CorD magazine 79

U.S. Supporting Serbia

Strengthening Iraq’s Army

H.E. Mary Burce Warlick,

H.E. Falah Abdulhasan Abdulsada,

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President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)

The U.S. Ambassador to Serbia

Ambassador of Iraq to Serbia

Feb ‘11 / Issue NO. 79

Us or Them Tomislav Nikolić,

interviews opinions news comments events PRICE 250 RSD cOMMEnT

Arab Street Awakes

Aware of the seriousness of the Tunisia symptom, many Arabic leaders will do anything to stay in power

here to Stay and grow cOrPOrATE

Piraeus has invested in excess of 600 million euros which makes Piraeus Group one of the largest foreign investors in Serbia GOrDAnA ĆIrJAnIĆ, WrITEr, WInnEr OF THE nIn LITErArY AWArD

what you’ve Always wanted "I wanted to find out how much TV has penetrated a person’s psyche, affected his or her personal memories and sleep" qATAr 2022 WOrLD cuP

Construction Paradise

Qatar intends to host the World Cup 2022 and will spend US $50 billion

IVO JOSIPOVIĆ President of croatia

NOThINg

will be the Same

February 2011

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Nothing will be the Same

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Tomislav nikolić, President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)

here to Stay and grow

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neoclis neocleous, Chairman of the Executive Board at Piraeus Bank

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H.E. Falah Abdulhasan Abdulsada, Ambassador of Iraq to Serbia

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Qatar 2022 World Cup

Gordana Ćirjanić, Writer & winner of the NIN literary award

world’s Most Expensive Cities

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Travel

Valentine’s Day

A Celebration of wine

Montenegro

Turkey

Saint Trifun’s Day

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Restaurant

On Top of the game

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PHOTOS: Časlav Vukojičić, Darko Cvetanović TRANSLATION: Goga Purić. Snežana Bjelotomić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Tanja Banković, t.bankovic@cma.rs PROJECT MANAGERS: Vesna Vukajlović, v.vukajlovic@aim.rs; Marija Savić, m.savic@aim.rs; Jelica Lepori, j.lepori@aim.rs FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Ana Besedić, a.besedic@cma.rs

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A Classy Neimar Eatery

business to business

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The day of love

A step closer to the EU

Opinions

79 February 2011

Michael O’Leary-collins, Chief Executive of Greenhouse Investments

Faces and Places

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Tatjana Ostojić, t.ostojic@cma.rs EDITOR: Jelena Aleksić, j.aleksic@aim.rs ASSISTANT EDITOR: Philomena O’Brien, p.obrien@aim.rs ART DIRECTOR: Ilija Petrović, i.petrovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Jelena Jovanović, Vojka Vignjević, Ilija Despotović, Gordana Bulatović

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Fostering growth

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A Man of dialogue

Strengthening Iraq’s Army

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Appointments

what you’ve Always wanted

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Stephen Fish, Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Belgrade

budget deficit

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Construction Paradise

Stylianos Aggeloudis, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, Thessaloniki Port Authority

After work

germany is driving the Eurozone Recovery

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Advancing with Confidence

Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple

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H.E. Mary Burce Warlick, The U.S. Ambassador to Serbia

Us or Them

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Appointments

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Ivo Josipović, the president of Croatia

U.S. Supporting Serbia

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Time will Tell

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Boško Jakšić, editor of the ‘World’ section of Politika newspaper

PROFIlE

COMMENT Arab Street Awakes

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INTERvIEw

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GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novcic, i.novcic@cma.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o., Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Kneginje Zorke 11b, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 308 99 77, 308 99 88 Fax: +(381 11) 244 81 27

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Goran Pekez, Corporate Affairs and Communication Director, Adriatica at Japan Tobacco International E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.rs www.cordmagazine.com www.allianceinternationalmedia.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliance international media 2011

This issue is audited by

ABC Serbia

comment

Arab Street Awakes Although not brutally arrogant, many Arabic leaders are masters of mimicry. Aware of the seriousness of the Tunisia symptom, they will

Boško Jakšić, Editor of the ‘World’ section of Politika newspaper

do anything to stay in power

I

As Arab Street does not believe f it happened in Tunisia (www.bbc.co.uk), that pleasant Americans, the Tunisian example has tourist paradise with a president who was the darling of moved right into their hearts and souls. the West, it means that it can happen anywhere else in the The Arab world has suddenly been Arabic world burdened with the same problems of an authorisplashed by a wave of optimism. Many think that this is the tarian and corrupt government, nepotism, secret services, torbeginning of the end of Middle-Eastern despotisms. ture, destroyed human rights, societies smothered by poverBe careful. The fact that the world today is reminded of auty and unemployment, broken by increasing prices and genthoritarian governments of many favourites of the USA and eral backwardness.

Europe still does not mean that they will easily back off or reSurely, Arab kings, sheiks and emirs (most commonly presnounce the services of the military or secret police through idents and leaders for life), do not want Tunisia to happen to which they are reigning. them. The West does not want it either, aware of the dangers They won’t. Taught, and for decades supported in represof radical Islamists in the region lurking for their opportunity. sion, they will in some replica of the Tunisian situation first isWill the smell of the Jasmine Revolution spread in the sue an order to the police to shoot, deploy the army, accuse Middle East? What will happen to Arab Street where the un‘terrorists’ or foreign forces. This is nothing different from employed, dissatisfied students, workers, union-members, what Ben Ali did. lawyers and fighters for human rights have come?

Although they are not brutally arrogant, many Arabic leadThere is no doubt that rulers of the region are worried. ers are masters of mimicry. Aware of the seriousness of the Concern is growing because the dissatisfied youth have awokTunisia symptom, they will do anything to stay in power. They en. With some exceptions such as Lebanon, Palestine and are learning their lesson. The first thing they will do is double Iraq, similar problems are rolling across Algeria, Libya, Egypt, the level of control so that Tunisia will not happen to them.

Sudan, Jordan. A dangerous epidemic of self-incineration has At the same time, this is that lovely smell of jasmine, they burst forth, with the image of Mohammed Bouazizi, a 26-year will have to make some exceptions old Turkish vegetable vendor who, on December 17th, spilt petrol all The entire generation of young Arabs to, at least cosmetically, improve the basic lives of millions of young over himself as a protest after powho became fans of the Tunisian people who make up the vast malice confiscated his cart. In the Jasmine Revolution overnight is a jority of the 300 million Arabs. The meantime, he has died, but the phenomenon which, until now, has Gulf countries rich in petrol will find torch is spreading.

The entire generation of rarely been seen in the Arabic world it easy; it will be difficult for Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In Egypt, the young Arabs who became fans of country with the biggest population in the Arab world, there the Tunisian Jasmine Revolution overnight is a phenomenon is growing disbelief that President Hosni Mubarak will present which, until now, has rarely been seen in the Arabic world. true reforms which he is promising after the three decades of These young people, mostly under the age of 25, know little his reign. Social tension has been swiftly transferred to the relaor nothing about Ben Ali. tionship between the Muslims and the Christian Copts.

The sudden interest in Ben Ali and Tunisia does not actualOne thing is for sure: there is no Arab leader who wishes to ly have much to do with Ben Ali and Tunisia. It has to do with see a human torch in the streets of his capital city. Mohammed the aroused ambition of Arab Street to free itself from its own Bouazizi’s tragic destiny resembles greatly that of Jan Palach, autocracy, to reform its societies - without the USA’s assistthe Czech student who incinerated himself in Prague as proance as was the case in Iraq in 2003. This generation has nevtest of Soviet military intervention. That was in 1969. er seen anything similar in their lives. They are too young to Lesson number 1: freedom and democracy arrived in the remember the Nasser Revolution in 1952, even the fall of the last two decades. Lesson number 2: not a single country will Reza Shah Pahlavi in Iran in 1979. The only thing they rememsuffer political repression, denial of human rights and spread ber is the fall of Saddam, but the dictator was not brought corruption among its power-holders for ever.

■ down by the Iraqis.

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interview

NOThINg

Ivo JosIPovIć, THE PrESIdEnT of CroATIA

will be the Same I am confident that each politician in Croatia who viewed politics as means of having total protection and promoting their own and sometimes criminal interests, are going to abandon this way of thinking or acting. This, in itself, will purge the political scene of people who are not fit to be in politics

exclusive

By Jelena ALEKSIĆ

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ollowing the country’s corruption scandals and the arrests of politicians, the President of Croatia, Ivo Josipović, (www.predsjednik.hr) makes the comment in an exclusive interview with CorD magazine that Croatia will never be the same. He has a moderate degree of optimism about the defined terms of Croatia’s accession to the European Union and is full of enthusiasm about the relationship between Serbia and Croatia, which he maintains is friendly and works as a partnership.

He does not hide the fact that he is not satisfied with the solutions to the problems of succession, the return of refugees and the question of the leadership of these countries, and is consequently open about the issue of somewhat outdated and obsolete ideas.

In this interview President Josipovic talks about his relationship with the Prime Minister of the Croatian government, Jadranka Kosor, and also the support of the integration of Serbia towards the European Union.

We begin by talking about the perspective of his country’s accession into the European family of nations.

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■ In its last progress report, the European Commission spoke very favourably about Croatia. Do you believe that Croatia will join the EU by the 1st of January, 2013?

- Becoming a fully-fledged European Union member depends on a series of elements, primarily on the speed at which the 27 EU countries ratify the pre-accession agreement. This is a huge job and I do hope that we are able to finish it by 1st January, 2013. However, I am not that confident that Croatia will conclude negotiations (with the EU) this year and sign the pre-accession agreement which is actually the end of a very long and intense process of conducting core reforms and implementing changes that have happened in our country since we signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement ten years ago. In the meantime, pre-accession negotiations have become even more demanding and maybe, at a certain point, we were faced with more tasks to do than some other countries, but, in the end, I think that all of that will be good for Croatia. It is much better for the country to join the Union well-prepared since that will make it more competitive and equal in cooperation with other countries.

Conference in Dubrovnik

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n April, a large regional investment conference will be held in Dubrovnik, in which companies from the U.S. are going to participate. The conference is being held in cooperation with the U.S. government and representatives of regional business associations primarily from Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Of course, we are also going to invite other regional countries to participate. Personally, I am going to call my regional counterparts to join me in welcoming the U.S. capital to our country thus providing an incentive to our new business cooperation.

over many big corruption cases to the courts. It is quite painful for a society to comprehend that people, who were entrusted with the highest political responsibility in terms of caring for the state and improving society, have been robbing that very state and society blind.

Nothing will be the same in Croatia after this, and this especially pertains to the job done by politicians.

I am confident that each politician who viewed politics as means of having total protection and promoting their own and sometimes criminal interests are going to abandon this way of thinking or acting. This, in itself, will purge the political scene of people who are It is quite painful for a society to not fit to be in politics.

■ Despite the remark that Croatia ‘is at the comprehend that people entrusted with final stage’, the report ■ At the end of 2010, does mention that the the highest political responsibility have you and the Serbian country needs to fight been robbing the state and society blind President came to Vucorruption, and work kovar and following more on its justice systhat visit, President Boris Tadić spent two days on an tem and core rights, which seems to be the case for official visit to Croatia. What is your view of the curmany regional countries. Also, these issues are somerent relations between Serbia and Croatia? thing that you are professionally equipped to deal - I am happy and pleased about everything that Presiwith. Is Croatia going to be able to undertake the redent Tadić (www.predsednik.rs) and I, along with our govforms by the given deadline? ernments, have accomplished in the last nine months.

- Fighting corruption and crime and promoting the Above all, I am referring to changing our relations and rule of the law in line with the highest standards are the way we communicate. There are still many difficult some of the basic postulates of our political vision. I am issues that our countries haven’t resolved as yet, from very satisfied with the fact that Croatia has achieved a finding what happened to missing persons to finally lot in terms of reforms which have been carried out so providing refugees with proper care, from succession isthat we could become a society where nobody could be sues to state border issues. The fact that these problems exempt from responsibility. However, I am aware that are difficult to deal with should not deter us from talkwe still have a lot do to, just like many other countries, ing about them in an open fashion and in good faith. especially those that have gone or are going through the At the same time, our two countries share many comtransition. Fighting for the rule of the law never ceases. mon interests – from the stability and progress of the With regards to the evil called corruption, 2010 was entire region to possibilities for economic synergy and crucial year for Croatia – we discovered and handed OPTIMISM A lot has changed for the better in our region and I am truly optimistic when it comes to our two countries.

EXPECTATIONS We expect Serbia to expedite the pace and for the division of diplomatic offices to finally start.

CORRUPTION With regards to the evil called corruption, 2010 was crucial year for Croatia. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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be punished and that these persons will never enjoy anybody’s protection. Sanctioning crimes is unquestionable and this is the foundation on which we are building our memory of the atrocities of our recent past, if you will.

In the meantime, a lot has changed for the better in our region and I am truly optimistic when it comes to our two countries, as well as the regional ones, of having more understanding and rendering more support to our mutual interests.

Ivo Josipović has composed some 50 chamber music pieces for various instruments, chamber orchestras and symphony orchestras.

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■ You think that regional countries should build good relations based on partnership, and not leadership, i.e. on cooperation rather than competition. Is that possible in the case of Serbia and Croatia, bearing in mind that both countries, it seems, are eager to be leaders and not partners?

- I think that such a relationship has already been established, at least when it exporting to third markets. Our cultures are also closely comes to the presidents of the two countries. My colrelated, hence our official visits now include a reception league, President Tadić and I agreed during our first for people involved in culture and arts. I personally bemeeting that our relationship will be based on a partlieve that cultural and artistic cooperation carries great nership, and not who is going to be a bigger leader. potential and that it can make better people of us.

Objectively speaking, these ideas about leadership are really obsolete and sometimes, in small countries like ■ You were very vocal about withdrawing the genoours, they can become even comical. We cannot be cide lawsuits. How important is this for having good powerful in relation to each other, but, in synergy, we neighbourly relations with Serbia? can be more powerful than third-party countries.

- I have to correct you, or it is better to say, add the folOf course, this does not apply to competing in excellowing – my point of view was very clear. If the problence, i.e. who is going to be better and more successful in lems that were cited in the Croatian lawsuit were hanvarious disciplines – from sports to technology. Healthy dled, then I would be competition pushes you wholeheartedly in fa- When Croatia supports Serbia in Brussels, to become better and vour of concluding a that, believe me, is more important than, has nothing to do with reasonable agreement. leadership ambitions.

As you know, this is- let’s say, when other European countries What we need above sue is being handled all is to apply one of the render their support and vice versa by our respective govcore European values ernments and I am confident that they are going to – solidarity. Solidarity in relation to problems that we have a responsible approach to every segment of our have and solidarity in ambitions that we want to fulfil. mutual relations, including this one.

When, for example, Croatia supports Serbia in Brussels, (www.europarl.europa.eu) that, believe me, is more imI don’t think that, at this particular moment, withportant than, let’s say, when other European countries drawing the lawsuits is important for the continuation render their support and vice versa. This is what is reof our good neighbourly relations. The crimes stated ally important – to show the world that we are serious, in the lawsuit were committed by the regime which is, mature, smart countries that show solidarity in relation thankfully, gone and which was defeated by the demoto each other and are always willing to help and supcratic forces that are in power in Serbia now. This lawport healthy and constructive ambitions. suit is a part of our past and dealing with contentious issues and injustices is the best way to continue nur■ In your opinion, what are the most important unturing the policy of cooperation. Everybody needs to resolved issues that Croatia and Serbia ought to work clean their own yard first. I am well aware of President on in the following period?

Tadić’s opinion that whoever commits crimes ought to 79 February 2011

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- There are several difficult and open issues and we need to try to find adequate responses and solutions for them. The issue of missing persons, with 1,900 still being searched for, is of great importance to Croatia, both from the political and human perspective. Also, we have no information on what has happened to 1,056 Croats (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2988304.stm).

The key issue is to find the locations of the mass graves, especially secondary ones, and we cannot do that without assistance and information from Serbia. We also need to ascertain what has happened to the missing Serbs, who were Croatian citizens. We are talking about 800 people. We do have some information about them, but the process of identifying these people is painstakingly long. We need to find where they are buried, perform DNA analysis etc.

Also, there is the problem of refugees returning to Croatia and providing housing for them, then the issue of state borders and, finally, the succession, i.e. the division of the assets of the former Yugoslavia among successor countries. We expect Serbia to expedite the pace and for the division of diplomatic offices to finally start. Also, there is the question of national art treasures and archives, the issue of missing money deposited in the former Central Bank of Yugoslavia, and the issues among different companies, i.e. everything that was left of our former mutual state.

choose their place of residence and the opportunity to have a decent life.

■ Do you and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor have different views of cooperation with Serbia and unresolved issues? And on which matters do you agree with each other?

- Our points of view, particularly those pertaining to collaboration with Serbia and the region, are the same and we cooperate really well in that respect. Nobody can do ■ Are you satisfied with the current results of efforts on this job alone and there is nothing contentious about resolving the problem of succession and the return of this issue. Sometimes we differ in the speed at which we refugees? carry out certain tasks - No, I am not, since I or in the amount of poObjectively speaking, these ideas about think that these proclitical pressure that we leadership are really obsolete and esses are too slow alcan or have to handle, though there are docu- sometimes they can become even comical but these are really very ments that stipulate subtle differences. an immediate reaction, like the one on the division of assets, i.e. national art treasures and archives. Some is■ The relationship between the two countries has resues have been agreed on and assets divided, but still not ally progressed but there is still a large difference behanded over, such as the diplomatic offices. I think that tween the way the Serbian capital is treated in Croatia we need to expedite this process and finalise it. It’s been and vice versa. Still, during the official visit of Presialmost 20 years since the disintegration of the former dent Tadić to Croatia, a joint Croatian / Serbian busiYugoslavia and the time has come for that to be resolved. ness forum was held. Do you expect the situation in Everything should have been done much faster. this area to improve in 2011?

In regard to refugees returning to Croatia, we have - I am absolutely confident that it will improve. I said reached a general political agreement that was a prevery clearly, at the forum, that there are no political obrequisite for holding a donor conference, together stacles that could prevent investments from being made with the international community, that will help with in the two countries. On the contrary, it is politics that finding a permanent solution for the problems of the will do everything possible to create a more favourable most vulnerable categories of refugees and returnees. investment environment and the prerequisites for seFinally, people are going to be given an opportunity to cure and desirable investments.

■ cordeditorial@cma.rs

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Ivo Josipović was born in Zagreb, where he attended both primary school and a secondary music school. As a teenager he was a promising football player.

He is married to Tatjana a civil law professor. They have a daughter, Lana.

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comment

U.S. Supporting

SERbIA Our top priority for 2011 is to continue to support Serbia’s efforts to complete the challenging economic, political, and legal reforms needed for EU membership and economic prosperity while continuing to build bridges between our countries H.E. Mary Burce Warlick, The u.S. Ambassador to Serbia

exclusive

Serbia’s strategic commitment to European Union membership is very clear and, in my view, its prospects for ultimately achieving this goal are increasingly bright.

010, my first year in Belgrade as U.S. Ambassador (http:// As every recent opinion poll has shown, the overwhelming , was a year fi lled serbia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html) majority of people in Serbia believe that a prosperous, Europewith numerous challenges for Serbia and the citizens an Serbia is the key to this country’s future. The United States of this still young democracy. Yet these challenges, in many shares and strongly supports this vision for Serbia. Indeed, cases, were successfully transformed into new opportunities our top priority for 2011 is to continue to support Serbia’s and directions that give me considerable optimism about the efforts to complete the chalpossibilities that lie ahead lenging economic, political, for Serbia in 2011. President “Our Embassy is a strong advocate for and legal reforms needed for Tadic’s historic meetings with u.S. investment in Serbia, and I am EU membership and economCroatian President Josipovic, optimistic that in 2011 more American ic prosperity while continuing the Serbian National Assemto build bridges between our bly resolution condemning investors will establish new operations countries. the Srebrenica genocide, the here that will create additional jobs” To that end, the U.S. will government’s new economic continue to support Serbia in strategy, the joint Serbia-EU its efforts to engage with Kosovo in the EU-mediated dialogue resolution on Kosovo adopted by the UN General Assembly, and to achieve full cooperation with the International Criminal and the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). We will also conof participants in the Pride Parade on October 10 all demontinue to work with the International Monetary Fund, the Eustrate that challenges can be catalysts for change and reform.

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flooding in eastern Serbia. The Ohio National Guard is workropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World ing with the Serbian Military Medical Academy on a mediBank and other institutions to promote economic stability and cal partnership and we hope to provide over $2 million to growth in Serbia. I am convinced that Serbia’s accession to the expand Serbia’s peacekeeping capabilities and to modernize World Trade Organization is key to economic growth and the Serbian Armed Forces equipment, with the goal of increasing future prosperity of this country. their interoperability with EU and other Western equipment Our Embassy (http://serbia.usembassy.gov) is a strong adand personnel. vocate for U.S. investment in Serbia, and I am optimistic that in The Embassy will continue to fund the studies of Serbian 2011 more American investors will establish new operations officers and soldiers at U.S. Department of Defense schools in here that will create additional jobs. We are also supporting the United States. We expect that in 2011 we will support 60 initiatives to help Serbia strengthen its core industries, includrepresentatives of the Serbian Armed Forces to study in the ing agriculture, and to harmonize them with EU standards, U.S. A large part of Serbia’s overseas military training and edwhile also creating an environment where new investments in ucation takes place with U.S. counterparts, and both countries areas such as renewable energy are feasible and attractive. derive a great deal of benefit from these exchanges. Serbian Through our USAID (www.usaid.gov) assistance programs, students add an enormous amount of experience and techniwe are helping municipalities across this country develop cal expertise to each class, which enhances the collective edutheir own strategies to attract investment and bring much cational experience of all participants. needed jobs to the many diverse regions of Serbia. In addiI am particularly proud of our bilateral people-to-people tion, last year, USAID helped Serbian agricultural producers exchange programs, which involve ordinary citizens who can successfully negotiate with foreign buyers from countries bridge divides and build long-lasting relationships. Every ranging from Russia to Malaysia, realizing more than $30 year, our Embassy funds opportunities for hundreds of Sermillion in additional export sales. Similarly, our partnership bian citizens to study or participate in professional developwith Serbian film producers to form the Serbian Film Assoment trips in the United States. Among our many programs ciation is helping to attract major international productions in 2011, we will send a group of experts to the U.S. to look at to Serbia and resulted in over $9 million in deals for Serbian new ways to tackle the causes companies last year alone.

“I am particularly proud of our of domestic violence and deal The United States will with its consequences. Similar continue to support Serbia’s bilateral people-to-people exchange exchange programs will exreform efforts that will facilitate a clear path forward programs, which involve ordinary citizens plore strategies for promoting the inclusion of people toward EU membership. As who can bridge divides and build longwith disabilities and protectwe have been doing in relasting relationships” ing whistleblowers. We are cent years, we will continue also looking forward to utilizto provide technical assisting our new bilateral Science and Technology Agreement to ance to Serbian experts who are drafting legislation to build cooperative relationships between the American and move forward judicial reforms and promote accountability Serbian scientific communities and to facilitate more exand transparency in governance, including preventing conchanges of scientists in both directions. flicts of interest and monitoring the financing of elections Our long-standing educational exchange programs for and political parties.

Serbian and American high school and university students The United States is working closely in partnership with are also exceptionally important and one of my highest priorithe Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice in the fight ties. The students from both of our countries who participate against organized crime and corruption. We provide regular in these study abroad programs represent in no small way training and consultation to ministry officials on issues rangthe future leaders of our countries. Experience shows that exing from money laundering to drug trafficking and will conchange program participants return to their home countries tinue to provide local authorities with necessary specialized with a far greater appreciation for other cultures, as well as technical equipment. We welcome the progress in law enforcetheir own, and draw upon what they have learned to make ment cooperation in 2010 between Serbia and its neighbors even greater contributions in their home communities. as well as the valuable cooperation between law enforcement My entire team at the U.S. Embassy is ready and eager officials in both of our countries. to build on the strong partnership we have forged between We have a full calendar of defense-related activities our countries. Speaking personally, I look forward to seeing scheduled to take place in 2011 that will further strengthen Serbia soon take its rightful place on the European stage as our partnership with the Armed Forces of Serbia. Through a regional leader capable of contributing to global prosperity, our Office of Defense Cooperation, we anticipate contributsecurity, and freedom. I am confident that 2011 will be an iming over $3.1 million for humanitarian assistance projects portant year of progress for our partnership with Serbia, and throughout Serbia, including $390,000 to support the vicfor Serbia’s continued progress.

■ tims of the earthquake disaster in Kraljevo and the recent cordeditorial@cma.rs

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interview TomIslav NIkolIć, PrESIdEnT of THE SErbIAn ProgrESSIvE PArTy (SnS)

US or ThEM

The Democratic Party is behind information and potentailly benefits from reports in the media that the SNS and DS are talking secretly about forming a coalition, despite both parties denying it.

They want the public to think that the biggest opposition party is eager to collaborate with them. If that is true they should not fear not staying in power 14

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exclusive

By Jelena ALEKSIĆ

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ollowing the holidays, in mid-January, the inert Serbian public was rattled by an initiative launched by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Progressive_Party)

for the Constitution to be changed in terms of reducing the number of MPs. What ensued was a series of political debates about a variety of topics - from changing the election law and creating a two-party system in Serbia to forming post-election coalitions next year. All of these topics were reason enough to talk to the President of the Serbian Progressive Party, Tomislav Nikolić.

In an exclusive interview for CorD, Nikolić talks about his political relationship with Vojislav Ko¹ tunica and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) (www.dss.rs) and confirms that there is no chance of forging a post-election coalition with the Democratic Party (DS) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(Serbia).

Differing opinions

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s it possible to implement any reform programme if you are relying solely on your own capacities? Are you going to include various experts, from different political opinions, in your vision of future changes?

- In Serbia, once the government changes, not a single member of a certain political party who worked for the old government will be hired to be a member of a new one. However, there are a few experts, who don’t belong to any parties, that I would like to cooperate with and they are not close to the parties currently in power. I certainly would not object to having people of diverse political backgrounds in my government providing that they are willing to accept that it is the Prime Minister who has the final say.

■ You have submitted a list of signatures of people who are in favour of changing the Serbian Constitution for the number of MPs to be reduced from the current 250 to 125, but it seems that that the initiative is not going to enjoy wide support among Serbian MPs at the parliamentary session in March and it won’t be included in the parliamentary agenda. Whose support are you counting on?

- Parliamentary life in Serbia depends solely on the rul■ Following your party submitting the list of signaing majority and any good suggestion that does not come tures of citizens in favour of the constitutional changfrom this majority stands no chance of being included es, you met with the President of the Democratic Parin the parliamentary agenda. The Constitution should ty of Serbia, Vojislav Ko¹ tunica whose party opposed be changed not only in terms of the number of MPs, but your initiative. What did you talk about behind closed also in the sections where it talks about state ownership. doors aside from agreeing that you disagree?

Local self-governments should be given more authority - Despite Vojislav Ko¹ tunica saying that the only thing and take up the role of counties or even regions. The we talked about was amending the Constitution, this time has come to fix the was not the case. We imperfections in our Con- Maybe we did approve of certain laws talked about other isstitution which have bub- drafted by the coalition in power, but, sues too. I’ve noticed that bled to the surface over Ko¹ tunica was very adain Serbia, that would automatically the course of time and to mant that the Constituentail that we are siding with them finally have a stable Contion, which was enacted stitution that will be apat the time when he was plicable for years to come. We are not counting on being Prime Minister, stay as it is. I’ve asked him why the Congiven additional support and I am almost sure that our stitution was changed back then, since they claimed that initiative for changing the Constitution is never going it was a good one, if the Constitution is a type of regulato be included in the parliamentary agenda. tion that should not be changed at all. What I concluded from his answer was that he really wanted one govern■ The initiative for changing the Constitution does ment (i.e. the one at which he was at the helm of) to be not touch on suspending blank resignations signed accredited with enacting the Constitution.

by Serbian MPs bearing in mind that we have been ’slapped on the wrist’ by the European Union several ■ Following the meeting, you sent out a press release times for having blank resignations? saying that the following was agreed at the meeting – - Blank resignations (www.transparentnost.org.rs) should “yes, we are not going to attack each other” and “no, not exist and this problem can be very easily resolved. we are not going to cooperate”. Do you think that this We suggested that the Law on the Members of Parlevel of cooperation between two serious opposition liament be changed and amended so that the issue of parties is sufficient? blank resignations is properly dealt with, i.e. for the - I’ve asked Vojislav Ko¹ tunica to establish the type of only person to decide about an MP resigning should be relationship where they can freely express their disathe MP themselves. greement with our ideas, but not criticise those ideas, COAlITION our preference for government is the nova Srbija party and other coalition parties, as well as the national minority parties.

CRITICISM It is nonsensical for the opposition parties to work for the government.

We are not the ones controlling the budget.

ElECTION lAw The proportional representation system entails Serbia being one constituency and this is fine with us. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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great difference between political parties here. The common ground between the Serbian Progressive Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia is that we are both considered opposition parties.

Tomislav Nikolić: "The Serbian post-election political scene will look quite different in terms of the number of parties that have survived."

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which is something I expect the parties in power to do, not the opposition ones. The Serbian Progressive Party has never done that nor will it ever do that. According to the agreement, it’s now their turn to invite us to have a meeting at their premises. You’ve asked whether that is mature behaviour of a political party. It would be ideal if an idea was widely accepted across the opposition spectrum, but, in our country, that is virtually impossible. If the Democratic Party of Serbia cannot refrain from giving negative comments, we are going to have a conflict on our hands, which is something that won’t benefit anyone.

■ Despite you constantly denying that you have been conducting confidential talks with the Democratic Party about forging a coalition, the media are continuing to claim otherwise. Who is orchestrating that?

- The Democratic Party. They want the public to think that the biggest opposition party is eager to collaborate with them. If that is true, then they should not fear not staying in power. Ivica Dačić fell for that by endorsing this idea on collaboration.

This only serves to increase the Democratic Party’s ratings and to portray us as a party that wants to strip the Democratic Party of power and not cooperate with them. Only the Socialist Party of Serbia (www.sps.org.rs) stands to lose from that.

■ Are you are implying that Ivica Dačić is being a naïve politician despite having extensive experience in politics?

- He is certainly not allowed to say anything without first asking the Democratic Party for permission. It is the Democratic Party that is behind that.

■ The Serbian daily If the DSS cannot refrain from giving newspapers have pub■ Despite the antagonegative comments, we are going to lished details that you, nism, is it safe to say have a conflict on our hands, which is allegedly, offered a plan that the Democratic to the Democratic Party.

Party of Serbia would something that won’t benefit anyone According to this plan, be your first choice you would be appointed as the Parliamentary Speaker, when it comes to forging a ruling coalition?

Aleksandar Vučić would become the Foreign Minister - No, it is not. They are not our first or the only choice. and the Prime Minister would be someone who is not a member of either party. The Serbian Progressive Party, ■ Which party takes the number one place on the list media report, would not fight Boris Tadić for the posiof your most desired political partners? tion of the country’s President. Is any of this true?

- We need to count on having a really convincing victo- None of it is true. Well, according to that plan I am ry in order to form a government with the Nova Srbija supposed to take Slavica Đukić Dejanović’s place, and I party (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Serbia) and other coalition parties, as well as the national minority parties. I’ve am the president of the biggest political party. How can been constantly talking to the latter ones about the fact I let Tadić win the next presidential elections? This is a that them helping form a popular government is both blatant lie. I have not talked to Boris Tadić for almost their right and obligation. a year now, not counting wishing him a merry Christmas and a speedy recovery.

■ Do you and the Democratic Party of Serbia have any common ground?

■ And you consider that normal?

- Until Serbia becomes a two-party-system, I see no - No, it’s not normal, but Serbia is not a normal country.

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ÊDESIGNÊ©ÊFREYÊWILLEÊÊ

The EU representatives often say to me that now they believe me that we want to see Serbia in the EU, but are still finding it difficult to understand why we haven’t been voting in favour of laws that pertain to Serbia’s membership in the EU. My answer to them is that this is a country where the opposition is immediately put on the pillar of shame if it votes for the laws propositioned by the ruling parties. Maybe we did approve of certain laws drafted by the coalition in power, but, in Serbia, that would automatically entail that we are siding with them.

■ Doesn’t that constitute political opportunism?

- No, it does not. Serbia has a good memory and I don’t want to take any chances.

■ The Interior Minister has said that, in the situation of the election law being changed, Serbia would become a two-party country, with only the Democratic Party and the Serbian Progressive Party remaining. Do you want the election law to be amended so as to necessitate changing from the proportional representation system to majority system?

- The proportional representation system entails Serbia being one constituency and this is fine with us. What the Serbian Progressive Party could consider is changing the way parliamentary terms are allocated. I am absolutely in favour of an MP ‘owning’ his or her parliamentary term, and not the party they belong to.

■ What parties would disappear from the political scene if the election laws were to be changed?

- In the circumstances of the election law being changed, all small political parties would probably disappear. However, they can disappear with the law as it is if we fail to create the impression of a referendum taking place during the pre-election campaign.

Our initiative for changing the Constitution is never going to be included in the parliamentary agenda ■ Could you elaborate?

- This referendum atmosphere, for lack of better word, means that the campaign slogan should read ‘either us or them’. The citizens can choose either for the Democratic Party to stay in power or for the Serbian Progressive Party to come to power.

If these smaller parties fail to cooperate with the Democratic Party or Serbian Progressive Party prior to the elections, most of them are probably going to vanish from the political scene afterwards.

■ Are you going to conduct such a campaign?

- That is quite possible. The Serbian post-election political scene will look quite different in terms of the number of parties that have ‘survived’. Having this many parties has become impossible to maintain.

www.frey-wille.com vienna,Êaustria BEOGRAD:ÊTerazijeÊ26ÊÊ|ÊÊTel.Ê11-Ê36Ê26Ê296

■ The parties in power say the only thing you do is to criticise without providing concrete solutions and that your programme is not sufficiently elaborate. What is your response to these accusations?

- Please, imagine for a moment if you will, the DOS (the former Democratic Opposition of Serbia), which based its campaign on criticising the old regime, now switching places and claiming that it is the opposition party that has no programme. On one occasion, Velimir Ilić said that they built roads and bridges and asked us what we built. That is preposterous. The citizens can see that we have a clear programme and their trust in us is growing, while, on the other hand, the government is asking us “why aren’t you doing anything?” It is nonsensical for the opposition parties to work for the government. We are not the ones controlling the budget. I can confirm that we are working very hard on making our political programme even more detailed.

hydroelectric power plants and provide irrigation to a huge part of Serbia, in addition to engaging our construction companies. The second important project is preventing the land in Vojvodina from eroding further and also putting a stop to the leasing out of very fertile land close to the main transport routes to greenfield investors. We have to build an industrial zone along the right bank of the river Danube, stretching from Novi Sad to Belgrade. We need investments in gas thermoelectric power plants and investments in agriculture. This is where our chance for development lies.

■ What are your reactions to a recent survey which has shown that fewer Serbian citizens support the country’s accession to the EU? - I can understand why citizens are becoming less enthusiastic about European integrations seeing as any new idea cannot survive on the idea alone.

It needs to be implemented.

■ Isn’t it too late to We’ve been on the be drafting the proroad to the EuroIn the circumstances of the election law gramme now? pean Union for the being changed, all small political parties - No, this is not a regupast decade, we would probably disappear lar programme, but have been carrying one that is very elaboout certain techrate and covers the entire government mandate. I can’t nical activities, but the citizens have not benefitted do anything with this programme if I am in the opfrom that with the exception of pointless privatisaposition. tion which was carried under the pretence that it is a standard practice in the EU. ■ Have you talked to the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) about forming a coalition?

■ It seems that none of your like-minded opposition - With regard to talking to PUPS (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ colleagues agree with you when it comes to schedulParty_of_United_Pensioners_of_Serbia), I am really tired of ing early elections? trying to prove to you that I have not talked to them.

- I want to know what the citizens have to say. If the Nor did I talk to the Democratic Party or Jedinstvena Democratic Party of Serbia were to invite us to particiSrbija (JS). I also don’t have any contact with the Allipate in a protest rally, I would go. The citizens will be ance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) except when we the ones to decide whether the time has come for new wish each other happy holidays or have a word or two extraordinary elections. while passing each other in parliament’s corridors.

■ Political analysts often say that you are boosting ■ What are the priorities of your party’s economic your personal rating by starting pointed debates with policy, besides cutting back on the costs associated your political adversaries. Is there any truth to that with running the state administration, as seen in your claim? request for the Constitution to be changed in order to - We are being attacked all the time, but this just gives us reduce the number of MPs? an opportunity to show just how much we are worth.

- We need strategic investments with one of them We have never initiated these attacks, but we are cerbeing regulation of the Rhein-Main-Danube-Moravatainly going to defend ourselves. The fact that our poVardar river route which is a project that dates back to litical ratings are growing should be also attributed to before World War II. If we did this, we would get seven our programme and activities.

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interview NeoclIs Neocleous, CHAIrmAn of THE ExECuTIvE boArd AT PIrAEuS bAnk

Here to Stay and Grow!

Piraeus has actually invested a lot more than 250 million euros into Serbia. In fact if you were to add all the loans that Piraeus Group has granted to Serbian legal entities, whether through Piraeus in Serbia or, for example, through a Piraeus branch in London, the total is in excess of 600 million euros. This makes Piraeus Group one of the largest foreign investors in Serbia

By Philomena O’BrIEn

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espite originating from Greece, who has been for some time in the midst of a profound economic crisis, Piraeus Bank (www.piraeusbank.rs) plans to increase the level of loan approvals to citizens and businesses in 2011. The Group (www.piraeusbank.gr) was also recently recapitalised to the tune of 800 million euros. All good reasons for CorD magazine to talk with Mr. Neoclis Neocleous, Chairman of the Executive Board at Piraeus Bank.

■ The banking sector in Serbia has proved to be the most vital part of the country’s financial system and the entire economy during the economic downturn. What are the expectations for 2011? Do you plan to increase the level of loans?

- The year of 2010 was very challenging for the banking sector and we expect that 2011 will probably be slightly better due to the anticipated growth of the Serbian economy of between 2.5 to three percent. Our plan at Piraeus Bank for 2011 is to increase the level of loans and deposits. But also to come up with some innovative products particularly on the

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retail side, as we are now investing heavily in retail banking activities. I expect the Bank to continue to show further growth with all indicators: assets, deposits and revenues.

Depreciation of the dinar

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don’t believe anyone can control depreciation of the currency. I am of the opinion that there are much stronger forces at work. Banks are obliged to work within this situation. In fact banks would have been much happier if there had been a more stable situation with the dinar rate. If we could have based our planning and operations on the expectation that the dinar would be stable, this would give banks room to do a lot more compared to what they are doing today.

■ It has been said that the banking sector is so strong due to the fact that banks are charging high interest rates on loans. Do you really profit from fact that 24 percent of loans to companies of the impact that the economic downcharging high interest rates and can we are problematic, which means that the turn has had in countries where you expect banking services to become less collection of one in four corporate loans operate and when, in your opinion, is costly this year? is an issue in the overall banking sector. this turbulence in the region going to - Firstly I have to point out nominal inProblematic loans in Serbia amount to subside? terest rates in the past few years have 17.5 percent, and in some areas up to 30 - There was substantial impact in all counrecorded a steady decline. However I percent. Piraeus Bank is facing such probtries where Piraeus Bank has a presence. recognise that interest rates particularly lems but we are dealing with them in a We hope that in most of these countries for loans in Serbia are still very high, but satisfactory way. we are at the start of a slow recovery. what most banks are doing is adding a reasonable interest mark-up on the costs ■ Compared to other regional coun■ The National Bank of Serbia has preof the already high deposit rates. In the tries, Serbian citizens are less indebted. pared a draft of the Law on the Proteclast savings week banks were competing Does that imply that Serbs are more tion of Financial Service Users. What for euros at deposit rates of six and even frugal or poorer? is your opinion on this law, which re7.5 percent and combined with the cost - This probably has to do with the maquires a higher level of transparency of reserves at NBS (www.nbs.rs) this gives turity of the banking system or the main banking operations and more rights us a cost of about eight or nine perfor banking clients? cent. So there are a number of rea- This is a very delicate issue. When I recognise that interest rates sons for why interest rates are quite this new law was drafted it involved particularly for loans in Serbia high in Serbia and it is not due to the desire to achieve improvement are still very high banks charging a huge spread. In and I’m sure that this is what the fact the profitability of the banking Serbian government is trying to acsector in this country, partly due to the turity of the economy in Serbia. In the complish. However there is the risk that high costs of deposits and partly related years to come and as Serbia hopefully if the law is too restrictive on banking to the huge provisions which banks are converges toward Europe, the economy activities and creates a situation where making, is not unreasonably high and I is going to mature and work in a differbanking activity in terms of lending to would say it is on the low side. ent way and this will probably cause inconsumers becomes too cumbersome, it terest rates and inflation to drop, on one will affect consumers and increase the ■ One of the biggest problems that inside, increasing the level of income on cost of borrowing. We should achieve dividuals, businesses and banks have the other. All of this should allow the the right balance of protecting the been facing is the repayment of loans. banks and Serbian consumers to borrow consumer on one hand and allowing To what extent does this create probmore, bringing them in line with other healthy competition amongst banks on lems for Piraeus Bank? countries. the other, which in the long run is bene- The credit rating of citizens and compaficial to the consumer. If this is what the nies is decreasing as a consequence of the ■ Piraeus Bank was established almost new banking law will achieve then we economic crisis, while the rate of unema century ago, has approximately 900 support it but if it does not achieve this ployment is increasing. The credit rating branches globally and great credit and right kind of balance the end result will of companies is best demonstrated by the placement potential. What is your view not be what was intended.

ThE bANkINg SECTOR We expect that 2011 will probably be slightly better due to the anticipated growth of the Serbian economy of between 2.5 to three percent.

FOREIgN INvESTORS The main difficulties relate to bureaucratic procedures and laws that need to be amended to give increased protection to foreign investors.

SOCIAl RESPONSIbIlITy Piraeus was the first bank in Serbia to support the project of the ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and "Let's Clean up Serbia”. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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■ There has been a lot of talk about the consolidation of the banking sector, but it seems that this process has been halted.

- I think consolidation will come but not before we see the end of the crisis.

Consolidation is not easy at times of crisis, even in countries like Serbia where admittedly there is a larger number of banks compared to what the economy can support.

■ To date Piraeus Bank has invested around 250 million euros in Serbia. Do you plan further investments at this stage?

- Piraeus has actually invested a lot more than 250 million euros into Serbia. In fact if you were to add all the loans that Piraeus Group has granted to Serbian legal entities, whether through Piraeus in Serbia or, for example, through a PiProblematic loans in Serbia raeus branch in London, the total is in excess of 600 million euros. This amount to 17.5 percent, and in makes Piraeus Group one of the some areas up to 30 percent largest foreign investors in Serbia.

The 250 million you refer to is capithe environment and green banking, tal and subordinated loan which was inhuman and labour rights, the support jected into Piraeus Bank Belgrade by the of disabled persons, anti-corruption and mother bank. Piraeus is a large investor scholarship programmes. Piraeus Bank in this country and we think of our presGroup passes its experience in the doence here in the long term - we are here main of Corporate Social Responsibility to stay and grow. to the countries where it operates and Serbia is no exception. Piraeus Bank Bel■ The bank is quite involved in corpograde recognises the significant imporrate social responsibility projects. Are tance of preserving the environment and there any differences between Piraeus so takes an active role in ‘green’ projects Bank in Serbia and its mother bank including its own paper and cardboard when it comes to implementing CSR recycling programmes of “Going Green” projects? and “Fill to the Top!”. Piraeus was also - On a global scale, Piraeus Bank is inthe first bank in Serbia to support the volved in CSR activities in the fields of project of the Ministry of Environment Partnership support

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mmediately after the outbreak of the global economic crisis, we decided to help our clients with long-term and partnership support. By being ready to assist through restructuring or the refinancing of their debts, we have significantly helped clients faced with repayment problems to smoothly continue with the payment of their commitments. This has reduced pressure on the monthly income of the client and notably helped them overcome the toughest period of the crisis. For retail clients, Piraeus Bank offers the option of refinancing debt on credit cards issued by other banks with a fixed interest rate which is currently the lowest on the domestic market. The interest rate of 1.54% on the monthly level, 18.5% annually, remains the same during the entire repayment period.

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and Spatial Planning and “Let’s Clean up Serbia”.

■ What are your business priorities for 2011?

- Piraeus Group views its presence in Serbia as a long term one and we intend to grow and to form strong links with the society. Our business plan for 2011 envisages strong growth both for loans and deposits. We are also planning to introduce improved products and services which will better serve the needs of our clients. Quality of service and customer orientation is paramount to us. In Serbia the Bank will continue to support several related causes and also banking products and services, like investment in renewable energy and environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient housing projects.

■ What would you mark as the major difficulties that foreign investors currently face when considering investing Serbia? How can foreign investment be increased?

- The main difficulties relate to bureaucratic procedures and laws that need to be amended to give increased protection to foreign investors. The Serbian government is making an effort to improve the situation, to make it easier for foreign investors, but there are a number of things that can be further improved upon.

■ As we speak there is a share capital increase for Piraeus Group of 800 million euros expected to be finalised in the near future. What does the Group hope to achieve with this extra financial input?

- Piraeus Bank Group is proceeding during January 2011 with a massive share capital increase of above €800 million.

This is underwritten by four international investment banks.

The capital increase will allow the Group to strengthen its capital adequacy in anticipation of a stricter supervisory environment, enhance its position in the context of the macro-economic conditions in Greece and to take advantage of attractive organic growth opportunities in the wider region.

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comment

Germany is Driving the Eurozone recovery The Eurozone economy has put in a robust performance for much of 2010 but a slowdown is expected this y ear with GDP growth only reaching 1.4%. However,

Stephen Fish, managing Partner, Ernst & young belgrade (www.ey.com/rs)

growth is expected to be very uneven across the 16 countries of the Eurozone

need to consider reinstating aspects of the liquidity measures of 2009 and 2010 and therefore should not rule out quantitative easing.

The ECB’s New Area-Wide Model suggests ermany is driving the Eurozone economic (www.bbc. that the impact of quantitative easing in the Eurozone could co.uk/news/business) recovery with GDP growth of 3.5% be even more significant than in the US, raising GDP by about forecast this year and 2.1% next. Countries closely 2% by 2012. Further positive effects would result from higher linked to the German economy, in particular Slovakia (2.8%) share prices and a weaker euro. and Austria (2%) are also predicted to grow steadily in 2011.

The Irish crisis has highlighted the fragility of the Eurozone More modest growth is forecast in other major ‘Northern’ economy and the need for monetary policy makers to use all countries including France and Netherlands (both 1.8%). weapons available to buffer the negative impacts. The ECB GDP growth in the ‘peripheral’ countries in 2011 is likely to needs to continue to monitor the highly uncertain impact of range from -3.3% in Greece to -0.7% in Portugal. This could be fiscal tightening and developments in financial markets to considerably lower if the peripheral economies face renewed stand ready to provide more support if required. Given that turmoil in bond markets and need to implement yet additionmonetary conditions have tightened significantly since the al deficit tightening measures. spring as the ECB has started to wind down its lending to the The usual uncertainties around any forecast of the Eurozone banking sector, pushing interbank rates up, interest Eurozone are increased by the current sovereign debt crisis. rates should not be raised until the latter part of 2011.

Ernst & Young’s Eurozone Forecast estimates a probability of Eurozone GDP growth in 2010 only 45% for the relatively benign GDP growth in the is estimated to be 1.7%, slightly growth of 1.4% in 2011. Also likely (25%) is a more sluggish ‘peripheral’ countries in 2011 is likely better than we had expected earlier in the year but a look at the recovery as weakening domestic to range from -3.3% in Greece to composition of growth offers little demand is compounded by banks room for complacency. Restocking struggling to mend their balance -0.7% in Portugal has accounted for 80% of growth sheets in the face of further stress this year but by its nature this is temporary and going forward tests. Here GDP growth struggles to reach 1% in 2011 and onwill disappear. Much of the slowdown in 2011 is accounted for ly 0.8% in 2012, compared to 1.4% and 1.7% respectively in by fiscal tightening, which EEF (www.eef.org.uk) estimates will the baseline.

A worst case scenario (estimated at 10% probability) is amount to more than 1% of GDP. The level of growth experithat an escalation of the sovereign debt crisis would lead to enced in 2010 is unlikely to follow through into the new year a significant restructuring of peripheral Eurozone government as downside risks remain high. Further worsening of the turdebt and could ultimately lead to a full-blown financial crimoil on Eurozone bond markets is possible given ongoing consis. EEF has forecast, if this were the case, GDP growth for the cerns about public finances and banking sectors. If this led to Eurozone would be significantly negative, as low as -2% to sovereign defaults, the Eurozone would likely be plunged back -3%, for a couple of years and more than cancel out any reinto recession. Against this backdrop, the ECB needs to keep covery seen to date. monetary policy accommodative for some time and be preThe European Central Bank (ECB) (www.ecb.int) has appared to step up the range of tools that it uses.

And with major downside risks looming, the ECB needs to peared to close the door on following the US Federal Reserve stand ready to implement additional significant measures to and engaging in quantitative easing to boost the economy. support the European economy in case of a crisis.

■ However, if the Eurozone is hit by a new crisis, the ECB may

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opinions

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budget dEFICIT By taking into account the law on fiscal responsibility in the adoption of the 2011 budget, the deficit was projected to be 120.5 billion dinars, which is about 4.1% of GDP. According to the Maastricht treaty, the standard position in EU countries is that the shortage in state coffers should not exceed three per cent of the GDP. This is why we have asked experts and economic analysts the following question:

Which three decision of the government, which have not been provided by the budget, could significantly reduce the budgetary deficit in 2011?

Ismail Musabegović, Professor at the Belgrade Banking Academy

Increase gdP

tween March and April 2011 a budgetary rebalance will take place. I feel that the country must engage all its capacities in order to increase GDP via the continuation of n order to decrease the budget deficit it is necessary to either reduce budget- structural reforms and the further opening of markets, eliminating the political influence on the economy and esary expenditures, which implies a drastablishing a financial institution-state development bank. tic reduction of funds for budgetary usThus, a complete coordination between monetary and fisers, or increase GDP. Each reduction of cal politics is necessary. Also, an inflation risk is evident, budget expenditure increases the danand if this continues to grow, it will blur the image of the ger of social discontent and it is unlikely to expect that budget, because the counthe country would do such a thing in the pre-electoral pe- The country must engage all its capacities try will make higher nominal in order to increase GDP via the revenue via greater takings riod of 2011. In order to increase the GDP, it is necescontinuation of structural reforms and the from increased prices. Also, it is necessary to constantsary to increase productivity further opening of markets ly question the interventions and employment. This is not of the NBS on the foreign exchange market, as well as the a simple move and depends on a lot of factors. In my opinpolicy of the ‘sterilisation’ of the dinar, because that could ion, when creating the 2011 budget, it should have been be another reason for the insolvency and illiquidity of ecobalanced between desires and realistic options. That balnomic subjects. ance was not achieved and I expect that in the period be-

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Miladin Kovačević, associate of Macroeconomic Analyses and Trends (MAT)

Smaller deficit Impossible

necessary if further consolidation (decrease of fiscal deficit on the already adopted fiscal here are no such rules), maintaining the country’s social decisions. The functions and intensifying public investadopted deficit is opments in infrastructure within the new timal in the existing growth model are wanted, is that a tostructure, and restrictal reform of the public sector is needed. tions have been made It will require at least three years, but wherever it was possible, even in econom2011 is extremely important in terms ic subventions. Not only there, but also in of the positive effects the correction of the Restrictions have been in the years to come adopted fiscal rules made even in economic when the servicing of which introduced subventions the debt will be more savings in terms of severe and there may be further unfathe expenses for salaries and pensions. vourable effects of the spillover of finaniscal consolidation on the side of cial turbulences in the surrounding area. public expenditure was at the maxDirect implication on budgetary sustainimum level in the existing budgetability and functions are most important ary structure at the end of 2010. What through further reform of the pension would change the existing structure in invalid system . the years to come after 2011, which is

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Mahmud Bušatlija, development and investment consultant

Public Sector Reform

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he only serious way to substantially reduce the budget deficit from 2011 onwards is to drastically reduce transfers to social funds, above all to the funds for obligatory pension- disability insurance, as its major user.

The only plausible way to do this is through a reform of the entire public sector, meaning a unique reform which would include public administration, public finances, public and social funds, public state

Saša radulović, investment and tax system consultant

Ana Jolović, economist and associate of the Free Market Centre

Realistic Priorities

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A

ilar influence on the increase n order of the evasion of taxes. Quick to reduce and efficient reforms of the the budgentire economic system and et deficit it environment have the largest is possible influence on economic growth to either inand strengthening. This is a crease incomes or reduce exlong-lasting process. So, we penses. You can increase incomes in three ways, and one are left with these options: reduction of the grey and of them is the introduction black economy, meaning the of new taxes or to increase evasion of taxes. According the existing tax rates. It is alto various esso possible In the last two timations, the via economyears, Serbia has grey and black ic growth and the growth of lost over 200,000 economies take the GDP, so working positions, up about 3040% of GDP. that without an increase of mostly in the areas Evasion of taxtax levels the of entrepreneurship es equally applies to turnover grey economy and MSP tax (VAT, cusand the evatoms and excises) and taxes sion of taxes would either inon labour (income taxes, revcrease or decrease.

The increase of taxes and/ enue). In the last two years, Serbia has lost over 200,000 or the augmentation of taxworking positions, mostly in es has a negative influence on the economy and econom- the areas of entrepreneurship and MSP. ic growth, but also has a simand utility companies, management of state and public property, particularly management of city and construction land. A reform conceptualised exclusively like this could lead to an improvement in the expenditure part of the budget, with the corporatisation of public companies by turning them in to joint-stock companies, a part of which would be transferred

comparison of the Memorandum on the Budget in August 2010 and Revised Memorandum on the Budget in December of that same year shows that planning based on existing historical statistical data in the Republic of Serbia is a great challenge. The foundations used for reaching decisions have been altering significantly, such as the inflation rate which was predicted to be about 6% in August, and three months later was revised at almost 11%. At the same time, there are no significant audits of budgetary plans and projections.

In the planned budget, it is not possible to single out decisions which are not included, and which would reduce the budget deficit and contribute to improvements in the economy and society in a more significant man-

The foundations used for reaching decisions have been altering significantly ner. The budget predicts everything, from macroeconomic stability, sustainable economic development, reforms of educational and pension systems, improvements in efficiency of public administration, strict budgetary limitations, the development of agriculture, and reduction of corruption and so on. It also predicts the foundation of new councils, funds and departments as bearers of predicted policies and measures, simultaneously with a se-

would also be transferred to social funds. In this manner, the requirements for insuring source incomes of social funds, primarily to the PIO fund, which would reduce takings from the budget, would be created. The problem of state financing of construction of much-needed infrastructure, the lack of which is jeopardising further development, also cannot be solved in

Our public administration does not understand the fact that the only possible method of infrastructural development is the establishment of public-private partnership by the state to social funds. As this is insufficient, what is also required is the corporatisation of city and construction sites by turning them in to joint-stock companies, a part of which

a short period of time. Our public administration does not understand, or does not accept the fact that the only possible method of infrastructural development is the establishment

of public-private partnership, and this mode of using private savings (domestic or foreign) implies a low and acceptable country risk. This work is largely related to the reform of the public sector, but also to the reform of the judiciary system, which means bringing investors to the position which would enable them to reach a valid verdict with deadlines no longer than two years, and where the execution of a valid verdict would not take in excess of 60 days.

At this moment, the most serious ‘antifuse’ is the law on planning and construction, which was rashly adopted despite experts’ warnings that it would substantially burden business, but also the management of city and construction sites, legalisation and restitution.

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opinions

Reduce Taxes on labour

opinions

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rious reform of the inefficient and cumbersome public administration.

Even an amateur inquisitive reader may ask himself the commonsense question of whether it is realistic, meaning whether the budget can be both restrictive and developmental, focused on subventions and the development of the free market, one that gives advantages to anyone and anything in all aspects and all problems. The Republic of Serbia should complete privatisation, adopt a series of law changes, create an efficient public sector, develop the health care system, create a great number of new working positions, support all economic branches and develop all social activities through its mid-term plan. It would be nice to believe that all necessary conditions, which have been preventing us from doing this for decades, have been finally achieved.

Zoran Popov, economic analyst

ily illustrated. For instance, our GDP has been constantly declining since 1986 (with a few years of mild growth in the mid 1990s and 2000s), without the prospect of reaching that same level in the foreseeable future. Or last year, the level of indust is my opinion that by trial production was below 40% of the levthe end of 2010, the el achieved in 1986. The volume of expendgovernment could not iture of our citizens is just below 3,000 euhave reached any deciros, so only a few countries in Europe have a sion, measures or similar, which could have lower level of expenditure. significantly reduced the budget deficit in Accordingly, under these conditions, 2011, due to the fact that our budgetary Serbia should primarily lead economic polideficit is not big because social and other expenditures are abundantly financed with- tics based on the renewal of economic life, before anything to do out any hold-backs. On Economic politics based with the renewal of inthe contrary, our budgdustrial and agricultural et is small, and everyon the IMF recipe have thing financed out of it so far only deepened our production, the increase of investments, employmost commonly does economic troubles ment and living-standnot satisfy the minimum of needs. Despite that the budgetary deficit ard growth. And such decisions have not is relatively high, and the cause of this is the been reached by any of our governments in small level of GDP, the basis of provision for more than two decades.

Should we go in that direction, the budgbudgetary incomes. etary incomes would start growing, so the Only those unaware of the state of the budgetary deficit would be reduced. That country’s economy can insist on the fact implies ending economic politics based on that Serbia has to put the reduction of the the IMF recipe, which have so far only deeplevel of the budgetary deficit as its priority. The gist of our economic problems has a ened our economic troubles and made them long-term and structural character. It is eas- more severe.

Renewal of Economic life

I

Mlađen Kovačević, professor of economics

Reduction of corruption and administration

lic acquisitions which takes away about one billion euros a year. There is also termine the actual size of the deficit, nder the conthe reduction of administration. Due as it has been artificially decreased esditions in the to the basic need to substantially, but pecially on the basis of a rather great last three to four on a healthy economic basis, increase indebting of the country abroad and years there has the budgetary income in the years to the newest legal decisions to transbeen an escalacome, burdens on income should be fer the vast amount of matured oblition in the size of reduced as soon as possible, thus ingations on the basis of selling state libudgetary deficits in both absolute creasing the number of employed peoabilities to 2012. For starters, it is clear and relative terms. When it is clear ple. Abandon the politics of the overthat Serbia has to do whatever is in its that this uncomfortable trend could rated value of the dinar and undertake be continued, or must not be legal, economic and fiscal measThe reduction of expenditure can and ures so as to transfer as much as continued - the present and the future parliament and the has to be achieved via the reduction possible of the gray economy to present and the future govthe legal zone. Suspend the deof corruption in public acquisitions ernment must formulate and cision on the unilateral applicapower to reduce the expenditure asconsistently realise a strategy and a tion by Serbia and increase the number pect of its budget and, at the same bundle of short-term and long-term of economic subjects so as to stop the time, to increase incomes on a healthy measures for its reduction, especially trend of the reduction of the number economic basis. The reduction of exwhen it comes to its real, not its relaof employees because that is also one penditure can and has to be achieved tive size in relation to the GDP. of the requirements for the reduction via the reduction of corruption in pubThe first thing to be done is to deof the budget deficit.

U

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quotations The parameter within which the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) operates is a combination of Wall Street and the United Arab Emirates, while the Party of United Pensioners (PUPS) is following in the footsteps of Mother Theresa.

Milan Krkobabić, Deputy President of PUPS

I often wonder how this Government manages to function at all, since its leader is not an energetic politician, but resembles more technical personnel.

Investigating the TRUTh

I wrote a letter to the Speaker of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in which I explained the reasons why there wasn’t a single woman in the Serbian delegation that attended the Assembly session. The Assembly accepted my explanation but did insist that, as of 1st April, at least one woman should be made a standing delegation member.

On 25th January, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg adopted the resolution on illegal organ trafficking in Kosovo based on the report compiled by Dick Marty by the overwhelming majority of 169 votes.

Courage is required for the truth to come out, and Marty helped the truth.

Dragoljub Mićunović, the Head of the Serbian delegation in the Council of Europe

Slavica Đukić Dejanović, Serbian Parliamentary Speaker

Žarko Korać, former Deputy Prime Minister

If the Democratic Party and Serbian Progressive Party were to join forces, this will finally open the nation’s eyes to see that all they are concerned with is power.

Dragan Todorović, Deputy President of the Serbian Radical Party

Having Vuk Jeremić as a minister, albeit a minister without a portfolio, poses a risk for the Democratic Party. Čedomir Jovanović, the Head of the Liberal Democratic Party

While I was in the army, I had a phone in installed in my flat that was directly connected to the operations centre which was a channel through which we received bad news from Serbia. Fortunately, I don’t have that anymore.

General Zdravko Ponoš, Assistant Foreign Minister

We would have made a historically important step forward if the relations between the political parties were normal, if everybody did what they were supposed to, if we didn’t clash in the streets and cause divisions amongst people.

Ivica Dačić, Deputy Prime Minister

They say that I wear fur. I don’t like fur, it looks too conservative. With regards to caviar, I eat nothing that grows in fresh or salt water.

This resolution is very significant to families of the missing persons from Kosovo and Metohija and the victims of the violence.

Mira Marković, the wife of the late Serbian President, Slobodan Milošević

Miloš Aligrudić, Deputy President of the DSS

Weak purchasing power, which is a result of low salaries, pensions and social contributions, poses a much bigger problem in Serbia than the high prices of groceries.

This is a small step forward for some people, but is tremendously important for human rights in the Balkans.

Slobodan Milosavljević, Minister of Trade

It is not true that flats for low income families were cheaper a year or two ago, since such flats did not exist then.

Oliver Dulić, Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning Minister

I’ve always had to battle this or that complex. I would have been a much better pupil if my name was not Velimir.

And if my grandfather was not called Velimir.

And if I had no chetniks in my family.

Branko ružić, Chairman of the Socialist Party of Serbia’s Executive Board

I firmly believe that the international community will understand just how important it is to conduct a serious investigation. If there is no investigation, this will cast an ugly shadow on the international law and the rule of the law.

Sonja Liht, Chairwoman of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence

Velimir Ilić, the leader of the Nova Srbija party

The situation in Serbia is catastrophically bad and people are really struggling. The problems that the citizens of Leskovac are facing are literally making me ill.

I am absolutely satisfied. This is a result of our work that has been going on for months, as well as the result of our lobbying in preparation for voting.

rasim Ljajić, Labour and Social Policy Minister cordeditorial@cma.rs

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interview H.e. FalaH abdulHasaN abdulsada, AmbASSAdor of IrAq To SErbIA

Strengthening

IRAq'S ARMy Iraq is able to safeguard its political and economic sovereignty, although there has been a degree of scepticism regarding it. In the meantime Iraqis are determined to finish building the Iraqi army and its security forces, which will be capable of defending the entire territory of Iraq and the dignity of its people and the nation

exclusive

By Petar STEKIĆ

T

he situation in Iraq is improving day by day, and there is a great deal of optimism on the subject of the positive changes taking place, which is totally different to the situation five years ago. Generally, security is improving, and the latest data shows that the number of victims of bombings is at its lowest level compared to previous years.

In addition, it is important to highlight the fact that there have been developments in the areas of armaments and the performance of the Iraqi Army, says H.E. Falah Abdulhasan Abdulsada, the Iraqi Ambassador to Serbia, at the beginning of his interview with CorD in response to our question: â– How would you briefly describe the current situation in Iraq?

- Members of the Iraqi police force and army are currently carrying out their duties in relation to combating terrorists, terrorism and the elements of the former regime, in line with their respective capacities. Occasionally they must rely on air support provided by the coalition forces in Iraq due to the fact that there is no complete Iraqi military air force as yet. However, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(Iraq)) has set a strategic plan for the building of a strong Iraqi air force intended for the defence of Iraq from its north to the south.

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■ Does Iraq have the strength to establish economic and political authority in the country without the assistance of foreign aid?

- Certainly, Iraq is able to safeguard its political and economic sovereignty, although there has been a degree of scepticism regarding it. Currently we are at the beginning, passing through a transitional phase, and initial stages are always difficult. However, Iraqis are determined to finish building the Iraqi army and its security forces which will be capable of defending the entire territory of Iraq and the dignity of its people and the nation.

As you know, the coalition forces, according to the security agreement (en.wikipedia.org/.../U.S.–Iraq_Status_ of_Forces_Agreement) signed with the United States, will leave Iraq by the end of this year and as a result Iraq will be free of any foreign forces across its territories.

In the meantime, the security forces and Iraqi army troops are readying themselves so as to become highly professional, well trained and equipped forces capable of defending our homeland. Iraq will be an example of freedom and peaceful coexistence and a guarantor of security and stability in the region.

The Serbian Military Institution

T

he Serbian Military Institution is prestigious, highly-efficient and has a lot of experience in all fields, especially the technical area.

Iraq therefore is interested in sending members of its Armed Forces to Serbia to gain training in this institution, in order to develop their fighting and technical abilities. Actually, a number of Iraqi military personnel have already been sent to Serbia for training.

■ Traditionally, Serbia and Iraq have nurtured strong relations in the area of the defence industry, and it appears this interaction is being renewed. To what extent are Serbian military industry products of interest to the Iraqi market and are you pleased with the foreign-trade exchange in this area over the last two years?

- The relations between Iraq and Serbia are strong and have a long history. When coalition forces leave, Iraq will become fully responsible for the protection of the sovereignty over its territories and waters. We require a strong army in order to shoulder this great responsibility. The recent Security Council resolution on Iraq and the lifting of the sanctions imposed on it, including the lifting of restrictions on armaments, created broader ■ Serbian construcprospects for further coSerbian companies were successfully tion companies played operation with friendly a significant role in involved in construction in Iraq however countries in the areas the construction inof building, training we are not seeing evidence of these dustry in Iraq during and the equipping of companies in the newly established Iraq our armed forces. Iraq the 1980s. Are any of those companies still has signed a number there today, and can the same levels of that period be of agreements with a number of friendly countries, inachieved in the foreseeable future? cluding Serbia, to provide it with weapons. Here I wish - You are accurate that Serbian companies, as part of to emphasise that the doctrine of the new Iraqi army is former Yugoslavia, were successfully involved in the one of a purely defensive army; that the weapons Iraq construction of numerous imperative projects in Iraq. is buying are defensive weapons. The military exchange At the time there were more than a hundred compabetween Baghdad and Belgrade is capable of growing nies operating in Iraq who gained solid experience and to cover different areas, especially those of energy, housstrong reputations due to their efforts, which covered ing and agriculture. all aspects of civilian and military life, over an extended period of time. However we are not seeing evidence of ■ In August last year, Serbia and Iraq signed a contract these companies in the newly established Iraq, therefor the export of arms and military equipment from fore, through you, I am extending an invitation to all Serbia worth $100 million. The contract involves the Serbian companies to enter the Iraqi market and invest acquisition of 20 ‘Lasta 95’ light aircraft which should in all fields especially in the sectors of energy, housing, have been delivered by the end of 2010. What is the health and other sectors. progress in this matter? kOSOvO

OIl PROdUCTION

bUSINESS COOPERATION

Iraq’s position towards Kosovo is clear.

It supports legitimacy and international law.

Serbian companies must compete with other foreign companies in order to win any tender.

I invite all Serbian companies to invest in all fields especially in the sectors of energy, housing and health. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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- Cooperation between the defence compete with other foreign comministries of Iraq and Serbia has panies in order to win any tender. reached a good level. There have Iraq is trying to enhance its probeen many agreements signed in duction capacity within the next the area of equipping the Iraqi seven years to reach 12 million army with armaments due to barrels a day, from the current cathe good quality of Serbian arms, pacity of 2.5 million barrels, which which are similar to the Russian will then allow it to compete with ones used by the Iraqi army in major oil-producing countries. Alrecent decades. An added benefit low me to state one more time that is that army members have the faSerbian companies are welcome to miliarity of using such arms. The contribute in the reconstruction of programme for building the Iraqi Iraq in all areas.

Army is an ambitious one. Regarding the signing of a new contract ■ In what area do you see scope for to buy 20 Lasta aircraft - special the development of economic coplanes for training and not fightoperation between the two couning - this contract has been signed tries in the forthcoming period? by both sides and the There are many Serbian side is currentprojects that the two Regarding the signing of a new contract ly in the process delivto buy 20 Lasta aircraft, the Serbian side countries can cooperering these aircraft to ate on, especially in is currently in the process delivering Iraq in batches. the domain of the infrastructure that Iraq these aircraft to Iraq in batches ■ Since 2009, Iraq has requires on a large been the most important strategic partner of the Serscale - oil, electricity, education and health. In addition, bian defence industry. Does that indicate that all prein the development of agriculture - most specifically vious mutual dues have been paid? combating desertification, which is one of the biggest - I would like to correct the information you have, bechallenges Iraq is currently facing. Also, Iraq needs to cause currently Iraq does not manufacture weapons build millions of housing units, to develop commudue to the destruction of Iraq’s military manufacturing nications, and replace roads that were damaged or infrastructure. Regarding the Iraqi debt, some friendly eroded and became old and unusable, with new and countries have annulled parts of in line with the regumodern ones. It is worth mentioning that foreign inlations of the Paris Club – one of these is the friendly vestors enjoy full governmental support following the country of Serbia. A number of other countries have adoption of the Investment Law in the Iraqi Council not yet cancelled the debt and Iraq is working seriously of Representatives, as well as facilitation of administo reach agreements in regards to this matter. The Iraqi trative and legal procedures, and the availability of a debt was between 130 and 140 billion dollars. good local work force.

■ Recently, the Minister of Energy and Mining, Petar ©k undrić, mentioned that there is the possibility of NIS commencing exploration and exploitation of oil in, among other countries, Iraq. What can you tell us about this project?

- I’ve recently met with Mr. Petar © kundrić, the Minister of Energy (www.mre.gov.rs), and we discussed the possibility of the contribution of Serbian companies in energy projects in Iraq, and the position of the minister was positive and realistic. However, I would like to point out that investment in projects to develop oil production in Iraq is possible through tenders. These tenders involve international companies who have the capability and the desire to work in this field, participating according to the regulations set by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. This means that Serbian companies must 30

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■ Iraq is one of the countries who have not acknowledged the independence of Kosovo. How much has that decision influenced the political and economic relations between Iraq and Serbia, and how do you assess these relations?

- Iraq’s position on this issue is clear. It supports legitimacy and international law and the need to use dialogue for resolving outstanding issues and sitting around one table to find an exit which will please all sides, away from wars and violence because they can only bring destruction to the region. The economic relations between the two countries are historic, have strong roots and are not ‘newborn’, and we will do our best to develop them until they reach a level that is higher than the current one, to provide mutual benefits to the two friendly countries.

■

profile sTeve Jobs, Co-foundEr And CEo of APPLE

Time Will Tell In mid-January Jobs announced he was taking medical leave of absence for an unspecified amount of time from Apple - his third in the ongoing saga of his health woes Prepared by Philomena O’BrIEn

months that followed, they rose by more than 50 percent, despite the continued concerns over his health. t’s been said that Steve In market terms Apple Inc seems to go from strength to Jobs is Apple’s greatest strength, and in their January quarterly report gave details asset and also its greatof robust earnings growth for the December quarter, drivest risk. However with failing health and the recent news en predominantly by strong holiday sales of the iPhone and that the charismatic CEO for the company is again stepping iPad. The company has also parted with its usual conservdown from his day-to-day role, serious questions are beative forecast and offered a positive outlook for the March ing asked about the long term effects of this recent develquarter (which will include the launch of the iPhone 4 on opment.

Verizon Wireless), that is well ahead of Wall Street’s estiJobs, perhaps the most celebrated CEO of this last decmates. For the fiscal first quarter ended December 31, Apple ade is the co-founder and CEO of Apple (www.apple.com) reported net income of $6 billion, or $6.43 per share, comand formerly of Pixar (www.pixar.com). He regularly makes pared with net income of $3.38 billion or $3.67 per share for the lists of the rich and powerful and is also seen as the vithe same period in the previous year. Revenue jumped more sionary behind Apple’s success. Jobs is also known as the than 70% to $26.74 billion. one man who could have upstaged Bill Gates, but Jobs’ pasThe report came a day after Jobs’ announcement that sion was for innovation whereas Bill Gates was interested in he would be going on medical making money. leave, and was followed by Apple The upside and downside for Jobs seems to be able to identify shares dropping about 2.3% then Apple is that Jobs is perceived rising about 1.6% in the afteras the technology industry’s orwhat consumers want even before hours session. In Europe, on the acle. He seems to be able to identhey do themselves day of the announcement investify what consumers want even tors reacted sharply and Apple’s before they do themselves. He shares closed in Frankfurt a staggering 6.6 percent lower is also known as a demanding and hands-on leader who is at 243 euros ($323.02). Needless to say that this current involved in even the smallest details of product developturn of events involving Jobs’ health has again left investors ment. It is for these two reasons that investors have pinned scrambling. much of their faith in the company on Jobs himself, sending The million dollar question is, how all this will affect shares tumbling with every bit of news or rumour of his ailApple. Most analysts see no reason for panic citing the ing health. fact that the company will continue to be on a roll for In mid-January Jobs announced he was taking medical some time as it builds on its market-leading iPhone and leave of absence for an unspecified amount of time from iPad products, and with the belief that Apple has plans for Apple - his third in the ongoing saga of his health woes several years’ worth of products in the pipeline. Also, the which dates back to 2004. In this year, recovering from surlast time Jobs took leave the company didn’t really miss a gery for his recently diagnosed pancreatic cancer he took beat, despite all the hype and speculation. Only time will one month’s leave of absence. His current sick leave absence tell how long Jobs plans to be away from his office and is Job’s second in two years. The last time he went on medijust how successfully Apple can function without its vical leave, in January of 2009, Apple shares dropped dramatsionary at the helm.

■ ically, falling some eight percent to $78.50. However in the

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interview sTylIaNos aggeloudIs, CHAIrmAn of THE boArd of dIrECTorS And CHIEf ExECuTIvE offICEr, THESSALonIkI PorT AuTHorITy

Advancing With

cOnFIDEncE The Port of Thessaloniki is a natural gateway for the economic activities of the inland markets beyond Greece and enjoys a privileged position at the crossroad of numerous transportation networks.

The port also plays a vital role in the country’s economy and in the efforts of Northern Greece and of Thessaloniki to be established as major economic players in the Eastern Mediterranean area

By Jelena ALEKSIĆ

G

oods from Serbia make up a mere five percent of the annual turnover of the Port of Thessaloniki (www.thpa.gr), which is an extremely small figure compared to the potentials. This is why at the end of 2010, the management of the port, led by Mr. Aggeloudis, Chairman and CEO of the Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A., appealed to domestic companies to direct the transport of goods via the Port of Thessaloniki which could be beneficial for local businessmen. In his interview with CorD, Mr. Aggeloudis talks about future cooperation with Serbian exporters, about the Cargo 10 project and the business dealings of the port during the financial crisis.

We believe that Serbian trade will constitute a significant part of the port’s turnover in the near future ■ What are the advantages of the Port of Thessaloniki compared to other ports in the region?

- The Port of Thessaloniki is a natural gateway for the economic activities of the inland markets beyond Greece and enjoys a privileged position at the crossroad of numerous transportation networks. The port also plays a vital role in the country’s economy and in 32

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the efforts of Northern Greece and of Thessaloniki to ■ Your existing market is already significant due not be established as major economic players in the Eastonly to the longevity and geo-strategic position of your ern Mediterranean area. I believe it is one of the most port, but also due to the portfolio of services. What are advantageous ports in the Balkan region for a number your potential, target-markets for the future? of reasons: it has state of the art infrastructures and su- The long-term (i.e. in the next 10 years) target of the perstructures as well as machinery equipment; the port Port of Thessaloniki is to be established as the main is embedded in supply chains connected to rail and gateway port for the whole Balkan Peninsula. Curroad networks, while rently the port facilitates also being close to the a significant amount of Motorways of the Sea cargoes destined for FY(MoS) of South-eastern ROM (Former Yugoslav Europe, connecting the Republic of Macedonia), Adriatic, Ionian and Bulgaria and Albania.

Aegean Seas with the In the future we want to Eastern Mediterranean expand the port’s hinterplus the MoS of Southland up to Hungary and western Europe which Romania. The developincludes links to the ment of the new PanBlack Sea, and moreoEuropean corridors X ver the completion of (http://www.mi.gov.rs/koridor%20x.htm) and IV will the Pan-European Corallow the port to directly ridor IV will further access those countries. expand the port’s hinThese new axes will also terland; it applies an The development of an integrated give us access to the Danattractive pricing policy railway network will be an extra ube River, enabling the with additional disdevelopment of inland counts for frequent and motive for shippers who are located waterway transport. Fiimportant port users; it in the central Balkans to use the nally we aim at develophas a customer-centric ing (in cooperation with policy; it efficiently proPort of Thessaloniki port users or any other vides qualitative port interested market players) dry ports (i.e. inland interservices; and finally it can accommodate all kinds of modal terminals) strategically positioned at the centre cargoes from dry and liquid bulk to Ro-Ro and conof the current hinterland of the port, in order to attract tainerised cargoes. cargoes from, and destined to, countries that are currently not using the Port of Thessaloniki.

■ What makes the Port of Thessaloniki attractive to Serbian companies?

■ How do you explain the fact that the port had an - The Port of Thessaloniki can provide access to a vaexcellent business year in the midst of one of the worst riety of destinations through the extended network of economic crises so far, not only globally, but also in containership itineraries that calls at the port. Moreoregards to Greece? ver the port is directly connected with Belgrade and - The port industry, like shipping, is a globalised activity, Southern Serbia through railways and motorways, thus thus it is not affected, to a large extent, by the economic the cargoes destined for Serbia can exploit the benefits conditions in the host country. It is also relevant that a of multimodal transport. We also hope that with the significant percentage of the port’s throughput is transit accession of Serbia to the EU family, benefits for Sercargo, to and from neighbouring countries, who weren’t bian shippers will be increased with intra-EU trade, a affected so much, compared to Greece, by the economic decrease of custom clearance procedures etc. Finally the crisis. Another reason is that the port administration prepricing policy of the Port of Thessaloniki ensures that dicted the economic crisis in time and took the approcargo is facilitated efficiently and economically.

COMPlIANCE The Port of Thessaloniki is fully compliant with the Eu quality standards.

SERbIA We believe that Serbia is an important market for our port.

EXPANSION In the future we want to expand the port’s hinterland up to Hungary and romania. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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priate measures in order to mitigate the negative impacts by reducing operating expenses, increasing human resource productivity etc.

turnover in the near future.

■ Your tariff policy is based on favourable discounts for your business partners, but you have offered ■ What is your initial opinion on additional incentives to Serbian the benefits that will result from companies. What are the reasons the Cargo 10 project, both regionfor this? ally and in particular for the Port of - As I mentioned earlier, the long Thessaloniki? term strategy of the Port of Thessa- I believe that the Cargo 10 project loniki is to expand its hinterland in will be the beginning of a process order to attract more cargo from the for the development of a holistic Balkan countries. We believe that policy framework on an efficient, viSerbia is an important market for our able and effective railway port and having in mind The port industry is a globalised network in the Balkan the traditionally good reregion. For the Port of lations between Greece activity, thus it is not affected, to Thessaloniki the project and Serbia we are aima large extent, by the economic will provide valuable ining at facilitating as much puts which will help in cargo as possible destined conditions in the host country the implementation of to, or coming from Serbia. the port authority’s strategy for expanding the ports’ To this direction the provision of additional incentives hinterland. Moreover the development of an integrated to Serbian companies is an opportunity to use the port railway network will be an extra motive for shippers and to experience firsthand the port’s capabilities. who are located in the central Balkans to use the Port of Thessaloniki for their imports and exports.

■ What are the new management’s strategic priorities in the forthcoming period?

■ What are the quality standards of the port? As a non- I’m glad to announce that a major issue that has stiEU country, can Serbia comply with these standards? fled the Port of Thessaloniki for more than 20 years has - The Port of Thessaloniki is fully compliant with the come to an end. Recently we proceeded with an interEU quality standards. It is certified with ISO 9001:2008 national tender for the expansion of the Pier 6 container for the quality of port services provision and with the terminal, a project that will allow the Port of ThessaloPort Environmental Review System (PERS) from the niki to move ahead with more confidence. The project Ecoports Foundation (www.ecoports.com), for the port will cost about 240 million euros (50% will be contribauthority’s dedication to the protection of the environuted by the port and 50% will be through a loan from ment. Moreover from the beginning of 2011 the Port of the European Investment Bank) and this will increase Thessaloniki will be fully compliant with the requirethe container terminal capacity to 1.2 million TEU’s per ments of the ISPS Code which ensures that the port year (from 450,000 TEU’s which is the current capacity). provides a safe and secure environment for port operaApart from this project which is the top priority of the tions. Serbia and especially Serbian port users can comport administration, we are aiming at: attracting more ply with these quality standards, and I must say that bulk cargo from the Balkan countries; seeking more these standards must not be seen as a barrier for Sercruise traffic; developing a marina near the port area in bian port users but as a chance to enjoy a variety of high order to differentiate our port operations; restructuring quality and environmentally friendly port services. the organisational and operational schemes of the port in order to be more efficient and customer oriented; im■ What percentage of your annual income is from plementing new technologies in the dry bulk terminals Serbia? for increasing the automation of the port operations - Until now the contribution of Serbian trade to the anand providing electronic services to the port users; denual turnover of the Port of Thessaloniki has been low veloping the real estate of the port authority which we (it is estimated at about 3-4%). But we believe that with believe can provide significant additional income to the the modernisation of the ports’ infrastructures, superport; enhancing the environmental awareness of the structures and equipment, plus the attractive pricing port authority and of the whole port community; and policy being applied by the port and the expansion of finally the tightening of relations between the port and rail and road networks, Serbian trade (via the Port of the city of Thessaloniki as we want the port to be open Thessaloniki) will constitute a significant part of the to the city and the citizens of Thessaloniki.

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Placements & POSTINgS

CorD keeps you up date with the latest engagements in politics, business and diplomacy

H.E. Michael Davenport, new British Ambassador to Serbia

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Serbia, Michael Davenport was Director for Russia, Central Asia and the South Caucasus in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London. Between 2007 and 2010 he advised successive Foreign Secretaries on Britain’s relations with Russia and the wider region and was responsible for the FCO’s network of twelve diplomatic missions. His first foreign posting as a British diplomat was to Poland in 1990. In the mid-nineties he headed the FCO’s UN Peacekeeping Section and in 1996 became the First Secretary to Moscow. In 2000 Michael returned to Poland as Commercial Counsellor and Consul-General in the run-up to Polish accession to the European Union and in 2004 was appointed Deputy Ambassador to Cairo. The new ambassador is married to Dr Lavinia Davenport, and they have three children.

He is a keen tennis player.

H.E. charles Sheehan,

new Irish Ambassador to Serbia

The new non-resident Ambassador of Ireland to Serbia is also currently serving as the Ambassador of Ireland to Greece.

H.E. Charles Sheehan was educated at B.C.L. and LLB University College and B.L. Kings Inns in Ireland. He entered the Irish Diplomatic Service in 1981 with his first role as the Third Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and then continued his diplomatic career in countries such as Denmark, USA and Italy. In 2007 he became the Director of the National Forum on Europe (on secondment), and in 2009 was the Head of EU Secretariat & Communication, in the European Section. On 28 September, 2010 he became the Ambassador of Ireland to Greece.

claus Graggaber, co-Director at Erste

Group Immorent Serbia

Born in Austria in 1977, Claus Graggaber has a PhD in Law from the University of Vienna. Prior to joining Erste Group/ Immorent in 2005, he practiced law in Austria and the CEE. In 2009 Mr. Graggaber was appointed as the Head of Real Estate Finance within Immorent d.o.o. Belgrade. He was promoted to Managing Director of Erste Group Immorent Serbia in 2011. Mr. Graggaber is fluent in German, English, French and Romanian.

Aleksandra Čupić, co-Director at Erste Group Immorent Serbia

Born in Belgrade in 1972, Aleksandra Čupić holds a degree in Economics from the University of Belgrade and a Certified Accountants degree of Economy and Banking Institutions.

Before joining Erste Bank in 2006, Mrs. Čupić worked in the credit departments of several banks within Serbia. In 2008 she was appointed as the Head of the Real Estate and Special Finance department within Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad and in January 2011 she was appointed as the Head of the newly formed Erste Group Immorent Serbia. Mrs Čupić is fluent in Serbian, English and Russian. She is married and has two children.

appointments@cma.rs

www.cordmagazine.com/corporate/appointments.html

H.E. Semuel Samson,

new Ambassador of Indonesia to Serbia

Prior to his term as the Ambassador of Republic of Indonesia to Serbia, H.E. Semuel Samson has been active in both the Indonesian political scene and business world. The Ambassador has been engaged in many political organisations and in numerous activities encompassing internal and international affairs. He has been involved with an oil and gas company, a state owned enterprise, and his most recent political position was as Secretary General (demission) of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party, a coalition party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2004-2009 and 2009-2014). Born in Ambon, Moluccas in 1968, Ambassador Semuel Samson was educated at Gunadarma University in the Computer Engineering faculty, and later completed a post graduate programme at the University of Indonesia, in the Faculty of Political Science.

H.E. Abdul Aziz bin nasser Al Shamsi, new Ambassador of the UAE to Serbia

H.E. Abdul Aziz bin Nasser Al Shamsi is currently the Ambassador of the UAE to Italy (since March 2008) and is also the new non-resident Ambassador of the UAE to Serbia. Prior to this he was the Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the United Arab Emirates between August 2007 and March 2008 and served as the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations between September 2001 and July 2007. The Ambassador is married and has six children.

Bratislav Dikić, Gendarmerie Commander and new General of Police Bratislav Dikić, has a Ph.D. in Crisis Management, and is the active General of Police - the only other person with this ranking is Mladen Kuribak. Dikić commenced his role at the head of the Gendarmerie at the beginning of June 2009, before this he was commander of the Nis police detachments and formations. Prior to joining the gendarmerie, he spent ten years in an elite anti-terrorist Special Unit (SAJ). Dikić is the holder of a medal for bravery, the Order of Merit in Defence and Security of the Country, the Air Force Cross and plaques from the Serbian Orthodox Church and a special plaque for the most noble accomplishment for 2008.

Jelena Sribar, new HR Director at BAT Serbia and Montenegro Jelena Sribar has been employed as the Head of Human Resources Serbia and Montenegro at British American Tobacco (BAT), effective as of January 2011. She has been with BAT since 2005, when she joined the company as a Management Trainee. She has held various positions within HR, including those of HR Business Partner Marketing and Change Manager in Serbia, as well as various roles in Talent and Organisational Development projects across Europe. She graduated in Psychology from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

Jelena is an alumna of the Belgrade Open School, and is trained in Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy. cont. on page 49 cordeditorial@cma.rs

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interview – profile mIcHael o’leary-collINs, CHIEf ExECuTIvE of grEEnHouSE InvESTmEnTS

Fostering Growth The strategy in terms of developing the region under the auspices of a Southeast European merchant bank will take five years. The metamorphosis will be complete in two years’ time when we will be a bank in a legal sense

By Mina DOBSOn

to be a “journey, a voyage of discovery.”

O’Leary-Collins explains the horticultural reference in his company’s name - “When you put money into something you expect it to grow. Just as in a greenhouse you put things in, seeds to germinate and hopefully it can have a life of its own outside…that is what we hope do in a business sense by developing an attitude towards fostering investment growth.”

Greenhouse’s merchant bank is on a time frame and has a solid vision. O’LearyCollins explains, “The strategy in terms of developing the region under the auspices

With a transaction in less than 90 days to the tune of €12 million aiming for comichael O’Leary-Collins is the pletion, first up on his to-do list is estabChief Executive of Greenlishing Greenhouse Investments’ profile. house Investments Limited “Our upcoming conference, How to Issue (www.greenhouse-investand Invest in Corporate Bonds, at U¹ će ments.com), a corporate fiTower, Belgrade on Tuesday 8th Februnance and emerging markets private equiary, is an opportunity to show that we are ty group founded in 2006, headquartered open for business, we have set a stall out, if in Jersey with a branch office in Belgrade you will, as a merchant bank. The interest that helps to launch new businesses and is in arranging bonds for exchange-listed sometimes co-invests with UK hedge funds. or pre-IPO companies.”

The company has recently announced its When asked what he believes sets intention to create the first merchant bank Greenhouse Investments apart from other based in Serbia. companies with the same aspirations Some ten years ago, in the wake in the region he replies, “What we will The asset prices are now at a of start-ups Michael O’Leary-Colbring is a blend of Western capability point where they are, if not more lins founded Greenhouse Ventures and capital with Southeast European affordable, then more realistic in London. “We started as a corpopotential and that adds up to a comrate venturing business around the pelling mix… being a merchant bank is dot-com period. Then in 2001 we became a of a Southeast European merchant bank merely a means to an end: the ability to venture consulting business and developed will take five years. The metamorphosis provide a platform for Western capital to into an investment business in 2006.” The will be complete in two years’ time when invest in the region which includes Serbia journey from venture consulting and offwe will be a bank in a legal sense and have and effectively manage risk, so our interest shore private equity to merchant banking completed a number of transactions. By is not to be a bank in and of itself, but to brought its share of “peaks and troughs” the fifth year it should have representation provide a comprehensive approach to risk as he puts it. Still, to hear O’Leary-Collins and be functioning in at least three other management and when you bring capital tell it, launching Greenhouse Investments’ geographies in the region, and beyond Belin, the challenge is to make sure it gets apbranch office in Serbia in 2007, has proven grade as the regional hub.” plied to the things investors intended.”

M

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In terms of assessing Greenhouse’s greatest achievement, his is a measured response. With the new year O’Leary-Collins’ business resolutions include successfully completing a “couple of issuances with targets being small and achievable.” But he continues, “We’re at the start of our journey in Serbia. Everything that has gone before has been an education to apply to the opportunity. I don’t think that there’s been any other point in my past which presents as much of a potential and possibility as there is now, today, in this part of the world. The issue is that Serbia on its own does not have enough critical mass.

It’s got to be a regional thing which also means that it’s bigger than the Balkans… the Southeast European region has stacks of opportunity. Its heritage has made it difficult for western capital to easily engage and yet it is this that provides it with the opportunity that exists today.”

With Serbia seemingly still confronting so much international opprobrium some might ask, “Why now?” Yet O’LearyCollins believes Serbia’s nascent commitment to restructuring is a key reason the time has come for his company’s imminent merchant banking effort.

“Now is the right time,” he explains.

“The government is committed to capital markets’ liberalisation. This means the scope for eurobond issuance is now real.

The asset prices are now at a point where they are, if not more affordable, then more realistic. The challenges in the Balkans means new capital will be required. The Greek and Austrian corporate banks have retreated which has left a lot of ground uncovered.”

He sees it as a purely economic matter and sees Serbia as standing to benefit more from “being at the E.U.’s doorstep”, citing the considerable cost of joining for Poland and the Czech Republic. Theirs is a fate that Serbia could escape by leveraging the country’s advantages. “Serbia has a natural trading instinct. There’s an educated work force with a high population of people speaking English, a commitment to structural reform… the ability to make and sell things to Europe without the abuse of wage inflation that the rest of Europe has to contend with.”

With a plethora of pundits constantly

assessing and analysing Serbia, searching for a quick-fix solution, the Greenhouse chief executive sees most business as “not that complex. It’s really about creating something and then being able to sell it.

That’s what it boils down to… But you can’t create certainty in the process… I don’t have a crystal ball... Although we’re dealing with debt and debt has a different set of characteristics to equity, in an emerging market you have to treat debt like equity and therefore you make an assessment on two lengths: execution risk and market risk. Market risk is whether or not the

The government is committed to capital markets’ liberalisation company has an addressable market as a value-creating entity and then you look at management and say, ‘does management have the ability to deliver on that?’

So you can’t look at one without the other.

You change one and you can’t change the other… everything is based on those two essentials questions. At the very end of a very long day, it’s the people… someone’s got to turn the handle and if you’ve got the wrong person turning the handle, then what’s the point? Having the right people is so fundamental.”

When asked what he considers a good day in business, O’Leary-Collins smiles, yet the response does not come swiftly.

“Having made progress that has a positive contribution whether it is personal or commercial… and a sense of achieving.”

On his advice to entrepreneurs, “Don’t

be afraid of failure. Failure is part of the process. What’s essential is persistence and determination. If you sit around and wait for the perfect conditions [in business] you’ll wait a very long time. There are so many reasons for things not to happen.

But nothing ever happens in a straight line and so you feel as though you’re ambling.

It takes courage and conviction to stay the course…”

O’Leary-Collins is particularly enlightening as he talks about the challenges of working in Serbia. He is acutely aware of the region’s dynamics. “I admire the cultural resilience. The ability to stand down adversity in the face of challenges, and not stumble about. I truly enjoy working in markets with cultural depth. The Serbian history coupled with integrity and the directness of the people, and their success massed against the odds make the people very fulfilling to work with.”

That subject, of taking up the right attitude seems to have been a common thread in the businessman’s life. If he hadn’t gone into investment banking, he admits he “would have done something in the arts or history.”

That can-do attitude, countered with a humble concession of his short-comings and a sensibility of “getting on with things” seems to have been with him even as a boy fly-fishing in Western Australia.

The sport signifies not just a fleeting memory of boyhood days among nature but a honing of his savvy. His knack of landing surplus fish led the then-ten-yearold O’Leary-Collins to “selling trays of fish on the street where I lived. You couldn’t simply throw them back,” he explains, “So I decided I’d sell them door-to-door on my street.” And so he did, earning and saving money along the way, while paving the way for a career path in later life.

The chief executive too has words that he lives by that help guide him in business.

“Napoleon once said, ‘One hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name’, meaning ‘do the most that you can do at any given time…’”. He also subscribes to the mantra ‘if you think you can, you can.’ If you actually see and visualise reaching the top of the mountain then you reach it. It’s about believing you can get to that place and seeing yourself there.”

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faces

& places Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Minister of Youth and Sport, spoke at an award ceremony celebrating the best volunteer activities in 2010 as part of the “Young People are the Law” campaign, at the Academic Cultural and Artistic Society ‘Lola’ on 26 January

Minister of Health,Tomica Milosavljević made a presentation to Belgrade’s Mayor, Dragan Djilas, in recognition of Belgrade’s responsible implementation of the Law on the Protection of the Population from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, at the Belgrade City Hall 25 January

(from left) H.E. Ali Galal Basyouni, Egyptian Ambassador to Serbia, Vuk Jeremić, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Branko Kovačević, Rector of the Belgrade University at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Israel organised in co-operation with the Organising Committee of the SerbianEgyptian Friendship Society on 21 January at the university rectory

Václav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic spoke after the delivery of the charter which elected him as a foreign member of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences on 20 January at the premises of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences

Minister of Defence, Dragan Šutanovac, presented a book as a gesture of friendship to Adolphe Lumanu Mulenda Bwana Nsefu, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Congo, who was in Belgrade on 20 January

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Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević and his wife Princess Katarina organised the traditional Christmas reception for youngsters at the White Palace on 10 January

Chief of the Military Medical Academy (VMA), Professor Dr. Miodrag Jevtić, welcomed numerous guests to the New Year’s reception held at the VMA on 29 December

Ivica Dačić, the Minister of Police presented awards to prominent members of the police force marking the 200 year anniversary of the service at a ceremony on 21 January

H.E. Abdelkader Mesdoua, Algerian Ambassador to Serbia and H.E. Mrs. Denise de Hauwere, Ambassador of Belgium to Serbia at her farewell reception on 25 January at the Belgian Embassy

faces & places

Todd Hepworth, Second Secretary at the Australian Embassy to Serbia and wife Trish, and Neil Howie, Deputy Principal at the British International School, and wife Wendy at the at the Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club ‘Masque Ball’ on 15 January Nebojša Bradić, the Minister of Culture hands the ‘Golden Wreath’ to Madeleine Zepter at a ceremony on 19 January at Kolarac Foundation

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after

work

Media CElEbRATIONS The traditional post New Year’s party at the Serbian Media Association has never been as well patronised as this year’s. Over a hundred leaders and distinguished guests from the media, diplomatic, economic and political spheres, spent more than two hours in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere.

CorD, as one of the founders of the Association, is able to convey but a small part of the atmosphere of the evening on this page.

Zoran Papić (left), Serbian Media Association Executive Director and Veselin Simonović, the SMA’s President welcoming guests Dragoljub Žarković, Vreme magazine editor-in-chief and Lila Radonjić from news agency ‘Mreža’

Aleksandar Antić, Chairman of the Assembly of the City of Belgrade (left), Željko Ozegovic, member of the Belgrade City Hall, Milovana Markovića, Director General of Serbian Railways, Manojlo Vukotić, editor-in-chief and Managing Director of Večernje Novosti Daily and Borislav Miljanović, Managing Director of McCann PR

Jasna Matić, Minister of Telecommunications (left); H.E. Mary Warlick, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia; H.E. Wolfram Mass, Germany Ambassador to Serbia and H.E. Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg, Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia 40

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Miloš Jelić, General Manager of Nelt Co. and Maja Batanjski, Director of Corporate Marketing PTT

Dragan Bujošević, editor-in-chief of Politika daily newspaper (left), Milko Štimac Chairman of the Securities Commission and Milorad Gusavac, General Manager of Politika A.D.

Draginja Đurić, President of Banca Intesa and Manojlo Vukotić from Večernje Novosti daily newspaper

Jelena Krstović, Delta Holding Communications Director with Manoljo Vukotić of Večernje Novosti and Srđan Šaper, from McCann Erikson

Darko Bajčetić (left), President of the Administrative Board of Centroproizvod, Branislav Novčić, President of aim and Veselin Simonović, editor-in-chief of Blic newspaper

Svetlana Vukajlović, Managing Director of Jedro Medical Center (left) and Svetlana Blagojević, Managing Director and owner of Cross Communication Agency

after work

Neoclis Neocleous, Chairman of the Executive Board of Piraeus Bank Belgrade and Miroslava Nešić-Bikić, Marketing Director of Piraeus Bank

Branislav Novčić (left) of alliance international media, Robert Čoban President of Color Press and Jelena Drakulić-Petrović, General Manager of Ringier Axel Springer

Srđan Šaper, President of McCann Erikson, Nebojša Bradić, Minister of Culture and Veselin Simonović, President of the Serbian Media Association

Ivica Dačic, Deputy Prime Minister, (left), and Zoran Papić, Executive Director of the Serbian Media Association

Vladimir Lučić, Chief Officer of the Commercial Affairs Division of Telekom (left) and Zoran Panović, editor-in-chief of Danas newspaper

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region Igor lukšIć, nEW PrImE mInISTEr of monTEnEgro

A Man of dialogue Milo Ðukanović left his role to Igor Lukšić, introducing him as his heir, and Lukšić’s strives to introduce changes into Montenegro’s political life without parting ways with Milo’s politics. For Lukšić it is important that the public realises that he is not just a mere descendant of Milo Ðukanović

Igor lukšić: new Prime minister of montenegro

By Ilija DESPOTOVIĆ

T

he political community in Montenegro can already affirm that new Prime Minister, Igor Luk¹ ić (www.gov.me), who moved into the role at the end of last year, is different from his predecessor Milo Đukanović.

At the very beginning of his prime ministerial career, Luk¹ ić opened a series of political talks with representatives of political parties, unions, employers, nongovernmental organisations and media concerning, as he had stated himself, ‘key matters of the state’.

The new prime minister has announced that he will hold consultations with representatives of political parties

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and, of course, the opposition, on a threeas a ‘new’ figure. Although he initially monthly basis, and in half a year’s time he paid tribute to Đukanović by saying that will meet the interlocutors from the beginhe had the ‘exquisite honour’ to have had ning of his mandate. He has already rethe opportunity to work on his team, it is ceived praises from them, not only because objectively important for Luk¹ ić to conhe ‘auditioned’ them, but also because of vince the public as soon as possible that his approach and the atmosphere which he is not a political ‘descendant’ in all matwas present at all consultative meetings. ters, regardless of the fact that the former The opposition and the non-governprime minister had introduced him earlier mental sector were dissatisfied with the as his ‘heir’. A part of the opposition held level of ‘cooperation’ with the former Prime this against him in the elections, and the Minister Milo Đukanović. Moreover, they Social People’s Party and New Serbian Dethought and felt that Đukanović was igmocracy voted against him. The Opposinoring them. In this sense, Luk¹ ić has pretion Movement for Changes however gave sented himself differently and is already him conditional support. scoring his first Luk¹ ić has made points. There are some personnel and “I want to build a system just a few similariorganisational changwhere unemployed ties between Luk¹ ić es in the government and Đukanović. people will look for jobs to a greater degree They both graduthan was expected. and not welfare” ated from the FacHe has introduced six ulty of Economy in new ministers, and rePodgorica, although the new prime minset and altered some departments in terms ister won the title for the best student of of their organisation, even going as far as his generation, whereas his predecessor is names. He has also created a new departsaid to have been a ‘D’ student. Luk¹ ić, like ment - for science and technology - sendĐukanović also started dealing in politics ing the message that he wishes to keep at a young age. At the age of 34, Igor Luk¹ ić young, capable scientists and experts in is the youngest prime minister in Europe, Montenegro. He commented that the elecwhich was also the case with Đukanović, tion of young people to ministers’ posiwho took over governing Montenegro tions was an invitation for them to apply three decades ago, when he was 29 years for important positions in the state adminold. They both love basketball. istration. Personnel changes at lower levThe new prime minister however has els of state administration have also been made it clear that he has his own political announced. Having Luk¹ ić as prime minidentity and he wants to define himself ister has many advantages, but it seems

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that he will constantly be ‘scrutinised’ to see whether he has ‘broken from’ the alleged influence of Đukanović who, as some representatives of the opposition still claim, will rule from the shadows. There are however, many signals which indicate that such doubts are unfounded. Moreover, one has the impression that Luk¹ ić and Đukanović have ‘an agreement’ when it comes to the way in which they will treat each other. Luk¹ ić is taking an independent approach and is gradually imposing his ‘style of work’ out of the conviction that it is the political necessity of Montenegro after winning the status of a candidate for membership to the European Union, but also that it is important to Đukanović that the public accepts the new prime minister.

In his promotional expose, Luk¹ ić mentioned the important tasks and goals set by Đukanović’s office, but he also managed to set a new tone. For instance, he said that the success of his government would not be measured only by what Brussels is asking from Podgorica, although he would personally coordinate the completion of the candidates’ as-

GREECE

german war Claim

T

he government announced it will send representation to The Hague-based International Court of Justice (www.icj-cij.org) in a lawsuit seeking German war reparations. The plaintiffs are relatives of those massacred in the Greek village of Distomo during World War II. Greece had until Friday to decide whether to join the case, which will decide whether the relatives are entitled to compensation from Germany over the 1944 massacre that left 218 people dead. In a marathon of lawsuits between 1998 and 2000, Greek courts ruled in favour of the victims, demanding Germany pay compensation of up to 60 million euros. The country rejected the ruling, insisting the case should be examined by German courts. Ultimately, it was transferred to another EU member state -- Italy, where a court awarded compensation of 25 million euros plus interest. Germany is appealing that decision at the ICJ.

BOSnIA AnD HERCEGOvInA

genocide Suspects Arrested

T At the age of 34, Igor Lukšić is the youngest prime minister in Europe, which was also the case with Ðukanović signments for the EU, but also by the living standard of citizens. In addition he has commented - “I want to build a system where unemployed people will look for jobs and not welfare”; “I will strongly support the strengthening of the revision of expenditure of tax-payers’ money”; “Society should not be dependent on the budget, but should depend on individual contributions of citizens and companies”; “I will ask everybody to answer for their part of the job”; “The future is not determined, we are all responsible for it, individually and collectively”.

Relatively quickly, maybe by summer, but certainly by the end of the year, Luk¹ ić will show what he has bought to Montenegro in terms of political and broader changes, whether he was able to be independent or worked ‘in the shadow’ of his ‘political parent’, and whether the new Mon■ tenegrin leader will be defined by his personality.

wo genocide suspects have been detained in BiH and Israel based on an order by Bosnian prosecutors, local media have reported. Former Bosnian Serb policeman Božidar Kuvelja, detained in the town of Cajnice, is suspected of taking part in the killing of Bosniaks after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995. Aleksandar Cvetkovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb army, was detained in Jerusalem on suspicion of genocide committed in the Bosnian enclave.

BuLGARIA AnD ROMAnIA

Schengen halted

B

ulgaria and Romania probably won’t get a ‘green light’ to enter Schengen in March. This was made clear after a meeting of a working group of experts in Brussels on January 14th to discuss the two countries’ readiness to join the border-free zone.

Bulgaria’s biggest problem, according to experts who inspected the country in December, is control on its border with Turkey.

In regards to Romania, meanwhile, a decision was taken to further examine the implementation of the Schengen Information System’s human interface. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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region Turkey

A step closer to the EU

cecilia malmstrom

T

urkey is poised to take a step closer to Europe following recent negotiations. Turkey and the EU may be close to finalising an illegal migrant re-admission pact following talks in Ankara last week. The agreement, which would allow the EU to send back illegal migrants proven to have entered the Union through Turkey, could bring Turks a step closer to a long-coveted goal: visa-free travel to Europe.

“We are close to the solution on the re-admission agreement,” Cecilia Malm-

Cecilia Malmstrom says that this agreement will open the way to starting a serious visa dialogue with Turkey strom, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, wrote on her personal blog (ceciliamalmstrom.wordpress.com) last week. “This agreement will open the way to starting a serious visa dialogue with Turkey.”

An outline of the deal being negotiated in closed-door talks has yet to be made public, but analysts believe that the EU’s use of the visa issue as a carrot has helped broker the deal.

According to Cengiz Aktar, Chairman of the Department of EU Relations at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University, the EU’s past reluctance to liberalise its visa regime has caused “huge damage” to its perception in the country.

“Turks are systematically humiliated with visas,” Aktar told SETimes. “An EU 44

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The agreement, which would allow the EU to send back illegal migrants proven to have entered the EU through Turkey, could bring Turks a step closer to a long-coveted goal: visafree travel to Europe businessman can jump on the plane in the morning, sign a deal, and that’s that, but the Turk simply can’t do that: he’s queuing at the consulate.”

While a host of Balkan countries - including Serbia, Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina - have recently secured EU visa waivers, Turks have been forced to look on with envy, despite being a membership candidate, and holding a customs union with the EU since 1996.

But Aktar believes that with a re-admission agreement imminent, progress on the visa issue is also likely. “The co-operation is

ceren mutus

there more than ever,” he said.

Ayhan Kaya, a professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, says the visa issue has been a gift to the country’s anti-Europe lobby. Resolving it, he says, could strongly improve Turks’ perceptions of the Union.

“If the EU makes a radical decision about the visa regime that could bring about a change in the Euro-skeptic discourse which is very dominant in Turkey.”

But others, such as Ceren Mutus, an expert on Turkey-EU relations at the Ankarabased think tank, the International Strategic Research Organisation (www.usak.org. tr), warn that visa liberalisation will not necessarily follow an agreement over readmission.

macedoNIa

Tobacco farmers PrOTEST “We will call upon all the political parties that expressed their support for us to join us at protests starting on Thursday.

We will go out in the streets, breaking windows, demanding our bread and practicing civil disobedience,” strike leader Kire

A

fter the ruling VMRO DPMNE (www.vmro-dpmne.org.mk) party recently announced that it would not change the law and guarantee farmers a higher price for tobacco, protesters responded by declaring that their rallies would increase in intensity, and vowed to carry out acts of civil disobedience.

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30,000 families are supported by the crop of tobacco Nedelkovski told media after hearing the news from parliament.

The VMRO DPMNE, which holds a

She said EU member states with large Turkish immigrant populations - Germany, France, Austria, and The Netherlands are likely to remain opposed to a visa deal.

“I don’t believe it will be inevitable, but it will be a step towards visa liberalisation,” she said. “The EU Council has to give a mandate to the Commission to negotiate it, but up until now, there has been no such sign of that.”

Ankara may be waiting for this development before sealing the readmission pact, she added. Mutus says the EU is making a

Turkey has been a membership candidate and has been holding a customs union with the Eu since 1996 mistake by linking visa liberalisation with the re-admission agreement - a model of negotiation it has used with Balkan states - and pointed out that the 1963 Ankara Agreement established Turks’ right to visafree travel to Europe.

“There are signed agreements between Turkey and the EU on this issue, but they are still claiming that there’s a linkage with re-admission.” She believes the visa issue cuts to the heart of Turkey’s relationship with Europe.

(Source: SETimes.com) ■ strong majority in parliament, decided not to change the law this year and to propose amendments to address the situation from next year. A proposed resolution tabled by the opposition Social Democrats, which urged the government to pay the difference between prices offered by purchasers and the price demanded by the farmers, was not passed.

“We sympathise with the hardship of the farmers but urge the opposition not to misuse their misery,” Silvana Boneva, who leads VMRO DPMNE lawmakers in parliament, said at the session.

Tobacco is an important product in Macedonia, where some 30,000 families are supported by the crop. It takes up some 70 per cent of large-scale farming land, and is the second largest employer ■ after the public sector.

albaNIa Human rights Watch request

Independent PrOSEcuTOr Human Rights Watch has called for the appointment of an independent, senior prosecutor to investigate allegations that top Kosovo officials were part of a criminal network that sold body parts, carried out assassinations and dealt drugs

T

he Council of Europe (www.coe.int) human rights rapporteur Dick Marty, in a report released in December last year, alleged that abductions, disappearances, executions, organ trafficking, and other serious crimes were coordinated by leading members of the Kosovo Libera-

Since its release, the report has been adopted by the Council of Europe’s Legal Affairs Committee, and it has gone before the Council’s parliamentary assembly.

Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org), said that a credible investigation by EULEX, run by an independent special prosecutor,

“EuLEX will face great obstacles to conducting a credible investigation into these serious allegations” should receive high-level political backing tion Army, including the current Prime from the US and EU governments.

Minister Hashim Thaci.

It also pointed to concern that witness “The EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX (www.eulex-kosovo.eu), will face great obstaintimidation and difficulties collecting evicles in conducting a credible investigation dence could hamper the investigation, and into these serious allegations,” said Lotte called on the prosecutor’s headquarters to Leicht, European Union director at Hube located outside of Kosovo and Albania man Rights Watch in a press release. and for foreign governments to help pro“It is crucial to have an independent vide adequate witness protection. senior prosecutor, an effective witness The watchdog group also called on protection program governments in the including the ability Albania and the uS have region and internato relocate witnesses tional organisations, agreed that a probe outside the Balkans including EULEX, should be launched - and the security rethe UN mission in quired for such a deliKosovo, and the cate investigation.”

International Criminal Tribunal for the While the allegations have been denied former Yugoslavia (www.icty.org), to fully

by Thaci and his government, Serbia has cooperate with the investigation. called for an investigation into the claims In the document, Marty points a finger made in the report, and Kosovo, Albaat the UN mission in Kosovo, and its sucnia and the US have agreed that a probe cessor the EU rule of law mission EULEX, should be launched. Both the EU and the for not adequately investigating the allegaUS have asked Marty to present his evitions that such activities took place.

(Source: Balkan Insight) ■ dence to EULEX. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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business 2 bUSINESS

Delta takes over NlB PeNsioNs

a DesigN icoN Outrageous proportions: a long bon- grille is dominated by the large cennet, narrow-look windows with frame- tral star, which underlines the car’s relationship to the othless side windows, a er coupés of the brand dynamic roof sweepand strengthens the ing back at an anbrand identity. The gle towards the rear. large, elongated dark In 2003 the four-door air inlets with black Coupé was born and grilles also add to the the Mercedes-Benz CLS vehicle’s athletic apimmediately estabpearance. lished itself as a new Another distingustyle icon. The proporishing feature comes tions have stayed the in the form of the same - and yet everyLED High Performance thing is different; the headlamps, which are second generation of the world’s first this design trendWhat immediately strikes the to offer all of the setter has adopted a completely eye is the innovative front design, regular dynamic light functions new look. which is reminiscent of the using LED techWhat immediMercedes-Benz SLS AMG nology. This inately strikes the eye is the innovative front design, which novation boasts an impressive design is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz - inside it is divided into three arrowSLS AMG. Visually, the radiator grille is shaped layers from top to bottom. The not integrated into the bonnet but is upper layer contains an LED indicator, formed separately. This highlights the beneath which is a striking LED side long, sporty bonnet even further. The light offering LED low beam functions.

goreNje iN ZajeČar The Slovenian company ‘Gorenje’ (www.gorenjegroup.com) will open a new factory in Zaječar; a fact confirmed by Tanjug (www.tanjug.rs) and the Ministry of the Economy and Regional Development. The new factory will manufacture washing machines and dishwash-

Gorenje will hire at least 300 people in Zaječar ers. The industrial complex at Zaječar comprises of two halls totalling 18,000 square metres which are located on a 14 hectare site. ‘Gorenje’ will hire at least 300 people in Zaječar, and the anticipated start-up investment is expected to be approximately 2.9 million euros.

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On 13th December 2010, Delta Generali, who handles voluntary pension fund management, was given the

Nataša marjanović, director of delta's Pension fund

go ahead by the National Bank of Serbia to acquire the NLB Nova Penzija pension fund as the highest bidder. This makes Delta Generali the second company in Serbia to manage two pension funds.

This process began when NLB Nova Penzija Company for Voluntary Pension Fund Management made the decision to cease its operations in Serbia, and the National Bank of Serbia sent out a public invitation to voluntary pension fund management companies in Serbia to submit their bids for the acquisition of NLB Nova Penzija in accordance with the Law on Voluntary Pension Funds.

HigH PuNto sales ‘Fiat Cars Serbia’ (Fiat Automobili Srbija - FAS), sold almost 150,000 ‘Punto Classic’ (www.fiat.com) cars in 2010, a quarter of which were exported. The press officer for the Serbian-Italian company, Iva Ðurić, says that vehicles were exported to the Ukraine, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Exports of ‘Punto Classic’ Lebanon, and points out that that the excars only began in the second ports of ‘Punto Classic’ cars only began in quarter of 2010 the second quarter of 2010.

serBiaN suits iN ‘M&s’ The famous London department store ‘Marks and Spencer’ (www.marksandspencer.com) is expected to sign contracts with sev-

eral Serbian clothing producers in order to sell their goods in ‘Marks and Spencer’ stores all over the world. The company’s headquarters are in London but with numerous stores around the globe it also has a considerable distribution network. ‘Marks and Spencer’ are looking at cooperating with the Serbian fashion houses of Zekstra, Luna, Afrodite Mode Collection, Jasmil, Sanatex, DKN Moden which owns the ‘Leonardo’ label, and several other companies.

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cHeaPest Power iN euroPe The Energy Agency of Serbia (AERS) has stated that the current price of electrical power in the Serbian market is lower than in any other country in Europe. According to the Agency (www. aers.org.rs), the price of domestic energy can be increased by 13.5 percent at most, but the final decision on the date and the amount of that increase will be made by the government. It is being speculated in the media that the prices of elec-

It is being speculated that the prices of electrical power will increase in March trical power will increase in March. The Energy Agency of Serbia states that the average price of electrical power, without taxes, for all buyers is now five dinars or 4.8 euro cents per kWh. The current price of electrical power for domestic use is 4.9 dinars or 4.65 euro cents per kWh.

Hugo Boss aND Prvi Maj

More than 1,500 workers are employed at the ‘Prvi Maj’ the two companies is the fact representatives of the German company have expressed their willingness to do business in Pirot and with ‘Prvi Maj’.

“Talks will be held in the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development (www. merr.gov.rs). It remains to be seen wheth-

Piraeus Bank in order to modernise and make business electronic banking services even more effortless has introduced, in addition to Piraeus Online Banking, two new electronic banking of the Halcom e-banking solution.

The Asseco application allows fiservices: Halcom and Asseco.

A Piraeus Bank Online Banking serv- nancial transactions to be made from ice users may be any legal entity with a personal computer, with an immedia registered business and an account ate insight into account balances and with Piraeus Bank. The user can choose turnover, review of transactions and to utilise one or more solutions, de- statements from dinar and foreign pending on their business needs and currency accounts. The application also allows the connection of multiple personal inclination.

The Halcom application provides cli- accounts of commercial banks on one digital certificate. ents with the opThe Piraeus portunity to work Piraeus Bank has introduced, two Online Banking with the dinar and new electronic banking services: service allows usforeign currenHalcom and Asseco ers rapid access to cy accounts of all their status and customers, as well as a connection with internal programs. daily changes in their accounts, daily An additional advantage is the possibil- statements and certificates of deposity of linking the accounts opened with it and withdrawal receiving as well as more commercial banks to a single dig- quick and safe dinar and foreign curital certificate, if those banks are users rency payments.

er cooperation will take place, what kind of cooperation will be offered by ‘Hugo Boss’ and whether it will suit ‘Prvi Maj’ and the Ministry of Economy,” says Vasić.

The capacities of ‘Prvi Maj’ are engaged to their fullest, with more than 1,500 workers employed at the factory.

MeDela iNvests ‘Medela’ (www.medela. rs) from Vrbas will invest two million euros in the construction of a new production hall, warehouse facilities and the acquisition of equipment. In addition to ‘Medela’s’ current production hall, a 3,800 square metre hall will be constructed within their 10,000 square metre industrial zone at Vrbas. The tender for the conceptual layout plan for this project is currently open.

MarcH for telekoM BiDs The deadline for sending in bids for purchasing the 51% share of ‘Telekom Srbija’ (www.tradingmarkets.com) has been extended until 21st March, 2011.

The decision was made at the suggestion of the privatisation councillor, so as to provide interested companies with enough time to send in their bids. To date,

The deadline for sending in bids for the 51% share of ‘Telekom Srbija’ has been extended documentation for the tender has been received from Deutsche Telekom, France Telekom, Telekom Austria, America Movil and Weather Investments, and it is expected that ‘Turkcell’ will also be following suit shortly.

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business 2 bUSINESS

Vladan Vasić, the Mayor of Pirot, has recently announced that the German company ‘Hugo Boss’ could soon start co-operation with ‘Prvi Maj’ company (www.prvimajpirot.com) of Pirot. Vasić has made comment that the most important aspect of talks recently held between

New Piraeus services

business 2 bUSINESS koNsiNg ‘coNQuers’ euroPe Despite the global financial down- initial contracts in early February.

“We view English market as an excelturn in 2010, Konsing Group managed to generate 30 million euros in revenue lent opportunity to conduct substantial last year, the same level as 2009, thanks work over the following two years, and to previously implemented deals and ra- even after that, since more and more operators outsource tional business operKonsing Group managed to activities on network ations. Not a single maintenance and employee lost their generate 30 million euros in optimisation,” Mr. job and substantial revenue last year Lekan adds. funds were invested “Also, due to the in staff training. problems associated “I believe that 2011 with large data transfer, will be even better than all operators need to in2010 since we will have crease their capacities an opportunity to operate in a very short period of in other markets. England, time, as well as replace which is the host of the most of their existing 2012 Olympics, needs to mobile telephony equiphave a lot of preliminary ment. Hence, there will be work done in areas like Zdenko lekan, enough work in Europe telecommunications and CEo of konsing group for a company as qualinformation technology.

We have already registered our com- ified as ours. We have already estabpany there and begun working,” says lished contacts with regional and Polish the Chief Executive Officer of Konsing operators. To conclude, I am quite optimistic when it comes to 2011 year,” Group, Zdenko Lekan.

The company expects to conclude Mr. Lekan outlines.

D&B: serBia staBle For the first time since 2008, Serbia has been assessed as stable, according to the January report of Dun & Bradstreet. The country has also improved its credit rating, however, despite NBS interventions in the foreign currency market, Serbia’s inflation has not

The national currency exchange rate is weak been restrained and the national currency exchange rate is weak. Dun & Bradstreet also point out that despite short-term delays in economic recovery, fiscal discipline and budget deficit reduction are restoring the trust of investors in Serbia. Serbia was ranked among countries with moderate business risks, with the remark that the reforms that were made in 2010 have produced concrete results.

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Quattro coNstructioN wiN Serbian construction company ‘Quattro Construction’ has won first prize at an international competition for the best European innovation in the area of construction in 2010.

The competition was organised by the French group Lafarge, based in Lyon, the world leader in the manufacture of building materials.

The competition was organised by the French group Lafarge the world leader in the manufacture of building materials Quattro Construction’s winning project titled Panel Construction System with Intermittent Internal Isolation was created by Jovan Nikolić. Nikolić’s innovation presents new solutions in the field of construction and reduces facility construction costs – a patent has already been obtained and Lafarge will control and protect it.

“This is a great success for Serbia, the vice-president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce,” Vidosava Džagić, commented after the win.

Yura Progress At the end of January, South Korean cable production company Yura (www.yuracorp.co.kr) officially informed the Minister of the Economy

and Regional Development, Mlađan Dinkić, that it would start construction of its second plant in Nis in March 2011. This will be the company’s third plant in Serbia. At least 300 work positions will be created by this latest investment. The plant will produce cables for the automotive industry, and the copper required will be sourced from the Mining Smelter Basin (RTB) in Bor. The Jura investment is the largest greenfield investment that It is the largest greenfield has occurred in Nis over the last 20 years. Overall investment in Niš over the it is worth 15 million euros and it will enable emlast 20 years ployment of minimum 1,500 people.

Metro co-oPeratioN The wholesale company ‘Metro Cash & Carry’ (www.metro-cc.com) has extended its co-operation with domestic Serbian clothing manufacturers which has the added benefit of providing export opportunities to these companies. ‘Er.Co.Knit’ has commenced the manufacture of men’s sweaters using the Metro brand of ‘Tailor & Son’, and ‘BMD Socks’ has begun production of men’s socks under the Metro brand ‘Authentic’. Both products are already available through Metro’s wholesale facilities in Serbia. Metro currently works with about 60 Serbian companies.

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Placements & POSTINgS

CorD keeps you up date with the latest engagements in politics, business and diplomacy

Matthew Perkins, new First Vice-president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)

The Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia (www.amcham.rs) has confirmed the promotion of Matthew Perkins, U.S. Steel Serbia’s General Director, from the position of the Second Vice-president to the position of the First Vice-president of the Chamber. Mr. Perkins was appointed as General Director of U.S. Steel Serbia in March 2008. Between 2003 and 2006 he worked for U.S. Steel in Serbia, after which he returned to the ironworks in Detroit, and was transferred to the position of Vice-president of Slovak ironworks ‘Ko¹ ice’ in 2007.

Bojan radun, new President of the Serbian Association of Managers (www.sam.org.rs) Bojan Radun began his career during his college days when he joined the family business Nektar (www.nectar.rs) in 1999, where he worked as an assistant on the company’s marketingrelated business. Upon completing his studies at the Faculty of Economy in Belgrade in 2001, he was promoted to Marketing Manager, and in 2004 to Sales Director. He currently holds the position of Executive Director at Nektar, and in 2006 he also became member of the Board of Directors of Radun Group, which incorporates all companies owned by the Radun family. He has been a member of the Business Council of the Ministry of the Economy and Regional Development since 2007.

Tibor Jerger, Samsung Electronics Adriatic new Senior Regional Sales Director Mr. Jerger comes with 16 years of experience in the Croatian market, and was previously the President of the ECOS d.o.o. Croatia holding company. Prior to this he was employed at Podravka and Ericsson Nikola Tesla, as the Vice-president of Marketing & Sales and was in charge of professional solutions.

He has also been the President of Volvo Trucks Corporation in Croatia, Slovenia and BiH, and moved from Sweden to be the President of Electrolux for Croatia in 1995. He is a member of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce. As Senior Head of Consumer Electronics (www.sva.rs), Jerger will lead the Consumer Electronics sales teams in Zagreb and Belgrade.

Mileta radojević,

new Director of GSP Belgrade (www.gsp.rs)

Mileta Radojević, until recently a member of the Belgrade City Council, has been appointed as the new acting Director of GSP Belgrade. He is a Master of Technical Sciences with lengthy experience in the area of traffic and passenger transport. From 1981 to 1988 he was deputy director in the traffic company ‘Strela Lazarevac’, between 1988 and 1990 he was the Secretary in the association of ‘Janko Stajčić’, and then became the Director and later on the President of the Board of Directors until 2008, Mr. Radojević is a member of the Socialist Party of Serbia.

appointments@cma.rs

www.cordmagazine.com/corporate/appointments.html

Michael rhoads, Executive Director of Operations at U.S. Steel Serbia (www.cs.uss.com) Mr. Rhoads graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He obtained his master’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 2002. Mr. Rhoads began his career at U. S. Steel in 1994 as a student co-op at Mon Valley Works’ Clairton Plant, the company’s coke making facility located just outside Pittsburgh. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, he was hired as a staff associate at Clairton and progressed through a series of increasingly responsible positions at the facility. In 2004, Mr. Rhoads was named senior process leader-galvanizer, tern and maintenance at Mon Valley Works’ Irvin Plant.

Vladan Mihailović, Plant Manager - Primary Operations at ironworks “Great Lakes Works”

Vladan Mihailović, has been appointed as the new Plant Manager Primary Operations at Great Lakes Works. In his new position Mr. Mihailović will oversee all iron and steel making operations at the Detroit-area facility and will report directly to Scott Coleman, the General Manager of Great Lakes Works (www.ussteel.com). Mr. Mihailović, 46, a native of Smederevo, Serbia, joined the former Sartid Steelworks in 1993 in the Iron Making Division.

Vladan Živanović, new President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Vladan Živanović, who prior to this latest appointment was the First Vice-president of AmCham (www. amcham.rs) and the General Manager of Microsoft Serbia (www.microsoft.com/sr-latn/rs), has been named as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia. Before being appointed as the General Manager of Microsoft Serbia in September 2008, Mr. Živanović was Microsoft’s Sales Director for major companies and state institutions. Prior to commencing his role at Microsoft in 2003, he held leading positions in IT companies, all leaders in the domestic and regional market.

Krzysztof Lipka, new Tax and Legal Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) Krzysztof Lipka is a lawyer and tax adviser with almost 20 years experience in the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms. He has practised tax advisory in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and specialises in corporate taxation.

He has lead several major cross-border restructuring, tax optimisation, due diligence and transfer pricing projects in Poland, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Mr. Lipka has gained practical knowledge of tax interpretation as well as experience in the application of tax laws with an emphasis on direct cooperation with CFOs, in-house tax directors and legal counsels. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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sport QaTar 2022 WorLd CuP

construction PArADISE

qatar university Stadium

By Construction Week

With Qatar’s intentions to host a high-class event, contractors, consultants and subcontractors should be spending the intervening time ensuring their companies meet current best practice standards. Qatar has already flagged the notion that it will not award tenders to anyone who doesn’t comply, so for those who have not yet addressed it, there is precious little time to bring their businesses up to scratch 50

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www.cordmagazine.com

W

ith a little over 11 years until Qatar hosts the 2022 FIFA football World Cup, the tiny Gulf nation (www.wikipedia. is org/wiki/Qatar) to spend tens of billions of dollars on hundreds of new projects to prepare for the month-long event.

A decade is not a long time in construction, particularly when you consider the amount of work that goes into the planning, designing and regulatory processes alone. That, coupled with the fact that Qatar has promised the tournament will adhere to strict safety, quality, health and environmental standards, the

coming 11 years will pass fairly quickly for those involved.

With Qatar’s intentions to host a high-class event, contractors, consultants and sub-contractors should be spending the intervening time ensuring their companies meet current best practice standards. Qatar has already flagged the notion that it will not award tenders to anyone who doesn’t comply, so for those who have not yet addressed it, there is precious little time to bring their businesses up to scratch.

The expected boom in construction is likely to have an impact on the price of materials, so contractors are best advised to ensure they have a solid, dependable supply of what they require.

Qatar will spread the tournament The emir of Qatar (left), Sheikh Hamad bin khalifa Accommodation: Qatar’s governover seven host cities all within a 25 Al Thani and sepp blatter the fIfA President ment is to spend US$17 billion on kilometre radius. Host cities include increasing its hotel room and guest the capital Doha, Al-Rayyan, Al-Daayapartment capacity to 80,000, easily en, UmmSlal, Al-Khor, Al-Wakrah and topping the 60,000 capacity demanded stadium, one of the 12 new arenas, will Al-Shamal. Organisers say the compact

by FIFA. There are 100 existing propbe surrounded by water and built in the nature of the event means spectators erties, with a further 130 to be built, Al Daayen section of Lusail City, a new will be able to watch several games all but 13 of which will be built after development north of Doha. It is set to a day because the distances between be the most iconic of all the stadihost stadiums is minimal. It is the The total spend on construction ums, and estimated to cost US$662 first ever Muslim and Arab counmillion to build. Designed by architry to host the World Cup. For in Qatar leading up to 2022 is tects Foster & Partners, it includes the Arab region, this decision is expected to top uS$50 billion a fully retractable roof (the world’s significant not only in reflecting largest cable-net roof) and environthe development and economic 2016. They will all be located within mentally friendly, solar technology that progress within this area of the world, 20 kilometres of the stadiums. will cool all 12 open-air stadiums to 27 proving that Arab countries are capaVenues: More than QR2.3 billion degrees celsius. ble of organising major international (www.coinmill.com) has been allocated to Team hotels: There will be 24 venueevents, but also in providing an opporthe building of nine stadiums, in addispecific team hotels, all of which have tunity to promote the correct image of tion to three that need major renovabeen contracted, and 48 venue-specific Islamic culture. tion. Designed by Albert Speer & Partner training sites, of which 36 have been The total spend on construction in GmbH and unveiled at ‘Sport Accord’, contracted. The ownership and operatQatar leading up to 2022 is expected the world’s largest sporting convention ing responsibility of all training sites to top US$50 billion. This means main Dubai, designs for the five stadiums will lie with five entities, including the jor opportunities for contractors and each boast a different distinctive feature.

Qatar Olympic Committee, which will consultants in new sectors such as stamanage 24 of them. dium building, as well as Team Facilities: The sectors that have up until toThe Lusail Iconic Stadium includes a fully bidding team proposed day, been saturated, such as retractable roof and environmentally 64 five-star training the hospitality sector. It also means that the start dates for friendly, solar technology that will cool all 12 camps based on two models: the pairing of construction and scheduled open-air stadiums to 27 degrees celsius 32 hotels with 32 traincompletion dates for projects Host stadium: The 86,250-seat Lusail ing sites and the other of two villages already planned, most of which are inIconic Stadium is due to be completed containing 16 clusters each of luxury frastructure developments, will be acby 2019 and will host the opening and houses, facilities and a training pitch. celerated so as to have the appropriate final matches of the competition. The Only 10 of the 64 currently exist, and facilities in place by 2022. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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all cluster developments are still on the Fan Fest area will be established in Eduduring the event. Bid documents don’t drawing board. cation City with several satellite Fan detail additional medical facilities for Transport (www.dib-qatar.com): The Zones around the host cities. The areas Doha itself, but each of the venues will New Doha International Airport (www. will be air-conditioned and will include have facilities to help deal with public ndiaproject.com), currently undergoing a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces and, and player needs. an US$11 billion expansion, will be the though the bid documents don’t state so FIFA HQ: The Doha Convention key transportation hub for the influx of categorically, it’s believed that these will Centre is due for completion in 2017 visitors. The airport covers a land area in be licensed venues where fans will be and will have 100,000m2 of space, with excess 22 kilometres and handles around able to socialise. a 35,000m2 main hall. The venue will 50 million passengers and 320,000 airbe used to accommodate the draw halls, craft landings and takeoffs each year. media centre, TV compound, meeting Over 100 hectares alongside the new rooms and office space required to host airport have been reserved for commerthe event. The venue is close to highcial development, including a free trade quality hotels, so FIFA’s elite can be zone, offices, hotels and retail mall. cosseted in the luxury they’ve become Construction of the new Doha port accustomed to.

– the US$7 billion project is currently International broadcast centre: The scheduled for completion in 2023. The new IBC will be built by 2020, though no scope of work includes construction of plans have yet been finalised over the lothe new Doha port located in Economic cation of the new facility. There is an arguZone 3, Al Wakra, and will be linked to ment that supports basing the facility in the mainland by an 8.5 km long trestle Media City, which is central to all main bridge. The port will cover an area of 20 venues; however final plans will be made square kilometres. after the AFC Asian Cup in January.

The Doha metro – is a US$3 billion Green Qatar: Bidders have promfuture fIfA Headquarters project and consists of ised that all stadian 85 kilometre railOnce the tournament is over 22 modular stadiums ums will be climate way network that will controlled and zero that will be used for team training venues and major include an east coast carbon emitting. matches will be dismantled and sent to emerging link, a high-speed link, This is to beat tema freight link and a peratures of up to nations to help with their sporting development light rail system. The 50 degrees celsius railway will serve the during the two hotsuburb of Doha and developments such test months of the year when the comas Lusail, Education City and West Bay. petition takes place. An environmental Its original completion date for 2015 is working group has already been estabunlikely to be met. lished to identify, study and monitor the Road network – over the next five environmental impact, and develop the years the Qatar government will spend Green Qatar 2022 plan.

US$20 billion to expand the current The Qatar national football team is road network. Projects include major currently ranked 113th in the world new roads connecting the New Doha Inand have never played in a World Cup. ternational Airport to all cities in Qatar, They have however, appeared in seven and also the causeway project between AFC Asian Cup tournaments and won Qatar and Bahrain. There are also plans the Gulf Cup twice. For the 2010 World to construct a bridge between Abu Dhabi Cup Qatar failed to qualify after finishand Qatar, cutting travel time to Qatar ing fourth in their qualifying group. (and bypassing Saudi Arabia’s border).

Part of Doha’s World Cup legacy inqatar metro Getting about: Ticket holders will cludes 22 modular stadiums that will have free access to public transport durHealth and medical services: Given be used for team training venues and, ing the event. There will be links not the fact the tournament is to take place in some cases, major matches. Once only to all venues, stadiums and hotels during the hottest months of the year, the tournament is over, these stadiums but also to FIFA Fan Fest zones where Qatar is taking extra measures to enwill be dismantled and sent to emergspectators will be able to socialise. sure players, spectators, officials and ing nations to help with their sporting FIFA Fan Fest areas: A dedicated families are kept cool and hydrated development.

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culture NEwS KuSTENdorF FESTIvAL

JuBILEE oF Ivo ANdrIć

T

I

he international film and music festival Kustendorf (www.

kustendorf-filmandmusicfestival. org), created by film director Emir

Kusturica, was held at Mokra Gora between and January 4th- 11th. This was the fourth year of the festival and 38 movies were presented over the seven-day programme.

The Golden Egg award for the best film of the festival was given to the young Russian director Sonya Karpunin for her short film ‘Chance’. The Silver Egg went to Julia Kolberger from Poland for her short film ‘Tomorrow I Will Go Away’,

Twenty films out of the 300 received found their way to the contestant programme

t’s been half a century since the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Ivo Andrić, and there will be celebrations throughout 2011 with a range of events in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Višegrad, the city where Andrić spent his childhood will be the centre of celebrations for the jubilee. The city is also home to the famous bridge of Mehmed paša Sokolović, which was immortalised by Andrić in his work and is also listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

As an acknowledgement of the 50th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Andrić, as well as the 120th anniversary of the author’s birth

(which will be celebrated in 2012), the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Nebojša Bradić, the Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH, Sredoje Nović, and the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska, Anton Kasipović, held a meeting in Višegrad at the beginning of January. A full programme for the celebration of this important jubilee was announced, and director Emir Kusturica (www.kustu.com) spoke about his plans to make the movie

director Emir Kusturica spoke about his plans to make the movie ‘Bridge on the drina’ ‘Bridge on the Drina’. Kusturica also announced his ‘Kamengrad’ project, which, like ‘Drvengrad’, he intends to build in Višegrad, and which will serve as scenery for his film.

BELGrAdE CITy LIBrAry TurNS EIGHTy

and the Bronze Egg was awarded to Serbian director Ognjen Isailović for his film ‘Golden League’.

The festival selector was Dunja Kusturica, and twenty films out of the 300 received, found their way to the contestant programme. The most important guests of this year’s Kustendorf were Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, whose films were shown as part of the ‘Great Men’ programme, the famous Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, Mexican actor and director Gael Garcia Bernal and Czech author Ian Hrebejk.

B

elgrade City Library (www.bgb.rs) celebrated its eightieth birthday by presenting, amongst others, the ‘Marija Ilić Agapova’ award for the best librarian and the ‘Gligorije Vozarović’ award for the best publisher in 2010. The ‘Marija Ilić Agapova’ award was presented to the head of the Science Information Department of the Serbian National Library, The most-read book by a Biljana Kosanović, and the jury decided the foreign author in 2010 was ‘Gligorije Vozarović’ award for the best publisher the ‘Millennium’ trilogy by belonged to ‘Laguna’ publishing house of Belgrade.

Stieg Larsson The most-read book by a foreign author in 2010, based on data gathered by the library, was the ‘Millennium’ trilogy by Stieg Larsson, published by Belgrade’s ‘Čarobna Knjiga’.

At the celebration of the jubilee of the Belgrade City Library, the Serbian Minister of Culture, Nebojša Bradić, pointed out that this library had performed the important role of promoting culture during the 80 years of its existence.

ExHIBITIoNS AT KoLArAC

I

n 2011 the Gallery of the Kolarac Foundation (www.kolarac.rs) will present the works of 15 local artists, who have been chosen based on the results of the contest which is promoted by the gallery each year. This year’s season at the gallery started on January 11th with the exhibition of paintings and drawings from Belgrade artist Ivana Prlinčević (1974).

Ivana graduated from the Faculty of Visual Arts in Belgrade, and then gained her Master’s degree in 2007. After this exhibition the Kolarac Gallery’s council has decided to feature significant and interesting local artists - painters Nina Radojčić, Milica Miličević, Milan Bosnić, Milinko Koković, Vladeta Živković, Dunja Savčić and Tatjana Nešović, as well as sculptors Milica Poptsis and Gorana Marinčić. Over the course of the year, the public will have the opportunity to see the exhibition of drawings of Saša Filipović and the multi-media works of Tatjana This year’s season at the Kolarac Gallery started on Milutinović Vondraček, Predrag Blagojević and January 11th with the exhibition of paintings and Radoš Antonijević.

drawings from Belgrade artist Ivana Prlinčević 54

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MArINA ABrAMovIć ExHIBITIoN

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ortraits of visitors who took their places in front of Marina Abramović during her great retrospective exhibition in New York will be included in the monograph which will be published by the American publishing house Aperture in February. The retrospect of Marina Abramović’s works, ‘The Artist is Present’, held from March 14th to May 31st in the New York Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org), presented all the performances of the significant Serbian artist. During the 716 hours of this exhibition, Marina Abramović sat in silence, without moving, in the central part of the museum,

NIN AWArd

T

he writer Gordana Ćirjanić has been announced as the 2010 winner of the NIN Award for her novel ‘Ono Što Oduvek Želiš’ (‘What You’ve Always Wanted’) published by Narodna Knjiga of Belgrade. The award was given to the writer at a special ceremony at Belgrade City Hall on 26th January.

renowned Belgrade weekly publication NIN gives the award while the million dinar cash prize that accompanies the award was provided by Telekom Serbia

The exhibition was the most visited exhibition in the New york Museum of Modern Art in 2010, and one of the most visited exhibitions in the history of the museum

Award (the Women Feather Pen Award) which is given to female authors by Politika Bazar magazine.

vIdEo CoNFErENCE BG-Ny

T

he video conference and discussion panel ‘Serbia@ Europe’, dedicated to the complex matters of the roles of culture and art in a time of great social and political turmoil, was held on January 10th at the Gallery- Legacy Milica Zorić and Rodoljub Čolaković in Belgrade. The motivation for this conference was the closing of the exhibition ‘Serbia - Frequently Asked Questions’ at the Austrian Cultural Centre (www.acfny.org) in New York.

Serbian writers and artists including Dubravka Ugrešić, Aleksandra Jovićević,

Sreten Ugričić, Milica Tomić and Branislav Dimitrijević participated in the discussion, and raised questions about the position of the modern critical culture and art and the responsibility of cultural policies in the processes of the intercultural dialogue of Serbia, the Balkans and Europe.

The exhibition ‘Serbia- Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQ Serbia) at the

The motivation for this conference was the closing of the exhibition ‘Serbia - Frequently Asked Questions’ ACF in New York in 2010 presented the works of artists from Serbia and eight other countries, covering almost two decades of the dramas in the Balkans, with a particular accent on Serbia.

FEST 2011

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his year’s 39th Belgrade Film Festival (www.fest.rs) will be held from February 25th until March 6th under the slogan of ‘In Which Film Are You?’. Awarded films from the most important world festivals held over the last eight months in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, and Toronto and so on, will be shown to Belgrade audiences. The festival will also present films from the youngest, future stars of the world film industry and will feature The festival will feature several several premiers of Serbian films, as well premiers of Serbian films, as well as as numerous follow-up programmes, master-classes, workshops, guest numerous follow-up programmes, appearances of foreign and domestic master-classes and workshops movie-makers, critics and producers. This year’s FEST will once again be held in the Sava Centre, the Belgrade Cultural Centre and Yugoslav Film Archive and for the first time in the new, renovated hall of the Youth Centre. Tickets, at affordable prices, are available from February 1st. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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culture NEwS

The NIN Award has been presented to the authors of preeminent novels since 1954. Renowned Belgrade weekly publication NIN gives the award while the million dinar cash prize that accompanies the award was provided by this year’s main sponsor of the ceremony - Telekom Serbia.

The panel of judges, made up of Vasa Pavković (head of panel), Aleksandar Ilić, Liljana Šop, Mladen Šukalo and Mileta Aćimović Ivkov considered a total of 124 novels before selecting the winning title.

Gordana Ćirjanić is the fourth woman to have won the NIN Award in the last fifty years. She was born in Belgrade in 1957, and was a Spanish and English translator for a long period of time. She is also the recipient of the Žensko Pero

and visitors sat opposite her, taking each other’s places.

Their faces were captured by the Italian photographer Marco Anelli – and as a result about 1500 photo portraits will find their place in a monograph titled ‘Portraits in the Presence of Marina Abramović: 716 Hours, 3,000 Eyes’. The exhibition ‘The Artist is Present’ is a cross-section and presentation of the many decades of work of the Serbian artist who made performance art famous. It was the most visited exhibition in the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2010, and one of the most visited exhibitions in the history of the museum.

culture CAlENdAR AnnuAL EVEnTS FEST 2011 39th International Film Festival Sava Center, Belgrade Cultural Center, Yugoslav Film Archive, Youth Cultural Center 25 February - 06 March ‘Fest’ will feature many of the finest and award-winning films from the biggest festivals over the last eight months including Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto. The festival will also offer master classes, workshops, guest appearances by prominent filmmakers, critics and several significant local premieres.

GuITAr ArT FESTIVAL Kolarac Foundation Hall, Sava Center 08 February - 13 February The Guitar Art Festival was founded in 2000 and is today a professionally run event that gathers together classical guitarists of all levels: amateurs, primary and secondary music school pupils, students, teachers, professors, eminent guests, and leading world guitarists.

Main Program

09 February – Kolarac Hall 20.00 – Ognjen Grčak Xuefei Yang 21.30 – Stefan Milenković & Edin Karamazov

GAFÉ 08 February - 13 February Guitar Art Festival Café Club, Kolarčeva 6 Between 00.00 and 04.00 A nightly gathering, featuring music selected by the participants and partners of the guitar festival.

VAnESSA MAE Belgrade Arena 27 February, 20.00

11 February – Sava Center 20.00 – Mariza 12 February – Kolarac Hall 20.00 – Goran Krivokapić Author’s Night of Vlastimir Trajković: Vera Ogrizović, Zoran Anić, Miloš Janjić & Andras Csaki 22.00 – Egberto & Alexandre Gismonti 13 February – Kolarac Hall 19.30 – Closing ceremony & awards presentation 20.00 – Darko Karajić, Roman Viazovskiy 21.30 – Aniello Desiderio’s Quartetto Furioso 79 February 2011

GuITAr VISuAL ArT 27 February - 17 February Progres Gallery, Knez Mihajilova 50 An exhibition by a group of eminent visual artists who play guitar or are strongly inspired by music.

cLASSIcAL MuSIc

10 February – Sava Center 20.00 – Div4s, Los Romero, Camerata Serbica & Marcello Rota

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GuITAr ArT EXPO 10 February - 13 February The Continental Hotel, Belgrade Guitar and music fans will be able to check out products from the most famous guitar manufacturers and distributors, and guitar collectors will have guitars from their private collections on show.

The organiser of the Guitar Art Festival is the Guitar Art Society Sava Center, Milentija Popovica 9 Phone: + 381 11 22 06 245 e-mail: info@gaf.rs; office@gaf.rs; www.gaf.rs

08 February – Kolarac Hall 20.00 – Opening ceremony 20.15 – Leata Eduard 20.30 – Los Romero

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Master Classes – both individual and group classes will be held for all participants (pupils, students and teachers) by the festival lecturers at the Faculty of Music, Kralja Milana 50

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Vanessa-Mae (born in 1978) is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is selfdescribed as ‘violin techno-acoustic fusion’, and several of her albums prominently feature the techno style. Visitors to her concerts will experience an eclectic mix of classical, pop and jazz.

Tickets available from BILET Servis, Trg Republike 5, Phone: (011) 303 33 11 and at Belgrade Arena, Bulevar Arsenija Čarnojevića 58, Phone: (011) 220 22 22 www.cordmagazine.com

04 February WInTEr cYcLE Conductor: Gabriel Feltz Soloist: Antonio Meneses, cello Programme: R. Wagner: Die Meistersinger, prelude E. Lalo: Cello concerto D major S. Rachmaninov: Symphony no. 2 op. 27 E minor 11 February cHInESE nEW YEAr’S cYcLE Conductor: En Shao Soloist: Haochen Zhang, piano L. Huan Zhi: Spring Festival overture P. I. Tchaikovsky: Piano concerto no. 1 op. 23 B flat minor Xia Guan: Farewell to my Concubine 18 February WInTEr cYcLE Conductor: Muhai Tang Soloist: Gaby Pas-Van Riet, flute Programme: S. Prokofiev: Classical Symphony (no.

1 op. 25) J. Ibert: Flute concerto M. Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin J. Haydn: Symphony no. 104 D major (London) 25 February WALKInG On A STrInG cYcLE Conductor: Muhai Tang Soloist: Sarah Chang, violin Programme: L. v. Beethoven: Leonore overture no. 3 M. Bruch: Violin concerto no. 1 op. 26 G minor L. v. Beethoven: Symphony no. 7 op. 92 A major concerts in Kolarac concert Hall 05 February, 20.00 quArTET ruBIcOn roman Simovic, violin Milos Petrovic, violin Branko Kabadaic, viola Dragan Djordjevic, violoncello Guest - Itamar Golan, piano Programme - Schubert, Dvorzak, Ravel 13 February, 20.00 VESnA STAnKOVIc, violin, uKI OVASKAInEn, piano 19 February, 20 00 LP DuO- SOnJA LOnČAr AnD AnDrIJA PAVLOVIĆ Jose Pepe Garcia and Juan Martinez, percussion Helweg: Rituals, op. 39, for two pianos Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, for two pianos Ravel: La Valse, choreographic poem, for two pianos

Helweg: American Fantasy, op. 19, for two pianos and percussion concerts at Guarnerius Art center Džordža Vašingtona 12 05 February, 20.00 SAnJA KLIČKOVIĆ soprano, uKI OVASKAInEn, piano (Finland)

MOrnInG GLOrY Starts: 24 February Directed by: Roger Michell Stars: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson Romantic Comedy

22 February, 20.00 IVAn PErČEVIĆ violin Winner of numerous prizes in domestic and international competitions, Ivan Perčević, will perform for the audience at Guarnerius, with pianist Maja Hadži-Antić Tatić.

Programme: Beethoven, Debussy, Saint-Saens, Ysaye, Ravel, Marić

POP MuSIc

LEO MArTIn Sava Center, Great Hall ALADDIn On IcE Belgrade Arena 18 February - 20 February, 19.00 19 and 20 February, 12.00, 15.30 and 19.00 This year Holiday on Ice proudly presents the latest children’s ice show: ‘Aladdin on Ice - Aladdin and the Magic Basket’.

The story is based on what children love most: a fun, interactive and adventurous show with monsters, treasures, magic formulas and a flying carpet. ‘Aladdin on Ice’ is rich in magical acts, stunning acrobatics, modern, inspirational music and the highest-quality figure skating staged to enhance the classic Middle East ambience.

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger Thriller 14 February, 20.00 Leo Martin is a Belgrade pop and soul singer with numerous hit singles and memorable love songs from the 60s and 70s.

ArT THE nEW IMAGES OF BELGrADE 2000 - 2010 Artget Gallery, Belgrade Cultural Center until 09 February Artists: Mirko Lovrić (1935), Dragan Mirković (1946), Branislav Strugar (1949), Fadil Šarki (1951), Zoran Djordjević (1959), Aleksandar Kelić (1964), Aleksa M. Trbović (1966), Ivan Stanić (1969), Milena Anđela Mišić (1982), Sanja Knežević (1984) Organiser of the exhibition - Goran Malić, an eminent photographic artist and historian of Serbian photography.

BrAnIBOr DEBELJKOVIĆ Photo exhibition

Branibor Debeljkovic (1916-2003) was an artist, educator, researcher, historian and professor of photography at the University of Arts in Belgrade, and the First Serbian historian of photography. This exhibition presents his well known photographs of ‘old Belgrade’.

Plays in Belgrade theatres in February cArMEn In FOur rOunDS Dance theatre

The new dance-version of the famous story of Carmen Author - Isidora Stanišić Composer - Bise and Anja Đorđević Dancers: Ana Ignjatović-Zagorac Katarina Stojkov-Slijepečević Milica Pisić Nataša Šmelc Nevena Jovanović FrOM THE HErOIc LIFE OF cITIZEnS

by Carl Sternheim Yugoslav Drama Theatre Kralja Milana 50 Directed by Iva Milošević

Gallery `Beograd`, Kosančićev Venac 19 31 January - 14 February

THEATrE

Bitef Theatre

The trilogy ‘Heroic Life of Citizens’, written by the early expressionistic German author Carl Sternheim, exposes the philistine, provincial spirit of citizenship, along with hypocritical morality and greed - in a time that greatly resembles our own contemporary era.

Cast: Dragan Mićanović, Jelena Dokić, Anđelika Simić, Nikola Vujović, Bojan Lazarov, Mark Baćović, Labor Đuričin, Predrag Ejdus, Nada Šargin and Marinko Madžgalj.

FILM PrEMIErES

culture CAlENdAR

LEGEnDE Sava Center, Great Hall 05 and 12 February, 20.00 A popular ethno-pop group from Belgrade.

unKnOWn Starts: 17 February

YOGI BEAr Starts: 03 February Director: Eric Brevig Stars: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake and Anna Faris Animated children’s movie BurLESquE Starts: 17 February Director: Steve Antin Stars: Cher, Christina Aguilera and Alan Cumming Comedy nO STrInGS ATTAcHED Starts: 10 February Directed by: Ivan Reitman Stars: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher Comedy cordeditorial@cma.rs

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interview gordaNa ćIrJaNIć, WrITEr, WInnEr of THE nIn LITErAry AWArd

What You’ve Always Wanted In my book I used an aging disgruntled Belgrade intellectual who has given up on actually living his life and spends most of his time watching TV, like an addict. I wanted to find out how much TV has penetrated a person’s psyche, affected his or hers personal memories and sleep

By Jelena ALEKSIĆ

W

ith the novel “What You’ve Always Wanted” winning this year’s race for one of the most prestigious awards in literature in Serbia - the NIN award - Gordona Cirjanic talks with CorD about the inspiration for her novel, the literary scene in Serbia, and the existence of a writer in modern times.

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■ To begin this interview, I would like to ask you what this award means to you and do you expect things will change subsequent to receiving the award, namely your career?

- The NIN Award (www.en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/NIN_Prize) is the most important literary award given to a piece written in the Serbian language and every writer should aspire to win it. This award is a sort of social stamp that is used to certify something that has become familiar, i.e.

www.cordmagazine.com

to certify whether a writer is good or excellent. The history of the award shows that they are best utilised when given to a mature writer who is still capable of writing a novel or two. If you give it to a young writer, i.e. too early, the award can be counter-productive and if it is too late, then it just boils down to a confirmation without any substantial results.

I see this award as additional wind to my sails that will attract more people to reading my books, while the cash prize

will help me with writing a new novel without living through the existential angst. To date, the award has always sparked more interest amongst translators and for the winners it has opened the door to the world. In Serbia, we don’t have literary agents and our Ministry of Culture (www.kultura.gov.rs) has no means by which to offer our work to foreign publishers. Hence, we are practically left to our own devices.

plicit material, but a pornographic treatment of death. Just like TV, sexuality did not teach us how to love better, and decaying bodies are also not going to shed light on the mystery of death. My hero is observant, sometimes cerebral, and is summing up his life to that point.

■ The book’s slogan is the words of the old man Zosima who says that hell is the suffering of no longer being able

character, which I chose for the book’s slogan, speaks about Christian love - the love that is being expressed by a man who is a candidate for a saint in his final hours. My hero doesn’t love himself. His life has been reduced to counting passing hours and this life, i.e. the novel narrative, could be called a good description of hell. For Slobodan, sexual love, i.e. the last expression of it, was considered stepping over the moral boundaries. He is old school and a person orphaned by obsolete values.

He is a victim of permissiveness of the time where the whole world resembles de Sade’s decadent life which is aroused only by external stimulation.

■ Why did you choose television, or reality shows to be more precise, to write about and how difficult was it for you to write a winning novel following so many intellectuals debating the topic?

- True, a phenomenon called television has made its way into literature too. In ■ You wrote this book, the life story of our country, several novels have been your hero, as if you were a man, in the published in the last few years about telfirst person singular, and in the form evision. However, it was used more as of a confession letter (of a person who, means to make fiction more complex, among other things, had killed a man with a Borhes-like game of mirrors and and was acquitted of the crime and who reflection, which is particularly suited to forged a romantic relationship with his a TV genre called reality shows. Since I sister-in-law). am one of those writers who believe that - This novel, just like my previous work, literature should deal with large truths, is genderless, with an occasional anecI consider television a big problem in dote about the sexes. The being is what our lives. My approach to that problem my characters consider the most imporwas rather novelistic. I used an aging tant. The gender is given; it does not disgruntled Belgrade intellectual who pose a problem. All writers are faced has given up on actually living his life with similar problems when trying and spends most of his time to write, and these problems watching TV, like an addict. I originate from their personaliI don’t know any writer, with the wanted to find out how much ties. What I want to say is that exception of Basara and myself, who can TV has penetrated a person’s gender issues do exist, as do live solely from their writing psyche, affected his or hers racial or environmental issues, personal memories and sleep. but whenever I spoke about Also, I wanted to portray a crisis of intito love. In the end of the book you say gender issues, they were imposed. So, I macy which has shrivelled like a prune. that love is a powerful drug that seems needed a man’s angle to distance myself It is simply mind-boggling what a camto have no effect on the leading man from the character and to have some sort era can record and what are people willsince “with years we become insensitive of literary challenge. ing to reveal in front of cameras. Most to the titillation that used to cause tecof what they do or say is pornographic tonic movements back in the day”.

■ You see today’s intellectuals very in nature and I don’t mean sexually ex- Yes, this saying by Dostoyevsky’s clearly, but you don’t see a way of overPOlITICS

REAlITy ON Tv

Social life is closely connected to the political one since politics are very much to blame for the despair that an educated individual feels.

Just like Tv, sexuality did not teach us how to love better, and decaying bodies are also not going to shed light on the mystery of death.

wRITERS IN SERbIA I am becoming a little tired since everything, including the financial aspects of writing, has taken a toll on me.

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coming mental complacency. How can was heavily subsidised by the state, relatively good life being just a writer we get out of our own personal hell, as then we had the populist culture of in Serbia? you call it in your novel? the 1990s and, after that, we suddenly - The only writer who earned a decent - It is a writer’s job to pose questions and transitioned to a market economy. Art, amount of money from his writing to point out problems. A writer should including literature, found itself in ‘no was the late Milorad Pavić, who was not provide a solution, he is just there to man’s land’. Until recently, we, as in one of the most translated writers. I diagnose. By giving up on life, the leadpeople who have survived all of that, don’t know any writer, with the exceping character also gave up on reading, have been writing books that were not tion of Basara and myself, who can live since, in his words, good books made prospective bestsellers, but rather a litsolely from their writing. All of my felhim think, which was exactly what he erary experiment, a beginner’s book, low writers either have day jobs or are wanted to escape. The fact that he capituan essay or maybe a book of poetry. retired or have part time jobs. You canlated doesn’t mean that I did not live a financially good life too. For me, books continue to We don’t have literary forums any longer, from writing in this country be a communication channel due to the fact that, with only or the agile newspapers and magazines which is more efficient than several million residents, the any electronic device includnumber of books you sell is that we once had in the past ing a mobile phone, which I still quite low. I was lucky refuse to introduce to my life. enough to have a publisher who, seven years ago, offered me a fee to sit at ■ What is the link between social realhome and write. However, this monthity, which is not bright compared to our ly fee has not increased and I have to dreams and aspirations, and political admit that I have managed to stay a life in Serbia? freelance writer only thanks to literary - In the novel, you can sometimes hear awards and the cash prizes they bring. in the background the broadcast of a Each of the awards I have received has national parliament session which is involved a cash prize. I also have to adsomething that the leading character mit that I am becoming a little tired treats just like reality shows, since everything, including i.e. just like pornography. I Most of what people say or do in front of the financial aspects of writthink that the underlying ing, has taken a toll on me. the camera is pornographic in nature and topic of this book is univerWhat if a book that I’ve been sal, but since it takes place in I don’t mean sexually explicit material, but working on for a year or two Serbia it has a certain political fails to earn good reviews a pornographic treatment of death connotation, stooped down to from the critics? This book Everything has changed following the an anecdotal level. What I want to say can be excellent and it is quite possible privatisation of publishing companies. is that the destiny of my hero is quite that literary critics won’t like it.

Having a good quality book does not common in other countries, but the bitnecessarily constitute a good reference terness that Serbian intellectuals feel is ■ This year’s NIN award was rather for the publisher. We don’t have literary typical only for this country. Of course controversial, with one of the objecforums any longer, or the agile newspathat social life is closely connected to tions being that the jury president was pers and magazines that we once had in the political one since the politics are also the editor of your book. What is the past. The state doesn’t have enough very much to blame for the despair that your comment on this matter? money for that. It is the journalists and an educated individual feels and for the - The smaller the literary community, the media who now evaluate literary complete disintegration of the middle the more bitter and begrudging it is. works. In the last few years, it has beclass which ought to be a foundation They ought to read the award rules. Afcome more important who published for any civil society. ter all, it is very difficult to find five jury a book, than who wrote it, which was members, five literary critics, who don’t very evident to me at the Belgrade ■ In an interview, you have commented have friends among editors, other critics Book Fair (www.beogradskisajamknjiga. that Serbia’s literary scene does exist. or among over one hundred contenders com). However, even in these adverse What is that based on? for the award. Maybe we can find them circumstances, our literature exists. It - Yes, I have said that, in the context on Mars or in some other country. In the has proven to be really sinewy. of it actually being good that we have end, the jury president did not vote for any literary scene at all. However, I am my book. I am afraid that all the debates ■ You are one of those writers who live not sure how long it is going to last. In had nothing to do with me and certainly solely off her writing. Can you live a the past, during socialism, our culture don’t interest me.

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expats

& culture

Internations www.internations.org

InterNations is an expatriate community for people living and working abroad as well as all ‘global minds’. On the InterNations website you will find a local guide and useful forums. Each month in Belgrade there is a social/networking event. Membership is invitation-only jump on the website for your invitation.

Internations events are usually held on the last Thursday of each month.

For more information contact Prodromos (Makis) Grigoriadis prodromos.grigoriadis@web.de

Belgrade Foreign visitors Club www.belgradefvc.com

STEKLARNA ROGAŠKA d.d., Ulica talcev 1, 3250 Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia, EU

Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club is a social club and information resource

for foreign residents and visitors to Belgrade. Regular social meet-ups are held the first Friday of each month. The group is about connecting like-minded people and having a good time. Social events are updated on the website. The next BGFVC meet-up will be at Sports Cafe on 04 February. For details contact Jules on 064 398 8025 juleskovacevic@ yahoo.co.uk or Philomena on 063 120 8624 philomena@belgradefvc.com

International Women’s Club, Belgrade www.iwcbelgrade.wordpress. com

The IWC of Belgrade welcomes and assists newcomers to Serbia; promotes knowledge and understanding of Serbia; fosters friendship among members and raises funds for community and humanitarian projects. New members are

Crystal Ambience.

welcome. The next ‘newcomers coffee morning’ will be on 16 February. For further information regarding new memberships or coffee mornings, contact Laetitia Gardt on 063 249 460 or laetitia179@gmail.com

ydA Serbia - young diplomats Association of Serbia Available exclusively for Diplomatic and Embassy staff (for non Diplomatic and Embassy staff they offer ‘Friends of The YDA’).

Bringing you: diplomatic nights, networking nights, bar nights, tours through Serbia (single day and full weekend trips), VIP entry to events, concerts etc Contact: Vik on 064 397 0070 or VikJensenyda@ gmail.com

Creating sublime ambience with functional and decorative crystal pieces. Europe’s foremost crystal creator is the clear choice. www.rogaska-crystal.com Rogaska Shop: Novi Sad, Jevrejska br. 25 tel. 021 523-449

travel

World's Most

EXPEnSIVE cITIES

If you happen to be planning a holiday to Oslo, Milan, London or even Sydney make sure you have plenty of spending money

By Dakota SMITH - Travelers Digest

P

eople in Serbia may be unhappy with the relative costs of living in their home-city but spare a thought for the residents of the most expensive cities in the world. If you happen to be planning a holiday to Oslo, Milan, London or even Sydney make sure you have plenty of spending money or better still take the credit card. The fifteen cities below are considered the world’s most expensive cities and have been ranked accordingly based on the cost of living there.

1 Moscow, Russia

www.geographia.com/moscow

T

he most expensive city in the world, Moscow is also home to more billionaires than any other city. The most noticeably expensive aspects of travelling in Moscow are accommodation followed by restaurant prices.

2 Tokyo, Japan www.jnto.go.jp

T

okyo has had its reputation of being super expensive for almost thirty years and the only thing that’s surprising is that at one time it actually managed to be more expensive than it is now.

Hotels in Tokyo cost a fortune as their target audience is business travellers.

Taxis are an unfathomable luxury for all but the most well off and eating in restaurants can quickly make a dent in any budget.

moscow, russia

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Transportation however is a steal with the Moscow underground being extensive and dirt cheap.

3 london, England www.visitlondon.com

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he US dollar hasn’t done any favours in terms of London becoming affordable. While the dollar has backed away from the lows it reached in 2007, London is still a very expensive city. Food and transportation are outrageous in the city, with the cost of something as simple as a subway fare costing upwards of five euros. Taxis are not to be considered, and it’s also hard to affordably indulge in the national pastime of ‘pubbing’.

4 Oslo, Norway www.visitoslo.com

Food and transportation in London are outrageous in the city, with the cost of something as simple as

5 Seoul, South Korea www.visitkorea.or.kr

S

eoul is an amazing city but it can also be an amazingly expensive city. The city isn’t too bad for travellers though as you’ll be able to get around via public transit and the food is decently priced.

The only problem is finding adequate lodging to fit your budget. Taxis are surprisingly affordable in Seoul, and the city is nowhere near Tokyo’s stratospheric prices, it’s more comparable to Hong Kong.

a subway fare costing

A

lways a staple on the ‘most expensive cities’ list, Oslo is definitely not cheap. A strong local currency and exorbitant taxes have culminated in scaring away even the most stubborn budget traveller.

upwards of five euros

6 hong kong, China

www.discoverhongkong.com

H

ome to more skyscrapers than any other city in the world, Hong Kong is not a cheap place to live or to shop. However it can still be a cheap place to visit.

Unlike some of the other cities on this list, Hong Kong has a lot to offer the budget travellers. Mass transportation is amazing and some very cheap budget accommodation can be found.

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travel

7 Copenhagen, Denmark

8 geneva, Switzerland

W

G

www.geneva-tourism.ch

www.visitcopenhagen.com

hile not as expensive as some of its Scandinavian brethren, Copenhagen is still not for the budget minded traveller. However if you’re not on a budget and appreciate the finer things, Copenhagen is a place you will enjoy.

eneva ranks high in this list partly because of the proliferation of international organisations in the city and their impact on the local economy.

The city itself is very beautiful and the natural setting couldn’t be better.

9 Zurich, Switzerland www.zuerich.com

Osaka itself doesn’t have

10 Milan, Italy

the cultural

www.visitamilano.it

attractions

M

found in

ilan is the kind of place where it’s possible to blow your entire fortune in a matter of hours; this is of course because Milan is home to some of the world’s most extravagant shopping.

However the city would have been nowhere near this highly ranked before the switch to the euro. Prices in Italy literally jumped through the roof in a matter of months.

other cities in Japan; therefore

S

witzerland is just an expensive country and it’s always highly ranked in cost of living indexes. There are benefits to travelling in Switzerland though, namely that it’s a beautiful country with safe streets and friendly people. If you can afford it, Switzerland is a great destination for families.

it’s best to check your bank balance before planning a trip

11 Osaka, Japan www.osaka-info.jp

A

ny and every city in Japan is going to be expensive to visit.

Lodging in the country is astronomical, as are food prices.

Transportation isn’t as expensive as it could be due to the wonderful public transit systems. Osaka itself doesn’t have the cultural attractions found in other cities in Japan; therefore it’s best to check your bank balance before planning a trip.

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12 Paris, France www.parisinfo.com

P

aris, although it’s only the 12th ranked city on the list, is much more expensive than its ranking for travellers.

Lodging and food are both quite expensive in the city.

Transportation remains affordable as long as you stick to the city’s wonderful metro system. Prices show no signs of slowing down with the euro consistently reaching new heights against the dollar and the city remaining the preeminent destination for world travellers.

13

14 Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv is

Singapore

the most

www.yoursingapore.com

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ingapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia with high wages and a very high standard of living index. The main thing that will strain visitor’s pocket books is lodging. Food and transportation are still very affordable.

www.goisrael.com

expensive city in the Middle East and it’s fitting with Israel having more billionaires per capita than any other country

15 Sydney, Australia www.visitnsw.com

T

el Aviv is the most expensive city in the Middle East and it’s fitting with Israel having more billionaires per capita than any other country in the world. But as far as Middle Eastern Mediterranean getaways are concerned, Tel Aviv is still the place to be.

S

ydney’s placement in this list owes a lot to the Australian dollar’s strength against the weakened US dollar. Earlier in the decade the US Dollar was almost 40% higher than it is today and as such Sydney was a deal. However the city offers such a wealth of tourist attractions so there’s not much a traveller can do except stomach the increased costs of visiting the city.

osaka, Japan

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chill

out!

BUDGET BOX EMPTY Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has commented that the iconic red box held aloft by his predecessors for decades just before delivering the annual budget has been empty for years because it is locked and the keys are missing.

“I’ll let you into a terrible truth, which is that

the budget box is locked and the keys were lost years ago,” Osborne said at a lunch with political journalists in London. “So when the chancellor stands up with that old budget box, there is nothing in it and there hasn’t been for years.”

Osborne went on to reveal that the chancellor’s traditional robes ‘went missing’ when Gordon Brown was in office between 1997 and 2007. He also described his battle with bureaucrats to prevent the Treasury spending £875 ($1,380) on a Christmas tree.

(Source: www.businessweek.com)

BEST JOB: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING The year 2011 is the best of times for software engineers and the worst for roustabouts, according to a survey of the U.S.’s best and worst jobs.

Software engineers have the top jobs, thanks to the exploding demand PENGUIN for high-tech gadgets and the appetite for applications for iPods, tabIN LIONS’ DEN lets and other devices, said the survey by online jobs site CareerCast. com. They enjoy a strong outlook for employment, low stress, few physical demands and good wages, it said. Roustabouts, on the other hand, who are oil rig or gas pipeline workers, have the A resourceful baby penguin took advantage of worst job. A roustabout’s job is dangerous, and they routinely Germany’s wintry weather to give her minders the slip and work 12-hour shifts in tough conditions, it said. The top five embark on a tour of the zoo before waddling into the lijobs, which inons’ den. A visitor spotted the African penguin, born in clude mathemaSeptember, taking a stroll in the lion enclosure but the antician, actuary, imal was lucky as the lions were asleep inside rather than statistician and braving the icy weather outside, Muenster zoo said on its computer systems, website. It took keepers a day to get the penguin out typically pay more of the den, luring her out with a trail of herrings, the than twice as much statement said. The escape gave the penguin, up as the lowest jobs. The to then only known as number 459, a name.

Her minder now calls her Leona, least desirable jobs along the zoo said. with roustabout for 2011 (Source: uk.reuters.com) are iron worker, lumberjack, roofer and taxi driver.

(Source: uk.reuters.com)

CHILEAN MINER VISITS GRACELAND The Chilean miner who led Elvis sing-alongs for his colleagues while trapped underground for 69 days has recently visited Graceland, and was a special guest at Elvis’ birthday celebrations.

“I can’t describe it,” Edison Pena said through an interpreter. “It’s something that makes an im-

pact on me, visually. And being able to see it myself, is like, I feel in the clouds.”

The story of the miners, known simply as “the 33” in Chile, transfixed much of the world during their 69-day ordeal about half a mile below ground.

They have been popular on the American talk show circuit since their rescue in October and have been honoured by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and on the “CNN Heroes” show.

PINT DAYS NUMBERED U.K. Pubgoers could soon ditch their traditional pint in favour of a ‘schooner’, a smaller measure of beer used in Australia, under government changes recently announced. The government wants to introduce a new range of measures in response to changing trade practices and consumer tastes. Instead of choosing between halves or pints, drinkers would al66

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(Source: www.cnn.com)

so have the option of a schooner, the equivalent of two-thirds of a pint. Wine glasses would also see a change. Under the proposed change, a glass of wine could be sold in measures under 75ml, much lower than the current limit of 125ml. The Daily Mail newspaper said the new pint rule, which also applies to cider and lager, represents one of the most radical changes since the pint was introduced by an Act of Parliament in 1698.

(Source: uk.reuters.com)

CHINESE ICE RECORD Two Chinese men have set a new world record for endurance after standing encased in ice for two hours. Chen Kecai, 52, and Jin Songhao, 54, stripped down to their swimming trunks and stepped into two transparent boxes. Ice was then poured in up to their necks. Mr Chen lasted for 118 minutes, after which medics pulled him out of the box because of

a precipitous fall in his body temperature. Mr Jin lasted for 120 minutes, even taking the time to write some Chinese calligraphy during the ordeal, penning a sign in praise of the Communist party.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he managed to say, upon being removed from the ice, his body having turned bright red. Both men beat a previous record of 115 minutes set earlier this week by Wim Hof, a 51-year-old Dutch man, in Hong Kong.

(Source: www.telegraph.co.uk)

ROMANIAN WITCHES PROTEST Romanian witches plan to cast an anti-government spell as a protest over plans to tax witches. The new law, part of drive to collect more revenue and crack down on tax evasion, will force the likes of witches, astrologers and fortune tellers to register their professions and become liable for 16% tax in line with other self-employed Romanians. The witches are hoping to put a Macbeth-style hex on the country’s president Traian Basescu and his government and plan to gather on Romania’s southern plains and the banks of the Danube to protest against the laws and cast spells on the politicians who implemented them. The Queen witch Bratara Buzea said she would lead a chorus in casting a spell using a concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog.

“They want to take the country out of this crisis using us? They should get us out of the crisis because they brought us into it,” she said.

(Source: www.guardian.co.uk)

NEVER TOO LATE Officials at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library said that someone recently returned a book that was checked out in 1946. Library officials said the book was returned by John Wolfe, of St. Louis in the U.S.A, who said in an accompanying letter that he checked it out when he was a soldier recuperating from surgery at Fort Meade after World War II. He said he just recently found the book in his private library and decided to return it. The library said it’s better late than never. The book is still in pristine condition and has the original due date card in the back.

The dates of when patrons checked out the book in the 1930s and 1940s are still visible. There’s a $6 maximum fine on adult books and $3 on children’s books, so no one has to worry about paying hundreds of dollars if their books are years overdue.

(Source: news1.capitalbay.com)

GUINNESS BATH CASE An heiress to the Guinness brewing fortune is being sued by her New York neighbour, who claims she has seriously damaged his $12 million home by repeatedly allowing her bath to overflow. Daphne Guinness has been accused of causing “mental anguish and emotional distress” to Karim Samii,

(Source: www.telegraph.co.uk)

ing’s caretakers. The change will not only promote the city’s ongoing green initiative, but according to The owners of the Empire State Building have agreed Malkin it will be great for business too. to a two-year deal to buy wind-generated electricity to “Clean energy and our nearly 40% reduced conpower the iconic skyscraper. The deal, which was brosumption of watts and BTUs gives us a competitive kered with Green Mountain Energy, will make the Empire advantage in attracting the best credit tenants at State Building the city’s largest commercial user of rethe best rents,” he said. newable energy, according to the build(Source: www.cnn.com)

chill out!

ICON GOES GREEN

the hedge fund executive who lives in the apartment below hers in a converted hotel on Fifth Avenue. Mr Samii, the founder of Pardus Capital Management, claims Miss Guinness has flooded his bathroom four times. He is seeking $1 million in compensation – and a ban on her taking baths.

valentine’s day

The Day

OF LOVE

A day of chocolates, roses and romantic dinners, Saint Valentine’s Day is known in most parts of the world as a day for sweethearts and romance. Every 14th February gifts are exchanged and cards are sent between loved ones - all in the name of a mysterious St. Valentine Prepared by Philomena O’BrIEn

T

he origins of Saint Valentine’s Day have very little to do with love and romance and are in fact based on martyrdom and faith. And these days it’s not all about love either. The day has steadily become supercommercialised with marketing toward couples, sales and special offers. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year after Christmas. So how did we come to be celebrating this ‘day of love’ with such fervour?

History The history of Valentine’s Day, and its patron saint is shrouded in mystery as there are a number of early Christian

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martyrs who were named Valentine. The two who are usually honoured on February 14 are Saint Valentine of Rome and Saint Valentine of Terni. (In early writings the Catholic Church also mentions a third Saint Valentine who was apparently martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.)

Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about 269 AD and was buried on the Via Flaminia and his relics are held at a church in Rome and at another in Dublin. Valentine of Terni became the bishop of Terni in about 197 AD and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia and his relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni.

By the Middle Ages, Saint Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France, however it is said that the name did not become linked to romance until sometime in the 14th century. By this time distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is held at the British Library in London, England.

Valentine’s Day in Serbia Different areas in Serbia celebrate Valentine’s Day with a variety of events but probably one of the most entertaining is the ‘kissing competition’ which is held each year in

within a year. Girls, therefore, used to Vrnjacka Banja. Lip-smacking categories in the contest include: the longest kiss, the oldwake up early to stand by their window and wait for the man to pass. Another popuest couple, the most romantic couple and the most beautiful couple. What’s even better is that lar activity was for unmarried ladies to write there are prizes awarded for doing something that their lover’s names on paper and put them is considered rather pleasant anyway; jewellery, spa on clay balls that they would drop into the watreatments, lingerie and fancy meals out. The comter. It was believed that whichever paper came up first, that man would be their petition is naturally held on the ‘Bridge of Love’, a famous By the Middle Ages, Saint valentine future husband!

France: The history of symbol of Vranjačka Banja was one of the most popular saints Saint Valentine’s Day has and a tourist drawcard to the in England and France a strong association with spa town. Legend has it that France as it is said that durthe bridge is so named after ing the Middle Ages there was a popular belief that birds a romance between Nada, a young teacher and Relja, an ofbegan to mate halfway through the second month of the ficer in the Serbian army. At the beginning of World War year. For this reason lovers saw the day as special and conI, Relja was called away to serve in Greece where he fell in sidered it auspicious to exchange love letters and tokens love with a Greek woman and forgot his love back home of love on Valentine’s Day. During the fourteenth and fifin Serbia. It is said she died young and lovesick, mournteenth centuries poets built on the idea of the romantic ing her lost love. These days girls and women who want to image with their love verses. People in France once folavoid losing their own loves, have locks printed with the lowed a peculiar Valentine’s Day custom called ‘drawing name of their sweetheart and then link it to the railings of for’. Unmarried young and old people would go into housthe bridge where Nada and Relja once met. es facing each other and begin calling out across from one window to another and pair off with their chosen partner.

Lovin’ around the world Japan: Valentine’s Day is celebrated on two differThe United States: Valentine’s Day is a major day of ent dates in the country of Japan. On February 14 womcelebration in the States and observed across the generen present gifts to their loved ones and the favour is then ations. It is said to have been bought to North America returned to them by the men on White Day on March 14. in the 19th century by British settlers and the first massThe days are celebrated with great enthusiasm are defiproduced Valentine’s Day cards with embossed paper lace were produced around 1847 by Esther Howland (1828nitely more popular amongst younger genera1904) of Massachusetts. In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of giving gifts along with cards became According to the Greeting Card popular. The day has been commercialised to a great extent Association an estimated one in the U.S. with all sorts of marketing and sales, and it billion valentine cards is estimated that it is the major card and gift giving festival in the country. Valentine’s Day dinare sent each year ner and dance parties are organized to celebrate the occasion and couples altions. The most popso hold private celebrations in homes ular Valentine’s Day gift or restaurants. Typical gifts exchanged is chocolates though womon the day include cards, roses and chocen will also give other olates and jewellery. gifts such as neckties and Great Britain: The day began to be clothes. widely celebrated around the 17th century, and by Australia: The popthe middle of the 18th century it was common for friends ularity of Valentine’s Day in Australia grows every year. Today about 90 percent and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of of people between 18-24, and 45 percent of people above affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, 50 are said to celebrate the day. Valentine’s Day has a hisprinted cards began to replace written letters due to imtory of extravagant celebrations in Australia. It is said that provements in printing technology - readymade cards were during the gold rush, extremely wealthy miners ordered an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time extravagant Valentine gifts amounting to thousands of when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. pounds at a time. The most lavish Valentines were made There are a number of interesting historical Valentine’s of a satin cushion, were perfumed and ornately decorated Day traditions that stem from the UK including unmarried with flowers and coloured shells. Some were even adorned women believing that the first man they saw on Valentine’s with a stuffed small bird.

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St.Trifun

A celebration of Wine In Serbia, as well as in many other Orthodox countries, Saint Trifun is considered the patron saint of vineyards, and his day on 14th February is a celebration and beginning of the new grape-growing season

Prepared by Philomena O’BrIEn

F

ebruary 14th may well be a day of chocolates, love poems, red roses and commercial excess for a large part of the World but in Serbia (as well as in other countries who follow the Orthodox religion) the day is also given over to the celebration of Saint Trifun the patron saint of wine and wine growers. Like Saint Valentine, Trifun was martyred during Roman times, but instead of being associated with romance, Trifun’s connection is with all things wine.

Saint Trifun (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_festival) was born in the third century AD into a very poor family in Phrygia, a

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kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, now modernday Turkey. From childhood it was said that he had been blessed by God and was gifted with the ability to cure diseases in humans and cattle, and was also able to drive out evil spirits. The Roman emperor Gordian III had a daughter who was struck down with a disease of the mind that had the effect of sending her mad. Legend has it that Gordian, after consulting with all the doctors in the empire and realising they could not help him, had the evil spirit who was inside the girl speak to him and say that only Trifun would be able to help. Trifun was duly bought to Rome where he proceeded to cure the girl. The overjoyed emperor showered him with gifts but Trifun chose to return to his poor village to continue his life praying to God.

S

aint Trifun died as a martyr during the rule of the emperor Decius. He was summoned before the emperor and ordered to renounce Christ and his Christian beliefs and told to make offerings to the Roman gods instead. Trifun refused to submit and was tortured for his belief and finally put to death.

In Serbia, as well as in many other Orthodox countries, St. Trifun is considered the patron saint of vineyards, and his day on February 14 is a celebration and beginning of the new grape-growing season. Priests bless grapevines and do the first cutting of the year and naturally these celebrations are accompanied by copious quantities of wine.

As an added bonus for singles, the day offers an alternative to the celebration of St Valentine’s Day.

Wine Festivals in Serbia

G

rapes are harvested in Serbia between July and October and the occasion is celebrated with various events throughout the country.

In Vino Festival, (Belgrade, May) Interfest (Novi Sad, June) Grape Harvest (Vrsac, September) Grape Gathering Days (Palic, September) Zupa Grape Gathering (September) Karlovac Harvest (Sremski Karlovci, September) Smederevo Autumn (September) Oplenac Grape Gathering (Topola, October)

Wine has been in grown in Negotin from Roman times.

The valley is surrounded by mountains with the Danube on one side, and the Timok on the other, creating a climate Wine in Serbia which is very beneficial to the production of grapes. A disSerbia is not currently well known for producing world tinct characteristic of the Negotin region are the wine celclass wines but with a few large and established producers lars in the neighbouring villages of Rajac, Rogljevo and and now some new developing smaller wineries, the indusSmedovac, where wine has been produced and kept in a try is again growing. The geographic location of Serbia alspecific way since the 17th century. Negotin’s pimnice so happens to be perfect for wine production, and although (wine shops) are representative of the rethe soil is in general too good for the best gion’s 18th and 19th century ethnological wines, quality wine production is definitely wine cellars and they are protected by the gaining momentum. The country has some state as symbols of Serbia’s heritage.

70,000 hectares of vineyards producing about The vineyard tradition in Vr¹ ac has 425,000 tons of grapes annually. a rich and interesting history. European The history of viticulture in Serbia dates courts served Vrsac wine as far back as back more than 1000 years - to the first esthe 15th century. There is strong evidence tablishment of the Serbian state in the eighth that the Ancient Romans and Dacians harand ninth centuries and even more so during vested grapes in this area. Close to Vrsac, the Nemanjić Dynasty that ran from the elevthe small village of Gudurice is one of the enth to the end of the fourteenth, when the biggest producers of grapes and wine in Serbian rulers especially valued the culture the region. Grape quality is superior here of wine production. and includes the leading There are a number of wine growing areas throughout The history of viticulture in Serbia brands Smederevka, Dinka, Serbia and the better known dates back more than 1000 years Slankamenka, Portugieser and Kreatza. The grapes are of these includes the vineto the first establishment of the grown in lanes and are specifyards in Negotinska Krajina ically positioned to withstand (250 km east of Belgrade), Serbian state the region’s low temperatures. in the area of Vr¹ ac (100 km The East Wind (ko¹ ava), which blows up to 260 days a year, north-east of Belgrade), on the slopes of Fru¹ ka Gora (80 km serves as a natural fumigation system for the vines, protectnorth-west of Belgrade), in the Subotica area (200 km north ing them against diseases and pests. of Belgrade), © umadija (100 km south-west of Belgrade) and The major varieties of Serbia include the Belgrade Župa (230 km south-east of Belgrade).

Seedless, Prokupac, Sauvignon, ‘Italian Riesling’, Cabernet, Fru¹ ka Gora is the oldest wine region in Europe. The Chardonnay, White and Red Burgundy, Hamburg, first seedlings of the first grapes are said to have been plantMuscat, Afus Ali, Vranac, Tamjanika, Krstač, Smederevka, ed here by the Roman emperor Probus. Due to its location and Dinka. There is also a rare variety known as the near the Danube, the microclimate and light reflection from Krokan which can still be found in Serbia. The oldest authe surface of the Danube, the grapes ripen in Fru¹ ka Gora thentic grape types are considered to be the Prokupac and earlier than in any other wine area, and grapes can contain the Tamjanika. Prokupac is quite typical of the sort of red up to two percent more sugar. It is said that wine has been wine that was grown during the early Middle Ages and exported from this area from the time of the 15th century. the Tamjanika is a Muscat variety that originated from It has also been reported that wines from Fru¹ ka Gora were Southern France. (www.winepros.org/wine101/history) on the wine list of the famous oceanliner Titanic.

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restaurant

A Classy Neimar Eatery ‘Djordje’ offers an international selection of dishes, which translates into a mix of several Mediterranean, central European and Serbian all-time favourites that will undoubtedly satisfy a local palate

By Jelena MIcKIĆ

T

he pleasure of sitting down to a good meal is not limited to just eating what is set in front of you. It can also be about the sensations or memories associated with it. Food can be a great companion to a special occasion, or an occasion per se. Food should also be a means of enjoyment, an ignition to our desire for exploration, learning or travelling.

Is food your passion? Is going to a restaurant your necessity or a whim, a regular habit or a special treat?

Whatever your answer, it is based on what you are looking for and what kind of association you create with food and the experience of eating out. For many of us everything we put in our mouth evokes a response and emotion. For me, going to a restaurant is a combination of

What the menu and the food are clearly missing is a spark - a hidden surprise for a guest to discover that an already familiar dish can be exciting and somehow new 72

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a ritual and event and each time I wish to be pleasantly surprised by delicious food, superb ambience and service.

Good food is the main determining factor of a good restaurant. It should make customers’ eyes hungry, help them enjoy themselves, saturate their senses and at the end make them wish to return.

The approach to food has been changing, both in customers’ and chefs’ minds. The contemporary customer is in search of fresh and high quality produce in season, expertly prepared and delicious, as well as a straight and clearcut cuisine concept.

In restaurants that set or follow trends we look for the bold and brave, creative and daring. In all others that are more on the traditional side, we look for quality and subtle change as there is always a need

for change and improvement.

Restaurant ‘Djordje’ has been on the Belgrade ‘gastro’ scene for some time now. In its early days it was situated in Dedinje and I remember being there for dinner several years ago.

Now the restaurant has changed its address and is nestled in a leafy street in Neimar. ‘Djordje’ offers an international selection of dishes, which translates into a mix of several Mediterranean, central European and Serbian all-time favourites that will undoubtedly satisfy a local palate and an empty stomach. Its menu lists steak with truffles or green pepper, veal or chicken in a hazelnut coating, and a dash of Italy with pasta, gnocchi and risotto. Somehow a lonely chicken tortilla has made its way onto the menu and an almost forgotten Chateaubriand steak (for two of course), an absolute must of any upscale restaurant back in the 70s.

Having said that, what you read in the menu is something you see in many Belgrade restaurants that do not dare to take a straight cuisine course, but float somewhere in the middle. What the menu and the food are clearly missing is a spark - a hidden surprise for a guest to discover that an already familiar old dish can be exciting and somehow new.

A cuisine offering like this does not bring anything new or valuable to the local gastro table. If a restaurant plays it safe in terms of its food concept, there is not any room for error.

Even plain chicken meat should be sensational.

When we chose to have lunch at ‘Djordje’ we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy the warmth and pleasantries of early autumn, and so we booked our table in the garden. The place proved to be spacious with a rather conventional table and chair settings dotted around with enough room in-between for guests’ comfort and privacy.

Although with the potential to be a bonus feature, the garden reminded me of a rather halffinished canvas which needs to be worked on.

We started off with a plate of ‘urnebes’ spread and two small ‘pro-

ja’ cakes on the house. While the proja were rather dry and unappetising, the spread made of cream cheese and chopped grilled red pepper, seasoned with sweet dry paprika, was creamy, mild and tasty. The bread basket was disappointing, being filled with just ordinary commercial bread. ‘Djordje’ has a rather standard offering of wine consisting of the best domestic and several random foreign producers, but sometimes a house wine can be surprisingly good. That is why we decided to try a white Sauvignon Dajic by the glass. It was a rather flat, but drinkable choice. For the main my companion ordered chicken breast stuffed with grilled red pepper and cheese, coated in hazelnut. The chopped hazelnut coating gave the meat an earthy taste and nutty crunch.

As a side was a small serving of very soft cotton-like gnocchi. They were fresh, fluffy and adorably tasty. I had panfried chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mozzarella topped with pistachio sauce and potato mash as a side. The sauce was rather mild and was missing that unmistakably recognisable pistachio flavour to intrigue my palate. Both dishes were well balanced, with some excellent elements and those to be worked on.

Chicken is a light meat, it is satisfying but also leaves room for dessert, so we were looking forward to a sweet treat. Unfortunately the restaurant choices of apple pie, crème brûlée, chocolate soufflé and baklava did not impress us. A dessert should be a grand finalé of an excellent meal.

While the proja were rather dry and unappetising, the spread made of cream cheese and chopped grilled red pepper, seasoned with sweet dry paprika, was creamy, mild and tasty A dessert does not have to be complicated with a tonguetwisting name to impress us, but inviting and irresistible.

For some reason the majority of Belgrade restaurants lack a seriously thought out dessert list, short but impressive, and in that sense ‘Djordje’ has joined the pack.

Restaurant ‘Djordje’ offers decent food, satisfying meals and professional and discreet service. It is certainly a place where you won’t experience bad food or service, but you won’t’ have a memorable experience either. The decor is smart and elegant; however the whole atmosphere is uptight. We went on a Thursday for a late lunch and coincided with business people finishing their meals. The clientele is certainly that of a business-type and for the weekend hopefully a more relaxed crowd breaks this mould. The res■ taurant is on the scale of lower high-end for Belgrade. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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techno

talk

Gizmos

GADGETS

An Engineering Masterpiece WHAT: The new Wenger Swiss Army Knife is the knife that every knife wants be. It boasts 87 fully functional tools including seven blades, three kinds of pliers, a torch, a laser pointer, nail clipper, nail file, swivel compass, ruler, an assortment of golf-specific tools (golf club face cleaner, golf shoe spike wrench and a gold divot repair too), a mineral crystal magnifier, watch-case back opening tool, tiretread gauge, bike chain rivet setter, fibre optic tool, countless screwdrivers, saws, wrenches and other miscellaneous tools. It’s not exactly small, coming in at about 20cm, but it does come in a stylish gift box. Available now.

THE DAMAGE: €1070

Universal Charger WHAT: The IDAPT i4 is the perfect way to charge all your mobile devices. It is compatible with more than 4000 devices, and will charge them four at a time. The wire-free charger comes with a full selection of connectors for the most popular models of mobile devices, as well as USB for even more. It will charge AA batteries, PSPs, iPads, Nintendos, Sat Navs and more, as well as almost every phone and MP3 player on the planet. It is also the only device of its type to offer a high-power iPad port. Available now.

THE DAMAGE: €47

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Eye-popping WHAT: More of a quirky gift than anything else, these new Japanese Electronic Blinking Eyeballs are a funny gadget that will earn you a few stares. The eyeballs randomly blink simultaneously in a very realistic manner using infrared signals to synchronise the blinking. To add to the fun, it comes with a decoration sheet that you can use to customise the eyeballs including tears, eyelashes, angry brows, and a funny nose. They also come with suction and hooks so you can attach and mount them almost anywhere such as walls, doors, the fridge – wherever. Great for parties! Each of the Japanese Electronic Blinking Eyeballs measures around three inches in diameter and they require three AAA batteries each. Available online now.

THE DAMAGE: €40

2010 CD Player of the Year

A Perfect Balance

WHAT: The Audiolab 8200CD took the ‘Product of the Year’ gong in the CD players category for 2010. The player ensures you hear your music as it was intended to be heard - every note perfectly and precisely. It is a fully-featured integrated DAC and CD transport of advanced specification, with impeccable performance. Exhibiting a number of digital inputs including USB, coax, and optical, the Audiolab 8200 CD is the most flexible integrated DAC/CD player on the market.

THE DAMAGE: €830

techno technoTAlk

WHAT: ASUS in their continuous partnership with Lamborghini have just launched a Murcielago speedster-inspired notebook - the ASUS-Lamborghini Eee PC VX6 - which is the perfect balance of advanced technology and premium design. The exterior of the 12.1-inch notebook is detailed with smooth lines, seamless curves and a glossy black or white finish adorned with the familiar golden bull Lamborghini crest on the lid. It is powered by the latest generation Dual Core Intel Atom D525 processor and the GPU is the NVIDIA Ion 2 which delivers smooth and aweinspiring graphics that are up to 60 percent faster than the previous generation NVIDIA Ion.

THE DAMAGE: €599

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techno

talk New Touchscreen Monitor WHAT: ViewSonic has released a 22-inch LCD monitor which is the company's first LCD display with multi-touch capabilities. The ViewSonic VX2258wm is designed with cutting-edge infrared optical imaging technology, and delivers multi-touch convenience in a large screen display that until now was only affordable on mobile devices.

This monitor offers a high definition resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Other standard features include a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (1000:1 static), 200 cd/m2 brightness, 5ms response time, SRS Premium Sound with 2Wx2 speakers, D-Sub and DVI connectors, 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB port. Available now.

THE DAMAGE: €230

Multi SD Card Reader WHAT: Elecom’s new card reader is capable of holding four SD cards, including the SDHC and SDXC varieties, at one time.

This means users of professional DSLRs can hold and write to a couple of SD cards at the same time and don’t have to worry about struggling with the usual card reader’s single slot. The reader is SD, microSD, microSDHC, and miniSD card compatible, it support up to 64GB and comes with a detachable USB Cable. The card reader has been available in Japan since December, but is only available online elsewhere.

THE DAMAGE: €52

Great Sound in a Small Package WHAT: It’s taken a while, but now all the big AV players are producing home cinema in a box systems with Blu-ray players as the source, which will of course also play your DVDs and CDs. Panasonic offers a wide range of all-in-one Blu-ray systems covering rooms and budgets of all sizes and has recently released the SC-BTT350. This system comes with a main unit that houses a 3D-ready Blu-ray player and receiver, a set of five miniscule satellite speakers and a small passive sub - all designed to squeeze unobtrusively into a small room.

THE DAMAGE: €530

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Listen and Read WHAT: Listen your music and read at the same time. The new Energy Sistem eBook has a 13cm widescreen colour display and its special reading features include page-marking, zoom level adjusting, five different types of fonts, adjustable text margin and favourites. It has OSD language compatibility from German, French, Greek, English, Italian, Portuguese, and Italian and includes 1500 classics of universal literature in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese. It has an internal memory of 2GB that can accommodate up to 1300 eBooks, four hours of video or hundreds of songs, and memory expansion with optional microSD cards up to 32GB. It also has built-in speakers and an earphone connection.

Available now.

THE DAMAGE: from €129 to €159

Mophie’s New Juice Pack WHAT: Mophie has released a new battery pack for the iPhone 4 which they claim extends the battery life to ‘more than double’. The Juice Plus includes a 2,000 mAh rechargeable battery that is housed in dual-injected hard shell case with protective rubberised band. The new juice pack adds only 1mm of thickness to your iPhone and is equipped with four LED light status indicator to tell you exactly how much ‘juice’ is left.

THE DAMAGE: €75

technoTAlk

14 Megapixel Camera WHAT: BenQ has added a new 14 megapixel pointand shooter to its S-series digital camera family. The new S1420 model is encased in orange-coloured metallic casing and packs 14 Megapixels CCD sensor and 26mm Wide-Angel lens and 5x optical zoom. The camera is equipped with 3.0inch LCD, USB port and is capable of capturing 720p movies. BenQ S1420 will be available in Europe in January 2011.

THE DAMAGE: Unknown at time of printing

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Spring into spring OK, so we still have a couple of cold and dreary months ahead of us..but what better time to start planning ahead for the warmer months? This year’s women's top Spring Fashion trends include soft and sexy details with an emphasis on femininity – off the shoulder tops, layering with sheer materials, lots of whites and neutrals and ruffles and lace

Clean & Pure Minimalism is on the top of the list for the trends of Spring 2011. That means simple silhouettes, clean lines and softer colour palettes. In fact this season’s colour appears to be no colour at all. Among the scores of designers who unveiled their Spring collections at the end of last year, a striking number concentrated on looks with scarcely any colour. The dominant tones for this spring and summer, in collections including those of Donna Karan, Alexander Wang and G-Star, are solid white, beige, ivory, khaki, olive, oatmeal and terracotta.

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Lovely in Lace No, it's not new, but like all trends that span multiple seasons, it has evolved. Lace influences for Spring tend more to the classic side with quality antique-style fabrics being the key to the trend. There is less of the all-over, stretch lace and more of the unique approach with unusual weaves and designs.

Sheer Style Sheer tops and dresses are a breezy Spring fashion piece that will keep you looking cool and fresh. Expect to see designs featuring layer upon layer of translucent clothing, revealing equal doses of subtlety and taste. This trend's sheer fabrics range from a gentle sorbet hue to a distinctly neutral palette. Sheer tops and dresses are made of sensual lightweight materials - silks, chiffons and thin cottons - that are comfortable and versatile. Chic. Classy. Sexy. cordeditorial@cma.rs

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Clogs Ever since Chanel sent clogs down the runway it’s been a ‘clog frenzy’. OK, clunky wooden shoes don’t sound like the most glamorous or practical of footwear trends, but this fashion item reached new heights in 2010 and will continue into 2011. Heeled versions are by far the best, (flatties look waaaaay to much like Crocs!); and not just any heel but one of good proportion. Bright leathers are fun but for Spring why not experiment with lighter fabrics like canvas or linen, as well as open-toed styles.

Kitten heels Kitten heels are making a return spurred on by the trend of '50s and '60s dressing.

More comfortable yet less appealing than their higher counterparts, kitten heels can work particularly well when dainty, pointed, and either retro-inspired or minimalist. When it comes to this style in 2011 it's all about the theming. For Spring, kitten heeled sandals are also an option.

(For those who aren’t in the know, kitten heels occupy the space between flat shoes and high heels. They're a small slender heel of five centimetres or less.

The heel usually curves inwards from the back of the heel, giving them a bit more stability than a stiletto.)

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Biker clothing As of spring 2011 the military fashion trend will have been with us for over a decade.

And for that decade it's been great, we've loved it, but 10 years later we have to admit Spring 2011 is the time to move on. The question is: what do we move on to? The answer: the trend that's been living in its shadow, waiting for its moment of glory...the biker trend.

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profile

On Top of the Game “You always have to be on the top of the game, offering creative and efficient moves.

That does not come from nothing; you have to constantly work on upgrading yourself”

G

Goran Pekez, Corporate Affairs and Communication director, Adriatica at Japan Tobacco International

quired for working in an internationoran Pekez graduated from the Faculty of Law at the al company, especially as a Corporate University of Belgrade and the first opportunity for a Affairs and Communication Director,” job presented itself in a small town called Pelagicevo in he explains. “However, this education Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was not necessarily an attracis only a foundation, which I constantly expand through intentive job offer but as a young graduate law student, he was sive professional development within the company.” determined not to expect the job of his dreams to come to It gives Goran great satisfaction to be in charge not only of him right away, but was happy to go by little steps wherever Serbia, but also six other markets in the West Balkans region. they took him. Consequently, his first job was as the Secretary “This provides me with the unique opportunity to work of the Municipality of Pelagicevo and it gave him a chance to in my hometown and yet to have an international career. In gain some work experience and an opportunity to start being my own team, I supervise managers from Croatia, Bosnia and independent.

Herzegovina and Albania and this provides me with a variety His first big break finally came when he was hired as a of business and cultural challenges.” lawyer in the Office of the High Representative who at the He also enjoys being able to work in such a diverse organitime was Wolfgang Petritsch (www.ohr.int/cv/wpetritsch.asp). sation and to deal with so many different regulatory environHis job involved the comparative analysis of local laws and EU ments. regulations and the harmonisation of Bosnian and European Working in a Japanese company has given Goran the oplegislation. portunity to become familiar with ‘Kaizen’ - the Japanese phiWith the Latin proverb ‘Tantum possumus quantum losophy of life and management. ‘Kaizen’ stipulates that not a scimus’ which means ‘We can as much as we know’ Goran felt single day should go by without some sort of progress. that there was more to be done as far as his education was “It does not mean that you have to make big changes eveconcerned. ry single day, but it means that “If you want to have a good we should not miss the opporand noteworthy career you have When hiring new staff Goran tunity, which life gives us, to beto be ready to live up to all the looks for professionals who have the come better. For me, both my life challenges that the business world so-called ‘victory attitude’ and who and business motto is the mespresents you. Many young, ambisage of Kaizen,” Goran explains. tious people fight for their careers. truly enjoy teamwork When hiring new staff Goran It is a lot like a football match, you looks for professionals who have the so-called ‘victory attitude’ always have to be on the top of the game, offering creative and who truly enjoy teamwork. and efficient moves. That does not come from nothing; you “When I hire a new employee, I am primarily looking for a have to constantly work on upgrading yourself,” he says. person who is focused on results, people who strive for qualiHe believes that for career advancement it is important ty, personal and professional growth,” he says. to know where you want to be, and then to develop a plan of “At JTI we have two mottos – ‘we hire for attitude and how to get there. He points out that there is no point in waittrain for skills’ and ‘we hire for career rather than a job.’” ing for an opportunity to come to you – you need to go and Goran loves to read and in this way likes to be able to defind it yourself. velop himself in every respect. He has recently become the With a desire to expand his legal background with a busiproud father of a little girl, and is currently intensively readness degree he enrolled in an MBA at the Business School of ing books that can help teach him how to be the ‘greatest dad Leeds University in the United Kingdom. (business.leeds.ac.uk) in the world’.

Not long afterwards he started to work in one of the lead“My daughter is the strongest motive for me to be at ing tobacco companies - Japan Tobacco International (JTI) my best! It is very important for me to make her proud,” he (www.jti.com). declares.

■ “Time spent in Leeds gave me the broad experience re82

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Challenges and Perspectives of the United Rail undEr THE InSTITuTIonAL AuSPICES of THE mInISTry of InfrASTruCTurE of THE rEPubLIC of SErbIA

First Regional Ministerial Conference

“Challenges And Perspectives of the United Rail” february 25, 2011, Crystal ballroom, Hyatt regency Hotel, belgrade The conference will tackle some of the following issues: • Strategic advantages, benefits and challenges of the united rail in the Cargo 10 Project • Strong regional cargo group and competition in the European market • Investment priorities in the Cargo 10 infrastructure • Harmonisation of transport regulations with EU laws • Legal, infrastructural and political issues within the Cargo 10 Project • Modernisation in service of competition – investments in new rolling-stocks • Construction of high-speed lines in Corridor 10 • Intermodal traffic development and terminals improvement in the region • PPP as one of possible financing models • Application of global standards in the fields of technical and IT solutions in the Cargo 10 project

confirmed speakers: •Milutin Mrkonjic, minister, ministry of Infrastructure, republic of Serbia •Frank Jost, Commission, directorate-general for mobility and Transport , rail Transport and Interoperability • Patrick Vlacic, minister, ministry of Transport, republic of Slovenia • Danijel Mileta, State Secretary, ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, republic of Croatia • Andrija Lompar, Minister, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication, republic of montenegro • Robert Vuga, director, Cargo 10 • Johannes Ludewig, Executive director, Community of European railway and Infrastructure Companies (CEr) • Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, director general, uIC • Goran Brankovic, director general, Slovenian railways • Milovan Markovic, director general, Serbian railways • Zlatko Rogozar, CEo, Holding of Croatian railways • Zdravko Savic, director general, republika Srpska railways • Claus Lippstreu, regional director rail SEE, db Schenker & Co Ag • Marjan Zaletelj, Infrastructure director, Slovenian railways • Branimir Jerneic, Managing Director, HŽ Infrastructure • Predrag Jankovic, general director deputy for Infrastructure and operations, Serbian railways • Slobodan Rosic, director, directory of railways, Serbia • Ljubo Žerak, director general, railways and Cableways directorate, Slovenia • Adrian Foster, partner, booz and Company • Lyn O’Grady, Senior banker, Ebrd

Who should attend: • Infrastructure Managers • Transport Ministries • Safety Managers • Risk Assessment Experts • Engineers • Telecoms & IT Engineers • Signalling Experts • Consultants • Technical Directors/Managers • Regulatory Bodies & Law Firms • Rolling stock Manufacturers • Trac k Main tenan ce Compan ie s • Suppliers • Busin ess Developers • Lawyers / PPP specialists • Bankers /Investors

contact us for more details: kneginje Zorke 11b 11000 belgrade, Serbia Tel: +381 11 308 99 77 fax: +381 11 308 99 88 office@aim.rs www.business-dialogue.eu