Cord magazine No.125

DEEPER REFORMS DEMAND YEARS OF WORK

H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR Iranian Ambassador to Serbia

ADVANTAGE TO PRIORITY PROJECTS VLADIMIR MILOVANOVIĆ CEO of Energoprojekt Holding a.d.

www.cordmagazine.com

MARCH ’15 / ISSUE No. 125

IVAN TASOVAC Serbian Minister of Culture and Information

TIME FOR PRACTICAL MOVES

interviews opinions news comments events PRICE 300 RSD AJA JUNG

Life Devoted

TO DANCE SERBIAN RUGBY LEAGUE

Exciting

SEASON AHEAD ĐORĐE MILUTINOVIĆ

Regional Entertainment

CENTRE

EXCLUSIVE

VICTOR PONTA PRIME MINISTER OF ROMANIA

People’s Prosperity

PRIMARY CONCERN

ISSN 1451-7833

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Get Ready!

Saturday 18th April 2015

Belgrade Marathon

Become a Master of Charity!

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For the 9th consecutive year, the Belgrade Marathon and CorD magazine will be holding the CorD Charity Masters – a race in which it is more important to be charitable than finish first.

The Charity Masters race will take place in correspondence with the upcoming 28th Belgrade Marathon, to be staged on Saturday 18th April 2015.

We are inviting you to run (or stroll if you so desire) at least 5km to raise money for the charity of your choice.

Over the last seven years, runners in the CorD Charity Masters have raised more than â‚Ź131,000, which has been donated to more than 50 institutions and individuals in need.

HOW TO RAISE FUNDS Each participant should secure sponsorship of at least RSD 400 for every kilometre they run during the race.

HOW TO MAKE A PAYMENT Donations should be paid either to CorD’s special account or directly onto the accounts of the organisations you wish to benefit from your donation.

WHERE TO DONATE Race participants have complete freedom to choose any humanitarian organisation they wish to support. Every CorD Charity Master will receive a certificate and a commemorative T-shirt as proof of their participation.

The results of the race and details of funds raised will be published in CorD magazine, as well as on www.expat.rs and www.cordmagazine.com, while the formal presentation of donations by teams will feature in the June 2015 issue of CorD.

FAQS • How can I apply to compete in the CorD Charity Masters?

- Send an email to charitymasters@cordmagazine. com or a fax to (+381) 11 2450 122 with a completed registration form. The closing date for registration is 11th April.

• Who checks how many kilometres have been completed by runners?

- This is a charity race, with each runner expected to calculate the length of their own race. In addition, special judges will be tasked with assisting for half- and full-marathon runners.

• How does one become a sponsor or obtain a sponsor?

- Sponsors can be any individual, company, organisation, association or mission that agrees to pay the runner. Sponsors can also include work colleagues who are willing to collect funds for the charity of your choice. You can obtain sponsorship within your company or from family members, friends etc., whoever wants to join the race. CorD magazine will sponsor the first 10 runners who apply.

• How many participants can compete in the CorD Charity Masters?

- In agreement with the organisers of the 28th Belgrade Marathon, all participants who apply for the CorD Charity Masters will be accepted.

• Is there a minimum sponsorship level per kilometre?

- The amount of money individuals give to charity is not always the most important factor. Accordingly, there is no set minimum - though RSD400 per km is recommended.

• What percentage of the money raised goes to charity?

- All money raised goes to charity.

• Will CorD Charity Masters run alongside other Belgrade Marathon participants?

- Yes. Members of the CorD Charity Masters team will start the race at the same time as all other runners competing in the 28th Belgrade Marathon.

M Awww.cordmagazine.com RCH | 125 | 5 MORE INFO

CONTENTS ISSUE 125

EDITOR: Saša Marić s.maric@aim.rs

| MARCH

ART DIRECTOR: Ilija Petrović i.petrovic@aim.rs

08 | C O M M E N T

82 | P R O F I L E

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How Close is Serbia to Opening EU Accession Chapters?

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

Creativity Makes the Difference

40

ALEKSANDRA JOKSIMOVIĆ Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy

More Stable Energy Future for Serbia

MILOŠ ŠORGIĆ Pounder, Production Pool

10

People's Prosperity PRIMARY CONCERN

GORAN HORVAT Acting CEO of Kostolac Thermal Power Plant 48

VICTOR PONTA Prime Minister of Romania

Leader of Market and Environment

14

DUŠAN ANTONIJEVIĆ Director of the Vlasinka Factory

Time for PRACTICAL MOVES H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR Iranian Ambassador to Serbia

67

The Old Agency Model Doesn't Work Anymore JEAN LIN Global CEO of Isobar 68

Exciting Season Ahead Serbian Rugby League

49

AFTER WORK

72

CHILL OUT

52

18

CULTURE CALENDAR

GLOBAL DIARY

56

20

Advantage to PRIORITY PROJECTS VLADIMIR MILOVANOVIĆ CEO of Energoprojekt Holding a.d.

24

Deeper Reforms Demand YEARS OF WORK IVAN TASOVAC Serbian Minister of Culture and Information 30

Life Devoted to Dance AJA JUNG Founder and Director of the Belgrade Dance Festival

Regional Entertainment Centre ĐORĐE MILUTINOVIĆ Director of the Kombank Arena, Belgrade

74

BEST & HOTTEST NEW GADGETS 78

Women's 2015 Formalwear Trends Fashion for her

59

80

Business Events Opportunities

Basics for Your Workday – Spring 2015

Guide 2015

Fashion for him

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82

We Need Better Tourist Products

Inspiring and Challenging Role

DRAGANA ŠABIĆ Secretary General of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce's Tourism Association

NATAŠA KUZMANOVSKI Head of Identity and Communications at UniCredit Bank Serbia

CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Mirjana Jovanović, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Tanja Banković t.bankovic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION: Snežana Bjelotomić EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGER Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Ivana Krsmanović, i.krsmanovic@aim.rs Ivana Fidler, i.fidler@aim.rs Aleksandra Ebilji, a.ebilji@aim.rs EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Ruža Ristanović r.ristanovic@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Ana Besedić a.besedic@aim.rs OFFICE MANAGER: Nataša Nešić n.nesic@aim.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o., Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fax: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.rs www.cordmagazine.com www.allianceinternationalmedia.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliance international media 2015

This issue is audited by ABC Serbia

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COMMENT

How Close is Serbia to Opening EU Accession Chapters?

ALEKSANDRA JOKSIMOVIĆ Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy

T

he resolution that the EP should on the basis of the draft report is a routine, annual document that does not have a direct impact on the moves of the European Commission and European partners, but does express an overview of the situation and the climate prevailing in the candidate country.

Judging by the number of amendments submitted to the draft report (222), then Serbia is truly dominated by major, diametrically opposed interests. Eduard Kukan advocates the unconditional and immediate opening of chapters, while Croatian MEPs (unsuccessfully) attempt to introduce bilateral problems to Brussels' flows by the backdoor.

The most significant connection to McAllister's visit is the fact that he is a member of the ruling CDU party of Angela Merkel, whose consent is crucial to progress in the further process of integration, regardless of what the other 27 members think of that.

The most important factor to determine for Serbia today is the objective circumstances that do/don't favour the country's expectations.

The EU is preoccupied with major issues that reduce the daily question of enlargement on the list of priorities. The economic crisis and potential threats to the euro occupy the daily attention of the highest European officials. The Ukraine crisis is back on the agenda of the seeming long forgotten dilemma of war and peace, the Cold War and European security in general.

Under such circumstances, Serbia's neutral position towards Russia has met with disapproval in European circles and drawn particular attention to the monitoring of Serbia's commitment to meeting the European agenda. As the conflict with Russia intensifies, so the pressure grows for Serbia to more clearly define its stance. Harmonisation with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), contained in chapter 31, is today threatening to become a political precondition of the further integration process.

Nevertheless, relations with Russia are not the main obstacle blocking a decision to open chapters with Serbia today. In particular, there are circumstances where cooperation with NATO is advancing through the adopted IPAP programme, which is not mentioned much in the local public but which represents a step forward in political cooperation with NATO, which has received a new lease of life due to the conflict between West and East.

Among other objections, the loudest are those relating to media freedom in Serbia. The complaints directed towards the Serbian Government seem to have drawn more attention

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The recent visit of David McAllister, the European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, sparked a new wave of speculation in the Serbian public about when it is realistic to expect the opening of the first chapters in Serbia's accession negotiations with the EU through the sharp reactions of Serbian officials than they actually represent a real obstacle to further progress in the integration processes at the moment.

What, then, is the key prerequisite for the opening of chapters with Serbia?

Negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, under the mediation of the EU, crowned by the Brussels Agreement, resulted in the first intergovernmental conference between the EU and Serbia in January 2014. At the same time, the opening of chapters is conditioned by the decision of the German Bundestag, which has requested the full implementation of the Brussels Agreement. The negotiations continued in February, following a one-year break due to an internal political crisis in Kosovo and also EU elections, and once again showed that political will exists on the Serbian side for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

However, full implementation of the Brussels agreement requires time.

The fact that there is consideration to soften the attitude is supported by the recommendations of the Bundesrat – which has a different composition then the Bundestag, as the legislative body consisting of representatives of all 16 German federal states. The Bundesrat recommends the quickest possible opening of chapters with Serbia, without insisting on chapter 35 as the first. Whether the Bundesrat recommendation will achieve its goal not only depends on political will, but also the time and priorities the Chancellor's office will be able to deal with at a time when the Minsk peace agreement is the most important item for the preservation of peace in Ukraine and beyond.

In the meantime, Serbia must stick to its agenda – continue to play a constructive role in the Brussels negotiations, end its homework tasks, such as adopting an action plan for chapters 23 and 24, without which it is impossible to open these chapters, and primarily working through the reform process on strengthening economic stability.

On the other side, the EU should constantly revitalise the original idea of the European project: security. Without the integration of the Western Balkans, in which Serbia occupies an important space, European security architecture itself will not even be completed adequately. 

The most important factor to determine for Serbia today is the objective circumstances that do/don't favour the country's expectations

10 years of industrial production in Serbia - The regional leader in terms of production, distribution network and range of aluminium profile systems - The first Greenfield investment in Serbia: 20,000m² of production and warehouse buildings in Nova Pazova - Operations of the plant work at full capacity - The second phase of the investment included 7,000m² of production buildings

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INTERVIEW

People's Prosperity

VICTOR PONTA Prime Minister of Romania

PRIMARY CONCERN

By implementing a series of measures to both boost the economy and reduce social imbalances, Romania has ensured the growth of its economy. The focus of the social-democrat government is now on translating these results into better standards for citizens

E XC L U S I V E

U

nlike many countries in Europe and the region, Romania isn’t experiencing economic slowdown.

Since 2012 Romania had positive economic growth during nine out of 11 quarters and Prime Minister Victor Ponta is now interested in translating these positive results into the wellbeing of Romanian citizens. His social-democrat government employed both measures from the right and the left of the economic spectrum, but managed to stick to its agenda. “We raised the minimum wage, restored pensions and salaries to pre-crisis levels and this year we are launching an ambitious multi-year plan to combat poverty,” says Ponta.

PM Ponta sees the outcome of the Greek elections as a signal against austerity policies, as well as a warning for the mainstream political class that it has to deliver what is really important for the citizens: jobs, pensions and decent living conditions, which are precisely the goals of Ponta’s social-democrat government.

Relatively untouched by the crisis in Ukraine and EU sanctions against Russia, Romania enjoys strong export growth and, due to its relatively high energy independence, is not shaken by continuing issues related to failure of the South Stream Project and tensions between the EU and Rus-

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COMMON INTEREST

PROGRESS

MINORITY RIGHTS

There is always competition at the regional level, but I think it is in our common interest to make Southeast Europe a shining beacon for investments.

I am confident that the Western Balkans in general, and Serbia in particular, can achieve more progress in EU integrations.

But the ball is now in your court.

Our hope is for rights, such as education, freedom of worship and access to mass media in one’s mother tongue, to be respected for the Romanian minority all across Serbia.

sia with regard to gas supply. “The energy independence topic is on Romania’s agenda for the years to come. The country also has exporter ambitions and we are currently looking at improving the relevant infrastructure,” says Ponta.

Topics related to infrastructure are also on the Serbian – Romanian agenda. During the China-CEE Summit in Belgrade, Serbian PM Aleksandar Vučić and PM Ponta discussed possibilities for the construction of the Belgrade–Timisoara highway and the Trans-Balkan Pančevo–Rasice Corridor.

“We think it’s important to encourage interconnectivity between our countries and we are looking at tangible ways to achieve that,” confirms PM Ponta in this interview for CorD. Our two countries recently opened several important border crossings, with the aim of improving exchanges by facilitating transportation of imports, exports and tourists. This is just one of many signs of good bilateral relations between the two countries, which can be further upgraded through bilateral trade and an exchange of experiences with regard to EU processes. “We are happy to help our Serbian friends with our experience regarding European integration,” said the Romanian leader.

■ Your mandate as prime minister was marked by less austere policies than those of your predecessors. Do you believe you can proceed with such a policy, despite the fact that the economic situation in Europe is not entirely bright and it could also influence the economic situation in Romania?

- Romania has been one of the top EU performers in economic terms. Since 2012, when we came into government, Romania had 9 out of 11 quarters of positive economic growth, and I am confident, just like the European Commission and the World Bank, that the country with further experience strong growth. This does not happen by chance, we took a series of measures to both boost the economy and reduce social imbalances: we raised the minimum income; we reduced the level of social contributions paid by the employers etc. At the same time, we are delivering better results abroad: our exports reached a remarkable level, exceeding 50 billion euros in 2014. I am interested in seeing this growth transferred to citizens' pockets; we want this economic growth to be translated into more money for infrastructure investments, health services, education. We will also focus on implementing the national strategy for social inclusion and reducing poverty for 2014-2020.

■ How has Romania’s GDP been influenced by the Ukraine crisis and the imposing of EU sanctions against Russia?

- We are not among the countries that are most affected

Romanian PM Victor Ponta and Serbian PM Aleksandar Vučić, during the China -CEE Summit in Belgrade

by the Ukrainian crisis and the imposing of EU sanctions against Russia. The reason is the structure of our exports, and the destination countries, as well as the fact that we are the most energy independent country in the region. That does not mean that we are not worried by the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, because we want our neighbours to be stable, we care about what happens in the region. We want stability and security, which are crucial for our citizens, as well as being key incentives for foreign investments in the region.

We think it’s important to encourage interconnectivity between our countries and we are looking at tangible ways to achieve that

■ In that context, how do you evaluate the outcome of the Moldovan elections?

- We are following closely the situation in Moldova, and we were encouraged to see that EU-friendly parties have a majority in the Parliament. It‘s for these parties to understand that they have to meet the expectations of the citizens and have a reform-minded government, with a stable majority in Parliament. Such a government can further engage the reforms needed to progress on Moldova‘s European path. Romania has always been a staunch supporter of Moldova‘s EU aspirations, Bucharest has helped and will continue to help in the years to come.

■ How would you assess the results of the Greek elections and the new government's programme?

- The Greek elections are a strong signal against austerity policies, as well as a warning for the mainstream political class that we have to deliver and focus on the real agenda of the population. That means jobs, pensions, decent living

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conditions and opportunity for the many, not just the few.

This is what the social-democrat government I am running is focused on. Each government has autonomy in its planning, but its programme, if dependent on international financing, must take into consideration the concerns of foreign partners as well: it takes two to tango in international negotiations.

■ How do you assess the results of the recent 3rd Trade and Economic Forum of China and CEE countries in Belgrade, and in which areas is Romania striving to attract new Chinese financing?

- I think that was a very positive meeting and that we need to focus in the future on delivering concrete investments, beyond announcements of what is already clear: a willingness

■ In which areas do you think the two countries could improve their relations?

- Bilateral trade is always a great place to improve the bilateral relations. At the same time, political contacts, both as regards the situation in the region and Serbia’s path towards the European Union, can always be upgraded. We are happy to help our Serbian friends with our experience as regards European integration. Our region is again of top international importance and we have a mutual interest in its stability and prosperity. Among different industries, energy can be in the forefront: the energy independence topic is on Romania’s agenda for the years to come, it also has exporter ambitions, and we are currently looking at improving the relevant infrastructure.

■ How do you view progress on open issues between Serbia and Romania regarding the Romanian and ‘Vlach’ minority; are you satisfied with the rights enjoyed by the Romanian minority in Serbia?

- This issue has been much discussed between our two countries. Efforts have been made but more can be done, there is still a difference in the way minorities are treated. We are counting on Serbia to have a responsible approach towards the rights of minorities. We wish that rights such as education, worship and access to mass media in mother tongue to be respected for the Romanian minority all over Serbian territory, in line with international standards and with the European aspirations of Serbia.

to be partners in mutual prosperity. In Romania there are several opportunities for Chinese investments, ranging from agriculture to energy.

■ You recently met with Serbian PM Vučić at the China-CEE Summit and discussed possibilities for the construction of the Belgrade–Timisoara Highway and the Trans-Balkan Pančevo–Rasice Corridor. How realistic are these plans?

- We think it’s important to encourage interconnectivity between our countries and we are looking at tangible ways to achieve that.

■ Several border crossings were recently opened between Serbia and Romania, including the Nakovo– Lunga crossing. How will these border crossings help improve cooperation between our two countries?

- We have a long history of very good relations between our two countries. The new border crossings will definitely improve exchanges, by facilitating transport, whether for imports, exports or tourism. It will also strengthen our cross border cooperation.

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■ It often seems that Romania and Serbia are fighting over the same investors and are competing for them by cutting the price of their workforce. Do you fear that the region, as some suggest, might become a new China in Europe?

- I think our primary concern should be the prosperity of our people. This cannot be achieved just by a low cost economy, which is not a healthy indicator We are confident of sustainable success; my personal ambition is to look more into the ways we can maximise our that if we stick human capital, by investing in skills in tune with to our political the needs of globalisation. There is also always competition, at a regional level, but I think our and economic common interest is to make Southeast Europe a reforms, and if shining beacon for investments.

we are willing to carry out the best in our national interests, despite political infighting, we can achieve our goal of joining the Eurozone in 2019

■ Corruption and the weak rule of law are often quoted as shortcomings in this region. Is this a prejudice or a reality; and how come establishing independent and strong judicial systems seems to be the hardest task for the region’s leaders?

- Communism has done a lot of harm, because it took the region off track, and weakened the rule of law, encouraging a corrupt system. Subsequent transitions towards mature, Euro-Atlantic societies, managed to register progress, but reforms need to continue, we are on the right track. I am personally happy to see the justice system deliv-

ering concrete results the past few years, we now have strong magistrates in Romania, combating corruption and organized crime. This can serve as a model for the whole region.

■ How would you assess the progress of the Western Balkans, and Serbia in particular, towards the EU? - It was great to see, in 2013, Serbia and the European Union signing an agreement to open accession negotiations.

Bearing in mind our experience on the EU path, we will continue to support you and help with everything we can. I am confident that the Western Balkans in general, and Serbia in particular, can achieve more progress, but the ball is in your court now. The EU has less of an enlargement friendly public opinion at the moment, but that does not mean that progress will not be supported or encouraged. The fight against corruption and organised crime are key on the Union’s agenda.

At the same time, never forget the economy, it‘s the basis for sustainable progress: economic reforms are essential to generate growth and tackle high unemployment.

It‘s important for public opinion across Europe to understand that, while we may be French, Romanian, Finnish or Portuguese, we are all Europeans and part of the same big European family

tional Bank to achieve economic targets. What we are interested in is sustainable growth, providing more prosperity to Romanians, the euro is an instrument of stability to achieve this purpose. We are very confident that if we stick to our political and economic reforms, and if we are willing to see through the best national interests despite political infighting, we can achieve our goals for 2019.

■ You are also president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Do you think that, despite defeat at the presidential elections, the PSD could still secure a substantial parliamentary majority in 2016?

- We are the biggest party in Romania, even after the liberal consolidation. Our politics is heading towards a duopoly. I am confident we will also achieve strong results in 2016: the economy is booming and we are connected to the people’s

■ As an EU Member State from this region, what lessons would you share with new candidate countries?

- Try to be focused on specific issues, particularly those marked as sensitive or as priorities by the European institutions, while having a strategic view. This is the way we managed to be very disciplined in closing till 2004 almost all negotiation chapters, and subsequently managed to devise, in cooperation with the European Commission, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), which stood at the basis of a lot of progress in the fight against corruption as well as strengthening judicial reforms.

■ Romania has a large expat population and at some point it seemed that not all EU members were welcoming Romanian immigrants equally. How would you comment on that and do you sometimes feel there are still double standards for the citizens of “old” Europe and those coming from “new member countries”?

- It‘s important for public opinion across Europe to understand that while we may be French, Romanian, Finnish or Portuguese, we are all European, part of the same big European family. Whoever is contesting this, our values, or the basis of our freedoms – including the freedom of movement – is either unknowledgeable, ill intended or a populist. Unfortunately, in crisis times, people are always looking for scapegoats, and immigrants are an easy target. We should actively fight prejudice, as well as show the truth: workers from the East are helping the Western economy a lot: they are willing to work long hours and do difficult jobs and this simply isn‘t to everybody’s liking. I am confident that reason will make people see the truth and we, as a government, are always willing to help, via political channels.

■ How realistic is the goal you’ve set for Romania to join the Eurozone in 2019?

- I think it‘s realistic. We are working together with the Na-

real agenda: jobs, pensions, stability. We will also be reforming the party substantially at our next Congress. I have a strong reform agenda in mind.

■ You have often been criticised for your government’s introduction of a lot of neo-liberal measures, even though your party is left-orientated. Is there space for left-wing parties and policies in Europe, where the right has been gaining much more popularity of late?

- There is certainly room for a strong left. The platform I was elected upon in 2012 is a social-liberal platform, belonging to the Union of th Socialists and Liberals. So, some of our measures were also centrist or right wing, while we made sure key left wing issues were put into application: we raised the minimum wage and restored pensions and salaries to pre-crisis levels, while this year we are launching an ambitious multi-year plan to combat poverty. 

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INTERVIEW

H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR Iranian Ambassador to Serbia

Time for

PRACTICAL MOVES

Relations between Tehran and Belgrade are traditionally amicable, but there is a need to translate mutual interest in cooperation into palpable results

H

.E. Majid Fahim Pour, Iranian Ambassador to Serbia, expects cooperation between the two countries to speed up soon, both through mutual visits of officials from the two countries and joint initiatives in economics, culture and technological development.

■ How would you describe relations between Iran and Serbia?

- In terms of political relations, we recently had a meeting with distinguished Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, at which it was agreed that the PM would soon appoint a Co-Chairman of the Joint Economic Commission of the two countries. It was also mutually agreed that we should not just speak, but actually work. The Serbian Minister of Education and Technological Development will soon travel to Tehran in order to take part in the Non-Aligned Movement’s Ministerial Conference of Science, Technology and Innovation. We hope that in the months to come we will see the Serbian Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Ivica Dačić and the Serbian Speaker Maja Gojkovic visit Tehran, as a return visit to that of her counterpart, Dr Larijani, who recently visited Belgrade, as well as exchanges of visits by other political officials from the two countries. For me, it is very important that officials exchange visits, because the best way to get acquainted with the positions of each side is through direct contacts, thus cooperation could be expanded and all obstacles removed.

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TERRORISM

PEACE

MUTUAL INTEREST

Terrorism in all of its forms is a threat to everybody and, therefore, everybody should cooperate in fighting terrorism.

Both countries have significant and intensive roles that are vital to peace and stability in the regions of the Middle East and the Balkans.

Considering that the economies of the two countries are complementary, the possibility exists to increase the level of cooperation much more than is presently the case.

■ Iran is said to be one of the few countries that did not interrupt its diplomatic presence in Yugoslavia or Serbia even during the times of the greatest upheavals, the wars of the former Yugoslavia and the international bombing campaign. How would you explain such relations between two nations that are quite far apart, in geographical terms?

- As I have mentioned, relations between Tehran and Belgrade are traditionally amicable, based upon a desire for friendship in both countries. Both countries have significant and intensive roles, vital for peace and stability in the region of the Middle East and the Balkans. Furthermore, both countries have always strived, and continue to strive, to broaden their good relations and this tendency could aid in the preservation of peace and stability in the regions, but could also be of national interest to both countries.

■ How do you view Serbia and its role in the region today?

- The role of Serbia today is obvious to everybody in the Balkan region. This means that we cannot detach Serbia from the peace and stability of the region and with each day the role of Serbia in this regard intensifies increasingly. The intention of Serbia to join the EU, while preserving the independence of its politics and maintaining relations with the East, for example Russia and China, and participating in NAM as an observer country, all testify to the fact that the Serbian Government is conducting wise policies. Other countries admit the reality that peace and stability in the region of the Balkans, especially the Western Balkan, is not possible without the role and presence of Serbia. Serbia’s chairmanship of the OSCE demonstrates Serbia’s importance and this duty has doubled the responsibility of Belgrade with regard to the peace and stability of the region and Europe.

■ Your last meeting with PM Vučić, in mid-January, resulted in the announcing of a joint commission between the two countries for economic, trade, scientific and technical cooperation. How much progress has been made in this endeavour?

- My meeting with PM Vučić in mid-January 2015 was useful and constructive. PM Vučić promised that in the next ten days a co-chairman of the Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the two countries would be appointed. Holding a meeting of the Joint Commission in Tehran could open avenues for the promotion and renewal of economic relations. However, the Iranian side is still waiting to host its Serbian counterparts in Tehran.

I hope we will see a co-chairman of the Serbian side appointed in the near future, so that economic cooperation between

the two countries, especially in the field of agriculture, which is mutually beneficial and interrelated, as well as cooperation in the domains of industry, tourism, science, academia, sports and culture could create pathways for the overall expansion of the two countries’ relations, which could help the peoples of Iran and Serbia improve their economic situation at the present moment of global economic crisis.

■ What will be the commission’s role and how will it function?

- The role of the Joint Commission is important and is one

Both countries are still striving to broaden their good relations and this tendency could aid the preserving of peace and stability in the regions

of the ways of developing economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation. Holding its session could be a chance for the two sides to express their positions and ideas for prospective cooperation. It is essential that officials of the two countries identify some tangible ways to broaden relations.

■ When it comes to the trade exchange between Serbia and Iran, it remains quite low compared to the level achieved during the time of the former Yugoslavia, when the annual trade exchange reached as much as a billion dollars. Is there a possibility of reviving these economic ties and in which areas could this most easily be achieved?

- Of course, during the former Yugoslavia, due to many reasons, we had a rather impressive volume of trade exchange.

However, later, following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the imposing of sanctions against the country, and due to sanctions also imposed on Iran, which Serbia resumed to uphold

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against Iran, the level of trade exchange decreased. Considering that the economies of the two countries are complementary, the possibility exists to increase the level of cooperation much more than is presently the case. Concretely, the trade exchange could be expanded in the field of agriculture and light industry products, while there is investment potential for other miscellaneous areas.

■ Developing better economic relations with Iran is complicated by the existence of international sanctions. On the positive side, these could be lifted soon if a political agreement can be reached on Iran’s nuclear programme. Will that happen by 31st March, as expected by Iran and the five countries included in negotiations?

- The Iranian negotiation team, headed by It is essential that H.E. Dr Zarif, Foreign Affairs Minister, has officials of the two had successful talks with the 5+1 Group and significant progress has been made to date. countries identify I hope agreement will be reached before the some tangible deadline. Iran has many activities within the framework of the International Atomic Enerways to broaden gy Agency (IAEA), related to peaceful nuclear relations energy, treatments, agriculture and medicine, which is the absolute right of Iran or any other country; Iran can use this right and provide guarantees, and the truth will show that Iran has respected the agreement and made good and useful progress. More importantly, the sanctions must be lifted at once, after which economic relations with other countries, including Serbia, would be intensified. At present, the world is facing economic crisis, so continuing with sanctions against Iran and Russia, or other countries, can only contribute to worsening the economic crisis and could lead to tensions and deepen the problems of the world, which desperately needs peace. Besides, these sanctions are inhumane and impact on people in many ways, for example in medical terms.

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■ The security of your region has once again become the scene of clashes – this time with members of the so-called Islamic State? How much is Iran under threat?

- Terrorism in all of its forms is a threat for everybody; therefore, everybody should cooperate in fighting terrorism. What you mention is not a serious and immediate threat for Iran, but, anyhow, Iranian security and military forces, with its power, capacity and wisdom, can cope. We condemn terrorism in all forms. Iran itself was a victim of terrorism. Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani proposed the WAVE initiative “World Against Violence and Extremism” in 2013, which was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly and unanimously adopted as a UN resolution. Currently, the Islamic Republic of Iran cooperates with Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries of the region in the fight against terrorist groups.

■ The region is additionally shaken by internal conflicts in some countries, such as Yemen. The government of your country has rejected allegations of involvement in the conflict there. Could instability in that strategically important country, coupled with existing rivalries in the region, favour extremist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS? - The Islamic Republic of Iran called on the sides involved in the internal conflict in Yemen to restrain from violence. Iran believes that national talks, peace agreements and cooperation could bring about peace and stability in Yemen. The position of our ministry is that all signatories should respect and conduct themselves according the agreement reached.

We hope that the coming together of all groups, parties, political and social movements in Yemen, in a political process on the road to achieving a national agreement, is a comprehensive political platform for achieving lasting peace and stability in Yemen.

■ Can peace be restored in the region and what would be the preconditions to achieve that?

- The region can attain peace and reconciliation, but it is hard to achieve. One of the preconditions is that foreign factors should not meddle in region. The interfering of some countries from other parts of the world affects the current crisis and this interference is not for the sake of democracy and human rights, but for oil and other natural resources belonging to the countries of the region. The great powers support dictatorial regimes and governments only due to their oil, gas and natural resources, demonstrating double standard policies that have not solved any of the problems, but rather only served to increase tensions.

■ The new crisis in the region coincides with a dizzying fall in the price of oil. How much does such a situation present a problem for the government of President Rouhani and the reforms being implemented?

- Of course, the fall in the price of oil has created a serious problem for the Iranian economy, but the Government of Dr Rouhani, who is supported by the Supreme Leader and

the people, has ensured that the necessary steps be undertaken and the budget adopted according to the oil price.

The movement of the Islamic Republic is an evolutional movement and all reforms are carried out thanks to the wisdom of the Iranian Leader, esteemed MPs and governmental officials, as well as cooperation among the legislature, executive and judiciary. â– You recently reiterated the stance that Iran will not recognise Kosovo's independence. The countries of your region are divided on this issue. What is your view?

- One of the main premises of Iranian policies is the respect of territorial integrity and the sovereignty of countries, and Iranian officials follow all developments in Kosovo attentively. We believe that all problems should be solved by negotiations and the Brussels agreement. â– You are heavily engaged in the promotion of Iranian culture in Serbia. How satisfied are you with the response of the public, which particularly values Iranian film?

- Iran has one of the richest cultures and is one of the most ancient millennial civilisations; a great portion of human civilisation was inherited from the Iranian culture and civilisation. The basis of Iranian culture and literature is friendship, kindness, love, brotherhood, equality, justice, defending the

Peace and stability in the region of the Balkans, especially the Western Balkan, is not possible without the role and presence of Serbia

oppressed and resisting the oppressor. All of this is expressed in the poetry of famous poets Hafez, Saadi, Mowlana, Khayam and Ferdowsi. It is not only Serbian people who admire our culture and civilisation, but also European, American, Asian and African people, because the message it conveys to the people is the idea of brotherhood and equality. A message of culture and civilisation can promote friendship among countries and diminish conflicts and, thus, provide conditions for cooperation in the economic and political domains. ď‚ł

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GLOBAL DIARY

DEMOCRACY 1 “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

—Winston S. Churchill, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

RIO DE JANEIRO

CARNIVAL PARADES IN RIO 2015 ▶ The Rio Samba Parade is very distinct from all other street parades held elsewhere in the world.

Despite heavy rain suddenly hitting the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Carnival started with groups of people parading through the streets playing music and dancing. The Carnival parades in Rio developed into something special, a competition between the samba schools. The main competition was originally held downtown. Until the ROMANIA

ROMANIAN EMBASSY INVITATION GAFFE

mid-80s, bleachers for the spectators were simply assembled and disassembled every year on Avenue Presidente Vargas, one of Rio’s major arteries. Then the main parades were moved to the Sambodromo, specially built for this event.

The preparation for the Samba Parade starts months in advance, as each samba school mobilises thousands of supporters who will create the various parts of the school’s display.

posing legislation to punish some of the worst abuses. A bill to be presented in the national assembly has been

▶ Romania's foreign ministry apologised after its embassy in Paris sent out invitations for a reception and accidentally attached a spreadsheet with unflattering descriptions of some of the guests.

The embassy had emailed invitations to representatives of the Romanian diaspora for a reception to mark a 10th February visit to France by incoming President Klaus Iohannis.

The spreadsheet described some guests as "undesirable" and one of them as "ghastly", according to a letter of complaint sent to the Romanian ambassador by one of the invitees, which was published in Romanian daily Cotidianul.

SOUTH KOREA

LAW AGAINST HIGHHANDED CONDUCT ▶ Resentment has mounted so much in South Korea against what has come to be known as "gabjil" (being bossy), high-handedness by the rich and powerful, that parliamentarians are pro-

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nick-named the Cho Hyun-ah law.

Cho, also known as Heather Cho, is the daughter of the chairman of Korean Air Lines and was sentenced last month to a year in prison for an outburst on a Korean Air plane while on the ground in New York, by ordering the plane she was in to return to the gate after it started to taxi.

The bill proposes banning members of powerful business families, known as chaebol, from working at their companies for at least five years if convicted of a crime. It is not clear whether the legislation will be approved by the parliament. which is controlled by the business-friendly Saenuri Party.

Did You Know?

GLOBAL

INTERNET SERVICE FOR EARTH ▶ Elon Musk, the brains behind Tesla Motors, SpaceX, Hyperloop and SolarCity, wants to build a satellite-based internet service for Earth and then do the same on Mars.

‘The system of hundreds of interlinked satellites would orbit roughly 1,200 km above Earth,” said Musk.

Tying neatly into Musk's other ventures, the Seattle-based team of 60 (which could grow to 1,000 within four years) would also work on SpaceX's Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules, plus other vehicles for transporting both people and supplies. Musk

▶ The ICC Cricket World Cup is the flagship event of the international cricket calendar and takes place every four years. The 2015 event is jointly hosted

by New Zealand and Australia from 14th February to 29th March. Cricket is one of the world’s largest international sports tournaments.

• 14 competing teams.

• Engaging one fifth of the world’s population.

• Expected television audience of more than a billion people.

• More than 400 accredited players and officials.

expects the venture to cost a cool US$10 billion.

Musk is describing it as a "global internet service provider" that would bring internet access to remote and poor regions that currently lack the required infrastructure.

UNITED KINGDOM

SARAH FERGUSON AT CHARITY FASHION SHOW ▶ Alongside top models like Naomi Campbell, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, looked radiant as she took to the catwalk in her very own style at a recent charity fashion show in London.

Donning an elegant long black dress, the duchess walked down the catwalk smiling, laughing and throwing her hands up in the air at the audience, who applauded her performance.

Naomi Campbell and Sarah Ferguson

DEMOCRACY 2 “Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.”

— George Bernard Shaw, Irish comic dramatist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature The fashion show was arranged by Fashion for Relief ahead of London Fashion Week, which officially starts on 20th February, to raise money for Ebola victims. Joining the Duchess of York and Naomi Campbell were several celebrities, such as TV personality Katie Price, singer Pixie Lott and fashion’s grand old lady herself, Vivienne Westwood.

Streep Sweep ▶ Following The 87th Academy Awards, Meryl Streep extends her lead as the most nominated actor of all time with her 19th nod for "Into the Woods." She has won three times: in 2012 as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady", in 1980 for her performance in "Kramer v.

Kramer" and 1983 for "Sophie's Choice."

Martin, one of the more colourful Canadian members of parliament, did return in time to cast his vote.

SPAIN

KING OF SPAIN CUTS HIS OWN SALARY

CANADA

CANADIAN MP’S TIGHT UNDERPANTS ▶ Canadian legislator Pat Martin offered up one of the most original excuses ever heard for hurriedly running out of the House of Commons during a vote last month: his new cheap pair of underpants was too tight.

Martin, who belongs to the official opposition New Democrats party, bolted as members of Parliament began to rise one by one to vote. He later blamed his departure on an unwise purchase at a local store.

"They had men's underwear on for half price and I bought a bunch that was clearly too small for me. I find it difficult to sit for any length of time," he told the chamber, to guffaws and applause from fellow legislators.

▶ King Felipe VI reduced his pay by 20 per cent in the latest in a string of measures he has introduced since taking the throne, in order to avoid a repeat of previous scandals.

A palace statement detailing the royal household's 2015 budget said Felipe (47) would receive €234,204, a fifth less than the amount his father, Juan Carlos, received as monarch before abdicating last June. Juan Carlos, who retains his honorary title of king, will receive €187,356.

The palace budget, which has been

King Felipe VI (left) and his father Juan Carlos

frozen or cut since 2009 as Spain suffered hard economic times, remains unchanged in 2015 at €7.8 million.

Felipe has endeavoured to improve the monarchy's image, which has been tarnished by a number of scandals in recent years.

UNITED KINGDOM

SOTHEBY’S AUCTION BREAKS NEW SALES RECORD ▶ A Sotheby’s auction featuring rare impressionist and modern works by Monet, Matisse and Picasso has bro-

broke auction records for five individual works by artists including Seurat and Malevich as bidders from 35 different countries clamoured to get their hands on the many iconic works up for sale.

The most expensive work of the night was Monet’s 1908 oil painting Le Grand Canal, which sold for £23.7m (€32.3mln) – the highest ever price for any of Monet’s Venice view works. The painting, which was part of a private collection, had been on loan to the National Gallery in London since 2006.

UNITED KINGDOM

BRISTOL TREEPLANTING PROJECT ▶ Bristol, European Green Capital for 2015, has become the first city to launch its One Tree Per Child initiative All of Bristol’s 36,000 primary school pupils will get the chance to plant at least one tree as part of a global initiative launched by the pop star and actor Olivia Newton-John, who has already planted over 10,000 trees at her home in Australia The city council will cover the cost of the trees and tools. If a school does not have spare land to plant its children’s share of the trees, the authority will find a plot for them.

ken the record for the highest sales total ever reached at a London auction.

The evening auction at the beginning of February raised an overall total of £186.44m (€251.8 mln), almost £50m over Sotheby’s estimate, and

NORTH KOREA

CELEBRATING KIM JONG IL'S LEGACY ▶ Pyongyang pulled out the stops as it kicked off celebrations in honor of late leader Kim Jong Il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 until 2011. The father of current leader Kim Jong Un, he died in December 2011 after suffering a heart attack.

Accounts of Kim Jong Il’s birth vary, but North Korea now marks

what it considers the official anniversary with the three-day Shining Star Festival.

During the festival held on 15th February at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, which continued the next day, fireworks were set off over the River Taedong , while synchronised swimmers also performed.

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INTERVIEW

VLADIMIR MILOVANOVIĆ CEO of Energoprojekt Holding a.d.

Advantage to

PRIORITY PROJECTS The well-designed intensification of public works, coupled with construction sector activity, could defuse the crisis in Serbia

I

t is difficult to simultaneously finance the construction and modernisation of roads, railways, and energy, environmental and social infrastructure, as well as healthcare, telecommunications and many other things which are required of Serbia during pre-accession talks with the European Union. That’s why Serbia should focus on a small number of well-defined priorities, considers Vladimir Milovanovic, CEO at company Energoprojekt Holding.

■ How much do you think the domestic construction industry could contribute to economic growth under current economic conditions, and what would be the prerequisites for that?

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- It is a well-known formula when a major economic crisis occurs, such as the one we have today, that one of the ways to mitigate the negative effects is the intensification of public works and encouraging activities in the construction sector, often also with focused money printing from primary issue to finance infrastructure projects.

If everyone in the implementation chain for these investments – investors, design engineers, suppliers, manufacturers and contractors – operated with respect for the existing legal framework, and if they primarily dealt with operations in the “grey zone”, this would lead to the intensification of money flows into the banking system, the collection and transfer of money would intensify on the basis of VAT, customs duties, and excise duties, employee would receive their wages with taxes and contributions paid, while the profits earned would finance development and new jobs.

The investment front There would be multiple benefits for imposed on Serbia the state and for companies, and spendthrough pre-accession ing would be encouraged, which would influence the recovery of the retail secnegotiations with the tor and related services. The second EU is too big and heavy assumption is that, as much as possifor our economy to be ble, the realisation of investments includes the engaging of local companies able to withstand the that have no intention of exporting the pressure of borrowing profits gained, but rather establishing sustainable and long term operations. and repaying loans They have knowledge, they have work-

INFRASTRUCTURE

STANDARDS

MESSAGE

Investments are intensifying in environmental infrastructure, which is necessary in terms of environmental protection, but does not yield newly created financial value.

Energoprojekt stands out in relation to the Serbian reality, because we have spent more than 50 years working abroad, according to international norms and standards.

The political message is clear that more jobs should be implemented by local companies, and we certainly welcome this.

ers; now all that’s necessary are investment in both the private and public sectors.

■ In view of its very modest borrowing capacities, the government has opted for the model of concessions and public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure projects at the national and local levels. In your opinion, how much scope is there for the domestic construction sector and will domestic companies have the necessary knowhow in projects of this kind, acquired doing business abroad?

- Concession or PPP investors realise their investments in accordance with all the rules, just like other investors and special “knowhow” linked only to the Concessionaire/PPP partner, while realisation will be implemented through tendering and contracting with foreign or domestic firms, depending on the type of concession project. So, considerable scope will certainly be created for the involvement of local firms, but only those who have the appropriate capacity and financial ability to secure regular bank guarantees, which is a problem for a large number of firms.

■ If you were to evaluate the trends in our economy and the economies of the region, in terms of the engaging of the various companies operating within Energoprojekt, what would be your assessment of the main trends in various sectors of the economy?

- The most active sectors at present are housing construction and energy, in the part of investments being implemented according to bilateral arrangements between Azerbaijan and China. Civil engineering is in a major crisis, while industrial construction, with the exception of a couple of investments, has been reduced to assembly halls and small-scale industrial production facilities. Telecommunications are lagging behind in development terms and there is insufficient investment in this sector. Investments are intensifying in environmental infrastructure, which is necessary in terms of environmental protection, but does not yield newly created financial value. The investment front imposed on Serbia through pre-accession negotiations with the EU is too big and heavy for our economy to be able to withstand the pressure of borrowing and paying back loans, so it is my consideration that we need to establish priorities and reduce that investment front.

■ The Ministry for Construction has announced that one of the provisions of the announced law on capital projects will be that each contracting party must engage local construction companies. How much can this help local builders regain their former standing?

- The law is a framework, while in practice we can see that after each capital project managed by foreigners there remain a number of sub-contractors that are smaller than when they were hired. It is very important to agree favourable contracts and administer them in a proper way. There are many exam-

More jobs should be implemented by local companies, and we certainly welcome this.

The problem at tenders for public procurement in Serbia is that the pre-qualification of firms for specific groups of projects is not carried out

ples of exploitation of the (lack of) knowledge of our smaller firms. The law is the law – and when the law is good, it is best for the market to be regulated only by the existence of healthy competition between companies operating within the framework of that same law.

■ Your company is responsible for the Prokop project. What kind of message can we draw from this project regarding the capabilities and barriers to domestic companies heading a consortium for major construction projects?

- Energoprojekt stands out in relation to the Serbian reality, because we have spent more than 50 years working abroad, according to international norms and standards. We gain jobs at tender on all markets, so for us it is no secret to understand the requirements of tenders, to organise ourselves in the best way and fulfil those requirements. The tender for Prokop was very demanding, as evidenced by the fact that we had to apply

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as a consortium of five companies in order to fulfil all the requirements of the tender, while the project is also financially demanding in terms of deadlines and cash flow. The Prokop project is particularly significant for Energoprojekt, because our goal is to finish everything that started being built way back in 1996.

have found jobs abroad in the absence of jobs at home. However, if earnings were better here they would all return. When it comes to Energoprojekt, we are not under any particular pressure of departures from the company, because our employees are able to appreciate the sustainability of their workplaces and the regular payment of salaries.

■ Do you consider that the job you recently concluded at the Kolubara coal mine, in a consortium with two local companies, as well as the previous job you

■ What are Energoprojekt’s experiences in cooperation with the markets of the countries of the region and how would you evaluate the markets of the former Yugoslav republics?

- With the exception of Republika Srpska, Montenegro and, to a lesser extent, Macedonia, the markets of the other for Yugoslav republic have more or less been, and remain, closed to companies like Energoprojekt, and frankly we did not overly exert efforts to gain work in the Yugo sphere. One should not try to find work in a foreign country where you are not welcome as a nation. Although bilateral relations have been improving between former Yugoslav countries in recent years, these markets don’t even have enough work for their local companies, which are constantly reducing, so they are not attractive to us either. The EU enlargement policy is largely also about the implementation of policies for managing markets where European companies operate.

■ To what extent are our companies able to keep up with construction industry trends – from modern building techniques to the application of new materials?

- When it comes to Energoprojekt, we have both knowledge and experience of applying new technologies. What we are lacking are serious investors who want to finance the im-

completed at RTB Bor, serve to announce that local companies will be better represented as carriers of major jobs on domestic construction sites, both in terms of the energy sector and the restoration of complex industrial capacities?

- Yes and no. The political message is clear that more jobs should be implemented by local companies, and we certainly welcome this. The problem at tenders for public procurement in Serbia is that the pre-qualification of firms for specific groups of projects is not carried out, which is common practice everywhere in the world, so the tenders include the bids of different companies that are incomparable in terms of operational capacities, or firms that “barely manage” to document their references. Then everyone gets damaged, and the most damage is sustained by investors who are legally required to grant work to the cheapest bids, although they often doubt that these companies will be able to finish projects on time and to high quality standards.

■ How much has the lack of jobs in the country led to the outflow of qualified personnel in the field of construction and where does Energoprojekt see opportunities to retain them?

- Plenty of engineers, technicians and construction workers

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The Prokop project is particularly significant for Energoprojekt, because our goal is to finish everything that started being built way back in 1996 plementation of modern technologies in projects in Serbia.

I believe that many other smaller companies in Serbia have engineers and experts who are able to follow, understand and apply new technologies.

■ Energoprojekt's first computer was installed50 years ago. How much investment is required in order to constantly harmonise IT equipment and software at Energoprojekt, to ensure the company keeps pace with the latest trends in this field.

- The pace of development of information systems, both software and hardware, with the payment of licenses for their use, is imperative if you have ambitions to carry out serious projects on the international market, but also the domestic market. Energoprojekt constantly renews and modernises its entire IT infrastructure and that incurs serious business costs, especially for a company the size of Energoprojekt – in our case that exceeds half a million euros annually.

■ You have spent years working on many markets that our companies in other domains, primarily food processing, a only just attempting to conquer – from distant regions of Russia to African markets. How it is possible to exchange experiences in varying fields of doing business and how widespread is the culture of sharing business experiences in our country?

- When it comes to doing business abroad, communication between companies has long been reduced to a personal level and there is no organised exchange of opinions and experiences. It is noticeable that our diplomatic and consular missions abroad have intensified their activities in the economic field, but after a long pause they should persevere in these activities until they achieve results.

■ You have had the opportunity to collaborate with Chinese companies on some projects. What is characteristic when it comes to doing business with partners from China?

- Like everyone operating on the international market, Chinese managers and engineers are characterised by their professionalism and their ambition to achieve maximum profits and benefits for their company. Chinese companies can be categorised as having international experience and that which they have just acquired. Negotiations on business with Chinese companies are always difficult and lengthy, and when toy do

The business plan for 2015 is not as imperilled as much as it is difficult to predict and plan future activities on different markets in the medium term

signing contracts and start working with contractual obligations, the contract provides a framework in which communication takes place and all problems are solved, so it is essential that such communication is administered professionally.

■ From the standpoint of a company that operates both domestically and on many markets elsewhere in the world, exposed to geopolitical risks, how would you assesses threats to the planned business results of the company in 2015?

- The business plan for 2015 is not as imperilled as much as it is difficult to predict and plan future activities on different markets in the medium term.

With the fall of oil prices, the strengthening of the dollar and the decline in the value of other currencies, a wave of falling prices of mineral raw materials has begun, and is likely to slow investment in developing countries, which represent our main markets. When the development of a country suddenly slows down, as is happening in many countries, it is probably due to political destabilisation, which increasingly means the total destabilisation of markets in these countries.

The consequences of the recent disturbances on the market for raw materials, metals and currencies are likely to achieve their maximum effect at the end of this year and during next. 

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B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

INTERVIEW

Deeper Reforms Demand

IVAN TASOVAC Serbian Minister of Culture and Information

YEARS OF WORK

When someone achieves the kind of success this man achieved with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, they impose a serious mission upon themselves: to outdo one's own achievements. And this is not easy for someone who spent 12 years as the director of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and only became a minister a year and a half ago. And now many would like him to have worked a miracle in such a short space of time

M

iracles do not happen despite people. They are created; they are made by individuals with their talent, knowledge and hard work. After ten years of inaction, the National Museum of Serbia and the Museum of Contemporary Art on Ušće have finally received a deadline for the completion of reconstruction. Several ministers prior to Tasovac accused each other over whose fault it was that these building had not been reconstructed and who spent more money in vain, while Tasovac himself simply announced that the two museums will open their doors to visitors at the end of this year and the end of next year, turning on the clocks to start the countdown.

With this he took on a huge responsibility.

We are not accustomed to such public promises, so this caused disbelief among many. However, Ivan Tasovac (49) is not worried about that. He decided to remain silent and work. Perhaps this was not the best tactic, because a lot of what has been done has remained unnoticed, with nobody communicating progress to the public. I was a witness in Gračanica two months ago when a newly renovated and excellently equipped culture centre opened, housing the National Theatre in Pristina, which has been without an address for 15 years. And the evening saw the performing of the successful premiere of Nenad Todorović’s musical Hotel Kosovo, whose protagonists are actors of Serbian drama. In Pristina, at the invitation of the Gračanica municipal

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REFORMS

ART

PUBLIC

Some deeper reforms require years of work. The role of a responsible politician, of course, is to try to shorten that time as much as possible.

In art, quantity rarely translates into quality. We already have hyper-production in place: exhibits, concerts, festivals, literary awards, art awards.

It is not my job to convince the public of just how important a fact it is that, after a ten-yearrecess, the Ministry bought contemporary visual artwork for the first time last year.

leadership and the theatre's director, actor and Belgrade student Enver Petrovci arrived, sharing his joy with the Serbian actors. While journalists witnessed how Tasovac was approached by the unknown world of Gračanica and the environment to thank him for enabling them to again have their own theatre, I thought about how the six ministers who preceded him had equal knowledge that the Serbian drama of the National Theatre in Pristina had been left homeless, but none of them did anything. And recently director Gorčin Stojanović has launched a new performance on the stage in Gračanica, exclusively engaging actors working in Serbian drama. They are set to perform Branislav Nušić's 1885 play Narodni Poslanik (The Parliamentarian), with the premiere performance scheduled for March.

with genuine, deep-rooted and long-term changes. What I once thought it was possible to do in a few weeks, I now see that, in politics, that can only be done over a few months.

Some deeper reforms require years of work. The role of a responsible politician, of course, is to try to shorten that time as much as possible.

Ivan Tasovac and Zubin Mehta, conductor

■ Is that why you publicly specified deadlines for the completion of two national museum refurbishments

■ However, despite many personal initiatives undertaken as minister, many today insist that this is not the same Tasovac who headed the Philharmonic.

What does he say to that?

- “I have the impression that a large part of the public would like to get into a fight with itself, or for me to at least post a Tweet about something against the government I am a member of, in order to satisfy the daily dose of popular dissent in Serbia; that same dissidence that, especially in Belgrade’s “Krug Dvojka”, falls into the decades-long tradition of Serbian elite families. After the last year and a half ago I have not changed any of my beliefs, but rather I haven’t even changed my hairdresser. I still believe in the credo of personal respon-

I think what we have here is a whining culture that has been perpetuated for decades and which, in my opinion, is now often reduced to coming up with an excuse for one’s laziness, irresponsibility and sloppiness in advance sibility. Quite simply, at the moment when you point a finger at someone and say that he is responsible for your failure, or the general situation in society, you are always pointing three fingers at yourself.”

■ What have you learned now, as a minister, that you didn’t know as an artist working in a cultural institution?

- It's all a matter of perspective and context: in real life, in relation to politics… the passage of time is different. And that is not entirely unjustified. Politics is part of the social system, and the society and the state have their own rhythm and speed of movement. Revolution does not actually occur overnight: there one should not confuse external manifestations

and the exact day when they will return to full operations?

- We set the countdown clocks at the moment we resolved all the paperwork and in a year with an extremely restrictive budget we secured the complete funding necessary to complete all works at both museums. Then we came out publicly and said: the Museum of Contemporary Art will open on 20th October 2015 and the National Museum on 10th May 2016.

By initiating the countdown clocks we took public responsibility for works that must be completed and are 10 years late, for which this government – regardless of how difficult that might be for some to recognise – is in no way to blame.

Finally, these clocks remind us that time flows continuously and that we must focus on things that are important to us, both in our private and political life, and that we are working on that with full belief and commitment.

■ You don’t think people do that?

- I think what we have here is a whining culture that has been perpetuated for decades and which, in my opinion, is now

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professional surroundings in which cultural institutions are operating and whether our audience is happy with what we offer.

often reduced to coming up with an excuse for one’s laziness, irresponsibility and sloppiness in advance. Of course, there are certain general circumstances that we have no control over, and we have to be aware of this because if we are not, and we try to be utter control freaks both in life and work, we’ll end up in a mental institution.

■ You must have cooperated with other countries and gained some perspective on their cultural environment and related problems. How does Serbia measure up to them?

- In terms of both culture and providing information, the

Ivan Tasovac and Cai Wu, former Minister of Culture of the People's Republic of China

■ Do you still maintain that festivals and other similar events are in no way a measure of the level of culture in a country?

- It seems that in the last few decades the priorities were determined in a rather provincial manner, coupled with expectations that having a number of different events will somehow raise their quality. In art, quantity rarely translates into quality. We already have hyper-production in place: exhibits, concerts, festivals, literary awards, art awards. We have hyper-production of everything.... Only by setting clear criteria and measuring units we can make a meaningful contribution to the consolidation of cultural values.

■ Which investments in culture would make sense in Serbia today?

- We should invest equally in people and capital infrastructure projects. The issue of investing should be resolved in the most democratic way possible – through public tenders where the entire civil sector is eligible to apply, including all institutions that are not funded from the state budget.

Decisions should be made in a completely transparent way.

In February a competition was launched covering 22 different areas, 16 of which were cultural and six related to the media. The majority of the commissions that decide which projects are of public importance comprise cultural activists and media & journalists’ associations, which means that the responsibility for the future of Serbian culture is divided between politics and culture. After a year and a half of working with this setup, we have come to know where we stand with certain cultural values in this country really well, and this includes everything from festivals to literary awards.

situation is similar wherever you go. The world is The issue of investing should be resolved in the most changing rapidly, particularly in terms of technology. democratic way possible – through public tenders where Every country is racing against time when it comes to having proper political and legislative support for the entire civil sector is eligible to apply, including all changes that are happening with the internet and institutions that are not funded from the state budget technological innovation. Regardless, I am not a person who is fascinated by comparisons. Back when I was at the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, people used to By doing this we are now able to determine which of them talk about the quality, importance and budgets of the Berlin, deserve to be awarded. In this way we are setting up a new New York and Vienna philharmonics. My contention was system of values. that it was a good thing that all these cities had such prestigious orchestras, but that in our case we had to make the Bel■ You are aware that the most difficult thing to do in Serbia is single out something good and make that grade Philharmonic Orchestra recognisable and respected in a measure of value; or do you claim that something our own community. Our goal was to turn it into the most cannot be considered a value? recognisable cultural institution in Serbia, then the most - I come from a family of artists. I trained to become a pianist, recognisable Serbian institution in the region. Our concert at but, as life would have it, I ended up doing what I am doing Carnegie Hall and our entire U.S. tour were simply proof that today. I remember back in the day, when I played the piano, we should not shy away from grandiose visions and plans, the Serbian cultural scene reminded me of a big dysfunctionsince they can come to fruition if accompanied by self-belief al family in which scandals happened behind closed doors. and fanatical dedication.

The moment they were made public everybody in that group In other words, our goal was never to frantically compare started to fake happiness while, by default, blaming someone ourselves to others. First and foremost, I am interested in the

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else, outside the group, for the situation in which they found themselves. This lack of self-criticism doesn’t do anybody any favours. I am glad to see that many people are ready to face up to their responsibility and do things differently. Sycophantic patting on the back might be pleasant and give you are warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is deeply parochial. And it seems to me that we have the potential to introduce ourselves with a culture that is not parochial. In order to be in harmony with the world and ourselves, we must primarily confront our own weaknesses.

■ Until recently you did not give any public statements. Is there something important that you did and

I believe that a job well done is visible. If it is not, then it hasn’t been done well enough. If we are building a sustainable development system, then good news should come from culture or the public

■ Do you know that the media think you don’t defend them enough, as the culture and information minister?

- And I think I do. For instance, we filed charges against all dailies in Serbia because none of them adhered to the legal provisions about the day of mourning. This law was passed in 2005 and the media should have been acquainted with it by now. I think the media are also being defended by being reprimanded for disobeying the law. The characteristic of any democratic society is a constant fight for freedom of expression; this fight never ends, even in the wealthiest and most developed societies. The moment this fighting stops, the basic postulates of modern democracy start crumbling.

In order for this fight to be meaningful and have any chance of succeeding, all participants – political, media or social – have to obey the law and all of them need to be equally aware of their professional duties.

■ Does the government have sufficient understanding for your suggestions and decisions?

- I’ll give you an illustration of that. Do you remember how

that people should know about?

- I was greeted with exhilaration when I took up this position and in the beginning everything looked like a big party where everybody was happy and in a good mood, and where expectations were running high. I guess that everybody wanted the Ministry of Culture and Information to become the epicentre of political entertainment in Serbia. However, this is not an entertaining job. Rather, it involves a huge amount of work. When everyone was exalted, I was serious and focused, because I knew all too well what I was getting myself into and how much time I would need to grasp the situation, put in place tools for efficient work, inspire the people I work with, make them believe what was possible and start taking baby steps towards success. Today I am happy to report that all of us are proud of our achievements. Of course, I am also aware that we can always do more and do it better.

■ You haven’t answered my question. And could you tell me whether you are mindful of what the culture sector thinks of your decisions?

- I think I am a good listener, but I have always made decisions by myself - back when I was the head of a cultural institution and now that I am minister of culture and information. Good decisions have nothing to do with consensus. Before I make a decision I make sure that I listen to the opinions of people I need to listen to, and I take full responsibility for the decisions I make. I think I was right when I did not go public with my intentions all the time, but rather only when I had something of substance to say about what we had done like participating in the Creative Europe programme or passing information bylaws. After all, it is not my job to convince the public of just how important a fact it is that, after a ten-year-recess, the Ministry bought contemporary visual artwork for the first time last year. Anybody who truly cares about Serbian culture could notice this even without me pointing it out.

Vladimir Medinsky, Russian Minister of Culture and Ivan Tasovac

many years we have been talking about the fact that the two biggest museums in Serbia were closed? And now, in this time of crisis and painful changes, we have managed to secure funding for the reconstruction of both the National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. In this way the government is showing its attitude towards culture, which is much more meaningful than any statement or sermon given about the importance of culture. Rest assured, with some people the number of their statements about the importance of culture is inversely proportional to their realistic contribution to the same.

■ Despite everything, critics will object to the fact that the budget for culture has never been this small.

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- First of all, that is not true. I think it is totally absurd to talk about budgeting at the beginning of a year. I think that should be done closer to the end of the year, when we can see what has been achieved on that budget. There is this trait in Serbia that whenever someone actually does something and does a lot of it, in spite of the circumstances, there are always people who crawl out of the woodwork and become very worried and sceptical all of a sudden and, in the worst instances, even try to be cynical and funny at the same time,

while anticipating cataclysmic scenarios that are doomed to failure. Serbia has undying devotion to Murphy’s Law and this is one of the things we need to change.

■ How important is personal contact in what you do today? For instance, famous conductor Zubin Mehta is a friend of yours and he has helped a lot in promoting the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra abroad.

- Personal contacts mean a lot, regardless of your line of work.

For me personally, the most important thing is not to use personal contacts for self-promotion, but rather in working on the priorities in culture, such as the visibility of institutions, diversity and quality. I think people with manners never talk about their private conversations with famous individuals, i.e. people who are important and renowned, whether they are artists or politicians.

■ In an organisational sense, the National Theatre could be viewed as a mastodon with a 19th-century structure. Having said that, do you think this theatre can function successfully in this way in the 21st century?

- Every country has an institution of that type. I am not fond of copying other people’s experiences, but I think that, in this

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situation, the best thing would be to have a serious debate with as many people as possible who have something to say and who are competent and professional. The topic would be the role that the National Theatre plays in the 21st century. Sorry, but I have to mention the Philharmonic Orchestra again, since it is the paradigm of Serbian culture and proof of how we stepped up to the 21st century. It seems that everybody has forgotten that I was also considered controversial initially. In 2003 or 2004 I was thrown out of the Association of Music Artists because of my, allegedly, detrimental influence on national art.

I believe that a job well done is visible. If it is not, then it hasn’t been done well enough.

If we are building a sustainable development system, then good news should come from culture or the public. We can also learn a lot from children. Whenever something nice happens to them they have a smile on their face.

And adults first smile and then start the sentence with a “but”... In order to be a more successful society, we need to omit the word “but” wherever possible. We need to stop focusing on things that haven’t been done and move forward. I believe Serbian culture can succeed and there are no “buts” about it.

Decentralisation is not possible with weak local governments. I think it is complete irresponsible for local authorities to think that it is justified to use sponsorships or €50,000 from a local budget to stage a New Year’s concert while their local theatres or museums are closed

■ People from central Serbia often complain that they don’t get enough attention for the things that happen in smaller communities. What does the “de-metropolisation” of culture actually entail?

- At the ministry we are currently working on a project under the working title Cities in Focus. Local authorities are actually going to play the main role in this project and they will approach the ministry with projects that will benefit their local institutions and culture generally in their communities. The key thing for the decentralisation of culture is to build capacities and increase the responsibility of local authorities. Decentralisation is not possible with weak local governments. I think it is complete irresponsible for local authorities to think that it is justified to use sponsorships or €50,000 from a local budget to stage a New Year’s concert while their local theatres or museums are closed. The aforementioned project will foster good ideas and good proposals and it is up to local authorities to decide what to do with them.

■ Do you still get a lot of attention because of your hairstyle or does nobody notice it anymore?

- This is a very serious question, because there is reasonable doubt that I only have enough hair left to last me two more washes. 

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B y R A D M I L A S TA N KO V I Ć

INTERVIEW

AJA JUNG Founder and Director of the Belgrade Dance Festival

Life Devoted to Dance

The main news emanating from this year’s 12th Belgrade Dance Festival, which starts on 23rd March and ends on 9th April, is that the event will be officially opened by the greatest living ballet dancer: Carla Fracci, who danced with Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov and is still able to perform despite being 80 years old. It is Aja Jung that should be credited with bringing Carla Fracci to the festival and the city of Belgrade

W

ho exactly is Aja Jung; a ballerina and a choreographer who dared to establish a dance festival in a city that had long lost its place in the ballet world and was graced by contemporary dance only in exceptional circumstances?

Being born and raised in the Belgrade quarter of Dorćol could be considered a kind of profession in its own right.

In Aja's case, Dorćol denoted her ancestry, as it was many generations of ancestors ago when her family first came to live in this quarter, considered one of the oldest in Belgrade.

She lives in the family home on Strahinjića Bana Street with her Greek husband and daughters. She runs her business from the study of her flat which, to uninformed people, resembles a company premises or an office, and yet she does everything with the help of just one associate. Just the two of them are organising this year's 12th Belgrade Dance Festival, which has developed into a significant Serbian brand over the past decade.

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Aja graduated from the Lujo Davičo Ballet High School in Belgrade and, at the tender age of 16 and a half, left for Canada to audition for their national ballet, in which she wasn’t accepted. However, she was granted a scholarship for the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, where she spent two and a half years. She subsequently moved to Germany, where she danced in the town of Bochum near Düsseldorf for six months, before eventually returning to Belgrade.

She thought Belgrade would be only a short respite before returning to New York, but in the meantime it transpired that she met with the then manager of the theatre Atelje 212, Ljubomir Muci Draškić, at the theatre’s bar. The theatre was freshly renovated and Draškić asked her to prepare something for the stage. Her suggestion was to bring in a choreographer from New York who was actually from her class. Draškić replied: “Okay, kids.

What I actually You do what you need to do and we'll see how wanted to do is to everything turns out”. What turned out was demonstrate the a ballet called Ophelia in the Mirror, with Aja dancing alongside three partners. The ballet place in which enjoyed a three-year run at the theatre and Aja did not return to New York. Instead she formed contemporary her own dance company and took Ophelia in dance finds the Mirror all over the world. She also choreographed solo dance performances in which she itself today, played Josephine Baker, Mata Hari and Meduand to present sa. For over ten years she has been creating, producing and dancing in her own ballets. choreographers When she realised she had what it took

of global repute

to ‘break free from being a prisoner of the ballet hall’ and to stage a dance in order to make it even better, she simply knew what to do next. She spent six years living on the Greek island of Corfu, which served as her base for taking her stage productions all over the world, to the biggest festivals, such as those in Edinburgh, Paris and Moscow. While a Corfu resident she was practically a mediator between the UNESCO’s office in Paris and Corfu Town.

She was also a member of the town’s assembly and went on to revive the island’s expanse. She created the Corfu Festival, was the Festival’s art director and, after Corfu was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, she continued working on the island as the Mayor’s culture advisor. She returned to Belgrade during the NATO air raids. Aja came back from Greece for good in 2002 and began contemplating what to do next.

The then director of the Belgrade Drama Theatre, Nebojša Bradić, helped her to persuade several foreign artists to have guest appearances in the Serbian capital and then, in 2004, she put together the very first Belgrade Dance Festival, which graced the stages of the Belgrade Drama Theatre and the Sava Centre.

“Since then this Festival has become my life. Today it is one of the biggest European dance events and the most prominent dancers are eager and willing to come to Belgrade,” says Aja. ■ Notwithstanding the great deal of assistance you received from Nebojša Bradić, quite a few people initially opposed your ideas?

- They were opposed to me personally, not the project. Maybe their fear is understandable, as this festival practically caused a revolution of sorts; a commotion on the national stage. At that point all we knew was related to classical ballet, while contemporary dance had this alternative touch. It often scared people away instead of drawing them in. Realistically speaking, experimental dance in the rest of the world is not really a box office breaker. What I actually wanted to do is to demonstrate the place in which contemporary dance finds itself today, and to present choreographers of global repute. That was considered pretty bold, considering that we

had spent a long time living under the impression that we were the best and self-sufficient. Then you have this festival coming out of the blue, which opened all the doors and windows and caused a huge draught. If this kind of festival were staged in Britain, France or some other European country, the first people to flock to it would be those who were actually involved in dance. It is interesting to note that, in our country, it

Maybe this festival became this big and successful because, among other things, there were so very few people who actually believed in its mission and vision

was the audience who welcomed the festival the most, and this audience had nothing to do with ballet or contemporary dance.

■ You were not discouraged by that?

- No, I was not. I am the kind of person who has had to deal with all sorts of pressures and failures all my life. I was accustomed to that, since stubbornness is a very important component that gets dancers going. If I hadn’t been figuratively tripped up and dragged down so many times, I don’t think I would have achieved all of this. It has been difficult for me, but I am grateful to my opponents for pushing me forward. Maybe this festival became this big and successful because, among other things, there were so very few people who actually believed in its mission and vision.

■ But the rest of the world was very accepting of the festival?

- In the last ten years the Festival has managed to rank itself

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high, both in Europe and the rest of the world. It was our second or third festival when we got very relevant dance companies to participate, and it was these companies that contributed to our good reputation. It was these dancers and choreographers that became our best ambassadors, and who consider their participation at the Belgrade Dance Festival as a top notch reference. The New York Times published an article about the Nederlands Dans Theater, quoting their art director as saying that the Theatre had appeared at the two best dance festivals in Europe: the Belgrade Dance Festival and the Lyon Biennale, which is more than enough for just one season. Today we are among the top three or four festivals in Europe, which is a great challenge for me, especially during this economic crisis, when we cannot afford to have big stars and the most important dance companies coming over.

■ Who was the most generous sponsor of the festival?

- That was the foreigners who were of the greatest help. We had embassies and culture centres co-funding appearances of dance companies from their respective countries, or helping us to apply for money from funds available in their countries. When their budgets were reduced they helped us to find sponsors. During the past 12 years there hasn’t been a single domestic sponsor, i.e. a company that is entirely Serbian. Our sponsors were mostly Serbian

There is no system that will provide dancers with a salary for the rest of their lives, and where the blame for failure will always be shifted to somebody else companies with foreign ownership, or rather foreign companies operating here. I am proud to say that partnerships with these companies have been long-term. For instance, our partnership with VIP has lasted eight years, while the partnership with Israel-based Doncafe has lasted 10 years.

We have great cooperation with Societe Generale Bank from France, German-owned Hemofarm, Italian-owned DDOR, Swiss company Roche etc.

■ Certain ballet dancers have raised their voices against several provisions in the Culture Law, in which the word ballet was replaced with the word dance. What is your take on this?

- This just shows one side of our mentality and folklore.

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We have immediately turned this into a scandal and huge headlines that read that the Law cites a word like circus, but there was no mention of the word ballet. Classical ballet is the name for one segment and, as such, is not mentioned in European laws either, since it is a segment of what we collectively call dance today. Dance includes classical ballet. For instance, in the whole of France only Paris and Lyon operas have ballets. The French Ministry of Culture funds around 300 dance companies; 298 of those are dance companies which are involved in contemporary dance and have modern choreographers. The rest of the world treats all this as artistic dance. Classical ballet is today like a really overpriced Disneyland and we all know that huge, classical productions cannot be staged at two theatres only dozens of kilometres apart.

■ Our ballet dancers have been permanently dissatisfied with their status, claiming that their contemporaries in other countries are in a much better position?

- That is simply not true. I don’t think we are even aware of how the status of ballet dancers is regulated in the rest of the world. There is no artist today that has a life-long contract.

All contracts with dancers in dance companies, be they big or small, are concluded for one season only. Of course, this doesn’t mean that great dancers would not remain in such a company for ten or more years, but renewal of their contracts will depend mostly on their level of fitness. Being a dancer is a very brutal profession and even children who are beginners at dancing are well aware of this. The protection that our ballet dancers enjoy is a remnant from the past, which can only still be found in our neighbouring countries, i.e. the former socialist countries. There is no system that will provide dancers with a salary for the rest of their lives, and where the blame for failure will always be shifted to somebody else. Every ballet dancer who is at the height of their game always thinks of what to do after they stop dancing; whether they will work as choreographers, teachers, managers in dance companies or something else unrelated.

They are well aware of the fact that they will not be able to get their pension as dancers.

■ What do you know about the dance scene in neighbouring countries and further away?

- Dance is very popular today and dance production around the world is very strong. Our Festival has had a great regional impact. I should mention that when we bring a huge dance company to Belgrade we make sure they are already booked for performances in Budapest, Athens, Thessaloniki, Ljubljana or Zagreb, because it is not profitable at all for them to move their entire production to Belgrade for one appearance only. There are several foundations in this part of Europe and they are very supportive of this type of contemporary creative endeavour. I would like to single out the Onassis Foundation and the Lambrakis Foundation from Greece. Apart from Canada, Israel is another country where substantial funds are invested in contemporary dance and

there are a number of good choreographers coming from Israel. This is a country that has developed a brand out of contemporary dance. This good momentum has been going on in our country too in the last two decades. For instance,

ballets in Berlin and Milan. The Nederlands Dans Theater has 78 dancers and only four are actually Dutch. It is very apparent that our dance companies and our market are closed up. What’s the reason for that? I think this is a consequence of a certain provincial cosiness typical for small areas. It is a result of living in a small, narrow-minded neighbourhood, where the only thing you can see is the house next door, since the fence is too high and prevents you from seeing anything else. The same people have held the same public functions for a very long time. The game is no longer competitive, because the players are always the same. And competition is one of the main things in our profession. Competition can only exist if there are young people, trained teachers and new choreographic creations.

Unfortunately, this is something sorely missed here.

■ It seems that Culture Minister Ivan Tasovac has great understanding for your work and it seems you didn’t enjoy the same kind of support from previous culture ministers?

- This is the first time since the founding of the Belgrade Dance Festival that the Ministry of Culture has put a stop

Competition can only exist if there are young people, trained teachers and new choreographic creations.

Unfortunately, this is something sorely missed here

leading dance companies from France or Britain employ Israeli choreographers in prominent positions. At this year’s festival we are going to have the leading British dance company, managed by Hofesh Shechter, a drummer and choreographer from Israel and a real star in London. Just like Belgrade, Sofia also has a dance festival, albeit smaller and with a more modest production. Several years after we founded the Belgrade Dance Festival and Skopje also founded its own similar festival.

■ Almost by default, dance companies employ artists from all over the world. The ballet ensemble of the Belgrade National Theatre hasn’t had a guest dancer or choreographer for years. Why is that?

- Several years ago we had the Geneva Ballet perform at our festival. This is, by the way, a very traditional opera and ballet and the Swiss Ambassador hosted a dinner party in their honour. When he raised his glass for a toast, he jokingly observed that there wasn’t a single Swiss national in the Geneva Ballet troupe. The same destiny is shared by

to the uncertainty looming over the festival in the last few years.

True, ever since the third festival we have received financial support from the Ministry, but that depended on how much the Ministry’s commission liked us. As an unwritten rule, the commission always had a poor opinion of the festival’s programme and we subsequently had to lodge an appeal with the Minister. The entire process was rather painful and it always happened when the festival had already started. This is the first time ever that I have been invited to come to the Ministry and talk about everything, including the Festival’s promotion, in a timely manner. Somebody (in this case Culture Minister Ivan Tasovac) finally took notice that we are doing something worthwhile for the city and the country and actually acknowledged that. Together with the Ministry, we have made a plan to improve certain things in order to make this event a truly flagship happening. 

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CO NFE RE NCE

FINANCE AND CONTROLLING IN PRODUCTION COMPANIES

WHO PLANS - MAKES PROFIT! Belgrade, 26th March 2015

Hotel Life Design, Balkanska 18 How is your business going?

Do you eanr a profit and how much?

Does it pay to introduce a third shift?

Do you know the cost of your goods?

Which of your customers/products are profitable and which aren’t?

How much do you need to produce and sell to break-even?

How do you define selling price or rebate policy and payment conditions?

Join us to share our experiences, because knowledge is the only thing that multiplies when it is shared!

Special guests and speakers: • Welcome speech, TANJA TODOSIJEVIC president of the Chamber of Commerce for Small and Medium Enterprises and Enterpreneurs

• EDIN DACIC owner of production companies Standard Furniture Serbia and Standard Prnjavor, companies that work under the IKEA business system

• BORO RADOICIC owner and director of Tiffany Production, whose TFY brand is one of the leading brands in the Serbian fashion industry

Join us to hear information you cannot find in books!

Participation fee: 5,900 RSD (VAT included)

svetlana.okanovic@omegact.biz +381691866365 +381112442706

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co-owner, development and production director of Bioland, one of the growing companies in the production of health food

• NEMANJA KUMBUROVIC financial controller of Agromarket Kragujevac, a business system in which several agricultural business companies operate

• MILAN MIJAILOVIC consultant and partner of Omega Consulting Team, expert in finance and financial control, certified EBRD consultant (for BAS and EGP programmes) and NARR

Contact

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• JOVAN RISTIC

• LJUBOMIR JOVANOVIC consultant of Omega Consulting Team, expert in finance and control

www.konferencija.biz

| MARCH

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT MARCH 2015

40 PAGE

48

More Stable Energy

Leader of Market and

Future for Serbia GORAN HORVAT

ACTING CEO OF KOSTOLAC THERMAL POWER PLANT

Environment DUŠAN ANTONIJEVIĆ

DIRECTOR OF THE VLASINKA FACTORY MARCH

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Standard Logistic d.o.o.

Bulevar Milutina Milankovića 25b; 11070 Beograd, Srbija Tel: +(381) 11 41 43 410; Fax: +(381) 11 61 33 192 e-mail: office@standard-logistic.com; www.standard-logistic.com MARCH | 125 | 37

DISCIPLINE

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

“Serbia is trying to do what Slovenia has done before in terms of fiscal responsibility and discipline. There is much we can learn from the government of Slovenia”

LOCAL NEWS

— ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, Serbian Prime Minister

01 INVESTMENT

Savio Firmino to Open Plant in Jagodina

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Italian company Savio Firmino will open a furniture factory in Jagodina following the signing of a protocol agreement by Jagodina Mayor Ratko Stevanović and Savio Firmino owner Savio Guido.

The Italian company will be given a hectare of land in the industrial zone of the town with complete infrastructure, where it will build a factory of 2,500m2.

Savio Firmino, a family firm founded in 1941, exports its products worldwide.

Source: Tanjug Photo: noviput.rs

Photo: noviput.rs

02

FINANCE

Serbia makes Progress in Monetary Freedom

Serbia’s monetary freedom rating has risen 5.3 points to 72.2, according to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation.

Serbia’s overal economic freedom score is 60,

ranking our economy 90th among the 178 countries covered by the 2015 Index. This score is up 0.6 points year-on-year, reflecting improvements in five of the ten economic freedoms, including monetary freedom, freedom from corruption, property rights, trade freedom and labour freedom.

Serbia has moved from “mostly unfree” to “moderately free”. Its transition to a more open and dynamic market economy will continue to require a sustained commitment to deep institutional and structural reforms, the annual guide claimed.

03 AGRICULTURE

Foreign Investors Interested in Agriculture Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Snežana Bogosavljević-Bošković, met in Paris with Stephane Le Foll, French Minister of Agriculture, and Dejan Židan, Slovenian Ministry of Forestry and Food, prior to the start of the International Agriculture Fair.

Bogosavljević-Bošković and Židan agreed that joint efforts should be invested in projects aimed at utilising EU pre-accession funds.

Cooperation in the field of food safety was also proposed in a meeting with the French Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

They concluded that French companies are now more interested in investing in agricultural production in Serbia, especially after the visit of French PM Manuela Valls.

The visit also saw the Serbian minister take part in a conference on agriculture, climate change and the role of public policies.

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Bill Gates’ 10 PIECES OF ADVICE

SNEŽANA BOGOSAVLJEVIĆ BOŠKOVIĆ and DEJAN ŽIDAN

1. Life is not fair - get used to it.

2. The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

3. You will NOT make 40,000 dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

5. If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

6. Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So, before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

7. Y our school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many tries as you need to get the right answer.

This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

8. Life is not divided into semesters.

You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

9. Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

10. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

04 TOURISM

AMENDMENT

FLU VIRUS

“Upcoming amendments to the Law on Traffic Safety will reduce the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for drivers from 0.3 mg/ml to 0.2 mg/ml.” — NEBOJŠA STEFANOVIĆ, Serbian Interior Minister

You could spread the flu virus a day before you develop symptoms. Adults can spread the flu virus up to a day before developing symptoms and 3 to 7 days after symptoms start. Children can pass on the virus for even longer

Greece and Serbia to Boost Cooperation

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

CLAUDIO SCARROZZA

NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL OF VICTORIA GROUP

ELENA KOUNTOURA (left) and LUKRECIJA ĐERI

As part of continuing efforts to boost ties and work closer in the area of tourism, the Greece-Serbia Business Council organised a meeting between newly appointed Greek Alternate Tourism Minister, Elena Kountoura, and Lukrecija Đeri, president of the Council for investment activities in the field of tourism, hospitality and resorts Capital Investment Fund of the Government of AP Vojvodina. The two were joined by the general secretary of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), Panos Leivadas, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries on issues of tourism through the joint efforts of the newly introduced GNTO office in Belgrade, expected to open this spring, and the Tourist Organisation of Serbia.

Claudio Scarrozza has had decades of professional experience and expertise in managing all agribusiness segments. He has been in top management positions at the biggest global international companies in the agriculture sector.

In the past seven years, and prior to his appointment as Director General of Victoria Group, Scarrozza had been Director General of CHS Europe and Senior Vice President of CHS Inc. He had launched and developed the company’s activities in Western and Central Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the countries of the former Soviet Union. At the same time, he completed several large-scale acquisitions thanks to which the business operations of CHS were expanded and enhanced. Scarrozza continued developing his international career as Director General of the Louis Dreyfus Commodity Company for the EMEA region. The company is a global merchandiser in commodities and processor of agricultural goods.

05 ACQUISITION

Prva Iskra-Namenska Acquires Berane-Based Poliex

Representatives of the Government of Montenegro and a consortium comprising Serbian company Prva Iskra-Namenska and Slavko Vujišić from Podgorica signed contract on the acquisition of a 50,75% stake in Chemical

company Poliex from Berane.

The tender commission told to the Mina-business agency that, in accordance with the contract, the buyer will pay €138.500 and invest €500.000 in the reconstruction of Poliex’s existing facilities, infrastructure and production processes.

In the next three years the buyer will retain the existing staff of 42 employees, who are fully employed, and secure 10 new fulltime jobs this year.

Poliex’s business comprises the safe and legal transport, storage and distribution of hazardous materials.

06 FINANCE

Serbia's Public Debt 72.3 % of GDP Serbia’s public debt increased by €457 million at the end of January 2015 compared to the previous month, reaching a total of around €23.2 billion, or 72.3 per cent of GDP, said Serbian Finance Minister Dušan Vujović in a statement. The public debt stood at €22.7 billion, or 70.9 per cent of GDP, at year’s end 2014.

ŽELJKO MASLOVAR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT KNJAZ MILOŠ

Željko Maslovar, born 1962, has amassed 20 years of experience in managerial and leadership positions in a variety of industries and countries. He spent five years in the U.S. working in the automotive industry, while he built his career in the consumer goods sector with the companies Dibek and Denmark’s Stimorol. He has been based permanently in Montenegro since 2001, first at UK company Reckitt Benckiser, followed by sales management for company Lura.

In 2005 he took on the position of executive director of Knjaz Miloš Montenegro and in February 2014 was appointed director of exports.

He was appointed executive director of company Knjaz Miloš AD on 6th February 2015.

07 MARKETING

UM Belgrade and Delhaise To Cooperate Specialised media planning and media buying agency Universal Media Beograd (UM Beograd) has a new client: Delhaize Serbia. Following a tender overseen by international audit company Ebiquity, UM Beograd received the highest score among very tough competition.

“We have a very responsible task ahead of us, as we are going to be a part of the process that will work towards maintaining the very high position of Delhaize Serbia. We will also provide our contribution to activities aimed at increasing the number of loyal shoppers on a daily basis,” says Biljana Kolaković, Director of UM Beograd.

Delhaize Serbia has several branded retail chains in the country, including Maxi, Tempo, Tempo Express and Shop & Go. The company has 385 retail facilities in Serbia and employs close to 11,000 workers.

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

More Stable Energy

Future for Serbia GORAN HORVAT

ACTING CEO OF KOSTOLAC THERMAL POWER PLANT

Kostolac currently has an installed capacity of 1,000MW and delivers about 6.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

With the new B3 unit, this output will be closer to nine billion kilowatt hours

I

t’s been 25 years since both units of the Kostolac Thermal Power Plant were built in Serbia and soon a new third unit will be built. This in itself shows that EPS (Electric Power Industry of Serbia) has out-dated capacities and that it is of utmost importance that Serbia develop its own energy sector and construct new power generating capacities, in order to benefit overall economic and social growth. Kostolac currently has an installed capacity of 1,000MW and delivers about 6.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. With the new B3 unit, this output will be closer to nine billion kilowatt hours. As far as the development stages go, the credit arrangement concluded with the Chinese partners entails two simultaneous project phases – the first is construction of a thermal bock and the second involves expanding mining exploitation in the Drmno strip mine from the current nine million to 12 million tonnes of coal a year – says Goran Horvat, acting director of the Kostolac Thermal Power Plant and Mines, when asked about the importance of the construction of the B3 unit for 40 |

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the country’s energy system and the construction phases.

- I would like to remind you that the individual contractual agreement stipulating the first phase of the project package was signed on 15th July 2010 and is valued at $344,630,000. The aim of this first phase of the project package is to extend the lifespan of the existing units at the Kostolac B thermal power plant by 15 or 20 years, increasing their existing power by an additional 60MW and ensuring environmental

protection complies with the relevant European directives, which involves constructing a flue gas desulphurisation facility and reconstructing electrostatic precipitators. We finished the rehabilitation of the B2 unit two years ago, while late last year the 350MW B1 unit began its trial run. The first segment of the credit arrangement with China entails construction of the flue gas desulphurisation facility and other infrastructural facilities, like a dock on the Danube and an 18-km-long railway that will primarily serve to transport limestone for the desulphurisation process and new equipment.

■ Which part of the project will be implemented by domestic companies and how much is that part of the project worth?

- The aforementioned arrange-

done by our Chinese partner, the CMEC Company, which is definitely going to engage a number of domestic companies that are competitive with their prices and quality of work.

Some 42 domestic companies were hired on the works stipulated in the first stage of the credit arrangement, so it is safe to say that quite a few domestic companies will be asked to participate in the second phase of this international credit arrangement concluded with our Chinese partners.

The value of the second phase is $608 million, which speaks volumes about the reasons why domestic companies should strive to ensure the Chinese partner picks them. The remaining funds will be provided by EPS and the state. The contract also entails expansion of the Drmno strip mine, which will cost $97.6 mil-

The value of the second phase of the credit arrangement with the Chinese is $608 million, while the contract also entails expansion of the Drmno Mine, which will cost $97.6 million

ment, which entails up to 49% of commissioned companies being domestic, creates prerequisites for the start of an important investment cycle in our country, for the revival of the Serbian electrical machine building sector and construction industry, and for the creation of new jobs. The work is

lion. Of course, Serbian machine building companies also have an opportunity to get on board with this project.

■ What types of professions will be in demand once this unit becomes operational and can Serbia provide such pro-

fessionals?

- They are highly specialised professions and, yes, we do have such people in our country. In terms of the work involving the new unit, we need people who are versed in thermal energy, electrical and mechanical staff, while for the work on the Drmno Mine we are going to need mining professionals, also electrical and mechanical staff and other specialised workers. I can say that the schools in our country produce highly specialised workers who are educated to do the work on thermal power stations and mines. Unfortunately, the biggest problem is that it takes between four and five years to make an expert out of such a worker. This is a fact and that’s why we should already think about young new professionals who are willing to be trained to work on this new

2025 which clearly stipulates that renewable energy sources will also be developed, and this applies to Kostolac in part. There are also plans to construct a 30MW wind farm.

and 16 per cent of all electricity produced in our country today, hence units B1 and B2 are definitely of vital importance to the stability of the country’s energy system. Once the third unit is

Kostolac generates between 15 and 16 per cent of all electricity produced in our country today… and once the third unit is built, Kostolac’s total installed capacity will be approximately 1,350 MW, which will account for between 22 and 23 per cent of the total electricity output in Serbia

unit and new systems at our mines. All the indicators suggest that we are an ‘old’ company in terms of the average age of our workers and experts. EPS should recognise this problem and hire a certain number of production workers, engineers and other experts ASAP.

■ With these new capacities, do you think the Serbian energy system will be able to fully serve the country’s economy, which is expected to pick up in the next few years?

- That is difficult to conclude, but it will certainly ensure the system’s stability. This new capacity comes at the last minute and we are aware that, with the economy growing, consumption of electricity will also increase. EPS has a development strategy until

■ How much will the rehabilitation of the existing units and construction of the new one contribute to the country’s energy stability?

- Kostolac generates between 15

built, Kostolac’s total installed capacity will be approximately 1,350 MW, which will account for between 22 and 23 per cent of the total electricity output in Serbia.

This will ensure increase in over-

all power production and Kostolac will provide additional power to the market. In terms of environmental standards, all of our projects comply with the strictest European standards. This pro-

ject involves implementation of modern technology and technical standards, all important elements of environmental protection and some environmental protection segments that are yet to come.

The cost of constructing this unit, as stipulated in the contract, is around €1,440,000 per megawatt of power, while the average construction cost of similar units in the Europe, with supercritical parameters, is over €2 million.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that we are going to use equipment of poorer quality. The contract stipulates a mandatory quality control of delivered equipment to be carried out in accordance with European standards. The reason for this is that this new unit has to be as good as other units that are currently being built in modern European companies. When you have such capacities at your disposal, you shouldn’t have any problems with your output in the next 30 years, which, in turn, will increase the stability of the country’s energy sector and ensure Kostolac’s contribution to the realisation of EPS’s goals. ■ MARCH

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TRUST

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

“The most important thing is that there is mutual trust, which was even enhanced with Vučić’s visit to Slovenia at the political level, but also at other levels”.

REGIONAL NEWS

— MIRO CERAR, Slovenian Prime Minister

01 MACEDONIA

State-Owned Business Offices for Sale

02 HUNGARY

Four Trading Houses Open in Russia

The Macedonian Government has decided to sell 1.000 state-owned business premises. The first 100 offices, located in 19 towns and cities, were offered for sale via online public bidding in mid-February.

The premises, covering a total area of 7.253 square metres, have an initial estimated value of over MKD 300 million (€4.8 mln). The tender, scheduled to run for 30 days, launches a procedure for the sale of a total of 1,000 offices following a decision reached by the government upon a request by the business community.

Most of the state business offices offered in the upcoming announcement are located in Skopje (22), followed by Kicevo (11), Kumanovo (9), Tetovo and Bitola (8) and Stip (7).

03 BULGARIA

Hungary has opened four trading houses in Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Rostov and St. Petersburg to help Russian and Hungarian SMEs develop their market share and cooperate mutually.

The expansion of economic and trade relations between the two countries is particularly timely, with sanctions imposed last year on Russia by the European Union causing Hungarian exports to Russia to fall by 14 per cent, representing a loss of $400-450 million.

Hungary also asked the Russian side to revive the Magnit investment project, which was agreed prior to the imposing of sanctions on Moscow. Magnit, Russia’s largest retail chain, is expected to establish a transport company in Hungary along with 1,000 trucks and retail infrastructure, thereby creating 1,500 new jobs in Eastern Hungary.

Energy Sector In State of Financial Collapse Minister TEMENUZHKA PETKOVA

Bulgaria’s energy sector is in a state of financial collapse and in need of urgent and adequate measures, according to Minister Temenuzhka Petkova.

Petkova warned that rescuing the energy sector, and therefore the entire economy, could require unpopular steps.

Bulgarian government had signed a memoran-

dum of understanding with the two US-owned thermal power plants, AES-3C Maritza East 1 and ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3. The terms of contracts were to be renegotiated by end-March and Bulgaria had to come up with a solution for the settlement of arrears of over BGN 600 M of the stateowned power supplier National Electric Company (NEK) to the two TPPs in the meantime.

Petkova also explained that Bulgaria had not yet received any official statement on the part of Gazprom concerning the South Stream gas pipeline project.

VIKTOR ORBAN and VLADIMIR PUTIN

10 THINGS

YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK

04 MONTENEGRO

New Investments in Tivat Airport The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is considering granting Tivat Airport a €20 million loan to construct a second terminal building, with capacities at Montenegro’s busiest airport becoming stretched to the limit. The EBRD signed a mandate letter with Airports of Montenegro, according to which the bank will now study the multi-million euro terminal project before approving funds. The entire project, to cost €40 million, includes the construction of a brand new terminal building, runways, an apron and a parking area. “It is important to note that the EBRD did not request guarantees from the government, taking into consideration Airports of Montenegro’s integrity and long-lasting relationship,” said the operator’s spokesperson.

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Tivat Airport

If you want to save yourself some time, money and frustration, here are the five things anybody must know before advertising on Facebook: 1) You need to set up a Facebook Fan Page for your business, brand or cause that you want to promote.

2) You then need to identify your target market.

3) You need to have a specific goal and your website needs to convey that goal.

4) You need to create a few ads and split test them to see which one does best.

5) You need to measure your results.

BASIC “The visit by the Serbian delegation was proof of the high level relationship between the two countries and a good basis for economic cooperation and prosperity”. — NIKOLA GRUEVSKI, Macedonian Prime Minister 05 KOSOVO

06 ROMANIA

More Trade with Serbia than Albania

Premium Wine Producer’s Revenue Up 70% ELISA SPIROPALI, Head of Albania's customs office

Aggravated relations between Kosovo and Serbia are not causing a decline in the number of Serbian products exported to Pristina.

According to the latest statistics, Serbian imports amounted to 14%, while, surprisingly, Albanian imports amounted to 6%. The head of Albanian Customs, Elisa Spiropali, expressed her surprise with this fact.

“We call each other brothers, but when it comes to commerce, we prefer Serbia over our country. This is not right and we must do more in order to lift barriers and the mentality that exists between Kosovo and Albania,” said Spiropali.

India has more post offices than any other country in the world (over 100,000)

DID YOU

KNOW?

Romania’s premium wine producer, the amb Wine Company, part of amb Holding, saw its turnover increase to RON3 million (€675,000) in 2014, represents a 70% increase on the previous year. The company, owned by Austrian businessman Alfred Michael Beck, invested €1 million in the expansion of its wine cellar last year.

The amb Wine Company owns some 53 hectares of vineyards in the Transylvanian wine-producing area of Lechinta and near the village of Batos (Mures and Bistrita Nasaud counties). Since 2011 the company has invested a total of €7 million in vineyards and the winery, which has a production capacity of 260,000 liters.

This year the wine producer hopes to increase its turnover by a further 30 per cent, with a focus on consolidating its business.

07 ALBANIA

08 CROATIA

Biggest Mall For Sale at Auction

Swiss to Invest €1.5bln to Develop Šibenik Suburb

City Park mall in Tirana

Tirana’s City Park Mall, one of Albania’s biggest, most luxurious shopping centres, has come up for sale at auction. Administrators “Executores Litium” announced the decision to sell all properties of this retail centre, which is situated in the commercial area alongside the Tirana-Durres highway.

The initial price is €25 million.

According to the centre’s website, it covers an area of around 240,000m2 and has more than 180 shops and entertainment spaces.

Considered one of the points of pride of Albanian business,the details as to why City Park is up for sale have yet to be made public.

It was opened on in 2009 by AM Group, which took out a loan from Tirana Bank, a branch of Greece’s Piraeus Bank.

Source: IBNA

Zablaće

Swiss company TFI Holding is set to invest €1.5 billion in a tourism project in the southern Croatian town of Šibenik. TFI Holding has already invested €60 million to purchase land in Zablaće on the outskirts of Šibenik, in preparation for the project.

“We are prepared to invest in the entire settlement of Zablaće,” noted TFI Holding official Jean-Paul Uldry, adding that work on the project has already lasted seven years. Construction works are expected to start before the end of the year, when it is hope the the Zablaće urbanisation plan will be completed.

The Swiss company would practically build an entire new part of the town for 2,500 people. The project will include hotels, villas and a marina, but also medical services, a nursery, etc. Source: Croatian Times

09 BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

New Coal-Fired Plant in Banovici Bosnian mine operator Banovici has picked four companies for the final round of a qualifying tender to finance and build a 350 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant, the majority state-run company announced in late February.

The new plant will burn coal from the adjacent Banovici brown coal mines. Its construction is scheduled to start next year and the plant is due to be connected to the grid by 2020.

The three main bidders include Chinese companies Shanghai Electric Group Co., China Gezhouba Group and Dongfang Electric Corp. A consortium led by Spain’s

Abengoa SA, which includes China’s Harbin Electric, has also qualified for the next round of the tender.

Banovici coal mines are among the largest in Bosnia, with reserves estimated at 147 million tonnes and average annual output of 1.5 million tonnes.

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THE 2015 KOPAONIK BUSINESS FORUM “SERBIA 2015-30: NEW VISION FOR INDUSTRIALIZATION OF THE ECONOMY AND MODERNIZATION OF THE SOCIETY How to Make the Invisible Visible”

March 3-5, 2015

TO RECEIVE YOUR COPY OF THE 2015 KOPAONIK BUSINESS FORUM 44 | 125 | M A R C H

March 3, 2015 Playing to Win Instead of Playing to Play March 4, 2015 National Strategy for Economic and Social Development: Serbia 2015-30 March 5, 2015 Industrial Policy: Conceptual Platform and Key Policy Measures

OFFICIAL PREVIEW GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT office@aim.rs MARCH |

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PROPOSITION

BUSINESS DIALOGUE

“Our proposition will be written in such a way that it will cover both the demands of the Greek side and the head of the Eurogroup”.

WORLD NEWS

— YANIS VAROUFAKIS, Finance Minister of Greece

01 CHINA

02 NORWAY

Silk Road Fund to Aid Long-Term Projects The Silk Road Fund, announced by Chinese president Xi Jinping on Nov 8 last year, has started operating. It will target medium- and long-term projects that have strategic significance to support the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. The fund focuses on stimulating and facilitating Chinese investment in Africa.

But unlike private equity funds, which usually focus on investment periods of seven to 10 years, the fund will have an investment horizon of 15 years or more to support infrastructure development such as road and rail projects in developing economies.

“The ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative is far-sighted, because it is flexible in terms of geographic boundaries and will cover a large number of de-

Statoil Gives Go-Ahead For $29 bln Oil Project

veloping countries. The fund will make overseas investments using the country’s “excessive deposits”, including foreign reserves ,” said People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan The first phase of funding is $10 billion, of which $6.5 billion will come from foreign exchange reserves.

Norway’s Statoil is moving ahead with plans to develop a giant $29 billion oil field, Europe’s costliest offshore energy project, expecting to produce some of the world’s cheapest oil that will be profitable even after the recent price crash.

Statoil would start the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea by 2019 and expected to produce up to three billion barrels of oil equivalents (boe) over 50 years, giving Norway’s fading oil industry a second life.

The project is expected to break even at under $40 per barrel, giving Statoil a huge margin. Once the project is running, operating costs are seen under $5 per barrel.

03 UK

Man Group to Buy NewSmith's Investment Business The world’s biggest listed hedge fund company, Man Group had agreed to buy the investment management business of NewSmith.

NewSmith, which is 40 per cent owned by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, has offices in London and Tokyo with four fund management teams investing in British, European, global and Japanese equities.

“The acquisition brings a new dimension to the firm, including a Japanese hedge fund and an excellent team in Tokyo, as well as adding further scale to our London business,” said Luke Ellis, president of Man Group.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

5 THINGS

SUPER SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO BEFORE 8 AM

04 US

Apple Goes Solar in 'Boldest Project Ever' U.S. technology giant Apple will spend nearly $850 million (€751 million) on a solar energy project that will generate enough power for the company’s new corporate headquarters, retail stores and other operations in California.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told a Goldman Sachs investor conference mid last month that the U.S. tech giant was planning to build a 530 hectares solar farm in Monterey County, California, just a few hours south of corporate headquarters in Cupertino.

About €751 million had been earmarked for Apple’s “biggest and boldest project ever,” Cook said.

Cook said the solar farm would be able to produce enough power for almost 60,000 California homes, or translated another way, enough energy to fuel Apple’s new spaceship-like campus, which is still under construction, as well as all of its retail and data centre locations in California.

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1

Exercise 2

Map Out Your Day 3

Eat a Healthy Breakfast 4

Visualisation 5

Make Your Day Top Heavy

05 TURKEY

YES OR NO

WORLD’S RICHEST FAMILY

“It’s not about extending a credit programme but about whether this bailout programme will be fulfilled, yes or no”.

The Rothschild family, descendants of Mayer A. Rothschild, is believed to be worth a combined total of over a trillion dollars - thought to be the largest private fortunate in world history.

— WOLFGANG SCHAUEBLE, German finance minister

06 AZERBAIJAN

Developing Eastern Black Sea Into Water Tourism Hub

Azercell Telecom’s Investments in Azerbaijan’s Economy Exceed $2bln

The Eastern Black Sea Development Agency (DOKA) is aiming to establish a “Blue Route” in the eastern Black Sea of Turkey with the aim of introducing new tourism alternatives to the region, a project that foresees a minimum 200 million-Turkish Lira (€72mln) investment .

DOKA representative said the number of foreign and local tourists visiting the eastern Black Sea had jumped by a quarter over a year to 5 million in 2014 The “Blue Route” project includes plans to build a cruise port in Trabzon, a water sports center in Artvin and a yacht marina between Trabzon and Ordu, rafting areas on creeks and projects to support sailing, Kaldırım said.

Azerbaijan’s mobile communication operator, Azercell Telecom, in 2014 invested 57 million manats ($72,5 million) in the development of the country’s telecom sector, as compared to $107.5 million in 2013, said Vahid Mursaliyev, Azercell acting president.

The company’s total investments in Azerbaijan’s economy throughout 18 years of activity in the country stood at $2,1 billion.

Last year, Azercell Telecom installed 169 new base stations providing high-quality voice and Internet connection throughout the country. There were a total of 4,690 base stations of the company in Azerbaijan by late 2014.

Azercell Telecom was founded in 1996.

The company owns 51.3 per cent of the mo-

VAHID MURSALIYEV, Azercell acting president

bile market in Azerbaijan. Azercell’s network covers 99.8 per cent of the population.

The company has over 4.5 million subscribers.

07 SPAIN

08 ISRAEL

Record Public Debt

Israel to Launch $4bln Wave of Privatizations

Spanish public debt reached a new record in 2014 of €1.03 trillion. The increase in passive debt was €67.777 billion over the year, some €186 million a day.

Debt is now at 97% of GDP and it is expected to go over 100% later this year for the first time in a century.

A decade after its last privatisation programme, the Israeli government aims to sell all or part of eight companies and two ports by 2017, raising around 15 billion shekels ($3.9 billion). Of the 87 companies that remain in government hands, the 10 set to be sold generate nearly 90 per cent of revenue. With Knesset elections set for this month , a new government may not be in place until the middle of 2015, but that should not stand in the way of the govern-

ment floating up to 49 per cent of the Ashdod port – one of two main seaports on the Mediterranean coast. A minority stake in Israel Natural Gas Lines will also be sold, along with the full privatisation of Israel Military Industries – the developer of the Uzi submachine gun and other iconic Israeli arms and ammunitions – and the issuance of tradable bonds in the country’s railway and electric utility.

As part of the sell-off plan, which will help pay down Israel’s debt and improve efficiency, Israel also aims to privatise or sell minority stakes in Israel Electric Corp, Israel Railways, water company Mekorot, the Israel Postal Authority, the Haifa seaport and defence contractors Rafael and Israel Aircraft Industries - all on the Tel Aviv market.

For the time being, Israel will retain control of the defence firms and utilities, mainly for geopolitical reasons.

09 INDONESIA

Indonesia Plans to Earn $4bln From Marine Tourism The Indonesian government has set a target to earn $4 billion from marine tourism this year. “It is ironic that marine tourism just contributed 10 per cent (of the total tourism earnings),” said Arief Yahya, Minister of Tourism. “ Our marine tourism potential is huge and surpasses that of Malaysia, which earned 40 per cent of its tourism revenue from marine tourism. Therefore, we will double the target from 10 to 20 per cent over the next five years,” he stated.

The foreign exchange earnings from marine tourism are expected to increase from $1bln to $4bln.

Indonesia plans to lure luxurious cruise ships and yachts to bring tourists to the worlds largest archipelagic nation.

MARCH

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BUSINESS DIALOGUE

INTERVIEW

Leader of Market and

Environment ROSA WATER EARNS EWS GOLD LEVEL CERTIFICATION

The Vlasinka factory and its product, Rosa water, consolidated their position as the leader on the still mineral water market, earning the prestigious Gold level certification of European Water Stewardship (EWS) for environmental standards, which is awarded by the European Agency for the management and protection of water

S

peaking to CorD, Dušan Antonijević, director of the Vlasinka factory, notes that EWS Gold level certification confirms the genuine success of the company’s numerous long-term initiatives aimed at ensuring the responsible use of resources.

■ Where do you see the significance of the EWS Gold certificate for Rosa drinkers?

- This certificate is confirmation that the Rosa water factory meets the highest standards in the conservation of nature and natural resources, and that it does not cause a negative impact on the ecosystem in which it operates.

Our consumers have another reason to believe that we respect nature and that our operations do not endanger the environment.

■ What are the criteria for this certification to be awarded?

- EWS makes an assessment

based on optimal consumption for the purposes of bottled water, chemical qualities and biological elements of the water we return to natural flows, responsible management of water sources and their preservation. We responded to all requirements with flying colours and received the most prestigious of the three certificates awarded by EWS.

also includes restoring natural water flows. This means that after the process in the factory and purification, we return natural flows to nature and return high quality water, without any negative impact whatsoever. In short, the responsible management and conservation of sources is contained in the Rosa slogan “When nature endures, nature provides”.

■ You mentioned that the Vlasinka factory has no negative impact on the eco-system within which it operates. How is this achieved?

- In recent years we have invested over €5.2 million with the aim of achieving more efficient production and greater environmental protection. From 2006 onwards we have reduced energy consumption per product unit by 34.6 per cent and waste generation by 45 per cent, while recycling has increased by 20 per cent. Moreover, through various initiatives from 2006 to the present day, the weight of the Rosa bottle itself has been reduced

Vlasnika is the first water bottler in Serbia, but also in Europe, to have introduced the eco bottle, which is 30 per cent made from plant origin materials ■ What does the responsible management of sources entail?

- The responsible management of sources involves the rational use of springs themselves, as well as taking care of the springs and the zones around them. This

We strive not only to ensure that nature endures, but also to promote responsible behaviour towards nature, as well as educating our employees and customers in order to ensure the existence of these resources in the future.

by 30 per cent. Additionally, our bottle is also 100% recyclable.

We are proud to be the first in Serbia, but also in Europe, to have introduced the eco bottle, which is 30 per cent made from plant origin materials. ■

RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING RESULTS Chairman of the European Water Partnership, Tomas Vereijken, praised Rosa water andf the Vlasinka factory for outstanding achievements in the field of natural resource management.

The fact that Rosa received EWS Gold level certification means that it is a leader in the field of water management and environmental protection within the community. Likewise, it also shows that the company

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uses innovative and the most advanced technology in terms of operations related to the use of water at springs themselves. Rosa is among the rare brands that took the initiative to be among the first to satisfy the EWS’s certification standards, with which the company showed it is aware that it has a responsibility to reduce the use of natural resources and optimise their effective utilisation - said Vereijken.

AFTER WORK

03 FEB

SAM POST-HOLIDAY RECEPTION

HOM PARVIZ and JELENA BULATOVIĆ

06 FEB

09 FEB

The Serbian Association of Managers began its 2015 activities with its “After Holiday” cocktail reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Vojka Glišović and the hotel team, as is now tradition, hosted the first gathering of the year, at which SAM members had the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant evening.

The guests were initially greeted by Hyatt Regency Belgrade General Manager, Hom Parviz, while the SAM representative was Executive Director Jelena Bulatović, who has announced that this year would also be marked by new and high quality events. The rest of the evening saw SAM members enjoyed the exceptional offer of the Hyatt Regency’s elegant and modern Metroplitan Grill restaurant.

MEMBERS DINNER

“Serbia is well on its way to joining the European Union”, said former vice-president of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, Guenter Verheugen, speaking as the guest of honour at the DSW Members Dinner on 9th February at Belgrade City Hall. The dinner followed the "Belgrade dialogues" event, organised by Forum Serbia Germany and the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence. Commissioner Verheugen criticised the European Union for being too slow regarding the integration of Serbia and other Western Balkan countries.

TEDIUM OR THE CRY OF THE YOUNG GENERATION!

The second exhibition of the SAVAMALA Collective association was held at Belgrade’s Štab Gallery. This time graphic designers were asked to create works responding to the question "What do you find tedious?"

The SOS exhibition saw 10 young designers offer their vision of transience, laziness, impositions, thereby expressing their views of the tedium of the 21st century.

Some of the works show public transport, some urban life and ambivalence, while some depict technology as the source of tedium...

Relja Bikić, a young designer and one of the founders of the SAVAMALA Collective, uses his works to address technology: "To me as the first association of tedium was the craziness of new technologies that deprive us of humanity, and above all young people, who, like it or not, become technologies’ slaves," says Bikić.

ERNST BODE CEO, Messer

SLAVKO CARIĆ CEO, Erste Bank

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AFTER WORK

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HEMOFARM FOUNDATION AUCTIONS PAINTINGS

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NELT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME NELT’s one-year educational programme, entitled “Interdisciplinary cooperation as a potential for the development of young professionals in art, science and new technologies”, which is being implemented by NELT in cooperation with the G12HUB Gallery, is set to continue this year with public lectures by Nemanja Mosurović, covering the topic of “Contemporary Applied Music”, and Dimitrije Dinić, on the topic of “Interactive Interface Design and Interactive Sound”.

The aim of the one-year NELT Educational Programme is to present university students with skills and techniques of combining art, technology and science for applied purposes.

In addition to basic workshops, the programme includes organised expert visits to institutions and companies.

A charity auction of the Hemofarm Foundation saw the sales of 33 of 50 paintings, leading to the collecting of more than €15,000 for the reconstruction of the city’s oldest children's theatre, Boško Buha.

As part of the Svim Srcem (With all my heart) campaign, the Hemofarm Foundation offered 50 valuable works by local authors gained during more than half a century of its existence. The auction took place at the city’s Dom Vojske army house. The highest price, €1,400, was paid for Mikhail Bate Protić’s "Landscape" picture, followed by Nikola Graovac’s "Still Life" and "City View" by Rista Kiperaš.

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The first day of the 2015 Belgrade Tourism Fair swathe signing of a cooperation protocol agreement between project participants: Royal Spas of Serbia (KBS) and the Arabian Business Club (ASADEKA). The signing ceremony was attended by a number of renowned figures, including the ambassadors of Arabic countries in Serbia, government representatives and representatives of the tourism segment, various chambers of commerce, associations and media companies.

The goal of this protocol agreement is to establish links between eight royal spas in Serbia – Koviljača Spa, Sokobanja, Vrnjačka Spa, Bukovička Spa, Vranjska Spa, Ribarska Spa and Niška Spa – and Arabic countries in matters relating to health tourism and investing.

The signing ceremony was officially opened by Ljiljana Rebronja, Editor-in-Chief of World of Tourism magazine and author of the Royal Spas of Serbia project.

RONALD SEELIGER CEO, Hemofarm

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RECEPTION FOR BSCC MEMBERS AND PARTNERS

Sir Paul Judge, Chairman of the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, hosted a reception for BSCC members, partners and prospective members at the Helga Pub in Belgrade.

The BSCC represents a platform for networking and exchanging ideas, experiences and information on doing business in Serbia, as well as promoting communication and lobbying in the interests of all member companies, trade, and the associating of chambers of commerce.

Guests of the event spent several hours talking, networking and getting to know each other in pleasant surroundings.

SIR PAUL JUDGE and JAMES THORNLEY, National Senior Partner, KPMG

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MICHAEL DAVENPORT (left), AJA JUNG, IVAN TASOVAC and ANDREAS GRAF

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SERBIA ON THE WORLD DANCE MAP

LEADERS OF CHANGE 2015

A ceremony at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel saw the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia (AmCham) present its Leaders of Change award for the second consecutive year. The Special jury and members selected the winners of seven awards, including Telenor Bank, Ove Fredheim, Stanko Pejanović, Marko Kovačević, NIS and Alexander VratonjićGligorijević. A special awarded was presented to Bojan Mirosavljević.

Telenor Bank won the Leader of Change award, while the Business Ambassador of Leader of Change was confirmed as Telenor CEO Fredheim.

OVE FREDHEIM

A press conference at the National Assembly officially announced the upcoming 12th Belgrade Dance Festival, to run from 23rd March to 9th April. The 12th BDF, with the support of Vip mobile, will provide the public in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pančevo and Vršac with the opportunity to see some of the latest achievements on the world dance scene.

The festival was announced Maja Gojković, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ivan Tasovac, Serbian Minister of Culture and Information, Michael Davenport, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Aja Jung, director of the Belgrade Dance Festival, and Andreas Graf, Director and CFO at Vip mobile. Those in attendance were also addressed by the ambassadors and representatives of the culture centres of participating countries.

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IZAZOV 2015 FORUM HELD

The Marketing mreža (network) portal successfully organised and held the first regional forum of communication leaders - IZAZOV (CHALLENGE) 2015, which included the participation of more than 150 experts from the fields of marketing and communications.

Participants had the opportunity to define the biggest challenges facing the profession in 2015.

Ivana Parčetić Mitić, founder and editor of the Marketing mreža portal, noted that the forum provided a great opportunity for leaders in communications to discuss trends and ways to overcome challenges successfully.

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CULTURE CALENDAR

MUSIC

GEORGE DALARAS

Sava Centre, 10th March @ 20.00 Famous Greek singer George Dalaras will hold a concert at the Sava Centre on 10th March as part of the 16th annual Guitar Art Festival. This will be the fourth concert in Belgrade for one of the greatest singers of traditional rebetiko music. In addition to performing numerous songs from his 40-year career and introducing new material, the concert marking the opening ceremony of the International Guitar Festival will be the first presentation of the art of playing bouzouki and rebetika music on guitar.

The legendary singer this year completed his "Kavafis" project, which combines the verses of Greek poet Constantine Kavafija, performed by the famous Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Vienna Academy Choir, with Dalaras featuring as a soloist. This album is another addition to an already impressive discography consisting of 85 solo albums sold in close to 20 million copies, as well as more than 70 albums recorded with other greats, such as Mikis Theodorakis, Sting, Paco de Lucia, Al di Meola and Bruce Springsteen, or in cooperation with Institutions such as the Dutch Metropole Orchestra, Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra and the Choir

German opera. He has also performed numerous times at the request of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Nelson Mandela, the Parisian "Olympia", London’s Royal Albert Hall or the United Nations for a unique concert at the ancient amphitheatre in Delphi. During his four decades on the scene, Dalaras has performed thousands of concerts, two of which – held in 1983 – were historic events held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, with over 160,000 spectators in attendance.

FEST AMIRA MEDUNJANIN

Sava Centre, 14th March @ 20.30

VA R I O U S L O C AT I O N S , 1 8 T H F E B R U A R Y – 8 TH M A R C H

Singer Amira Medunjanin will return to Belgrade on 14th March with a concert at the Sava Centre that will promote the acclaimed current album “Silk & Stone”.

TONY CETINSKI

Sava Centre, 13th March @ 20.30 Following successful concerts at Novi Sad’s Spens Arena and Belgrade’s Kombank Arena, Tony Cetinski will perform some of the most romantic hits from his long and successful career on 13th March at the Sava Centre.

Cetinski's rich musical career has been marked by countless memorable performances, albums and hits. His love of music, energetic performances and vocal abilities delight all those who attend his concerts. What his fans like most about Tony is his natural demeanour on stage, as well as the energy that seems to be aimed at each visitor individually.

The Sava Centre invites you to attend another spectacular Cetinski performance and join the artist in singing some of his biggest hits, like "Zablude", "Opet si pobjedila", "23 prosinac", "Ako to se zove ljubav", "Kad zena zavoli" etc.

“It must be noted that performing in Belgrade is always more than a concert for me. I also think that since my last concert at the Sava Centre I owe the audience some songs that have been left out because it did not fit that moment. So, on 14th March we will hang out a little longer than usual. We have a lot to say,” announces Amira.

This world-renowned singer thrilled the Sava Centre audience with her first successful concert in the city at the Sava Centre this winter thrilled the audience with inspiring performances of traditional music, such as "Ah šta ćemo ljubav kriti", "Kradem ti se u večeri", "Kaleš bre Anđo", "Mito bekrijo", "Zajdi, zajdi", "Što te nema" etc.

16th GUITAR ART FEST various locations, 10th-15th March

The Guitar Art Festival enjoys the status of being one of the biggest and most prominent classical guitar festivals in the world. After fifteen years of bringing the world's greatest guitarists to Belgrade, it continues the tradition

▶ As announced by the festival’s artistic team, the next 43rd FEST will satisfy movie buffs primarily with its quality and, as a novelty, it has introduced two competitive programmes, one of which will be national. The aim is for this programme to act as a production incentive for domestic cinema.

The new programme areas will be dedicated to subversive and genre films, with a desire for FEST to regain its reputation as a festival with an open mind, courage and shifting borders.

This year’s FEST will see the most attractive films screened in large halls, regardless of which kind of programme they belong to. The 43rd FEST will traditionally respect its conventional audience and try to meet the widest range of tastes and all generations of film lovers. The artistic team has assessed this year as a good year in world production, leading organisers to admit that they will have difficulty selecting which films will be shortlisted for screening during the festival.

For details of the festival programme visit fest.rs

CULTURE NEWS

BOOK PRESENTATION – GRUMPY IN BELGRADE MIKSER HOUSE, 12TH FEBRUARY The book ‘Grumpy in Belgrade’ was presented at Belgrade’s Mikser House on 12th February.

Written by American Chris Farmer, whose views of the Serbian capital we may not always agree with, but which may prove very hard to ignore.

Farmer published this his first book after twelve years living and working in Belgrade, writing for various Serbian publi-

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cations and internet sites in English. The book is a collection of his observations, opinions and often surprising experiences.

‘Grumpy in Belgrade’ brings into question the way Belgraders see themselves and everything else that is part of the daily life they take for granted. Through a large dose of humor, irony and satire, "Grumpy in Belgrade" can be equally interesting to a reader encountering Belgrade for the first time through the pages of this book, just as one who has spent their entire life in Belgrade.

Farmer talks about his efforts to learn Serbian - and not only the language, but also the way of expression, which to him are peculiar and specific; frustrations he encounters when shopping and cultural differences, which are always good for a laugh.

LISA HANNIGAN MOSTAR SEVDAH REUNION

DOM OMLADINE, 2 1 ST M A R C H @ 2 1 . 0 0

▶ Belgrade’s Irish festival and concert agency RockSvirke proudly announce the premier performance in the region of wellknown Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan. This young artist came into the focus of public attention in 2001, as a female vocalist with Damien Rice on his best-selling album "O" and "9". Her solo career began in 2007, when she published two studio albums: "Sea Saw" (2008) and "Passanger" (2011).

She has collaborated with many famous musicians, from Ray Lamontagne to Herbie Hancock, and is the recipient of many music awards and nominations, both in Ireland and the U.S. Lisa captivates with her charm, while her powerful vocals are breath-taking.

Special guests at the Belgrade concert will be local favourites Stray Dogg, who will perform songs from their two albums.

Kolarac, 3rd March @ 20.00

and proudly presents this year's XVI Guitar Art Festival programme.

The festival has become a leading gathering point for premiere concerts, as well as for the exchange of knowledge, practices and experiences among guitarists from around the world. This festival has created a distinctive concept of presenting guitar music, values and modern trends. With such a concept of the festival, but also content that was built with idealism in mind, this festival has succeeded in its original aim of opening a window to the world of high art and bringing music to Belgrade from all over the world.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

CHOPIN FEST

On 3rd March the Great Hall of the Kolarac Foundation will host the performance of the legendary Mostar Sevdah Reunion. The group was formed in the 1990s in Mostar, based on the idea of producer Dragi Šestić. It can be said Sevdah Reunion is today one of the world’s most famous bands of the Balkan world music scene. Already their first album, released by Dutch World Connection in 1999, drew attention to their specific style and repertoire based on modern arrangements of sevdalinke. So far they have released eight albums. During the last 15 years they have worked with many greats of the world music scene (Šaban Bajramović, Ljiljana Butler, Redžepova et al), and the now world-famous Amira Medunjanin recorded her very first album with them.

They have participated in over 100 world music and jazz festivals around the world, while four films and numerous television shows have been made about them.

Kolarac, 1st March @ 11.00 The concert ‘Chopin as an inspiration’ presents the most beautiful melodies of "piano poet" Frederic Chopin through interesting and unusual arrangements for different combinations of instruments, performed by young and renowned artists of classical and pop music.

‘Chopin as an inspiration’ is an invitation to all lovers of classical music, but also the wider audience, to hear the creation of this hopeless romantic in a new light, presented in a new and different way, and with "the music for the heart and soul" opening the doors of the magical world of classical music.

7 DAYS IN HAVANA

Sava Centre, 10th March @ 20.00 The film ‘7 Days in Havana’ made its Belgrade premiere on 17th February at the city’s Instituto Cervantes. The film consists of seven short stories and the director’s goal was to capture the energy and vitality that is unique for the city of Havana.

Each chapter shows the daily lives of various characters during one day of the week. Far from the tourist clichés, the film reflects the soul of the city through different villages, landscapes, cultures and generations. Characteristic places of the city of Havana, such as the hotels Nacional, Malecon, etc., are just some of the scenery of episodes.

and Dragi Šestić. Both projects included a large number of musicians, some of whom tried to convey emotion through other bands, but it turned out that the original Mostar Sevdah Reunion is the most successful composition.

Half of the band’s members live in the Netherlands and, as such, they rarely perform in the region nowadays.

This will be their first performance in Belgrade with their original members after more than ten years. Their last concert in the Serbian capital, featuring Ljiljana Butler, was part of Belef 2003, while they also performed in the country last year at the Kustendorf Music and Film Festival.

BALLET

ALEXANDER

National Theatre, 3rd March @ 19.30 Alexander, the ballet inspired by Alexander the Great, the historical leader, soldier and conqueror, is choreographed for the National Theatre by ballet champion of the State Opera in Berlin, Ronald Savkovića, and will be performed on 3rd March.

According to Bozidar Djurović, manager of the National Theatre, this modern ballet, performed in one act lasting an hour and twenty minutes by reputable artist Savković, will bring the same joy to the theatre audience that was witnessed on the faces of artists during their rehearsals.

NUTCRACKER

National Theatre, 4th March @ 19.30 In his review for weekly magazine Vreme in 2012, Belgrade journalist and critic Dragan Kremer pointed out the similarity of origin and career of Buena Vista Social Club and Mostar Sevdah Reunion, with the help of Raja, Kubera

The Nutcracker ballet in two acts, with the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, choreographed and directed by Konstantin Kostjukov, will be performed at the National Theatre on 4th March at 7.30pm.

BOOK PRESENTATION – 100 YEARS OF NICANOR PARRA

Instituto Cervantes, 26th February

Nicanor Parra published his first collection of poetry in 1937 under the name “Cancionero sin nombre”. He later published a number of other collections and, thanks to the aesthetic originality of his work, received the adjective "antipoetic". He built a new style of poetry in the Spanish language, which is based on the use of everyday language in traditional poetry.

Branislav Prelević presented the monograph ‘100 Years of Nicanor Parra’ on the life and work of the Chilean poet, who hosted the Parthenon on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the author, who is also a winner of the Cervantes award. The book was published on 5th September 2014, when the Chilean poet turned 100.

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FACES & PLACES

IRANIAN NATIONAL DAY 10

ARTLINK LAUREATE AT THE AUSTRIAN RESIDENCE

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On the occasion of the 36th Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the National Day of Iran, H.E. Majid Fahim Pour, Iranian Ambassador to Serbia, hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel that was attended by Serbian officials, members of the diplomatic corps, political and public figures, as well as religious, sports, business and academic representatives. Guests had the unique opportunity to view an exhibition of paintings by famous Iranian miniaturist Seyed Hassan Soltani, as well as a magnificent display of Iranian handicrafts and books.

H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR

FEBRUARY

H.E. Archbishop ORLANDO ANTONIONI and H.E. LAURENT STOKVIS, Ambassador of Netherland

Violinist Una Stanić (17), winner of ArtLink’s prestigious Most Promising Young Musician in Serbia Award, held a concert at the Austrian Ambassadorial Residence of H.E. Johannes Eigner. Ms Stanić performed music by Shubert, Ravel and Brahms, with piano accompaniment by Mr Uki Ovaskainen. Stanić is currently a student at the Vienna Conservatory and an associate member of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, business leaders, artists and journalists.

H.E. JOHANNES EIGNER, UNA STANIĆ and UKI OVASKAINEN

UAE AT THE TOURISM FAIR 17

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BELGIAN-SERBIAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION RE-ELECTS HUGO VAN VEGHEL 19

The United Arab Emirates was this year's partner country of the 37th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade. To mark the occasion, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Belgrade hosted a festive cocktail reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The reception was attended by numerous guests, who were welcomed by Ambassador H.E. Juma Rashed Saif Zayed Al Dhaheri. In addition to numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps, the reception was also attended by Deputy PM Rasim Ljajić, Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.

RASIM LJAJIĆ (left), Serbian Deputy PM, H.E. JUMA RASHED SAIF ZAYED AL DHAHERI and JASEM AL DARMAKI, acting director of the Secretariat for Tourism and Culture of Abu Dhabi

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FEBRUARY

The Belgian ambassadorial residence in Belgrade hosted the General Assembly of the Belgian-Serbian Business Association (BSBA), which saw the re-election of Hugo Van Veghel for another four-year term as chairman. Van Veghel is director of Novi Sad-based Tara International Consulting.

The BSBA unites over 50 Belgian-Serbian companies and is active in promoting trade, investment and B2B opportunities.

BSBA aims to promote cooperation between Belgian and Serbian SMEs in order to stimulate local employment. In order to achieve this, BSBA works closely with associations like NALED. The main areas of potential expansion concern alternative energy and the agro-industry.

GILBERTE DELVA, H.E. LEO D'AES, ANA BOVAN, VLADIMIR BRKIĆ, MIRKO GOLIJANIN, HUGO VAN VEGHEL and MARIJA TASIĆ

INDONESIAN RECEPTION AT TOURISM EXPO

RECEPTION MARKS 12th BDF 23 FEBRUARY

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The 37th Belgrade International Tourism Fair included a festive cocktail reception for local media representatives and Serbian tour operators at the Indonesian national stand. During the reception, H. E. Harry Richard James Kandou, Indonesian Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, said that there has been an increase in visa applications from 2013 to 2014, but that this number can still be improved.

The ambassador also noted that the Indonesian government is targeting a total of 10 million foreign tourists in 2015.

H. E. HARRY RICHARD JAMES KANDOU

H.E. MICHAEL DAVENPORT

KUWAITI NATIONAL DAY

SSCC DONORS EVENING

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Kuwaiti Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Yousef Abdulsamad, hosted a reception to mark the 54th anniversary of the country’s independence and the 24th anniversary of its liberation, at which he noted that his country considers Serbia a reliable political partner. The Hyatt Regency Hotel reception was attended by a large number of guests, including Serbian government representatives Maja Gojković, Speaker of the National Assembly, Rasim Ljajić, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, as well as numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps in Serbia.

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, H.E. Michael Davenport, hosted a reception at the EU Delegation residence in Belgrade to mark the upcoming start of the 12th Belgrade Dance Festival – an event that is being supported by the EU Delegation for the third consecutive year. According to the EU head of mission, the BDF has become a major institution on the Serbian culture scene, but also elsewhere in the region and even throughout Europe. The reception was attended by numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as many public figures.

The Swiss Serbian Chamber of Commerce hosted a donors evening aimed at raising support for the Mokranjac music school and its talented students. In a relaxed atmosphere, and alongside tasting of Swiss wines and cheeses, guests were able to enjoy a musical programme preformed by the Mokranjac school’s talented students. The event was hosted by Ansgar Bornemann, chairman of the SSCC and director of Nestlé Adriatic, which sponsored the evening. The guest of honor was Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Jean-Daniel Ruch.

H.E. YOUSEF ABDULSAMAD and H.E. MEHMET KEMAL BOZAY, Ambassador of Turkey to Serbia

H.E. JEAN-DANIEL RUCH and ANSGAR BORNEMANN

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INTERVIEW

Regional Entertainment Centre ĐORĐE MILUTINOVIĆ Director of the Kombank Arena, Belgrade

■ The Arena was originally built for the World Basketball Championship, but the fist event that took place there was actually a political rally. Which other important events have been staged at the arena during the last 15 years?

- This venue has always been, and will always remain, a place for family entertainment. Many top sporting events, like the World Student Games, the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup, the World Karate Championship, European judo tournament, handball and table tennis championships, the finale of the World Volleyball Championship, Euroleague games played by BC Partizan and BC Red Star, and other important international events, have all been held here. Jose Carreras, Leonard Cohen, Plácido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe, Julio Iglesias, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Sting, Shakira, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Nick Cave and other big international and national stars have performed under the arena’s roof. Some of them have performed here several times and have always praised the atmosphere and the audience’s warm reception. We should also mention wonderful spectacles like Disney on Ice, Holiday on Ice, Ice Age Live, Walking with Dinosaurs and others. The most famous European music festival – The Eurovision Song Con-

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test – brought performers and fans from all over Europe to the city and the Belgrade Arena.

■ While the Arena was still being designed, some people believed that constructing such a venue was too much of an endeavour for a city of two million people, considering that Belgrade already had halls like Pionir, Pinki in Zemun, the New Belgrade Sports Hall and the Belgrade Fair which, collectively, can accommodate over There are two 20,000 people at one time. Can Belmillion people grade afford the costs associated with maintaining these facilities? living in Belgrade - There are two million people living in and there are over a Belgrade and there are over a million othmillion other people er people gravitating towards Belgrade and the Arena, namely to events that are gravitating towards showcased here. Moreover, people from Bosnia’s Republika Srpska, Montenegro, Belgrade and the Romania and Bulgaria are considered regArena, namely to ular visitors to the arena. Every hall, every swimming pool and every sports facility events that are can attract young people and give them showcased here that initial contact with sports and other good quality programmes and, by so doing, distract them from drug use, crime and everything else that young people in today’s world can encounter. When it comes to staging certain sporting and cultural events, the arena has proven to be too small quite a few times, with all seats sold out, so having the arena alongside all the sporting facilities you mentioned is more than justified. Let me just illustrate

Photos: Kombank Arena

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ue to its multifunctional structure and design, the arena has been used as a venue for many sporting and cultural events, as well as a performance venue for the most renowned contemporary artists. It’s been 15 years since the Belgrade Arena hosted an event it was eventually named after Komercijalna Bank (Kombank).

The Belgrade Kombank Arena officially opened in 2006, when it was granted a utilisation permit. The events that took place at the arena prior to 2006 happened thanks to the venue being granted a trial operation permit

this with the fact that every year over 500,000 people attend events held in the arena.

■ Visitors are often not even aware of the huge costs associated with the basic maintenance of facilities like the arena. How high are they on an annual level and which costs are the most difficult to cover?

- Every employee of the arena is obliged to provide wide audiences with the biggest choice of different programmes, with the goal of making them feel comfortable and pleasant when they come here. Considering the vast size of this facility and the fact that everything needs to be in working order, the venue’s maintenance costs are high and depend on several factors. There are no overheads that we are very concerned about. We strive to advance the arena’s operations

constantly, to cut back on costs and increase the number of entertaining events, despite the difficult economic situation.

■ How much do the state authorities share in the costs of maintaining the arena, considering that this is the biggest facility of its kind in Serbia and the surrounding area?

- The City of Belgrade is the arena’s founder and owner, while the Sports and Youth Secretariat is in charge of operations. Over time, the contract between the City and the arena has changed and our current intention is to have as many activities as possible in order to generate more financial means needed to improve our operations. Considering the programmes it offers and the number of visitors, the arena is significant both for the City and the country, as well as for the potential tourism development of Belgrade, as well as increasing the number of visits to our capital city. The arena is considered an important part of what the city and Serbia have to offer potential visitors.

■ Where do other large venues in Europe and the world get their funding from?

- Every arena is different and has a different ownership structure. Most of them have at least one national sports team which plays in the national league and international competitions. In some countries there are quite a few promotions companies that organise many events as such ven-

ues, so these venues are actually funded by one or several owners and the lease money. Moreover, quite a few European arenas are structured in such a way that they encompass major shopping and entertainment venues, so they also get substantial funds from leasing these.

■ What are the trends today in terms of the number of visitors, revenue and number of events that take place in similar venues in Europe and the world?

- As economies in Europe differ from one to another, so the economies of visitors impact on the number of visits.

Moreover, the media have created this market in such way that expensive global stars mostly perform in places with strong economies. The average cost of a ticket to the most popular concert, globally speaking, is €100 and, on aver-

We strive to advance the arena’s operations constantly, to cut back on costs and increase the number of entertaining events, despite the difficult economic situation

age, over 12,000 tickets are sold per event.

In terms regional venues, we are the leader in terms of the number of events and visits, with over 530,000 visits and 40 events in 2014.

■ It is a well-known fact that there are venues in the biggest world cities – like Wembley in London, Bercy in Paris and Madison Square Garden in New York – that have over 300 events annually and because of that they sometimes have financial problems. Realistically speaking, how many profitable events can the Kombank Arena stage annually?

- The event’s profitability depends on the opportunity of getting a certain number of artists to perform here, on the audience’s reactions and their economic power to buy the required number of tickets. Considering that the entire region is suffering from economic problems, neighbouring countries have very few or no events whatsoever in large venues, which makes our job of getting every artist we want to perform here a difficult one, because we are not “en-route” for them when they are on their European tours. The arena should be treated as a public property that is very important for different segments of life, sport and culture.

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■ The Arena is a member of the European Arenas Association (EAA). Could you tell us something about this organisation and the benefits of membership for the Belgrade Arena?

- The EAA was founded over 20 years ago and today has 32 members from 19 countries. The goal of this association is to pass onto its members the best work practices and develop new themes and ideas, as well as to promote the dedication of its members to organising high-quality events. We were the hosts of the gathering of the arenas in 2009, since we are considered one of the EAA’s biggest arenas. It is always useful to exchange experiences and obtain information about

new trends and technological development, in addition to following European standards.

Considering regional venues, we are the leaders in terms of the number of events and visits, with over 530,000 visits and 40 events in 2014

■ You have vast personal experience of organising cultural events and everybody agrees that you have fantastic contacts at the world’s biggest event agencies. How much can people in Serbia afford to see big spectacles which bring in big revenues?

- We are the only arena in Europe that is also engaged in promotional activities that carry a high risk of losing money, which can occur if, for instance, not enough tickets for a certain concert are sold. We have been trying to ensure the lowest ticket price possible, which is almost mission impossible since, in Europe, the prices range from an average €80 to over €100 per concert.

■ Which events have attracted the biggest attention from the people in Belgrade and Serbia?

- Judging by our experience so far, international sporting events are the most popular, particularly those that involve our national teams, followed by the Euroleague basketball matches of Red Star and Partizan, then international teen attractions.

■ Many top artists, ensembles and circuses have performed at the arena. How able are the arena’s employees to keep up with the dynamics of these events and how much time is needed for the arena to get ready for, let’s say, an ice show after hosting

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a motorbike race?

- Although we don’t have many employees, they are professional, coordinated and very fast when a new set-up needs to be put in place. On many occasions they have managed to turn the arena into a tennis court or an ice rink literally overnight.

When the time between two events is too short, they work simultaneously to prepare the venue for two different events, like setting up rather complicated circus equipment and a tennis court at the same time. And this is not the only time such things have happened. Global artists and shows usually have nothing but praise for our staff, their professionalism and the services we provide here. As proof of this, I would like

to mention an acknowledgment we recently received from the managers of basketball’s Euroleague, who said that our arena was among the top three arenas they worked with.

■ What are your business expectations for 2015?

- Between the option of being tied down by our problems and our desire to offer as many high-quality events as possible, of course we choose the latter. We are working on getting as many different events to the arena as possible and have already booked some of them. We are going to announce these events as soon as the artists and their managers decide. We have been participating actively in preparing the biggest event in Serbia this year: the OSCE General Assembly, to take place at the arena in December, as well as preparing for the European Water Polo Championships, which will take place here from 10th to 23rd January next year. I also have to mention the European Futsal Championship, to be held in February 2016.

■ Finally, what kinds of events will Belgraders be able to see at the Arena this year? Which events would you like to single out and recommend?

- We are still negotiating on some events, while a certain number of booked events are “waiting” to be made public.

Apart from concerts of the Viva Vox Choir, band One Republic and Eros Ramazzotti, as well as Red Star’s Euroleague matches, there are many more events that Serbian and regional audiences will be able to see. Since our collaboration with the media is exceptionally good, every event will be covered in the media in the best possible manner, as will the events that we are currently negotiating. 

G U I D E

TO

Business Events Opportunities 2 0 1 5

We Need Better Tourist Products

Serbia should look up to nearby countries like Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which, despite being landlocked, have achieved economic growth thanks to the development of tourism products

DRAGANA ŠABIĆ

SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S TOURISM ASSOCIATION

A

ccording to the relevant statistical hotels are also expected to be opened in data, Serbia is considered by many as 2015, including a Marriott and Holiday Inn a well-known and interesting destinaExpress. Hotel accommodation in Central tion, and for some it has proved a revSerbia is at a satisfactory level, but the elation. In 2014 Serbia recorded 1.5 milroads leading to certain destinations have lion of overnight stays by foreign tourists, proved to be a very limiting factor when it which is a 14 per cent rise year-on-year. comes to the tourist offer. Belgrade, Novi Considering how difficult global economic Sad and other destinations along Corridor conditions are, this is a commendable re10 are easy to reach and they definitely sult – says Dragana Šabić, Secretary Generhave all the required prerequisites for the al of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce's staging of the biggest conferences.

Tourism Association. Nevertheless, she notes, this is far be What do you think are the low the results Serbia could greatest achievements of achieve if it had better inSerbian congress tourThe potential frastructure and a better ism and how can this reach of Serbian formulated tourist offer. tourism segment imcongress tourism is prove even further?

- The potential reach of  How able is Serbia of a mainly regional to meet the requireSerbian congress tourcharacter and is also ments put forward by ism is of a mainly regional quite big organisers of various character and is also quite business events, considbig. Belgrade has a reputaering the country's tourism tion as a very important conference destination and it is no accapacity and tourist offer? cident that last year’s Conference Tourism - In the last few years Serbia has increased Fair 'Konvent' saw Belgrade declared one accommodation capacities significantly, of the top 10 conference destinations. Our which is a good foundation for meeting capital city does have certain flaws in rethe requirements of organisers of various gard to this tourism segment. For instance, business events. This, however, mostly the Sava Centre (built in 1977) needs to be applies to Belgrade, which saw 16 new renovated as soon as possible, in order to hotels open in the space of just one year. continue playing its major role in the orSo, at the moment, our capital city has ganising and staging of conferences.

76 three-, four- and five-star hotels. New

2

 How important are international events like the summit of the heads of government of China and 16 CEE countries in Belgrade, in terms of sparking more interest in visiting Belgrade among the business communities from these countries?

- The economic summit of China and 16 countries of Central and Southeast Europe gave Belgrade an excellent opportunity to make money, as well as introducing itself as a good tourist destination, which is what actually happened. The capital city earned approximately a million euros thanks to the summit. The event proved to be one of the most important events in Serbia in the last 30 years and creates a serious opportunity for Belgrade and Serbia to organise similar events in the future, receiving new investments and new tourists.

Over 2,000 people, including the political and economic leaders of the participating countries, attended the summit, as did quite a few accredited media representatives, which just proves the summit was a success and that it contributed greatly to boosting the tourist offer and the image of both Belgrade and Serbia.  How well adapted are hotels in Serbia to the needs of business tourism?

- Hotel facilities in Serbia satisfy the needs of business tourism to a great extent. Quite a few hotels can host conferences and pro-

vide additional conference-related services. Roads remain the biggest problem, as does the distance that conference participants, especially foreign visitors, need to cover in order to get to a conference. This limits the offer severely and there is a further problem with the sluggishness of hotel sales managers. We should also be concerned with the fact that hotels in Central Serbia don’t boast sufficient capacities to meet the needs of many foreign companies operating in their area or seeking to start doing business there. The hotels in towns which were once important business centres, particularly for industrial production, today share the same fate as the large corporations that served those towns; as these companies have closed down in the last two decades, so the need to provide accommodation for businesspeople has declined.

Many of these hotels are almost completely ruined. This is a problem that needs to be resolved urgently at a systemic level.

stakeholders, and the local population fail to grasp how important tourism is for their overall development. We should work continuously to raise awareness among locals about the importance of the service sector, in order to utilise the overall tourism potential as efficiently as possible.

 In which way does the Serbian Cham-

ber of Commerce articulate the interests of its members with regard to creating the prerequisites for positioning Serbia on the radar of the organisers of important international business events?

- The country’s negative export-import ratio has become a chronic and inherited

given as much publicity as possible, in addition to devise measures that will ensure better education and more efficient involvement of the Serbian business community in all important international business flows.

 Which countries are Serbia’s role models when it comes to developing the country’s tourist offer?

- Serbia should look up to nearby countries like Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which, despite being landlocked, have achieved economic growth thanks to the development of tourism products. Moreover, countries like Poland and the Scandinavian countries should also

velopment of congress tourism are sufficiently recognised in Central Serbia, in terms of the construction of hotels and other accommodation suited to business tourism?

- Efforts aimed at improving the current situation also require relevant institutions to do their part, and that includes the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and other institutions like the responsible ministry, the Tourist Organisation of Serbia and local tourist boards. We really don't need randomness and disorganisation. Certain areas already have spatial master plans, which are often expensive to produce and have not yet begun to be implemented. A question also remains over whether they are still applicable.

 How much has the development of the tourist offer in Serbia impacted on the development of related activities, be they technical or in terms of hospitality services?

- The positive influence is evident. In that regard, I can give you several good examples that definitely include Belgrade, quite often Novi Sad, and also tourist centres like Zlatibor and Kopaonik. However, it often happens that hoteliers, i.e. tourism

Source: www.cosmorama.gr

 Do you think opportunities for the de-

problem of the Serbian economy, so improving quality of export and the import of services should be deemed a priority for both the state and the business community.

Reaching this goal requires an efficient and active position for Serbian companies in all important international business gatherings and events. As the biggest association of Serbian businesspeople, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce recognises the importance of our country finding its proper place on the radars of important international business event organisers and provides support to its members accordingly.

The activities of the chamber's branches abroad are geared towards establishing communication with the organisers of important international business gatherings.

The activities and position of Serbian companies at major business events is not an isolated issue, but rather one that relates to the system itself. Considering its objective capacities, the SCC insists on this issue being

3

be mentioned as good examples of regional cooperation, since they host many major regional events. In order to advance our tourist offer, we should look into an opportunity to form as many professional associations as possible with regional countries that are going to hold their respective events in the region and, by so doing, strengthen their influence on decisions made by relevant bodies in international associations. 

Hotel accommodation in Central Serbia is at a satisfactory level, but the roads leading to certain destinations have proved to be a very limiting factor when it comes to the tourist offer

Creativity Makes the Difference If you have a creative approach, you can always do more with less

MILOŠ ŠORGIĆ

FOUNDER, PRODUCTION POOL

O

ur approach to our work is very simple: we accept challenges and set new standards – says Miloš Šorgić, founder of Production Pool.

 Which development direction is the Serbian market taking in terms of event organisation and how do we compare to the rest of the region and globally?

- If you look at the calendar of the Tourist Organisation of Serbia, you can see that there are events taking place almost every day. The market has grown slightly and we believe this trend will continue. We are ahead in the region, but lagging behind the rest of the world.

 How difficult it is to draw consumer attention to this kind of promotional activity and contribute to the overall promotion of a brand in this way?

- This task is very easy, as consumers react well to direct promotion and it is through this direct communication that the strength of a brand is developed in the consumer conscious. It is one thing when you see a TV or newspaper advertisement, but it is a completely different thing when you are part of a promotion. The more senses we stimulate in the consumer, the stronger the impression becomes and the more successful the promotion proves.  Do you think Belgrade and Serbia

can provide agencies with a sufficiently wide array of event venues?

- The choice is big enough. The only thing that needs to be done is to overcome ste-

reotypes with creativity. If a client uses the same venue several times consecutively, that means we’ve succeeded. Sometimes the solution lies in an unorthodox approach. We often spend time in our office contemplating what and how to do something. You need to be free to be creative. A brisk walk through town often yields a solution. New venues are always welcome. They carry a certain appeal for a while, but later they are just reduced to being space. That's when creative work can make the difference.

art, religion) and sporting. We are usually engaged in corporate events. Last year we became part of a very successful festival and this year we plan to organise sporting events in order to complete our business offer. We provide all sorts of support to our clients – from ideas and creative solutions to implementation.

 What kinds of events does your agen-

 In which way do you differ from your competition?

- We represent an connection of long-term experience in various marketing segments. We possess both the knowhow and the experience. 

 What type of promotions will compa-

nies spend most of their budgets on in 2015?

- We haven't discussed digital promotions in this interview. Apart from traditional media, like TV and print, social media also  Every event is a story in itself. How difficult it is to harmonise a client's wishes acts as an excellent tool and has a wide with realistic possibilities? reach. We believe this segment - We need to find balance bewill be targeted not only in tween desire and capability, 2015, but also in the years as desires are often deto come. Through this If we put in the fined by a set budget. It type of promotion we effort and do a is up to us to bring these are targeting the spelittle more each time, cific groups we want. If wishes to life or offer we advertise on TV then something better. If we wishes will come only those watching TV put in the effort and do true and the client will see it. If we do street a little more each time, will be happy promotions, only those wishes will come true and passing by will see it. But the client will be happy. Despite often being asked to do if we do promotions on social “more with less”, we have managed media, we can be more precise in to adapt and align wishes with capabilities. our targeting of specific groups. cy organise and what can the clients count on when they hire you?

- Events can be divided into three categories – corporate (promotions, conferences, congresses, fairs), cultural (music,

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C

lub Reset is situated on Čardak, in the Novi Sad suburb of Sremska Kamenica, less than an hour’s drive from Belgrade and far from the hustle and bustle of urban life. The unique views and landscape of Fruška Gora accentuate the club's contemporary interior and exterior perfectly. The venue is designed in a modern style and is intended for various events requiring different capacities and of different character.

The club's comfortable apartments complete its offer.

As a modern and flexible venue, Club Reset is an excellent choice for organising corporate events such as seminars, lectures, conferences, presentations, team building sessions and business celebrations.

Ideal Venue for Corporate Gatherings A comfortable and stylish ambience guarantee a pleasant experience for participants in corporate events, as well as providing much needed relaxation in the club’s comfortable apartments, outdoor swimming pool or tennis court.

Depending on the type of event and clients’ needs, the venue is also ideal for smaller and more intimate gatherings of up to 200 guests.

Club Reset can be hired for special occasions and the utmost privacy is guaranteed for you and your guests. The club's professional and attentive team is available to you for catering, technical support and assistance in choosing additional activities.

The Club was awarded the Silver Medal for Corporate Events in 2014 by the Association of Serbian Market Communications for the event Digital Night, which the club hosted.

This speaks volumes about the appeal of the venue, its creative team and guests’ impressions of the club's atmosphere.  Web: www.clubreset.org Tel:+381 66 66 17 998 Email: kontakt@clubreset.org

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Successfully different.

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www.cordmagazine.com

By JEAN LIN

COMMENT

Global CEO of Isobar

The Old Agency Model Doesn't Work Anymore

I

remember years ago, the first week I started work as an account executive in advertising. I was sitting in a training room, attending a workshop about how to define an idea in the context of advertising. All the new account executives, copywriters and designers took notes diligently on the various aspects and dimensions that our trainer indicated, to define a valid advertising idea. Then we split into breakout sessions, in small teams, to brainstorm ideas for a TV commercial. I remember a young, talented copywriter on my team was very frustrated because he could not decide if some of the thoughts he had could qualify as an advertising idea because they were not "campaignable."

It felt that as young professionals, we spent more time debating if an idea was right or wrong by definition, and not enough time on whether the idea should be better, more effective, more engaging, or more compelling. We definitely did not spend any time debating if it must live on TV, or whether the idea solved any real business problems, dis-

rupted any industry infrastructures, or created any opportunity to expand the brand's influence as a service or utility. The vocabulary for what we must deliver for our clients now simply did not exist.

CREATIVE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO CHANGE In 2015, most people would agree that technology has forever changed people's relationships with brands. It has changed

In this new world, how we come up with creative solutions has to change. We must embrace interactive and nonlinear messaging.

Hand-held devices and mobility means everywhere; stories need to be told seamlessly across screens. And business ideas need to be nurtured through creativity, innovation, and imagination.

Broadcast advertising is not necessarily part of the creative solution anymore.

In this new world, the role of a contemporary creative agency has to change. Change will not just go away and wait its turn, just as the fabled King Canute failed to turn back the tides.

Agencies cannot simply perceive the evolution of our industry, beyond traditional advertising, as a simple move from ads

In 2015, most people would agree that technology has forever changed people's relationships with brands. It has changed how people connect with each other and how we connect with brands how people connect with each other and how we connect with brands. It has also enabled brands to play different roles beyond their physical products and services.

Technology and accessibility to information have changed how people form perceptions and opinions -- in fact, how culture itself is nurtured.

to content. Agencies have to choreograph every step in the customer journey and curate brand assets while gently accepting the fact that your brand equity is co-created, in real time, with users who you cannot control.

In this new world, the structure of a classic creative department needs to change. Only two major roles exist in a contemporary

creative team -- the storyteller and the software developer. We have to get used to the fact that game-changing ideas, at times, come not from the storyteller but from the software developer. This is the real, exciting and fast-moving world we live in every day.

CREATIVITY LIBERATED Let's rewind back to my first week at work. I agreed that creating "campaignable" ideas was a smart approach in a TV-centric world. But people have very different requirements today in our complex, multi-screen world where they simply do not start their brand journey through traditional mediums.

Great ideas create immediate results, in real time. Great ideas reinforce brand narratives that inspire, connect and empower people. Great ideas naturally embrace data and technology to make them part of the human experience. Great ideas that transform complex business challenges into meaningful experiences can change people, culture, behaviours, and elevate what matters most -- our lives.

And most of the time, the right solution to the actual problem will not be an ad.

Digital liberates creative thinkers, with or without screens. It's time to join the renaissance of our marketing communication industry, if you haven't done so. ď‚ł Source: Advertising Age

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By M. PULLEN

RUGBY LEAGUE

From cadet tournaments to the European championships, rugby league in Serbia continues to advance at a time when other sports are struggling to entice athletes and fans

M

arch marks the official start of the Serbian rugby league season, which is now entering its 13th year since the reintroduction of the 13-man code in 2002. Alongside the regular domestic season, 2015 will also include the culmination of the twoyear European Championships, where Serbia tops the table in Group B, a host of friendly international ties and an extended youth competition.

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The 2015 Serbian rugby league season promises to be the most competitive yet, with 2014 champions Red Star seeking to defend their title against a Dorćol outfit that will be seeking revenge in an extended first division.

According to Jovan Vujošević, Secretary General of the Serbian Rugby League Federation, the top tier of the domestic competition should be tougher than ever in 2015: “We have promoted the top two teams from the second division – Radnički Nova Pazova and Tašmajdan Tigers – while Radnički Niš will represent the game in the south and, alongside local players, will include the best players from Vranje, Leskovac and Kruševac, which will all continue to maintain teams in Division II South.”

Last year finally saw a change at the top of the domes-

Photos: courtesy of Serbia RFL

Exciting Season Ahead

tic game, with Red Star ending the 12-year dynasty of the hitherto unbeatable Dorćol. Moreover, 2014 also saw the long-awaited staging of Belgrade’s “eternal derby”, with the Partizan club having gained promotion to the first division in only its second season competing in the sport.

LOOKING AHEAD This season promises to be the biggest yet, but the game is still struggling to attract sponsors. The notable exception to this trend is Harrisons Solicitors and its principal Mark Harrison, who have supported rugby league in Serbia for many years, “for the love of the game”.

Harrisons were general sponsors of the Red Star club for several seasons and then went on to support the participation of the Serbian Army team in the 2013 Armed Forces World Cup and numerous other activities at the level of the national federation. However, enticing other companies to sponsor the sport has proved all but impossible.

Commenting on the reasons why more companies should consider sponsoring rugby league in Serbia, Vujo-

šević insists “rugby league is a clean sport. As an amateur game, we are not interesting to corrupt elements or gambling groups and any funds from sponsors are certain to be spent on advancing the game at all levels. With the international scene growing, we also provide an opportunity to spread brand awareness beyond Serbia. I think any forward-thinking company interested in sponsoring sport and sporting development would be wise to consider our game.”

The international season kicks off in May, when Serbia will host Russia in the European Championship Group B. This two-year competition culminates this year and Serbia will be aiming to maintain its position at the top of the table.

After hosting Russia, the national team will travel to Italy and Ukraine aiming to do just that.

In addition to these competitive fixtures, the Serbian Rugby League Federation is hoping to test the national team on other fronts. As Vujošević explains, “next year we have world cup qualification, so we want to play as many high level games as possible this year. We’re currently negotiating with the South African national team, the British Community Lions team – the UK’s amateur national team – and a team from the United Arab Emirates, mainly comprising expats based in Dubai. This will help test our boys, but also attract greater media attention and perhaps sponsorship.”

According to Jovan Vujošević, Secretary General of the Serbian Rugby League Federation, the top tier of the domestic competition should be tougher than ever in 2015

AUSTRALIAN SUPPORT Youth development is crucial to the growth of the sport, and Serbia’s rugby league cubs regularly organise school promotions and player recruitment drives.

These efforts were given a much-needed boost this year when the Australian Embassy in Belgrade agreed

SERBIAN PLAYERS IN FRANCE Red Star RLC recently released 21-year-old playmaker Vladislav Dedić (pictured) to play for French club Roanne for the 2015 season.

Vlada, a junior and senior international and the younger brother of Red Star captain and Serbia stalwart Vojislav Dedić, joins his Red Star teammate Vladica Nikolić, who has been plying his trade at the French national league club since last year.

Beside these two Serbian internationals, three other Serbian born and bred rugby league players are also playing professionally in France: Danilo Delić (Dorćol), Zoran Pešić (Red Star) and Nebojsa Živanović (Red Star), who all play for French second division club Carpentras XIII.

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to support a project to promote the game in schools throughout Belgrade.

Individual clubs in the Serbian capital are now touring schools and presenting the game to thousands of children across the city – many of whom have never before seen a rugby league ball – and providing handson training for the hundreds who sign up to participate.

The project will culminate in a 14team touch rugby tournament to commemorate the centennial ANZAC Day, which remembers the combatants of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and others who lost their lives in the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign of World War I. Speaking to CorD about the project and the benefits of sport for children, Australian Ambassador, H.E. Julia Feeney, noted that Australia is world-renowned for its prowess on the global Rugby League stage.

“The tradition of the code is longstanding in Australia and we hope that by partnering with the Serbian Rugby

Promoting the junior game also means promoting positive values. And, thanks to NGO Centre E8, with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade, this is being carried out through the project “Be a Man – Play Fair!”

bassy in Belgrade, this is being carried out through the project “Be a Man – Play Fair!” (Budi muško - igraj fer!).

As Centre E8’s Željko Delić explains, “this project deals with the problem of violence in sport, with the aim of raising awareness among young athletes and the wider public

about the problem of violence in sport, through education, awareness and advocacy programmes. The project’s overall goal is to create a culture in sport that promotes the values and norms of non-violent behaviour and condemns any form of violence (physical and mental) that is not within the rules of sport in Serbia. This project involved the Red Star Rugby League Club in previous years, while this year Partizan Rugby League has come on board. The players attend a series of workshops and ultimately receive certification. Several of Red Star’s players have since become ambassadors for the Be A Man project and the values it supports.”

League Federation on this project we will successfully encourage the development of the code and effectively raise awareness amongst primary school-aged children throughout Belgrade. Crucially, the project also serves as a sports MISSION POSSIBLE Serbia is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with on the development tool. Rugby League development amongst youngsters will also foster the growth of the game by creating and promoting opportunities for involvement for all primary school children, regardless of gender and cultural or ethnic backSerbia has been a particularly interesting battle ground for the traditional rugby codes ground. This emphasis on inclusiveof “League” (13-a-side) and “Union” (15-a-side). One of the few countries where League ness will help kids to be good teamarrived first – thanks to the pioneering French federation in the early 1950s – the first mates, in their footy team certainly, but rugby international to be played in the then Yugoslavia was a League game between also in any team they find themselves Yugoslavia and the French Amateur XIII in Banja Luka in 1961. Unfortunately, this would in – at school, at home or in the combe both the first and last league international to be played in Yugoslavia. Just four years munity,” said Ambassador Feeney. later the sport was banned in the country: apparently rugby union had gained a foothold Promoting the junior game also in Croatia and lobbying to “unite Yugoslavia under one form of rugby football” led to means promoting positive values Serbian clubs being forced to convert to union or disband. and norms alongside teamwork. And, League returned to Serbia in 2002 and has since gone from strength to strength, thanks to NGO Centre E8, with the overtaking the rival code in terms of the numbers of registered club and players. support of the Royal Norwegian Em-

TWO SPORTS IN ONE

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regional rugby league scene, but when it comes to major competitions, such as world cup qualification, the countries Serbia competes against – most notably Italy, Greece and Lebanon – have all been able to call on their expat communities in Australia and the UK to provide professional play-

LADIES GAME GROWING Development of the game among the fairer sex is being led by cross-code international Isidora Savković. Isidora last year led a team to France, alongside the junior Serbian Rugby League national team, to compete in a rugby 9s tournament.

Isidora and her pioneering girls play all codes of the sport – the traditional 15- and 13-a-side versions, the reduced 7s and 9s versions, but also the increasingly popular sport of touch rugby, which usually involves mixed teams.

There is no regular ladies rugby competition in the country as yet, but tournaments and promotional matches are becoming increasingly popular as the sport continues to grow

SERBIAN RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS 2015 SEASON

ers who regularly compete in the world’s top club competitions: the NRL in Australia/New Zealand and Super League in the UK/France.

In an effort to boost Serbia’s performances on the international scene, the Serbian Rugby League Federation’s Blagoje Stoiljković has just departed on a six-week mission to the "Mecca" of world rugby league: Australia.

With world cup qualification awaiting Serbia in 2016, Stoiljković aims to promote ties between Serbian rugby league and the Serbian diaspora in this traditional rugby league heartland. As well as establishing sustainable ties and laying the foundations for an amateur feeder club in the sport for young Australian-Serbs, the Serbian RFL representative will also try to set up links with the Serbian communities, entice sponsors and lure a number of ethnic Serbs playing the game at a high level in Australia to come to Serbia and represent the national team in next year’s qualification tournament for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, which is to be played in Australia.

Stoiljković, who will visit the traditional rugby league strongholds of Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, told CorD “Everyone in Serbian rugby league wants to put together a national team that will be able to compete successfully against the national teams of, for instance, Italy and Greece, which are almost entirely composed or players from Australia. This visit has been arranged in agreement with the Australian Embassy to Serbia and I am confident we will be able to confirm plenty of support. I’ve already spoken to several young rising stars of the game in Australia and their passion for their homeland is obvious”.

SENIOR COMP Division 1 Dorćol (Belgrade) Partizan (Belgrade) Radnički (Nova Pazova) Radnički (Niš) Red Star (Belgrade) Tašmajdan Tigers (Belgrade)

School promotions in Belgrade now include both boys and girls and begin with the basic skills required to play the “Touch” version of the game, which is considered one the most inclusive team sports that boys and girls can enjoy together.

There is no regular ladies rugby competition in the country as yet, but tournaments and promotional matches are becoming increasingly popular as the sport continues to grow. 

Division 2 (North) Jedinstvo (Pančevo) New Belgrade (Belgrade) Zemun (Belgrade) Warriors (Belgrade) Division 2 (South) Morava Gepardi (Leskovac) Soko (Vranje) Tsar Lazar (Kruševac) Division 3 Stari Grad (Belgrade) Voždovac (Belgrade) Podbara (Novi Sad) Military Academy (Belgrade) Junior League (U18) Dorćol (Belgrade) Morava Gepardi (Leskovac) Partizan (Belgrade) Zemun (Belgrade) Soko (Vranje) Voždovac (Belgrade) Cadet (U16) & Pioneer (U14) League TBC

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CHILL OUT

WORLD

FRANCE

‘DEAD DROPS’ SHARING NETWORK

The Birth of the Web ▶ Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989. The web was originally conceived and developed to meet the demand for automatic information-sharing between scientists at universities and institutes around the world.

▶ ‘Dead Drops’, a five-year-old project created by Berlin-based media artist Aram Bartholl, is probably the world’s most amazing file sharing network. It consists of USB flash drives embedded into walls, buildings and curbs all over the world.

Anyone is welcome to hook up their laptops or smartphones to these drives, to drop or download files, or expand the network by embedding USB memory sticks in any old, crumbling wall in their own city.

The premise of the project is rather simple – just cement a USB stick into a wall with the port protruding, and post its location with photographs on the central Dead Drops database. Bartholl said that he created the project as a way to ‘un-cloud’ file sharing. According to the project manifesto, “Dead Drops is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public spaces”.

USA

PET HEIR HOUSE ▶ Bella Mia, a three-year-old Maltese, lives a life of luxury with her owner Rose Ann Bolasny in New York. Mrs Bolasny, a 60-year-old accountant, has given her beloved dog her own room, complete with two wardrobes bursting with a fortune’s worth of clothes and accessories.

As well as owning more than 1,000 designer outfits, costing up to €800 each, Bella Mia also owns diamond and pearl jewellery.

But to make sure she always leads a life of bliss, her devoted owner has even changed her will to include Bella Mia, who now stands to inherit a newly purchased house.

Mrs Bolasny, who has two adult sons – Robert, 38, and Louis, 32 – said: “Prior to doing it I discussed having Bella Mia included in the trust fund with my sons and they totally understood.”

CHINA

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2015 – YEAR OF THE GOAT ▶ The date of the Chinese New Year is calculated according to the Chinese lunar calendar, hence the date is different each year, but always in the period from 21st January to 20th February.

In 2015 it fell on Thursday, 19th February.

This year will be the year of the goat. For people born in the year of the goat (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003), 2015 is considered an auspicious year.

“Goats” are said to enjoy groups. They are honest, intimate and can be easily moved by the misfortunes of others.

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CABLE CAR TRANSFORMED INTO LUXURIOUS HOTEL ROOM ▶ Nestled over 2,750 metres above sea level, near the top of Mt. Sommet de la Saulire, in the French Alps, the cable car has been transformed by popular lodging rental website Airbnb into a stunning one-bedroom/twobed apartment that can accommodate up to four guests. The setting is part of the website’s ‘A Night At’ contest, which awards users with 24-hour getaways at such exclusive locations.

Winners of the contest will be taken up to the mountain on snowmobiles and, after a special Savoyard dinner under the stars, the guests will get to spend the night, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere. Because of the strong winds in the mountainous region, the one-bedroom/two-bed apartment will apparently be teetering all night long, causing you to either freak out or get a better night’s sleep.

Whatever the case, at least you will be waking up to a spectacular alpine view.

WORLD

WORLD’S MOST DIFFICULT SLED DOG RACE ▶ At the top of the world in the Yukon and Alaska wilderness of North America, an epic winter sports event took place on 7th February: the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race, "the most difficult sled dog race in the world". Covering 1,000 miles (1,600 km) between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska during the depths of winter, the race starts on schedule regardless of weather and lasts approximately two weeks until the final dog team arrives at the finish line. The Yukon Quest Trail follows historical Gold Rush and mail delivery dog sled routes from the turn of the 20th Century. Twentysix mushers (dog team leaders) took off from the start line in Whitehorse last month, which is a large increase from the 2014 Yukon Quest, when eighteen mushers started the journey.

ESTONIA

SINGAPORE

3D PRINTING OF UNBORN BABY ▶ An Estonian 3D technology company has found a way to give parentsto-be the opportunity to feel their expected baby in their hands before it is even born.

The company, Wolfprint 3D, has started to print full-colour models of three dimensional foetuses for future parents.

“We are trying to create a very positive emotion for future parents, as a memory of this magical time,” said Wolfprint 3D CEO Timmu Toke.

The 3D model printing is based on ultrasound scans of pregnant women. The ultrasound image is processed by the printing company and a plaster cast is created. Source: Reuters

Do You Know ▶ Countries with the most computers per 100 people 1. Canada 124.8 2. Netherlands 117.6 3. Switzerland 102.5 4. UK 98.5 5. Sweden 98.1

N E PA L

EX-KING'S PHEASANTS 'STARVING' IN ROYAL LODGE ▶ Gyanendra, the last king of the Himalayan nation of Nepal, was forced out of his pagoda-roofed palace in 2008 when the monarchy was abolished. He now lives as a commoner in the capital, Kathmandu.

But the ruler left behind several hundred pheasants in huge cages in the forested grounds of his lodge on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The original number of birds was unclear, but only 163 golden and silver pheasants survive.

"They used to feed on cashew nuts during the days of the monarch," said Kishore Kumar Mehta, a conservation official at the Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, "but now they don't even get enough corn and wheat to eat."

The government had earlier set aside 1.7 million rupees ($17,000) for food, upkeep and two caretakers for the birds, but that allowance was cut to 615,000 rupees ($6,150) last year.

"It is not enough to feed them properly," said Mehta. "The government should either give us enough funds or let us free the birds from their cages into the forests."

DRONES TO REPLACE WAITERS ▶ A shortage of waiters for Singapore’s restaurants has prompted one company to propose using drones to fill in for servers.

The drone can operate without a controller, using a computer program, while sensors placed around the restaurant help the drones navigate. It can allegedly carry less than two kilograms of food and drink, which is "two glasses of beer, a pizza, and two glasses of wine."

Timbre, a live music bar and restaurant chain in Singapore, is already getting started with their drone waiter programme and Managing Director Edward Chia believes it will help get food out faster and give human waiters more time to focus on customer service.

The only problem with the drones so far is that waiters still have to unload them once the food arrives at the table, and the drones can't do things like clearing a table or washing dishes.

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GADGETS

B E ST

&

H OT T E ST

NEW GADGETS

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas may only have come to a close in January, but bhy February new gadgets were already appearing, including those only in prototype form for now, but certain to soon be on sale.

Until we receive reports from the next major exhibition, which will be held in mid-April in Hong Kong, in this issue we bring you the latest gadgets that appeared on the market in February, following the big CES.

01 ZTE Blade S6 PRICE: €230 This is ZTE’s latest smartphone which looks similar to its Apple flavoured rival. Appearances aside, the price tag is low and its the first phone we’ve seen with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor.

Also on the spec sheet is 4G LTE support and a 5in HD screen.

02 Olympus Pen E-PL7 PRICE: €540 With fun features such as a "selfie screen", pared down controls and a user-friendly interface, the Olympus PEN E-PL7 announced In August last year. is primarily aimed at point-and-shoot users.

However, experienced photographers can find plenty of depth to keep their interest, with enough manual control to feel serious.

Ear 03 Dubs, Plugs PRICE: €26 The Dubs ear plugs are the must have accessory for you. These compact and smart Dubs ear plugs have been fitted with acoustic filters to reduce volume but retain clarity. They’re reusable and available in four colours.

04 Mouse Box PRICE: TBC This Mouse-Box is equipped with a 1.4 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex processor, Micro-HDMI port, Wi-Fi and a 128 GB disk. It’s currently a prototype.

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05 Asus Zenbook PRICE: €880 Asus has added the UX305 to its popular ZenBook range. As well as it’s sleek wedge shaped design, it features an Intel Core M processor and a 13.3in touchscreen.

It’s just 12.3 mm thick and 1.2 kg in weight.

Sonos 06 Blue Note Play 1 Speaker

PRICE: €295 Sonos has made a special edition of its Play:1 speaker.

There are only around 4,000 units available of the limited edition which features a graded cerulean blue finish created by seven gravity-fed atomizing spray nozzles.

07 Sony

Xperia E4 PRICE: €135 Competition in the budget smartphone market is hot and Sony hopes to win with the Xperia E4 which is under €150.

The pebble-like phone features a 5in screen, quad-core processor and Android 5.0 Lollipop but lacks 4G support.

08 Hannspree Micro PC

Denon 09 Envaya Mini

PRICE: €190 This is a fully functional Windows 8.1 PC that fits in the palm of your hand and will plug into a TV or monitor via HDMI. Inside is an Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage.

PRICE: €135 This bluetooth speaker features NFC for easy pairing, Bluetooth aptX and a microphone for speaker phone. Sound is provided by two 40mm drivers and a passive radiator. It’s also water resistant and offers a 10 hour battery life.

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CORPORATE

A PPL E'S CONTI N UITY

It's Not About The Feature, It's About The Experience

C

onfronted with the ever-changing plethora of catchy technological buzzwords being thrown at the consumer from the wide and turbulent sea of the computer/mobile phone/tablet market, one could hardly be blamed for turning a deaf ear to the latest trend. But, then again, to ride the analogy of the ocean a wee bit further, ever so often something breaks the surface rising explicably from the deep.

It nags at you, tugs for your attention and stays at the cor-

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ner of your thoughts like an afterimage in the eye. Something about it, the idea, the prospect, catches on and you get sucked in by your curiosity. Then you want to know more. Or you miss it completely and discover that someone next to you is having it sooooo much easier because they have embraced this ‘new way of doing things’. This is the thing about Apple’s idea of continuity - it can be tagged as a feature, but you’d be hard pressed to market it in less than a paragraph. Apple’s own one-sentence teaser leaves you

hopelessly clueless: Continuity lets you seamlessly move between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, or use them together.

The truth is that it is a way of doing things that is so simple, logical and just plain convenient that it deserves nothing less than to be called a new experience.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

The basic hindrance that gave birth to Continuity is one that appears once you have more than one device to serve as a point of access for your infosphere. You are confront-

ed with this artificially imposed bubble of isolated data or data streams that is accessible through one of your devices, but not through the other. For example, why can’t I access my iPhone’s phone stream via my iPad? I can use FaceTime on both, but why not the mobile voiceline? Or, likewise, why should my text messages only be confined to my iPhone? It’s like they’re trapped inside an infobubble surrounding the phone.

So, we get to crux of the irksome problem: isolated, confined streams. Here, let me give

you a scenario I’m sure everyone has had a chance to experience.

You come home from work and plug in your iPhone to charge on the tableau in the living room, and you relax cosily with the MacBook Pro in your lap, take a sip of whatever your drink of the moment be, and dive into your favourite blog, or site, or youtube channel. And just then the phone rings. If it was FaceTime you’d be free to answer on the MacBook Pro. No issues there there’s a microphone present in the MacBook Pro and so are the speakers. But the phone’s isolation we take for granted, so we put the drink down, put the laptop aside and walk over to the iPhone, and what’s more, we do it every time it rings.

So here is what two out of four components of Continuity give you: Phone Calling freedom and SMS freedom. Once you set up continuity, you can answer and make phone calls from any of your associated devices, be it another iPhone, iPad or Mac. It even works with iPod touch.

The third component of Continuity is a simple and straightforward way to share your cellular internet connection with other devices: Personal Hotspot. The concept is not new, but the no-fuss way it’s accomplished is really surprising. All devices that are part of continuity simply ‘see’ a device with carrier access in the WiFi dropdown menu. There is no setup at all. You simply select the menu item and you’re connected. A note regarding this: it is a feature supported by the mobile network provider and on Apple’s site Telekom Serbia and Telenor are listed in this respect. See [http://support.apple.com/enus/HT204040] for details.

The fourth component is called Handoff. Handoff is a nifty way to streamline your work when you are switching devices.

Here’s the scenario I go through

have them in relatively close proximity.

• Connect all the devices to the same WiFi network.

almost every morning: before I leave for work I look over my morning mail to check for urgent mail or automated warnings etc. I can get caught up in writing responses and I often have to abort my mail writing to head for the offices. With Handoff I can “pick up” an unfinished open mail or document on a device that is part of my Continuity circle, my iPad for example, and continue work on it on the go. As I mentioned, it works for documents as well but it is a feature of Continuity that has to be specifically supported by an application. So far Mail, Safari, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, Contacts, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote do. It works like a charm. As soon as you enter the zone of proximity of a device that is part of the Continuity circle, an icon of a document imposes itself over the icon of the

related application thus signalling that it can be ‘handed off’ from one device to the other.

You simply open the application and confirm that you wish to ‘pick up’ the document from another device.

HOW DO I START LIVING IT?

That is surprisingly simple, considering the amount of technology involved in making it work. There is however a definite list of currently supported devices. The details may be found at [http://support.apple. com/en-us/HT6555].

Apart from the eligibility issue, three steps need to be performed for a device to become a part of continuity: • Sign in to the same iCloud account on all your devices.

• Turn on Bluetooth on all the devices you want to use and

There is a definite set of steps you may need to perform to enable or disable specific features regarding the best setup scenario for your specific needs, but it falls outside the scope of this article. We do however recommend that you visit an Apple Premium Reseller store such as iLike at the Delta City shopping center in Jurija Gagrina 16 where the genuinely enthusiastic and knowledgable sales agents and Apple experts will be quite happy to assist you in setting up your devices or give you a ‘1 on 1’ training experience to help you acquire the knowhow to manage them yourself. We were really satisfied with their knowledge and expertise and find it comforting to know that there is a place where you can quickly get assistance when in need.

In retrospect, the four features of Continuity (Handoff, Phone Calling, SMS and Instant Hotspot) are essentially subject to the unforgiving criteria by which any technology may be judged: does it empower us or does it enfeeble us? As for us, there is no dilemma - receiving phone calls and typing SMS’s on our desktop Macs is a boon that somehow still tickles us to no end.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUITY Handoff and Instant Hotspot are supported by the following Mac models, and require OS X Yosemite: MacBook Air (Mid 2012 and later), MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 and later), iMac (Late 2012 and later), Mac mini (Late 2012 and later), Mac Pro (Late 2013) Handoff is supported by the following iOS devices and requires iOS 8: iPhone 5 or later, iPhone 4s (sharing iPhone calls only), iPad (4th generation), iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini 3, iPod touch (5th generation) Instant Hotspot requires one of these iPhone or iPad devices with cellular connectivity and iOS 8.1. Instant Hotspot also requires Personal Hotspot service through your carrier.

Phone calling requires an iPhone with iOS 8 and an activated carrier plan.

Phone calling works with any iOS device that supports iOS 8 and any Mac that supports Yosemite.

SMS requires an iPhone with iOS 8.1 and an activated carrier plan.

SMS works with any iOS device with iOS 8.1, and any Mac that supports Yosemite.

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FASHION

Women's 2015

Formalwear Trends PRICE:

€305

Three-Button Jacket Single-breasted jacket with three centre front real shell buttons.

Grosgrain trim inside.

Bracelet sleeve length. Fully lined with our signature jacquard logo lining.

Whether we like it or not, modern women spend vast amounts of time at work.

As such, those who enjoy being stylish must pay great attention to their office outfits, even if that is not an easy task. Elegance is a key element not only in daily life, but also at the office. On the other hand, elegance mustn’t mean the sacrificing of comfort and the need to feel pleasant during long working hours. For the coming spring season we would like to draw your attention to feminine and sophisticated ways of wearing a business style wardrobe during working hours, but also as an afterhours look. As in previous years, trousers, costumes and relaxed blouse and skirt combinations remain trendy.

Here are our recommendations for spring 2015.

Saint Laurent Monogrammed Shopper A beautifully executed accessory in richly grained leather, Saint Laurent’s Monogrammed Shopper is perfect for any occasion.

PRICE: €2,125

PRICE:

Two-Tone Leather Pumps These pumps are crafted from pure leather with an 8cm heel. The pumps have a full leather lining and leather sole.

PRICE: €215

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€145

Wool Pencil Skirt This pencil skirt is crafted in pure wool gabardine woven in Italy. Windowpane check. Centre back zipper.

PRICE:

€250

Silk Printed Blouse

Longines La Grande Classique Watch An elegant addition to your fine watch collection, the La Grande Classique watch by Longines exudes ladylike charm. PRICE: €1,295

The blouse is crafted in pure crepe de chine silk with an all-over horse bit print and removable bow. Real shell buttons down centre front placket.

Balmain Satin Lapel Pique Jacket Perfect for the day or evening, this satin jacket would add a touch of effortless glamour to work tailoring or a party dress. PRICE: €2,200

PRICE:

€435

Lanvin Multi-Chain Cuff Art Deco-inspired, the cuff is made up of strands of golden chains secured with a clasp set with sparkling cut glass; a statement-making piece that will add drama to daytime looks.

PRICE: €520

Leather Lace-Up Oxford Flats

Stellita Fit Wool Jacket This jacket is crafted in Loro Piana® wool fabric woven in Italy. Twobutton real horn closure.

Fully lined. Inside grosgrain piping.

PRICE:

€147

This lace-up oxford flats are crafted from genuine leather. This pair is leather lined with leather sole.

PRICE:

€235

Print Tubular Silk Scarf Fossil Woven Leather Belt PRICE:

€38

Crafted scarf in a silk twill with a bridle print.

A gleaming gold-tone buckle adds a touch of refinement to a casually cool woven leather belt.

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Basics for Your

FASHION

Workday – Spring 2015 Every company has some kind of dress-code that is usually quite a formal look. Whether you work for a large or a small company, if you are dealing with clients on a daily basis then you are destined to look and dress highly professionally, projecting the image of a powerful decision maker. However, we recommend you only wear outfits that really make you feel comfortable, as it's very important to concentrate on work while you are doing your daily job, rather than considering your look.

Some businesspeople love wearing relaxed outfits, while others insist on conservative clothing, implying grey, black and combinations of dark blue blazers and grey trousers.

Between us, it is well known that top managers keep a spare set of clothes in their office that they can change into when needed for important meetings. Before and after such meetings, these top managers dress in much the same way as their colleagues.

Here are a few ideas for spring 2015.

PRICE:

Burberry 'Rowan' Wallet Supple Italian calfskin shapes a smart wallet built for utility and style in equal measure PRICE: €420

PRICE:

€970

Versace Trim Fit Wool Suit Smooth grey wool is tailored into a slim-fitting suit that pairs a classic two-button, notch-lapel jacket with sharply creased flat-front trousers, that looks great in the office and after hours.

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€1,233

Trim Fit Wool Suit Fine wool and a sleek aesthetic shape a trimcut suit featuring a twobutton jacket with slim notch lapels and flatfront trousers with sharp creases.

Clipper Satchel Handmade in Great Britain, this Clipper Satchel will work equally well in the office or at the weekend.

PRICE: €538

Frédéric Chopin Yellow Gold Watch

PRICE:

€1,499

Paying tribute to the famous pianist and composer, Frédéric Chopin, Swiss timepiece manufacturers Frédérique Constant present the Frédéric Chopin watch. Featuring an ultraclassical dial with a ‘piano keys’ pattern in the centre, this exquisite piece is a truly stunning ode to the late composer.

PRICE: €1,388

Canali Classic Fit Wool Suit A finely crafted jacket and flatfront trousers are meticulously fashioned from highquality wool.

PRICE:

€1,852

Ralph Lauren Plaid Suit Shadowy plaid patterns an expertly tailored, Italiancrafted suit cut from smooth, luxuriously soft wool. The trim-fitting twobutton jacket features dashing peak lapels and pairs perfectly with the slim, crisply creased flatfront trousers.

Leather Penny Loafer Carefully constructed for optimum comfort and freedom of movement, these shoes will see you through the season in style.

PRICE:

€495

Hugo Boss Trim Fit Black Wool Suit A fully lined, notch-lapel jacket and flat-front trousers crafted from highquality wool complete a classic black suit cut to a slimmer profile.

PRICE: €790

PRICE:

€87

Wide Stripe Shirt

Expertly tailored to a modern fit in lightweight Egyptian Giza cotton, this shirt features a point collar and double cuffs for a smart finish.

PRICE:

Tanned Leather Belt

€120

Handmade and tanned in Spain, the smooth leather is coloured for a bright orange hue that will add a splash of colour to any look.

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PROFILE

Inspiring and Challenging Role Enthusiasm, dynamism and diversity best illustrate the everyday work involved in the role of Head of Identity and Communications at UniCredit – an appealing, but also demanding, position

NATAŠA KUZMANOVSKI Head of Identity and Communications at UniCredit Bank Serbia

F

eeling creative and having the ability to do that as a life’s calling is priceless. Many find themselves choosing professions that they feel they should, or which are better paid or less stressful, while I was lucky enough to find out very early what it was that I would like to do for the rest of my life, in order to never lose the energy and enthusiasm that define me as a professional.

Travelling as a teenager in a way set the course of my life and made it international, but the first big step was travelling to the U.S. to complete high school and ending up spending five years there instead of only one. Even though I selected international business and economics as my major, an internship during my college years, where I worked as a financial analyst, was crucial for me coming to the realisation that I cannot spend my career by “crunching” numbers and that I have to turn to exploiting the area where I feel most comfortable – communicating and creating.

After finishing undergraduate studies in the U.S., I came back to Serbia and started building my career – eight years in what is now one of leading integrated

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communication agencies in Serbia and the region, Executive Group, and, for the last three years, at the leading European commercial banking group – UniCredit.

My previous agency experience was of tremendous benefit for the role that envisaged steering all marketing and corporate communications activities at UniCredit Bank. As a consultant, you are always alert and prepared to find the best solution in any situation, because this is what is expected – to be innovative, to distinguish yourself from the competition and never put the organisation in harm’s way, but rather predict both best and worst case scenarios in any situation.

Taking responsibility for UniCredit Bank’s strong banking brand in Serbia The international and the CEE region exposure that comes was very challenging, yet exciting. Unlike with working for when running projects one of the leading as a consultant, here you take full ownerEuropean banking ship over positioning players represents a brand that already an excellent learning has excellent business result, but needs opportunity to stand out among 29 other market players.

Enthusiasm, dynamism and diversity best illustrate the everyday work undertaken in this role and on one hand this is very appealing, but also demanding at the same time. Being in charge of identity and communications for an organisa-

tion whose business needs change daily requires “juggling” various areas of communication – from public relations, online communication and internal communication, to marketing communications and advertising. This is very inspiring, because it allows you to contribute directly to the better positioning of the bank and its business results. It is also our role to help clients really feel that the bank operates in line with its brand positioning – Life is full of ups and downs, we are there for both. Changing the mindset into “being easy to deal with” together with deep understanding of clients real needs are certainly key to distinguishing us from our competitors. He who is ready to change quickly and adapt to a turbulent economic situation has a huge advantage at the start of a long race.

The international exposure that comes with working for one of the leading European banking players represents an excellent learning opportunity, a chance to diversify professional experience, share best practices, adopt knowhow from other markets and, most importantly, grow in professional competence.

If you find yourself in a position that you are short on ideas or can’t find the best answer in a particular situation, diversified organisations possess this immense capability to provide you with support and “comfort” that you are not left wandering in the dark, but rather presented with a way out or best practice from another market.

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