May 2024, Issue No. 235

SLAĐANA

Retired ambassador, member of the Forum for International Relations and honorary president of the United Nations Association of

European

Ambassador

the People’s Republic of

of

“CorD - 20 Years of Independent Thought and Inspiration”

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

DESIGN: Slađan Radosavljević Zoran Perović design@aim.rs

COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen

TRANSLATION & EDITING: Pullen Editorial, Halifax

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ljubica Gojgić

Zoran Panović

Radmila Stanković

Maja Vukadinović

Mirjana Jovanović

Miša Brkić, Rob Dugdale

Steve MacKenzie

Zorica Todorović Mirković

Sonja Ćirić, Miloš Belčević

PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović

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COMMENT

Diplomatic Response Overdue

Slađana Prica retired ambassador, member of the Forum for International Relations and honorary president of the United Nations Association of Serbia

The issue of the so-called ‘self-proclaimed’ Kosovo joining Europe’s oldest political organisation has long been an open question. Attempts have been made and lobbying carried out, but admission itself has not been accepted

his was preceded by analyses carried out by so-called ‘preeminent lawyers’, who are mandated to visit and provide a legal opinion on whether a European country has satisfied the standards and norms of the organisation itself. Their formal opinion was submitted to the legal and political committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in December 2023, when a decision was taken to appoint a rapporteur on behalf of the CoE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy. Alongside two rapporteurs from other committees, Greece’s Dora Bakoyannis was appointed the CoE’s main rapporteur for Kosovo. She has visited Kosovo on multiple occasions and held talks with leaders at all levels and with representatives of institutions operating in Kosovo, but also with the Serbian community. Our mission to the Council of Europe didn’t monitor the progress of reporting in an adequate diplomatic manner. Moreover, it is also our fault that Bakoyannis didn’t visit Belgrade to hold talks while she was in the process of compiling her report.

TPristina’s unwillingness to fulfil its obligations is obvious. The report partly set aside attacks on Serbs and their persecution and departure, as well as the violating or insufficient meeting of basic human rights and freedoms, to be resolved in the so-called post-monitoring period. Knowing the balance of power within the Committee of Ministers, which received the positive opinion of the parliamentary assembly, I am aware that they will vote to recognise or not in accordance with the decisions of their governments, which are decisions based on the opinions of political parties.

The possibility exists that the Council of Europe and its Committee of Ministers will gain the required two-thirds majority at the 16th-17th May session, which would set a precedent given that states have previously gained membership in this organisation by consensus. This is the first time that this consensus has been breached, which isn’t good for the organisation or its reputation and credibility. According to all available information, the Committee of Ministers is itself strongly divided at this juncture. The leading states primarily lobbying for Kosovo’s admission are Germany and Turkey, as well as a few other countries. Greece has made it clear that it will show restraint, which is a major backward step compared to the Greek policy to date. There are also threats that Serbia will withdraw its own membership. No one is expelling Serbia from this organisation. That isn’t being done with this report or by

the Committee of Ministers with its decision. It is my consideration that we mustn’t withdraw from this organisation, as we still cooperate with all its bodies and organs, and particularly as this would also mean giving up on European integration. There has been lots of wrangling over whether this membership would imply some additional protection of human rights for Serbs, but also for the Albanian, Roma, Ashkali and other peoples who live there.

My personal opinion is that no territory in Europe should be excluded from all democratic European processes, through which every citizen has the right to address a higher supranational body, which is the European Court of Human Rights that represents a binding convention.

Kosovo is attempting to use a political manoeuvre to avoid its obligation to establish a community of Serb-majority municipalities, by allegedly submitting a draft of the associated statute to the Constitutional Court by 10th May. I think we ought to have responded to the whole procedure much earlier, and that we should have refrained from making inappropriate and unacceptable addresses in the CoE Parliamentary Assembly.

When it comes to the threat that Kosovo will gain the possibility to sue Serbia for genocide, via the Council of Europe and by addressing the European Court of Human Rights, I am certain that the Court will declare itself as having no jurisdiction in this matter, in accordance with its own rules.

Serbia Must do More for Workers

In order to enhance the wellbeing of workers across the region, I urge Serbia to revisit the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its three Action Plan targets, which are key to the EU agenda for social justice and worker protection

Nicolas Schmit European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

According to Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, the Platform Work Directive represents a significant step in addressing bogus self-employment in the platform economy and establishing pioneering regulations on algorithm use in the workplace. Speaking in this interview for CorD, Schmit discusses the recent milestones reached in regulating working conditions for platform workers in the EU, AI at work

and the benefits of Serbia’s faster alignment with the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The Commission’s proposal, which was negotiated between the European Parliament and Council, culminated in a new directive being confirmed by the employment and social affairs ministers of EU member states on 11th March 2024. With over 28 million EU citizens currently working through digital platforms and that total expect-

ed to increase to 43 million by 2025, these regulations have a significant and timely impact.

The Directive targets the regulating of work conducted via online digital labour platforms like Upwork, as well as on-location platforms like Glovo or Wolt. Serbia and the wider region, as significant global suppliers of labour for digital platforms, face challenges with ambiguities of employment status, particularly among freelancers and couriers, making it an imperative to swiftly implement this Directive in domestic legislation.

News of the reaching of a consensus on the EU Platform Work Directive was received with either great enthusiasm and accolades or with a sense of half-hearted relief. Ultimately, does the final text meet your initial expectations?

— I am satisfied with the final result. The Directive will be a game-changer in tackling bogus self-employment in the platform economy. And it is a world first in the sense that it establishes the first-ever set of comprehensive rules to deal with the role of algorithms in the workplace.

The presumption of employment will help misclassified platform workers access the labour rights to which they are entitled, such as minimum wage or paid annual leave. This Directive is an important advance in improve working conditions and data rights for people working on digital labour platforms.

More cautious people are noting that many important issues related to the quality of work for platform workers that were not addressed in the Directive – such as working times, privacy at work, and information and consultation of workers and their representatives – are central to the rights and livelihoods of workers. Did you deliberately leave those issues to be regulated by the expected ILO Convention?

— The EU already has solid minimum standards on aspects like working time or collective rights. The issue we set

out to tackle was ensuring that people who work through digital labour platforms and are really workers, and not self-employed associates, could enjoy those standards and rights.

I do, however, recognise that problems might differ in other jurisdictions, including in the Global South, where minimum rights still need to be established. I am therefore looking forward to the efforts of the ILO to engage in standard setting for the platform economy.

The new approach embraced by the EU Platform Work Directive is arguably part of a broader, long-advocated trend towards expanding labour rights to all those who perform work in a predominantly personal capacity. Is this sufficient to address the changing nature of work resulting from technological advances and to provide adequate protection to isolated workers?

— We have to ensure that nobody in today’s world of work is left out. All people who work should be entitled to basic rights and protections, whether they are an employee or are self-employed. Labour rights are mainly for workers, but self-employed solo workers can also be in a vulnerable position. We are therefore working with member states to ensure that self-employed persons also enjoy adequate social protection coverage. Similarly, we have clarified that solo self-employed people engaging in collective bargaining to improve their working conditions does not violate the rules of EU competition law.

The current text of the Directive essentially delegates to national authorities the task of designing their own—possibly ‘less stringent’—rebuttable presumption of employment status. Considering that France was a harsh opponent of the Directive and Germany was undecided, while many other member states gave only lukewarm support to the Directive, is there a risk that the essential idea of the Directive to protect gig workers could be watered down in national legislations? If the

EU shifts further towards the right side of the political spectrum, how will this impact the current success of the Directive?

— Don’t forget that 25 of the 27 member states ultimately supported this Directive. This sends an important signal. Of course, our initial proposal was more ambitious, as it included a set of harmonised criteria to trigger the presumption. Member states now have more freedom to design the presump-

More EU action is needed to address AI and algorithmic management at work, benefiting the Single Market. Decisions will involve the next Commission, European Parliament, and Member States

tion in line with their national legislation, but the common triggering point remains the same: facts indicating that the platform directs and controls the platform worker. When transposing the Directive, member states must ensure that the presumption is effective and constitutes a real procedural facilitation on the ground.

According to the latest research conducted by Eurofound, the proportion

of self-employed workers in the EU has not increased since the start of the 21st century, while it fell from 15.4% to 13.7% between 2010 and 2022, which could be interpreted as a positive sign. However, many EU member states lack formal (compulsory) coverage for unemployment or sick leave and accidents at work for self-employed people. Why is that; and where is more future effort needed at the EU level?

— Our social protection systems were designed for workers in full-time, open-ended jobs and have only recently started to adapt to the increasingly diverse, fast-changing world of work. In 2022, almost 40% of the population in employment were in non-standard forms of work, including self-employment, and many of them face significant gaps in social protection coverage. The self-employed are not covered by at least one branch of social protection in 19 Member States, most often unemployment, sickness and accidents at work.

With the 2019 Council Recommendation on access to social protection, we made a clear case for member states to take action to ensure formal coverage and effective access to adequate benefits for all workers and the self-employed. Several steps have been taken since then, but much still remains to be done. Effective monitoring, mutual learning and reform guidance and support are key tools in our hands, and we are pursuing them resolutely. In the end, adapting social protection systems is a long-term process.

The boundaries between self-employment and employment are blurring, prompting many experts to suggest that the criteria for determining employment status need to be clarified. Are we on the cusp of establishing new definitions of employees and employers in labour laws across Europe?

— The Directive doesn’t aim to establish a new definition of who qualifies as a worker. We have national definitions of the employment relationship –which, by the way, don’t differ so much

LEADERS

The EU Platform Work Directive is a world first in the sense that it establishes the firstever set of comprehensive rules to deal with the role of algorithms in the workplace

from one another – and we also have the case-law of the Court of Justice.

Many courts have used the established national definitions and case law to reach the conclusion that it is the platforms’ algorithms that are directing and controlling workers.

As such, the main benefit of the employment chapter of the Directive is in shifting the burden of proof: if there are facts indicating control and direction, it is up to the platforms to prove that the person is self-employed and not a worker.

One major success of the Platform Work Directive is its provisions related to algorithmic management. How widespread is algorithmic management becoming in traditional sectors of work and is there a need for a new directive addressing the application of AI at work?

— The use of algorithmic management has been reported most often in logistics (transportation, storage and delivery services) and manufacturing. Up to a quarter of EU companies might already be using algorithmic management in their workplace. As of 2022, up to 28% of European companies may have been using technology solutions and/or AI tools to support recruiting and hiring efforts. However, there is scope for further EU policy action to tackle the use of AI and algorithmic management at work, with straightforward benefits across the Single Market. Of course, this will be for the next Commission and the new European Parliament to decide, together with the member states.

For the first time in recent history, the European Commission has made significant comments regarding Serbia’s accession process in Chapter 2 (Free Movement of Workers) and Chapter 19 (Social Policy and Employment). As

SKILLS

Skills will remain a key policy priority for the Union, including through our European Pillar of Social Rights and EU Skills Agenda

LESSON

The opening of the region’s labour market should be followed by adequate social protection and active labour market measures for the participation of all

we are at the beginning of the opening of the labour market across the region; what would you suggest to Serbia and the countries of the region regarding workers’ wellbeing?

— To ensure workers wellbeing – not only in Serbia, but across the whole region – I invite Serbia to revisit the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the three targets of its Action Plan, which are milestones of the EU agenda for social justice and workers’ protection. Serbia should also already start planning what actions the state can take on its path of upward social convergence. Support for a decent minimum wage system and collective bargaining in private and public sectors, to ensure good working conditions and equal treatment, should be at the centre of this process.

No free movement can be successful without adequate social protection and active labour market measures for the participation of all. The important aspect running through the report on Serbia’s accession is strengthening labour market and social institutions, and preparing for working with the ELA and EURES. Bringing women and youth into the labour market needs special attention. Within the free movement, negotiating bilateral agreements with EU member states and neighbouring countries to ensure social security and pension rights,

and to avoid double taxation for mobile workers, should be addressed. And, last but not least, I would recommend delivering on all these policies through effective social dialogue and the full involvement of social partners.

The EU proclaimed last year as the European Year of Skills. The European Training Foundation, representing the EU, is implementing numerous projects across the region that are aimed at improving the skills and competences of the workforce. How will the Year of Skills be extended in the EU and the Western Balkans, and how will it address the lack of labour in the region and the inadequate digital and other skills of the workforce for the future?

— I welcome the fact that Serbia and other Western Balkan countries are actively participating in the European Year of Skills. They have nominated National Coordinators and are promoting many activities to address skills gaps and promote a culture of lifelong learning and up/reskilling. The Year will come to a close on 8th May, with a closing conference taking place shortly before that [30th April]. However, this doesn’t mean that our work on skills will end then. Skills will remain a key policy priority for the EU, including through our European Pillar of Social Rights and EU Skills Agenda. Indeed, the European Training Foundation is an active partner in the Western Balkans region, and you can be sure that it will continue to provide support for the development of strategies and tools for a skilled workforce. The ETF has been supporting the modernisation of Serbia’s VET (Vocational Education and Training) and education system, developing dual-VET and assisting with mapping the needs of teacher training to increase the quality of education and training in Serbia.

Unbreakable Friendship

H.E. Li Ming

Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia

By Ljubica Gojgić

It was 25 years ago (1999) that the Chinese and Serbian people stood firmly together to defend international justice with their own blood and even lives. As an old Chinese saying goes, taking history as a mirror can help learn about the future. Only by not forgetting history can we move forward in the right direction. We will never forget the three Chinese journalists who sacrificed their lives for peace and justice. We will continue to uphold the principles of the UN charter and international law. The “steel” friendship between China and Serbia has withstood the test of blood and fire over previous years and will continue growing from strength to strength in the future ~ Li Ming

The highest level of political understanding and the strengthening of economic cooperation characterise bilateral relations between Serbia and China over recent years, which should also be confirmed by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Belgrade. H.E. Li Ming, the new Chinese ambassador to Serbia, believes that it is now time for the economic cooperation that has elevated China to the very top of the list of investor countries in Serbia to be raised to a new level. “Chinese-Serbian cooperation is entering a new era of high-quality growth in fields like biomedicine, high-tech innovation, green energy, IT etc. At the same time, Chinese companies operating in traditional industries in Serbia spare no effort in increasing investments in mining, green steel manufacturing, energy savings, and environmentally friendly and efficiency purposes,” says Ambassador Li Ming in this interview for CorD Magazine.

Your Excellency, you arrived in Serbia at the end of last year. What were your first impressions?

— Since arriving in Serbia six months ago, I have been overwhelmed by this beautiful and friendly country with three deepest impressions.

Firstly, the Serbian people are warm and hospitable. Serbia is an ancient country with a diverse culture, unique tradition and an abundance of world heritage sites, natural parks and various landscapes. Many elderly and middle-aged Chinese tourists come here with fond memories of the films and literature of the former Yugoslavia, while younger Chinese visitors fall in love with the modern and vibrant life of Serbia. The Serbian people are also interested in China’s language and splendid culture. The Chinese-Serbian “Steel” friendship has a long history and solid foundations. Secondly, there is great potential in Chinese-Serbian economic cooperation. I have visited numerous China-Serbia cooperation projects. From HBIS Smederevo to Zijin Copper in Bor, from Linglong Tires in Zrenjanin to Minth Group in Loznica, from the Hungarian-Serbian Railway to Miloš the Great Highway, these projects have improved Serbia’s infrastructure substantially, created jobs, improved

We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, respect the will of its people for independence and its own development path

the professional skills of local people and achieved win-win outcomes for all. These projects are warmly welcomed by the people of Serbia and serve as examples for the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

Thirdly, the political trust between China and Serbia is iron-clad and unbreakable. Both countries share the same or similar historical experiences, cherish and safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concerns.

I look forward to working with Chinese and Serbian friends, and friends from all other countries, to promote understanding, deepen friendships, expand cooperation and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humankind.

You have stated that cooperation between China and Serbia should be elevated to an even higher level. What priorities have you set in that regard?

— Since China and Serbia enhanced their bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road framework more than ten years ago, there have already been tangible and fruitful outcomes, while there is more potential to be developed in the future. Chinese-Serbian cooperation is entering a new era of high-quality growth in fields like biomedicine, high-tech innovation, green energy IT etc. At the same time, Chinese companies operating in traditional industries in Serbia spare no effort in increasing investments in mining, green steel manufacturing, energy-savings and environmentally friendly and efficiency purposes. China is ready to participate further in Serbia’s national development and many Chinese companies have expressed a strong interest in participating in preparations for the 2027 Belgrade Expo. It is believed that future cooperation between China and Serbia will create more opportunities and even brighter prospects.

Serbian President Vučić recently hinted at the possibility of a visit to Serbia by Chinese President Xi. Is there any progress on this and when could such a visit be expected?

— The leaderships of China and Serbia have always attached great importance to bilateral relations and outlined the blueprint for future development. In recent years, China and Serbia have maintained frequent high-level exchanges. President Xi Jinping and President Aleksandar Vučić have held in-person meetings and exchanged correspondences on various occasions, charting a course for the relationship from a strategic level. In 2023, President Vučić attended the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, injecting strong energy into the development of our bilateral relations. It is believed that China and Serbia will continue to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges to further guide relations.

The construction of a highway traversing Vojvodina by a Chinese company

began at the end of last year. Are you satisfied with the pace of the work?

— It was in 2019 that President Vučić announced an ambitious plan to build an expressway in northern Vojvodina. Chinese enterprises responded promptly and signed a framework agreement with their Serbian counterparts on the fringes of last year’s Third Belt and Road Forum. That project is now in the initial stage of construction and relevant commercial framework contracts are expected to be signed. The Chinese companies involved are well known for their rich experience in infrastructure and we look forward to the expressway that could be completed according to plan and with high quality.

According to data from last year, China is becoming the largest individual investor in Serbia. Chinese companies have to date been most heavily involved in Serbian construction, particularly in infrastructure projects. Do you see other areas where economic cooperation could develop?

— Chinese investors are attracted to Serbia by its reputation as the transport hub of the Balkan region, its labour and resource advantages, and the preferential policies provided by the Serbian government. In recent years, Chinese companies have invested and established factories in Serbia in the areas of auto parts and steel manufacturing, mining and infrastructure. Chinese investments help promote the country’s economic and social development and improve people’s living standards. I believe that there will be more Chinese enterprises seeking investment opportunities in Serbia following the enacting of the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement. Possible new areas of cooperation include wind and solar energy, the photovoltaic industry, biotech, the digital economy, science and innovation etc. The Chinese government will continue encouraging cooperation between the two countries on the basis of respect and mutual benefit.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the NATO aggression against Serbia. How would you comment on the fact that only China, Russia and Algeria supported the UN Security Council proposal to discuss that event?

After 25 years, a building of the Chinese Culture Centre was established on the ashes of the bombed old Chinese embassy. This centre provides diverse programmes of Chinese culture, the Chinese language, Chinese Tai Chi and Chinese traditional music

— Twenty-five years ago, without the approval of the UN Security Council, NATO unashamedly launched a 78day bombing campaign against a sovereign state, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The bombing caused serious humanitarian disasters in the

PROSPECTS

It is believed that future cooperation between China and Serbia will create more opportunities and even brighter prospects

UN

China supports the UN Security Council in convening meetings to reflect on history with the spirit of remembrance and safeguarding peace

COOPERATION

Possible new areas of cooperation include wind and solar energy, the photovoltaic industry, biotech, the digital economy, science and innovation etc

country and the region beyond. Thousands of innocent civilians lost their lives, including children and women, and millions of households were forcibly displaced. The serious negative impact of that war can be felt even today, when the situation in Kosovo is still intense and the trauma lingers on.

Today, 25 years on, the world has entered a new period of turmoil and transformation. China supports the UN Security Council in convening meetings to reflect on history with the spirit of remembrance and safeguarding peace. Its purpose is to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, advocate genuine multilateralism and maintain global peace and security, as well as preventing tragedy from reoccurring.

On the other hand, there is the possibility to adopt a resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the UN General Assembly. What is China’s stance on this initiative, which Belgrade says could lead to demands for the abolition of Republika Srpska and new tensions in the region?

— The issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly sensitive and complex, and serious disputes remain among the parties concerned to this day. China’s position on relevant issues has been clear and consistent. We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, respect the will of its people for independence and its own development path. When dealing with related issues, the international community should always prioritise the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, and should genuinely promote dialogue, reconciliation and the peaceful coexistence of

all ethnic groups. It is hoped that parties within Bosnia and Herzegovina could address disputes through discreet and friendly consultations, for

Many elderly and middle-aged Chinese tourists come here with fond memories of the films and literature of the former Yugoslavia, while younger Chinese visitors fall in love with the modern and vibrant life of Serbia

the purpose of maintaining unity and avoiding any escalation of tension.

The Chinese Embassy was targeted during the 1999 bombing of Serbia, which was unprecedented in international relations at the time. How does the Chinese Culture Centre that was built on the site of the destroyed embassy function today?

— Twenty-five years ago, the Chinese and Serbian people stood firmly together to defend international justice with their own blood and even lives. As an old Chinese saying goes, taking history as a mirror can help learn about the future. Only by not forgetting history can we move forward in the right direction. We will never forget the three Chinese journalists who sacrificed their lives for peace and justice. We will continue to uphold the principles of the UN charter and international laws. The “steel” friendship between China and Serbia has withstood the test of blood and fire over previous years and will continue growing from strength to strength in the future.

Martyrs are immortal because of their nobility and their spirit shines from generation to generation. After 25 years, a building of the Chinese Culture Centre was established on the ashes of the bombed old Chinese embassy. This centre provides diverse programmes of Chinese culture, the Chinese language, Chinese Tai Chi and Chinese traditional music, and has become a new landmark of the Chinese-Serbian steel friendship. By standing in front of the Chinese Culture Centre and paying tribute to the three martyrs, the people of China and Serbia will continue to honour their heroic tradition and unite as one for a shared future.

WEF President Issues Warning on Global Debt Levels

World Economic Forum President Børge Brende has issued a stark warning about the unprecedented levels of global debt, likening the situation to the era of the Napoleonic Wars. He emphasised the urgent need for governments to develop strategies to reduce debt without risking a recession. The International Monetary Fund’s recent report supports these concerns, projecting that global public debt could approach 100% of GDP by the decade’s end. Despite these challenges, the IMF has slightly upgraded its forecast for global growth in 2024 to 3.2%. However, Brende highlighted the significant risks posed by geopolitical tensions, citing the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel as an example. He warned that such conflicts could lead to a sharp increase in oil prices, potentially causing severe damage to the global economy.

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace”

Aristotle

Greece Passes Olympic Flame to Paris 2024 Organizers

Greece’s majestic ceremony at Athens’ Panathenaic stadium saw the Olympic Flame passed to Paris 2024 Summer Games organisers. Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, gave the torch to Tony Estanguet, President of “Paris 2024.” Dignitaries, IOC members, and thousands of spectators witnessed this symbolic event, marking the Flame’s journey from Ancient Olympia. Antigoni Drisbiotis, a Greek champion, initiated the Flame’s final leg, followed by Ioannis Fountoulis and teammates igniting the cauldron, symbolising the Flame’s transition and a new Olympic chapter. The French delegation departed the historic stadium, carrying hopes for the Paris 2024 Olympics, set from 26 July to 11 August.

Biden Considers Dropping Assange Prosecution

U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that his administration is “considering” Australia’s request to drop charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. This follows a February motion by the Australian Parliament urging Assange’s release to Australia. US authorities accuse Assange of endangering lives by publishing secret military documents and have sought his extradition on espionage charges. He faces 18 offences, including conspiracy to hack a computer, related to the 2010 release of classified military material provided by Chelsea Manning. Assange, 52, has resisted extradition for years and faces a potential 175-year prison sentence if convicted. His case has drawn criticism from free speech advocates, who argue that his extradition would set a dangerous precedent for press freedoms.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding”

Albert Einstein

Pope Francis Makes Historic First Visit to Venice Biennale

Pope Francis made history with his visit to the Venice Biennale, becoming the first pontiff to attend the contemporary art festival. His trip included stops at a female prison and a showcase of artwork by a pioneering American nun artist, part of the pavilion titled “Con i miei occhi” (“With my eyes”), curated by Chiara Parisi and Bruno Racine. The pavilion, highlighting society’s marginalised, especially prisoners, features works from various female artists. In a touching gesture, Francis greeted each of the prison’s approximately 80 inmates, many of whom are involved in the exhibition. The Pope hailed artists as profound visionaries capable of transcending worldly boundaries in his address to the group.

Switzerland to Host Ukraine Peace Summit on June 15-16

Switzerland announced plans to host a two-day high-level conference in June to foster peace in Ukraine. Despite Russia’s refusal to participate, Switzerland is moving forward with the initiative Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy requested. The conference, scheduled for June 15-16 at the Bürgenstock resort in the canton of Nidwalden near Lucerne, seeks to establish a favourable framework for lasting peace in Ukraine and outline a concrete roadmap for Russia’s involvement in the peace process.

UAE, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar Sign €14.79 Billion Development Project

The UAE, Iraq, Qatar, and Turkey have joined forces in a significant cooperation effort, signing a quadrilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the ambitious Development Road project. Valued at €14.79 billion, the Development Road project aims to establish a comprehensive land and rail route spanning Iraq to Turkey and its key ports. Qatar’s Ministry of Transport specified that a substantial 1,200 kilometres of this infrastructure will be within Iraqi borders. Upon completion, the Development Road initiative will facilitate an efficient overland route connecting Europe with the Gulf Cooperation Countries, promising enhanced economic ties and logistical efficiency across the participating nations. The project will unfold in three distinct phases, each with milestones and deadlines for 2028, 2033, and 2050.

Will the Far-Right’s Low Cohesion Save the Centre?

Pro-European parties could surpass expectations by achieving a solid majority in the European Parliament, despite increasing support for right-wing parties. However, this might not provide us with clear insight into the values that the EU will embrace in the future

June’s European Parliament elections are considered as being among the world’s most important votes in 2024, with many predicting that they could result in right-wing parties making it to the very top of the EU. Are these elections unimportant or irrelevant when it comes to determining the EU’s strategic direction, as people used to suggest, or will they bring us an EU with changed values

and priorities? What kind of EU can we expect to emerge following these elections and how could that be reflected in the EU’s stance regarding Serbia and the Western Balkans as a whole? What do the realities of daily politics and history tell us about political changes in Europe and their impact on political outcomes in our region?

According to our interlocutors, not much will change when it comes to the power struc-

ture within the European Parliament and the EU’s position on Western Balkan integration. It does, however, remain to be seen whether attitudes will change when it comes to some debated issues like climate change, the migrant crisis or the global economic crisis. Moreover, possible changes to Europe’s political direction could become clearer following the conclusion of the U.S., where the outcome remains far from clear.

Slobodan G. Markovich Institute for European Studies and Faculty of Political Science

U.S. Elections More Critical for EU Future than EP Elections

While the EU’s right-wing parties are expected to make gains, these gains shouldn’t be expected to substantially alter the composition of the Parliament or the approach toward the Western Balkans

Most European pollsters predict that changes to the political composition of the European Parliament won’t be significant. Major party groups are expected to see a small drop in their MEP numbers, while identity based, right-wing parties are expected to score gains, but the magnitude of such gains is unlikely to lead to substantial change to the composition of the Parliament, in which the centre-right European People’s Party Group (EPP) currently has 26.5% of MEPs, the centrist Renew group has almost 14% and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) has 21%.

The European People’s Party (EPP) group is likely to remain the biggest group, with the highest coalition potential. The main question that remains is who the EPP will form the European Parliament’s ruling coalition with, since the ECR group (European Conservatives and Reformists), a slightly Eurosceptic group, is likely to have more than 10% of MEPs. The new coalition may be broad, from centre-left to the parties of the political right, or may be focused on liberal, centrist and right-wing parties. One should also bear in mind that many right-wing parties have abandoned their commitment to initiate new kinds of Brexits. The failure of Brexit to resolve any issue in Britain, while eclipsing the country’s Conservative Party, have reduced the appetite for new EU-exits. This gives the EPP group even more room to manoeuvre.

UK news magazine The Economist predicted in its World Ahead 2024 edition that the U.S. elections would be more important to shaping the future of the Union than the elections for the European Parliament in June, and this assessment still seems to be valid. One shouldn’t expect significant changes regarding the EU’s policy on the Western Balkans. Russia’s war in Ukraine will probably continue to be a more important catalyst of further EU enlargement policies than the composition of the ruling coalition in the European Parliament. The issues that will dom-

The integration process will be impacted by the choices of EU voters on issues like the climate crisis, the global economic crisis, the migrant crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine

inate the EU elections, as identified by Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard, are the legacies of the climate crisis, the global economic crisis, the migrant crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The future of EU integration for the Western Balkans will depend largely on how these five hottest political and social topics in the EU link with EU enlargement to our region, as well as Ukraine and Moldova.

Ivana Radić Milosavljević Assistant Professor in European Studies at the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Political Sciences

Not all Right-Wing Parties are Likeminded

The outcome of the European Parliament election is unlikely to cause a dramatic shift in EU policy, particularly foreign policy, but it could hamper the reaching of consensus on important issues like upcoming internal reforms for the EU

The European Parliament has traversed a long road from being an unelected consultative assembly to becoming a real legislative and representative body of European citizens. However, during the years of Europe’s political integration, the Parliament isn’t the only thing to have changed. Today’s EU has become a politicised community, and the multiple crises that have hit since 2008 have contributed to polarising the European political space. As such, this year’s elections take place in a context that differs compared to those held two or more decades ago. Preliminary polls suggest that radically Eurosceptic parties could gain more seats in parliament and thus influence decision-making.

And yet, the political landscape is far from simple, and the influence of extremist parties isn’t only determined by the number of seats they secure through elections. These parties hail from various sides of the political spectrum and have contrasting views on individual issues that are often determined by their country of origin.

The Parliament isn’t the Union’s only legislative body. Its ability to influence decision-making is limited by the powers of other institutions, such as the European Council, which represents the governments of member states. Thus, despite the ever-increasing radicalisation of politics in Europe, decision-making processes in the EU include numerous stakeholders, and therefore tend more towards the kind of negotiation and consensus likely to result in more moderate decisions.

Furthermore, the Parliament is unable to legislate at all in some policy areas. When it comes to the

foreign affairs of the European Union, for example, the Parliament’s powers are reduced to recommendations and discussion of numerous issues. When it comes to enlargement policy, the Parliament’s role is limited to passing resolutions and deciding on the final stage of the process.

Nonetheless, despite the formal limits on the Parliament’s authority, elections have always provided EU citizens with a platform to express their dissatisfaction or send a warning to their governments in periods between national elections. As such, the continuous trend of strengthening radical parties could have a limiting effect on moderate parties in na-

The Parliament’s role in enlargement policy is limited to passing resolutions and deciding on the final stage of the process, so the elections won’t have a major impact on the Western Balkans’ position

tional governments, by pressuring them to compromise on certain issues, such as support for Ukraine, migrant issues or the green agenda. Still, the outcome of the European Parliament elections probably won’t cause a dramatic turnaround in EU policy, particularly when it comes to external policies. However, this could hamper the reaching of consensus on important issues like the EU’s upcoming internal reforms, which will largely determine the future of enlargement.

Rajko Petrović Research Associate at the Institute of European Studies

The EU Idea is Stronger than the Outcome of Less Important Elections

The electorate’s shift to the right won’t change the nature and essence of the idea of the European Union, and thus neither will it change the continued political, economic and even security connections of its member states, nor the values of liberal democracy that they inherit

The European Union is too enduring and serious as a geopolitical project for the direction of its development and the values that form its foundations to be changed after just one European Parliament election. With due respect to this institution, which is primarily characterised by its full democratic legitimacy, the main levels of political decision-making at the level of the entire Union will remain in the hands of the Council of Ministers of the European Union and the European Council. There is absolutely no doubt that right-wing options are expecting to achieve good results in the upcoming European Parliament elections, and that includes the radical right, also known as the extreme/far right, because it has now become traditional for these elections to serve as an opportunity for voters to punish the ruling political parties in their own countries, which they aren’t inclined to do to such an extent in national parliamentary elections. Thus, alongside the increasing certainty of victory for the European People’s Party, I also expect outstanding results to be achieved by European conservatives and reformists, as supported by the favourable election results and positive ratings of parties like the People’s Party and Vox in Spain, the Swedish Democrats in Sweden, the Italian Brothers in Italy etc. However, this won’t change the nature and essence of the idea of the European Union, which is the prevention of any armed conflict on its territory, followed by the continuation of the political, economic and security connecting of its member states, as well as the values of liberal democracy that they inherit.

If they form a coalition government, these parties could insist on more stringent immigration regulations, pro-family policies etc., but nothing will bring into question the issues of internal cohesion and foreign policy and security priorities, specifically the strong link with the U.S. and NATO, as well as a distinctly anti-Russian position.

I don’t expect any significant change in the EU’s attitude towards Serbia following these elections. European integration will, on the one hand, continue to be the top foreign policy imperative of our country, while the EU will continue –on the basis of its own interests – to be of the opinion that it

The EU will continue – on the basis of its own interests – to be of the opinion that it is necessary to retain the Western Balkans in its own political and economic orbit

is necessary to retain the Western Balkans in its own political and economic orbit, particularly in the context of the intensifying conflicts afflicting several world hotspots. Every change to the EU’s political structures is exceptionally important for Serbia, primarily in an economic sense, because we’re talking about a grouping of countries that together form our country’s most important trade partner, but then also its top political and security partner, given the EU’s crucial mediating role in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Nemanja Todorović Štiplija

Executive Director of the Centre for Contemporary Politics and Founder of the portal European Western Balkans

Centrist Parties Will Retain Their Positions

The right-wing political spectrum that’s on the rise today includes parties that have very different views on Russia or the order of the European Union. But that isn’t overly important because it’s unlikely that they will join the European Parliament’s ruling majority

It has been an historical trend for European Parliament elections to become increasingly important for European politics. This came as a consequence of the expanding of this institution’s powers following the last change in the founding treaties of the EU, as well as the fact that high-ranking politicians from member states are increasingly becoming MEPs. In the previous elections of 2019, we saw an increase in the turnout for European elections after a long time. If the EU continues to reform itself in the years ahead, under the influence of geopolitical circumstances, the European Parliament can be expected to gain an even more important role.

Current polls suggest that right-of-centre parties could increase their MEP numbers and possibly control a quarter of European Parliament seats. Here it is primarily important to emphasise the heterogeneity of these groups. Some of them are radically extreme or far-right parties, while others are more or less accepted as constructive partners, such as the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. These parties won’t act in unison on many fronts, such as the stance regarding Russia or the EU’s internal order. It is also almost certain that they won’t enter the ranks of the Parliament’s ruling majority, which is expected to be retained by centrist parties.

On the flip side, the increased presence of rightist parties in the European Parliament will primarily increase the wiggle room of the Christian Democratic European People’s Party (EPP), which could “threaten” more progressive political groups (social demo-

crats and liberals) by voting with the right on some issues. The EPP’s priorities are thus much more likely to be adopted than they were before. We can also talk about a shift in the climate within the European Parliament, in which topics that are important to rightwing parties (immigration, the fight against gender policies, environmental targets, advocating for less EU control when it comes to the rule of law, and the like) will simply be more prevalent and will probably be taken over by some “mainstream” parties. And despite all this, no major turnaround in the EU’s foreign and strategic policy is expected after

If the EU continues to reform itself in the years ahead, under the influence of geopolitical circumstances, the European Parliament can be expected to gain an even more important role

June’s European Parliament elections. This also applies to the enlargement policy, which has been slowly gaining importance since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Given that centrist European parties will almost certainly retain the majority, plans to reform the EU can be expected to continue after June, and this also includes the chances of realising future enlargement increasing more than it has over the previous ten years.

Workers Must Unite Against Digital Empires

Just as historical rulers clung to power, the leaders of today’s digital empire are unlikely to willingly empower the disempowered. Without multinational worker organisations and legislation spanning jurisdictions, we may witness a race to the bottom in the global labour market

The platform economy, characterised by the rise of digital platforms, has revolutionised traditional modes of work and consumption. Platform work offers workers flexibility and autonomy, allowing them to choose when and where to work. However, it often lacks employment benefits like health insurance, paid leave and job security. Furthermore, there are rising concerns over worker exploitation, the impact of algorithmic management and the erosion of labour rights.

Our interviewee, Professor Mark Graham, a Professor of Internet Geography at the Oxford Internet Institute, is one of the leading experts in researching the intricacies of digital labour and the gig economy. His research sheds light on how workers on

the economic margins are integrated into global value chains and a planetary labour market, examining the impact of their networked and geographic positions on their working conditions.

Professor Graham is a driving force behind the Fairwork Foundation, a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2018 that’s aims to establish minimum fair work standards for the gig economy worldwide. To date, the project has released scorecards in 39 countries and influenced numerous platforms to implement pro-worker changes, totalling 300 improvements in minimum wages, fair contracts, anti-discrimination policies and recognition of worker associations.

On 22nd May, Professor Graham will deliver the opening speech at the Re-

gional Reshaping Work 2024 conference in Belgrade, marking the beginning of the largest event of its kind in this region, organised by the Serbian think tank Public Policy Centre.

The conference is dedicated to exploring the transformative shifts in platform work and their impacts on workers, businesses and societies in Eastern and Southeast Europe. It will host more than 100 members of the research community, businesses, unions, start-ups and policymakers from the region and across Europe and beyond.

In this exclusive interview, Professor Graham shares insights into the future of digital labour ahead of the conference.

Now that the final version of the EU Platform Work Directive is agreed upon, what should we say about its promise to set the minimum standards to improve working conditions for people working through digital labour platforms? What are the positive aspects of this new regulation; is it transposable in other jurisdictions? Which critical improvements are required if

Mark Graham Professor, Oxford Internet Institute

we want to set standards of decent work worldwide?

— The most important part of the discussion is that everyone is waking up to the notion that there is a problem. We might disagree about how to solve it. And, indeed, corporate lobbyists may try to craft a solution that isn’t really a solution, but the fact that so many platform workers have low-paid, dangerous, insecure jobs is indisputable at this point. However, there are improvements needed to the Directive for it to be held up as best practice. First, there should be a universal standard on employment classification. Second, there should be more clarity on where liability sits in cases where subcontractors are used. I see a lot of promise in the provision that platforms should establish channels for workers to communicate with each other. However, the devil will be in the detail here.

You are one of the founders of the global Fairwork project. How successful has it been in breaking the silence on this type of work? What’s the next frontier you’re setting for the new stage of this project?

— What we’ve achieved at Fairwork is beyond what even my wildest imagination could have conjured up five years ago when we started it. Since we started, we have expanded the project to 39 countries, spoken to over 5,000 workers and had over a thousand news stories cover our work. Most importantly, through our research, we have persuaded 64 companies to make 300 pro-worker changes to their policies. These changes range from introducing minimum and living wages, providing sickness insurance and implementing anti-discrimination policies, to agreeing to engage with trade unions.

The next frontier we are looking at will be trying to get lead firms in digi-

We have a system in which capital alone has the power to see all of the nodes in a planetary network of production, and it alone can command the spatial division of labour within that network

tal supply chains to take more responsibility for the working conditions ‘upstream’. Over the last five years, we have assessed numerous upstream workforces: such as online remote workers and data workers in business process outsourcing and content moderation centres. Our work now will be to get lead firms in tech and AI supply chains to take responsibility for those workers. One way they can do this is by embedding stronger minimum standards into their supplier agreements. Fairwork is embarking on an international multi-year project to help them do that.

Among researchers, the rise of platform work has long been considered a pioneering stage in the development of a planetary labour market. What will this market look like in the future and what would be its main characteristic? — Without either global agreements or the enactment of accountability laws on the demand-side (e.g. the proposed European Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive), it will be exceptionally difficult for any one group of

workers in any one place to extract any meaningful amount of value or concessions from the system. Just as kings and emperors didn’t willingly surrender their power, the rulers of today’s digital empires are unlikely to choose to empower the disempowered. Therefore, without worker organisations that have truly multinational reach, and without legislation that similarly can stretch across ju-

risdictions, we are likely to see ever more of a race to the bottom in the planetary labour market.

The rapid rise of large language models is both mesmerising and makes us shiver when thinking about the human mind’s capacity to compete with generative artificial intelligence. What are the lesser-known facets of AI or large

language models addressed in your new book?

— The main one is just how much human labour it takes for ‘automation’ to work. In the book, we trace a truly global network of workers: from data annotators in Uganda and content moderators in Kenya to artists in Ireland, data centre operators in Iceland and engineers in the UK. All these workers collaborate in a system that brings AI solutions into being. And yet, most of them know very little about each other. We have a system in which capital alone has the power to see all of the nodes in a planetary network of production, and it alone can command the spatial division of labour within that network.

The book outlines the ways AI is an ‘extraction machine’. When we engage with AI products as users or consumers, we only see one surface of the machine and the outputs it produces. The extraction machine draws in critical inputs of capital, power, natural resources, human labour, data and collective intelligence, transforming them into statistical predictions that AI companies, in turn, transform into profits. This, then, explains what we need to do to rewire the machine so we can develop less exploitative and fairer futures.

If the places that we live in are increasingly digital, then what are the most important questions we must ask ourselves when entering this digitally-augmented and digitally-mediated world?

— I always turn to Tony Benn’s five questions. He stated that these questions should always be asked to those in positions of economic, social and political power. In our age in which our world is increasingly mediated and augmented by the digital, we should be asking those mediators the following: “What power have you got?”; “Where did you get it from?”; “In whose interests do you use it?”; “To whom are you accountable?”; and “How do we get rid of you?”.

Business Dialogue

Pioneer in the New Era of Digital Tech

Uroš Đorđević

Account Executive, Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies is a corporation that’s oriented towards technological innovation and keeps pace with technological trends in every sense, which includes AI

Speaking in this CorD interview, Dell Technologies’ Uroš Đorđević explains how one of the IT sector’s global leaders supports the growing needs of its customers and their broader goals of digital transformation in today’s hybrid environment, but also why he is convinced that intense technological advancement lies ahead for all of us.

Your portfolio is like a living entity that expands constantly and encompasses a wide range of products and technical solutions. Do you have a portfolio specifically for our market or is the full Dell portfolio available to Serbian business users?

— Precisely as you note, our portfolio is like living matter that constantly adapts to its surroundings and the demands of the market, and that strives towards constant technological advancement. The lion’s share of the Dell Technologies portfolio is available on our market and to business users in Serbia through our sales network. The compa-

The lion’s share of the Dell Technologies portfolio is available on our market and to business users in Serbia through our sales network

ny’s philosophy revolves around making advanced technology accessible to everyone worldwide. Dell distinguishes itself as a pioneer in various areas of technology, including hybrid cloud solutions, cybersecurity solutions, edge computing and high-performance computing, but also in as innovative social impact and sustainability initiatives. We emphasise technology’s role in solving complex social challenges in sectors like healthcare, education and the digital economy.

You often emphasise the fact that you’ve been listening to the expectations of clients since the company’s establishment. In practical terms, does this mean that all your solutions and products are adapted to users’ business demands and complex IT needs?

Dell Technologies is also perfectly positioned to help address the growing needs of our customers and their broader digital transformation goals as they embrace today’s hybrid environment.

According to the E-Government Development Index, Serbia has recorded the most progress in Europe when it comes to the provision of electronic services… and it hasn’t stopped there! Are you still working to improve e-government and advance digital transformation?

— The digital transformation of public administration is extremely important and brings many benefits to Serbian citizens, while easing the operations of various spheres. We are considered as being a valued partner by the public sector on its digital jour-

Investments in healthcare and education serve to increase citizen’s quality of life significantly and provide great potential for the specialist training of people from various fields

— Our company is dedicated fully to developing technology and providing services that make it easier for our users to do business and that provide the possibility to create an effective business environment able to generate profit. Through an extremely broad portfolio of products and services, as well as a high-quality sales and service network, we are able to satisfy most of our users’ needs and demands.

Dell Technologies creates integrated solutions, has a comprehensive product offer and holds the leading position in critical solutions for clients and infrastructure. From PCs to the core data centre, the cloud and the edge, creating deep insights into the client and driving innovation are at the core of everything Dell Technologies does. We want to help our clients modernise their IT infrastructure, manage and operate in a multi-cloud world, solve their workforce transformation processes and provide critical solutions that keep people connected.

ney. We focus on outcomes for customers and constantly develop new solutions in order to satisfy our clients’ complex IT needs.

Serbia is even ahead of some EU countries today when it comes to the number and quality of the electronic services it offers citizens, but it is still working to further advance its e-government and digital transformation and has thus achieved an extremely important result for our country. This is a long-term process that should encompass the development of e-services in as many areas as possible. We are certainly part of such an important process with our technological solutions.

You strive to ensure advanced technology is as accessible as possible in order to contribute to the solving of numerous challenges. Is it now time for more intensive advancements in healthcare, education, the economy etc.?

— Serbia also demonstrated its high level of adaptability and innovation under

the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it introduced new e-services to protect citizen health and the economy, such as the electronic scheduling of vaccination appointments, e-applications for state aid and e-applications for artificial insemination, among others.

Investments in healthcare and education serve to increase citizen’s quality of life significantly and provide great potential for the specialist training of people from various fields. Our technological solutions are ubiquitous in the healthcare and education fields, at the level of infrastructure, data collection and processing, but also in securing client devices, protecting against cyberattacks and at the level of support for AI and machine learning.

While we’re on the topic of visions and plans, we mustn’t overlook your Partnership Programme for 2024. What can you tell us about it?

— As in previous years, we attach great importance to our partner companies and ensure high-quality and profitable cooperation by advancing the partnership programme constantly. Our network of partners is our great strength, in terms of both technical specialisation and expertise, but also in terms of the market positioning and sales of our solutions and services.

Considering that we are in the midst of an IT industry golden age, you are rightly making big, ambitious and optimistic plans, both globally and locally. Could you share some of them with us?

— Dell Technologies is a corporation that’s oriented towards technological innovations and we keep pace technological trends in every sense, which at this moment certainly means artificial intelligence (AI), and that will continue in the future. In cooperation with our partners at the global level, we ensure a high AI performance level through the implementation and management of AI infrastructure designed for the new era of digital technologies.

Mobi Bank Becomes Yettel Bank

Almost 40% of our investments in Serbia over the last six years were allocated to green projects

Nicolas Marquier WB Regional Manager at the IFC

Delta Auto Group Opens Maserati Showroom

Mobi Banka, soon to be Yettel Bank, has unveiled a new brand and mobile application, marking a pivotal shift in Serbia’s banking sector. Supported by a €33 million investment from PPF Group, this rebranding is part of a five-year plan to revolutionise digital banking. Aleksandar Bogdanović, the bank’s executive board chairman, highlighted this evolution as a celebration of the bank’s decade-long existence, emphasising the potential of synergising banking with telecommunications. The rollout of the Yettel Bank app will occur in stages starting in early June, allowing customers to gradually adapt to new features while maintaining access to the existing application.

Over 2,000 Seek Employment in Serbia Through Open Balkan

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reported that 2,200 individuals have expressed their desire to work in Belgrade and other parts of Serbia via the Open Balkan initiative’s ID card system. As The Region reported, Vučić highlighted Serbia’s labour shortage and commended the identification card system’s effectiveness. He noted an exceptionally high interest from North Macedonia, pointing out that while some Serbians have registered to work elsewhere, the Open Balkan initiative has led to a substantial net gain of workers in Serbia. He also shared that Serbia achieved a 5.9% economic growth in February.

Delta Auto Group recently opened an exclusive Maserati showroom in Belgrade, setting new luxury standards in line with the Italian marque’s high benchmarks. This launch completes the first phase of Delta Auto’s plan to establish Serbia’s largest multi-brand automotive dealership, spanning nearly 17,000 square meters. As the sole official Maserati representation in the region, Belgrade joins global capitals like Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Los Angeles to showcase its prominence in the luxury automotive sector. The showroom’s design, by New York’s Eight Inc., mirrors Maserati’s aesthetic heritage, innovation, and automotive passion.

Milšped Group Launches Direct Rail Line Between China and Serbia

Milšped Group, a regional transportation and logistics leader, has announced a new partnership with Shijiazhuang International Land Port in China. This collaboration was marked by the inaugural arrival of a freight train directly from China to Serbia, witnessed by senior officials from Hebei province. The partnership has successfully launched a direct railway line between Hebei and Serbia. Nebojša Krivokuća, CEO of Milšped Group, emphasised the importance of this development.

Hyper-personalisation is the future of customer engagement in banking

Zorana Branković

Banca Intesa COO

H.E. Siarhei MALINOUSKI

PLACEMENTS & POSTINGS

New Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Serbia and concurrently to the Republic of North Macedonia

Born on 27th February 1968 in Minsk, the new Belarussian ambassador in Belgrade graduated from the Military Institute of the USSR Ministry of Defence (Moscow) in 1990, before completing his military service from 1990 to ’95. He held various positions in the Information Department and the Europe Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus from 1995-’99, before serving as First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Federal Republic of Germany (2000-’02), followed by a posting as Head of the Western Europe Unit of the Department for Europe at the Belarussian MFA (2002-’04). Returning to Germany to serve as Counsellor at the Embassy (2004-’08), he went on to become Deputy Director of the Directorate for Europe – Head of the Bilateral Cooperation Department at the MFA in Minsk (2008-’12), subsequently heading the department before returning to Germany for a third stint, this time as Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy (2013-17) and Chargé d’Affaires (2015-’16). Returning to the ministry, he held various senior positions between 2018 and December 2023, when he was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Serbia and concurrently to the Republic of North Macedonia.

H.E. Ahmed ALMENHALI

New Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Serbia

H. E. Mr. Francesco Maria AMORUSO

New Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Serbia

Born on 1st August 1956 in Bisceglie, Italy, to a renowned and respected family of entrepreneurs, Francesco Maria Amoruso graduated in Political Science from the University of Bari and is the current director of a business services company, having previously served as a director and board member of several companies. Trained in Catholic and Scouting education, he remains actively involved in voluntary social work. He is a Knight of Magisterial Grace of the SMOM, Grand Officer of the Order Pro Merito Melitensi, Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and Knight of Merit of the Constantinian Order of St. George. He found himself on the benches of the City Council of Bisceglie at a tender age and was elected as an MP in 1994, only to be re-elected in 1996, 2001 and 2006. He was also elected to the Senate of the Republic in 2008 and 2013, retaining that position until 2018. He has also served as a member of numerous International Parliamentary Bodies – such as the Council of Europe, the Assembly of the Western European Union, the Parliamentary Committee for Monitoring Implementation on the Schengen Agreements and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly – and was Honorary President of the Polish-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ambassador Amoruso is a married father of two children aged 21 and 19.

The new UAE ambassador earned a degree in Business Administration and Economics in the U.S., after which he embarked on his diplomatic career at the United Arab Emirates’ MFA. His early assignments laid the groundwork for his subsequent roles at the UAE’s diplomatic and consular missions globally. His first foreign posting was in Thailand, followed by assignments in Germany, the UK, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Houston in the U.S. and, finally, Mexico. During his tenure as ambassador to the United Mexican States, Ambassador Almenhali also fulfilled the duties of Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Guatemala, and Belize. His significant contributions to diplomacy were recognized with an award from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. Ambassador Almenhali, who is fluent in both Arabic and English, took on the prestigious role of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Serbia in April 2024.

HThe Rule of Law is Vital

Ana Toskić Cvetinović Executive Director, Partners for Democratic Change Serbia

Partners Serbia is an organisation that’s dedicated to advancing the rule of law and developing civil society and institutions in Serbia and around the region, but also capacity building at the local level

ere we discuss with Partners for Democratic Change Serbia Executive Director Ana Toskić Cvetinović Serbia’s legal framework and its harmonisation with the EU acquis, the areas of Partners Serbia’s activities, the impact of technology on human rights and freedoms, but also the protection of privacy and other values that help close the gap between Serbia and the world’s most developed countries.

Could you familiarise us with your work by presenting the areas of activity you address and the services you provide?

— Partners Serbia is an organisation that has focused its work on three programming areas. The first covers the basic values of European integration, such as democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance. We believe that it is more important than ever to speak clearly and publicly about the fact that Serbia’s future is in the European Union today, when some of these values are being brought into question. We have called the second programming area “The Future is Now”, and within its scope we address the various impacts of the applying of new technologies on human rights, but also on the broader dynamics of social relations and connections between the state, citizens and the private sector. The third area is dedicated to peaceful conflict resolution, the development of a culture of dialogue and improving the applying of alternative ways of resolving disputes, such as mediation.

Our work implies analysis and research, conducting training for the public, civil and

There is no area of life not influenced by technology today, and there’s no doubt that this brings us all numerous benefits, but that it also puts a number of rights and freedoms at risk

private sectors, drafting proposals for regulations and public policies, as well as providing support to organisations and others engaged in organisational development. As an example, we have helped numerous organisations establish internal personal data protection procedures, thus not only aligning their operations with regulations, but also providing

additional protection to their users, who are mostly from sensitive social groups.

How do you view the impact of new technologies on the broader spectrum of human rights?

— There is no area of life not influenced by technology today, and there’s no doubt that this brings us all numerous benefits, but that it also puts a number of rights and freedoms at risk (privacy, freedom of expression, protection against discrimination, access to justice). It is particularly risky when decisions regarding our rights are made solely on the basis of algorithms and artificial intelligence, because the risks and ramifications for the individual should be appreciated in particular in such cases. The general impression is that we are today excessively reliant on technology and expect it to solve complex social problems. And this is, of course, an unrealistic expectation… The digital transformation process should be human-centred, and if it isn’t then the technology could ultimately do more harm than good.

How would you evaluate our legal framework?

— Serbia has developed a solid legal framework in the fields of the right to privacy and personal data protection, which is harmonised with the EU’s legal framework to a large extent. However, the difference lies in the application of regulations, but also in the penalties prescribed for violating them. In this sense, we can conclude that the penalties don’t serve as a deterrent to all those who don’t respect the law. Moreover, some areas aren’t regulated, such as the use of video surveillance and facial recognition systems, which leaves room for the uncontrolled applying of such systems.

Passion is Key to this Job

Ioanna Batsialou Ph.D. Director and Owner of the Ioanna Regen Polyclinic

Ioanna Batsialou Ph.D. is the director and owner of the Ioanna Regen Polyclinic, which specialises in physical medicine, rehabilitation, mesotherapy, aesthetics and anti-aging treatments

Our interlocutor manages to balance her roles as an entrepreneur, doctor, professor and humanitarian successfully. She was recently appointed a Tesla Ambassador, thus receiving yet more recognition for her work. Here we discuss how she achieves success in various fields and the values that guide her.

How do you balance your various roles – as an entrepreneur, doctor, professor and humanitarian – and achieve success in all of them?

— It is challenging to be a woman, a mother, the owner of a clinic, a doctor and a professor, while also engaging in humanitarian work. Every day is filled with obligations: organising the clinic, working with patients, teaching students and caring for family and friends. The key for me is passion for the job and a desire to contribute. Striking a balance requires a lot of energy, but the satisfaction and happiness I get from patients, colleagues and coworkers make it all worthwhile. Success comes from dedication, love for the job, and continuous learning.

How do you deal with the challenges posed by the pace of technological and scientific advancements in medicine?

— I follow innovations closely and strive to stay ahead of them. My experience allows me to recognise and combine methods, therapies and materials, adapting them to the individual needs of patients. My clinic is among the first to receive samples for testing, which is a testament to the medical community’s trust in us. With regular education, both attended and conducted, knowledge and experience grow continuously, enabling me to provide top-notch care.

What does it mean to you that you’ve become a Tesla Ambassador?

— This recognition is a great achievement, both for me personally and for my profession and country. As a Tesla Ambassador, I have the opportunity to promote science, research and the values that Tesla left behind. I thereby contribute to society and represent our country in the best light. The goal is to establish a scientific institute in America that will further promote science, culture and innovation.

With regular education, both attended and conducted, knowledge and experience grow continuously, enabling me to provide top-notch care

What qualities make a successful person in medicine?

— Success comes from a combination of knowledge, effort, dedication and love for the job. As John D. Rockefeller once said, “Do what you know, and put every atom of energy into it”. Medicine requires extreme work, the monitoring of trends and a developed sense of aesthetics. With work and learning, success follows, but it is crucial to remain dedicated and consistent.

How do you plan to further advance your work and contribute to medicine?

— I will continue to impart my knowledge to younger generations, motivating them to improve. I want them to see the whole person, because what is inside is also reflected on the outside. I will continually develop my clinic, provide security for patients and improve the regenerative medicine system. With such an approach, we can achieve much more.

REDUCED TURNOVER, YET HIGHER PRICES – PARADOXICAL OR NOT?

Price stagnation for apartments and houses (or negligible growth of 0.2%) was recorded at the EU level over the course of 2023. The price per square metre fell in Luxembourg (-14.4%), Germany (-7.1%), Finland (-4.4%), France (-3.6%) and Sweden (-2.9%), while the countries that stand out for rising prices include Poland (13%), Bulgaria (10.1%), Croatia (9.5%), Lithuania (8.3%), Portugal (7.8%) and Slovenia (6.8%)

COMMENT

BY DEJAN MOLNAR

Following intensive price growth in 2021 and 2022, Serbia experienced something of a “cooldown” in 2023. The year-onyear price growth totalled a rate of around 5.8% in the final quarter, which was lower than the second (10.9%) and third (8.2%) quarters.

This nevertheless doesn’t align with the decline in the number of sales (concluded contracts). The total number of sales contracts on the Serbian real estate market fell from 140,592 in 2022 to 121,627 in 2023 (a fall of 13.7%). The intensity of the decline differed by segment: flats/apartments (-18.8%), houses (-15.3%), garages (-13.2%) and business premises (-8.3%), while growth was only recorded in the case of agricultural land (+5%).

Viewed from the perspective of the financial aspect, the value of our country’s market fell last year by 13.3%, with the volume of funds in 2023 totalling 6.5 billion euros, or a billion euros less than in 2022. In terms of real estate type, the price decline was felt the most in the case of houses (-18.8%), followed by flats/apartments (-16.7%), garages (-16.9%) and business premises (-5.2%), while the only segment to grow was that of agricultural land –which was up by a whopping 14%.

The reduced housing market turnover could also be attributed to a decrease in the percentage of purchases made with the help of bank mortgages, which fell from 32.8% in 2020 to “just” 17% in 2023. This is fully aligned with the trend of increasing interest rates on housing loans in the observed period. The average interest rate for newly approved euro-indexed loans for the purchase of apartments stood at 2.63% in December 2020, while by August 2023 it had reached the level of as much as 6.73%.

The dynamics of building permit issuance doesn’t correspond with trends when it comes to the number of sales realised and the volume of funds. In 2023, only 0.7% fewer permits were issued on the basis of total usable square metres compared to 2022. This leads to the conclusion that investors aren’t planning to scale down construction, despite

the sustainability of demand being in question due to the increasing numbers of citizens facing falling living standards and reduced payment power.

At the same time, sellers (investors) still aren’t reducing prices even though a significant number of potential buyers have clearly been left “out of the game” due to worsening financing conditions. One possible consequence of this situation is a slowdown in new construction and a reduction in the supply of new build flats. The real estate market could reach a state of new equilibrium as a consequence of reduction in the quantity on offer and demand – with prices remaining at the current high level.

The fact that excess liquidity is mainly invested in real estate – as opposed to productive and innovative business ideas/ventures – indicates the presence of certain weaknesses in our economy. Among other things, this could mean a lack of high-quality entrepreneurial ideas or that the entire business environment is insufficiently stimulating for the development of activities that could ensure the national economy’s long-term competitiveness. Viewed over the longer term, real estate investments still have a one-off effect. The question of expediency also rightly imposes itself, given that Serbia is recording a continuous decline in the number of residents.

RETAIL PARKS REMAIN FASHIONABLE

A key part of the company culture at CPI Property Group Serbia, which forms part of a family firm that was founded in the Czech Republic more than 30 years ago, is the creation of properties that respond to the needs and expectations of the community

MAJA MARIĆ Country Manager Operations, CPI Property Group

As the owner of the largest retail park chain in Serbia, we are very proud of the fact that our STOP SHOP brand is strengthening its market position continuously – says our interlocutor, before announcing the launch of construction of the second phase of the STOP SHOP Subotica retail park, as well as the expansion and improvement of existing facilities.

You joined the company in 2016. Are you satisfied with your current position at CPI Property Group and the position occupied by CPI Property Group in Serbia’s retail industry?

— I’m extremely satisfied with my position at CPI Property Group, but also with the position that our company occupies on the market

of the retail industry in Serbia. We have grown and evolved together, adapting to market changes and always endeavouring to implement innovations and improve our offer. I’m particularly proud that, in this process, we haven’t forgotten the fact that man is at the heart of everything we do, both within the company and in our relations with clients and consumers.

Thanks to the phenomenal team I work with and the wonderful partners who place their trust in us and see our retail parks as the home of their brands, we have succeeded in achieving significant results.

Your company’s Serbian portfolio currently comprises 14 STOP SHOP centres nationwide. What plans do you have when it comes to expanding this brand that’s become one of the retail park sector’s key players?

— Our strategy is focused on two key directions: expanding and improving our existing facilities; and integrating more deeply into the local communities that surround us. Under the scope of our expansion plans, we recently announced the construction of the second phase of the STOP SHOP Subotica retail park. With the addition of 5,680 square metres and 13 new tenants, it will become our largest retail park, encompassing a total of 15,670 square metres of commercial space. Apart from this, we are also working ac-

tively to identify and prepare new locations for the further expansion of our network of retail parks.

Looking to the future, we are awaited by the expansion of existing locations, the development of new locations and the implementation of new ESG initiatives, with which we will further strengthen our presence on the market and provide our partners and retail park visitors with even more opportunities.

You have set extremely high ecological construction standards, but also standards in creating a unique shopping experience. Does the creating of spaces that satisfy the various needs of the community form part of your company culture?

— Creating spaces that satisfy the needs and expectations of the community is a key part of the CPI Property Group company culture. As a family business that was founded in the Czech Republic more than 30 years ago, family values and responsibility towards the community are at the very heart of our business. Our commitment to the environment and society is reflected through our innovative ESG initiatives, which set high standards in the industry. We have implemented a series of projects that promote sustainability, including the installing of solar plants and the Urban Forest concept at multiple locations. Through these and numerous other initiatives, we continue to develop spaces that not only serve the needs of our partners and visitors, but also contribute actively to the wellbeing of the wider community.

EUROPEAN REAL ESTATE MARKET OVERVIEW

ANOTHER YEAR OF SUBDUED GROWTH

Last year was characterised by weak economic growth across much of Europe, with households and businesses feeling the strain from high inflation rates and a significant cycle of interest rate hikes. This environment led to a decrease in property investment activity for similar reasons

Looking ahead to 2024, it is anticipated to the second half of another year of subdued growth, albeit slightly stronger than the last. However, risks remain predominantly negative, with concerns largely focusing on geopolitical tensions and persistent core inflation. It appears that policy interest rates have reached their peak, and inflation is expected to continue its decline throughout the year. Long-term interest rates began to fall last October, with further modest reductions projected for the rest 2024.

In this context, the outlook for property investment is improving. Property values are expected to reach their lowest point in 2024, and as these values stabilise, there should be a gradual alignment between the price expectations of buyers and sellers. Investment volumes are forecast to increase by approximately 10% in comparison to 2023.

Occupier markets are likely to display a varied landscape, with an increasing divide between top-quality assets and others. Office leasing is anticipated to experience a modest uptick, though progress will be gradual. Logistics take-up is expected to continue its decline from previous record

highs, while improved consumer fundamentals in the retail sector should lead to increased footfall and sales. The residential sector will persist in facing structural undersupply issues and robust occupier demand. Similar demand-supply imbalances are expected in other sectors such as hotels and data centres.

Sustainability will increasingly influence real estate decisions across all sectors. Market participants will intensify their efforts to align their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, and the drive for enhanced data on the costs and benefits of sustainability initiatives is set to accelerate.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The European real estate market is poised to see prime capital values stabilise during 2024. However, a robust overall rebound in values is unlikely as long as the cost of debt remains high, which is anticipated for much of 2024. The capital available for investment in European real estate continues to be substantial, with the majority directed towards value-add and opportunistic strategies. This underlines the challenges for the core market segment, as

investors wait on the sidelines for potential tactical opportunities. Deal activity is expected to increase this year as capital values firm up and conditions in capital markets improve, providing more confidence in new price levels. Additionally, transaction opportunities may emerge due to maturing loans.

INVESTMENT VOLUMES ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE BY APPROXIMATELY 10% IN COMPARISON TO 2023

“Slovenia is committed to taking the lead in transitioning to a circular economy”

Rok Capl Director, SPIRIT Slovenia

Galenika Expands Reach with Strategic Partnerships

SOURCE: connectingregion.com

Bingo City Center Ilidža Reopens After €5.1 Million Revamp

In a notable development for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s retail landscape, the Bingo City Center Ilidža officially opened today after comprehensive renovations. The suburb of Sarajevo, Ilidža, now boasts a modern shopping centre, enhancing the retail experience for residents and visitors from other municipalities and tourists. Following the acquisition of the Grand Centar Ilidža by Bingo, the nation’s largest domestic retail chain, in August last year, the facility has seen significant upgrades. The renovation involved an investment of over €5.1 million (10 million KM), including a total revamp of the interior, with plans to update the exterior facade in the upcoming months.

Galenika, a leading pharmaceutical company, has unveiled a momentous expansion of its portfolio through a strategic partnership and an exclusive agreement with Cantabria Labs, a renowned Spanish dermatological brand manufacturer. This strategic move has bestowed upon Galenika the general distribution rights for Cantabria Labs’ premium dermocosmetics in Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, a testament to the company’s growing influence in the region. Cantabria Labs, operating in 85 markets worldwide, is known for its high-quality standards and products that lead their categories across Europe. Galenika, on a robust growth trajectory, introduced 25 new products in Serbia last year alone and plans to launch 80 more in 2024, a clear indication of its promising future.

Electrifying Alliance as Rimac Revs Up BMW’s Battery Blueprint

In a bold charge into the future of electric mobility, Rimac Technology has electrified the automotive scene with a monumental partnership with the esteemed BMW Group. This alliance will spark a revolution in the auto industry as Rimac commits to developing and manufacturing high-voltage battery systems for BMW’s future fleets, earmarked for the latter half of the roaring 2020s. Rimac, renowned for its electrifying prowess in electric drive systems, is gearing up to deliver a copious supply of advanced battery units, thus heralding a new epoch in its illustrious journey. This venture is not just a project; it’s a grandiose leap, marking the largest and most ambitious endeavour in Rimac’s history.

Construction of First Regional Science and Technological Park Underway

Jadran Belgrade

Construction company Jadran, which can boast of a tradition dating back more than seven decades, has been entrusted with the reconstruction of the former Župa building and construction of Serbia’s first regional science and technology park

This grandiose complex that will represent the pride of Serbia and the entire Rasin District is set to consist of an administrative building encompassing almost 5,000m2, a semi-open fair space extending over an area of more than 1,400m2 and a 4,000m2 modular hall.

It will take a year and a half to build the regional industrial science & technology park on the site of the former administrative building of the Župa Chemical Industry in Kruševac. The project investor is the City of Kruševac, via the Ministry of Public Investments, while the financier is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the chief works contractor is construction company Jadran.

This impressive complex will encompass a total area of 1.6 hectares, with the main building covering an area of 10,000m2 and containing 39 offices intended for more than 200 users, two conference halls, a laboratory, reception area, restaurant etc. Plans also include the construction of 14 production modules each covering an area of 280m2, equating to a total surface area of 4,000m2 A footbridge will connect the main building to the second part of the complex, which will contain a relaxation room and a café, but also a showroom where users will be able to present their prototypes.

The foundation stone was recently laid for this park, which will receive more than 13.7 million euros of investment in the construction phase. Works commenced in early March, with the complex comprising a guardhouse, commercial section, production section and trade fair space, as well as a fountain. Works will also include an approach road and parking area, while excavations have already been

carried out to clear the way for the production facility and trade fair area. The production facility’s subbase has already been completed, with approximately 1,000m3 of gravel placed under the base slab. The production of wire mesh reinforcement baskets for the foundation footings is underway, while plans include the laying of reinforced concrete for the foundation footings, the continued demolition of the former commercial area of one of the old buildings and the demolition of the old parking area...

Construction company Jadran is among the few general works contractors in Serbia to use BIM technology to monitor capital projects like this science and technology park, through which it is able to effectively analyse and monitor the 4D and 5D phases of the process and thus respond to the needs of management and the implementing of complex projects. Dynamic plans can thus be monitored, with insights gained into es-

timated costs, budget planning and various other analyses... Moreover, the management of facilities is implemented via 7D BIM technology containing data on equipment and maintenance, usage instructions, guarantees, technical specifications etc. Such an approach enables the collating of all information in one place, within the BIM model, from day one until the end of the facility’s life cycle.

Other projects in which Jadran also applies BIM technology include the Horgoš border crossing, the Centre for Early Child Development and Inclusion, and the National Volleyball Training & Competition Centre.

Among the projects representing a particular source of proud for this company is the recently completed reconstruction of the business and commercial section of the Sava Centre, which is one of the symbols of Belgrade and the largest congress centre in Southeast Europe, but also a masterpiece of the Yugoslav tradition of socialist architecture.

“Stay away from bitcoin. It’s a mirage, basically”

Warren Buffett CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Vienna Launches 30th Citizen-Owned Solar Plant

Vienna opens its 30 th citizen-owned solar power plant, allowing residents to buy solar packages freely. The investment supports environmental protection, offering customers vouchers for electricity or public bicycle rentals. Wien Energie inaugurates a new solar plant atop Vienna’s public transport bus garage, offering up to five packages per citizen at €250 each. The success of previous projects underscores citizen interest, with over 12,200 residents investing €40 million in green energy since 2012.

EU Parliament Ratifies Strict Packaging Waste Regulations

The European Parliament has ratified stringent regulations to combat packaging waste, setting ambitious targets for a 5% reduction by 2030 and 15% by 2040. These regulations, primarily focusing on plastic waste and minimising packaging volume, are a significant step towards a greener future. The phase-out of single-use plastics by 2030, alongside bans on harmful substances in food packaging and the promotion of reusable containers, with ambitious recycling targets set, including a 90% collection rate for single-use plastic and metal containers by 2029, promise long-term benefits for our environment and inspire hope for a more sustainable world.

IMF predicts China will lead the world economy growth until 2029

According to the forecast of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bloomberg reported that China will drive the world economy and bring the greatest growth to the world’s economies in the next five years, with growth greater than all the G7 countries combined. China will account for more than a fifth (21 per cent) of new global economic activity by 2029, compared with 20 per cent for the G7, while the US alone will account for about 12 per cent. In total, 20 countries will be responsible for about 75 percent of global growth, and for more than half of the first four countries: China, India, USA and Indonesia.

“I am a big believer in bitcoin. It is bigger than any government”

Larry Fink the CEO of Blackrock

Kristalina Georgieva Secures New Five-Year Term as IMF Chief

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed Kristalina Georgieva to a new five-year term at the helm of the global financial institution, set to begin in September. Georgieva, 70, was the sole candidate for the IMF leadership position, and her nomination received unanimous support from EU member states. A Bulgarian national, Georgieva has been the Director of the IMF since October 2019. Before this, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank and as European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Crisis Response. In keeping with the agreement between Europe and the USA, the head of the IMF is European, while an American leads the World Bank.

Samsung Implements 6-Day Workweek for Management

South Korean technology giant Samsung introduced a six-day workweek for directors and executives. The company intends to strengthen its management’s determination to overcome the crisis of growing geopolitical problems and macroeconomic risks. The decision on the six-day workweek is a way to overcome the decline in the value of the South Korean currency won, the rise in the price of oil and the high cost of loans that hindered the operations of specific units in the company during the past year.

Finmark Seeks 26-Hour Day Approval from European Commission

Finmark, the northernmost region of Norway, has formally requested the EC to sanction the establishment of a new time zone, extending the day to 26 hours. According to Politico, local authorities, led by the officials of Vadsø, a town within the Arctic Circle near the Russian border, assert that this proposal aims to enhance local culture, increase family time, and attract new residents to the area, leveraging its unique qualities. In their correspondence to the EC, which has acknowledged receipt of the request, Finmark’s local government has petitioned for the Commission to instruct Norwegian authorities to allow the creation of a 26-hour daytime zone instead of the standard 24-hour cycle.

Lisa Su CEO of Advanced Micro Devices

of Renaissance The Architect AMD’s

Dr. Lisa Su, at the helm of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), has masterminded a remarkable turnaround, steering the company from financial instability to becoming a titan in the semiconductor industry

I n the fiercely competitive world of semiconductor manufacturing, one name has risen with meteoric impact: Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Since assuming the helm in 2014, Su has engineered a remarkable turnaround, propelling AMD from the brink of financial ruin to a position of enviable prominence in the industry.

Lisa Su’s journey at AMD began during a period when the company was beleaguered by financial losses and fierce competition, primarily from its arch-rival, Intel. Su, an electrical engineer with a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brought to AMD a potent

blend of technical acumen and strategic foresight. Her approach was not merely to compete but to out-innovate, focusing on high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies.

Under Su’s leadership, AMD has made significant inroads into sectors previously dominated by Intel, including servers, PCs, and gaming consoles.

One of the pivotal moments in her

Under Su’s leadership, AMD transitioned from financial turmoil to a key player in the semiconductor industry, challenging Intel’s dominance

tenure was the launch of the Ryzen and EPYC processor lines. These products, characterized by their high performance and efficiency, have been instrumental in AMD’s resurgence, challenging Intel’s supremacy in the CPU market.

Su’s strategy has been multi-faceted, focusing on product innovation, strategic partnerships, and financial discipline. She emphasized the importance of developing cutting-edge technology and securing key collaborations, such as those with Microsoft for the Xbox Series X and Sony for the PlayStation 5. These partnerships have not only bolstered AMD’s revenue streams but have also enhanced its brand recognition and market share.

Financially, Su has overseen a remarkable recovery, transforming AMD from a company struggling with debt and uncertainty to one that is financially robust and strategically positioned for future growth. Under her stewardship, AMD’s market capitalization has soared, reflecting investor confidence in her vision and leadership.

What distinguishes Lisa Su’s leadership at AMD is her ability to anticipate market trends and position the company to capitalize on them. She foresaw the growing importance of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, steering AMD to invest in these areas early on. This forward-thinking approach has paid

Lisa Su’s vision and strategic innovation have transformed AMD, positioning it at the forefront of highperformance computing and AI

dividends, positioning AMD at the forefront of these burgeoning sectors.

Su’s leadership style, characterized by a focus on innovation, execution, and people, has cultivated a culture of success at AMD. Her commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment has been pivotal in attracting and retaining top talent, which is crucial in the fast-evolving semiconductor industry.

In the global semiconductor arena, Lisa Su’s impact extends beyond AMD. She has become a prominent figure, advocating for the industry’s growth and resilience, especially in the face of challenges such as supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions. Her insights and leadership have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of the world’s most powerful women by Forbes.

In conclusion, Lisa Su’s tenure as CEO of AMD is a testament to the power of visionary leadership and strategic innovation. She has not only transformed AMD into a formidable player in the semiconductor industry but also redefined what is possible, charting a course for the company’s continued success in the digital age. Under her guidance, AMD’s journey from the edge of failure to the pinnacle of technological innovation stands as a compelling narrative of revival and resilience.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & e-COMMERCE

Yanis Varoufakis

Zoran Perović

CHASING E-GDP GROWTH

While Western Europe maintains e-commerce dominance, Eastern Europe, including Serbia, presents growth opportunities that require concerted digitalisation and infrastructure development efforts to bridge existing disparities

The recently released European E-commerce Report 2023 provides insights into the landscape of B2C e-commerce turnover in Europe. It reveals Western Europe’s sustained dominance, commanding over 67% of the total turnover, while Southern Europe has steadily increased its share to 16%. This dominance is underscored by Western Europe’s leading E-GDP figure at 5.2%. Conversely, Eastern Europe, including Serbia, presents a growing digital economy, offering ample opportunities for e-commerce players to thrive and contribute to E-GDP growth. However, significant disparities persist in internet penetration and online shopping conduct across European countries. While nations like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland boast near-universal internet

access, Serbia lags behind with 84% internet penetration, impacting its online shopping landscape. Nonetheless, ongoing broadband internet infrastructure developments, particularly in less developed regions of Serbia, hold the promise of swift progress. Moreover, upcoming 5G network introduction is poised to further boost communications infrastructure, serving as a catalyst for the country’s digital transition.

Indeed, the evolution of e-commerce is heavily dependent on the readiness of businesses to offer e-services and the readiness of consumers to embrace online shopping, alongside broader digitalisation efforts. Varying metrics across Europe underscore the diversity of economic development and infrastructure investments, emphasising the need for robust procedures.

In an effort to bridge these gaps, particularly in the Western Balkans, the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans 2021–2026 aims to align the countries of the region with the EU’s Digital Single Market,

THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IS INSTRUMENTAL IN ENHANCING SERVICE QUALITY, INTRODUCING INNOVATIONS AND DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY

AND COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE

thus propelling the region into a digital economy. This initiative promises to yield accelerated economic growth, increased job opportunities and improved service delivery, ultimately shaping both citizens’ purchasing power and the e-commerce landscape.

Digitalisation represents a cornerstone priority in the Western Balkans, with EU support driving economic growth. The Digital Agenda has galvanised efforts across the region, fostering the establishment of e-government portals and enhancing digital literacy among citizens that recognise it as the new standard for future generations. Economic operators stand to benefit from streamlined processes and reduced costs, contributing to overall economic progress.

Underpinning these advancements is a robust telecommunications sector, where both state and private enterprises play vital roles in improving service quality. Their collective efforts introduce innovative solutions that redefine work practices, business operations and entertainment experiences.

In essence, as we circle back to our initial starting point, Eastern Europe emerges as a burgeoning hub of digital innovation, offering fertile ground for the expansion of e-commerce and the elevation of E-GDP figures.

JELENA JOVANOVIĆ

Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia’s Association of Electronic Communications and Information Society

BROADBAND INTERNET CONTRIBUTES TO NEW INVESTMENTS

All the services that we provide in an electronic format are conceived to provide entrepreneurs/ business owners with simpler and swifter access to documents issued by the CCIS on the basis of public authorisation

he EU recently passed a large raft of legislation aimed at regulating the digital single market: Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), AI Act, B2C rules etc. This prompted us to start this interview by asking the Secretary of the CCIS Association of Electronic Communications and Information Society, Jelena Jovanović, how aligned the country’s

Tlegislative framework is with the EU’s Digital Single Market Strategy, and what business leaders have recognised as priorities.

“Digital technologies, and the internet in particular, are transforming our world, and the European Commission wants to prepare the European Single Market for the digital age – by transitioning from 28 national digital markets to one,” explains our interlocutor. “The

Digital Single Market (DSM) creates new opportunities by eliminating differences between the online and offline worlds, breaking down barriers to cross-border internet activities.”

The Digital Single Market Strategy was adopted on 6th May 2015 and is one of the European Commission’s 10 policy priorities. It comprises three pillars, the first of which relates to improving access to digital goods and services, followed by the environment in which digital networks and services can prosper, and the digital aspect as a driver of growth aimed at maximising the growth potential of Europe’s digital economy.

How far has Serbia advanced in that process?

— Businesspeople have recognised priorities like improving cross-border e-commerce and electronic exchanges of business documents. On the other hand, it is necessary for there to be more information security education and more educational programmes to improve employees’ digital skills.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia recently announced plans to adopt a Law on Artificial Intelligence based on the EU model. In which ways has the CCIS been included to date in the adopting of the strategy for artificial intelligence and meeting the goals stipulated in action plans?

— Serbia adopted its first Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in 2019, covering the period from 2020 to 2025, becoming the first country to do so in Southeast Europe and the 26th worldwide. Given AI’s development over the previous year, it became essential to improve the strategy, which is why the development of a new one was launched and will cover the period up to 2030.

Together with its members, the CCIS is itself a member of the Work-

ing Group for Implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy, and we encourage development of an AI ecosystem in Serbia via our Centre for Digital Transformation (CDT), as well as by implementing a support programme for the implementation of AI-based digital business solutions.

On the basis of analysis of the current state of the IT sector ecosystem, especially the AI ecosystem, and the availability of AIbased software solutions, CDT made the strategic decision to establish a new support programme aimed at the IT community and dealing with the development of innovative AI-based software solutions. This programme aims to help SMEs operating in Serbia

The project to develop broadband communication infrastructure in Serbia’s isolated rural areas is introducing high-speed internet to 700 rural communities and villages and will include almost 120,000 households and 700 schools, with 4,700 kilometres of fibreoptic cables installed. According to World Bank analysis, every 10% increase in highspeed internet coverage on the territory of a country causes a 1.31.4% increase in gross domestic product. Considering that highspeed internet coverage in our country stands at 75%, and that the competent ministry plans for it to be 99%, we can expect a significant GDP increase of around 3.2-3.3%.

WE ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AI ECOSYSTEM IN SERBIA, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTING A SUPPORT

PROGRAMME FOR

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AI-BASED DIGITAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

implement business intelligence through the automation of business operations and the provision of support in the strategic, business decision-making and planning phases. This programme should ultimately contribute to increasing the efficiency, productivity, profitability and competitiveness of Serbian SMEs on the local market, but particularly on the international market.

High-quality internet signal coverage for all parts of Serbia is a prerequisite for automating processes and applying artificial intelligence. Do you think the extending of broadband internet coverage to less developed parts of Serbia will contribute to domestic and foreign investors redirecting their investments to these parts of the country?

ture tenants of the BIO4 campus are the faculties of Biology, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Medicine, Agriculture, Technology and Metallurgy, as well as the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, the Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy, the Institute for Medical research, the Institute for Biological Research, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development, the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and the BioSense Institute.

BIO4 is actually a collaboration platform. The fact that its tenants will include seven university faculties, nine institutes, the research and development centres of major domestic and international companies, a business park for development and start-up communities testifies to how essential it is to connect science and the economy in order to achieve top results.

What has the CCIS done to make its services available to business leaders in an electronic format?

DIVIDE

Expanding broadband internet coverage to less developed parts of Serbia contributes to reducing the digital divide between rural and urban areas

ADVANTAGES

Expanding broadband internet coverage to less developed parts of Serbia contributes to reducing the digital divide between rural and urban areas by providing citizens with access to all e-services, both those of the state and those of companies. It also enables companies to apply new technologies in their daily operations and thus increase productivity.

The Government of Serbia was previously acknowledged for its outstanding successes in the digital transformation domain, the development of the IT sector and the laying of the foundations of the BIO4 Campus. How are these efforts being supported by the CCIS?

— BIO4 comes from the four ‘bio’s: biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics and biodiversity. The fu-

— All the services that we provide in an electronic format are conceived to provide entrepreneurs/business owners with simpler and swifter access to documents issued by the CCIS on the basis of public authorisation. The CCIS e-Services portal enables requests for the issuance of documents to be carried out entirely electronically. Accessing formal assurances, confirmations and opinions requires just a few clicks. The same applies to the issuance or certification of import-export documents, and the CCIS is also an issuer of qualified electronic certificates. We enable our members to access the Inno-Verse platform, which is fully AI-based, while businesses can also take advantage of BizChat CCIS, a virtual AI assistant that offers answers to numerous questions that are important for doing business.

Businesspeople have recognised priorities like improving crossborder e-commerce and electronic exchanges of business documents

SERVICES

All e-services we provide are conceived to provide business owners with simpler and swifter access to documents issued by the CCIS on the basis of public authorisation

WCo-Founder of the eCommerce Association of Serbia

hen a company enters into digital operations, all its weaknesses and strengths are brought to the fore. That’s why the eCommerce Association of Serbia strives to provide its members with support, encouragement and a pathway to develop e-commerce. However, this isn’t a story in which retailers are the only actors. Far from it.

“Advancing e-commerce requires development on two sides: on the one side are retailers/merchants and all participants in the digital

OUR MAIN PROBLEM IS ONE OF SIZE

Our market is very small, which is why it would be extremely important for us to open up to the region. This would bring increased competitiveness and create space for the entry of new players, but would also enable Serbian merchants to enter new markets in a digital format

If the customer fails to see the benefit of buying online compared to a physical outlet, they won’t even give you an opportunity, explains our interlocutor.

But trust requires much more than showing an opportunity. “It’s like a Swiss watch: the mechanism mustn’t fail in either a cheaper watch or one costing a million euros, but those offering some additional experience and value will be the ones everyone wants and trusts,” says Mildrag.

It is crucial to understand that the digital ecosystem is a complex mechanism of marketing, sales, logistics, procurement and analyt-

THE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM IS A COMPLEX MECHANISM OF MARKETING, SALES, LOGISTICS, PROCUREMENT AND ANALYTICS, AND IF THE PROCESSES

ecosystem, while on the other side is the development of trust gained among customers,” says Zorana Milidrag, co-founder of the eCommerce Association of Serbia.

In order for the customer to have trust in the benefits of shopping online, it is essential that the other party provides a flawless experience.

ics, and if the processes aren’t improved and “lubricated” constantly, the mechanism starts to fail, explains our interviewee. “That’s why people dealing with e-commerce have to be creative problem solvers, i.e. prepared to constantly educate and reexamine themselves.”

You aren’t only constantly “open” and exposed, but all the shortcomings in the operations of a company also come to the fore when it enters into digital business, warns Milidrag. “That’s why it’s necessary to have experts who are ready to make serious decisions quickly and analytically, and thereby take responsibility in real time.”

How do the awards that the association has established contribute to this goal?

— I am very proud of the Hot Spot eCommerce Award that the eCommerce Association of Serbia is awarding for the third consecutive year, representing the votes of customers and renowned experts from the business world. The HSA represents a combining of the opinions of customers confirming the quality of a brand/company, i.e., the trust they’ve succeeded in building with customers, as well as the assessment of a jury that examines a brand/company’s business parameters and achievements. It thus not only encourages online retailers to improve their services and become recognised by customers and the community, but also everyone doing business digitally. I find it interesting to observe how participants have started exerting additional efforts to win votes and awards and

ZORANA MILIDRAG

are thus simultaneously also working to generate the customer trust that is the key to success.

To what extent does the expansion of the eCommerce Association’s membership reflect this industry’s growth in Serbia?

— The eCommerce Association is oriented towards its goals of advancing the digital ecosystem in Serbia and the region, such that the benefits of the Association’s actions are recognised by both our members and the entire market. The ECS works to provide its members with additional benefits, but first and foremost with education, though our members are also aware that the entire market must be at a high level in order for consumers to have trust and confidence in this type of purchase. Apart from regular members, the ECS also has partners that have been with us since our inception and that understand the importance of the functioning of this kind of association. Alongside our partners, there’s also the ECS Management Board, which serves to raise the engagement of the eCommerce Association of Serbia to a higher level. We are all struggling for our common good together, and primarily for higher standards for the customer, which is all that’s possible in the digital world.

The EU recently adopted several important pieces of legislation (Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, Data Act, and Platform to Business Regulation) that regulate the operations of digital platforms as business entities and pave the way for the full development of a digital single market. What could Serbia gain by harmonising with Europe’s digital single market?

— Serbia strives to legislatively keep pace with the acts that are passed by the EU and we aren’t lagging behind the standard in that respect. Following numerous surveys conducted on our market, it is clear that the law isn’t a barrier to the development of e-commerce in Serbia. A problem arises when it comes to the market being closed to the European Single Market, which should actually be the essence of e-commerce (cross border sales), because, regardless of the harmonisation of some laws, we face difficulties in making sales, i.e. exports and imports. Some companies make sales abroad, but logistics procedures are more complicated and expensive, which leads to a lack of competitiveness. On the other hand, we also have great potential in opening up cross-border sales for the CEFTA markets and thus expanding the market and enabling

e-commerce to experience at least slightly more success than is provided by the domestic market. This isn’t yet possible due to customs procedures, but it is certainly a step closer to the European Single Market.

As an association, how would you rate the level of competition on the market and its openness to the entry of new players?

— The Serbian market is very small, which also represents one of the biggest barriers to development and investments in operations. E-commerce is one segment of our country’s trade and we must observe it as an integral part of the total trade in Serbia, so the competitors of an online store in Serbia aren’t only represented by other online stores, but rather also physical shops. Alongside this, ever-more people are following online competitors based beyond the borders of our country and are thereby informed regarding price ranges. New players, especially foreign ones, don’t see the potential of such a closed market. That’s why opening up to the region would be good when it comes to increasing competitiveness on the market and encouraging the entry of new players, but also for Serbian retailers to open up to the region in a much faster way than traditionally entering a new market.

ENCOURAGEMENT

The Hot Spot eCommerce Award encourages everyone doing business digitally to improve their services and become recognised by customers and the community

BARRIERS

Our problem is the market being closed to the European Single Market, which is contrary to the essence of e-commerce (cross border sales), as we face difficulties in making sales, i.e. exports and imports

SURVIVAL

The digital economy has brought us many opportunities, but has also accelerated all processes and raised expectations. Now companies either keep pace with such demands or disappear slowly

n the dynamic landscape of global business, the internet serves as the nexus connecting enterprises worldwide. However, in the midst of this digital interconnectedness, the significance of truly multilingual internet cannot be overstated. With approximately 6,500 living languages spoken worldwide, catering to diverse linguistic preferences is imperative for businesses that aim to

ICORPORATE

UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE

Empowering Global Development and Digital Inclusion

face barriers to widespread adoption. Only 151 IDNs currently represent 37 languages and 23 scripts, a fraction of the linguistic diversity worldwide.

The recent Universal Acceptance (UA) Day 2024, hosted in Belgrade, underscored the pivotal role of UA in creating a truly multilingual and digitally inclusive internet. At the heart of UA lies the imperative to bridge the digital divide. For businesses operating in diverse markets, embracing UA is not just a matter of inclusivity, but rather a strategic imperative, as enterprises can ensure their digital presence resonates with local audiences, transcending linguistic barriers and fostering deeper engagement.

The Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS) had the honour of hosting

UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE IS A FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR A TRULY MULTILINGUAL INTERNET, ONE IN WHICH USERS WORLDWIDE CAN NAVIGATE ENTIRELY IN LOCAL LANGUAGES

expand their global footprint. But how often do we encounter online content beyond English or our native tongue serving our local needs?

Consider the domain landscape, where English alphabet domains dominate. Despite efforts to promote Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs), local scripts

the keystone UA Day event, while Belgrade served as an exemplary host city, an intersection of cultural heritage and technological innovation. The event, organised globally by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and the volunteer UASG (Universal Acceptance Steering Group), brought together internet

experts from China, Armenia, Russia, Ghana, Pakistan, Thailand, India and Morocco, representatives from the European Union market, ICANN communities, UNESCO and other important international organisations. Speaking at the conference, experts shared their experiences and identified obstacles for IDNs to overcome and new generic top-level domains (new gTLDs) to reach their full potential.

But what does UA stand for and why is UA readiness still a work in progress?

Universal Acceptance is a foundational requirement for a truly multilingual internet, one in which users worldwide can navigate entirely in local languages. It is also the key to unlocking the potential of new gTLDs to foster competition, consumer choice and innovation in the domain name industry. In order to achieve Universal Acceptance, internet apps and systems must treat all TLDs in a consistent manner, including new gTLDs and internationalised TLDs. Specifically, they must accept, validate, store, process and display all domain names.

The issue of Universal Acceptance is largely a technical one. Although protocols enabling it have existed for years, they are rarely implemented. That’s why joint efforts among various stakeholders are needed to implement IDNs and new gTLDs in order to bridge the multilingual gap and for the benefits of a more inclusive internet to be enjoyed by all.

DEJAN ĐUKIĆ

Director of the Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS)

NEW CHAPTER FOR SERBIAN E-COMMERCE AND INTERNATIONAL DELIVERIES

Potential cooperation between Post of Serbia and leading global companies like UPS (United Parcel Service), USPS (United States Postal Service) and Amazon could mark a turning point for Serbia’s logistics sector, but also for local e-commerce

International postal service cooperation would have a deep impact on the way goods are shipped, distributed and delivered to end users. The strategic partnership with DHL, which has already been established in many countries and includes the potential for cooperation with Serbian postal service enterprise Post of Serbia, could also serve as a significant factor in facilitating and improving negotiations and operations with U.S. companies.

Advantages and Opportunities

Global reach, local presence: Integrating Post of Serbia services with those of UPS, USPS and Amazon would enable a global reach with a local presence, enabling Serbian products to more easily reach international markets, while at the same time making global products available to the local market faster and more efficiently.

Technological advances: This cooperation would also bring Post of Serbia significant technological improvements, with the use of the advanced technologies and logistics solutions that are already being applied by these global companies. This would encompass advances in parcel tracking and the automation of sorting processes, as well as improvements in delivery speed and efficiency.

E-commerce: Direct cooperation with Amazon would change the landscape of e-commerce in Serbia significantly, by providing local entrepreneurs with opportunities to easily sell their products at the global level and securing access to a wider range of products for domestic consumers.

Economic growth: This kind of cooperation could impact the country’s entire economy positively, encouraging exports, increasing employment levels and improving Serbia’s competitiveness as a trade partner.

Impact of the Post of Serbia-DHL Strategic Partnership

The strategic partnership between Post of Serbia and DHL could serve to ease negotiations with U.S. companies, for various reasons:

1. Reliability and Credibility:

Having a partnership with a renowned company like DHL enhances Post of Serbia’s reputation as a reliable partner from the perspective of UPS, USPS and Amazon.

2. Experience and Expertise: The experience gained through cooperation with DHL in areas like global logistics, supply chain management and e-commerce could be utilised to ensure cooperation with U.S. companies runs smoothly and efficiently.

3. Technological synergies: Tech solutions and innovations developed in partnership with

DHL could provide the basis for integration with UPS, USPS and Amazon systems, enabling fast and efficient exchanges of data and information.

4. Improved international credibility: This partnership could also serve to demonstrate Post of Serbia’s capabilities in managing complex international logistics and delivery operations, thereby increasing its capacity to represent a key player in the global context.

In conclusion, potential cooperation between Post of Serbia and UPS, USPS and Amazon, supported by the strategic partnership with DHL, could transform both the local e-commerce market and international logistics. This kind of cooperation would not only optimise delivery and logistics processes within Serbia, but would also open new avenues for Serbian exports, providing a new boost to domestic entrepreneurs and the economy as a whole.

ARTICLE AUTHORED BY ZORAN ÐORĐEVIĆ Director of Public Enterprise Post of

Serbia

oday, the site internet-prodaja-guma.com, together with auto parts site prodajadelova. rs, comprises the e-commerce platform within the framework of the Inspira Group, which is also a leader in the e-advertising niche. Milenko Jarić has been with the company for seven years and today works as product manager, together with his team, on improving the customer experience in online tyre sales.

TTyres are easiest for courier services

In the first few years after its establishment, IPG was among the rare e-commerce portals in the country. Customers weren’t accustomed to buying anything online, particularly tyres. But it is now evident that tyres are ideal for this form of commerce – the product can be tossed around and won’t be damaged in transport.

Another important factor in e-commerce is logistics; in the previous period, express postal services had only just begun being directed towards the B2C sector. Online retail sales of any product wasn’t possible without an importer and wholesaler, who are important factors in the e-commerce chain.

Nevertheless, the most important element was the readiness for changes and technological advancements, which in our case played an important role in the dig-

IPG IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF CONSUMER HABITS

Back in 2009, Internet Prodaja Guma (IPG) was the first online sales platform for tyres in Serbia. When it joined the Infostud Group in 2011, the site became part of Serbia’s most renowned digital company

MILENKO JARIĆ

Product Manager, IPG

italisation and automation of work, but also the complete e-commerce ecosystem.

All of us spreading awareness of e-commerce is perhaps the most important factor in creating awareness among users and in setting expectations, and in helping us to now strive to be a step ahead of the wishes of consumers.

Digital sales, analogue data processing

IPG is a seasonal business that sells a product that even has its use regulated by law, and the biggest leap in sales is always recorded during the winter season. Looking back to 2009, the first orders received by the system appeared unreal. However, observing the process of handling orders we can say that it was almost completely analogue, despite the business being digital.

The number of orders grew gradually over time, leading to a need to change something in the handling process. The first time we received 100 orders in a single day during the winter season served as a kind of stress test that showed us our limits. Something had to be changed, so we started slowly revising each process one at a time. This is how we ended up with a fully autonomous and automated system that processes twothirds of the orders independently and submits the ordered goods for shipping.

The previous year saw the setting of an absolute record with over 600 orders re-

ceived in a single day. The system that we established proved successful in eliminating almost all human labour and, most importantly, saved both the time and energy of people in the team, enabling them to deal with other sales activities.

Just like the automation system that we’ve integrated, our experience suggests that AI should find applications specifically in increasing efficiency through the replacing of repetitive human work that requires little knowhow and is conducted according to a template.

The average tyre consumer in Serbia

Our statistics show that the IPG website sells, on average, 70% budget tyres, 20% “value” tyres and around 10% premium tyres, which provides a clear picture of our average website user, but also of the market generally.

When asked why consumers should buy tyres online, we respond as follows:

•Choice of delivery location (home or tyre shop)

•Complementary Atlas roadside assistance package

•Discount on spare parts

•Discount on technical service,

•Discounts on trye services at selected tyre shops.

And our call centre is still staffed by human beings ��

TECHNOLOGY IN THE SERVICE OF GOOD

A1 Serbia is part of the A1 Group, a leader in digital services and communications solutions in Southeast Europe that has been present on the Serbian market for 17 years. Having launched its operations in Serbia as the largest greenfield investment in the country, it has to date invested more than a billion euros

Continuous investment in network infrastructure has resulted in significant progress in terms of improving network quality, as confirmed by numerous certificates awarded by independent institutions. With the intensification of the construction of its optical network, aimed at also providing users with fixed services, this international operator is fully prepared for the arrival of 5G technology.

At the same time, according to the reports of Ratel, Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications

and Postal Services, A1 Serbia is ranked number one for the third consecutive year when it comes to users wanting to transfer their number to another network.

Providing access to leading streaming services like Netflix, as well as other services that extend beyond the standard company framework, continues to strengthen the A1 offer in the entertainment segment, and enables users to access a wide range of relevant personalised content. Netflix is also the first step towards creating the unique offer of high-quality entertainment content that

will form the backbone of this operator’s future offer in the fibre-optic internet and television segment.

As an internet and digital solutions provider, A1 provides its users with a full-coverage and secure space in the virtual world, via various services for cybersecurity, advanced connectivity, data storage and machine-to-machine communication. Along with launching its modern solutions for business users, and in line with its strategic commitment to develop relevant services and educate the public on information security, the company opened the first cybersecurity escape room in Belgrade, which was visited by over 4,000 people, including users of all ages and representatives of companies.

In the CSR segment, A1 Serbia has been working through the Bezbedni Klinci [Safe Kids] project over the past five years to help educate a new generation of parents and contribute to improving their digital literacy. Over the course of last year, digital literacy education was received by more than 9,000 school children, parents and teachers.

Applying advanced ESG criteria in its operations, A1 Serbia invests continuously in achieving climate neutrality by increasing the contribution of solar energy in supplying its base station network, improving the energy efficiency of its operations and respecting circular economy principles. A1 Serbia has accordingly so far installed close to 6,000 solar panels on its base stations, generating enough energy to power as many as 750 households.

Apart from investing in prevention, A1 Serbia also considers it essential to address preexisting climate change risks. With the “Niklo kao ja” [Sprouted like me] project, A1 works in collaboration with the Faculty of Forestry and local communities to create rain gardens nationwide across Serbia that are aimed at permanently preventing floods and landslides in urban areas.

COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, COOPERATION

SOX is a good example of a successful internet start-up that’s recognised by global internet giants and local and regional ICT companies for its quality

emphasises our interlocutor, who is a co-founder and current CEO of Serbian Open eXchange.

For nearly 15 years, SOX has existed for all those who live for the Internet and with the Internet. Has your company and your business changed in the same way the global network has changed during the previous years?

— SOX is a collaborative effort in its essence. It is a good example of cooperation of ICT companies, supporting a startup company, but also good example of a Serbian company internationally recognized by Internet giants. dr Nenad Krajnović, and myself are founders of the company, but the success was in ability to promote joint efforts as stipulated in the Title of this article! Customer needs are in focus of all our activities, and a guideline which is a moving target. Our experience and knowledge is built in every business, technology, and organizational aspect of SOX, supported by our former, current employees, and contractors. Serbian legal framework categorized SOX as critical ICT infrastructure, and as such we have additional duties, goals, and reports. Availability and security are our main concerns.

We at SOX are fully devoted to increase quality, availability, and performance of entire Serbian Internet, and not just one single network! Adapting to changes, and adopting changes are essential in SOX pivotal activities.

It is often noted that SOX is a distinct B2B platform. For whom is it intended and what services do you offer?

We are critical ICT infrastructure company in Serbia, and we provide only bespoke solutions to very specific, and very large ICT companies. We go further, and deeper in availability, security and performance of Internet services in Serbia, and South East Europe,”

— SOX is a niche market player in ICT market of wider SEE region, but our niche is rather complicated, important, and financially demanding, giving us opportunity to handle requests far above, and beyond services offered by other operators, enabling SOX to be not a competitor, but an enabler to other

companies. SOX provides IP Peering, DDoS protection, Advanced analytics, VLAN between Datacentres, using carrier grade equipment produced by Juniper, Cisco, Dell, HP, and others. Maybe the most important ingredient of SOX’s success is the knowledge of founders, and partners EURO-IX, RIPE, DNS-OARC, RNIDS, Shadowserver, Team-Cymru, PCH, incorporated in all aspects of SOX existence.

Over the past few years, we have witnessed an extremely intense development of service digitalisation. What is your role in this, apart from providing strong support to your clients?

— SOX is first and foremost, an infrastructure, and as such it has to be stable, scalable, and open. Fast to deploy, on cutting edge technology.

SOX is one of the first users of National, state Datacentre, and provider of services to many business customers, and public companies.

Does the existing ICT development strategy enable optimal use of the sector’s potential? And is enough work simultaneously being done to develop digital infrastructure?

— We all witness fast and tectonic changes in ICT market in Serbia, and we are inclined to think SOX gave significant contribution in positive development of the market, supporting different network deployment projects, and helped improve stability, security, and performance of the whole Serbian ICT landscape.

Investment in the SOX company are already above 3 million EUROs, but our backbone is one of the biggest in Serbia, and very important in SEE region.

Maybe the biggest investment is the one made in intangible assets. Our commitment, our energy, knowledge, experience, and laser sharp focus, are our secret ingredients…

ZORAN PEROVIĆ

Timeline of connecting the biggest SOX customers

Users of SOX services

ICT companies: Telekom Srbija, CETIN (Yettel), A1, SBB, Orion, Sattrakt, BeotelNET, NINET, Univerzitet u Nišu, DCT-Državni Datacentar, JKP Informatika Novi Sad, Mainstream, mCloud, Comtrade, Unicom-Telecom, NETOPS (www.unlimited.rs), SoftNET, Stelkom, Inspira (Infostud), Gama Electronics (www.beograd.com), RTS, Pošta Srbije, SpaceAdmins, ZelenDATA-Vršac, RNIDS, Supernova, Ingram Micro.

SOX partners

CDNs: Meta, NETFLIX, Valve (Steam), Google, AKAMAI, AWS, CDN77, CloudFlare, G-CORE, EDGIO (Limelight), PCH, M247

Global ROOT-DNS SYSTEM operators: ICANN, Verisign, NETNOD, ISC, RIPE, NASA, University of Maryland.

Tier-1 ISPs: Cogent, Hurricane Electric, Arelion, Colt, Voxility.

tra

934K€

Hosted in SOX network

LINUX mirrors: Ubuntu, Rocky, OpenBSD, Alma, Arch, CentOS, Debian, EPEL, Fedora, Gentoo, Kali, Manjaro, Mint, openSUSE, Parrot, Raspbian, Slackware.

Internet quality measurement systems: RATEL Nettest, Ookla Speedtest, NPERF, Librespeed, Meter.net, Fireprobe, Openspeedtest, RIPE Atlas Anchor, RIPE RIS, deSEC, CodeBGP, BGP.tools, MLABS, DNSPerf, ARK CAIDA, AS112, RouteViews, Catchpoint.

2014. 2017.

2011. 2014. 2017. 2023. 2020.

Broj korisnika

CORPORATE

INSPIRING AND INNOVATIVE PARTNER

Unicom Telecom is a systems integrator that focuses on developing solutions and services. This is a company that nurtures a culture of innovation and invests in its employees’ continuous development

Decades of experience and a proven track record across diverse industries have honed our ability to adapt swiftly. Understanding and addressing the specific needs of each client is paramount to our approach, because they can count on us as trusted partners ~ says Aleksandar Šarović.

Your company is a leading systems integrator in Serbia. What constitutes your service portfolio?

— We have about 50 qualified experts who are dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction, combining youth and experience. Unicom Telecom is a partner with a service portfolio that spans networks, security, digital transformations and advanced technological solutions. We provide enterprise and in-provider solutions in the network segment, ensuring stability and efficiency. Our expertise extends to digital transformations, utilising advanced technologies like AI and machine learning. We don’t only implement, but also develop our own solutions like the Hawkeye system, UniTF, digital and qualified signature, and innovative automations in Wi-Fi network solutions. Moreover,

our dedication to quality and security is reflected in our comprehensive cybersecurity services.

We stand out not only for our technological expertise, but also for our commitment to continuously improve our employees’ skills and obtain a wide range of certificates that are essential for developing various customised vendor solutions. In essence, Unicom Telecom is not just a systems integrator - we are a partner that inspires, innovates and ensures that your business infrastructure stays a step ahead.

You aren’t advocates of one-sizefits-all solutions, because you provide services that meet your customers’ specific, individual

ALEKSANDAR

needs. Would this even be possible without decades of experience and successfully executed projects across various fields?

— Absolutely not. We firmly believe in the power of customisation tailored to our client’s unique requirements. Decades of experience and a proven track record across diverse industries have honed our ability to adapt swiftly. Understanding and addressing the specific needs of each client is paramount to our approach. This agility allows us to craft innovative, efficient solutions that not only meet immediate needs, but also anticipate future challenges. Our expertise in technology and business processes, coupled with a robust portfolio of successful projects, underscores our commitment to delivering personalised services that yield tangible results. Clients can count on us as trusted partners dedicated to realising their business objectives. Furthermore, our commitment to excellence is underscored by our strategic partnerships with leading global vendors like Juniper, Cisco, Oracle, IBM, Radware and many others. These partnerships enable us to leverage technologies and solutions, ensuring that we can address our clients’ needs efficiently.

Digitisation and the introduction of digital services have massively reduced the numbers of citi-

OUR DIGITAL SIGNATURE SOLUTION ENABLES USERS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TO SIGN CONTRACTS SIMPLY AND EFFICIENTLY, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED SIGNATURES

zens visiting counters in recent years. Serbia is achieving great results in this field, in both the public and state sectors.

— Digitisation has indeed changed the way citizens conduct their daily tasks. Over recent years, the implementation of digital services has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of visits to counters by a factor of several million. Serbia has achieved impressive results in this regard, both in the public and state sectors, and this transformation has not only changed the way citizens interact with various institutions, but has also improved service delivery efficiency and transparency. Digitisation has enabled faster access to information, streamlined processes, reduced bureaucracy and contributed to a better citizen experience. Serbia continues to progress in this domain, implementing new technological innovations and adapting to the needs of its citizens. This initiative represents a crucial step towards modernising society and creating a digitally-oriented community that is open to the future.

You recently delivered a solution to one telecommunications company in Serbia that enables the paperless signing of contracts and other documentation. What are the advantages of this approach to doing business?

— It marks a significant shift in the way contracts are signed in Serbia.

As pioneers in introducing paperless contract and documentation signing, we’ve set new standards in the industry. Our digital signature solution enables users of telecommunications services to sign contracts simply and efficiently, reducing the number of required signatures and concluding agreement faster and easier.

Beyond revolutionising the speed of contract execution, this innovation also brings substantial savings on paper. Instead of piles of paper documentation, users can now complete all formalities in a digital format, not only easing their

experience, but also representing a significant stride in terms of preserving the environment.

The project that we’ve implemented isn’t merely technologically advanced, but rather also holds deeper ecological significance. By raising awareness of the importance of preserving green spaces, this project stands as a prime example of how digital transformation can benefit not just businesses, but also the planet. With our solutions, we’ve enabled our client to emerge as a leader of innovation in their industry, setting benchmarks for other companies in Serbia.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IS UNDERSCORED BY OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH LEADING GLOBAL VENDORS LIKE JUNIPER, CISCO, ORACLE, IBM, RADWARE AND MANY OTHERS

Implementation of a new automated system for import, export and customs decisions for the Customs Administration is currently underway. Unicom Telecom is part of the consortium working on the new import application. What will this bring us?

— This development will help Serbia in many aspects and it is our pleasure to be part of this major project. The implementation of this innovative automated system marks a pivotal juncture in our import processes, propelling us forward with efficiency, while minimising errors. This milestone not only ensures that our operations run smoother, but also demonstrates Serbia’s strong commitment to matching European Union standards. Inspired by EU customs systems, we carefully adjusted our approach to protect Serbia’s unique business needs and priorities. It’s truly an honour to lead this transformative initiative, one that holds profound implications for our nation’s prosperity and integration into the global economy.

BY YANIS VAROUFAKIS

OPINION

BIG TECH CANNOT BE REGULATED

Big Tech is so profoundly different from other industries that it cannot be regulated like the trusts, cartels, or conglomerates of the past. After all, if regulators tried to break up Facebook or TikTok, they would be confronted by enraged users for whom the universal nature of these platforms is the reason they use them

Modern societies have had to deal with exorbitant market power for more than a century. But is Big Tech’s power over us novel? Is Google, Amazon, or Meta inherently different from Standard Oil in the 1920s, IBM in the 1970s, or Walmart more recently?

If not, then perhaps we can regulate Big Tech by means of legislation harking back to the United States’ 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act. Lina Khan, the chairperson of the US Federal Trade Commission, is valiantly trying to do just that. Sadly, it won’t work. Big Tech is so profoundly different that it cannot be regulated like any of

the trusts, cartels, or conglomerates we have hitherto encountered.

Adam Smith’s portrait of capitalism as a market town where family-run butcheries, bakeries, and breweries promote the public interest through open-ended, morally grounded competition bears no resemblance to modern economies. Virtually every industry –from railways, energy, and telecommunications to soap powder, cars, and pharmaceuticals – is a cartel of gargantuan conglomerates whose stranglehold is only occasionally loosened when politicians muster the will to enact and enforce antitrust legislation, even at times using it to break them up.

Why can’t the same be done to Big Tech? What makes it unique?

Antitrust regulation was originally designed to prevent price gouging by megafirms that restricted supply until the price hit a level maximising their monopoly profit, at the expense of consumers and workers (whose employment falls alongside output). Obviously, this is irrelevant in the case of Big Tech’s services, which

are free of charge and free of supply constraints.

When US President Theodore Roosevelt led the charge to break up Standard Oil, it was technically simple, even if politically courageous. But how does one break up Amazon, Facebook, Paypal, or, indeed, Airbnb, Tesla, or Starlink? If the government tried, it would be confronted by enraged users for whom the universal nature of these platforms is the reason they use them.

Free services mean that users are not the customers; that role is reserved for the businesses that need to use Big Tech’s algorithms to reach the services’ users. When Amazon or Facebook charges sellers an arm and a leg for the privilege (thus extracting from them a form of cloud rent), regulators face an impossible political conundrum: they must sail against the winds of public opinion (the millions of users whom Big Tech enlists to its cause) to protect capitalists from these techno-feudal lords, or cloudalists, as I call them in my recent book Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. That’s a huge ask. Moreover, it is not even the main reason behind Big Tech’s exceptional power.

Big Tech must not be confused with High Tech. Industrial robot manufacturers such as ABB, Kuka, Kawasaki, and Yaskawa produce splendid technological miracles but do not have Big Tech’s power over us. In the 1960s and 1970s, IBM’s computers had a stranglehold over government and the private sector, supplying them cutting-edge (for the time) machines. AT&T too had a virtual monopoly over telephone services, until it was broken up in 1984. But neither IBM nor AT&T had anything like Big Tech’s control over us.

One reason is that internet-based platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok benefit from massive network effects: with every new user they attract, the services they offer become more valuable to ex-

isting users. AT&T’s network effects depended on charging more for calls to other telecom companies’ customers – an advantage that the regulator easily eliminated by banning carriers from charging more for calls to other companies’ customers.

But how can regulators cancel X’s or Facebook’s network effects? Interoperability would mean enabling you to take all your posts, photos, videos, friends, and followers from X and Facebook seamlessly to another platform (say, Mastodon) – a virtually impossible technical feat, unlike the simple task of letting AT&T customers call Verizon customers at no extra charge.

Even the difficulty of imposing interoperability is not Big Tech’s greatest source of power. In the early 1970s, IBM monopolised the means of computation in a manner that differed little from Standard Oil’s energy dominance or Detroit’s near-monopoly of private transportation.

What made Big Tech different from IBM was a stupendous singularity. No, its machines did not become sentient, Terminator-style. They did something more interesting: they transformed themselves, with the help of snazzy algorithms, from produced means of computation to produced means of behavioural modification.

In our capacity as consumers, Big Tech’s cloud capital (such as Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant) trains us to train it to offer us good recommendations of what to buy. Once cloud capital has our trust, it sells the stuff it selects for us directly to us, bypassing all markets.

Cloud capital’s owners, the cloudalists, charge these vassal producers cloud rents while we, the users, work for free – with every scroll, like, share, or review – to replenish their cloud capital.

As for the proletarians in the factories and warehouses, they, too, are hooked into the same cloud capital, with hand-held or wrist-mount-

ed devices that drive them, like robots, to work faster under the algorithm’s watchful eye.

Under techno-feudalism, regulators can do little for us, because we have forfeited full ownership of our minds. Every proletarian is turning into a cloud-prole during

UNDER TECHNO-FEUDALISM, REGULATORS CAN DO LITTLE FOR US, BECAUSE WE HAVE FORFEITED FULL OWNERSHIP OF OUR MINDS. EVERY PROLETARIAN IS TURNING INTO A CLOUD-PROLE DURING WORKING HOURS AND INTO A CLOUDSERF THE REST OF THE TIME

working hours and into a cloudserf the rest of the time. Every self-employed struggler mutates into a cloud-vassal and a cloudserf. While private capital strips all physical assets around us, cloud capital goes about the business of stripping our mental assets.

So, what must we do? To own our minds individually, we must own cloud capital collectively. It’s the only way we can turn cloud capital from a produced means of behavioural modification into a produced means of human collaboration and emancipation. It may sound pie-in-the-sky, but it is less utopian than putting our hopes in government regulation of Big Tech.

E-COMMERCE POPULARITY GROWING THANKS TO AI AND

CHATBOTS

The 2023 E-Commerce Report showed that the previous year was one of rationalisation and stagnation in online operations, and that we are awaited this year by important developments in the use of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and chatbots in online retail. These trends hint at a new development direction and an ever-greater emphasis on adapting the offer to the individual needs of customers and improving the user experience.

Some categories continue to be among the most popular –such as electronics with 33%, fashion with 25% and home and garden products with 22% -- and it is an interesting fact that although domestic shopping remains dominant, the share of purchases from abroad has increased from 24 to 30 per cent since 2022. Mobile devices play a leading role in the shopping process, given that as many as 70% of offers searched and 58% of total revenue is generated via smartphones, showing the constant adaptation of technology and online platforms to the needs of modern consumers.

TELFOR REGISTRATION UNDERWAY

This year’s 32nd Telecommunications Forum, TELFOR, representing an international gathering of experts in the telecommunications and IT fields, will take place on 26th and 27th November at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. As in previous years, participants will mainly include telecommunications engineers, economists, lawyers, managers, operators and other experts who will consider all relevant technical, development, regulatory and economic issues related to telecommunications, the production of equipment, services and system functionality.

This event’s significance among telecommunications professionals grows year on year, with the average TELFOR hosting around 2,000 visitors and accepting between 300 and 500 works with 700 to 900 authors and co-authors.

Global giants like Agilent, Alcatel, Cisco, Ericsson, HP, Huawei, IBM, Intracom, Juniper, Microsoft, Motorola, Rohde &

SERBIA CALLS 5G NETWORK AUCTION IN 2024

Almost the entire territory of Serbia will have 5G network coverage by 2027, while the state is set to allocate additional 5G frequency bands at the end of this year. Serbia’s 5G network auction will be called later this year, with a slight delay due to the lack of regulations governing electronic communications, but also due to the existing 4G network having met the needs of users. The plan is for the entire country to have 5G network coverage by the time of the staging of the 2027 EXPO, which should enable the use of autonomous vehicles within the scope of this international exhibition.

“That requires extremely good 5G network coverage and sensors. And then a vehicle can steer itself on the basis of artificial intelligence and communication with sensors via 5G. The generations to come, in about 15 years, will definitely view steering wheel control and gear changing as an old-fashioned way of driving, and they won’t even require a driving licence,” says Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lučić

Schwarz, Siemens and others have also had their own TELFOR presentations, usually made together with local partners, as well as around 50 domestic and international donor organisations and participants.

SERBIAN SMART CITIES ROAD MAP PROJECT

LAUNCHED

The city of Kragujevac hosted the launch of the project entitled A Journey to a Smarter Future: Establishing Smarter and More Sustainable Communities in Serbia, which is being organised by the Nordic Business Alliance, in cooperation with the Serbian embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. A conference and two workshops presented solutions that make cities “smarter” in terms of infrastructure, utility services and the natural environment, as well as presenting the role of innovation and business in this process. Local project partners include the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM), while support is also being provided by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.

Kragujevac was selected for the launch of the project due to it being the home of Serbia’s State Data Centre and one of the cities transformed from a technological development backwater into the Serbian Silicon Valley thanks to the state’s investments to date in digital transformation and industrialisation.

TELEKOM SRBIJA GROUP OFFICIALLY PENETRATES GERMAN MARKET

Company MTEL Germany provides mobile telephone (prepaid and postpaid) and television services to users at its newly opened points of sale. MTEL users receive access to a mobile internet highway that offers high-speed data transfers and has a sufficient capacity to handle digital daily life. Thanks to the continuous expansion of its network, Vodafone’s LTE network is available to more than 99% of people. The carefully created offer for users who hail from our region but live and work in Germany is characterised by the German quality to which they are accustomed, while it also provides numerous benefits that bring better connections with their homeland to their homes and daily lives.

In the domain of mobile telephony, MTEL Germany users won’t need to change their existing number, while conversa-

SERBIAN ICT SECTOR EXPORTS CONTINUE TO RISE

The National Bank of Serbia, Serbia’s central bank, has published data on exports of ICT sector services for the first two months of 2024, with the main assessment being that exports are continuing to rise intensively, which marks an excellent result given that this sector also experienced growth during the previous year. Exports were up 22% compared to the same period of last year and had a total value of 609 million euros. This compares to the total value of exports of ICT services for 2015 that stood at 611 million euros, or slightly more than the total for the first two months of this year.

The ICT sector is among Serbia’s fastest growing economic branches and is achieving a significant surplus in the export of services, which for the first two months of this year amounted to 494 million euros, representing growth of 20% compared to the same period of last year. The Serbian state is continuing to support the country’s economy, talents and experts, as well as the intensive development of the ICT sector.

tions with relatives and friends in MTEL networks in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, as well as in Serbia’s mts network, will be free of charge within a selected package for those who become part of the unique MTEL zone.

Passion to Convey Positivity

Through my voice and my songs, I convey love, dreams and beauty, as well as the bright and dark sides of life…

award-winning singer, pianist, songwriter and composer

When I was just three, I wanted to become an actor. My passion was to be on stage or in front of a camera. Then, at the age of five, I started taking piano lessons. I composed my first piece for

piano when I was eight. My teacher was surprised and said: “it’s impossible to compose like that without having studied harmony and counterpoint”, then he told me I’d become a famous composer. His words boosted my motivation and composition became my passion from that day. I wrote for piano, for voice and for orchestra. Meanwhile, between the ages of nine and 12, I acted in TV series, advertisements and theatre plays, as well as singing. I began attending two universities from the age of 18, taking a double major in musicology/composition/piano and acting.

Three years later, I headed to Paris for my higher piano and composition studies. It was then that I decided to establish an arts school in Lebanon, to provide an opportunity for the new generations to get the best quality education without needing to leave the country. In time, I opened seven schools in different cities and signed affiliation agreements with conservatories in Paris, Lyon and Boulogne-Billancourt, and then with the Royal Birmingham University, as well as establishing a partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall. At the same time, Ecole des Arts Ghassan Yammine became the first non-European member of the AEC (Association Européenne des Conservatoires Supérieurs) and the first non-French member of the FFEA (Fédération Française des Institutions Artistiques). While I was giving concerts and lectures in Europe, I received a proposal from MTV to produce and present a weekly musical show. That’s how I came to create the educational/entertainment format with live performances that I still present every Sunday since 2012! Between 2014 and 2018, I was awarded with the National Order of Cedar and the Medal of the Presidency in Lebanon, as well as the Gold Medal of Honour of the French Academy of the Arts, Sciences and Literature. I presented a special Mother’s Day episode in March 2018 and decided to sing a special song for the

first time, which I dedicated to three of my friends who’d lost their mothers during that year. The video of my performance went viral a few hours after the TV show aired and I received many calls and messages from around the world. Among those people was one of the most famous vocal coaches, Arax Chekidjian, who encouraged me to launch a singing career because (as she said) I have unique colour in my voice. She called me persistently for six months, insisting that I start vocal sessions. I started taking intensive lessons. A few weeks later, she discovered the similarity between the colour of my voice and that of Charles Aznavour, so she advised me to launch my career with his songs. Remarkably, Aznavour died three days later! I decided to present a special

Every concert is a privilege that life gives me to build memories with people from different cultures and ethnicities all over the world

tribute to him on MTV. This specific day represented a turning point in my life, because the videos were viewed millions of times on all social media, and I started receiving proposals from prestigious concert venues around the world. It was then that I started releasing my own songs (my lyrics and my music) and including them in all of my concert programmes.

The main secret of my continuous success is my assiduous nature, my penchant for hard work coupled with my passion to convey positivity and love, but also life’s bright and dark sides, through my voice, my songs and my performances..

Ghassan Yammine

Uroš Predić painter

Realist Serbian A Master

Uroš Predić, a renowned Serbian Realist painter born in 1857, is celebrated for his exceptional ability to capture the essence of Serbian life, history, and culture in his works

Uroš Predić, a prominent figure in Serbian art history, left an indelible mark through his exceptional talent and prolific contributions to Realist painting. Born on 7th September, 1857, in Orlovat, a village in present-day Serbia, Predić displayed early artistic promise. He embarked on a journey that would establish him as one of the most celebrated painters in Serbia and beyond.

Predić’s artistic education began at Art School in Kecskemét, Hungary, where he studied under the renowned

Hungarian painter László Paál. He later continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria, under the guidance of Christian Griepenkerl and Leopold Carl Müller. These formative years laid the foundation for Predić’s distinctive style and thematic interests.

The hallmark of Predić’s oeuvre lies in his adeptness at capturing the essence of Serbian life, history, and culture. His works often depicted scenes from rural Serbia, portraying the everyday lives of peasants, their struggles, joys, and traditions.

One of his most iconic paintings, “Kosovo Maiden,” completed in 1919, exemplifies his ability to infuse historical narratives with emotional depth and visual richness.

“Kosovo Maiden” is based on the eponymous Serbian national poem that narrates the tragic events of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Predić’s interpretation of the poem portrays a poignant moment where a young maiden grieves over her fallen beloved, symbolizing the nation’s collective mourning and resilience. The painting’s composition, use of light

Predić’s iconic ‘Kosovo Maiden’ painting symbolises Serbia’s collective mourning and resilience after the Battle of Kosovo

and shadow, and the evocative depiction of emotions earned it widespread acclaim and solidified Predić’s reputation as a master storyteller through fine art.

Beyond historical subjects, Predić’s body of work includes numerous portraits, landscapes, and religious themes. His portraits, characterised by a keen attention to detail and psychological insight, captured the essence of his subjects, whether they were historical figures or ordinary people. Predić’s portraits of Serbian luminaries such as Njegoš, Karađorđe, and Miloš Obreno-

Kosovka Maiden

vić, not only portrayed their physical features, but also conveyed their inner strength and character.

In addition to his mastery of painting, Predić made significant contributions to church decoration, leaving a lasting impact on Serbian religious art. His frescoes and iconographic works adorn many Serbian Orthodox churches, blending artistic skill with spiritual reverence. Predić’s religious art reflects a deep connection to Serbian Orthodox traditions and a profound understanding of iconography’s symbolic language.

Portrait of Laza Kostić

Portrait of Jovan Jovanović

Saint George Slays the Dragon

Queen Natalija Obrenović of Serbia in Paris

Predić’s artistic legacy extends beyond his paintings and murals. He was a dedicated educator who influenced generations of Serbian artists through his teaching and mentorship. Serving as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Predić shaped the artistic landscape of Serbia and nurtured emerging talents. Despite living through tumultuous periods in Serbi-

an history, including World War I and the interwar years, Predić remained committed to his artistic vision. His resilience, coupled with his unwavering dedication to portraying the beauty and complexity of Serbian life, ensures his enduring relevance in the annals of art history.

Today, Uroš Predić’s works are revered treasures displayed in mu -

seums, galleries, and private collections worldwide. His art continues to inspire and captivate audiences, transcending temporal and cultural boundaries.

Through his paintings, Predić immortalised the spirit of Serbia, leaving a timeless legacy that resonates with admirers of Realist art and Serbian heritage alike.

Orphan

Portrait of King Petar I

Child in Front of a Shop Window

Herzegovinian Refugees

Photo by Laguna

Bosnia Parallel Worlds of Two

In his early youth, music served as his temporary refuge until he completed university. It was only when, on the eve of the outbreak of war, he fled to Belgrade with just a toothbrush that he realised he needed to make a living and music became his final launchpad. Over the past few years, he’s felt at his best as a writer, having authored the bestselling Solunska 28 [28 Thessaloniki Street], for which he received the Momo Kapor Award. He is also the charming captain of the blue team in popular RTS quiz show I love Serbia

Dr Nele Karajlić musician and writer

By Radmila Stanković

His wit is seductive and sharp, while his multiple talents helped him achieve great popularity at a very tender age. And that has remained the case to this day. He never met Tito, but he did come faceto-face four times with one of the planet’s all-time most famous footballers: Diego Armando Maradona (1960 –2020). He viewed Maradona as a symbol of ‘third world’ rebellion, describing him as a warm man who turns into a boy when he speaks and says everything with great passion.

Today, at the age of 62, Nele is a veritable musical classic. His real name is Nenad Janković, though he’s long been better known and renowned as Dr Nele Karajlić. Born 11th December 1962 in Sarajevo, his parents were professors called Srđan and Vera.

“I completed primary school with all As and finished the Second Sarajevo Gymnasium high school in 1981 with just one A, only to repeat my primary school success of all top marks at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Oriental Studies. I never graduated from university, but people nonetheless call me doctor.”

“When you grow up in a family of educators, that implies receiving a broad education and strict moral principles. Apart from that, our parents raised us two sons in the spirit of socialist self-management, in which material possessions didn’t represent some great virtue. On the contrary, back then, people who were materially wealthy were viewed as shameful.”

The turmoil resulting from the change in the social system was particularly stressful for his family. “I struggled to handle it, but I’m proud of the way I was raised by my parents.”

Socialism and self-management provided a positive framework for Nele’s personal development in Sarajevo, because, as he himself says, there was no social stratification and his childhood was absolutely carefree. He was simultaneously infected by music and football. Actually, he explains, “I started taking an interest in football, intensively and an-

Bosnia was officially a bastion of the communist party, due to reasons of national security and preserving the sense of brotherhood and unity among Serbs, Muslims and Croats

alytically, from the age of six, and in music from the age of ten.” And he never abandoned those loves of his. To this very day, he has a tendency to watch every possible sport on television, “including bocce” [Italian bowling]. The only thing is that there’s no time for that today.

The period of his youth was completely idyllic until he became intrigued by the first ideas of injustice, and when asked if Sarajevo was enough for him or if he had considered leaving it to head out into the world, Nele gives a definitive answer without hesitation.

“No, nor did any of us in our area have such an idea. We had the idea that someone would play some good music in London or Paris. We generally heard about music from our elders, and each of us had an older brother, apart from poor me. And that older brother would also bring vinyl records from England or somewhere else, but the idea that life was elsewhere didn’t exist among us. Our idea was that life exists there where it is. And when we were just high school pupils, we had the idea of fixing it; of fixing the place where we live.”

The ‘70s were very exciting in musical terms. In Sarajevo, but also beyond, the rock band Bijelo Dugme was sacrosanct. Nele was an ‘alternative guy’. He preferred the bands Buldožer and Smak. His music worldview shifted when he discovered punk at the age of 15/16, and it was also then that Nele and his friends began developing their social and political awareness.

“The older brother of my friend, who was around my age, arrived from London in 1977 and played us the Sex Pistols’ first single - God Save the Queen. Incidentally, that single ended up at my place right before the outbreak of the war in Bosnia and was left in the house. And I read somewhere in a newspaper, about fifteen years ago,

80 may that everyone who had a copy of that single could sell it for 10,000 pounds! So, I missed out.”

Janković’s rebellious period resulted in one of the most popular TV shows of the 1980s: Top lista nadrealista [The Surrealists’ Chart Toppers]. It is also very interesting that this brand of satire emerged in Sarajevo, a city

that for decades, and for good reason, held the infamous title of the bastion of the most rigid communism in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

“Two parallel worlds existed there. The first was the official world that upheld Bosnia as a bastion of the communist party, due to reasons of national security, in order to preserve the sense of brotherhood and unity among Serbs, Muslims and Croats. The key that then existed in Bosnia was also copied by the international community when it came to the co-

nundrum of organising the current country, with nothing cleverer having been thought up in the meantime. On the other side, beneath that suffocating plastic bag of communism that existed in Bosnia, a generation of kids emerged and showed in their own way, through various media and arts,

As high school pupils, our idea was that life exists there where it is and that we had to fix it, to fix the place where we live

that they were more or less politically aware. The contradiction of that relationship in Bosnia was also precisely in the fact that the firm hand of the Party and the strictest possible form of dark administration gave birth to an entire generation of children of military personnel and educators who formed their own rageful front, primarily in music and film. That’s a phenomenon that will surely one day be rationalised better by someone else.”

When it comes to music, our interlocutor doesn’t forget the valuable position of poet Duško Trifunović. As editor of Television Sarajevo, under the pressure of serious control from above, he came up with the ingenious idea that singers should perform in the Serbian language on television, which compelled entire generations of talented kids to produce local songs instead of copying foreign ones.

Emir Kusturica and Dr Nele Karajlić met for the first time after the release of Kusturica’s film Do You Remember Dolly Bell?

“That could have been 1981. We performed an episode of the Surrealists’ Chart Toppers on the radio, and afterwards made an advert for his new film that he was scheduled to shoot: When Father Was Away on Business. For me, Emir was an authority, just like anyone who is superior in their work. I can say that we were really close. We worked and socialised together. And in a way he was also my professor. We managed to tour the whole world with our music. That had been unimaginable prior to us. We left behind a deep mark. Bands from all over Europe copied our style. That really was the most exciting part of my career. For now... We aren’t in contact today, but I view those times with nostalgia and pride.”

Nele’s wife, Sanja (née Jovanović) is an architect who calls her husband Neško. She doesn’t really favour any kind of public promotion. As a refugee from Sarajevo and an architect left jobless, Sanja turned to work that then brought her joy and gave her very positive affirmation - she decoratively

painted wooden furniture in the home, especially items located in children’s rooms. Sanja has been the curator of Gallery Sanjaj over the past few years, with which her love for fine art has finally received some of its own functionality. She had always wanted to have her own gallery. That was her dream. And that’s also why the gallery is called Sanjaj [meaning dream on in Serbian]. It is a name comprising her first name and the first letter of her surname. “We somehow ended up with the opportunity to create the Sanjaj gallery in the very centre of the city, on Dositejeva Street. I was practically born in Dositejeva Street, but the one in Sarajevo. The gallery has totally enriched our lives.”

Nele and Sanja have been together since their high school days and got married on the eve of the outbreak of war. And prior to that they’d enjoyed ten interesting years. They are the parents of two grown up children, so we asked how they raised them and how similar that was to the upbringing they’d received themselves.

“There are no special recipes for raising children, so neither my wife Sanja nor I stuck to any strict instructions. Every child is a world of their own. It seems to me that what was most important was to show them the world around them and define some boundaries that they would have to cross over the course of their lives. As Bishop Grigorije says, the biggest step for man is that step over the threshold of their house.”

Their daughter, Jana, is a veterinarian working in Switzerland at the Small Animal Clinic of the University of Bern. Their son, Srđan, who was born following the death of the grandfather after whom he is named, is a director and screenwriter. He completed marketing studies in the U.S. and the MetFilm School in Berlin, before returning to Belgrade, where he intends to build a career.

Nele has the habit of saying that everything he participated in came more or less by accident.

“The stable family that I have is

a logical development in my life, because I was never a typical rock musician, especially when it comes to those that we know from films or books. In my case there was none of the typical sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, probably because I had no intention of dealing with that business seriously. And when I look back from this distance on what I was involved in and what I did, I realise that it mostly came by coincidence. We formed the band Zabranjeno Pušenje [the

Kusturica and I left behind a deep mark... We aren’t in contact today, but I view those times with nostalgia and pride

No Smoking Band] in 1980, so that we would have something to do until we finished university, and we treated the gigs like an interesting adventure. I even declared in newspapers back then that nobody older than 25 can perform rock. I completed two years of Oriental Studies in the first

wave, then completed my third year after the scandal with the song Crk’o Maršal [the marshal has croaked], but I had to return to music when Emir Kustirica came to support the band, only to later return to complete university thinking that was the end of everything. And then war erupted. And when we fled to Belgrade, I realised that the only way to support my family and myself was to do freelance work. And when in 1997 we released the album Ja Nisam Odavle [I’m Not From Around Here], and when Vukota did everything that Zenica Blues had done ten years previously, I realised that there was no going back for me.” He gained international fame thanks to music, but the moment came for him to bid farewell to it. He began writing prose and says that he feels the best when doing so. He first published the book Closing Time in Sarajevo [Fajront u Sarajevu], which is a sort of encyclopaedia of Yugoslav rock that sold more than 100,000 copies. Next came the extremely popular novel 28 Thessaloniki Street [Solunska 28], for which he received the award

that bears the name of Momo Kapor. That novel is a trilogy that addresses one of the most exciting centuries in the history of Belgrade: the 20th century, when Belgrade was bombed five times in two world wars.

“I must admit that I was pretty surprised when I discovered that I’d received the Momo Kapor Award. I was convinced that I would miss out on all the awards, because I’m neither a typical writer nor do many consider me a writer. But Momo Kapor wasn’t a typical writer either, and I took comfort in that. I was genuinely happy when they informed me that I’d won the award. And that wasn’t only because of the award itself, but also because of its name. Momo Kapor was held in high regard in my family and I consider him as the writer with the most beautiful style.”

Witty, interesting and cynical, mostly at his own expense, Nele explains in detail how he had very poor grades in school for everything that he does today. He dropped out of music school because he was incapable of singing and always received a strained D in

solfeggio and a B in piano, which wasn’t high enough to encourage him to persevere. He earned a C in Serbian language studies at school, only to make a living from writing poems and finding enjoyment in writing books. Even for English, a language he’s written in for many years, he only received a grade of D or C.

“I don’t know what to conclude. Either the school was bad and evaluated me poorly, or I must have learnt it all in the meantime.”

Sarajevo is a painful subject for a man who fled his hometown on the eve of the outbreak of war in Bosnia with just a toothbrush and toothpaste in his pocket. And when the journalist conducting this interview once asked him to bring some photos from his youth, he said that he no longer has any. Everything that he has was saved by Sanja’s mother. And his own mother, Vera, provides the reason behind a touching account.

“My mother was born in Sarajevo and lived in a house at 14 Dositejeva Street. She was born during the time of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, lived there during Tito’s Yugoslavia, and ultimately abandoned Bosnia. Her mother had been born in the same house during the time of Austria-Hungary, lived during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and died in Tito’s Yugoslavia. Her mother, so my great-grandmother, was born in the same house during the time of Turkish rule, lived during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and died in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Four generations on my mother’s side lived in the same house, in the same kitchen...and each of them went through the reorganising of three countries. That is the most succinct picture of Sarajevo.”

There was also the Sarajevo that he recalled last winter, when the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics was commemorated.

“The Olympics looked like some special form of heaven to us, in which we all temporarily live for 15 days. We were young, but we weren’t naïve, and we were aware that everything

happening around us represented an unrealistic utopia with a limited life. However, no matter how consciously and with how much reason you observe such a great event, it still makes a deep impression on you and leaves you breathless. One would hardly exchange it for any other experience. That’s a period that’s deeply etched in your memory and you wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Nele has been working constantly in recent years. And he reveals interesting news for CorD’s readers.

“I’ve been stretched on multiple sides. The musician in me woke up

The firm hand of the Party and the strictest possible form of dark administration gave birth to an entire generation of children of military personnel and educators who formed their own rageful front in music and film

this year, so I intend to release the odd new song. On the other hand, I’ve started writing a new novel that should be published in 2025. The quiz show I love Serbia, in which I’m the captain of the blue team, has entered its ninth season, which none of us expected. At the end of April, our Gallery Sanjaj, together with the Monolog Gallery, is exhibiting at a large multimedia art festival in Istanbul with an installation entitled ‘In the beginning was the word’. Apart from me, the credit for that installation also belongs to the curators: my wife Sanja and Denis Hegić, owner of Monolog Gallery. Our plan is to present this installation, which was met with great interest at last year’s Art Budapest, at a number of other art fairs in Europe. Of course, my greatest wish is to make a screen adaptation of the first edition of Solunska 28, for which I received the Momo Kapor Award.”

It seems to us that this screen adaptation would best be conceived and implemented by Srđan Janković.

Chill Out

SERBIAN STUDENTS WIN FOUR MEDALS AT EUROPEAN MATH OLYMPIAD

The entire team, comprising all four female students from Serbia representing our country at the 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) in Georgia, each won a medal and announced the Mathematical Society of Serbia. Nina Šušić, an 8th-grade student from “Vuk Karadžić” Elementary School in Belgrade, clinched a silver medal. Ani Ilić and Neda Živanović, 3rd-grade students from the “Svetozar Marković” Gymnasium in Niš, secured bronze medals, while Anja Tešević, a 1st-grade student from the Mathematical Grammar School in Belgrade, also earned a bronze accolade. The four-member Serbian team was selected based on a series of competitions organised by the Mathematical Society of Serbia and the Ministry of Education.

NASA TO SEND DRONE-LIKE CRAFT TO EXPLORE SATURN’S MOON TITAN

NASA has approved sending a drone-like craft to explore Titan, the largest of Saturn’s 146 moons. “The launch is planned for July 2028, and we can now finalise the design for Dragonfly - a rotorcraft the size of a Mars rover that will be used to investigate prebiotic chemical processes common on both Titan and early Earth before life developed,” NASA announced. If all goes as planned, the unmanned craft with eight rotors should arrive at Titan in 2034, where it will fly to dozens of locations to characterise the habitability of Titan’s environment and search for any signs that life may have existed there. Titan’s denser atmosphere (about four times thicker than Earth’s) will allow the craft to “hop” several kilometres during Titan’s full day (16 Earth days).

MICHELANGELO’S DRAWING SELLS FOR 33 TIMES ITS INITIAL PRICE AT NEW YORK AUCTION

Christie’s auction house announced that a tiny drawing by Michelangelo Buonarroti sketched on a square piece of paper, was sold to an anonymous buyer for $201,600 at an auction in New York, marking a staggering 33-fold increase from its estimated value. Initially valued between $6,000 and $8,000, the small artwork depicting a block of marble is believed to have been drawn while Michelangelo worked on his renowned Sistine Chapel, as per Christie’s experts. The drawing is linked to a letter written by Cosimo Buonarroti in 1836, offering a piece of his “illustrious ancestor Michelangelo” to Sir John Bowring, the future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature is at the bottom of the document.

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR MOON TO HAVE ITS OWN TIME ZONE BY 2026

The White House has asked NASA to create a new time zone for the Moon by the end of 2026, part of the broader U.S. goal to establish international space norms. The move to establish a lunar time zone comes amid growing global interest in long-term lunar presence, a key priority of NASA’s Artemis program. According to a White House memorandum, the new lunar standard, “Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC),” is part of efforts to set time standards for celestial bodies beyond Earth. However, it’s unclear if the Moon will have multiple time zones like Earth. Due to the Moon’s lower gravity, time moves slightly faster there—by 58.7 microseconds every day. This difference could complicate communication between future missions and precise mission control.

SUPERMAN’S DEBUT 1938 COMIC SOLD FOR RECORD $6 MILLION

A rare copy of the 1938 comic book that introduced Superman to the world has been sold at an auction for a staggering $6 million. The comic, known as “Action Comics #1,” is considered to be one of the most significant comics ever published. It features Superman in a version that was later used in comics and movies, as well as the character Lois Lane, a journalist with whom Superman is smitten. This sale broke the previous record for a Superman comic, which had been set in 2022 at $5.3 million. A rare copy of the 1938 comic book that introduced Superman to the world has been sold at an auction for a staggering $6 million. The comic, known as “Action Comics #1,” is considered to be one of the most significant comics ever published.

NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL RESTORATION PARTIALLY COMPLETE 5 YEARS AFTER FIRE

Five years after a devastating fire, a section of Notre Dame Cathedral’s restoration has been finished with the installation of a spire and large lead arrow at the top of the structure, along with the interior restoration. Around 250 companies and hundreds of craftsmen, architects, and professionals worked on the project to ensure a high-quality restoration of this globally significant cultural heritage site. Reconstruction began in autumn 2021, but it was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget for this reconstruction phase is expected to remain “below” the initially estimated 550 million euros. A total of 846 million euros in donations were collected worldwide, of which around 150 million must be used to restore the cathedral’s exterior parts damaged before the fire.

BLAZER

For Every Occasion

Whatever occasion you have coming up, a blazer is the wardrobe staple you’re looking for this season casion

BLAZÉ MILANO

Daisy linen blazer

This ‘Daisy’ style is tailored from airy linen with bold, padded shoulders and a nipped-in waist framed with the signature ‘Smiley’ pockets.

ZIMMERMANN

Natura double-breasted wool and silk-blend blazer

Cut from a wool and silk blend with an excellent lustre; it has a doublebreasted design with padded shoulders and peak lapels.

RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION

Aaiden striped linen and cotton-blend jacket

Tailored from a lightweight linen and cotton blend, it’s patterned with classic pinstripes and has a slim silhouette with a nipped-in waist.

LOEWE

Flamenco mini leather clutch

Loewe’s slouchy ‘Flamenco’ clutch is one of the bags to own this season, and we especially like this scaled-down mini version.

BURBERRY Checked Wool Blaze

It’s been tailored in Italy with peak lapels and nips in slightly at the waist, where it fastens with a single horn button. Pair it with the matching pants.

SAINT LAURENT

Tribute woven leather platform sandals

A best-selling cult favourite since 2004, these shoes are crafted in Italy from leather and feature a leg-lengthening stiletto heel and platform front. They pair perfectly with both jeans and dresses.

THE ROW

Wilson Double-Breasted Cashmere Blazer

It’s made from soft cashmere tailored with peak lapels and padded for a more pronounced silhouette. It has functional buttoned cuffs and a felted undercollar— both markers of exceptional craftsmanship.

CANALI

Kei Unstructured Wool, Silk and Cashmere-Blend Blazer

This partially lined blazer, made from a wool, silk, and cashmere blend, has been tailored in Italy. Pair it with contrasting trousers.

ZEGNA

Slim-Fit Oasi Lino Twill Suit Jacket

Lined through the sleeves, it’s tailored with unaltered cuffs, front patch pockets and a double vent for easy movement. Wear it with matching trousers for laid-back meetings.

LOEWE

Double-Breasted Wool and Mohair-Blend Suit Jacket

Loewe’s jacket is impeccably tailored from a wool and mohair blend. Wide-notch lapels frame it with boxy shoulders and a doublebreasted front. Wear it as a suit with coordinating trousers.

ANDERSON’S 3.5cm Suede Belt

Swapping a reliable leather belt for a suede version is an easy way to update outfits.

BERLUTI

Andy Leather Loafers

These tan leather loafers were originally crafted for Mr Andy Warhol in 1962 and were considered decidedly modern at that time for their patina.

CONCERT MUSICAL FREEDOM

17 May - Art Centre Gvarnerijus

On May 17th, on the occasion of Norway’s National Day, pianist Olaf Andreas Strand and violinist Tor Alvin Wika will hold a concert at the Art Centre Gvarnerijus, which is part of their artistic project «Musical Freedom». With this project, young Norwegian artists aim to shed light on how the social and societal changes in Europe at the end of the 18th century and the rise of the bourgeoisie facilitated the democratisation of access to art and culture. By contextualising the music they will perform during the concert, they will provide the audience with the opportunity to view European societal development from a new perspective and reflect on how we, as individuals, are fundamentally influenced by our ability to express ourselves freely and actively participate in shaping the society we live in.

MOLIÈRE DAYS

8-11 May, Belgrade/Novi Sad/Kragujevac

The 16th edition of Molière Days, a festival celebrating contemporary French literature, is just around the corner. This event is part of the Rhythm of French Culture program and kicks off our festival lineup for the year. While most other events in the “Rhythm” series occur in the second half of the year, this festival deserves your immediate attention. The organisers have curated an impressive lineup of phenomenal authors, promising engaging discussions and captivating experiences. Their hard work and dedication are evident, and we can expect nothing short of an exceptional literary celebration.

OPENING OF 19 TH BINA

30 May – Belgrade Cultural Center

The nineteenth edition of BINA will open on May 30 at 7 p.m. at the Fine Arts Gallery of the Belgrade Cultural Center with the exhibition “Vila Prendić - A New Perspective, A New Duration.” This exhibition aims to bring closer the residential architecture of the interwar modern movement, its renovation, and adaptation to modern living conditions while preserving the architectural values and principles on which it is based. This exhibition is dedicated to the work of Milan Zloković and was conceived in collaboration with the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade, Do.co.mo.mo Serbia, and the Milan Zloković Foundation. It will also serve as a prelude and integral part of the grand commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the architect’s death, which is being prepared at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2025.

THE ATLAS PARADOX

Olivie Blake, Pan Macmillan

Discover The Atlas Paradox, the electric dark academia sequel to viral sensation The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller. Inside the Alexandrian Society, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and all must pick a side. Six magicians were offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Five are now members of the Society. And two paths lie before them.

CAPITALISM AT RISK

Joseph L. Bower, Herman B. Leonard, Lynn S. Paine

How can capitalism be sustained? And who should spearhead the effort? Critics turn to the government. In their groundbreaking book, Capitalism at Risk, Harvard Business School professors Joseph Bower, Herman Leonard, and Lynn Paine argue that while robust governments must play a role, leadership by business is essential. For enterprising companies—whether large multinationals, established regional players, or small startups—the current threats to market capitalism present important opportunities.

THE DIARY OF A CEO: THE 33 LAWS OF BUSINESS AND LIFE

Steven Bartlett

Don’t expect a typical business strategy book. Strategies come and go with the seasons. Instead, delve into The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life. This book is about something far more enduring-the fundamental laws that guarantee excellence. These laws are not theoretical; they are rooted in psychology and behavioural science, gleaned from the wisdom of tens of thousands of people I’ve surveyed worldwide, and inspired by my conversations with the world’s most accomplished individuals on my chart-topping podcast.

MODERN ARCHITECTURE A-Z

Taschen

With more than 280 entries, this architectural A–Z, now part of our Bibliotheca Universalis series, offers an indispensable overview of the key players in creating modern space. From the 19th to the 21st century, pioneering architects are featured with a portrait, concise biography, and description of their important work.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens’s great historical novel, set against the violent upheaval of the French Revolution. The most famous and perhaps the most popular of his works, it compresses an event of immense complexity to the scale of family history, with a cast of characters that includes a bloodthirsty ogress and an antihero as believably flawed as any in modern fiction.

DANCING WITH MYSELF

Billy Idol

In this original memoir following Billy Idol from his childhood in England to his fame at the height of the punk-pop revolution, the iconic superstar tells the real story behind the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll he is famous for. A member of the punk rock revolution whose music crossed over into the pop mainstream during the 1980s, Billy Idol is a rock ‘n’ roll legend. Dancing With Myself covers the events and the people who shaped his life, music, and career, including accounts of his childhood in England.

Faces & Places

Serbia Charts the Course to Smart Cities with Kragujevac Leading the Way

11/4/2024

In a significant development for urban planning and technology in Serbia, a roadmap for smart cities was unveiled in Kragujevac Mihailo Jovanović, the Minister of Information and Telecommunications, revealed Kragujevac as the pilot for Serbia’s first smart city initiative. The announcement was made during the inaugural gathering in Kragujevac for the project “Journey to a Smarter Future: Building Smarter and Sustainable Communities in Serbia”. This initiative is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Nordic Business Alliance, in partnership with the embassies of Nordic countries in Serbia—Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland—as well as the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SKGO).

Ghassan Yammine Delights Belgrade with French Chansons

11/4/2024

Renowned Lebanese artist Ghassan Yammine, known for his impressive international career performing French chansons, captivated the audience in Belgrade with a mesmerising concert. Held in one of the city’s prestigious concert halls, Yammine enchanted the crowd with the beautiful songs of the famous French chansonnier Charles Aznavour, along with his original compositions. Accompanied by the award-winning French pianist Guillaume Vincent, Yammine’s performance showcased his exceptional talent and artistry.

Opening of 7th Finnish Film Week

12/4/2024

The 7th Finnish Film Week was launched at the Belgrade Cultural Centre Hall with the film “Family Lunch” directed by Tiia Kuovo. Eight films selected by curator Stefan Arsenijević have been showcased to the Belgrade audience from 11 to 15 April. The festival’s curator, Stefan Arsenijević, has selected eight new Finnish cinematic works. The opening speeches were delivered by Niklas Lindkvist, the Finnish Ambassador to Belgrade; Zorana Đaković Minniti, Assistant Director for Programming at the Belgrade Cultural Centre; Stefan Arsenijević, curator of the Finnish Film Week; Jana Puskala, Head of the International Department at the Finnish Film Institute; and Ivan Aranđelović, Film Programme Editor at the Belgrade Cultural Centre.

Crypto12 Hosts Buzzing Crypto Conference

15/4/2024

The “Crypto Potential in Serbia 2024” conference has significantly exceeded expectations, drawing 270 participants—far above the anticipated 200. Held in Belgrade, this event gathered cryptocurrency and blockchain experts to discuss the latest trends, regulatory developments, and the practical deployment of digital currencies. David Veselinović, CEO and founder of Crypto12, emphasised the importance of such gatherings: “Cryptocurrencies are not merely a potential—they are a reality that Serbia is increasingly adopting. This event allows us to explore utilising this technology to forge new business opportunities.”

Faces & Places

French Embassy and Institute in Serbia Launch ‘Rhythm of French Culture’

16/4/2024

The French Embassy and the French Institute in Serbia are organising an event called Rhythm of French Culture. This year, as Paris hosts the Olympic Games, the French Institute in Serbia and the embassy of that country will present, together with their longstanding partners, a prosperous cultural season featuring programmes in music, film, theatre, literature, visual arts, and sport, the Institute announced. This cultural season, named Rhythm of French Culture, aims to promote, as is the case at the Olympic Games, various disciplines of French culture and art. The season’s rhythm will be set by music from the famed French composer Gabriel Fauré, whose death centenary is marked this year.

Greek Wine Tasting Event Hosted at Greek Ambassador’s Residence

22/4/2024

In a delightful fusion of culture and gastronomy, the Residence of the Ambassador of Greece recently hosted a Greek wine-tasting event. Organised by the Economic & Commercial Section of the Embassy in collaboration with the Serbian Sommelier Association (SERSA) and local importers of Greek wines, the event aimed to showcase the rich heritage and exquisite flavours of Greek wines to the Serbian audience. The event, held in an elegant setting, welcomed wine enthusiasts, diplomats, and representatives from the hospitality industry. Guests were treated to an immersive experience, sampling a diverse range of Greek wines carefully selected by experts. From crisp whites to robust reds and delightful rosés, the tasting journey offered a glimpse into Greece’s winemaking traditions and terroirs.

2nd ESG Adria Summit Launches in Montenegro

24/4/2024

The second ESG Adria Summit in Tivat, Montenegro, focused on sustainable financing, green transitions, and leveraging AI and startups for regional growth. The event, supported by the Montenegrin Government, drew over 600 regional participants and launched significant partnerships and training programs to integrate ESG standards into regional business strategies. An ESG certification program will also be initiated in collaboration with several regional academic institutions. The event also presented CorD Magazine’s annual issue, Empowered Women, and The Region publication.

A Major Conference by MPC Properties: “MPC Echo”

26/4/2024

The first conference by MPC Properties, “MPC Echo,” focusing on new trends and innovative business practices in the real estate industry and sustainable operations, was held at the Sava Centre. The closed-type conference brought together the company’s partners and leading experts from various sectors to exchange experiences, foster innovative approaches, and identify new business directions. Participants had the opportunity to hear an analysis of the latest trends and concrete examples from MPC Properties and their tenants, reputable companies in both local and global markets. Jonathan Doughty, an award-winning expert in the hospitality and entertainment industry with 45 years of experience in managing restaurants, hotels, and global consulting, opened the conference.

Faces & Places

Over 13,000 Runners

Participate in the 37th Belgrade Marathon

28/4/2024

More than 13,000 runners from Serbia and countries worldwide participated in this year’s 37th Belgrade Marathon. Over two thousand competitors completed the total marathon distance of 42.195 meters, while others competed in two additional disciplines - the Relay Half Marathon and the Fun Run. Gilbert Kipleting Tchumba from Kenya emerged as the winner of the 37th Belgrade Marathon. In the women’s competition, the top athlete was Ema Cheruto Ndiva, also from Kenya.

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