintain focus and keep your chin up. Successful entrepreneurs aren’t neces sarily the best salesmen or marketing execs, but they are the ones who persevere the most and rebound quickly when they’ve been downed.

According to research findings, rejection can prove detrimental to both mood and selfesteem – both of which are critical resources that entrepreneurs must do everything they can to protect. Do whatever it takes to keep your confidence up and your game in the zone.

4. IF DOESN’T END HAPPILY, IT ISN’T REALLY THE END

Speaking in an interview for the Tim Ferriss Show back in 2020, DeJoria repeated a famous John Lennon quote that’s filled with hope and inspiration: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” This quote represent a comforting and confident outlook from someone who’s gone through many trials and tribulations, including the unexpected passing of his co-founder Paul Mitchell, who died from pancreatic cancer in 1989 at the age of just 53, leaving DeJoria to continue building the company on his own.

Entrepreneurs can easily fall into the trap of being laser-focused on the minutest details that leads to them losing sight of the bigger picture: building a business that’s personally fulfilling,

provides assistance to those in need and changes the world for the better. If you find yourself falling down such a rabbit hole of narrow focus, try to resurface and reconnect to the real world, which just might help you to reset and recalibrate.

Many budding entrepreneurs don’t have extensive experience working in sales or doing business. However, if you take the entrepreneurial path, the chances are high that you’ll encounter plenty of failure and rejection getting started on your journey. Seek out ways to keep the fires of your internal motor burning and you’re sure to make progress building your own empire.

DR MARKO SELAKOVIĆ, HEAD OF THE UAE REPRESENTA TIVE OFFICE OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY OF SER BIA; FACULTY MEMBER AND PRO FESSOR AT THE S P JAIN SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT

Success Is A Natural Result

I always highlight the fact that I’m from Kragujevac, both by birth and determination. It was there that I was born, and I take my city, my memories, my family and friends with me wherever my life journey takes me. As a high school pupil, I grew up listening to the music of the band SMAK, performing at Abrašević [cultural and artistic association], playing countless games of basketball and mini-football. All the indications were that I would opt for chemistry and music – if someone had told me back then that I would earn my doctorate in business administration, become a representative of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia and deal with scientific work in Dubai, I wouldn’t have believed them… Life, nonetheless, brings numerous surprises

Already during my chemistry stud ies, as a member of the Student Parliament, I had an opportunity to complete the Council of Eu rope’s democratic leadership programme. It was there that I developed a magnetic attraction to communications. I wasn’t afraid to make a career shift and head in a completely new direction. And it turned out that I wasn’t at all mistaken in making such a decision, though to this very day I still occasionally wonder how my life would have looked if I’d seriously resolved to pursue science or music.

After spending multiple years of my career in strategic and business commu nications, I somehow naturally started working on political campaigns. That led me to a short-lived excursion into politics, which once again taught me a lot – not only about politics, but also about people. Fol lowing that jaunt came a new life and career change, in 2015. The possibility emerged for me to go to the United Arab Emirates. I had no dilemma: my wife, Nikolina, and I

arrived in Dubai and started from scratch. Everything began again: proving myself, establishing contacts, working on my own development and advancement. Such an approach, coupled with courage and com mitment, yielded positive results.

Today, slightly over seven years after first arriving in this wonderful country that provides opportunities for those with knowl edge and the determination to succeed, I can state wholeheartedly that the effort and work around the clock have paid off in every sense. I’m a professor at the S P Jain School of Global Management, one of the most prestigious business schools in the Asia Pacific region and, since 2019, representative of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia in the UAE, a country with which Serbia has true partnership relations in the areas of politics and eco nomics. We’ve done a lot in just three years: we’ve reached agreements with free zones, built partnerships with other chambers of commerce, established the Business Hub Serbia, helped dozens of Serbian people launch their own businesses, opened the market up to numerous products and – as I would emphasise in particular – inscribed ourselves in history, as a team, through Ser bia’s business programme at the Expo 2020

Dubai world exhibition. Such an organised performance of our economy has never previously been recorded: over the course of six months, 1,270 businesspeople in nine thematic delegations, five investment conferences, more than 10,000 business contacts with over 120 countries, more than 40 preliminary agreements and contracts. The results speak for themselves: exports from Serbia to the Middle East region dur ing this year’s January-July period exceed the result for same period of 2021 by more than 40 million euros.

Dubai offers ever more amenities for peo ple from Serbia. A cultural centre has been established and there are many concerts, theatre plays and activities. The community is increasingly solid and united. I expect the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia to fortify its presence in the period ahead, and for the existing Business Hub to develop into a full representative office. I’m proud of everything that’s happening and all that’s been achieved: if you have a clear objective and possess knowledge, courage, perseverance, responsibility and competence, success is a natural result.

And what about the Kragujevac from the beginning of the article? I’ll return there, sooner or later.

The

Not only has it been scientifically proven that urban gardens, woodlands and parks reduce depression, in a study by the University of Leeds for example, they are immensely valuable for preserving the environment. Urban gardens and vertical farms are starting to pop up all over the world, as the UN predicts 68 per cent of the world population will live in towns and cities by 2050. With the building of ‘urban forests’ around Paris, in a bid to decrease air pollution, and Singapore confronting the food crisis with sky farms and lab-grown shrimp, the trend is catching on

stimulate the senses through his architecture.

Chris Precht:

“Cities of tomorrow will be driven by data collection and surveillance. We will have much more information in the future. We will know more. But the question will also be how we can feel more. Knowledge for smart cities will be important, but so is consciousness, emotions and our senses.”

“We will achieve that by a connection to nature and integration of plants. Buildings with ecological materials we want to touch. Integrated gardens we can smell and eat. And buildings we can hear because bees and birds nest in them. Sensible buildings that make us feel alive. That’s my dream of the future.”

When it comes to green ar chitecture, the results are stunning. But what makes a building sustainable?

It’s all about minimising the environ mental impact of the structure. This could be through energy efficiency, eco-friendly materials or a deliberate awareness of its surroundings, aiming to conserve the biodiversity of the area.

Check out these extraordinary sustain able builds:

ARCHITECT CHRIS PRECHT HAS DESIGNED THE TORONTO TREE TOWER

This is a proposed residential block made from timber, incorporating staggered walls with plants and trees sprouting from the generous balconies.The second image is of Precht’s Yin & Yang house, with gardens on its interlocking roof, near the German city of Kassel. It is completely self-sufficient.

We spoke to the man himself who told us a little about the emotional aspect to his work and the ways in which he aims to

ARCHITECTURE FIRM WOHA IS BASED IN SINGAPORE

The practice was founded by Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell in 1994.

Ever since, the pair have built worldrenowned green buildings, such as the stunning Park Royal Hotel Pickering in Singapore.

With 15,000 square metres of lofty four-storey tall sky-gardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces and cascading vertical greenery, it reflects Singapore’s garden-city reputation.

Inside, it offers plant-based meal options on the restaurant menus and uses biodegradable napkins and potato starch straws.

By author

Mantu has designed an idea for an ‘Off The Grid Office’ to “illustrate our constant need of bonding with nature,” he says. Mantu calls the design as an Exterior Interior, a term he seems to have coined himself.

We spoke to Stefan himself who told us a little more about the inspiration behind his architectural work. He said:

“Green architecture is a topic of high impor tance for all of us, as it should be considered one of the vital steps towards a sustainable development for our existing society. Off the Grid Office is a concept project which communicates that functional spaces should sustain and respect the balance between people and the place these are built on.”

“What are the most important elements of comfort when you design a human habitat? Air, light, sound. Off the Grid Office was developed around the idea that any kind of human environment should be integrated in the existing natural environment, because it already offers perks that we normally try to reproduce through artificial materials.”

STEFAN MANTU FOUNDED ENGRAFF, BASED IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

PAZ ARQUITECTURA IS BASED IN GUATEMALA

This firm created the Corallo House project in Santa Rosalía, Guatemala, which spans 8,040 square feet (or 747 square metres) and uses heat-repelling concrete foundation built around trees, made from recycled materials.

The architect wanted the existing trees in the area to interact with the living space. Inside, there is a tree in the living room.

By author

X-ARCHITECTURE IS A BRITISH FIRM WITH OFFICES IN LONDON AND TBILISI This firm has built an extraordinary winery in Kakheti, Georgia, called Shilda.

The shape is said to be a ‘considered response to the environmental factors of the area and the qualities of the wine’, ac cording to the company website.

The building is quite literally embedded within the landscape of the vineyards, making it barely noticeable from a birds eye view.

What’s more, the thermal mass of the soil is used to optimise the cooling of the building, and most of the facade is facing towards the north to avoid direct solar gain, reducing energy waste.

Source: euronews.com

She carries within herself the spirit of Herzegovina, from where she hails and without which she cannot live. She belongs to the theatre, but is also indispensable to film and television. She spent a brief period in the world of major movies, where Oliver Stone wanted her to stay, but she didn’t feel good in that world – she found herself unable to be what others wanted her to be. She gained a sense of security in her family, thanks to her eternally understanding mother, and found happiness with her husband, Nenad Šarenac, and her sons Luka and Matija. She’s always believed that nothing bad will happen to her, that by tomorrow everything will already be better. And that faith has remained with her to this day

FREEDOM IS BEING TRUE TO MYSELF

I say Nataša Ninković, I’m first and foremost referring to an extremely gifted acting talent, an open mind, a curious, devoted, energetic, honest, fair, perfectionist, with the courage to set high goals for herself. And alongside all of that, she’s also very beautiful and knows how to love, to rejoice with all her heart. A great devotee of the goddess Thaleia [goddess of comedy and idyllic poetry], I think she’s even a favourite of hers... It was with these words that great actress Svetlana Bojković paid tribute to her colleague Nataša Ninković when she became the youngest actress to receive the distinguished Žanka Stokić award, the most important award for theatre actresses in Serbia. Apart from this, we should also add that Nataša isn’t only a true favourite of Thaleia, but is also beloved by the public, who have seen her for years as a certain sign of ultimate enjoyment in the playful acting that she pours forth from the theatre stage and from film and television screens. She has to date amassed around 50 film and television performances and 40 theatre roles. Audiences are currently enjoy ing watching her performances in six plays on several stages of Belgrade theatres. She is the recipient of around a dozen annual awards of the theatre companies for which she’s acted. There isn’t a festival of film and theatre at which she hasn’t proven a winner. In just one year, 2019, she was proclaimed best actress at five film festivals in Serbia and Montenegro for her portrayal of Vida in Ana Maria Rossi’s film Ajvar.

She gave her premiere performance in the role of Jocasta in the play Oedipus at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre this Sep tember, in the decidedly contemporary and very successful interpretation of Slovenian director Vito Taufer. She has now started rehearsals for director Jagoš Marković’s ver sion of Macbeth at the National Theatre in Belgrade, her home theatre, where she holds the title of Champion of Drama. And she

Whenwill, of course, be playing Lady Macbeth.

When it comes to Nataša, everything starts in Trebinje, where she returns of ten. Herzegovina is the land to which she belongs. That is her rock, her part of the Mediterranean, here clean air and blue sky, her figs and grapes, her roots and those of her

By Radmila Stanković

I wrote essays in secondary school on the topic of freedom, explaining that freedom isn’t just life in peace and without war, but rather that freedom is for me to feel free to be who I am and what I want to be in my own city

great-grandfathers. And the eternal question: what is beyond the hill? Herzegovina is the springboard to which she always returns, the place to which she belongs:

“In recent years, I like to sit in my car and drive to Trebinje. Once I pass Bileća and can see Trebinje, I play Arsen’s [Dedić] song Tamo da putujem [There to Travel]:

There, there to travel, there, there to grieve...

Yes, I grieve there, but I also find great joy there.”

Her parents, mum Milena and dad Branko, are there, while her brother, who is three years her senior, has been living in London for a long time.

“I’ve felt a strong, and I would say healthy, sense of belonging to the family since birth. I’m close to my mother, who has had understanding for me all my life. A classic Herzegovinian mother, originally from Montenegro, she left me to my own devices to be an individual; she didn’t hold me back in pursuing my desires and endeav ours. That’s not easy in a small community; there’s a price to pay when you leap out of the rules in which you live, as I leapt. I had problems with my father because of that, but my mother supported me obstinately and nurtured that which was different about me. I was always an excellent school pupil, but I revolted constantly, fell foul of enforcers of justice, while my mother always supported me. I thought that was normal and only later realised how great and important that support was. I also try to apply that in raising my sons.”

She lived in the era of socialism, where state holidays were celebrated in the home. But it was at her paternal grandmother’s house that they celebrated the family saint’s day, Christmas, Easter... The extended family gathered there, and Nataša’s recollections of those days are among her fondest memories of her childhood and youth. She describes herself as a kind of tribal woman. She understands everything that comes from those parts, but couldn’t live there.

“I wrote essays in secondary school on

My life Nataša Ninković, actress

the topic of freedom, explaining that freedom isn’t just life in peace and without war, but rather that freedom is for me to feel free to be who I am and what I want to be in my own city. Like many young people, I felt anxious in that small community. However, I had freakish optimism and serenity. My professor Vlada Jevtović said to me: ‘When you put your feet on the ground, that will be terribly painful’.”

She played in the churchyard as a child, and one afternoon heard a piano and some songs that she liked, emanating from the cultural centre. She discovered that some man in the cultural centre was running a drama group and wanted to go, to enrol in that drama group. Here mum permitted her to do so.

“The first play I performed in as a member of that drama group was Little Red Riding Hood. Mum and dad came to watch me, and the extended family, and I had terrible stage fright. And discomfort. When I was 13 or 14, director Vlada Lazić came to Trebinje from Belgrade and I acted in the Franz Xaver Kroetz play Stallerhof [Farmyard]. With that play, I won every possible award at the festival of amateur theatre in Trebinje. Danilo Lazović handed me the award for Yugoslavia’s best amateur actor. And he was the only actor I knew. But it never crossed my mind to enrol in acting studies. I didn’t even know that there was a college where acting is taught.”

After completing high school, she pre pared to enrol in dentistry studies, but the case proved decisive in her choosing acting. She made it onto the shortlist of applicants and informed her parents that she wouldn’t be taking the entrance exam for dentistry. Dad protested, but mum calmed him down, saying “please let her go. They certainly won’t accept her. It’s important for her to try, for that bubble to burst and then we can put an end to that”.

And even when professor Vlada Jevtović accepted her into his class without any hesita tion, that didn’t really provide any guarantees of the future.

“I came to Trebinje as a student, boarded a bus and spent 12 hours travelling back to Belgrade. There were a few of us being sent

I saw big names from the world of film who are constantly panicking, constantly building an image of themselves that’s intended for others. I also wanted a desirable image that was thrown together and had to be refined every day. And where I am in that? That’s a question nobody seeks to answer

off by our parents at the station. They asked one another what their children were study ing. One electrical engineering, another law, a third economics... They remained silent when they heard that I was studying acting. And then a voice could be heard: ‘What can you do, children will be children!’ And

voila, that was the attitude of the community towards someone choosing to study acting in the early ‘90s.”

Following that amateur victory, her par ents encountered their actress daughter when she graduated with the play The Taming of the Shrew at the National Theatre, where she has remained to this day. It is interesting that Nataša used to say during her first years of study ‘One more year, then I’m going to New York’.

“My studies went easily, and along the had a lot of nights out, made friends, and had a desire to go to New York, to experience life there. And it was only when I stepped on the boards in The Taming of the Shrew that I feel that I really liked it, that that could hold me. Though I played my first two or three roles on pure intuition. And what saved me was that I didn’t read reviews, so that didn’t make me feel overly obligated.”

After her third year of studies, she really started packing to go to New York. Her mother started crying at first, because at that point she hadn’t seen her son for five years and now her daughter also had to leave. They ended the conversation, and five minutes later her mum called back and said ‘Please, I’m sorry, I don’t want to deny you something with my concern or selfishness, if something is waiting for you there! That was the instant at which Nataša decided.

“I hung up the phone and told myself ‘I’m not going’, then started crying in awe of her greatness. She’d said to me, ‘sorry, son,’ what else would a Montenegrin lady say other than ‘son’? And she wouldn’t impose herself on me; she wanted to be with me even though I was abandoning her. That was enough for me to forget about New York.”

However, a few years later came the American film Savior, an extraordinary drama directed by Predrag Gaga Antonijević, in which she played one of the main roles, and her partner was Dennis Quaid. And the producer was none other than Oliver Stone. A real possibility then arose for her to go to America and continue her career there. And she went:

“That role caught me. I’d just started working in the theatre, and that film took on a life of its own. The premieres started

being screened and I became part of a big machine that was headed by the great Oliver Stone as producer. I didn’t feel good in all that. My parents had taught me not to brag about myself, to let others talk about me, praise me, that there is no self-promotion, but rather that my deeds should speak for me. And I had to forget about everything that I’d been taught, and that I’d adhered to, because they sought the complete opposite from me. I wasn’t allowed not to know something, I had to know everything. The agents who took me over said that they would use the fact that I’m from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and I said that they couldn’t do that because I hadn’t experienced any unpleasantness because of that. They cited examples to me like Rade Šerbedžija, Goran Višnjić etc., claiming that I’m the same as them, and I increasingly felt as though I was no longer the same Nataša who’d arrived from Belgrade. I was already in a relationship with my current husband at that time. I called and asked him to come, telling him that if I stayed for another month I’d never come back. My mindset started to change as I sat through some meaningless lunches on a daily basis. I remember at one point asking Gaga Antonijević if anyone was happy there.”

Oliver Stone wanted Nataša to stay, comparing her to Jeanne Moreau. He loved the actress Emily Watson and told Nataša that she had something of Emily about her, just in a different way. He showed the seriousness with which he counted on her, especially when he gave her the agent who was then holding Julia Roberts, Michelle Pfeiffer et al. He checked from New York to see if she’d arrived on time at with the agent in Los Angeles.

“I was sitting at the agent’s place in a room, with a map of the world in front of him, Oliver Stone on the video link, and the agent explained to him that the prob lem is that I’m called Nataša Ninković, as that wouldn’t pass at the box office. And he showed box offices around the world where Penelope Cruz or Juliette Binoche pass, but not Nataša Ninković. He told Oliver Stone that I was a major negative for him, though Oliver was persistent in insisting on me. That made me realise that it was simple

mathematics in which I could never be the best even if all the stars aligned for me. So what’s the point?!”

Speaking of the circles she moved in during her time in Los Angeles, Nataša says that it was a world of the highest ‘peaks’, then it was empty, empty, then down with the majority.

“I went back to America later and was ‘down there’. In that world of the ‘highest peaks’, when you go to dinner with Spiel berg or some other star, you feel like you’re in a dream. But I saw people in that dream, big names from the world of film, who are constantly panicking, constantly building an image of themselves that’s intended for others. I also wanted a desirable image that was thrown together and had to be refined every day. And where I am in that? That’s a question nobody seeks to answer.”

Nataša returned to Belgrade and a power ful agency took over and prepared a series for her. The bombing began in 1999 and early one morning a shell flew over the apartment where she was with her husband Neša [suc

The agents who took me over said that they would use the fact that I’m from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and I said that they couldn’t do that because I hadn’t experienced any unpleasantness because of that. They cited examples to me like Rade Šerbedžija, Goran Višnjić etc., claiming that I’m the same as them, and I increasingly felt as though I was no longer the same Nataša who’d arrived from Belgrade

cessful businessman Nenad Šarenac] and hit the ground further away from them.

“Such rage built up in me from the very fact that we were being bombed, and that morning we both leapt out of bed, I fell to the floor and thought my life was at an end. I crawled under the bed and said – ‘we’re finished!’ The shock passed. We stayed silent for ten minutes, sat down at the table, made coffee, asked each other who was going to go upstairs to see what was broken, because we’d heard breaking glass. Neša went upstairs and went around the apartment to see what was happening, I lit a cigarette, and when he came back, I said: ‘I could have died just now, and without having children!’ We’d been mar ried for more than three years by then, and I hadn’t even thought about having children. I was told that’s something you feel when you want it, but I hadn’t felt anything. At that moment, I said that I wanted to give birth.

“When the bombing came to an end, the announcement was made at 11am, and my phone rang at 12pm. They called from America and said that everything was ready

My life Nataša Ninković, actress

for filming and that they were waiting for me. I answered them ‘I’m not coming’. They told me that they understood me because I was in shock, and that they would call me tomorrow. The next day they called again, I declined. Another invitation followed, of a private kind, and I again said no. From that moment on, I had only one thought - to become a mother. A little time passed until I got twins: Luka and Matia. They are today 21 years old. Luka is studying psychology at Amsterdam University, Matija is studying finance and economics at Bocconi University in Milan.

“As their departure to study approached, I realised how much my mother had desired to be with me and my brother Petar. Back then she’d irritated me by welcoming and sending me off with tears, but now I got to Trebinje every time I’m free, to make it up

I’m 50 years old. I don’t know what awaits me in the next life, but I’m a fully realised and satisfied woman who has experienced more in this life than I could have in my wildest dreams. I’m satiated, drunk, with full eyes and a full soul

to her for my absence. Now she tells me: ‘If I’d given birth to you three or four times, it wouldn’t be enough for how much you care

for me!’ And all the time I’m thinking that she doesn’t know what she gave me. So much self-confidence and security that determined me for my entire life.

“It was only four years ago that I won dered to myself what my career would have looked like if I’d returned to America and stayed there. I’m not sorry, though I still could have tried. However, always on my mind was that knowledge that it’s easy to take the first step, but you can wait your whole life to take the second one.”

Here Nataša is in a position to go from role to role. She’s selective, with whom she works is important to her, what the role re ally offers her. When asked which theatre critique has particular meaning for her, she cites critic and writer Branka Krilović who said of her character Ruth in the Harold Pinter play The Homecoming that if the

NATAŠA NINKOVIĆ AND SERGEJ TRIFUNOVIĆ, STILL FROM THE FILM AJVAR (2019)

theatre exists because of one actor, then that night Zvezdara Theatre existed because of Nataša Ninković. However, she feared Ivan Medenica the most.

“His critiques caused us to be afraid, we all feigned ignoring him, but we all read his critiques. He helped me the most, because he pulled my strings so hard on several occasions that his words hit me directly in the flesh. It was thanks to that that I became conscious of that role, so that I could subsequently perform it much better. I always looked to what he was going to write, because it was unerring when it came to me.”

The more she worked, the more she de manded of herself, becoming a terrible per fectionist, literally concentrating only on her mistakes. And there’s a famous story about how Nataša gives up on acting before every premiere, because she’s convinced that she’s untalented, that she’s the worst. That was the case for a long time, until she played Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre in early 2011, for which she received the Raša Plaović Award.

“When I started preparing for Hedda Gabler, I said to myself: ‘Okay, if you do this in the right way, you’ll never again tell yourself what you say before every premiere. You won’t do that anymore.’ Hedda succeeded. I played her well, and I should have been relaxed. However, to my misfortunate, and fortunate, after that I watched Hedda Gabler performed in Berlin, at Schaubühne Theatre, under the direction of Thomas Ostermeier. And it was only then that it finally became clear to me what that piece was; what Hedda was in that man’s world where only strength is measured through her.

And now, in September, four days ahead of the premiere of Oedipus at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, at the dress rehearsal, my cathartic moment occurred in the scene of Jocasta’s comprehension and her shooting. I walked out of the rehearsal, sat on the stairs between the stage and the club, and continued crying as I had on stage. Actually, that wasn’t crying, that was something coming out of me. It was terribly painful, but liberating. And I felt – that’s it.”

War broke out in Bosnia when she was in her second year of studies. That meant she couldn’t go home to Trebinje, that she

During the time of the bombing in 1999, a shell fell near our house and when I’d calmed down, I said to Neša ‘I could have died just now, and without having children!’ From that moment on, I had only one thought - to become a mother. A little time passed until I got twins: Luka and Matia. They are today 21 years old. Luka is studying psychology at Amsterdam University, Matija is studying finance and economics at Bocconi University in Milan

couldn’t talk to her parents over the phone whenever she wanted, but only when condi tions permitted.

“I could, for example, call Podgorica, then Podgorica connected me with Trebinje. I once got my mum on the phone after a long time. We spoke for a bit, and she exclaimed ‘oh, Naco’, and the line broke. You can imagine how I felt until I found out that something had been targeted in Trebinje, but that my parents were fine. I was comforted by the people around me until then. If something had happened, I wouldn’t have heard that ‘oh’! I also remember Christmases during those years, because I was alone. All my people would go to their homes, and I would remain alone. I would go to the Cathedral on Christmas Eve, that Christmas would pass, and I was always held by some faith that nothing bad would happen to me, that tomorrow would be better. That faith has stayed with me to this day.”

It was in Trebinje this summer, on 22nd July, that Nataša celebrated her 50th birthday. Coming to see her were 150 relatives, col leagues and friends. An orchestra played, led by her favourite trumpeter Dejan Petrović, and also coming to congratulate her was her dear friend Bishop Grigorije, who she’s known since before he became a bishop. She was sorry that Father Sava, abbot of Tvrdoš Monastery, wasn’t there, who she describes as an exceptional man with whom she likes to exchange opinions:

“Those people mean a lot to me. They have a similar relationship towards faith and religion. I am a person of faith, but not so at tached to institutions and all kinds of fatalism are alien to me. I fear excessive believers who don’t take responsibility, while God has given them responsibility. I talk to them about my doubts and struggles. I would like to hear the opinion of Father Sava, who is always for freedom of speech and human freedom. For man not to be shackled.

“I’m 50 years old. I don’t know what awaits me in the next life, but I’m a fully realised and satisfied woman who has experienced more in this life than I could have in my wildest dreams. I’m satiated, drunk, with full eyes and a full soul.”

CHILL OUT

Actor Tom Hardy Wins Martial Arts Championship

Hollywood actor Tom Hardy is no stranger to combat sports, hav ing played “Tommy Conlon” in the mixed martial arts (MMA) movie Warrior. Hardy recently proved his grappling mettle — by winning a medal — at the UMAC Milton Keynes BJJ Open 2022 last weekend in Buckinghamshire, England. Hardy’s participation was kept under wraps until the “Venom” actor took the mats, likely to keep the event from turning into a media circus. The 45-year-old Hardy blew through the competition and eventually won gold with a slick armbar submis sion over local ham-and-egger Andy Leatherland.

Avatar 2 Will Be ‘More Emotional’ Than The Original

Director James Cameron spoke about the Avatar sequel - “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which will debut in theatres in December, and said it is different from the original. “I think it’s very emotional,” Cameron said of the sequel. “I think it’s more emotional than the first film. I think it focuses more on character and relationship dynamics than the first film did, but it definitely deliv ers on the spectacle.” “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film of all time, having raked in more than $2.8 billion at the box office. Entertainment industry observers are watching closely to see if Cameron’s sequel can draw people back to Pandora -- and into theatres -- once again.

Facebook Whistleblower Launches Nonprofit To Make Social Media Healthier

Former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen announced a new nonprofit with the goal of making “social media healthier”. The new group appears to build on the solutions she’s proposed to lawmakers and social media companies themselves about how to make platforms safer, based in part on her experience as a former product manager on Facebook’s civic misinformation team. Haugen has become a well-known figure since leaking tens of thousands of pages of internal documents and later revealing her identity on “60 Minutes” last year. She also testified before Congress.

David Bowie Honoured With An ‘Icon’ Stone On London’s Music Walk Of Fame

David Bowie was posthumously honoured with a paving stone on the London Music Walk of Fame on Thursday. The pioneering musician joins the likes of The Who, Amy Winehouse, Madness and Soul II Soul on the cultural attraction trail in the city’s famed Camden Town area. The stone, depicting a music record with the word ‘icon’ on it, was unveiled at a ceremony where David’s hits were played. Woody Woodmansey – the drummer from Bowie’s band The Spiders from Mars – led the proceed ings. Speaking to Reuters he said: ‘It’s another landmark for his legacy basically music, the films, the videos, and everything he did for the culture.

Formula 1 On The Streets Of Belgrade

David Coulthard drove a Red Bull car through the central streets of Belgrade and re minded us of 1939 when the Belgrade Grand Prix was held, even though the Second World War had started. The retired Coulthard was now part of the spectacle that once again attracted a large number of Formula 1 fans. On the stretch from Student Park to Terazi, Bel graders enjoyed the speed and sound of the Red Bull with which Sebastian Vettel became champion in 2011.

Google CEO Tells Employees Not To ‘Equate Fun With Money’

At a companywide all-hands meeting this week, Sundar Pichai was faced with tough questions from employees related to cuts to travel and entertain ment budgets, managing productivity, and potential layoffs, according to audio obtained by CNBC. Pichai was asked, in a question that was highly rated by staffers on Google’s internal Dory system, why the company is “nickel-and-diming employees” by slashing travel and swag budgets at a time when “Google has record profits and huge cash reserves,” as it did coming out of the Covid pandemic. “I remember when Google was small and scrappy,” he said. “Fun didn’t always — we shouldn’t always equate fun with money. I think you can walk into a hard-working startup and people may be having fun and it shouldn’t always equate to money.”

Culture

calendar

THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES

21 & 22 October - Novi Bitefartcafe

Pioneers of the Acid Jazz scene have been responsible for some of the UK’s biggest R&B tracks. The Brand New Heavies are back. Funk royalty and pioneers of the 90’s Acid Jazz scene, The Brand New Heavies have sold over 2.5 million records, achieved sixteen UK Top 40 singles and released two double Platinum-selling albums.

BELGRADE JAZZ FESTIVAL 26-30 October

The venues, Belgrade Youth Center and the MTS Hall will present 21 concerts within 10 programs and almost 150 musicians from all over the world, with a representative presentation of the most talented acts from the Serbian jazz scene. This year’s main

These genre-bending musicians picked up Best Dance Act at the 1994 BRIT Awards and in the same year, earned an MTV Award for Best R&B Video for ‘Dream on Dreamer’.

THE BESTBEAT - THE BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND

5 October – mts Arena

According to the prestigious American magazine Newsweek, The Bestbeat is ranked among the 30 best Beatles tribute bands in the world.

In the band’s 17-year long career, the musicians performed in various parts of the world, and the most important performances for the

program will include projects by 5 Serbian artists, a record number in the event’s recent history, reflecting the rise of Serbian jazz on the global stage, with constant recognition our young artists receive all over Europe and the world.

IL DIVO

14 October - Štark Arena

This concert in Belgrade, but also the whole tour, will celebrate the life we need so much after all, but it will also be a tribute to ensemble member Carlos Marin, who died as a victim of Covid-19. The international music world attraction, the IL DIVO

band took place in 2014 as part of Beatle Week in Liverpool, when The Bestbeat held 14 concerts in clubs where The Beatles gave a concert, among which the Cavern Club is certainly the most important.

ensemble, will hold an international music festival in 2022 with memorable concerts in 60 select cities around the world. The name of the tour is “IL DIVO – BIGGEST HITS!”

The General in His Labyrinth

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

1336 rsd

At the age of forty-six General Simon Bolivar, who drove the Spanish from his lands and became the Liberator of South America, takes himself into exile. He makes a final journey down the Magdalene River, revisiting the cities along its shores, reliving the triumphs, passions and be trayals of his youth. Consumed by the memories of what he has done and what he failed to do, Bolivar hopes to see a way out of the labyrinth in which he has lived all his life...

Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed

Paul Cronin

2510 rsd

Herzog was once hailed by Francois Truffaut as the most important director alive. Famous for his frequent collabo rations with mercurial actor Klaus Kinski - including the epics Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, and the terrifying Nosferatu - and more recently with documenta ries such as Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Into the Abyss, Herzog has built a body of work that is one of the most vital in post-war German cinema. Here, he re flects on his legendary and inspiring career.

Ask Iwata

Hobonichi

2956 rsd

Satoru Iwata was the global president and CEO of Nintendo and a gifted programmer who played a key role in the crea tion of many of the world’s best-known games. He led the production of innovative platforms such as the Nintendo DS and the Wii, and laid the groundwork for the develop ment of the wildly successful Pokemon Go game and the Nintendo Switch. Known for his analytical and imaginative mind, but even more for his humility and a people-first ap proach to leadership, Satoru Iwata was beloved by game fans and developers worldwide.

China Edward Rutherfurd 1255 rsd

From Hong Kong to Beijing to the Great Wall, from the ex otic wonders of the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City to squalid village huts, the dramatic struggle rages across the Celestial Kingdom. This is the story of the Chinese peo ple, high and low, and the Westerners who came to exploit the riches of their ancient land and culture.

Just Like You

Nick Hornby 1741 rsd

On an average Saturday morning in a butcher’s shop in North London, Lucy and Joseph meet on opposite sides of the counter. She is a teacher and mother of two, with a past she is trying to forget; he is an aspiring DJ with a wide-open future that maybe needs to start becoming more focused. Lucy and Joseph are opposites in almost all ways. Can something life-changing grow from uncommon ground? Nick Hornby’s brilliantly observed, tender and brutally funny new novel gets to the heart of what it means to fall headlong in love with the best possible person - someone who may not be just like you at all.

Factfulness

Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Roennlund 1174 rsd

At last, a book that puts all the bad news in perspectiveand brings us surprisingly positive data that show the state of the world has in fact improved over the last 50-200 years. Acclaimed by Bill Gates and Barack Obama, named an Observer ‘best brainy book of the decade’ - destined to be a perennial bestseller and non-fiction classic. (let’s make that a fact!)

FACES PLACES&

2/09/2022

Open Balkan Summit Held In Belgrade

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and the Prime Ministers of Albania and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovačevski chaired the Summit in Belgrade as part of the Open Balkans initiative.

7/09/2022

Independence Day Of Brazil Marked

The Embassy of Brazil celebrated 200 years of Brazilian inde pendence with a concert of chamber and jazz music. Ambassador of Brazil to Serbia H.E. José Mauro da Fonseca Costa Couto delivered a speech addressing guests in attendance at the event held at the Yugoslav Cinematheque.

The summit held in the Palace of Serbia was attended by the Prime Minister of Montenegro in the technical mandate, Dritan Abazović, the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Hungary and Turkey, Peter Sijarto and Mevlut Cavusoglu. Series of documents related to cooperation within “Open Balkans” were signed at the Open Balkan Summit.

NALED’s Traditional September Event

Members and partners of NALED gathered at the traditional September event, in order to mark the successes of the previous year and the beginning of the new reform season.

The gathering was attended by more than 1,000 dignitaries, including Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Deputy Prime Minister Branko Ružić and Minister Tatjana Matić, leaders of state institutions, heads of local governments, numerous ambassadors, businessmen, representatives of international and donor organizations. For the first time, the September meeting was hosted by local self-governments. It was the City of Niš in partnership with its Science and Technology Park.

8/09/2022

Independence Day Of Indonesia Celebrated

Ambassador of Indonesia to Serbia H.E. Mochammad Chandra Widya Yudha hosted an event marking the Independence day of the Republic of Indonesia. The event, held at the National Theatre in Belgrade, was attended by members of the Serbian Government and diplomatic community. The dance performance “Mandalika” was performed by the Dance Group of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia “Bidadari”.

13/09/2022

IWC Gathering At The Finnish Residence

The IWC held its first Coffee Morning event of the 2022-2023 year on 13 September, generously hosted by the Ambassador of Finland H.E. Kimmo Juhani Lähdevirta and his spouse and member of the IWC, Mrs Pia Kaikonen at the Finnish Residence. The event was attended by more than 80 renewing members, newcomers and guests. The attendees were addressed by the club president Mrs Eun Hai Kim and were welcomed to a new IWC year as well as informed of major upcoming events such as the 19th annual IWC Charity Bazaar taking place this year on 16 October at Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Sakura Scholarships For 2022 Awarded

The Embassy of Japan and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), for the eleventh year in a row, awarded five Sakura scholarships to students and researchers from Serbia for the best research papers on topics related to Japan. Scholarships were presented on the premises of the Embassy of Japan by H.E. Katsumata Takahiko, Ambassador of Japan and Goran Pekez, director of corporate affairs and communications at JTI for the Western Balkans.

15/09/2022

The Day Of Serbian Unity, Freedom And The National Flag Marked

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said in Bijeljina, where the ceremony dedicated to the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and the National Flag was held, that on this day Serbia does not commemorate only our three symbols, but the very essence of our existence.

At the event, which was also attended by the Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić, the Serbian member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović, Patriarch Porfiria and numerous ministers in the governments of Serbia and Republika Srpska, Vučić expressed his gratitude to all who understand the importance of this day for the people of Serbia.

16/09/2022

Independence Day Of Mexico Marked

The embassy of Mexico in Serbia hosted a reception marking the 212th anniversary of Mexico’s independence.

Ambassador of Mexico and host of the event H.E. Carlos Felix greeted guests and spoke about the shared values of our two countries.

20/09/2022

World Conference оn Basic Sciences аnd Sustainable Development

The World Conference on Basic Sciences and Sustainable Development, where 19 sessions were held with 68 presentations by scientists, opened at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) in Belgrade. During the four-day conference, nine young female scientists from Serbia who received the “For Women in Science” award presented their scientific research. SANU President Vladimir Kostić said that the deconstruction of science as we knew it is underway, that the entire discourse of science is changing, stressing that it is very important to understand the social, social and every other consequence that modern science offers. The event was attended by Garry Jacobs, President of the World Academy of Art & Science.

Memorial Service Held In Honor Of The Queen Elizabeth II

The British Ambassador in Belgrade, H.E. Sian MacLeod, addressed the attendees: “This is a deeply sad and historic moment for my country. Throughout a long, fascinating life, Her late Royal Majesty was guided by her faith, and so I am particularly pleased that we were able to honour her with this beautiful and fitting service, along with our friends and colleagues from Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries, as well as with some of the relatives of the Queen from the Karađorđević family”. The commemorative event was held at the St. Simeon Mirotočivi chapel.

COMMENT

IVANA PARČETIĆ MITIĆ, FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE MARKETING NETWORK, PRESIDENT OF THE MARK AWARDS JURY

BE REMARKABLE

For the second time, the Marketing Network (Marketing mreža) presented awards to the most influential marketing and communication experts from companies in Serbia, under the auspices of the Mark Awards project (powered by PepsiCo), which is being held this year on 21 October under the banner "Be Remarkable"

of doing business and decided to be different, acknowledging professionals who have opted to be extraordinary and to rise above the culture of sameness –with exceptional results.

The goal of the recognition pro vided by the Mark Awards is to encourage and motivate marketing and communication experts from companies in Serbia, but also to highlight their potential, talent, creativity and ability to achieve top business results and brand recogni tion. The Marketing Network wants to utilise the Mark Awards to promote professional role models, but also to contribute to improving and developing marketing communications in Serbia.

Unlike other professional awards that exist on the Serbian market, we award individuals for their personal business and professional success; individuals who have made their mark on the marketing communications mar ket in Serbia over the previous period.

Following the very successful first edition of the Mark Awards, this year, under the general sponsorship of PepsiCo, the Marketing Network awarded recognition to experts from companies that have rejected old ways

This year saw 54 experts from com panies in Serbia nominated for the Mark Awards competition, with the expert jury deciding to reward 12 of those who left their mark on the Serbian market in 2021.

The jury of the Mark Awards com prises 15 distinguished professionals - directors of companies, directors of creative, PR and digital agencies, as well as one representative of the organizer. Composing this year’s jury were: Alek sandar Goračinov, Partner, Evoke Group; Ivan Zeković, CEO, Carnex; Miloš Jovović, Director of Strategic Planning for Central Europe, PepsiCo; Marko Njavro, General Manager, SBU Snacks, Atlantic Štark; Nataša Filipović, Managing Director, Ovation BBDO; Milivoj Đorđić, General Manager, Adria Region, SmartPoint Adria; Milija Zeković, CEO, SBB Serbia and Telemach Montenegro; Neda Đokić, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Serbia; Olga Ristić, General Manager, Frikom; Srđan Lazović, General Manager, Philip Morris International (Bosnia-Herze govina & Montenegro); Iva Đurković, Managing Director, OMD Media & LUNA TBWA Belgrade; Vanja Cvetkov, Busi

ness Director, Centrade Cheil Adriatic; Violeta Kovačević, CEO, Mercator-S; Vuk Kosovac, Head of Retail, Execu tive Board Member, OTP Bank Serbia; and Ivana Parčetić Mitić, Founder and CEO, Marketing Network. The jury had a difficult task, but we are certain that we’ve selected the very best of the best.

In the years to come, the Mark Awards will continue to reward individuals in rec ognition of their personal business and professional success; professionals who leave a stellar mark on the market with their work, represent guiding stars in the business and who, together with other bright stars, form the brightest constel lations that are visible to everyone in this business sky of ours. We will reward individuals who inspire, motivate and en courage us to reach for the stars ourselves, which is what makes them exceptional.

On behalf of all jury members, I con gratulate all winners of the prestigious Mark Awards!

*The general sponsor of the Mark Awards project is PepsiCo. The regional partner is Porto Montenegro and the project was also supported by Evoke Group, LUNA\TBWA Belgrade, Smart Point Adria, Infostud 3, Mercator - S and Ušće Shopping Center. The partner agency is Ovation BBDO.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER OF THE YEAR

MARKETING IS THE COMPANY'S HELM!

Nataša

Šarčević is winner of the Mark Awards recognition in the CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER OF THE YEAR category. She tells Cord how much today’s marketing activities affect the company’s overall business results.

How would you describe the development of the marketing communications market in Serbia over the last year?

Communication has become dominantly two-way, because now consumers also have their own media through which they influence brands and the entire market. So communi cation is more intense, and every written or spoken word can affect the perception of the brand and must therefore be monitored 24/7.

How challenging is it today to manage the marketing communications of one of the largest companies in Serbia?

When there are no challenges, we marketers create them. It’s just so interesting to do this job, because that’s how we make it through small and big victories. Atlantic Stark has entered a cycle of large capital investments that will refresh and improve the portfolio of all product categories in the coming period. That’s why we have no shortage of challenges, and it’s a privilege to be a member of a team that plays such an important role for the future of Stark’s brands.

How would you describe the REMARKABLE brand today?

Remarkable is a brand that generates such strong emotions in consumers that it is

difficult to replace it with any other similar product or service. The technical condition of exceptionality is to be unique in an area, and the task of good communication is to turn this uniqueness into something special and inspire commitment. When we have all that, we can expect business success. But today’s success is short-lived. For it to last, the brand must constantly research and work on itself, it must change and find a new way to complete the lives of its consumers. Štark’s brands, Smoki and Bananica, are the best proof that excellence is attainable, but also that it can be long-lasting.

To what extent do marketing activities today affect the company’s overall business results?

The condition for good business results is a strategy based on an in-depth analysis of market, trends and consumers, for which the marketing department is responsible. What distinguishes companies today in making strategic decisions is the way in which available information is used and transmitted to the internal and external public, and successful companies have found the right way for this.

If marketing is the helm of the company, why is it that when a crisis occurs, marketing budgets are cut first?

If marketing is the helmsman, then he will willingly cut the marketing budget because he has predicted waves too strong for his boat or the team he is leading. It is important to survive and wait for the right moment.

NATAŠA ŠARČEVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND INNOVATION, ATLANTIC ŠTARK

In a sea of similar campaigns and information, how to tell a different story and remain true to the brand?

I don’t think it’s necessary to be different, it’s just very important to guess the right need and clearly point it out. People to day have too many choices, it is difficult to judge which ones are right, some like to experiment, when the risk is small... However, everyone appreciates a safe choice, and there is only one snack with a unique taste that has not gone wrong for 50 years.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your future career?

The Mark Awards is the most important recognition in my career so far and gives me wind in my sails to continue even more impressively. This recognition also shows how great the team of marketers and en gineers I lead is. I love them a lot because they teach me, supplement and inspire me how to develop Štark for the next 100.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICERS OF THE YEAR - MULTI COUNTRY

HYPER-PERSONAL CONTENT GIVES THE BEST RESULTS TODAY

BOJANA NENADOVIĆ, MARKETING DIRECTOR, COCA-COLA HBC (SERBIA, MONTENEGRO, KOSOVO)

tourist seasonality, different holidays, the whole equation becomes even more complex.

Bojana Nenadović is winner of the Mark Awards recognition in the CHIEF MARKETING OF FICERS OF THE YEAR - MULTI COUNTRY category. She talks to Cord about how to tell the local story of a global brand.

How do you tell the local story of a global brand? How important is localization of communication?

For years centralization has been the fo cus for companies, but recently consum er pressures have made global brands turn to localization and connecting with the demographics of the region in which they are located. People want something close, something they can relate to, and brands want to build relationships with consumers.

Reconciling those two requirements is challenging, especially if you lead large global brands that strive for consistency in communication across all markets. Moreover, if we are looking at markets with different consumer habits, specific

All this requires us to have a good understanding of the local context, con sumers and their habits. However, local ization alone is no longer enough. It is hyper-personalized content that will give you the best results in marketing.

How does one brand influence the culture of a region?

The big question is whether the brand influences the culture of a region or the region influences the brand culture. Per sonally, I think that global brands can have a greater influence on popular cul ture, regardless of the region, while local brands certainly borrow more from their local culture and look for inspiration in it, inevitably becoming part of its history over time, marking entire generations or eras.

Who is consumer 3.0 and what do they expect from your brand?

Consumer 3.0 expects the brand he trusts to be current, relevant and share his values. The best marketing for a brand these days isn’t advertising, it’s the action you take. Whether it’s environmental protection, mental health or human rights, the consumer wants their favorite brand to be active.

Consumer 3.0 wants to be able to reach his brand easily and quickly, whether he is shopping online or in a physical store. Its quality must be unquestionable and consistent at all times, but that is why the experience must be new and exciting again and again. Brands must be part of the most beautiful experiences and memories of consumers, and find their place in it.

The brand must also be active on all communication channels. It is very impor tant that the brand hears and responds, so forget about automated messages on social networks. Personalize the con tent. Co-create your next campaign with consumers, that’s how you get the best brand ambassadors!

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

The mere nomination among such profes sionals is a great recognition, and an award in itself. It only makes me even stronger in my conviction that what we are doing makes sense and that it is noticed outside the framework of the company itself and the achievement of its business goals.

The prestigious award brings with it a sense of prestige and responsibility. The responsibility to be REMARKABLE in the years to come.

BRAND MANAGER OF THE YEAR

A REMARKABLE BRAND IS ONE YOU TRUST

Aleksandra

Stevović is winner of the Mark Awards recognition in the BRAND MANAGER OF THE YEAR category. She has been speaking to Cord about REMARKABLE brands.

How would you describe a REMARKABLE brand?

A remarkable brand is one that is trusted, since it often uses its credibility to raise the importance of a category or an entire industry. It is a brand that is easily engraved in the consumer’s soul with its performance because it has, first of all, an essence, a personal touch, character and consistent communication. It is maintained at the pin nacle of success by a solidly based strategy and clear goals. Listening to its environment, monitoring market needs and adjusting its portfolio are just some of the factors that keep it consistent with its core values.

Who creates a brand today - consumers or corporations?

Brands are created by innovators, those motivated, passionate and capable enough to reform existing or create completely new tools needed to overcome everyday challenges, or mechanisms for a simpler and more fulfilled life. Let’s remember that the biggest global brands in the IT industry, retail, media and telecommunications are actually the visions of individuals who, with an unbreakable connection with the con sumer, were built by then small businesses - today the world’s largest corporations. In order for a brand to survive and remain successful, its creators must initially pro

vide useful, then additional value to those who buy that brand, build a relationship with the consumer, and ultimately justify expectations for future offers and one day, with a little luck, become a “lovemark”.

Is brand building a sprint or a marathon?

Always a marathon. Along the way, as we can observe the strategic approach of brand building, certain sprints will often happen –tactical activities that will just strengthen the brand’s position on the market. What’s more, we should not forget that creating an outstanding “marathon runner” requires you to be well prepared for a race against competitors, and all this through training, constant work on yourself and fighting personal challenges. It is important to have a plan, strong support on the track and on the bench, to know when you should run, at what speed and when you plan to reach the finish line. The dynamics will occasion ally be determined by weather conditions, external factors, so they will adapt to new circumstances, while the final result, when everyone reaches the goal and looks back, will be a medal for serious work.

How important are changes for mature brands?

Changes are not only important, but also valuable for producers to be competitive on the market. Every change brings something new, and thanks to them, brands grow, de velop and respond to the modern needs of consumers. The agility of a mature brand to adapt to frequent turbulence in the world economy and to the digital transformation

ALEKSANDRA STEVOVIĆ, BRAND MANAGER, PEPSICO

of business is of enormous importance for its positioning.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

The very nomination for the Mark Awards brought me great satisfaction, many new contacts, but also additional motivation and responsibility, especially towards the younger members of the marketing department of PepsiCo, with whom I will collaborate even more intensively in the coming period. As this competition for awarding individuals is designed so that each of the nominees is presented equally to the profession, to colleagues in respected positions and to the general public, I was extremely pleased to be one of this year’s candidates for brand manager of the year. Recognition of this type certainly provides personal satis faction, confirmation that I have made something of quality, something notable of which my family will be proud, which is my greatest reward.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

OUR DIFFERENCES MAKE US BETTER

MajaVujašković Đureinović is winner of the Mark Awards in the PR/CORPO RATE COMMUNICATIONS

MANAGER OF THE YEAR category. She has been speaking to Cord about woke communication and why inclusion and diversity are important for her company.

IKEA traditionally supports the LGBT+ population in Serbia and publicly de fends its position. Why is inclusion and diversity important for your company?

Inclusion and diversity are part of IKEA’s DNA. We believe that everyone has the right to the same treatment and oppor tunities for development regardless of any aspect of their identity. We believe our differences make us better and believe that we are a better company because of them. We always start from our coworkers and importance of creat ing an inclusive workspace and than of advocating for these values. We believe that diversity and equality are not only good for us, coworkers and society but

also for business. Many studies show how much more creative and successful teams can be when different team members bring different opinions and world views. We are brand for many people and we believe that if our coworkers are inclusive, they can better feel and understand the needs of our consumers, and create for them an environment in which they are comfortable to talk freely about their life at home, so we can then offer relevant solutions.

You run several different markets, is woke communication strategy applicable in every market?

We are mostly engaged in areas of sustain ability, diversity, and inclusion. Although different markets could have different social and cultural backgrounds, these topics are quite relevant everywhere. Of course, to be very relevant to consumers on certain market we need to look into what is really close to people’s hearts and what can have a positive impact, in order to create a positive change. The goal of woke communication is social change, and for this a certain brand and communication can only be the initial catalyst. Change can only happen in cooperation with other social actors and consumers.

How “slippery” is the woke terrain? How do you avoid crises?

It is generally slippery. The potential for a crisis is greater if the engagement of the brand is driven by commercial interests, and if it is not followed by an honest, strategic and long-term approach in which the brand is willing to invest its financial, communicative and expert resources in promoting positive changes in society. It is a much more complex and broader engagement than a campaign and is fundamentally integrated into the brand’s business strategy. In this sense, I think that the effect is most significant when the brand decides to act in areas that are close to its field of business, because in those areas it has expertise and can achieve a fundamentally positive impact. It is crucial that with such initiatives the marketing and communication teams have the essential support of the organization.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your future career?

I am very proud, because I see it as a col league-to-colleague recognition, and a moment that celebrates our profession and achievements. This recognition is not only for me, but for the entire team and the many other colleagues at IKEA who contributed, because as I have already underlined several times, the success of the initiatives that got me nominated are really the result of many years of efforts by the entire organization.

MAJA VUJAŠKOVIĆ ĐUREINOVIĆ, COUNTRY COMMUNICATION MANAGER, IKEA SOUTH EAST EUROPE

B2E IS THE BUSINESS MODEL OF THE PRESENT

Sanja

Tomić is winner of the Mark Awards recognition in the INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR category. She speaks to Cord about whether B2E (business to employee) is the business model of the future.

How critical is internal communication to the success of a company? The company’s success can largely depend on internal communications, i.e. informing its staff about the company’s vision, values and business goals. In essence, the importance of internal communications for business is not difficult to understand. Just as open, two-way communication is key to the success of any interpersonal relationship, so in a company, a regular exchange of information between teams, an open dialogue and understanding between leaders and their staff are key to achieving the business goals.

What role does management play in pre venting burnout syndrome in companies? A key role! It is the management that should take care of the amount and distribution of work and resources, empowering employees and ensuring a suitable balance between their business and private obligations. We live very dynamic lives, rushing to fulfill our daily obligations, often stuck in traffic or queues and in a constant race against time. If, in addition, we struggle at work with excessive demands, unrealistic deadlines and unclear communication with the manager, burnout is inevitable! In addition to flexibility that managers can provide to employees, a re lationship of trust and understanding, together

with time for relaxation and socializing, is also very important.

Is the salary level the only decisive factor for choosing an employer today? The salary is certainly an important factor and is the main subject of negotiations between the employer and a future employee. How ever, if that condition is easily fulfilled and we find ourselves in a situation where we can choose between several options, the choice of employer will be influenced by the stability of the company, its corporate culture and the values that are followed in the company. The possibility of development and advancement, the benefits that the company provides to its staff and that will affect the quality of their lives, that is, the balance between work and private obligations, are also important to candidates. These benefits can be flexible working hours, the possibility of working outside the office, health insurance, additional days off... Also, the company’s reputation and its relationship and responsibility towards the community become factors that influence the choice of employer among new generations of candidates. They want to see that in addition to profit, the company aims for some common good, some higher goal for the community.

Is B2E (business to employee) the business model of the future?

Judging by everything we have mentioned, yes, B2E is already the business model of the present and, I hope, of the future as well. The employee is finally at the center of attention, where he belongs. If we want to be attractive to users

SANJA TOMIĆ, EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION MANAGER, A1 SERBIA

as a company, we must first be attractive to employees and gain their trust. It remains for as many companies as possible to apply this model and work on improving the experience of their staff who consequently create a good user experience for consumers.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

9 INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR

The very existence of the Mark Awards recognition is important for our market, as it contributes to the promotion of the profes sion, sharing good examples from practice and stories of professionals who inspire us to push the boundaries. Although this award is given to individuals for personal business success, it is clear that behind the success of individuals in companies, especially when it comes to internal communications, there is teamwork and indispensable cooperation with many colleagues. The Mark Awards recognition is a very welcome confirmation of the success and strength of internal com munications in which my colleagues and I have invested a lot of energy, effort and creativity in recent years in an effort to preserve the unity and unique team spirit of A1 Serbia.

YEAR

EMPLOYER BRANDING IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT

SANJA MILADINOVIĆ, MANAGER FOR RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, ATTRACTION AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT, PEPSICO

Sanja

Miladinović is winner of the Mark Awards in the EMPLOYER BRANDING MANAGER OF THE YEAR category. She tells Cord what the purpose of brands will be in the future in relation to employees.

To what extent are employer branding strategies crucial for the success of a company today?

As with any other business project, having a clear strategy is a condition for success. It is there to guide us, but it starts with an important analysis that gives us insights into the current market situation, as well as our current reputation as an employer. This basis is very important for further setting the goals of employer branding campaigns, not only in terms of response and expectations from the candidates we address, but also in terms of the need for us as an employer to modify, and even rebrand or adapt our culture, in order to attract the people we need. At PepsiCo, we conducted extensive global research to understand who our audience is when we talk about candidates, how they perceive us in different segments, different regions and what is decisive for them when choosing

a new work environment. We organized focus groups locally, created Talent Personas to define our strategy more easily and to focus on the right things. Of course, it is not possible to implement all this if you do not have internal brand ambassadors who live what you are promoting and who are happy and satisfied where they work.

For the PepsiCo company, a significant ad vantage is the possibility of talents to work for other PepsiCo markets - from here in Serbia or even by moving to one of the PepsiCo markets anywhere in the world. For new generations, the possibility of working in global markets is a great professional motive. This kind of knowledge about the needs of a new generation is an important guideline for how we continue to shape our messages.

What will be the purpose of brands in the future in relation to employees?

Employees, like consumers, want to see the value a brand has for them. And this is not only about one primary value that the brand provides, but about a system of additional value that is reflected through the contribution to the improvement of a segment of society, a value that is important to them - whether it is about equality, inclusion, support for green agendas and influence on climate change. All this is equally important for employees. The ethics of the company or brand, as well as the goals pursued, are taken for granted, and all this must be supplemented by some strong, courageous and important support for the

future of the entire community.

How do we measure the success of employer branding projects today?

Employer branding is much more of a marathon than a 100-metre race. Yes, it is important how many applications you received for an open position, but it is much more important that there is continuity and long-term relationship between employer and employee. It is much more than a single campaign, because employee satisfaction is cared for and worked on every day. When satisfaction becomes the continuous everyday life of the team in the company, a good reputation travels quickly and creates an environment that some new talents who may not have even considered this option will want to be a part of.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your fur ther career?

First of all, I am very pleased that in Serbia we have such recognition for work in the field of employer branding and that this is an area that is recognized as important for the development of our market and individual companies. This is a significant wind in the sails of all employer branding teams, because we know that our work and contribution to the promotion and improvement of corporate culture, internal values and a good atmosphere are valued and help companies and talents to find their longterm business comrades and to create good practices in the region and share experiences.

MARKETING MANAGER OF THE YEAR

CONSUMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF A BRAND!

Olja

Nestov is the winner of the Mark Awards in the DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER OF THE YEAR category. She talks with Cord about how to reach “peak experience” on digital channels.

How do you reach “peak experience” on digital channels?

The basis of the experience we create is a well-designed digital strategy that in the digital era grows into a marketing strategy.

Today, digital is no longer just a media channel, but a competitive strategic advantage and the driving force behind the development of new products and services. Consumers take centre stage, and brands and the teams behind them are there to listen carefully to their needs, follow trends and adapt to the market in which they operate. Digital marketing enables two-way communica tion with consumers and gives brands the ability to successfully adapt to changes on the demand side, in real time - which is a condition for healthy business development as a whole. Brand experience becomes the basis of competitiveness, while content on digital channels is today measured by quali tative indicators of success, such as shares, saves and comments. The number of likes is certainly not decisive, but the usefulness that our content has for our consumer, and the sentiment it evokes. The emotion we transmit is particularly important and should be taken into account when considering what

is a “peak” for us as a brand, when and how to react to hype, trend or any other viral element that digital channels spread at high speed today. Their receptiveness and potency are often just a desire for quick results. That is why it is important that brands are guided by strategy, that there is a digital agenda and that digital KPIs are set and measured in accordance with brand and business goals. Then the measurability of digital is a function of the brand, and not an end in itself, which is often the case in an attempt to produce “peak experience”.

Why are most brands in Serbia not al ready on TikTok?

TikTok is growing in popularity, both among users and brands. Most brands today have a strategy for their appearance, which will only be more noticeable when advertising starts in Serbia. The presence of brands on any social network actually depends on the strategy of the brand: segmentation, positioning and targeting of users. TikTok is certainly interesting in terms of content and different from Facebook and Insta gram, but we should not ignore Meta and its adaptability, and in this sense the Reels format follows the popularity of this growing network, albeit less effectively.

Is NFT a passing digital fad?

The hot segment of cryptocurrencies has taken the Internet economy by storm and created a potentially huge opportunity

OLJA NESTOV, SENIOR DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST, ATLANTIC GRAND (ATLANTIC GRUPA)

for brands. Hybrid experiences are also in development. The limitation of ‘live experience’ in the past two years has already made room for virtual experi ence. We are witnessing the emergence of the ‘metaverse’, the concept of a new immersive digital environment. It is up to brands to explore and take advantage of the new, hybrid reality and create the opportunity for enhanced brand experi ence. Interactive content and the use of BLOCKCHAIN technology are steps that Grand kafa has already taken, while the first NFTs have already appeared on the Serbian market.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

I am enthusiastic about a bright digital future and that is why I will proudly and responsibly wear the Mark Awards rec ognition for Digital Marketing Manager of the Year, for the purpose of further progress and development of our profes sion as a whole.

SUZANA ĐORĐEVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF HEMOFARM FOUNDATION

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO BRAVE BRANDS

Suzana

Đorđević is the winner of the Mark Awards in the CSR

MANAGER OF THE YEAR cat egory. She is speaking to Cord magazine about whether it is possible to be responsible towards your brand and towards consumers (society) at the same time.

Will the formula in future read: sustainable = responsible = strong brand?

The essence of such a ‘formula’ is re sponsibility. For a brand to be strong, its activities must be strategically directed and visible to a wider population. People must be involved in the change, they must see and feel the improvement. This is how trust is built, image and reputation are strengthened, but also empathy and solidarity are developed. This is evident in all the campaigns and projects I have worked on both before and at Hemofarm Foundation – from ‘The Most Important Call in Life’, a campaign aimed at raising public awareness about the importance of organ donation and transplantation to

‘The Unbreakable’ campaign focused on fighting depression and stigma, and the ‘You Can Do It’ project in the Programme for Education, which is intended for final year students of medical, pharmaceutical, technical and technological faculties.

Why do companies swap from CSR to ESG strategies nowadays?

We live in a deeply divided world and the last thing I would like to witness is a debate about how we should refer to social responsibility. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social and Govern ance) are complementary and cannot exist without each other. Both inform the public about the values, activities and goals of a company. Although CSR in most instances is not subject to quantitative assessment, it adds value and is a foundation for the brand’s ESG strategy. Taking just one look at the Hemofarm Sustainable Development Report 2021 would be sufficient for you to understand that CSR and ESG are just two sides of the same coin.

Is it possible to be responsible towards your brand and consumers (society) at the same time?

It is possible, of course. We live in times in which the boundaries between purpose and business are blurred, when to be re sponsible and do good is also good for business. There is no successful business

nowadays without social responsibility, which is primarily reflected in attitudes to employees, and then to the wider commu nity. Young people have long been opting for socially responsible brands, while the public expects companies and their lead ers to clearly and unambiguously express their views on the most important social and political issues. This is what the latest Edelman Trust Barometer, and one of the biggest philanthropists, Richard Branson, speak about.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and what effect will it have on your future career?

I didn’t believe that I would win the Mark Award. I was happy even to be short-listed for the CSR Manager of the Year. When I received the e-mail that I was the winner of the award, I was surprised and very glad. For me, rewards are a great stimulus, a confirmation that you are worth it and that you are doing a good job. They are also an opportunity to see where you stand compared to others. The fact that you are the winner among all the nominees for the ‘Mark Awards’ selected by the directors of 15 national and international companies and agencies is a great acknowledgment. I really don’t know how the recognition will shape my further career. I would like it to be a step ahead, as I know that I can give a lot more to the community I work and live in.

YOUNG TALENTS ARE THE "FUEL" OF THE PROFESSION

FilipGujaničić is winner of the Mark Awards in the RISING STAR OF THE YEAR category. He tells Cord how the marketing profession is still attractive to young talents.

To what extent is the marketing profession still attractive to young talents? Although marketing is considered a young and new profession, it has reached a major value on the global market in a short time. Sometimes we are not aware and often ignore how much influence marketing actu ally has on the growth and development of many companies. I can freely say that this profession is most interesting to younger generations who like research, creativity and dynamism and who think quickly. Young talents can best follow the dynamic pace in which we live today and invest their creativ ity in projects and opportunities that bring successful results to companies every day.

To what extent do young people today in the profession have opportunities for additional education, but also for their voice to be heard?

It is of key importance for the further devel opment of the company to give a voice to young people during their first employment, this will empower them and make them feel as if they belong here, that they and that

their contribution are valued. This approach to business not only helps them engage and develop team-building and leadership skills, but also helps companies continue to evolve, because that’s what the market dictates today. At Frikom, we mean by education that young people need to be taught how their voice can and should be heard, how to react in certain situations and in which direction they must further develop social and emotional skills, which will inevitably contribute to their further progress.

Can we say that today’s young talents are the “fuel” of the profession?

Absolutely. Young talents bring a fresh per spective and a different way of thinking to a company’s operations, and most are eager to learn and build skills and experience that will contribute to their further development. Every profession needs them, because they bring freshness and encourage innovation with their ideas and talent. A new way of thinking, a desire for work and effort, and adaptability, give them an advantage in a working environment that is more agile, changeable and faster than ever. It is of crucial importance that we work together to support everyone who wants to express themselves, so that they can assert them selves within their profession. At Frikom we implement the Talent Pool Management

project, which aims to identify young people with the potential to achieve top results and form new professional staff.

I believe that for every company and its success, it is necessary to provide support to those who are at the very beginning of their career, because over time they become an expression of the efficiency of a company.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

Most people want to be successful in their work, and this can only be achieved through hard work and dedication. Being recognized and appreciated in your in dustry means a lot, and every award and recognition only confirms the efforts made along the way. Winning a prestigious award such as the Mark Awards confirms all the hard work behind me. It motivates me to be even more successful in future projects and to be a role model for young people, one who will encourage them to make further progress.

FILIP GUJANIČIĆ, JUNIOR BRAND MANAGER, FRIKOM

BRAND

OF THE YEAR BRANDS MUST INNOVATE TO REMAIN RELEVANT

How quickly and easily do consumers accept innovations in Serbia?

MILENA ĐORIĆ GUDURIĆ, MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR THE MARKETS OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO AND BIH, MASTERCARD

Milena

Đorić Gudurić is win ner of the Mark Awards in the BRAND INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR category. She tells Cord how quickly and easily consumers accept innovations in Serbia.

When is the right moment for innovation in a company?

The moment for innovation in a company is certainly before the moment when the innovation is put before users. First of all, the company must adopt a fundamentally creative and innovative way of thinking, which means that it will organically understand and create innovative products and services that it will present to users. I keep returning to the expectations of users - they are constantly growing, as their lifestyles change and diversify. Cultural changes and technical in novations affect the fact that the established approach to marketing has been upended, which is why brands have to innovate to remain relevant in the eyes of consumers.

Mastercard has brought numerous innovations in online and card payments to the market of Serbia and the region.

It is only a matter of time for users to accept innovations that intuitively fit into their every day life and meet their real needs. These are the conditions that actually dictate the pace of adoption of innovations, and the factors that help speed up that process are the nec essary infrastructure, regulation, education and practice. Payment technologies are a great example of this. Until 10 or 15 years ago, the use of cards could be described as shy, more oriented to ATMs than to payments in shops, and the use of e-commerce was practically at the level of statistical error. The reason for this was a lack of understanding of technology, insufficient situations for using cards and the mistrust of users who were deeply connected to traditional patterns of behaviour. Over time, through insisting on user education at every point of interaction with our brand, as well as through work with partners from the banking and trade sectors and numerous promotional campaigns, we managed to introduce innovations that have a long-term effect. Moreover, since the digitally native generation is growing up, it is realistic to expect that their needs will accelerate the further pace of innovation, and I believe that an exciting chapter in the development of the payment industry is ahead of us.

Why are Superheroes an innovation on our market?

With the Superhero.rs platform and fashion brand, NURDOR has also become an eCom merce retailer and that is the essence of

innovation in this project. The Superhero collection consists of pieces that follow fashion trends from season to season, which is also helped by guest designers. We decided on this approach because we wanted to make Superhero a brand that people will really want to wear, and will not associate it with donating purely out of pity. By creating a positive connotation and with a strong commitment to digital channels, the Superhero.rs online platform brings philanthropy closer to younger gen erations, as it is adapted to their habits. I think that this influence on changing the consciousness of the next generation of decision-makers is a major value that our Superheroes project brings.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

Awards for successful projects and the ef fort invested in their realization are always pleasing, and that is to say it immodestly, recognition for all the previous work you have invested in yourself to reach a certain level of excellence, but also an obligation to continue at the same pace. That’s why I congratulate all my colleagues on the awards they have won, as well as my colleagues who made it to the finals, because they have all contributed to moving the boundaries of our industry forward. I am especially grateful to my colleagues, who with their knowledge and experience are an invaluable part of the success of our campaigns and everything we have innovated on the market so far.

SUPER HERO OF THE YEAR

THE BRAND'S ESSENCE

MUST REMAIN INTACT

Danijela Gašparac is the winner of the Mark Awards in the SUPER HERO OF THE YEAR category. She tells Cord in which direction brands should transform, bearing in mind that we live in a hyper-personal era.

What does consistent brand management mean today?

It means not to change the essence of the brand due to gusts of “wind”. A good brand is consistent with itself, and the team that runs it is consistent with it. No crises, competition, internal and external changes can disrupt what it is. It’s okay to change communication, it’s okay, after a while and if necessary, to change communi cation platforms, focuses or channels, but consistent brand management assumes that the essence remains intact. And this is the key item that allows brands to be successful and stable in the long term.

How has the COVID-19 crisis affected brands? Did superhero brands stand out on the market during the crisis? Superheroes are perceived in various ways. For some, superheroes are brands that donated money to those threatened by pandemic conditions, for some, they are brands that provided encouragement and motivation in difficult times, and for some, those that took care of their staff.

For me, all of these are superheroes, as are all brands that have managed to survive without harming anyone, in any way.

Do consumers appreciate brands that continuously communicate with them, regardless of market developments? Do consumers like honest brands?

I think continuity is important, but the consistency I mentioned is more important. Even when its frequency is lower, consistent communication will give a stronger impact and better results. Honesty is crucial in all relationships, including between the brand and the user (the customer). This is also the strategy that I personally prefer to choose.

In what direction should brands trans form, bearing in mind that we live in a hyper-personal era?

I don’t think that brands need to drastically transform themselves, just to monitor the market(s) and trends carefully. We are seeing a huge shift in what market ing really is. It’s no longer about trying to convince people to buy from or work with your company. Instead, the priority has shifted to providing the best user experience that will keep people coming back for more. In addition to personalized advertising messages, it is necessary to find a way to listen and answer their questions, which today more than before

implies coordination of the primarily digital advertising team with customer support and sales. Whatever next year or the following years bring us, one thing is certain – the future of marketing and business lies in inclusion and connection with the real needs of customers. The user experience must be found in every aspect of an advertising campaign, and will increasingly be crucial for the per ception and survival of brands.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

It’s always nice when your effort and work is recognized, especially when it’s by renowned experts. Professionally it makes me very pleased, and I am sure that it is important that there is an award like this, which also recognizes the work of marketers, who are mostly always in the background. And the reward is just an additional incentive and responsibility, to keep learning and try to always be even better!

DANIJELA GAŠPARAC, HEAD OF MARKET RESEARCH - CEO ADVISOR, TELEKOM SRBIJA AND MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT, SRBIJA VOZ AND UNDP

ĐORĐE JOVANOVIĆ, MARKETING DIRECTOR, XIAOMI BALKAN

WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPUTATION OF THE PROFESSION!

Who creates the reputation of the profession in Serbia today?

The reputation of the profession is creat ed by everyone who works in this sector, and we are all equally responsible for it. Whether it’s about company or agency staff, everyone is individually responsible, but also collectively, because we all know that the best ideas are born in a team and implemented through joint efforts.

What does REMARKABLE business success mean today and what percentage of that success is attributable to marketing?

It depends on how we look at it, for some it’s achieved numbers, for some it’s campaigns that leave a mark, the emotions we evoke in consumers... Also, it’s every opinion that is different from the generally accepted one, which leads to campaigns that are later viewed as unique - out of the box.

Đorđe

Jovanović is the winner of the Mark Awards SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR PERSON AL CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSION. He tells Cord what role the marketing departments of companies play in creating the business of the future.

How would you rate the Serbian mar keting communications market? Where are we in relation to the region?

We have had an excellent bounce-back after the corona crisis period. Growth is visible, both in marketing investment and in the growth of the number of agencies. That is why it should be especially focused on improvement through education. We continue to run behind the EU countries in investments, while in terms of the quality of marketing, I can freely say that the markets are quite similar. I think the key thing for the growth of the marketing communications market is the constant education of people at the C-level.

Why is it necessary to involve companies more actively in education and knowl edge-sharing with young talents who are taking their first steps in the profession?

It is extremely important to deal with young talents and share knowledge as much as possible, because in this way they mature much faster in a business sense and get a foundation at a high level. This is how we will get much more expert marketing people, who will constantly “raise” the reputation of the profession to an ever higher level.

What role do the marketing departments of companies play in creating the business of the future?

In the fastest companies, the most impor tant role. Only agile companies can respond quickly to micro-moments or market sit uations. There are official and unofficial statuses. In some companies, marketing is officially an important function, while unofficially, it is not. The business of the future is a company in which marketing is unofficially the most important department of the company.

Remarkable business success is when you go from being anonymous to becom ing the number 1 brand. REMARKABLE is the game changer. These are marketing experts who recognize a micro-moment in market behaviour and change the game, i.e. they satisfy a great unconscious need on the market. A good marketing expert makes the company or brand look smart, and a REMARKABLE expert makes the customer feel smart.

What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?

As for my career, I don’t think it will change anything, except that it confirms that I have overcome all the challenges and that I have learned from them. Throughout my career, I was authentic, found new ways of promotion, I was not afraid to try something else, that’s how I learned and developed. This award is one of the signs that I am on the right path, an incentive to continue developing myself and others, and above all to believe in my vision and be persistent.

Aleksandar Goračinov

Partner, Evoke Group

Ivan Zeković

CEO, Carnex

Iva Đurković

Managing Director, OMD Media & LUNA TBWA Beograd

Ivana Parčetić Mitić

Founder & CEO,

mreža

Marko Njavro

General Manager SBU Snacks, Atlantic Štark

Miloš Jovović

Direktor strateškog planiranja za Centralnu Evropu, PepsiCo

Milivoj Đorđić

General Manager

Region,

Milija Zeković

CEO, SBB Srbija i Telemach Montenegro

Nataša Filipović, Managing Director, Ovation BBDO

Neda Đokić

Managing Director,

Srbija

Olga Ristić, General Manager, Frikom

Srđan Lazović, General Manager, Philip Morris International (BiH & Montenegro)

Violeta Kovačević

CEO, Mercator-S

Vuk Kosovac

Head of Retail, Executive Board Member, OTP banka Srbija

COMMENT

H. E. MS. ANKE KONRAD, Ambassador of Germany to Serbia

Germany Stands Ready & Prepared To Support Serbia

I am glad to come to Serbia, a country with which we have been sharing excellent political, economic and cultural relations for many years. Political exchange has been very intensive since the new government in Germany assumed office: Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to Belgrade this year, as well as our foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, and our defence minister, Christine Lambrecht. Moreover, our recently established Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, regularly visits Serbia and the region

P hoto: Milos Luzanin

Ourbilateral economic ties are exceptionally strong. Since the year 2000, more than 600 Ger man companies have invested over 3.7 billion euros in Serbia and created almost 78,000 jobs. The results of this year’s survey conducted by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce clearly shows that we are on the right track together: 95% of participating companies have confirmed that they would invest in Serbia again. Germany continues to be Serbia’s number one trading partner, with a bilateral trade volume of around €6.5 billion in 2021. Germany is also the largest bilateral donor in Serbia: with more than €2.3 billion having been made available for various development projects over the past 22 years, the priority areas being the environment, rule of law and sus tainable economic development.

Cultural relations between our coun tries are also extensive and diverse. German is the second most popular foreign language in Serbian schools, which is also reflected in the high de mand for language courses at our Goethe Institute in Belgrade. Moreover, Ger man scholarships remain very popular among Serbian students: the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers scholarships for Serbian students who aspire to study in Germany. In addi tion, Serbian graduates may spend three months doing an internship at the Ger man Bundestag on an IPS scholarship. Young Serbs also have the opportunity to receive vocational training intern ships at German companies through the Zoran Đinđić Foundation. Just a few

days ago, a renowned play performed by the German theatre “Schaubühne” from Berlin opened Belgrade’s legend ary BITEF festival. I am convinced that cultural exchange is crucial, as it brings our two countries closer together due to the fact that it extends beyond political issues and addresses citizens directly.

For Germany, it is clear that the fu ture of Serbia and the Western Balkans lies in the European Union. However, the path towards the EU involves chal lenging political, economic and social transformation processes. There is still a lot of work to be done. For instance, the EU accession process includes finding solutions to bilateral disputes in the region and dedicating additional efforts to reconciliation between neighbours. An important instrument in this regard is the Berlin Process, which involves a series of yearly conferences of Western Balkan countries at which joint projects

are launched in the areas of infrastruc ture, connectivity, security, economic and youth cooperation. Chancellor Scholz will host the next summit in November.

One of the success stories of the Berlin Process is the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). Young people from the Western Balkans meet regularly, organise study-trips and joint projects and discuss issues that impact all of them. Those young people are the future leaders of the region and I believe that having them work together now is indeed a fantastic investment in a stable and prosperous region.

For Serbia to become a member of the European Union, it is necessary to continue structural reforms, strengthen the rule of law, human rights and me dia freedom. Concerning the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajčak enjoys our full support and I hope that both sides will progress in clarifying unresolved issues in a constructive manner. Finally, we expect Serbia to side with the core values of the European Union and align its foreign policy to a higher degree. This includes imposing sanctions on Russia, which has been waging a devastating war against Ukraine since 24th February, in full breach of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.

In the years to come, I look forward to continuing the positive trend of our bilateral relations. Germany stands ready and prepared to support Serbia on its path towards European Union membership. I am convinced that we will master the challenges that lie ahead of us and reap the fruits of our joint efforts.

Investment Interest Growing And Remaining

One piece of good news is that German companies are extremely satisfied with their investments in Serbia and would consider investing further and again. Even better news would be if the labour short ages and green transition were to become the new focus of Serbian policy efforts. This would further fortify positive trends

Eachyear, the AHK economic survey illuminates positive trends in the Serbian business environment and new avenues for further improvement. These insights are even more important today than ever before, as every country is interested in positioning itself as an attractive investment target in times of crisis, and

Serbia is rightfully seeking to explore this possibility. Our conversation with Milan Grujić, President of the GermanSerbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia), reveals how German companies perceive current economic trends and what they see as the important policy steps for Serbia to remain an attractive investment destination.

With how much optimism are AHK Serbia members today looking towards the end of this year and the next business year?

Actually, not so bad, considering the current political situation around the world. In the AHK economic survey, we asked AHK Serbia members about their own companies’ current business

SATISFACTION

Around 95% of companies participating in the AHK economic survey would invest in Serbia again. This is more than ever before over the last five years. Our forecast is therefore very optimistic

situation and their individual expecta tions for the future.

The assessment of companies’ own business situation in Serbia remains stable, despite the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

A total of 52% of respondents rate their current business situation as good, almost half as satisfactory, and only 1% as poor. The outlook until the end of the year differs significantly only in one value: 10% expect their own economic situation to deteriorate in the second half of the year.

The existing community of German companies that our Chamber brings together can share positive experiences and those companies are extremely satisfied with their investments in Serbia, and would consider investing further and again. What made me the happiest about this survey is that 95% of companies participating in the AHK economic survey said that they would invest in Serbia again. This is more than ever before over the last five years. Our forecast is therefore very optimistic.

What factors influence that the most – those on the internal market or global factors?

We can see this interest in invest ment growing and remaining a trend, as potential investors recognise vari ous possibilities and advantages in Serbia, such as its close proximity to the European Union, a positive and improving business climate, valuable existing trade agreements and organisa tions, a skilled workforce, infrastructure developing rapidly, improvements to administrative procedures, construc tive and cooperative national and local regional governments. In the end, we need general public institutions that make Serbia a competitive location for potential investors.

How would you assess the current efforts of the Serbian government

SHORTAGES

The lack of a competent workforce plays a greater role year-on-year. German companies could hire 700 employees in certain regions of Serbia right now, but they have difficulties finding them

to adjust its policy under the condi tions of inflationary pressures, pri marily in the energy domain? How important is the price of electricity when it comes to the productivity of German companies?

This is a complex question. On the one hand, rising energy prices are bad

STRATEGY

When it comes to the green economy, we need a strategy and a medium- and longterm implementation plan with clearly defined priorities in Serbia

for both the population and industry. On the other hand, subsidising or cap ping energy costs could lead to energy shortages, because energy providers may not find it attractive to provide energy at these capped prices. Industry needs both competitive prices and stability in energy provision.

According to the map showing the locations of German companies in Serbia, German investors are pre sent almost nationwide across the country. Is labour availability still a motivating factor that attracts new German investors, or has the motivation changed?

Serbia and other countries of the Western Balkan region have high potential to position themselves as first-choice locations and destinations for the relocation of production opera tions for companies from the European Union. One of the main strengths and competitive advantages of Serbia that is attracting foreign investors is cer tainly the educated labour force. It

By introducing the dual education system, companies offer young people from Serbia the opportunity to develop their skills and qualifications. That is the reason many companies invest in research and development, and in cooperation with educational institutes in their neighbourhoods, as well as opening training centres near their facilities. Investors are coming here to stay

INTERVIEW

is our employees that bring us added value. By introducing the dual education system, companies offer young people from Serbia the opportunity to develop their skills and qualifications. That is the reason many companies invest in research and development, and in co operation with educational institutes in their communities, as well as opening training centres near their facilities. Investors are coming here to stay.

In the context of labour avail ability specifically, how would you assess the possible scope of the Open Balkan Initiative?

The answer on the political side is that it is what the economy wanted, and that is indeed true dialogue. Agreements signed within the framework of the Open Balkan Initiative yield tangible solutions that save both time and money, and also make our economies more competitive on the global market. The common labour market and single work permit will soon take root. And this helps companies all over the Western Balkans.

Today’s political circumstances have a great influence on the decisions of companies to do business in certain regions. How justified did the expectation that Serbia is a destination for German companies interested in nearshoring really turn out to be?

Serbia has been a location for nearshoring for many years already. And more will come. That is also what we see from our AHK survey. Much fewer companies are looking for sup

pliers from Far East Asia or the Pacific region. Due to the unreliable logistics of great distances, companies are seek ing locations or cooperation partners in countries that are near to the European Union – like Serbia.

That’s why Serbia and other coun tries of the Western Balkan region have high potential to position themselves as first-choice locations and destina tions for the relocating of production operations for EU-based companies. The current situation in Ukraine has merely accelerated nearshoring. It has made Serbia more visible as a poten tial destination to ultimately relocate production operations.

Under the new geopolitical condi tions, what are the most important characteristics that potential German investors most often take into consideration?

What investors want in the end is always the same. We want stability, predictability, a well-educated and competent workforce and, as I said

There is no further development without legal security and certainty.

That’s why one of the priority goals of Serbia’s economic policy in the coming period needs to be the further improvement of the regulatory framework that will result in predictable business conditions for investors

before, reliable logistics to reach our customers. What we do not like is bu reaucracy and red tape.

Due to new approaches in the frame work of the European Green Deal, sustainability has become another very important topic for doing business anywhere in the world. That’s why it will become very important for Serbia to develop renewable energy sources to a much higher extent than is the case today, because in 10-15 years we all have to go in the direction of Zero-CO2 emissions. And when we then cannot buy CO2-emission free energy in Serbia, we will have a much greater problem than today’s rising energy prices.

What questions are you asked by German companies considering Serbia as a potential investment destination? What are the most important topics for them today regarding the business climate in Serbia and do they differ compared to two or three years ago?

Three years ago, we didn’t have the experience of unreliable logistics chains from Asia. Then COVID-19 came for all of us, starting from China – with all the ramifications for international valueadded chains and logistics. Closeness to the European Union today certainly plays a much bigger role than it did three years ago, but that doesn’t make all other topics mentioned above any less relevant. The lack of competent workforce plays a greater role yearon-year. For example just one German company could hire 700 emploees on the spot but they have difficulties finding them. The Serbian Government has to continue to invest more in the edu cational sector, to qualify more young people via vocational training, through so-called dual education. This type of practical training for young people is one of the secrets of the economic suc cess of Germany, Austria and Switzer land. Young people that want to receive a technical professional education in these countries are trained two-thirds of the time in companies, as on-the-job training, and only spend a third of their time in professional state schools. And that is why the whole range of workers in Germany’s workforce – from blue

It will become very important for Serbia to develop renewable energy sources to a much higher extent than is the case today, because in 10-15 years we all have to go in the direction of Zero-CO2 emissions. And when we then cannot buy CO2-emission free energy in Serbia, we will have a much greater problem than today’s rising energy prices

collar to white collar – provide quality to the “Made in Germany” label.

What are your expectations of the new/old Government of Serbia?

As I’ve already stated above, there is a need to continue to invest more into the educational sphere.

Serbia should ake itself more at tractive for younger people, and that

means continuing to modernise schools, trade colleges and universities. Ger man business is ready to support the development of vocational training in the country. That is what we know from our home country, where we have competences that we have been developing for many centuries already.

A qualified workforce and talented individuals should be further developed and nurtured in Serbia.

For sure, the rule of law is also impor tant. There is no further development without legal security and certainty. That’s why one of the priority goals of Serbia’s economic policy in the coming period needs to be the further improve ment of the regulatory framework that will result in predictable business condi tions for investors. That was also stated in our survey by member companies of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Last, but not least, when it comes to the green economy, we need a strategy and a medium- and long-term implementation plan with clearly de fined priorities in Serbia.

INTERVIEW

Riding Turbulent Times

Unfortunately for Ukraine, German companies are relocating from Ukraine to Western Balkan countries in order to build up another nearshoring option not too far from the EU border. This is an opportunity for Serbia to attract more German investors

Given your strong familiarity with the Ukrainian market, could you estimate how vulnerable Ger man companies operating in Serbia are as a result of disruptions to production in this country? What does your membership survey sug gest about this?

From my modest point of view, not at all. On the contrary, or so to say, unfor tunately for Ukraine, I know that there are German companies relocating from Ukraine to Western Balkan countries in order to build up another nearshoring option not too far from the EU border. And this is also an opportunity for Serbia to attract more German investors, once again, unfortunately, because of all the human casualties that this Russian aggression brings to Ukraine.

In addition to that, in our annual economic survey we asked our mem bers about the short-term economic consequences of this war that they feel already or expect to hit their business. Firstly, they are already facing higher costs for energy, raw materials and inputs. Secondly, they have difficulties sourcing raw materials and services, because demand is higher than supply worldwide. Thirdly, they report disrup tions in their supply chains and logistics.

At the moment, every company is focusing on its own energy supply and dealing with significantly higher en ergy costs.

AlexanderMarkus, AHK Serbia

Executive Board Member, commenced his assignment at the German Chambers of Commerce, AHK, in July of this year, when the Ukraine crisis started accelerating and businesses were pre

occupied with building strategies to overcome supply chain disruptions and rising energy prices. Yet, despite this turmoil, German companies in Serbia are doing well and AHK represents a helping hand for them in dealing with the new normal, says Markus.

Who buys what where? Who produces what where? Who sells what where? These questions are now being asked in a completely new way. Or, to put it another way, globalisation is reorganis ing itself. That’s why many companies are already working intensively on the diversification and resilience of their supply chains.

OPPORTUNITY

Serbia is one of the 25 most important supplier countries to Germany in this sector. The trend toward electromobility is likely to play into Serbia's hands

Has the development of events to date impacted on representatives of the German automotive industry in Serbia, and if so how; and on the general development prospects of the automotive sector in Serbia, where German companies play a particularly significant role?

Electrical equipment and automo tive components are among the most important export goods from Serbia to Germany. Serbia has become an attrac tive relocation country for the automotive supply industry. This development has been initiated in recent years primarily by German investments in the country. With Continental, ZF, Brose, Bosch and numerous other companies, important component and system suppliers, having invested in Serbia. Serbia is thus one of the 25 most important supplier countries to Germany in this sector. The trend towards electromobility is likely to play into Serbia’s hands. Manufacturers of electric motors, vehicle electronics and battery components have already set up shop. Many local German automotive suppliers have also invested in research and development centres.

In 2019, ZF Friedrichshafen estab lished its test centre in Pančevo, in order to meet the requirements of the dynamically growing e-mobility market. This centre provides technical resources for the development of electric drives for plug-in or fully electric vehicles.

In 2017, Continental opened its R&D centre in Novi Sad, which contributes greatly to the creation of global trends like digitalisation, autonomous and safe driving, and e-mobility.

There are 2.2 million registered ve hicles in Serbia, of which 1,400 are hybrids and 102 are electric cars. The Serbian Association of Importers of Motor Vehicles reports that 30,416 new cars were sold in 2021, about 16% more than in the previous year.

Nevertheless, Serbia signed the Green Agenda Declaration in October 2020 at

ACCELERATION

As the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, one of our main goals is to accelerate cooperation between German buyers and their potential Serbian suppliers

the Sofia Conference. The country is to be decarbonised by 2050 and achieve energy transition with the help of inter national support. The Serbian National Assembly therefore created the required legal framework with four new laws in 2021. As climate protection is one of the most important pillars of the European Green Deal, the promotion of e-mobility and climate-neutral means of transport is of great importance.

Considering the arrival in re cent years of German companies with higher levels of technological manufacturing activities, could you explain how this shift has impacted

PROGRESS

We are especially happy when companies also open research & development departments here in Serbia, and this is happening ever more often

and this is happening ever more often.

The Vienna Institute for Interna tional Economic Studies recently published a study proposing the in creased development of six industries in Serbia and across the Balkans: agriculture and food, the textile industry, the automotive industry, energy, the IT sector and tourism. Which of these fields do German companies interested in investing in Serbia most often come from?

Definitely the automotive sector. Al though the sector itself is going through major changes with the shift to other motors than the combustion engine. In this sphere, Serbia has become one of the most attractive and rising investment destinations in this part of Europe over the course of the last 10 years.

The food industry is one of the strong est points of the Serbian economy. The trade balance of agricultural products is in a constant surplus.

on the cross-sectoral representation of your member companies and the inclusion of labour-intensive branches vs. capital-intensive ones?

At the moment, we have both types of German companies in Serbia – labour intensive and also capital-intensive ones. New German companies entering Serbia want to develop longer parts of the valueadded chain here in this country. And this is needed, because we all see that salaries are rising in Serbia and, thus, you have to develop manufacturing pro cesses where you can pay these salaries.

We are especially happy when com panies also open up research & devel opment departments here in Serbia,

As the world market for ICT continues to evolve towards outsourced software engineering, offshore systems design and integration, Serbia is well-placed, both geographically and structurally, to provide a cost-effective, reliable alterna tive to more established markets. An outstanding pool of intellectual capital, attractive labour costs, excellent skills, good communications networks and high proficiency in English are just some of the key competitive advantages that persuade international and German companies to expand their businesses to Serbia.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with the food, manufacturing and automotive sectors, ICT is becoming one of the pillars of the Serbian economy. A large number of Serbian ICT companies offer very strong technical skills that have attracted partnerships with German and inter national firms and won them a place in high-value market niches. Serbia ranks 40th on the list of the biggest software

An outstanding pool of intellectual capital, attractive labour costs, excellent skills, good communications networks and high proficiency in English are just some of the key competitive advantages that persuade international and German companies to expand their businesses to Serbia

INTERVIEW

exporters globally.

In which areas does AHK Serbia provide support to its members and has the current global economic crisis also influenced the topics that are addressed by the GermanSerbian Chamber?

We are all witnessing the major impact of COVID-19 and the economic consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine on the supply chain industry all over the world, in terms of slowing down or stopping the unrestricted flow of goods and services. We are trying to keep up with the needs and demands caused by current adverse market conditions.

Companies are re-organising their supply chains to be more resilient to such shocks in the future. Global companies are seeking new production locations in Europe, for at least some very competi tive product areas, that can meet the quality requirements or - last but not least - can make the products available within shorter transport times.

Industry worldwide has been forced to scale back production due to the dis ruption in supply chains, rising costs of input materials and a lack of workers.

Apart from supply chain bottlenecks, other problems include high energy costs, as well as soaring consumer prices. Having this in mind, we should be cau tious about inflation rate predictions,

since the aforementioned costs can be seen as the major culprit.

As the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, one of our main goals is to accelerate cooperation between Ger man buyers and their potential Serbian suppliers. For this purpose, together with our colleagues from 10 AHKs, we launched a joint initiative to create the largest supplier community in Europe. Our first milestone on that path was creating the AHK Industrial Suppliers Forum – a digital platform that we will use for business matchmaking.

We will continue to support our mem bers in their business, providing them with help through our committees and working groups on relevant topics. Thus, the chamber is a platform for networking with potential clients. We also provide relevant expertise on the implementa tion of vocational training and dual education in Serbia. We hope that the spread of vocational education throughout Serbia will help to reduce the workforce

shortages, at least in the medium term.

The level of invested capital, value of turnover, production, exports, but also the number of factories and em ployees in free zones, are all at the highest level reached over the last 14 years, which is how long their business results in Serbia have been monitored. How attractive is this form of investment to German companies?

Gross fixed capital formation in Ser bia increased by almost 13% in real terms in 2021 (equating to €3.8 billion). Further growth of five per cent is the forecast for 2022. German direct invest ments amount to almost 3.5 billion euros for the period from 2000 to 2021. The largest German investors are Stada (€698 million), Henkel (€313.3 million), Lidl (€275 million) and ZF (€195 mil lion). Serbia is establishing itself as a regional powerhouse for investment in the manufacturing and supply industry.

Initially, German investors entered the market by acquiring stakes in existing manufacturing facilities or taking them over as part of privatisation processes. In recent years, the presence of German corporates has shifted towards greenfield investments. The main focus of their involvement is on the automotive sup ply industry, wholesale and retail trade, and the construction materials industry.

German direct investment ranks second in terms of the number of projects carried out in Serbia.

How do you maintain communica tion with your membership? Have you reverted back fully to your pre-pandemic working methods, or have you developed some new hybrid forms of communication?

In this new normal, it’s important to understand members preferences and combine that with actual business needs. As I only started my assignment here in July this year, I now use my time to visit as many members as possible and follow every invitation that I receive from them. In addition, we have developed new hybrid forms, but I am personally also very glad to have live, in-person events and live communication with our members again, and we take great advantage of that opportunity.

The main focus of German investors’ involvement is on the automotive supply industry, wholesale and retail trade, and the construction materials industry

Enduring Partnership

At the start and the end of the day, our biggest ally in attracting new German investors are precisely the German companies that already operate in Serbia, and their successful operations serve as the best rec ommendation for those who have yet to decide whether and where to invest

Theannual survey conducted by AHK Serbia indicates that 60 of the participating German com panies that operate in Serbia plan new investments in the expansion of their capacities. Such results testify to expectations that the far from negligible trade exchange records achieved to date will be quickly surpassed.

“It isn’t only that Germany has been, and remains, our number one foreign trade partner in the exchange of both goods and services, but also that our trade exchange has been marked by above-average growth over the past two and a half years,” says Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Marko Čadež. “We could this year reach and exceed the record

of 10 billion euros in mutual trade in goods and services for the first time”.

When it comes to the exchange of goods that dominates our trade, we awaited the pandemic with a result of 5.3 billion euros, in 2020, which re mained at the same level as the previous year despite the closed borders during the first half of the year, while in 2021 it increased to 6.5 billion euros. That growth continued in the first half of the year, creating great prospects of reaching a total of around 8.5 billion euros in 2022. That would be a result 60 per cent better than 2019, the last pre-crisis year.

Further illustrating the importance for the Serbian economy of continu ously increasing trade with Europe’s

strongest economy is the fact that around 11,500 domestic and foreign companies that operate in our country, employing more than 660,000 people, export their goods to Germany and import from Germany.

The exchange of services plays an increasingly important role in our trade. It exceeded 1.3 billion euros last year, with a surplus on the Serbian side, and increased by an additional 34.7% in the first half of this year, and we thus expect this year to end with a total services exchange of almost 1.8 billion euros.

And how has the Serbian econ omy’s export performance on that market been over the past two and a half years?

INVESTMENTS

German companies have invested more than three billion euros in Serbia and continued investing even during the pandemic, while Germany remains the undisputed leader in terms of the number of projects implemented

Germany is the first export market for Serbian products, where Serbia sells about 13 per cent of its total exports. Despite closed borders in Europe from the spring of the first year of the pan demic, as well as all the logistical and transport problems that our export ers faced, in 2020 we maintained our exports to Germany at roughly the same level as the previous year, only to return to the path of growth by as early as last year. Our manufacturers sold goods worth 2.74 billion euros on the German market, which is half a billion euros more than in the year prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. Serbian exports have increased this year by as much as 39 per cent compared to the first six months of last year, which leads us towards achieving the best ever export performance on the German market – exceeding three billion euros. A great contribution to growing Serbian exports and the shifting structure of the offer of Serbian export, which favours goods with a higher level of processing and high-tech products, is again being provided by German companies that have invested here, produce in Serbia, export from Serbia and feature on the lists of our country’s largest exporters, both to Germany and the rest of the world. As an example, we this year exported to Germany more – in terms of both quantity and value – train wag ons, electric motors and generators, as well as ignition sets, which are actually manufactured by German companies, which also testifies to the importance of German investments to the Serbian economy and their impact on increasing trade and exports.

Above-average export growth also contributed to reducing our trade exchange deficit with Germany and increasing the coverage of imports by exports by around 10 per cent. Even though our goal is to reduce the deficit, it is positive that this reduction isn’t a result of the importing of consumer

COOPERATION

Around 11,500 domestic and foreign companies that operate in our country, employing more than 660,000 people, export their goods to Germany and import from Germany

goods that are produced here. The fact that imports from Germany increased by approximately 25.5% in the first

RECORD BREAKING

We could this year reach and exceed the record of 10 billion euros in mutual trade in goods and services between our two countries for the first time

German companies have invested more than three billion euros in Serbia, and they continued investing even during the pandemic, while Germany remains the undisputed leader in terms of the number of projects implemented in our country. Over the previous two and a half years, German investors opened around 20 new factories and production facilities, development cen tres, logistics and distribution facilities, which began being constructed before or during the pandemic, while imple mentation has commenced on more than ten new investment projects by German companies. Re-appearing on the investment map of Serbia are com panies that already operate here and are expanding their capacities, such as Leoni Continental, ZF, Henkel, Bosch, Wacker Neuson or Lidl, but also new investors like Brose, Boysen, MTU, Bizerba and Haix.

Nearshoring processes have created a chance for Serbia and the economies of the entire Western Balkans to entice new investments, and a chance for our companies to join the supply chains of international corporations

six months of this year is the result of the import of diagnostic reagents for laboratory materials, household ap pliances, cars and the raw materials required for wind generators that are produced in, and exported from, Serbia.

How did the two and a half years of the pandemic reflect on the pace of German investments in Serbia?

With a view to the global cir cumstances, how do prospects look when it comes to attracting new investments from Germany in the period ahead?

When it comes to the future invest ments of foreign companies in Serbia, and German companies in particular, I remain an optimist for several reasons, despite everything. Although investors worldwide are restrained due to the uncertainty and problems that were brought by the pandemic and then by the war in Ukraine – despite the energy crisis, inflation, rising interest rates, recession knocking on the doors of the strongest economies, Serbia – as a relatively new investment destina tion - is still it holding its own. This is thanks, among other things, to the sense of security it provides investors, the preserved stability of the economy and the economy’s capacities over past years, a business climate that’s friendly to investors and encouraging for invest ments, and the new opportunities that

INTERVIEW

are being created with the establishing of the Open Balkan common market. After last year’s inflow of 3.9 billion euros of foreign direct investments, which was a record for us, it is also encouraging that the latest data show that we attracted 2.66 billion euros in the first eight months of this year, despite the start of the year having not been promising. To date, there have been no cancellations or postponements of investments planned for this year, with announcements of new projects arriving from around the world and no shelving of discussions regarding future investments. The state continues to negotiate with more than ten potential major German investors, among which – in addition to companies already present here – are also companies that are new to us and haven’t previously invested in Serbia.

What kind of impact did the pan demic and global disruptions have on value chains and what sorts of changes did they bring for the Ser bian companies aspiring to become suppliers of those companies?

Large European corporations, hav ing been taught by the experiences of previous years about the risks of doing business a long way from home and relying on a small number of suppliers, have an increasing tendency to relocate their operations from more distant destinations and are seeking suppliers in markets closer to their home coun

Re-appearing on the investment map of Serbia are companies that already operate here and are expanding their capacities, such as Leoni, Continental, ZF, Henkel, Bosch, Wacker Neuson or Lidl, but also new investors like Brose, Boysen, MTU, Bizerba and Haix

tries, thereby reducing logistical and transport costs and ensuring supplies.

Nearshoring processes have created a chance for Serbia and the economies of the entire Western Balkans to entice new investments, and a chance for our companies to join the supply chains of international corporations. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, and additionally following the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the number of companies contacting us in search of suppliers from these areas has in creased significantly. Over the past two and a half years, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia has received and responded to hundreds of inquiries related to the hunt for suppliers from international compa nies, the majority of which have been German, and primarily from the metal and electrical industries. With some of them – such as Siemens Mobility, Thyssenkrupp, Bode/Schaltbau – we also organised Supplier Days events

that included in their scope specific B2B meetings, as well as visits to the production facilities of local companies that meet the requirements for inclu sion in their networks of suppliers.

Did the InterConnect Executive Summit regional networking event, held in late September under the organisation of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia and the Western Balkan Chamber Investment Forum, meet your expectations?

In short – it was worth the effort. With the aim of connecting companies from the country and the region with international corporations that are seeking new suppliers, and enabling attendees to hear about the experiences of major companies in overcoming the challenges that are confronting the global economy, we brought together in Belgrade more than 200 participants from the country, the region and the world, including around 40 top manag ers of multinational companies from various sectors, from manufacturing to IT, which have an annual turnover exceeding 50 billion euros. For leading businesspeople from Serbia and the Western Balkans, this provided the best way to establish contacts with potential customers here at home, and to do so through direct communication at the highest level – with general managers and executive directors for the most important business segments: procure ment and supply chain management, research and development, marketing and digitalisation.

The summit was simultaneously also a unique opportunity and a place where managers of our companies could inform themselves and find out about new business models and trends in global business, primarily in two areas that are focal points of business strategies today: digital transforma tion and supply chain management, experiences and the ways people who run multinational businesses overcome problems caused by tremors to the global economy, their view of current developments on the world economic scene and their expectations and pre dictions of future happenings.

Looking To The Future With Optimism

Brose is the fourth-largest family-owned automotive supplier. With the inclusion of the Brose Sitech joint venture, the company employs 30,000 people at around 70 locations in 25 countries. For 2022, they expect to generate a turnover of more than seven billion euros, while the company has even bigger plans for the coming years

De spite the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing semiconduc tor crisis and the war in Ukraine, Brose Serbia Managing Director Roman Strakoš says that he is satisfied with results, the workforce, the Pančevo community and the way the company is developing...

A year ago, on the occasion of the opening of the factory in Pančevo, you announced that you’ve imple mented all plans under the envis aged dynamic, and even faster. What is the situation like now? Yes, despite Covid restrictions, we were able to start our production lines on time, thanks to the high commitment of our employees. Un

fortunately, the situation has only become more challenging. Volume declines due to the hard lockdowns in China, the ongoing semiconductor crisis and the war in Ukraine have hit Brose hard and also have an impact on our locations. On the other hand, Brose Pančevo has recently received several important orders from major customers. For example, we will pro duce control units for doors and seats, as well as electric latches for various premium car manufacturers. We are therefore looking to the future with confidence.

How does Brose support the lo cal community? Which of your CSR activities makes you particu larly proud?

It is important for our family-owned company to be a good neighbour to the areas surrounding our sites. In this way, we also increase the attractive ness of our locations for current and future employees. There are a variety of measures with which Brose sup ports the Pančevo community in the fields of culture, education, sports and social issues, establishing long-term partnerships. For example, we have worked with charity organisations like Na pola puta [Halfway there] and we are the general partner of the Cultural Centre Pančevo, ensuring quality pro grammes. It is impossible to single out one project, because every activity is special and important in its own way. I’m glad to be working for a company that – thanks to the commitment of our shareholders – really assumes social responsibility worldwide.

You are planning to employ about 1,000 people by 2025. How do you want to achieve this?

Firstly, by being a good employer with attractive working conditions and fair wages. We are actively promoting the career prospects of employees, both in production and development, and are very satisfied with the workforce that’s available in Serbia. One important pil lar of our strategy is cooperation with local universities, for example through internship programmes. Students of the technical faculties from Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš can gain practical experience in the fields of electronics, production, development, procure

ment, logistics and quality. Some of them even spend a couple of months in Germany. The best students have the possibility to stay with Brose for permanent employment, which is a great way to engage young talents. Another way is to support schools in the region, like the Pančevo School of Mechanical Engineering and the Nikola Tesla Electrical Engineer ing High School. This both helps the community and introduces Brose to potential future employees.

What are the next steps in the development of you location? Brose started from scratch in Pančevo and is developing a production and development facility that handles complex products and technology. This means that our main task is to hire and train new colleagues to keep grow ing and supplying our customers with high-quality products. For example, one of the big challenges in the coming years will be handling the growth of our site, as turnover will increase to four times what we have today.

At the same time, we are develop ing the infrastructure of our site. In 2023, construction of the Brose Kids Club will begin. This is an educational facility for the children of our employ ees that will include, for example,

We are actively promoting the career prospects of employees, both in production and development, and we are very satisfied with the workforce that’s available in Serbia

afternoon care and summer camps. Another important project relates to the reduction of our CO2 footprint: we will install about 9,000 solar panels on the roof of our production halls, which will generate approximately 3.5MW of green energy.

For 175 Years, We Have Been Creating Technologies With Purpose

From a workshop with ten people in Berlin, Siemens was a forerunner of the start-up. It has become a global technology company thanks to innovation, openness to new ideas, willingness to learn and adapt to changing circumstances, responsible business and the knowledge and competence of its employees

Medeja Lončar is the first person to head three re gional Siemens companies.

In Slovenia, she has held the position for 15 years, in Croatia for four, and in Serbia for one year. In her thirty-five-year career, she was part of the management of reputable Slovenian and international companies in mobile communications, retail and industry.

During her nearly twenty-year career at Siemens, she has been actively involved in many strategic projects in these coun tries and in the entire Adriatic region.

Medeja Lončar speaks with CorD about the current situation, ongoing develop ment, but also about Serbia’s chances for development and the impact of digi talization on the world.

You are one of the few compa nies that combines tradition and innovation, and this year you are celebrating 175 years of the com pany’s existence. What does such an important jubilee mean and what happens afterwards?

There are many companies that have not changed their core business and adapted to the times... If Siemens had continued to produce only the indicator telegraph, the first invention of our founder Werner von Siemens back in 1847, our company would have been shorter-lived. Today, Siemens has around 33 inventions submitted daily to the European Patent Office, which confirms our constant intention to make the world a better place with our solutions.

Today we are focused on industry, infrastructure, transport and healthcare. From automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industry, smart infrastructure and solutions for energy distribution and energy systems to transport solutions for rail and road traffic and medical technology and digital health services. We connect the real and digital worlds in all energy systems, build ings and industries, improving the way we live and work and we greatly improve efficiency and sustainability. We work together with customers and partners to create an ecosystem that will intuitively respond to people’s needs, while also helping customers achieve their business goals. In this way, we contribute to the success of customers and the progress of communities, and also support sustain able development to preserve our planet for future generations.

From the very beginning, your company has been ahead of the times, creating world-changing in novations. Is there a greater chal lenge before you today - to create innovations that will save the world?

Ever since it was founded, Siemens has been driven by the idea of improv ing the lives of people around the world with the help of technology. That has not changed even today, when our motto is to create “technology with purpose” because we believe that all investment in new technologies should be directed to areas that will help our planet and improve life.

Sustainable development is one of the strategic goals of Siemens’ business, both globally and locally. The fourth industrial revolution that we are living through practically represents an industry with out borders, made possible precisely by sustainable digital production. It has multiple benefits, from innovative prod ucts, through cost reduction, to a major reduction of negative environmental impact, all of which together contribute to the creation of successful business models in a sustainable, circular economy.

In addition to innovative solutions for the preservation of the environ ment, do you as a company also give your contribution to environmental protection by personal example?

In the critical moments that the planet is facing, we are guided by the awareness that we are making our contribution with our effort, work, personal example and innovative technologies. Siemens is one of the first companies that seven years ago committed to be carbon neutral by 2030. So far, we have reduced CO2 emissions by 34% in our facilities and factories, we have invested 65 million euros in energy efficiency projects, which resulted in about 13 million in savings per year, and 78% of the energy in our business premises comes from renewable sources. In June last year, we defined even more ambitious sustainable development goals through the DEGREE framework, which includes a complete transition to electric vehicles, the use of energy exclusively from renew able sources, and a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions from our suppliers. These goals are very demanding, but they are also an opportunity for development. We are proud that, according to the Dow Jones Sustain ability Index for 2021, Siemens is the first in its industry group, and sustainability remains a business imperative and an integral part of the company’s strategy.

Due to the global energy crisis, the issue of energy transition is increas ingly coming to the fore, and there is also a need to stop climate change? Is it possible to find technological solutions to these problems?

We live in times that are both fast and unpredictable, in which we depend a lot on world circumstances, but the fact

is that advanced technologies are the answer to some of those changes. Innova tion and digitalization are really critical to completely redefining industries and economies, all over the world. A green, circular economy is not feasible without innovative solutions that will connect our real, physical world with the one we create in the digital domain. Siemens is one of the few technology leaders that brings those two worlds together, offering a synergy of hardware and software solu tions that provide users with faster and more flexible operational processes, smart solutions that offer better productivity or infrastructure with efficient use of energy, and all this without compromise on cyber security. This is of course a process, and

environment of Serbia is like in relation to Croatia and Slovenia and what needs to be improved?

What is certain is that Serbia has a well-educated and professionally trained workforce that creates, understands and knows how to apply modern technologies. This is a huge value for every economy, including the Serbian one, especially in the context of the great investment potential in many branches of industry, not only technological. Examples from practice confirm this. During the last 10 years, “Siemens” has invested more than 10 billion euros in the acquisition of software companies, and two such companies have their own teams in Serbia with high-quality local IT experts.

change cannot happen overnight, but it is important that we all understand that there is really no alternative, because we only have one planet to live on.

As a director for three countries, can you tell us what the business

And in areas that need to be improved as a candidate country for membership, Serbia has already started implementing EU regulations, such as a National plan for renewable energy sources. Serbia has also committed itself to EU climate neutrality goals until 2050 and mid-term goals for the country in the use of coal, as well as plans related to reducing CO2 emissions.

EBRD, KfW, IPA and the World Bank have financed several projects of mod ernization and rehabilitation of thermal power plants, energy efficiency projects and the use of renewable energy sources. It is very important that we continue to work on these projects and goals defined by the state, but also for the private sector to commit to change because there will be no change if we are not all united in preserving the environment.

We at Siemens believe that the digital transformation includes the transformation of people and management, not just the development of digital solutions. So we have also prepared our people for the coming times – their awareness, knowledge, way of thinking

GORDANA BRAŠIĆ, PRESIDENT AND HR DIRECTOR, HENKEL SERBIA

Growing Investment, Growing Exports

In the past two decades, Henkel Serbia has managed to realise the vision of this German companyto supply markets of more than 70 million inhabitants from its production facilities in Kruševac and Inđija. In the last five years alone, more than 90 million euros have been invested in the opening of three new factories and a logistics centre

We are proud that, thanks to our dedicated work, we have for several years been on the list of the top 10 exporters from Serbia and we expect to finish this year in 6th place ~ reveals Mrs Brašić, pointing out that the company’s goal is to achieve even better results in the future.

You welcome this year’s anniver sary in Serbia with excellent re sults. You must be very proud... So far, more than 350 million euros have been invested in operations in Serbia, in the modernization and expansion of production and stor age capacities. In the last five years alone, more than 90 million euros were invested in the opening of three new factories and a logistics centre, so that today liquid, powder and caps detergents as well as toilet freshener factories and the Somat factory for dishwashing machine tablets are op erating in Kruševac. Some of Henkel’s leading brands, such as Persil, Bref and Somat are produced in Serbia. In Kruševac there is also a regional logistics centre from which 37 markets are supplied, and in Inđija we have the Ceresit factory for the production of powder construction adhesives and liquid mortars. It is also Henkel’s first greenfield investment in Serbia, which this year marks 15 years since its opening. Our factory was the first in Serbia to receive the ISO 50001 certificate for energy efficiency, as well as the LEED Gold certificate

for leadership in the field of green construction. With excellent results, Kruševac has secured a place among the leaders in the Henkel system, but this success is primarily the result of the dedicated work of our staff, their team spirit and openness to challenges.

Henkel holds 6th place among the largest exporters in Serbia. Where do your products end up? What percentage goes to the world? Serbia’s excellent geographical posi tion enables easy and rapid connec tions to many countries around the world. Thanks to our regional logistics centre in Kruševac, Henkel detergents and household chemicals go to the

homes of more than 70 million people around the world. In recent years, through continuous investment, the opening of new production facilities and the expansion of capacity, we have managed to increase production and today export about 97 per cent of the total production.

Henkel Serbia provides a major con tribution to the Serbian economy and we expect that our share in Serbia’s GDP will amount to 0.4 per cent by the end of this year.

How does the company fulfil its promises to support the local com munity?

We focus on measures to mitigate climate change, a functional circular economy and the protection of nature and biodiversity, while at the same time delivering to our customers and consumers safe and excellent solutions for products and technologies. This year we are celebrating 15 years since the start of the “Make an Impact on Tomorrow” corporate volunteering programme. The company provides funds to its employees for projects that contribute to progress in the fields of education, science, culture, sports, environmental protection and health. Under this initiative, over the past 15 years, more than 100 volunteers have carried out almost 200 projects, worth around 750,000 euros. I would like to single out the project I love river, do you?, which encompasses the cleaning of water surfaces and is conceived as a long-term initiative.

Fully Committed To Sustainability

The management of this German company recognised Serbia as a great investment destination 13 years ago, and today Leoni employs around 14,000 people on four sites in the country, while it plans to employ even more workers by 2023

Leoni’s

focus is on climate neu trality, efficient and sparing use of resources, as well as good working and living conditions wherever the company has locations around the world. In order to meet this goal, we’ve developed the new ReWire sustainability programme - explains Miloš Manić.

Has Serbia met the expectations of Leoni’s management?

When it comes to the fact that Serbia is a promising investment location, the best confirmation may come from LEONI’s four sites in Serbia, each of which has years of proven successful business operations. The good invest ment conditions and adequate business environment that were initially recog nised by the company’s management enabled our exponential growth to follow, not only in terms of production facilities, but also when it comes to the number of employees. While we are actively hiring in all of our units, our greatest focus is currently on our Kraljevo plant, where business demands are dictating an in crease in our headcount. This isn’t only great news for the citizens of Kraljevo, but also for the entire region of Raška, Rasina, Moravica and Šumadija.

What does Leoni do in the inter est of ensuring good operations, positive business results and the welfare of employees? You invest a lot in highly qualified staff.

The most important factor in our successful business operations on a daily basis falls under the category

of individual and team accomplish ments, without which we would not have reached the company scale and business performance that we have today. As one of the main pillars of our success, special attention is paid to our employees, providing different types of training and education and investing in their development. That is also the reason we’ve participated in the dual education programme, partnering with

educational institutions in Serbia. We strive to ensure good working conditions for our employees and encourage partici pation in various activities beyond the workplace that contribute to improving team spirit and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, while at the same time contributing to the preservation of our community.

How does Leoni play its part when it comes to the topic of Sus tainability?

LEONI’s understanding of sustain ability is based on its vision of a future in which climate-friendly and resourceefficient mobility is accessible to all of humankind. This will thus also have a direct positive impact on the welfare of our people, which is one of the most im portant aspects of our business. In order to meet this goal, LEONI developed its new ReWire sustainability programme in 2021. Within this framework, LEONI’s commitment to sustainability has been focused on key sustainability issues with specific, realistic roadmaps assigned to three focus areas, which ensure the progress of sustainability at LEONI is measurable. The focus in this respect is on climate neutrality, efficient and sparing use of resources, as well as good working and living conditions wherever the company is located around the world. LEONI is therefore working to establish transparency and circular material flows along its entire production and value chain, and is committed to its employees and their environment. In this way, the company is positioning itself as a pre ferred partner for sustainable mobility.

As one of the main pillars of our success, special attention is being paid to our employees, providing different types of training and education and investing in their development

Bosch In Serbia

in Serbia is part of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide, with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technol ogy that is “Invented for life”.

Bosch

Serbia is today the biggest factory for the production of windscreen wiper systems in Europe.

Bosch has been present in Serbia since 1991. In 2006, the company was founded as a re gional subsidiary with 100 per cent ownership and territorial responsibility for Serbia, Mon tenegro and North Macedonia.

Robert Bosch d.o.o. in Serbia operates in two locations: the company headquarters in New Belgrade and the automo tive manufacturing plant in Pećinci. The Bosch factory in

Robert Bosch d.o.o. has been among the top 15 exporters in Serbia for years, thanks to its automotive production. Moreover, the second larg est Competence Centre in the Automotive Aftermarket area of the Bosch Group globally is located in Belgrade. The Company employs over 3,000 associates and ranks among the top 20 most attractive employers in Serbia. Bosch in Serbia was also a pioneer in the implementation of dual education, back in 2014.

Bosch Household Appli ances, BSH, a second Bosch entity in Serbia, distributes

a top-quality Bosch and Gaggenau brands.

“The focus of our company remains on the development of the IT sector and the employ ment of IT profiles, as well as the expansion of the produc tion capacity and the product

range of our plant in Pećinci. We are especially proud of the state-of-the-art IT projects that our colleagues are working on, such as autonomous driving,” says Bosch Group in Serbia General Manager Jovanka Jovanović.

Empowering Aid

Strengthening the sustainable socioeconomic integration and development of individuals and groups through local partnerships

For the last 30 years, the people of the Western Balkans have faced dire humanitarian catas trophes: wars, earthquakes, floods, migrations, the ongoing COV ID-19 pandemic, as well as challenges in achieving sustainable development and ensuring no one is left behind in the process. As an internationally active aid organisation with over 40 years of experience in humanitarian aid and development assistance, Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe helps people around the world, including in Serbia, to fulfil their right to determine their own lives.

Whether it be emergency aid or fight ing poverty with in-kind grants and skills enhancement to earn a regular income (nearly 8,000 families supported in eco nomic empowerment), or building and renovating homes (over 3,000 homes), and securing their living conditions, our activities are primarily directed towards disadvantaged individuals and groups, with a portfolio of nearly 60 million EUR in Serbia until 2022. Help cooperates with more than half of Serbia’s administrative units (a total of 85 cities and municipalities in 2022) and relevant ministries and institutions, while forming long-term partnerships with local communities and associations.

Comprehensive and sustainable aid to empower those in need can be depicted most vividly through the complex migra tion management project.

Being a coalition of non-governmen tal, civil society Roma organisations, the SKRUG-League of Roma embraces a network of over 60 Roma organisations nationwide across Serbia. Within the scope of the Help project, this network serves as a focal point for communities of returnees and disadvantaged people. With the guidance and cooperation of Help, GIZ, DIMAK and other CSOs, this network of local Roma organisations gained new skills and experience in the

“The League of Roma offi cially cooperates with Help on migration management and has been generating an operational network in Serbia’s rural and urban areas since 2018. This is an important partnership of joint experience and results achieved. We are very proud of this network support mechanism that we have created with Help and maintained for four years, assisting returnees and other vulnerable groups.”

SKRUG – League of Roma

field of the social inclusion of the Roma population. By introducing operational tools throughout the implementation of activities, the network has improved its own capacities over the course of project implementation.

Whether it’s the provision of relevant information or referral to a relevant local, national or international organisa tion, institution or public authority, or assisting in the distribution of firewood to the most vulnerable fellow citizens in the midst of the pandemic, the network of the local Roma organisations plays a vital role in the Roma minority’s social inclusion and sustainable development. The goals set and expected results are being met through joint interventions and Help’s guiding principle: helping

people to help themselves comprehen sively. Moreover, one of Help’s strate gic goals in the subsequent projects is capacity building and strengthening local organisations and self-governance.

For more information on Help assistance in Serbia visit:

www.help-serbia.org.rs and worldwide www.help-ev.de.

DRAGAN ČIGOJA, LIDL SRBIJA CEO

Focus On Domestic Market, Consumers & Staff

Quickly after the opening of the first Lidl supermarkets in the country, it was clear to everyone, even those who aren’t economic experts, that the Serbian market had been entered by a company that would change the market itself. The expansion of the retail network, awards for the best employer in Serbia, and now the opening of a second Logistics Centre, represent just a few of the factors confirming that Lidl is here to stay

Inorder to get the lowdown on the new logistics centre in Lapovo, representing an investment exceed ing 70 million euros, but also the future plans of this retail chain that’s beloved by many, we spoke with Lidl Srbija CEO Dragan Čigoja.

Until just over a month ago, all 60 of your stores were supplied from the Logistics Centre in Nova Pazova. However, your logistics have now received significant support in the form of a new logistics centre. What makes it special?

That’s right, over the past four years, starting with the first 16 stores and cul minating with our more than 60 stores across the country now, supplies came from the logistics centre in Nova Pazova. With the expansion of our network, it was also necessary to maintain a high level of efficiency, the full supplying of stores and the freshness of produce. That’s why we built, over the course of the previous year, a second logistics centre in Lapovo that opened in August and will take over the supplying of al most half of our stores and thus enable further growth. It is specific primarily in terms of its size and storage capacity: it encompasses as much as 57,000 square metres, where we store 35,000 pallets of products in five distinct temperature zones adapted to product type. Another thing that I’d highlight is that this new, modern logistics centre was built in ac cordance with sustainability principles. It is its own source of energy: it receives as much as 30 per cent of the electricity it needs thanks to solar panels occupy

ing an area of 10,000 square metres on the roof. Apart from that, we are in the process of obtaining the highest-level LEED certificate, which requires the fulfilling of a large number of conditions, such as optimising water use, contribut ing to a pleasant working atmosphere for employees, reducing energy use etc.

You always emphasise that the key to your success is represented by your employees. How many jobs have been created in Lapovo; and what are the advantages of working at Lidl? The domestic market, consumers and employees are, and will forever be, in the focus of our development plans. The motto that guides us at Lidl is that em ployees are ’really important’, because they are the motor of our success. It was also with this same motto that we wel comed 250 new employees to the logistics centre in Lapovo, providing them with

competitive conditions like a funda mental, modern working environment that eases work and additional benefits, such as private health insurance for all. Furthermore, for those that hold operational positions, but also for col leagues in logistics, advanced contracts guarantee annual salary increases for the first four years in a given position. We also mustn’t forget to mention men toring and the career development and knowhow advancement opportunities we provide employees, which go hand in hand with the fair relations that we nurture – which is why we’re the proud holders of the Top Employer certificate for the second consecutive year.

The opening ceremony of the Logistics Centre drew special at tention to the theme of supporting domestic producers, or to your ’With love, domestic’ range of local prod ucts. What new additions to this segment can we expect?

’With love, domestic’ is our way of sup porting the Serbian economy, while simultaneously offering consumers prod ucts that have traditional flavours and are sourced exclusively from domestic producers. That is our brand in the regular product range, which is characterised –in addition to its domestic origin – by products with a high level of quality. And we expanded it recently to include new products. This prompted us to launch a one-month campaign, running from 5th September to 5th October, through which we are donating 1 dinar from the sale of every ’With love, domestic’ product to sup port the work of the Red Cross of Serbia.

METRO – Wholesale Partner Of The Professionals

METRO has been in Serbia for 17 years and has witnessed many market changes. The company today has a new global sCore strategy, with a long-term focus on professional customers, particularly small, independent trad ers and those traditionally operating in the HoReCa sector

Herewe disccus how to develop a successful wholesale busi ness strategy with METRO Cash&Carry Serbia CEO André Rinnensland.

What can you tell us about MET RO’s current plans and vision for the future?

Even after almost two decades of operations, our orientation towards wholesale hasn’t changed, and that’s only going to be stronger with the renewed business strategy. At the beginning of this year, METRO implemented the new global sCore strategy, with a longterm focus on professional customers, particularly small, independent traders and those traditionally operating in the HoReCa sector. Everything – from our assortment range, pricing policies, to dif ferent layouts in our stores – is tailored to best respond and cater to the needs of our professional customers, thus further positioning METRO as a true wholesaler and the first and most reliable choice as strategic business partner.

You have mentioned that the new strategy has a strengthened focus on small, independent, traders. Why are they so important to your business?

As one of our two core customer groups, independent traders are very important for METRO’s own successful business. But there’s also a bigger picture to be seen: independent traders, despite the fact they are small-sized entrepreneurs, are a major market contributor. There are more than 27,000 of them in Serbia, representing around 190 billion RSD in

Metro has strengthened its “Buy More, Pay Less” programme, which now features more than 3,000 key products for small traders

sales, while the environment is increas ingly dominated by modern retail chains. It is also important to note that they are often family-run businesses that serve local communities that often don’t have bigger retail options at hand. So, when METRO aims to provide an assortment, services and pricing options designed precisely for these types of traders to sustain and develop their business, we are actually advocating for a sustainable economy and society in general. That’s why we’ve also strengthened our “Buy

More, Pay Less” programme, which now features more than 3,000 key products for small traders.

Is the programme proving suc cessful, and how does it benefit your professional customers?

This is a programme that includes stable and attractive prices for the rel evant assortment, in suitable packaging, where quantity discounts are applied. We are very satisfied with the results so far, and we see sales growth in all categories, of course excluding the inflationary ef fect. We are trying to make the process sustainable for all parties in the chain – our customers, suppliers and us. We believe we have found a way to make it successful long-term.

Sustainability is still an important topic for METRO, as a wholesaler operating on many markets. What does it mean in Serbia, given the volatility of supply chains?

There are various aspects of sustain ability that we are pursuing both locally and globally. Ever since the start of the pandemic and the disruption to global supply chains, industry as a whole re alised that there’s no real sustainability unless we focus on local sourcing. METRO has always encouraged local producers and suppliers to develop their produc tion, and we are constantly looking for new partners in Serbia that are able to provide the highest-quality food products, especially in the Fresh and Ultra Fresh segment. We are working, in parallel with this, on reducing waste, energy usage, emissions and plastic packaging.

BOJAN SIMOVIĆ, DIRECTOR, HÖRMANN SERBIA D.O.O.

Always Ahead Of Time

For decades, Hörmann has been synonymous with the highest quality industrial and garage doors in Eu rope. This company’s products set standards in the industry, because every year Hörmann raises the bar in terms of innovation, quality, reliability...

Thedirector of Hörmann Serbia speaks to CorD Magazine about the wide range of its products, measures for en vironmental and climate protection, compliance with the strictest German and European standards and norms, and the customer trust they enjoy.

Industrial and garage doors are not your only products. What else does our market demand?

Hörmann is the largest manufacturer of doors in Europe, home to 22 of its 38 factories, which enables us to offer the market a whole range of products in addition to garage and industrial doors. Individual and industrial cus tomers are equally important to us. Industrial customers buy loading ramps, industrial doors and fire doors from us, while private customers buy entrance doors and interior doors for their homes in addition to garage doors. Construction companies opt for products from our range depend ing on what kind of project they are currently working on.

Year after year, you raise the bar in terms of innovation, qual ity, reliability... How much are you guided by the wishes and needs of your clients?

New, innovative, high-quality, reli able products are necessary if you want to progress in your business. All our products correspond to the strict requirements set by German and European standards and norms, primarily in terms of safety and security in their use, and then in the fact that these products perform their function even after many years

of use. Of course, we must not forget the aesthetic factor. How much we are ahead of the times can be seen from the fact that a large number of our products have German or world patents, while the technical details on our products, which are developed by our engineers, eventually become standard elements on the products of other manufacturers as well.

Since when is the use of “green energy” part of your strategic commitment? Why is it so impor tant to you?

Hörmann is aware of its responsibil ity towards future generations. For more than a decade, under the slo gan “We think green”, we have been implementing measures to protect the environment and climate. In the last few years, all our factories and branches in Germany have been supplied with energy exclusively from renewable energy sources. Wherever possible, we reduce or completely eliminate harmful gas emissions, and where this is not possible, we compensate through the financing of climate protection projects. Since last year, we have been the only one on the market offering climateneutral garage and house doors. This approach has met with a positive reaction in Germany. I believe that in our country, in accordance with today’s circumstances related to the energy crisis, awareness will grow that it is necessary to use electricity from renewable energy sources, which contributes to the preservation of the environment.

Considering the expansion of housing, does the Serbian market today differ from developed West ern markets? What motivates both architects and individual custom ers to choose your products?

When architects and customers decide on our products, they first of all think of functionality and design, quality and durability. The diversity of our product range allows architects a freedom of imagination in design ing, while it gives our customers the opportunity to find the right product that will make their home more beautiful and elegant.

In recent years, all Hörmann factories and branches in Germany have been supplied with energy exclusively from renewable energy sources

DANIJELA ESTERMANN-PAVLICA, MANAGER OF THE GERMAN ACADEMIC EXCHANGE SERVICE

Many Opportunities For Academics

DAAD offers several types of scholarship for each level of study. Excellent students from Serbia can ap ply. In addition, DAAD scholarships are aimed at the mobility of teaching and non-teaching staff, then at organising seminars, workshops, conferences and at purchasing apparatus for laboratories

DAAD

has been present and active in Serbia with its scholarship programmes and DAAD lecturers since the 1970s, but the Belgrade DAAD Infor mation Centre was only founded in 2009. The growing need for faster communication and information exchange between German and Serbian universities led to the establishment of our information centre. Also, since 2003, Serbia has become part of the European higher education area, and universities in Serbia, as members of the European and International Association of Univer sities, are increasingly turning to internationalisation. The international exchange of teachers and students has been intensified. These were all conditions for DAAD to activate more and more programmes in cooperation and exchange with Serbia. “That’s why we can today boast of our 69 collaborations between Serbian and German universities,” says Danijela Estermann-Pavlica, manager of the German Academic Exchange Service.

Just as DAAD is present in Germany at all universi ties, DAAD is also present in Serbia through coopera tion, conferences and exchanges at all universities in the country. “But if we talk about offices, DAAD is present through the Belgrade Information Centre as the only one in the Western Balkans, and three lectureships - at the University of Belgrade, the University of Novi Sad and one lectureship shared by the universities of Niš and Kragujevac,” explains our interlocutor.

It states on your website that you must take eight steps to get to the desired place of study. On average, how long does it take for students to master those steps and how do you help them along the way?

From the initial step, which consists of finding a suitable study programme at one of the German universities, to the last, which is the actual enrolment in studies, it takes about a year of good preparation. Our centre advises on the choice of the best programme, explains the application process to universities and the conditions for enrolment in

the desired programme, checks the financing options – researching which scholarships could cover which level of study in the specific case – and, if the future German students are from Serbia and DAAD scholars, we medi ate to help the process of obtaining a student visa.

Which universities and pro grammes are most attractive for students from Serbia? We have most inquiries for master’s studies, while the most popular uni versities are the Technical University of Munich, the Technical University of Berlin, AWTH Aachen and the University of Frankfurt. There is most interest in programmes in the fields of social sciences, economics and law, but certainly also in IT, electri cal engineering, applied informatics, biomedicine, molecular biology and, lately, programmes in the field of Life Science are increasingly in demand. Students from Serbia like the possibil

ity to study in Germany in English, and to study without tuition fees.

At what stage of their academ ic development do Serbian stu dents usually opt to go to German universities?

Our students most often choose to enrol in master’s studies, in addi

which is why many people contact us with the desire to enrol in Ph.D. studies in Germany.

What is special about a DAAD scholarship?

DAAD offers several types of scholar ship for each level of study, for which excellent students or graduates from Serbia can apply: for master’s stud ies in all scientific disciplines, but also for graduates in the fields of architecture, music, fine arts, de sign and film, and performing arts.

tion to the large and international offer (programmes in English), the reason for this great interest is the possibility of receiving DAAD scholarships for master’s studies.

We also offer Ph.D. scholarships,

Graduates with a master’s degree or its equivalent can apply for Ph.D. scholarships or research residences for those who have already enrolled in Ph.D. studies in Serbia. The DAAD scholarship covers all monthly ex penses in Germany, including living expenses and health insurance, as well as German language courses for those who decide to study/research in English. It should be noted that DAAD awards many more scholar

We have most inquiries for master’s studies, while the most popular universities are the Technical University of Munich, the Technical University of Berlin, AWTH Aachen and the University of Frankfurt

INTERVIEW

ships in the framework of projects that take place between Serbian and German universities, and that these DAAD scholarships are aimed at the mobility of teaching and non-teach ing staff, then at the organisation of seminars, workshops, conferences, but also at the purchase of equip ment for laboratories. Both Serbian and German universities apply for such project financing.

How many German alumni are there in Serbia today and how do they maintain mutual ties? DAAD has over five hundred alum ni and they are organised in three

I think that our alumni promote the DAAD slogan “Change by Exchange”

in the best way - so there is no change until you exchange ideas

DAAD alumni clubs in Serbia: in Bel grade, Novi Sad and Niš. Using the funds DAAD has for its alumni, they organise gatherings and socialising or participate in global DAAD alumni competitions, e.g. at the recently held “Setting out for the Future - How can we Drive Europe Forward” in Berlin, where as many as two teams from Serbia participated.

Most of our alumni have in the meantime become professors at Serbi an universities themselves, some have remained in Germany, but those who are in Serbia are our ambassadors in Germany and German ambassadors in Serbia, in the best possible way. Once you establish contact with a Ger man partner, there is always a way to continue cooperation and involve your colleagues in future projects. I think that our alumni promote the DAAD slogan “Change by Exchange” in the best way - so there is no change

until you exchange ideas

Besides scholarships, what else does the Belgrade DAAD Infor mation Centre do?

We are most recognisable for scholar ships, but we have a wide range of activities: we promote Germany as a country where people enjoy studying and researching, participate in edu cation fairs, organise workshops at which we teach high school students how to write motivational letters or to pass language tests.

Proud Tradition, Future Focus

Schenker has a top Head Office in Šimanovci, with multi-user contract logistics warehousing and a Land Terminal for Serbia, while in Inđija it has contract logistics in accordance with the world standard, and it also has a presence at Belgrade Airport, the Port of Belgrade and the customs office’s Belgrade Terminal. The company plans to expand in terms of warehousing capacities and in the land segment

Herewe discuss the advance ment of the company’s opera tions, the development of its digital products and services, preserving its position among the world’s top logistics operators, the scope of its international transport network, the company’s potential and challenges, but also the future of logistics and plans, with Schenker Managing Director Saša Baleta.

It was in May of this year that Schen ker d.o.o. celebrated two decades of operations in Serbia. Have you been operating in accordance with the same principles and quality system as DB Schenker’s worldwide network throughout all these years?

Schenker AG and all of our companies in the system provide services that are monitored using KPI methodology. Our company’s greatest strength is people, investing in education and the generally accelerated digitalisation of our opera tions as a whole (cooperation with clients and suppliers via platforms). Schenker invests huge sums globally in sustainable operations, new propulsion technologies and solutions (Volocopter, warehousing logistics) in order to maintain its position among the world’s top logistics operators and to advance even further. We want to be BiggerBetterFaster and to continue a tradition that dates back 150 years. We are this year celebrating 150 years of the company’s existence and hope for another 150.

You are in a position to offer your clients services that it’s tough for the competition to rival. Is that precisely why your position on the

We hold a place among the top five logistics operators in Serbia in terms of range of services and turnover and profit, with a continuous plan for further growth

Serbian market is constantly strengthening?

Yes! We have become the market leader in the ocean transport segment and strengthened our cooperation in con tract logistics with the most demanding partners. The greatest strength of the entire company in Europe is the Land segment, where we rank as the number one corporation, with 720 branches. Our clients can rely on the abundance and precision of those transports, as well as on the stability of the cooperation that

we provide. We hold a place among the top five logistics operators in Serbia in terms of range of services and turnover and profit, with a continuous plan for further growth.

What kind of role do modern tech nologies play in your work? How is digitalisation implemented in your services?

Integrated tools are used throughout Schenker AG – both internal and exter nal (tracking transports on Ocean, Air, Land... activities, shipments, finances, timetables and communication with cli ents etc.). Serving as an example of that is 4.0, with which we want to improve operations and life by shaping the way our world connects. In order for us to achieve this ambitious goal, we work consistently to expand our range of digital products and services and thereby further advance our business activities. Whether transporting by land, air or water, DB Schenker’s new Connect 4.0 platform enables clients to quickly and affordably ship their shipments online. Business users can easily access the company’s international shipping network online and send shipments using any mode of transport. The new Connect 4.0 is the latest online platform that makes pro fessional logistics simpler than it’s ever been before. Furthermore, it offers instant information on pricing and scheduling, as well as easy tracking. This renders the shopping experience known from the B2C sector available to the field of professional B2B logistics. The new booking interface will be particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized customers seeking fast and simple solutions.

GORAN JANKOVIĆ

DIRECTOR, INMOLD

German Industry Is The Best Example

Thanks to the quality and innovation of Inmold’s experts and workers, IML robots and sophisticated high-quality tools for injection molding of plastic and non-ferrous metals from Požega reach most of Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, the U.S., Japan, China and other demanding world markets

Inmold’s

chief reveals the impor tance of vision, commitment and good choice of partners and staff for the development of the com pany, how valuable investment in education can be for securing the best personnel and why family companies are often more successful than others.

Your family business is the pride of Požega and the whole of Serbia. How long did it take you to conquer the world?

My wish was to create a company that would be the pride of our family, but also of the country where we live. I am happy because we managed to grow from a mini-company with 25 employees to a company that today has more than 600 staff. In all of this, the great experience that I and some of my associates brought to Inmold, my personal capital acquired by selling a part of the company in which I was a co-owner, the loan obtained from the Development Fund, and especially the fact that we chose the right industry, play an important role.

You know, back in 1994, when I started doing private business, Serbia was a country that people said many bad things about. I am pleased that, after almost 30 years, we talk with our business friends with great pride about work, the company and the country we are from, and our partners appreciate and respect us and our country.

Inmold, which manufactures IML robots and sophisticated highquality plastic and non-ferrous

Back in 1994, when I started doing private business, Serbia was a country that people said many bad things about, but today everyone respects us

metal injection molding tools, is growing year by year. Does this require a new organization, adjust ments to the current system and way of working?

Of course, organisational changes in the company due to its growth, to technological progress, and to generally known problems are necessary, and we are constantly in the process of adapta tion and change. At our company, we

introduce everything that we see as good, and that we have seen in partner companies, which are examples of good practice, or at the various seminars and training courses in which we participate.

How much do you adapt the knowledge and experience gained at the biggest fairs, working with foreign suppliers, customers and partners to your company and implement them so that they bring you growth and progress?

Fairs are very important in our sales activities, so we participate in all fair events related to our business. They are a big reason for our growth and develop ment, because through them we learn about achievements in our field of work. I would like to single out the biggest fair we participate in, which is the K fair in Düsseldorf. This year it takes place from 19th to 27th October, and we will do our best to make our stand in hall 1 noticed and remembered, and to receive, listen to and entertain all our dear guests ac cording to Serbian tradition.

10 years ago, it was a shame to be a worker, everyone wanted to be a manager. Today, thanks to you and Inmold, everything is different. Young people no longer run away from Požega because they can be proud of where they live and where they were born?

It is today popular to be a craftsman or a mechanical engineer, these are now highly sought-after professions, and all young people with those leanings can count on a job at Inmold. All our staff

are from within a 25-kilometre radius of the company, and the average age is under 32. High school students who completed their schooling in Požega, Užice, Kosjerić, Lučani and Arilje, and who are interested in working at Inmold, get the chance to become part of our team. All students from these regions who want to return and start working are offered a job at Inmold even if their vocational training does not meet our needs, because we organise so many retraining courses for them.

I am very proud of the introduction of the dual education system at Inmold, not only because we ensure a sufficient influx of young people into our company, but also because we solve the problem of a lack of personnel that plagues all companies in the area and beyond.

You are surely very proud of the fact that you cooperate with many companies that are synonymous with quality both on the European and world markets, but also of your membership of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce...

We are very proud of all our partners, but also of ourselves, especially if you take into account the old folk saying “Who wants to fly with falcons must make friends with them”. We are in the company of the best companies in Europe and the world, and we are also members of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, through which we are in constant contact with German industry, which serves as a model for us.

Is it true that Inmold is the only company in south-east Europe that has been admitted to the prestigious Association of German Toolmakers (VDWF)? How did that happen?

Yes, that’s right. Although we didn’t know it, the man who wrote the “tool

maker’s ABC” followed our work, judged that we were on the same level as the other members of that association and proposed us as a member. We bought several copies of that book and got him interested, so he took the time to visit us. On his return, he suggested to his colleagues that we also become members of the Association of German Toolmakers.

Your children have tied their ca reers to Inmold. Is this the best indi cator and guarantee that your family company will continue to operate well and successfully in the future?

My wife Milka and I have four chil dren - daughters Dušica and Nevena and sons Slobodan and Dušan, and they are all here. They studied abroad for jobs that Inmold needs, learned languages, took internships at foreign companies and came to our family company to make it even better and bigger with their youth and enthusiasm. Three are already married, I have two grandchildren, my daughters-in-law and sons-in-law are determined to live in Požega, and that’s why my happi ness has no end. My children have been present in the company since they were young, and I hope that, knowing how complex and difficult it is to create a company, they will know how to ap preciate it and that the company will live on for several generations to come.

It is today popular to be a craftsman or a mechanical engineer, these are now highly sought-after professions, and all young people with those leanings can count on a job at Inmold

TANJA

(COLOGNE)

OF GERMAN

Strong Bond Between Germany And Serbia

The German economy has for decades been among Serbia’s most important investors, but also one of the most important partners of companies from Serbia, which is why law firm Doklestić Repić & Gajin launched a special ised German practice for clients from German-speaking areas

Wesucceeded in identifying and recognising a niche for Deutsche Praxis on the Ser bian market, which is very well received among clients - explains Tanja Glišić, emphasising that the firm’s almost decade-long presence on the mar ket makes them qualified as good con noisseurs of opportunity.

Your German practice is one of the factors that sets you apart from the competition. What kind of role does Deutsche Praxis play?

Our firm devotes special attention to clients from the so-called DACH countries [Germany [D], Austria [A] and Switzer land [CH]]. We consider investments from those countries as being extremely important for our economy, but also for our country’s democratic development, and that they contribute to the develop ment and improvement of the Serbian economy to a great extent. That’s why we launched our specialised “Deutsche Praxis”, which is dedicated to those clients and via which they can receive premium legal support in the German language when required.

We are also well aware that companies and managers that come from Western Europe, and particularly from the DACH region, have a specific system of work, discipline and values, which they don’t always find it easy to implement in their operations in Serbia or in our region in general. The role of our German practice is to help bridge that gap in practise by helping those clients establish a legal framework for their business in Serbia

and the region that’s aligned with the standards and expectations of their homeland.

Apart from that, I was born in Ger many, where I also completed my master’s studies and gained life and work experi ence. That’s why I always find it a great pleasure and particularly inspiring when I am able to contribute to the arrival of companies from Germany, Austria or Switzerland that create new opportuni ties and jobs for citizens in Serbia.

Your firm is active in many crossborder economic and legal organisa tions, including the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia). How much does that professional

networking with leading law firms and other companies from DACH countries mean to you?

That kind of networking means a lot to us, as it enables us to connect with the member companies of those organisations and learn about the legal problems con fronting them. Likewise, by engaging in those associations, we strive to contribute to efforts to advance Serbia’s legal and business environment.

All the characteristics of our firm make it complementary to companies that are members of organisations like AHK and ensure that we are able to offer them legal advice and communication in the German language, with familiarity with their business culture and wellacquainted with the standards of the industries from which they hail.

Is your firm an important address for both existing investors and those planning business ventures in the Adriatic region?

We are absolutely convinced that’s the case. Our almost decade-long pres ence on the Serbian market, and later regionally, qualifies us as a good author ity on investment opportunities, incen tives, and the regulatory framework of these markets. Alongside this, we also cultivate and provide a multijurisdictional approach to cross-border projects, as we have our own offices, or correspondent offices, throughout the Western Balkan region and through them provide legal advice of a uniform quality, under the coordination of one of our competent partners.

Dr SLOBODAN DOKLESTIĆ, LL.M. (CEU), MANAGING PARTNER, LAW FIRM DOKLESTIĆ,

Success Based On Principles

The focus of our firm is on com mercial law and corporate clients - explains Dr Slobodan Doklestić, noting that firm utilises its specialised teams of lawyers to cover all areas of commercial law, from corporate law, M&A transactions, banking and financial law, to competi tion law, real estate etc.

You are known on the market as a top law firm that distinguishes itself from others through its approach to business and cli ents. Who are they? Who are your clients and what areas do you handle?

It’s certainly very nice to hear that we are recognised as such on the mar ket, especially given that our market is fairly competitive and has really good law firms. The focus of our firm is on commercial law and corporate clients. Our clients are leading foreign and domestic companies in almost all fields of industry, from the tobacco industry, the FMCG sector, the au tomotive industry and construction, to healthcare.

In order for us to be able to provide high-quality legal support to such a wide range of clients, it is essential for our lawyers to be specialised in vari ous areas of law. One important part of our practice is labour law, because that’s something that’s important to all corporate clients and it is very important to regulate labour-legal relations within a company in advance, thus ensuring the conditions for the well-ordered and organised work of employees and the protection of the in terests of both employers and workers.

We consider that business success must be based on certain values, which both guide and define us. We have established five such principles that define our work

We know that you are very proud of the five principles that define you and your practises. Could you tell us more about that?

Yes, as with everything else in life, we consider that business success must be based on certain values, which both guide and define us. We have estab lished five such principles that define our work. The first is that we always strive to provide our clients with a top-class legal service. Second, we cul tivate a business-oriented approach, which sets the parameters of our task

to support the business of clients, and not to look for reasons why something cannot be done. Third, we endeavour to always be efficient in our work and to ensure that clients are satisfied with the value that we deliver for the money they pay us. The next principle is that we never deviate from our professional integrity. And, finally, we view our clients as long-term partners, and not as one-off customers.

How did you come to be among the founders of the association of leading independent law firms in the Adriatic region, under the name Lex Adria?

A large number of our clients are present not only in Serbia, but also throughout our region, and conse quently they have a need for effective legal support regionally. That’s why we initially established our offices in Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, in cooperation with local lawyers. We are very proud that we are today among the rare law firms to be inter nationally recognised (e.g. by Legal 500) as a leading law firm in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Furthermore, we are one of the founders of the Lex Adria® regional network of law firms, which encom passes the entire ex-YU region, plus Bulgaria and Albania. Members of the alliance are leading law firms in their own countries, and we regularly advise clients throughout the region through close cooperation with them. Clients thereby gain a “one-stop-shop” for the entire region. And we also thus serve as a good example of regional cooperation that others can learn from.

The Doklestić, Repić & Gajin Law Firm is recognised internationally by Legal 500, the world’s most renowned legal directory, as a leading law firm in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The firm’s clients are leading foreign and domestic companies operating in almost all fields of industry

By Petar S. Ćurčić, historian of the Institute of European Studies

Positive Legacy Disregarded

Oneessential question for historians who study in ternational politics is the character of the relationship between Germany and Serbia. Despite the fact that relations between these two countries are often viewed in black and white terms, often with the dual istic Manichean division of the world into good and evil, reality refutes this view of things. The deep penetration

of these two peoples and countries has continued for many centuries. Despite sources from medieval times and the early modern era being overly fragmentary, they clearly indicate the usefulness of cooperation that has, in many ways, extended beyond purely diplomatic forms (the late-12th century agreement on alliance between Stefan Nemanja and Friedrich Barbarossa; the arrival of miners from Saxony in

the 13th century etc.). However, more intensive contacts only came with the era of the enlightenment and the creation of nation states during the 19th century.

THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN STATES – WHAT DID SERBIA LEARN FROM GERMANY? With the incorporating of the Serbs into their own state, the Habsburg

Germany’s importance to today’s European Union points to the essential need to overview the European continuity of Serbian politics and remind of the importance of good relations with Berlin

THE 1189 MEETING OF STEFAN NEMANJA AND FREDERICK BARBAROSSA (19TH CENTURY) BY KOSTA MANDROVIĆ

Monarchy also enabled their inclu sion in the Central European milieu and their greater connection with the intellectual centres of German lands. Through learned Serbs from Austria, and in particular Dositej Obradović, who was educated and shaped en duringly in Halle and Leipzig, the rebellious, young Serbian state be gan the lasting construction of its institutions in 1804. Testifying to the importance of the German language is the fact that it was the main foreign language in Ivan Jugović’s ‘Great School’, while the German public showed considerable interest in the phenomenon of the emergence of the modern Serbian state in the decades that followed the end of the struggle for independence, which is also shown by the famous “Serbian Revolution” work of Leopold Ranke, the most important and respected European historian of the 19th century.

Already during the 1830s, the government of the then Principality of Serbia decided to work systemati cally to educate experts who would respond to the challenges of the emerging state. Through scholarship programmes, talented young Serbian school pupils were sent to various Eu ropean centres to acquire knowledge and skills. Their contribution to the transfer of knowledge and strengthen ing of institutions was immeasurable, as was that of individuals who held important political positions. The most important military and political decision-makers in 1878, the year the country gained its independence, had studied in Germany. Namely, Jovan Ristić – as an historian, diplomat and politician -and Milojko Lešjanin and Ranko Alimpić – as military commanders – were educated at prestigious universities and military schools in Heidelberg and Berlin. The results of such an educational policy contributed to the country’s further development. According to the research of historians, economists and engineers, but also educators (especially university professors) and lawyers were educated at German universities, specifically in Berlin and Munich, and subsequently in

Testifying to the importance of the German language is the fact that it was the main foreign language in Ivan Jugović’s ‘Great School’, while the German public showed considerable interest in the phenomenon of the emergence of the modern Serbian state, which is also shown by the famous “Serbian Revolution” work of Leopold Ranke, the most important and respected European historian of the 19th century

Leipzig, Heidelberg, Jena, Halle, Bonn and Würzburg. The creation of the Serbian statistical office, which is of great importance to the collec tion of data that provides the basis to construct the long-term develop ment forecasts of each country, also wouldn’t have been possible without Vladimir Jakšić, who was educated in Tübingen and Heidelberg.

THE ECONOMY AND FINANCE AS BEARERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE

Although Berlin didn’t officially show great interest in Serbia after the Berlin Congress of 1878, primarily due to consideration for its allies in Vienna, relations began changing more significantly at the beginning

LITHOGRAPH OF DOSITEJ OBRADOVIĆ BY ANASTAS JOVANOVIĆ

SERBIA AND GERMANY –HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

of the 20th century. Although Vienna and Berlin were political allies prior to World War I, Germany and its economy didn’t official side with Austria-Hungary in the economic blockade of Serbia from 1906 to 1911. It was then that Germany became a significant trade partner of Serbia for the first time in modern his tory. By utilising the blockade and establishing economic cooperation with Belgrade, Germany’s share of Serbia’s international trade grew rapidly, from a modest 5.63% to an impressive 40.4% in just a few short years. Without this kind of interest from the German economy, Serbia would have struggled to handle the pressure applied by Austria-Hungary at the time, and there would have been no national pride over the Cus toms War.

Following the trauma of World War I, it was necessary to maintain the European peace that had been established. Despite the fact that there were disagreements between the Weimar Republic and the then new Yugoslav state, in 1921 even the government of Nikola Pašić (prime minister during the time of World War I) expressed regret that the country was unable to normalise relations with Berlin more quickly. The aspiration to do so was not ac cidental, and the two country’s needs were mutual. On the one hand, the Weimar Republic needed raw materi als for its own industry, while on the other hand, it was important for the young Yugoslav state to both secure a business partnership and strengthen

cooperation with a country whose influence could mitigate the exter nal pressure applied by Austria and Italy. However, the circumstances in Europe didn’t favour such normalisa tion, with better times only returning after World War II.

BETWEEN IDEOLOGY, ECONOMY, FRAUGHT HISTORY AND REALITY (1945-1991)

The first decades of the Cold War were marked by great tensions be tween two opposing blocs on the ter ritory of the then two Germanys (the 1948 and 1949 blockade of Berlin; the quelling of the 1953 uprising in East Germany; the Berlin crisis of 1961).

After the war, Yugoslavia’s new policy adjusted its own position towards the Federal Republic of Germany primarily on the basis of factors that

were ideological (rivalry between communist and liberal democratic states), geopolitical (global conflict between two blocs) and economic. Despite the then Yugoslavia being ideologically closer to East Germany, relations with West Germany were reflected primarily in the light of the state of East Germany. The then Yugoslav leadership, led by Josip Broz Tito, considered that, although the two Germanys was a political reality, for the sake of European peace it was necessary to overcome bloc conflicts through cooperation at the European level and the easing of tensions in German countries. Yu goslav recognition of East Germany worsened relations between Belgrade and Bonn for several years, but nor malisation also appeared with the arrival of Willy Brandt and the era of detente between the great powers in the late 1960s. Chancellor Brant’s new policy also provided wind to the sails of Yugoslav plans to establish a European organisation for collective security CSCE/OSCE. The coming to power of the Social Democrats in the late 1960s, coupled with the personal links between Brant and Tito, enabled the Yugoslav state and its faltering economy to receive more favourable loans that spurred the development of the country.

In light of these changes, FR Ger many’s most important left-wing intellectuals (Ernst Bloch, Jürgen Habermas, Herbert Marcuse, Erich Fromm and others) visited Yugoslavia in the late 1960s and maintained contacts with a group of oppositionminded Yugoslav philosophers gath ered around the Praxis journal and the Korčula Summer School. The leftist intellectual opposition wasn’t favoured by the communist regime of the time, which began restricting freedom of thought, and the Federal Republic of Germany’s authorities came to the defence of persecut ed Yugoslav professors on several occasions. It was also under such circumstances that future Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić went to Germany to study, where he received full scientific affirmation.

The fervour of the conflicts that played out in the 20th century can largely obscure the centuries of positive influences that permeated between Serbia and Germany, or between Serbs and Germans. An immeasurable contribution to the development of the country was made by individuals who championed the transfer of knowledge and the country’s progress for centuries

TITO AND WILLY BRANDT

GUEST WORKERS – A LASTING BRIDGE IN RELATIONS

The “economic miracle” of the Federal Republic of Germany completely out shone the rest of Europe in terms of growth rates and standards. Although socialist Yugoslavia had also recorded high rates of development in the first decades after World War II, its economy had already begun stagnating during the ‘60s, despite numerous reforms. From

an economic perspective, Yugoslavia could not extract itself from the Euro pean framework, despite proclaimed policy of non-alignment, and testifying to this is the fact that it had far greater cooperation with West Germany than all non-aligned and most communist countries combined during the entire post-war period.

The opening up of West Germany to foreign workers (so-called Gastarbeiter – guest workers) contributed to reducing Yugoslavia’s unemployment. Research shows that around half a million Yugo slavs had been working in West Germany in 1973. Germany’s appeal to workers from the country was no accident. Apart from geographical proximity, another decisive factor was also the standard of living, given that earnings in West Germany at the end of the 1960s were three times the Yugoslav average. Al though they were consumers in the host country, Yugoslav workers still sent remittances home to their relatives. Remittances increased rapidly during the 1960s, growing quickly from 104 million Deutschmarks in 1964 to 503 million in 1969, and that rapid growth also continued in the subsequent decades. Serbia today remains among the top thirty recipient countries of remittances from their own emigrants.

The fervour of the conflicts that played out in the 20th century can largely obscure the centuries of positive influences that permeated between Serbia and Ger many, or between Serbs and Germans. An immeasurable contribution to the development of the country was made by individuals who championed the transfer of knowledge and the country’s progress for centuries. Germany’s importance to today’s European Union points to the essential need to overview the European continuity of Serbian politics and remind of the importance of good relations with Berlin. This latter aspect is particularly pertinent considering that Germany hasn’t only been among the biggest investors and donors to Serbia over the past few decades, but also that it is able, with its diversified relations and resources, to assist in the sustainable development and establishing of stabil ity in this region that’s so burdened by various conflicts.

JOVAN RISTIĆ

LEOPOLD VON RANKE

How Much Has The Ukraine War Changed Germany?

Germany faces no shortage of crises, from the Russian security threat and political instability among Western allies to democratic backsliding and a looming economic crisis within the European Union. But, overall, the current government has proven surprisingly adept at managing the situation

Ithas now been more than six months since German Chancel lor Olaf Scholz stood before a special session of the Bundestag to address Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. “We are living through a

watershed era. And that means that the world afterwards will no longer be the same as the world before,” he observed. “The issue at the heart of this is whether power is allowed to prevail over the law ... Or whether

we have it in us to keep warmongers like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in check. That requires strength of our own. Yes, we fully intend to secure our freedom, our democracy, and our prosperity.”

Scholz’s speech proclaiming a Zeitenwende, or historic turning point, came at a moment of deep shock in Germany. The country was witnessing a total collapse of strategic principles that went back to the late 1960s, with then-Foreign Minister Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik (“Eastern Policy”) and its central premise of Wandel durch Handel (“change through trade”). The hope was that commercial, cul tural, and other forms of engagement with actual and potential adversaries would eventually bring about rap prochement. After 1989, the peaceful political transitions in many Central and Eastern European countries became the expected norm for how the world ought to work.

But Putin’s war of aggression shattered these assumptions, leading Scholz to announce some of the most drastic policy reversals in postwar German history. Among other things, his government would invest sig nificantly more in the armed forces, with a new €100 billion ($99 billion) special fund for that purpose; provide military support for the Ukrainian army; push for a joint EU sanctions regime against Russia; radically overhaul Germany’s energy policy; and conduct a review of the country’s trade policies with autocratic regimes (especially China), to avoid future dependencies.

In short, Scholz committed Ger many to a far more active role in the defence of the liberal international order. But while none of these policy changes has been reversed or de railed, some have stalled, and others have progressed too slowly.

On the positive side, Germany’s complicated three-party coalition government has held together, which is a success in itself. While Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) have fallen in the polls, the Greens have remained strong, owing to the popularity of key figures such as Economic Minister Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Even more importantly, the gov ernment has won the battle of nar ratives against the Putinversteher (Putin apologists), a formidable bloc

that is represented across the Ger man political spectrum, but especially within the SPD. Those pushing for a deal in which Ukraine would cede territory to Russia are no longer influencing policy.

Despite high inflation, there has been very little industrial action and few demonstrations challenging the government’s policies. Germans gen erally agree that they must invest in renewable energy and reduce their economic dependencies. Short-term preparations are underway in the event that Russia cuts off energy deliveries to Europe entirely.

on many fronts, owing to inherited problems, ineptitude, and, in some cases, political opportunism.

For starters, the armed forces turned out to be in far worse shape than was assumed, which is one reason why Germany’s weapons deliver ies to Ukraine have been miniscule compared to other NATO countries. The Bundeswehr simply is not fit for purpose. A substantial portion of the promised €100 billion will merely compensate for past underinvestment, rather than strengthening capacity.

Further complicating matters, Finance Minister Christian Lind

Still, while the government has managed to forge a political consensus on key issues, it has failed to deliver

ner of the Free Democrats (FDP) insists that the Schuldenbremse (the “debt brake,” a constitutional cap on deficit spending) must be upheld, which means that higher defense spending therefore must come at the expense of other programmes. In its 2023 budget, the government foresees a remarkable reduction of new government debt (from €138.9 billion to €17.2 billion), implying foregone spending on social welfare, education, health, infrastructure, and other popular priorities.

Scholz committed Germany to a far more active role in the defence of the liberal international order. But while none of these policy changes has been reversed or derailed, some have stalled, and others have progressed too slowly

OPINION

Germany’s budget policies are entirely at odds with the imperatives the country must confront. Although Germany is facing massive economic, energy, and security challenges, its finance ministry has continued to put a balanced budget first, imposing a straightjacket on the rest of the government.

Legacy issues also weigh on Scholz’s administration. Following the missed reform opportunities of Angela Mer kel’s chancellorship, a mountain of red tape will hamper the expansion of wind and solar capacity. Germany also is woefully behind in e-governance and digital administration. While the government recently announced a new digital strategy, it will be many years before it shows meaningful results.

Elsewhere, new policies have ex posed past neglect. For example, a sharply reduced fare for regional pub lic rail transportation was supposed to save energy. Instead, the sharp increase in ridership overwhelmed the rail system, which suffers from decades of underinvestment, exacer bated by botched privatization efforts. Now, the rail-ticket subsidy has ended and is unlikely to be renewed.

Incompetence has also been a prob lem. Consider the Energieumlage

(energy allocation), financial rescue operation to save companies at risk of insolvency because of higher gas prices. Starting in October, German households were going to be charged an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour to help replace Russian sup plies. But the way the policy was designed, energy companies will be able to offset some of their losses from gas even as they are still generating huge profits elsewhere.

Worse, Germany still plans to shut down its last remaining nuclear power stations, and it is still dead set against fracking, even as it imports energy that was generated by nuclear power or fracking elsewhere.

Nonetheless, Scholz is proving to be a steadfast leader. Despite his

cautiousness, he comprehends the gravity of the Zeitenwende. Germany faces no shortage of challenges, from the Russian security threat and po litical instability among Western allies to democratic backsliding and a looming economic crisis within the European Union. In a commentary published in July in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Scholz offered a strong response to these problems, urging the EU to become a geopoliti cal power, and signaling that he is willing to trade sovereignty for that purpose. Speaking in Prague recently, he re-confirmed his commitment to EU reforms, advocating more major ity voting in the European Council, greater security cooperation, reform of the stability pact, and expansion to the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

With a relatively sound economy, a strong commitment to the liberal order and the EU, and a functioning government, Germany may be Eu rope’s best hope in the current crises, provided that American support for Ukraine remains strong.

Helmut K. Anheier, Professor of Sociology at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin

With a relatively sound economy, a strong commitment to the liberal order and the EU, and a functioning government, Germany may be Europe’s best hope in the current crises, provided that American support for Ukraine remains strong

Education For Germany’s Future

Promoting the policy areas of education, science and research are crucial for Germany’s future prosperity, according to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Germany’s current Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina StarkWatzinger, believes edu cation and research are both hugely important for the development of the country. On education and research for the future of Germany’s people, Stark-Watzinger affirms that each person can be empowered, and the means to achieve this is simply educa tion. She develops this point and adds that research and innovation both provide a basis for future progress and to tackle grand challenges.

“Education starts at day care cen tres and continues at school, in voca tional training and higher education and, ideally, throughout our lives. This is how we create opportunities and enable individual careers for anyone, whatever their personal background. Better education provides for advance ment and self-determination, as well as for growth and prosperity. Its twin is research and innovation. The two of them provide the basis for progress and are urgently required to address grand challenges such as COVID-19, digitalisation and climate change.”

Stark-Watzinger gives fascinat ing insights into her key plans for the coming years, stating that more progress is desired by the coalition and that education and research play a critical role here. “Education and research will play a key role in this regard. They are the most important drivers of progress in our country,” the Minister comments.

COVID-19 underlines the need to give education a modernisation boost in Germany, so that’s why it is vital to make the Digital Pact speed up by reducing bureaucratic obstacles, Stark-Watzinger states. The Minister

Better education provides for advancement and self-determination, as well as for growth and prosperity. Its twin is research and innovation. The two of them provide the basis for progress and are urgently required to address grand challenges such as COVID-19, digitalisation and climate change

also details reforming BAföG training assistance and giving extra support to children and young people with special needs. It is worth explaining first that BAföG means training is funded by the public sector, so the state provides individual trainees with the finances required to cover training fees and living expenses.

“We want to reform BAföG training assistance and make it less dependent on parental income. And we want to provide additional support to children and young people who are in special need to give them a better educational start in life,” Stark-Watzinger says.

Stark-Watzinger also intends to do more for the multi-faceted research landscape that characterises Germany. As such, increasing government ex penditure on research development is important for Stark Watzinger in her role as Federal Minister of Education and Research, but having said that she wants to remain curious when wearing her researcher’s hat. The lat ter is an interesting observation if we know something of Stark-Watzinger’s background, indeed, she worked in the management of two financial research institutions in Frankfurt for nearly ten years before being elected to the German Bundestag as a member re sponsible for the budget of the Ministry.

Trade Cooperation Between Serbia And Germany Growing

AHK Serbia is the largest network of German and Serbian businesspeople, a representative of the in terests of member companies in industry and politics, but also a strong advisory support for Serbian businesspeople when entering the German market, providing services tailored to modern business and contributing to the development and improvement of dual education in Serbia

Researchon the economic envi ronment in Serbia conducted by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) among its members during March and April indicates a serious increase in the confidence of German companies in Ser bia as an investment destination. Results turned out to be better than expected.

The German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) belongs to the system of German foreign trade and in dustry chambers, with 140 offices in 92 countries around the world. With almost 400 member companies, AHK Serbia is the largest bilateral chamber of com merce in Serbia and an ideal platform for contacts between German, Serbian and international companies. Ever since the establishment of the then Delegation of German Business in Serbia and the German-Serbian Business Association in 2001, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has been offering a number of interesting services. AHK Serbia was officially founded on 14th April 2016.

AHK Serbia is the largest network of German and Serbian businesspeo ple, a representative of the interests of member companies in industry and politics, but also a strong advisory sup port for Serbian businesspeople when entering the German market, providing services tailored to modern business and contributes to the development and improvement of dual education in Serbia

One of the central tasks of AHK Serbia is to support German compa nies in founding, market research and company mergers. The Chamber offers various business services, starting with the search for contacts, support in the negotiation process, the creation of in dividual studies and market research and many others. The Chamber also offers translation services, informa tion on legal and customs issues, PR services and the complete organisation of various events.

Serbia proved to be a good location for investment even before the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic,

which did not slow down investment from Germany. Despite the situation, many large investors from Germany, such as MTU, Boysen Abgassysteme, Fischer Automotive, SMP Automo tive, ZF Serbia, Brose, Continental, Hansgrohe, Bizerba and others, opened new factories in Serbia and expanded their existing business and production facilities.

According to the latest survey of the German-Serbian Chamber of Com merce, conducted in March and April

AHK Serbia is the largest bilateral chamber of commerce in Serbia and an ideal platform for contacts between German, Serbian and international companies

of this year, the trust of German com panies in Serbia as an investment destination is growing year on year. German and Serbian companies, mem bers of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, positively evaluated the economic climate in Serbia in the survey and expressed positive expectations for their own businesses. Furthermore, despite the current crisis, 95 per cent of companies participating in the survey would invest in Serbia again. As the

biggest threats and risks in the de velopment of their companies in the next twelve months, businesspeople highlight the increase in the price of energy and raw materials, the economic and political framework, the increase in labour costs, a lack of demand and a workforce deficit.

Although the world is experienc ing the third global crisis in the last 20 years that has affected the entire economy, the results of the research show that the assessment of the economic situation in Serbia for the year 2022 has not worsened. A further increase in trade coopera tion between Serbia and Germany is expected, but perhaps not with a double-digit growth rate.

Despite the consequences of the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, which are reflected in the global economy, half of the respond ents (52%) rate their business as good, and only one per cent as not good enough. Business forecasts for the current year also contain optimism compared to three years ago - only 10 per cent of respondents fear a deterioration.

Concerning business development and additional employment in 2022, 49% of surveyed companies plan to increase the number of their staff, 46% plan no changes, while only

five per cent of respondents assume that the number of their employees will decrease. This result unequivo cally points to the fact that German companies will continue to create new jobs in Serbia. During 2022, 46 per cent of surveyed companies plan to increase their investment, while only 10 per cent announce a decrease in investment.

When evaluating the factors that impact business in Serbia, the fight against corruption and crime, legal certainty, transparency in public tenders, the efficiency of the tax sys tem and tax administration, and the availability of labour were rated the worst. German-Serbian companies gave satisfactory ratings for criteria related to the labour market in Ser bia: the qualification and motivation of employees, their productivity and academic education.

Thanks to the introduction of the dual education system, companies offer their staff the opportunity to improve their skills and qualifica tions. This is why a large number of companies invest in research

and development and open train ing facilities near their factories, but also an excellent indicator that investors intend to stay.

Summarising the results of the survey, the director of the GermanSerbian Chamber of Commerce, Alexander Markus, pointed out that Serbia is still a very desir able destination for investment, the trust of German companies is increasing, but the competition is strong, and Serbia must actively invest efforts to further improve general business conditions. We are pleased with the fact that a full 95% of companies would invest in Serbia again, which is the best result so far.

“A large number of German com panies are currently looking for new suppliers, and the countries of the Western Balkans are certainly in the focus of potential German investors.” From this point of view, Serbia has a great opportunity, es pecially when you take into account the assessments of businessmen on the spot,” says the AHK Serbia director.

The head of the economic de partment Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia, Denis Kaiser, said that the survey of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce on business conditions reconfirms the attractiveness of Serbia for German companies and reflects close economic relations between Serbia and Germany.

“The fact that 95% of the com panies that participated in the survey would choose Serbia again as a place for investments speaks for itself. However, a large number of German companies believe that it is necessary to improve the fight against corruption, as well as trans parency in public procurement. We are ready to support Serbia in this, helping pave its way to the European Union,” said Kaiser.

As many as 95% of German companies would invest in Serbia again, which is the best result so far

A Beautiful Dream

Hermann

Karl Hesse is one of the most remarkable European authors of the 20 th century. His think ing integrated both idealism and practicality, the great treasure of a deliberate mind with spiritual power. He grew up deeply thoughtful, and developed an expression of experien tial knowledge derived entirely from the diverse aspects of his own life.

Hesse was born in the Black Forest town of Calw, Wurttemberg in the German empire on 2 nd July 1877. His father, Johannes Hesse, hailed from Estonia, which at that time was

Hermann Hesse’s novels were always about soul searching and finding the true meaning of life, which began with his visit to India. He wrote one book after another, all exploring an individual’s search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality

ruled by Russia, while his mother, Marie Gundert was born to mission ary parents. As a citizen and also as a writer, Hermann Hesse belonged both to Russia and Germany. In all of his works the sources of inspira tion seemed affected by the places where he spent his years. The idea of West and East is quite evident in his books, in his philosophical musings and theological concepts.

He attended school for a short time in Goppingen and later entered the Maulbronn seminary in 1891. Though a model student, he was unable to

Along with Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig, Hermann Hesse is one of the world’s most-read 20th-century German-language writers. His books have been translated into more than 60 languages and around 150 million copies have been distributed

adapt and left less than a year later.

A visit to India seemed to impact Hesse’s life forever. He began to develop a belief in spiritualism and a fascination with Buddha’s journey towards enlightenment, which later inspired him to write Siddhartha.

Published in 1992, Siddharta is the story of the journey of a man who leaves everything behind to

novel for many years. But this novel, which reflected the crisis in Hesse’s spiritual world in the 1920s, still went on to become an international success.

It was said that Hermann Hesse’s novels were always about soul search ing and finding the true meaning of life, which began with his visit to In dia. He wrote one book after another,

and beautiful and it is said that its publication attracted a lot of young minds in Germany, as the country was going through profound changes at that time. Demian, published in 1919, focused on various aspects of ‘psychoanalysis’, the core of which is the belief that all people possess unconscious thoughts, feelings, de sires and memories. This book was all about living in two worlds, one being illusion and the other reality, and about the conflict between a young man’s desires and his strict morals.

The novel that brought him the most attention was his last one, The Glass Bead Game (1943). The novel’s context, in a time of distress in Ger many following the outbreak of World War II, was crucial in its narrative about the widespread German notion at that time of shame towards their motherland, which emerges promi nently as a theme. It also focuses on meditation, self-reflection and spiritualism, and their impact on German youth. The Swedish Academy has said that ‘this novel occupies a special place in Hesse’s work’.

attain the real purpose of life. The principle of the novel was the search for self-realisation by a young Brah man named Siddhartha. Realising the contradictions between truth and what he had been taught, he renounces his happy life to travel, to find out about pain and suffering. The book took Hesse’s fame to great heights, became an international hit and was translated into many languages.

Another of his books, Steppenwolf (1927), which was first published in German, also follows a man’s path to find himself and the purpose of his life. Some of his friends and readers criticised the novel for an absence of morality in its open portrayal of sex and drug use, a criticism that indeed remained the primary rebuff to the

all exploring an individual’s search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality.

His first novel, Peter Camenzind (1904) has a timeless resonance and farsightedness, and deals with paradigms of both the old and mod ern world. It follows the story of a young man growing up in times of hardship and his spiritual journey through life. It is brutally ethical

Because of the focus on self-discov ery in most of his work, his books have connected with audiences worldwide. His huge popularity in Germany gave him a name and fame, before spreading to the United States. Hesse made his own profound analysis of life based on the multi-faceted cul tural influences he had inherited. He continues to be extremely popular among young people.

In 1946, Hermann Hesse received the Nobel Prize for Literature for his outstanding work. In 1950, he re ceived the Wilhelm Rabbe Literature Prize, and in 1955, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, among many other awards.

Hesse is undoubtedly among those authors who have communicated ways of understanding the world through his books, as all his works were born from the real world, its emotions and the proportions that we as humans ourselves find in life.

Truly inspiring and extraordinary, we remember Hermann Hesse on the 145th anniversary of his birth.

Hesse made his own profound analysis of life based on the multi-faceted cultural influences he had inherited. He continues to be extremely popular among young people

Opera For All

The lights slowly dim until the audience is shrouded in darkness. Then, finally, the thick velvet curtains open. A figure, half-illuminated, slowly walks, singing onto the stage. The conductor’s hands are poised and ready to command the orchestra as a high operatic voice radiates throughout the theatre, bouncing off the walls and into the audience’s ears. Here the performer’s voice shares a story on an operatic jour ney at the world-renowned Munich Opera Festival

Eachyear, the Munich Op era Festival attracts opera fans from all over the world. Over six summer weeks, visitors can enjoy not only opera performances but ballet, song recit als, and festival concerts. Each year,

the festival is opened with a choral concert performed as part of a Roman Catholic service at Michaelskirche. The festival is hosted and organised by the Bavaria State Opera. All the festival performances are held at the National Theatre, the Prince Regent

Theatre and the Cuvilliés Theatre. With over 2,000 seats, the National Theatre is the largest opera house in Germany and has a rich history with in its foundations. Although built-in 1751, it was reconstructed in 1825, due to a great fire, and subsequently

destroyed again during World War II. The theatre was reopened in 1963 as a regal edifice with eight granite columns and ancient Greek figures.

Walking up to the Cuvilliés Thea tre, visitors enter a courtyard and a water fountain adorned with black marble warriors. Yet the best features are inside. The all-surrounding rococo

style of the interior is decorated in deep red and gold, with a circular structure of private boxes leading up to intricate frescos that cover the ceiling.

The opera premiere performances change annually.

The 2023 Opera Festival unites new productions created on the ba

sis of the current season’s guiding principles. Two apparently opposing complexes, war and love, are closely interwoven with one another: war and peace, love and hate, between peo ples and nations, between religions, between lovers, between families, between tyrants and citizens, and in each individual person.

To close the Opera Festival, focus will be on works by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner, two antago nist composers in vision and tem perament, at the helm of competing musical currents. With Aida, to be

The 2023 Opera Festival unites new productions created on the basis of the current season’s guiding principles. Two apparently opposing complexes, war and love, are closely interwoven with one another: war and peace, love and hate, between peoples and nations, between religions, between lovers

enjoyed as an “Opera for All” new production, Othello and Don Carlo by Verdi and Lohengrin, also a new production, Tristan and Isolde by Wagner, the programme features five of the world’s greatest operas. The state of love could not be con sidered more differentiated here. It

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becomes a wrestling of the Titans, a plea for love.

The Festival’s two opera pre mieres, Hamlet by Brett Dean and

Semele by Georg Frideric Handel, combine the earliest musical theatre with contemporary musical theatre. Further opera performances: War and Peace by Sergei S. Prokofiev, Così van tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Dido and Aeneas / Ex

Modest P. Mussorgsky and Salome by Richard Strauß.

The ballet performance Heute ist Morgen, with contemporary chore ographies, celebrates a premiere at the beginning of the Festival, com plemented by the new productions,

The ballet performance Heute ist Morgen, with contemporary choreographies, celebrates a premiere at the beginning of the Festival, complemented by the new productions, Schmetterling by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot and Tchaikovsky Overtures by Alexi Ratmansky

enjoy watching the arts through dance and music and enjoy reliving masterpieces again through different adaptations and expressions. Guests who come will be left speechless after the festival’s performances and leave surely wishing to return for an encore.

pectation by Henry Purcell / Arnold Schönberg as further new productions of the current season and repertoire highlights such as Boris Godunov by

Schmetterling by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot and Tchaikovsky Overtures by Alexi Ratmansky.

The Munich Opera Festival is an unmissable event for those who